Is your property ready to host travelers? - Part 1

Getting there.

By Audrey Lynch

Has it been a while since you considered your property’s accessibility to travelers, or are you finalizing your property profile? This article provides quick reminders to help you be a better host now or in the near future.

You have a lovely camping spot, so let’s make sure that travelers can use it! First things first, we need to make sure that there isn’t anything between your property and the Interstate that would prevent travelers from safely getting to you. This means giving good directions from the main accesses to your property. When a host profile comes into UpClose-RV, most of them do not include well-written instructions to get a traveler from the Interstate to your property. Travelers want to know how far away your place is from the Interstate.

               When you first set up your profile, it is crucial to ensure there are clear directions to your site.  Our detail-oriented vice president, Kim, likes to use MapQuest www.mapquest.com to validate the ease and understanding of your directions by plugging in your address and the Interstate exit that a traveler would take to find your home. It is essential to give our travelers these little extra tidbits of information because it will provide them with the assurance that they will indeed find your spot.   

So, think about it, between the Interstate and your property, are there other areas to consider? Low and narrow overpasses or bridges can be as low as 10 feet, making them impassable for many of the larger RVs (they can be as tall as 14 feet high). Also, consider any constriction points along the route that a larger vehicle may have to worry about like one-lane roads or bridges. Is there an alternate route they could take to go around the bridge? Please refrain from telling a traveler, just plug it into your GPS. We all know that doesn’t always work. The last thing you want is a grumpy traveler arriving after driving in circles or having to figure out how to re-navigate because of that old narrow bridge that you never mentioned. I am thinking about one such bridge near Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, that we didn’t know existed. If we had been a 5^th wheel, we would not have made it. 

               Be mindful of the condition of the route to your place. Is the road very bumpy or rough? This may be hard on the longer motorhomes or on trailers that could bounce around, causing them to swing back and forth and hit something or someone. Dips or bumps can cause RVs to clip their front bumpers, tow hitches, or scrape their undercarriage. Will the driver need to make a sharp, tight turn, or have to navigate a narrow space (especially one surrounded by trees, fences, or some other object)? Consider measuring the span of this distance to help the driver know just how much space they will have to work with.

What about hills, mountains, or steep grades? It is hard work for an engine to pull as much as 40,000 pounds up a mountain.  Is there a gentler path that could be used even if the route is a little longer?

If you have any doubts or questions don’t hesitate to message us at admin@upclose-rv.com. We appreciate you joining us on this journey toward bringing property owners and RV owners together for a mutual benefit.