A recreational vehicle park (RV park) or caravan park is a place where people with recreational vehicle

Recreational vehicle

Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...

s can stay overnight, or longer, in alloted spaces known as "pitches" ("sites" in North America, Europe, and Australia). They are also referred to as campgrounds, though a true campground also provides facilities for tent

Tent

A tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles or attached to a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using guy ropes tied to stakes or tent pegs...

 camping

Camping

Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...

; many facilities calling themselves "RV parks" also offer tent camping or cabin

Log cabin

A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...

s with limited facilities.

Services

Allocated space (pitch/site) facilities may include:

• AC power connection. (Usually rated by capacity such as 16, 20, 30 or 50 ampere
  Ampere
  The ampere , often shortened to amp, is the SI unit of electric current and is one of the seven SI base units. It is named after André-Marie Ampère , French mathematician and physicist, considered the father of electrodynamics...
  
  s.)
• Drinking water
  Drinking water
  Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
  
   connection
• Sewer
  Sewerage
  Sewerage refers to the infrastructure that conveys sewage. It encompasses receiving drains, manholes, pumping stations, storm overflows, screening chambers, etc. of the sanitary sewer...
  
   connection
• Television connection (relevant to local area standards)
• Telephone connection (rare outside North America)
• Hotspot (Wi-Fi)
  Hotspot (Wi-Fi)
  A hotspot is a site that offers Internet access over a wireless local area network through the use of a router connected to a link to an Internet service provider...
  
  

Park facilities may include:

• Barbecue
  Barbecue
  Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
  
   area
• Bathhouses
• Convenience store
  Convenience store
  A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
  
  
• Dump station
• Exercise equipment
  Exercise equipment
  An apparatus or device used in any given physical activity for shaping and forming muscle groups for specific areas of the body. A mechanism or machine that is intended to promote health and fitness by using motion with varying degrees of resistance either fixed or adjustable.-Exercise...
  
  
• Gift shop
  Gift shop
  A gift shop is a store primarily selling souvenirs relating to a particular topic or theme. The items sold often include coffee mugs, stuffed animals, t-shirts, postcards, handmade collections and other souvenirs....
  
  
• Golf Course
  Golf course
  A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
  
  s
• Hot tub
  Hot tub
  A hot tub is a large tub or small pool full of heated water and used for soaking, relaxation, massage, or hydrotherapy. In most cases, they have jets for massage purposes. Hot tubs are usually located outdoors, and are often sheltered for protection from the elements, as well as for privacy....
  
  s
• Laundry
  Laundry
  Laundry is a noun that refers to the act of washing clothing and linens, the place where that washing is done, and/or that which needs to be, is being, or has been laundered...
  
  
• Picnic table
  Picnic table
  A picnic table is a modified table with attached benches, designed for eating a meal outdoors .-Uses:...
  
  s
• Restrooms
• Recreation Hall
• Shower
  Shower
  A shower is an area in which one bathes underneath a spray of water.- History :...
  
  s
• Swimming pool
  Swimming pool
  A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
  
  
• Bar
  Bar (establishment)
  A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
  
  /restaurant
  Restaurant
  A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
  
  

Australia

In Australia there is generally no differentiation between an RV park and a trailer park

Trailer park

A trailer park is a semi-permanent or permanent area for mobile homes or travel trailers. The main reasons for living in such trailer parks are the often lower cost compared to other housing, and the ability to move to a new area more quickly and easily, for example when changing jobs to another...

. The term "caravan park" is used to refer to both, and "RV park" and "trailer park" are never used, even to the point of not being understood by some Australians. The term "holiday park" is becoming increasingly common, with many parks increasing their stock of on-site cabins, often accompanied by a reduction in the number of caravan sites.

Europe

Caravan sites in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 range in facilities depending on their age. Most new sites will be built to high environmentally friendly

Environmentally friendly

Environmentally friendly are terms used to refer to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies claimed to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment....

 standards and have facilities compatible with the newest vehicles.

