RV Resource Roundup for COVID-19: FAQ + Links to Official Websites and Ongoing News Updates for RVers

There are over 20,000 RV parks and campgrounds across North America. And while some are closing, many remain open.

Your best bet (if possible) is to try and extend your stay where you are already. If that is not possible, find a privately owned campground that is staying open. It is a good idea to look for campgrounds that accommodate RVers year-round (annual residents) as they would be considered life-essential, thus less susceptible to being closed down.

During this time, campground policies are changing quickly. It is wise to call ahead before traveling to your destination. And consider booking a stay until end of April at least, and even the end of May.

Find RV parks and campgrounds at:

http://www.campendium.com – this now has a “Filter” feature  to enable you to find open campgrounds by using the search box to locate a desired area. Then select the filter to “exclude temporarily closed locations.”

http://wherecanicampnow.com – find RV parks that are taking full time RVers NOW amidst the COVID-19 situation. Powered by CampgroundViews.com, they are actively vetting and adding parks.

http://www.campgroundreviews.com

http://www.campgroundviews.com

You can also join this Facebook Group for Displaced Nomads and RVers, to request help or find RV parks or private property where you can hunker down for a while (potentially until the end of May).

https://www.facebook.com/groups/DisplacedNomadsandRVers

While many public campgrounds are closing – some private ones too – there are also many that are staying open.

Find campgrounds at:

http://www.campendium.com – they have a filter feature to ‘exclude temporarily closed locations’

http://wherecanicampnow.com – find RV parks that are taking full time RVers NOW amidst the COVID-19 situation. Powered by CampgroundViews.com, they are actively vetting and adding parks.

http://www.campgroundreviews.com

http://www.campgroundviews.com

Daily updates are also being added to these RV and camping pages dedicated to helping RVers during the coronavirus situation:

Campendium – USA campground closures: https://www.campendium.com/camping/covid-19-state-by-state-campground-closures-responses

Campendium – Canada campground closures: https://www.campendium.com/camping/province-by-province-campground-closures-responses-in-canada-due-to-covid-19

Rootless Living – Extended Stay Parks: https://www.rootlessliving.com/extended-stay-parks-covid-19

Rootless Living – Coronavirus Park Closures: https://www.rootlessliving.com/coronavirus-park-closures

RVillage – List of Open RV Parks: https://blog.rvillage.com/rvillage-list-of-open-rv-parks

The most recent development from Thousand Trails was shared on April 2, 2020 and can be found here:

Thousand Trails COVID-19 Update re sheltering in place and extending stays for members.

In a nutshell, as advised in the company Facebook announcement:

“Members already at a TT campground may stay in place beyond the limits allowed by their membership contracts , without additional/new fees or chargers, through April 30, 2020.”

“Members with the Trails Collection currently staying at a Trails Collection property may extend their stays by converting to a retail reservation and utilizing the 20% discount off the daily rate and 10% off the monthly rate.”

“If you wish to extend your stay, please call the on-site campground management staff as soon as possible to make your request so they can update your reservation. For prompt service, we recommend calling the on-site teams rather than calling Member Services at this time due to the already high call volume experienced by our Member Services team.”

Note that TT and Trails Collection (Encore) campgrounds have canceled activities and closed many amenities for public health reasons.

In Florida, the local county asked tourists to leave, affecting visitors at Sunshine Key RV Resort and Fiesta Key RV Resort. “The only exception is for long-term renters in vacation homes and R/V parks with contracts of 28 days or more, who are presently in the Keys,” they wrote. “They are to be allowed to remain until the conclusion of their contracts.”

You can read the notice here: https://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/1169/COVID-19-Coronavirus

Meanwhile, a mandate from the Governor of Pennsylvania caused TT PA parks to close, but they have since re-opened.

Here is the announcement: https://www.governor.pa.gov/newsroom/all-non-life-sustaining-businesses-in-pennsylvania-to-close-physical-locations-as-of-8-pm-today-to-slow-spread-of-covid-19

If you hear of any TT park closures – and can provide an official link from the source to verify – please share it with us by leaving a comment with the link on this article.

Here is the official Thousand Trails COVID-19 Status Update from their website:

https://rvonthego.com/coronavirus-status

Most KOA’s are open and operating. However, some have closed due to local government shutdowns. At the time of writing, there are six (6) KOA properties closed temporarily.

