The outdoor hospitality industry is navigating a structural shift as macroeconomic conditions adjust and guest demographics evolve. While wholesale vehicle inventory normalizes across the market, the guests actively booking campsites are arriving with significantly higher expectations for their physical site footprint.
Campground owners who historically relied on standard pull-through configurations to fit massive motorized rigs are discovering a new reality driven by agile camper vans, compact travel trailers, and a demand for high-end on-site privacy.
To protect occupancy rates and maximize revenue per available site, savvy operators are rethinking traditional layouts. Instead of continually deploying heavy capital to construct costly cabins or park models, forward-thinking park owners are finding stronger, more sustainable profit margins by retrofitting existing footprints into specialized, premiumized RV pitches.
Redesigning Layouts for the Modern Agile Rig
“If you would have told me ten years ago that van campers were going to outsell Class A motorhomes, I wouldn’t have believed you,” stated Phil Ingrassia, president of the RV Dealers Association (RVDA), during the July 1, 2026, episode of MC Fireside Chats.
Ingrassia noted that manufacturers are shifting away from large fifth-wheels toward smaller, more maneuverable rigs built for a younger demographic.
This inventory transformation directly impacts day-to-day campground operations. Owners are watching guests pull up in expensive camper vans and compact rigs, only to park them in massive pull-through sites designed for 45-foot motorized rigs.
While the physical vehicle size has scaled down, the guest’s budget and expectation for luxury have not. Operators must adapt their layouts to prioritize upscale outdoor environments rather than simple, long pull-through configurations.
The Capital Pitfalls of Over-Building Accommodations
Ward Wijngaert, business developer for the European premium campsite franchise Yelloh! Village, noted a clear shift in asset allocation away from hard structures. “We had a phenomenon of installing too many accommodations the last two years. We see a trend of recovering more land to offer more pitches because the RV business is a booming business,” Wijngaert explained. Traditional pitches are fundamentally more affordable to maintain and require less capital investment than hard cabins, making them a more agile option during economic shifts.
According to Wijngaert, the key to unlocking this revenue is localized premiumization. To capture premium rates without cabin overhead, operators should upgrade physical pitches with individual additions like private sanitary facilities, personal barbecues, manicured gardens, or exclusive views. By treating the individual campsite as an upscale product, parks attract guests who previously avoided traditional campgrounds due to shared facilities.
Lori Severson, president of Severson & Associates and a Wisconsin campground owner, agreed with this approach, emphasizing that modern van and compact RV owners still demand spacious environments.
“They don’t want a great small space. They want a big VIP space… they want a fatter space. They want wider, they want more space to spread out and do their thing,” Severson stated. For operators, this means realizing that site luxury is no longer defined by length, but by width, personal privacy, and pre-installed features like private fireplaces, patios, and grills.
Grounding Layout Adjustments in Market Evidence
This operational transition is supported by current market data. In the vehicle sector, macroeconomic pressures and interest rates have led to a normalization of new vehicle production.
According to the quarterly RV Industry Association (RVIA) Forecast prepared by ITR Economics, 2026 wholesale shipments are projected to stabilize with a median of 349,000 units. This stabilization underscores that consumers are holding onto current assets longer or utilizing the used market, meaning their discretionary capital is flowing directly into the operational, experiential side of travel.
Concurrently, campground demand is showing strength in multiple markets. While conditions vary by region, international data point to continued interest in outdoor accommodations. The Spain National Statistics Institute (INE) Occupancy Survey, released in July 2026, reported that overnight stays at tourist campsites increased 7.5% year over year, illustrating that demand for campground experiences continues to grow in some established outdoor hospitality markets.
Furthermore, the Kampgrounds of America (KOA) 2026 Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report highlights that average daily expenditures per person (excluding accommodation fees) have surged past $200. This clear financial baseline shows that while consumers are booking later and scrutinizing destination values, they possess significant capital to spend once they arrive on-site—provided the campground offers an elevated, premiumized experience.
Executing the “Boutique” Site Strategy
Transitioning to a premium pitch model requires a grounded approach to financial forecasting. Christina Severson, chief operating officer of Severson & Associates, warns operators against making long-term infrastructure decisions based on pandemic spikes.
“When you look at something like COVID, obviously that was an anomaly… were decisions made based on that boom versus 2019 where this is kind of more my baseline year?” she cautioned. By benchmarking capital improvements against healthy, stabilized years rather than temporary spikes, park owners protect their long-term cash flow.
To implement premiumization without completely stripping site inventory, operators should focus on creating specialized “boutique sites”. Scott Bahr, president of Cairn Consulting Group, emphasized that younger demographics, such as Gen Z, prefer self-directed, private socialization over large group environments. “The site is for you because you have that type of accommodation… that to me feels like that’s the appeal,” Bahr noted, adding that tailoring the site to the specific rig style reduces the perceived risk of booking an unstandardized space.
Operators do not necessarily need to consolidate successful rows of pull-through sites to achieve this look. Instead, they can maximize revenue on marginal land—such as uneven hill boundaries, corner zones, or border sections.
Adding privacy hedges, outdoor furniture, or pet enclosures can turn a low-performing corner site into a higher-rate booking.This layout adjustment satisfies the modern guest’s desire for privacy, increases the average daily rate, and positions the park to capitalize on the evolving realities of the outdoor hospitality economy.
The full episode of this MC Fireside Chats broadcast is available at https://moderncampground.com/fireside-chats/mc-fireside-chats-july-1st-2026/.
About MC Fireside Chats
MC Fireside Chats is a live podcast experience dedicated to the outdoor hospitality and outdoor recreation industries. Hosted by Brian Searl, founder and CEO of Insider Perks and Modern Campground, the show offers engaging discussions with industry leaders, innovators, and experts shaping the future of camping, RVing, glamping, and outdoor recreation.
Airing every Wednesday at 2 p.m. (ET), the show follows a structured weekly theme to deliver deep dives into the most relevant topics:
- Week 1: Industry Trends & Insights
- Week 2: Enhancing Guest Experience
- Week 3: Business Operations & Management
- Week 4: Marketing, AI, and Technology
Each episode features a panel of recurring guests, complemented by 1–2 rotating special guests, including industry analysts, campground owners, technology providers, sustainability advocates, and more. Whether exploring the latest market trends or innovative guest experience strategies, MC Fireside Chats delivers thought-provoking insights for professionals and enthusiasts across the outdoor recreation spectrum.
To explore previous episodes of MC Fireside Chats, visit: moderncampground.com/mc-fireside-chats.