Getting a seasonal spot for camper.

Driving 3 to 4 hours doesn’t bother me one bit. I can get off as many Fridays or Mondays as I want. I sure am not trying to be 1 hour from home. Hell I do 3 hour 1 way day trips all the time. Road time doesn’t bother me. I already am up at 230 going to work on the daily. Hell I’m 3.5 hours from home right now working way past windahm. Long drives do not bother me.
I prefer to be in the north country and not hinckley, otherwise I’d stay at my dad’s place.
And for buying another thing, that won’t happen any time soon. Just looking for seasonal camper spots. The new camper is already bought, not trying to sell it. Or go another route.

Tom schmitt wrote:

Find an area in your drive time and start looking for a resort. Get your name on the list of as many as you can. One will have an opening and you can always wait for the resort you really want to open up. Some will want you to remove your camper at season end, some will open the gate at the start of the season and close at the end.
Some will let you use your lot in the winter. North Star resort Mille Lacs lake.

We are going to check a few out this weekend while up on vermillion. My name is on the list at our ideal one. 3500 a year, which is steep. But I waste more then that on dumb stuff all year.

Bearcat89 wrote:

And for buying another thing, that won’t happen any time soon. Just looking for seasonal camper spots. The new camper is already bought, not trying to sell it. Or go another route.

Yeah selling yours would be a hurdle to get over for sure, but thought I would throw it out there.

Bearcat89 wrote:

Driving 3 to 4 hours doesn’t bother me one bit. I can get off as many Fridays or Mondays as I want. I sure am not trying to be 1 hour from home. Hell I do 3 hour 1 way day trips all the time. Road time doesn’t bother me. I already am up at 230 going to work on the daily. Hell I’m 3.5 hours from home right now working way past windahm. Long drives do not bother me.
I prefer to be in the north country and not hinckley, otherwise I’d stay at my dad’s place.
And for buying another thing, that won’t happen any time soon. Just looking for seasonal camper spots. The new camper is already bought, not trying to sell it. Or go another route.

That’s nice to have a schedule like that. I would definitely find the campground you want then and not settle. Mine is not that flexible so I’m limited to just weekends.

Just sell the camper, better off in the long run. Cheaper to stay at a resort a few weekends a year.

bigcrappie wrote:

Just sell the camper, better off in the long run. Cheaper to stay at a resort a few weekends a year.

No thanks. We don’t do resorts. With this set up, I’ll be at it every weekend.
The camper was my mom’s. 34 ft she bought brand new in 2020. They had plans to travel the country and went a different route. So it’s brand new used 2 times for the price of I couldn’t think about passing I up.

Look at the “neighborhood”.
North Star is on Wigwam Bay. There is a reason the places south of there on 169 have roll down shutters over the windows.
I think a resort on MN 18 between Malmo and Garrison (1st place out of Malmo. Dredged harbor w/ campground N of 18) looks like a mosquito farm.
Castways may have places & Fischers.
Geo Nitti may have something. Both at Hunters and the old Wharf.
Finally Mille Lacs Island west of Wahkon on 27.

My parents went the seasonal route about 8-10 years ago and they love it especially my dad. It is about 1.5 hours from his work next to Cass Lake. He is not on the lake but just off it. they run around 2,000 a year and nice big lots. The best part is everything is done and waiting for you when you show up. He has become good friends with the owner so they run may-October and let him stay there till they have to blow the lines out. It is a great place up there with so many options to fish.

I wish I had some reco’s for you BC, but these places are few and far between, especially when factoring in being on the lake and with lake access for a boat. If you don’t mind being near a lake, and trailering the boat there is going to be a lot more options (Red Door on ML, and I know a few others in Nevis/Park Rapids area). As far as areas I personally think the Park Rapids area is very overlooked compared to the NE MN Shield Lakes and BLA, unless you don’t like super clean sandy lakes with pine studded shorelines.

buckybadger wrote:

It’s amazing how cheap you can get an off the water piece of land (small parcel) in some of the northern wooded areas that have no ag value.

Maybe by comparison to land prices down by you in SE MN, but there is not a lot of decent woods for sale period. And the ones that are available are selling for $4k/acre or way more. Signed, Disgruntled Hunting Land Shopper.

I’ve been on Big Sandy (Eagle Point Resort) for almost 25 years. It takes less than 30 minutes to unpack, mow the lawn, hook up the boat, grab a beer/cocktail, and sit by a fire. We don’t have bad neighbors, but if we did you walk to the next camper.

We do events for the 4th of July, smelt fry, no tournament tournament pike contest, Halloween, and fall soup cook-off.

Rent is around $2,800, extra for dock and electricity.

If I don’t like what I’m living in, I buy a new one.

Stays year round and we need to keep tabs on it or we get charged county taxes.

The easiest way to get into a seasonal site is to buy an existing camper. Sell if needed. If your seasonal campsite doesn’t have a waiting list, keep looking. Good seasonals have waiting lists. If you want a better spot, bug the owner until you get one.

I have no intentions of moving

sand-burr wrote:

The easiest way to get into a seasonal site is to buy an existing camper.

Agree. Best way to get the primo spots!

I really enjoyed the years we had a seasonal camper spot.