Visit this link for more KOA Kampground Updates and details of the closed parks and dates:

https://koa.com/blog/update-on-covid-19

If you need to cancel a reservation, KOA has advised they are not charging the usual $10 cancellation fee at this time.

As each Host in the Harvest Hosts program is run by an independent operator, please call ahead to find out availability and policy.

Read this article from Harvest Hosts:

https://harvesthosts.com/rv-camping/coronavirus-dont-panic-be-prudent

You can join Harvests Hosts here.

It is the sole discretion of Boondockers Welcome hosts whether or not they are willing to accept RVers to stay at this (or any) time.

We recommend reading this article for more detail and advice on how to handle a stay:

https://www.boondockerswelcome.com/blog/2020/03/12/rvers-and-coronavirus

Policies will depend on each casino, so call or visit their website for updates. If the casino is still open for business, you may be allowed to park in the parking lot (space permitting), but if the casino is closed, most likely you will not.

Find Casinos that may accept RVers here: https://www.casinocamper.com

Some are still open to RVers for an overnight stay, however reports are that many locations are crowded with RVers are the moment. Especially at Walmart, where truckers often park overnight to rest. If possible, try to park your RV elsewhere (eg. a private campground) to allow room for the truckers who don’t have that option. They are transporting our medical, food and toilet paper supplies!

Here is Walmart’s response to COVID-19 and latest news updates: https://corporate.walmart.com/coronavirus

Find Walmart locations using the Allstays app.

Cracker Barrel’s COVID-19 statement: https://crackerbarrel.com/response

Find a Cracker Barrel location here: https://crackerbarrel.com/locations

Cabela’s does not appear to have a COVID-19 statement on their website at this time.

Can you stay overnight?

It depends on the store and location. So call ahead to the location you want to visit to get permission from the manager. And Remember to patronize their business!

Join this Facebook Group for Displaced Nomads and RVers. Private land owners and RV Parks alike are sharing information and updates on availability.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/DisplacedNomadsandRVers

You might also find a camping solution at one of these properties offered by Hipcamp:

https://www.hipcamp.com

If you are unable to extend your stay where you currently are, have been asked to leave, or had a reservation cancelled, try these options.

1. Reach out to family and friends who may have land or a parking space where you can stay for a while in your RV and self isolate.
2. Find RV parks that are taking full-time RVers now amidst the COVID-19 situation at: http://wherecanicampnow.com  Powered by CampgroundViews.com, they are actively vetting and adding parks.
3. Visit this page on RVillage for a list of RV parks that are OPEN to RVers at this time: https://blog.rvillage.com/rvillage-list-of-open-rv-parks
4. Check for privately owned RV parks and campgrounds that ARE open, using sites like campendium.com (they have a filter feature) campgroundreviews.com and campgroundviews.com and the RVillage Open Parks page
5. Join this Facebook Group for Displaced Nomads and RVers, to request help or find RV parks or private property where you can hunker down and be safe.
6. Consider finding an Airbnb or Extended Stay hotel where you can hunker down for a month or two. Competitive rates are likely to be found as very few people are traveling right now.

Some RV parks and campgrounds are closed, but many remain open. Travel is being discouraged, stay at home orders are in place around the country, and park owners understandably want to protect themselves and their campers from being exposed to COVID-19.

With that in mind, this isn’t camping as usual. This is about finding a safe place to hunker down and stay still, for as long as is necessary.

Here is what you may expect (as a guide) from places that ARE still accepting RVers:

• Some parks are allowing an overnight stay if you are just passing through on your way home.
• Some parks require a minimum 30 day stay, to reduce transient visitors.
• As this situation is changing often, you should ALWAYS call ahead to confirm that a campground is open, and has a spot for you before arriving.
• To reduce exposure risk, many parks have changed their methods for checking in, to minimize in person contact.
• Some parks may have limited or reduced services and amenities. (eg. closed pools, clubhouse, activities etc)
• Some parks may require a 14 day quarantine upon arrival.
• Please understand that these measures are often a requirement by local or state governments. And it is in the best interests of YOU and everyone else, to comply with them.

Besides normal storage options, we recently discovered a website called https://www.neighbor.com/rv-storage that is similar to AirBNB in that individuals rent out their storage space. It might be less expensive than normal options.