by Shandra Martinez | The Grand Rapids Press

He slid his 27-foot Coachmen Chaparral into its seasonal spot, parked his fishing boat at the water's edge and set out a refrigerator on the green turf carpeting that serves as his patio. Soon, he will hang up his hummingbird feeders and plant his small garden.

"I always thought it was the best-kept secret in Michigan," said the East Lansing resident, 79, who has been summering at the campsite for three decades.

He can plan on more company this year. With less money to spend, more people are expected to head to campsites to keep their summer getaways affordable.

A struggling economy likely will translate into another tough year for Michigan's $12 billion tourism industry. But that's not necessarily so for its 1,080 private campgrounds and 218 state parks and campgrounds, where people can park their tent or RV for anywhere from $15 to $50 a night.

Reservations at some private West Michigan campsites catering to those who travel by recreational vehicle are up over last year, local owners say. At Double R Ranch, for example, reservations surpass last year's totals at this time by 25 percent, operators say.

"Anytime there is a downturn in the economy, our segment does well," said Linda Profaizer, chief executive officer of the National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds. The organization represents more than 8,000 private parks nationwide.

"People continue to camp because they have the investment in the equipment and it's affordable."

Cheap vacation

Briggs helps operate Grand Rogue Campgrounds in Plainfield Township. Season-long reservations, the smallest part of the business, have increased nearly 20 percent, he said. Short-term stays are flat so far but he's hoping for a boost starting next weekend, as summer's unofficial start -- Memorial Day weekend -- approaches.

He has heard from one Arizonan who plans to stay at the 25-acre campground instead of the Grand Rapids hotel where she will take part in a Cribbage tournament.

"People are going to recreate," said Briggs, whose 110 campsites at the convergence of the Grand and Rogue rivers go for $20 to $33 a night. "They are just going to do it in a thrifty manner."

Tesha and Steve Gauthier don't own a fancy recreational vehicle, but they stayed at the Oak Grove RV Resort in Ottawa County's Park Township last weekend to see the Tulip Time Festival.

At $55-a-night for a small cabin with air conditioning, heating and cable, the accommodations beat what they could get at a hotel for the same price -- even though they had to bring their sheets and walk to a camp restroom, Tesha Gauthier said.

Staying at the campsite and bringing food they could cook over the campfire helped the family of four keep their two-night trip under $200.

Improved facilities

Oak Grove owners Ron and Betty VandenBerg bought two new 33-foot Springdale campers to rent this year. They say the $32,000 investment already is paying off.

"We just got them and have 15 weeks rented," Betty VandenBerg said.

There also is demand for the campground's three cabins, with reservations up 10 percent over last year, she said.

Although most campers bring their own accommodations, they often are looking for many of the same amenities offered by hotels and resorts, including cable TV, pools and golf courses.

Sandy Pines, a 900-acre campsite in Allegan County's Hopkins Township, poured $2 million last year into a waterscape featuring three swimming pools and two splash pads -- plus improvements to the recreation facility housing a teen center.

"I would dare say our amenities top a hotel," said Max Gibbs, park director.

The campground also features a 262-acre lake, an 18-hole golf course and its own recreation department.

Owned by its 2,190 members, Sandy Pines is something of a rarity in the private camping world. There are only about 500 membership parks across the country, according to Profaizer.

Nearly four decades after the park opened, this could be the year the camp sells off the final six of its 2,220 lots. Reservations are up 6 percent for Sandy Pines' 65 public campsites and 11 percent for the camp's cabin and on-site trailer rentals.

"I think people are staying closer to home," said Gibbs, noting 1,200 of the camp's members live in the Grand Rapids area.

Statewide, licensing for campers dropped about 8 percent last year, from 40,039 to 36,870, according to Secretary of State records.

That could be a sign people aren't using their campers or they are parking them at campsites for the entire season, said Gibbs, who is also past chairman of the National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds.

At the Double R Ranch, for example, the request for seasonal sites is up 50 percent, prompting the family to raise its usual cap of 12 sites to 18. SOURCE

While seasonal campers can guarantee a site will generate at least $1,650, there is a downside. Weekenders tend to spend more on activities such as horseback riding, canoeing and golf, said camp manager Steve Reeves.

Those activities can generate half the camp's revenues -- though the profit margin isn't as great because operation costs are higher.

As he drives his truck along the dirt road of his family's 50-year-old campground, Reeves likes what he sees.

It's not even Memorial Day weekend and nearly a quarter of the Double R Ranch's 100 sites are occupied by trailers.

"Our numbers are up and our local addresses are up," said Reeves, noting reservations for daily sites are up 25 percent, from 658 to 881, over the same time last year.

With gas averaging $2.32 a gallon at area stations last week, the price is down 41 percent from a year ago, according to Gasbuddy.com. It was $3.96 a year ago.

Still, more travelers are expected to stay staying closer to home, according to Michigan AAA.

Reeves said he is seeing an increase in campers from neighboring communities like Lowell and Greenville.

"They (tourism officials) said this would happen last year, but it didn't quite happen like it is this year."

Constant investment

Operating a campground is similar to farming, said Reeves, whose grandparents turned their dairy farm into the Double R in 1959.

"It's very much weather-impacted," said Reeves, who manages the 300-acre campground for his parents.

Like a farm, there is constant investment in new equipment or improvements. Last year, the camp spent $10,000 to remove 35 oak trees to widen roads and expand campsites.

But that pales in comparison to the $2 million the family sunk into building a golf course in 2001. That has drawn a customer base beyond traditional campers.

"People want to see new things every year, and if we don't have an idea where they will be financially, it's hard to make the investment," Reeves said.