Good Sam Announces New Member Programs

In a column in the most recent edition of Highways magazine, Marcus Lemonis, chairman and CEO of Good Sam Enterprises LLC (formerly Affinity Group Inc.), outlined changes in the Good Sam Club that include: New fuel discount program. More value-oriented insurance, roadside assistance and extended warranty programs. A revamped trip-planning system. Lemonis said the changes are being made at the behest of ”literally thousands” of Good Sam Club members who e-mailed him during the six months since... Read more

More Stories from Maryland and Hurricane Irene

Editor’s Note: Here are two more stories from campground owners from Maryland, which was hit by Hurricane Irene over the weekend. Both are members of the Maryland Association of Campgrounds. From Russ & Jill Yates, Owners, Holiday Park in Greensboro, Md. (eastern shore): Hurricane Irene packed a huge punch. We have numerous trees down. The river came up 3-6 feet and flooded half of the campground. Many rigs were damaged. Picnic tables and decking, along with a lot of campers personal... Read more

Manitoba Park’s Rate Structure Questioned

Manitoba provincial park's rate structure questioned. A group of seasonal campers at Nopiming Provincial Park says a private campground operator is charging high fees and Manitoba Conservation has turned a blind eye to it, according to the Winnipeg Free Press. Jim Ilasewich, spokesman for the Caribou Lake Seasonal Siteholders Association, said Tuesday (Aug. 30) the province allows private contractors that operate campgrounds in provincial parks to charge whatever fees they want without requiring... Read more

Woodland Park to Hold Dealer Open House Sept. 20-22

Company announces September open house. Park model builder Woodland Park Inc. will be hosting an Open House at the company’s manufacturing complex in Middlebury, Ind., Sept. 20-22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The event will coincide with the 4th Annual Elkhart County Manufacturers’ Open House running Sept. 19-23, RVBUSINESS.com reported. “It will be an Open House unlike any we’ve had for 20 years,” said David Burroughs, North American sales manager for Woodland Park, founded in 1983. According... Read more

RV Park and Campground Briefs

MICHIGAN From the Iron County Reporter: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced that the Glidden Lake state forest campground, located approximately four miles southeast of Crystal Falls in Iron County, will be temporarily closed starting Sept. 6. The campground will be closed three to four weeks to allow DNR crews to remove over-mature and hazardous trees. The closure will include the campground, boat launch, hiking trail and swimming beach area. “The over-mature trees... Read more

Consumer Confidence Deteriorated in August

Consumers’ confidence in August dropped almost 15 points to the lowest level since April 2009 as worries about the economy fueled the wildest stock market swings since the financial meltdown in 2008, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday (Aug. 30). At a time when Americans are increasingly worried about a weak job market, higher costs for food and clothing and recent stock market turmoil, the falling confidence numbers raise new concerns about their willingness to spend and jump-start the... Read more

ELS Giving Investor Presentation Today

Equity LifeStyle Properties Inc. (ELS) is giving a financial presentation today (Aug. 31) at the Midwest IDEAS Investor Conference. Michael Berman, ELS’ executive vice president and CFO, will conduct the presentation at 8:35 a.m. Central time, according to a news release. The presentation will be webcast live and may be accessed at the conference website, www.midwestideas.com, or in the investor relations section of the company’s website: www.equitylifestyle.com. A replay of the presentation... Read more

Two Vermont Campgrounds Devastated by Irene

Tropical Storm Irene has had “a devastating effect” on the private campgrounds in Vermont and at least two have suffered “total flooding,” according to a report from Peter Daniels, executive director of the Vermont Campground Association (VCA). “Camping on the Battenkill in Arlington will not be able to access the damage until the river recedes. They may not be able to open this fall,” Daniels told Woodall’s Campground Management. “Abel Mountain in... Read more

Connecticut Reopening Parks in Irene’s Wake

After safety inspections and cleanups in Irene’s wake, the state of Connecticut has started reopening its parks and campgrounds, but all state swimming areas remain closed as a precaution, said Dwayne Gardner, spokesman for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). Campgrounds that have opened include the Austin Hawes Campground in Barkhamsted and those at Housatonic Meadows State Park in Cornwall and Sharon, Macedonia Brook State Park in Kent, Black Rock State Park in Thomaston... Read more

Irene’s Floodwaters Close 16 New Hampshire Campgrounds

Click here to watch a sometimes choppy video courtesy of the New England Cable News about the following story. Sixteen of the 23 campgrounds in the White Mountain National Forest are closed in the aftermath of Irene. The rush of water that came through the Campton Group Campground near Lincoln, N.H., has left the popular spot nearly unrecognizable and unusable, New England Cable News reported. “It’s a group camp,” says Pemigewasset District Ranger Molly Fuller. “Families come here, large... Read more

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