The Caravan Club

Caravan Club

The Caravan Club is an organisation representing caravanners in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1907 and now represents nearly 1 million members.-History:...

 has 1 million members in Europe with around 200 self-owned campsites and over 2,500 certified third party locations. The Camping and Caravanning Club

Camping and Caravanning Club

The Camping and Caravanning Club is a United Kingdom not-for-profit organisation involved with all aspects of camping.-History:The Camping and Caravanning Club started in 1901 as the Association of Cycle Campers. Thomas Hiram Holding was one of the founders and is considered by many to be the...

 is a non-profit organisation which has been running for over a century and has over 400,000 members and 100 campsites in the United Kingdom.

In France, Germany and Italy, to a lesser degree also in Norway and Netherlands, a large network of dedicated stopover sites for motorhomes has grown since about 1980. These sites are called Reisemobil-Stellplatz in German or Aire de Camping-car in French. While these sites can usually not be compared to North American RV sites regarding size and facilities, they still fulfill the same purpose.

New Zealand

In New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 motor camp http://motorcamps.com/, caravan park or holiday park http://www.holidayparks.co.nz are the usual terms for overnight or long term vehicle based camping. As well powered caravan or campervan sites the parks usually offer tent sites and cabins, a rudimentary building with cooking and other facilities shared with other users.

North America

RV parks range from rustic facilities with no or limited utility hookups, as often found in state/provincial parks and national parks, to luxury resorts with amenities that rival fine hotels. Some high-end resorts restrict the type of RV that can stay to motorhomes of a certain length or longer, and/or newer than a certain year.

Most RV parks are open to allcomers and rent spaces on a nightly or weekly basis, much like a motel

Motel

A motor hotel, or motel for short, is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles...

 or hotel

Hotel

A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...

. A few parks operate on a time-share basis. Membership campground

Membership campground

A membership campground is a private campground and/or RV park open only to members. Members typically pay a one-time membership fee and annual dues for the right to use the campground...

 networks like Thousand Trails

Thousand Trails

Thousand Trails is a membership campground company operating private campground resorts in the United States and Canada. As of 2010, the company claimed to have 130,000 "member families" and over 80 preserves in 22 states and the Canadian province of British Columbia...

 operate like clubs, with members paying an initial membership fee and annual dues. There are over 13,000 privately owned RV parks and over 1,600 state parks that cater to RVers in the USA. Many of these RV parks offer WiFi hotspot access on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis; occasionally, WiFi is included in the campsite fee.

Most RV parks are independent or operated by a government entity. In the United States, Kampgrounds of America

Kampgrounds of America

Kampgrounds of America is a franchise chain of nearly 470 campgrounds throughout North America based in Billings, Montana, USA. The current CEO of Kampgrounds of America Inc. is James D. Rogers. The President is Pat Hittmeier. - History :...

 (KOA), is the largest and best-known chain of RV parks, with Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp Resorts a distant second. Good Sam Parks are mostly independently owned RV campgrounds endorsed by the Good Sam Club

Good Sam Club

The Good Sam Club is an international organization of recreational vehicle owners. Its stated primary goals are to make RVing safer and more enjoyable, and to save members money through Club-endorsed benefits and services...

, a large association of US RVers that is operated for profit by the Affinity Group, Inc. Listings of RV parks can be found in printed directories; the best known are the annual ones by Woodall's and Trailer Life

Trailer Life

-History:Trailer Life was founded in July 1941 as Western Trailer Life in California. In 1958, Los Angeles advertising executive Art Rouse purchased the magazine. In 1992, Trailer Life Enterprises became part of the umbrella company Affinity Group Inc....

 Magazine. Online RV directories are provided by eCampGuide, CampRate, Reserve RV, RVThereYet, RVParkReviews, AmericaOnWheels.com and others. Overnight rates for most USA RV parks are US$15 to US$50, although some in city and country parks may be US$10 or less, even free.

There is a subculture

Subculture

In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...

 of "fulltiming

Fulltiming

Fulltiming has become a term used in the motorhome world for individuals and families who live "fulltime" in their motorhome or RV. It is a world-wide activity, and there are many bloggers who record their day-to-day life on the road....

" RV owners who live in their recreational vehicles on a permanent basis. They typically move from one RV park to another. The length of time that someone is allowed to stay in an RV park varies from park to park.