Can an RV park get an SBA loan?

Often, yes. To qualify under SBA rules, over 50% of a park's revenue last year must come from short stays. A short stay means 30 days or less. The park must also meet zoning rules, and a new park must show that mix in its projections. SBA 504 loans can also pay for land and buildings. Your SBA lender decides whether your park qualifies.

How profitable is owning an RV park?

It depends on the guest mix, the location and the costs, and small parks differ from large ones. One public benchmark is Sun Communities. Its same-property RV parks kept about 54% of revenue as net operating income in the first nine months of 2026. That is our arithmetic on Sun's figures. Your own model should start from the park's rent roll and bookings, not from averages.

What should you check before buying an RV park or campground?

Start with revenue for the last few years, split by site type and season, plus bookings already made. Then check the land: zoning, permits, water, sewer or septic, and power at each site. Look at flood and wildfire risk and what insurance costs. Lenders will also test whether the park qualifies for SBA debt. Our due diligence work puts it all in one data room.

Can a sponsor raise money for an RV park from individual investors?

Yes, usually through a private offering under the SEC's Regulation D. Rule 506(b) bars advertising the offering. Rule 506(c) allows it, but every buyer must be an accredited investor whose status you verify. Blue Capital, for example, offers its RV park fund under Rule 506(c). Ask a securities lawyer which route suits your raise.

How much does help with an RV park raise cost?

Our fees are flat and agreed before work starts. An investor deck starts from $6,000. A financial model starts from $3,000. A valuation starts from $5,000. A fund deck starts from $8,000. A fund model starts from $5,000. There is no success fee on advisory work. For selected clients we make warm introductions from our 200+ VC relationships. Introductions are never guaranteed, and we are not brokers. See pricing.

Home / RV Parks

Industry: RV parks and campgrounds

RV park investment

Camping demand held above its 2019 level, but overnight income slipped in 2026 as long stays grew. We help sponsors show LPs and lenders what every site earns, season by season.

Camping, RV and lending data for parks, campgrounds and glamping
Decks and models that split income by site type and season
Waveup prepares investor materials for RV park and campground sponsors, outdoor hospitality funds and glamping developers: $3B+ raised for 600+ startups since 2014

Talk to us about your raise See real estate cases

In short

What is RV park investment?

RV park investment is buying, building or upgrading RV parks, campgrounds and glamping sites to earn rent from campers. Sponsors raise equity from investors or funds, then borrow from banks or SBA lenders. The demand is broad: over 52 million North American households camped in 2025, KOA found.

Who it's for: RV park and campground sponsors, outdoor hospitality funds and glamping developers
What we build: Investor deck, financial model, valuation, investor list, data room
Prices: Deck from $6,000, model from $3,000. Flat fees
Track record: $3B+ raised for 600+ startups since 2014

Market data checked on 8 November 2026. Sources are under each section.

Will LPs and lenders still fund RV parks in 2026?

Yes, when a park has steady long-stay income or a clear plan to add it. Camping is still more popular than before the pandemic, yet overnight demand softened at the big listed owners this year.

The opportunity

More households camp than before the pandemic, and many parks have room to improve.

Glamping tents and cabins bring in first-time campers
Annual and seasonal sites give owners rent they can plan around
Older parks can earn more with new hookups, Wi-Fi and cabins

The problem

Overnight demand weakened in 2026: transient RV and marina rent at Equity LifeStyle Properties fell 5.8% in the third quarter. Lenders and LPs now want proof that a park earns through the slow months.

Sources: KOA, Camping and Outdoor Hospitality Report, 2026 edition, opened 8 Nov 2026 (camping above pre-pandemic levels); KOA, 14 Apr 2026 (glamping and new campers); Equity LifeStyle Properties, Q3 2026 results, 20 Oct 2026 (transient rent); Sun Communities, Q3 2026 results, 26 Oct 2026 (transient revenue).

Market size

How big is the camping market, and what drives RV park income?

Campers spent $66 billion in local communities in 2025, KOA estimates. Four trends shape which parks sponsors buy, build and upgrade:

Glamping: furnished tents and cabins made up 29% of all camping experiences in 2025
Long stays: annual RV and marina rent at Equity LifeStyle Properties rose 5.3% in Q3 2026
New RVs: makers shipped 342,220 RVs in 2025, slightly more than in 2024
Park models: shipments of these small RV cabins, which many resorts rent out, rose 9.6% in 2025

Households that camped, North America: 42.0M in 2019, a 58.5M peak in 2022, 52.5M in 2024 and 52.2M in 2025.

