A long time ago, I read a book called It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For. The premise is pretty obvious, and is very similar to another book I love called Start With Why.

At first glance, RV parks are selling a commodity, a parking spot. There are thousands of other businesses like ours across the country, with varying degrees of accompanying realities around that parking spot, like amenities, safety, cleanliness, staffing etc. 

Upon deeper inquiry, we’ve uncovered something that we’re really excited about pursuing, to create unexpectedly delightful camping experiences that reinvents for RVers what they think is possible in this space.

Our principles as we strive to create unexpectedly delightful RV experiences:

• Communication will be simple, clear, and timely. Traveling contains ambiguity, changes of plans, late arrivals, fatigue, and often information overload. An experience at Gather Campground will always include the information you need, when you need it, in a concise way that empowers you on your trip. We also expect this of our guests and will be present to receive any and all information you have to share with us with open ears and a desire to understand.
• Our spaces will be safe, clean, and easily accessible. RVing is about resting easy and maximizing fun, and that happens when your guard is down. From the moment our guests arrive, our property will instantly invoke a sense of ‘I’m safe here and my things are safe here’, ‘wow, they really care about keeping this place clean for me’, and ‘my spot and these amenities are so easy to access and enjoy’. We also expect our guests to care for our shared spaces, and return each space they use as they found them.
• We proactively elevate each guest’s experience. We all know what it feels like to be guided by a local, someone who cares about you and your stay. Whether we’re delivering ice to your site, helping you start your fire, recommending our favorite BBQ restaurant in town, or directing you to a cool event nearby, we know that a personal touch can make the difference in your stay and we aim to do just that. 
• We strive to be flexible, accessible, and accommodating. We understand that RV travel can be challenging, timing can change, and sometimes our guests will need something unexpected from us. We also know that when a challenge does arise, the best thing we can do is be available to our guests, ready to help in whatever ways we can, and able to strive towards win-for-all solutions. This could mean accommodating a late checkout or calling on a local resource to help with an emergent issue. We also expect partnership from each of our guests to honor our efforts to serve while also being our teammates in finding creative solutions.

We’re confident that our beautifully appointed camp store, sparkling pool, natural playground, epic main lawn, full gym, and community spaces will delight our guests. However, we’re steadfast in our belief that what our team stands for and how we carry our values into the hospitality we provide for each guest is what will truly set Gather Campgrounds apart as the new standard of what world-class RV experiences can be. 

By: Garrett Weber-Gale, co-founder of Gather Campgrounds