What Did Your RV Park Run Out of This Summer? An End-of-Season Checklist
Key takeaways
- Walk your park with a notepad now, before the details of the season get fuzzy.
- You are counting what a full season consumed, not checking whether things are in place.
- Five stops cover most of it: the front desk, the floors, your signage, the car tag stack and the camp store.
- Ordering in the fall gives artwork and proofs time, with no rush before opening day.
The busiest weeks of the RV park season are behind you. Before the season fully winds down and the details get fuzzy, take ten minutes and walk your park with a notepad.
This is not a maintenance check. You are not asking whether things are in place. You are counting what a full season actually consumed, so next year's order is built on real numbers instead of memory. Think of it as an end-of-season checklist for your park.
Here is the route I would take, what to look for at each stop, and a simple tally sheet you can copy.
Why count now instead of in the spring
Right now you know exactly which items ran short in July. By March, that memory is gone, and the order gets placed on a guess. A ten-minute walk today turns a busy season into a shopping list.
The season is also getting longer at both ends. In the 2026 KOA Camping and Outdoor Hospitality Report, one in five campers said shoulder season is the best time of year to camp. More fall and early-spring guests means your supplies have to last longer than they used to, and that the start of next season may come sooner than you planned for.
The five stops on your end-of-season walk
1. The front desk: count the guest guides you handed out
Start where every guest starts. How many guest guides went out over the whole season? Did you ever get to the point where staff were rationing them, or holding them back for certain guests?
Write that number down. It is what you order against next spring, not a guess. If you ran out, note roughly when, because that tells you how far short the last order fell.
2. The entrance and office floor: check the mats
Peak-season foot traffic is hard on floor mats. Sandy shoes, wet paws and a summer of check-ins add up. If your mat is flattened, faded, or curling at a corner, it will look worse in April than it does today.
The entrance mat is often the first branded thing a guest steps on. If it looks tired, it goes on the list.
3. Your signage: walk past every banner and wallboard
Sun and weather do their work by the end of summer. Walk past every vinyl banner and wallboard on the property: the front office, the laundry room, the pool, the dog park, the camp store.
Anything faded, cracked, or peeling goes on the list now. While you are there, note any spot where staff kept answering the same question all season. Wi-Fi passwords, checkout times and quiet hours are the usual ones. That spot probably needs a sign it does not have yet.
4. The car tag stack: count, then subtract
Count the car tags you have left, then subtract that from what you ordered. Parks almost always burn through more than they planned for, between lost tags, replacements and the busy weekends nobody saw coming.
That one subtraction tells you whether last year's quantity was right or whether you need a bigger run.
5. The camp store shelves: find your bestsellers
Look at the shelves. What sold out and never got restocked? That is your bestseller list, written by your guests.
Mugs, magnets or something else entirely, your own shelves are the real answer. The empty spots show you what to stock deeper next year.
Your end-of-season inventory checklist (copy this)
You do not need a spreadsheet. Five lines on a notepad will do. If you want a format, this is the one I would use:
| Item | What to count or check | Goes on the list if... |
|---|---|---|
| Guest guides | How many went out this season | You ran low or had to ration them |
| Floor mats | Condition at the entrance and office | Flattened, faded or curling at a corner |
| Banners and wallboards | Every sign on the property | Faded, cracked, peeling, or missing where guests keep asking |
| Car tags | Ordered minus what is left | You used more than you planned |
| Camp store items | What sold out and stayed out | It sold out, so stock it deeper |
Why fall is the time to reorder
Ordering in the fall means artwork, proofs, and production all happen while everyone has time, and nobody is rushing it. You can look at a proof properly instead of approving it between check-ins.
Parks that wait until spring end up paying for a rush, or opening the season without it. Neither is a good trade for something you could have counted in ten minutes in the fall.
It also matters for your guests. Campers spent $66 billion in local communities in 2025, and $203 per person, per day, according to the 2026 KOA Camping and Outdoor Hospitality Report. The guest guide at your front desk is one of the ways campers find the businesses around your park, so running out in the middle of the season leaves a bigger gap than it looks.
What to do with your list
Once you have your notes, sort them into two piles: what has to be ready for the first arrivals, and what can wait until later in the year. Guest guides, car tags and anything at the entrance usually belong in the first pile.
Then send it to us. It does not have to be neat. A rough list typed into an email is enough, and I will price it out and tell you honestly what is worth doing now and what can wait.
If you want to see what is available first, our print products page shows floor mats, car tags, banners, wallboards and more, and the Park Essentials Lookbook puts them all in one place.
Send us your end-of-season list
Even a rough one. We will price it out and tell you what is worth doing now and what can wait.
Frequently asked questions
When should an RV park reorder guest guides, signs and car tags?
In the fall, while the season is fresh in your mind. Artwork, proofs and production all happen while your staff has time, and there is time for every step before your first spring arrivals. Waiting until March usually means paying for a rush or opening without it.
How do I know how many guest guides to order for next season?
Count what you handed out this season, and note whether you ever had to ration them. That number, not a guess, is what you order against next spring.
How can I tell if a floor mat or banner needs replacing?
Look for mats that are flattened, faded or curling at a corner, and banners or wallboards that are faded, cracked or peeling. Whatever looks tired in the fall will look worse by April.
What is the easiest way to find my camp store bestsellers?
Check which shelves sold out and never got restocked. That is your bestseller list, written by your guests, and it tells you what to stock deeper next year.
Can AGS price my list if it is not finished?
Yes. A rough list typed into an email is enough. We will price it out and tell you what is worth doing now and what can wait.