Sources: KOA, 2026 Camping and Outdoor Hospitality Report release, 14 Apr 2026 (spending, glamping); Equity LifeStyle Properties, Q3 2026 results, 20 Oct 2026 (core RV and marina base rent); RV Industry Association, December 2025 shipment report (RVs and park model RVs). Chart: KOA's survey via SGB Media, 17 Apr 2026.

RV parks in 2026, in six numbers

54%

of same-property RV revenue Sun Communities kept as net operating income, first nine months of 2026

107,387

camping memberships at Equity LifeStyle Properties in September 2026, down every year since 2022

3 in 10

camper nights in 2025 were spent at a private campground or glamping resort

31%

of new campers chose glamping in 2025

$200+

spent per camper each day in 2025, not counting the place they slept

−13.7%

change in RV shipments in the first nine months of 2026, against a year earlier

Sources: Sun Communities, Q3 2026 results, 26 Oct 2026 (same-property RV NOI of $230.4M on revenue of $423.8M; the 54% is our arithmetic); Equity LifeStyle Properties, Q3 2026 results, 20 Oct 2026 (memberships: 128,439 in 2022 to 107,387 in September 2026); KOA via SGB Media, 17 Apr 2026 (camper nights); KOA, 14 Apr 2026 (glamping, daily spending); RV Industry Association, September 2026 shipment report (230,511 units against 267,234).

Capital and deals

Who is buying and selling RV parks in 2026?

Listed owners and private platforms both traded parks this year. At Sun Communities, revenue from annual sites grew while revenue from overnight guests fell.

Sun's same-property revenue from annual RV sites rose from $231.2M to $240.5M in the first nine months. From transient sites, it fell from $187.8M to $183.3M.

$97M

paid by Streamside Parks for seven RV resorts in February 2026

$127.0M

received by Sun Communities for three Florida RV parks in September 2026

$5M

the most an SBA 7(a) loan can lend, including for buying a park or refinancing it

Sources: Sun Communities, Q3 2026 results (Form 8-K), 26 Oct 2026 (chart and the Florida sale); Streamside Parks via Pulse 2.0, 23 Feb 2026; SBA, 7(a) loans, opened 8 Nov 2026 (maximum amount; uses include changes of ownership and real estate).

Who invests in RV parks and campgrounds?

RV park funds, campground buyers with investor partners, travel and leisure private equity, a listed REIT and an SBA lender. Many sponsors also raise from accredited individuals, deal by deal.

Blue Capital

RV park private equity fund, US

Run by its manager Streamside: Moose Creek RV Resort (MT), Verde River RV Resort (AZ), Twin Grove RV Resort (PA)

LP fund for verified accredited investors under Rule 506(c); $100,000 minimum

Investorade

Family-owned buyer of campgrounds and RV parks, Dallas

Texas Hill Country Resort (Medina, TX), Lake Champlain RV Resort (New York), Texarkana KOA (Texas)

Buys parks; select investors join through debt participation

KSL Capital Partners

Travel and leisure private equity; Denver, New York, Stamford and London

Under Canvas (upscale glamping), Blue Mountain Resort (camping and glamping in the Poconos)

Equity, credit and tactical opportunities

Equity LifeStyle Properties

Listed REIT, Chicago

Newest RV resorts on its site: Red Oak Shores Campground and Whippoorwill Campground (New Jersey), Okeechobee KOA (Florida)

Owns and runs 224 RV resorts and campgrounds; brands include Thousand Trails

Celtic Bank

Bank and SBA lender, Salt Lake City

SBA 7(a) loans to buy an RV park or campground, or refinance its debt

Up to $5M, terms up to 25 years, up to 90% loan-to-value

Sources: each firm's website, opened 8 Nov 2026: Blue Capital and Streamside Parks, Investorade, KSL Capital Partners, Equity LifeStyle Properties, Celtic Bank. Companies and parks named are examples, not full portfolios. Search investors by sector in our investor database.

Investor database

Proptech investors in our database

The funds with the most proptech investments. Pick a stage, or open a fund for its cheque sizes.

