KOA South Padre Island Texas

[GeneO]

Get this we drive 2000 thousand miles for our first ever road trip high lighted with a five night stay at South Padre Island. We pay for a premium spot number 13. I have a 34' 3150 5th wheel. The site was to small for my rig I could not un hook, could not open my awning without covering the sewer of the trailer parked next to me. Almost get run over by one of there workers driving an electric cart almost two wheeling flying around the corner. The man stops just past me grabs a drink of water and flys off again. I go to the office tell my spot is to small nothing else available. Instant refund/ even deposit I paid earlier. After driving eight hours had to drive an other four hours just to find a place to sleep at nine at night. The lady said sorry here's your refund no offer to help did not care we just drove all the way from CA.
Every one knows if I just did not like my spot there is no way I would have got a full refund on the spot they screwed up. The park was full and they did not care!
I did contact KOA. In my opinion Good Sam over rated this park even if I would have fit into a different spot. Very crowded large rock for base rock parking. My spot in order to park I had to jack knife my rig to un hook. I got ripped off lost two days and 500 miles out of my way any legal advice from anyone?

[Ozz]

I wish you would have posted you were headed there, I would have told you to try and get into Isla Blanca County Park instead. They wring out every inch of that KOA, small Island, few spots, so they just don't care about customer satisfaction. Dirty Al's close by usually have a few spots. Sorry you had that experience, but I am not surprised at all about them being that way.

[BB_TX]

Surprisingly, campgroundreviews.com gives it almost unanimous 8/9/10 ratings from actual users. Never been there so can't comment.
But legal recourse? Not likely.

[Wayne and Carolyn Mathews]

I don't know where your travels will take you, but another KOA to avoid is the one in Grand Junction, Colorado. Getting from the office to the site area was a challenge itself because of the tight turn necessary to exit the check-in area. The sites were so narrow that for many of them, only a few inches separated slide-outs of one rig from the neighbor's slideouts. The roads in the park are curvy, making backing into a site a challenge. We felt like sardines in a can--claustrophobic. Never again.

Carolyn

[steelpony5555]

I don't see KOA's as a destination camp ground, just a sleep over place. Most are as you saw tight roads, tiny lots, few amenities and expensive. On our way to Pa we called ahead to a KOA in Ky. near Mammoth Caves, they wanted $56 a night????? Hmmm, not in this life time lol lol. Stopped at a real nice private campground an exit away for $30 a night. The only KOA I have used that is anywhere near half decent is downtown San Antonio near the AT&T Arena. It is in a rougher side of town but the campground is not too bad for a base station visiting San Antonio. But most campgrounds on the Texas coast are little more then a parking space. Not sure why unless they get tired of rebuilding after hurricanes every so many years.

[DQDick]

X2 on using KOA as a last resort.

[Sky]

For years we camped at Highland Orchards in North Stonington,Ct. which was a beautiful campgroung and is located right off I-95 near the Rhode Island state line.
KOA bought them out a few years ago and has made improvements and it is still a very nice campground. The only problem I have found with KOA is that they are very pricey for what you get. Most campgrounds around us (Connecticut) are over priced to begin with but KOA is always that way from what I have seen and heard. I just made reservations at this campground and for 2 week nights it is $62.99 per night and for the weekend it's $64.99 per night for full hookup. To me that's a little steep in price. Granted you are paying for the location (R.I. beaches and Ct. Casino's near by) but steep is steep and KOA may have invented this word.

[jsmitfl]

I feel the same way with KOA. I will avoid them like the plague. Cost is way to much for even a stop over. I stayed in one in Larimie Wy one year, utility trailer, needed electric and a shower. $45.00, Not again.

[Hooker]

quote:Originally posted by DQDick

X2 on using KOA as a last resort.

That's for sure...you can stay in a motel for what some KOAs charge.

[bwney]

We have avoided KOAs for our entire 7 years full-timing. We have stayed in a few parks that were previously KOA, the A-frame office is a good hint.

[rollie41]

I'd go to wal mart before KOA

[kylec2]

Our experiences with KOA have overall been great! I do remember one we stopped and then kept going, but as a rule we like KOAs because we know what we are going to get when we are traveling and what we get is good. Like others, we do not normally choose KOAs as a destination, but they have been a good value.