RV parks are financed as operating businesses attached to land, which is why lenders treat them differently from a straightforward real-estate loan. Revenue is seasonal, the site mix drives the rate, and the amenity package decides whether a park competes for week-long stays or overnight traffic. Those are analysis questions, and they show up in the credit file long before the loan documents do.
| Route | Where it fits | What it turns on |
|---|---|---|
| SBA 7(a) | Acquisition, working capital, equipment and some construction; the most flexible federal route for an operating business. | Size standards, owner-occupancy and repayment ability from the business itself. |
| SBA 504 | Owner-occupied real estate and long-lived equipment, in a bank plus CDC debenture structure. | Eligible fixed assets and the borrower contribution rules, which rise for a new business or a special-purpose property. |
| USDA OneRD / B&I | Projects in eligible rural areas, where the guarantee helps a lender hold a longer term. | Rural eligibility, tangible balance-sheet equity of 10 to 25 percent under 7 CFR 5001.105(d), and a feasibility study above $1,000,000 for a new business. |
| Conventional bank or credit union | Experienced sponsors with strong balance sheets, and projects too large for the federal ceilings. | Coverage, leverage, sponsor liquidity and the appraised value of the collateral. |
| Construction and expansion | New parks and pad additions, phased so the earlier phases carry the later ones. | Site work and utility cost, permitting, and a ramp that reflects a park’s first and second seasons rather than a stabilised year. |
| Acquisition | Existing parks, often family-held, being repositioned or professionally managed. | Verified occupancy by site type, the seasonal and annual tenant split, and deferred capital. |
A park that earns most of its revenue in five months still owes debt service in twelve. Annualised averages hide that, and a projection built on an average occupancy figure will look comfortable while the cash-flow calendar does not. A credible RV park analysis models revenue monthly, by site type, and shows the trough month with the debt service against it.
The second recurring issue is the first-season ramp on a new park. Occupancy in season one is a function of visibility, reviews and booking-platform presence, none of which exist on opening day. Lenders have seen enough optimistic first years to discount them; showing the ramp explicitly is more persuasive than assuming it away.
Our park work is described at RV resort and campground feasibility studies.
Last reviewed September 2026. Programme figures are quoted from the sources below; everything else is professional commentary.
Independent RV park and campground feasibility analysis. Fixed fee quoted in one business day.
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Wert-Berater, Inc. is an independent provider of feasibility studies and other related services. The firm does not provide financing or equity investment advice, and does not arrange, broker, or place debt or equity capital of any kind.
All appraisal assignments are performed by Bruce E. Jones, MAI, ASA-GC, BCA, CMEA, a member of the Appraisal Institute since 2006, a staff member of Wert-Berater, Inc. and owner of Special Purpose Realty Valuation.