Top 5 by proptech investments

Investments by industry
Real Estate & Proptech35%
Software & Apps27%
Fintech & Financial services8%
Rounds
Pre-seedSeedSeries A
Average cheque
Not listed
Based in
Miami, United States
Invests in
USA
28 investments in total, 17 tagged Real Estate & Proptech.Open the full fund profile
Investments by industry
Real Estate & Proptech26%
Social media18%
Transportation & Mobility18%
Rounds
SeedSeries ASeries BSeries C+
Average cheque
Not listed
Based in
Chicago, United States
Invests in
USA
168 investments in total, 17 tagged Real Estate & Proptech.Open the full fund profile
Investments by industry
Real Estate & Proptech28%
Software & Apps25%
Fintech & Financial services11%
Rounds
Pre-seedSeedSeries ASeries B
Average cheque
Not listed
Based in
Belgium
Invests in
Europe
14 investments in total, 16 tagged Real Estate & Proptech.Open the full fund profile
Investments by industry
Real Estate & Proptech40%
Software & Apps20%
Fintech & Financial services14%
Rounds
SeedSeries A
Average cheque
Not listed
Based in
São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
18 investments in total, 14 tagged Real Estate & Proptech.Open the full fund profile
Investments by industry
Software & Apps19%
Real Estate & Proptech17%
Energy & Utilities16%
Rounds
Pre-seedSeedSeries ASeries B
Average cheque
$500K–$1M$1M–$3M$3M–$10M
Based in
Denmark
Invests in
Israel, Europe, USA
27 investments in total, 13 tagged Real Estate & Proptech.Open the full fund profile

See all proptech investors

From our investor database.

What do LPs and lenders question in an RV park deal?

Our Fundraising 2025 study asked 56 VCs why they pass on a deal. Revenue growth, unit economics, burn and missed milestones topped the list, then defensibility and crowded categories. RV park LPs and lenders run the same tests on a park.

Guests who may not come back

Seasonal RV and marina rent at Equity LifeStyle Properties fell 12.6% in the first nine months of 2026. Short stays can drop fast in a bad season.

What investors ask

How much income would you lose if overnight demand fell again next year?

What your deck shows

Revenue by annual, seasonal and overnight sites
Bookings by month, set against last year

SBA rules on long stays

For an SBA loan, over 50% of an RV park's revenue last year must come from stays of 30 days or less. Adding annual sites can change that mix.

What investors ask

Will the park still qualify for SBA debt once your plan is done?

What your deck shows

Revenue split by length of stay, before and after the plan
A debt plan that still works without SBA money

Storms, floods and insurance

Sun Communities sold three Florida RV parks in September 2026; Hurricane Ian had hit them in 2022. Coastal and riverside parks carry that risk every season.

What investors ask

What does a storm or a lost season do to cash flow and insurance?

What your deck shows

Insurance cover and cost, with a storm case in the model
Reserves for repairs and closed weeks

Building from scratch

A new park needs equity of at least 10% of project costs to get an SBA loan. Sites earn nothing until permits, roads and utilities are done.

What investors ask

How long until the new sites fill, and who covers the gap?

What your deck shows

Build budget, permits and timeline on one slide
Occupancy by season, with a slower case

Sources: Equity LifeStyle Properties, Q3 2026 results, 20 Oct 2026; SBA, SOP 50 10 8.1, published 25 Sep 2026 and in force from 1 Oct 2026 (passive businesses, 13 CFR § 120.110(c): over 50% of prior-year revenue from transients staying 30 days or less; start-up equity injection of at least 10%); Sun Communities, Q3 2026 results, 26 Oct 2026; our Fundraising 2025 study.

How we help you raise

Flat fees agreed before we start. No success fee on advisory work.

The park story: guests, site mix, upgrades and returns.

Revenue by site type and season, debt and the LP waterfall.

A value for one park or a portfolio, based on income you can show.

RV park funds, family offices and lenders that fit your deal.

Booking data, permits, utility records and leases, ready for review.

For selling a park, a portfolio or an operating company.

Who we are

Waveup is a London-based fundraising and growth advisory, working in 60+ countries and 90+ industries. Since 2014 we have built the decks, models, CIMs and valuations behind $3B+ raised for 600+ startups. 30% of our clients are funds; fund raises from $10M to $300M+.

About us

Track record

$3B+

raised for 600+ startups

Decks

1,000+

decks since 2014

M&A

50+

M&A transactions supported, including 20+ exits

Real estate

of our projects on record are in real estate