One thing to make sure you know all the rules before moving in. Stuff like boat/trailer parking when you are not there. Lending the place to friends or family. Pets. Building decks or sheds. Every place is different.

Great thing is if you don’t like the place, your camper has wheels and the leases are only one year!

-J.

I can’t and won’t speak for all campgrounds with seasonal spots, but the one we were at, didn’t allow you to buy a camper already there, we’ll unless you knew the owner . Some of the more prime lots already has a waiting list for current seasonal people to move to in the event one was vacated.

And if they did allow someone to buy a camper already there you put it where there was an opening.

Here is the view from my deck at my seasonal, been there 4 years took 1 year to move to my current location. a little over 3K per year including dock in protected harbor. Thought about buying but decided against it.

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Alright you talked me into it, Yes I will go fishing at your new seasonal camp spot.

Ron you got some good suggestions and some that the guys obviously didn’t read the thread, just the heading.

Hope you can get in on Vermilion where you want to be. Once set up you will love it.

I had one a few years ago and it was great, minimum maintenance, mowing etc. the one thing I noticed was the campground politics. The guy that spent the most at the bar attached to campground got special privileges. Watering grass etc when no else could didn’t like the color of the neighbors shed had them re paint it.. but I would do it again in a heartbeat. Lots of great memories made. Kids could walk across road to beach and kids to play with in the campground.

BC, even look into WI some really nice places under 3 and up north feel and good fishing. Friend of mine has a seasonal uses through NOV. fishing all summer bow hunts public land just down the road with not seeing another hunter most falls. Camp ground stays open through Nov. since the owner is a hunter too.

We stayed (and are staying again for labor day) at a VRBO right next to Tavern on The Bay last year. Staight south of Stawberry island. They were building a huge camp ground while we were there. Can’t find any info on it online but probably worth driving by for you. When I get up there I’ll take a look and send you what I can. Might have some sites since it’s newer, but wasn’t super close to the water.

Bayview Dr and Old Hwy 77

Edit: Found it Bayview Resort

Dutchboy wrote:

Ron you got some good suggestions and some that the guys obviously didn’t read the thread, just the heading.

Don’t be so condescending. People are trying to help and give him options he may not have thought of. That’s what this site is so good for. He will find a spot how hard it may be remains to be seen. He will. Vermilion is a great lake and I envy him should he find a place to put his camper. He will most certainly use the heck out of it!

Dutchboy wrote:

Ron you got some good suggestions and some that the guys obviously didn’t read the thread, just the heading.

Hope you can get in on Vermilion where you want to be. Once set up you will love it.

What lake are you on Brian? And how’s fishing been ?

And thanks for all the suggestions. I obviously have some home work to do. My goal is to have a home for the camper come spring

BC –
Call me when you land somewhere. I’ll bring a welcome wagon basket.
Make sure there are pull tabs close by though.

CaptainMusky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Dutchboy wrote:</div>
Ron you got some good suggestions and some that the guys obviously didn’t read the thread, just the heading.

Don’t be so condescending. People are trying to help and give him options he may not have thought of. That’s what this site is so good for. He will find a spot how hard it may be remains to be seen. He will. Vermilion is a great lake and I envy him should he find a place to put his camper. He will most certainly use the heck out of it!

Go ahead and tell me where I’m wrong? He CLEARLY mentioned he had a camper and wanted a SEASONAL CAMPGROUND. CLEARLY.

like dutchy said………good luck finding a spot ya like!!!!!! bettin you’ll love it.

and i read the whole thread!!!!!1

Bearcat89 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Dutchboy wrote:</div>
Ron you got some good suggestions and some that the guys obviously didn’t read the thread, just the heading.

Hope you can get in on Vermilion where you want to be. Once set up you will love it.

What lake are you on Brian? And how’s fishing been ?

Mississippi River between Brainerd and Merrifield. Fishing has been so so, I haven’t done alot yet but it will start picking up in a few weeks.

Another recommendation is put a deck on asap after you land a site. It’s a complete game changer at the camper, cooking, eating and hanging out. Makes the camper feel sooo much bigger.

gregory wrote:

Another recommendation is put a deck on asap after you land a site. It’s a complete game changer at the camper, cooking, eating and hanging out. Makes the camper feel sooo much bigger.

This is a game changer. For sure build one as big as your awning. Build it in pieces so you can easily move it if you end up changing campgrounds at some point. When I was up north I had one 20′ x 12′. It was great, I miss that deck more than anything else.

The deck is something I have to get moving on. I’ll have to watch some videos on how to do it so it’s in movable sections.

Dutchboy wrote:

Go ahead and tell me where I’m wrong? He CLEARLY mentioned he had a camper and wanted a SEASONAL CAMPGROUND. CLEARLY.

Yeah well you know full well how things go here and it usually starts with you to be honest. People were providing other potential ideas he may not have thought of, but clearly after he replied he ruled them out.

Bearcat89 wrote:

The deck is something I have to get moving on. I’ll have to watch some videos on how to do it so it’s in movable sections.

That will definitely be an interesting challenge I would think. That is going to be dang heavy regardless of how many sections you make. But, if you build it sort of like a dock and attach the pieces that way that could be dang slick. They have all sorts of hardware that you can purchase and use to build your own dock sections.