Sun Properties Good or Not?

Sheilag1848 · 02-06-2020, 06:49 AM

Currently we are in Kissimmee South Sun RV MH in Davenport FL. Have been very disappointed with this campground. Must admit, was looking for a lower priced place knowing that we are gone for 7-8 months each yr while we travel the Country. But this place has become a joke. At check in was promised a new concrete 10 x 10 pour for our tent, new grass planted - still waiting. But WORSE they have major power issues all over the campground. And, now learned that we have bad water issues as well so have been buying bottled. About 2 weeks ago, "Corporate Folks" came for a visit. In prep for their arrival new plants, new grass, lots of clean up of general debris, edging, tree trimming, etc happened for about 2 weeks. Now that Corporate saw it in better shape, almost everything newly planted is dying or all ready dead due to little rain this winter and no sprinkler system. Sites are narrow and you NEED TO KNOW how to back in properly. Would not recommend this place unless you want lower rent for just a few nights.

Morich · 02-06-2020, 09:15 AM

We have never felt it a good idea to buy into any specific group as we wanted to go where we wanted, not where we were pre-paid. Too many stories of things sliding once there were enough pre-paid folks who felt "required" to stay there.
Corporate doesn't have a bit of concern as they are just wanting to keep the complaints down enough to sell the product!
One way to judge items we might see ads on, is to be aware of when and why the money is spent for ads. It is not that they necessarily have the item as advertised but that they sense that the public is onto the game and they are lacking. Note the ads for T-mobil that are currently talking up their good service? That means they are getting lots of complaints of NO service once you leave the metro areas!
When a campground group has complaints, they may up the ad budget, not the maintenance portion.

Sheilag1848 · 02-06-2020, 09:49 AM

You jumped to an inaccurate conclusion. I did NOT buy into Sun nor any other. I simply rented here. As a former "Marketing Agent" I know all about the "statements" made in an ad.

**creativepart** · 02-06-2020, 10:09 AM

Frankly, the Sun RV park’s cookie cutter website - every property looks the same - always makes me think that they are something to avoid. So, I’ve never stayed in one.

Sorry for your problems.

Morich · 02-06-2020, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheilag1848

You jumped to an inaccurate conclusion. I did NOT buy into Sun nor any other. I simply rented here. As a former "Marketing Agent" I know all about the "statements" made in an ad.

Sorry! I did miss what the true story was. I do not go to the commercial sites unless really pressed as they are so often a slippery operation or way more expensive than I need.

Orracle · 02-07-2020, 10:36 AM

I have been in 3. They vary greatly in what they deliver. Our most recent was at Orange City RV Park (near Sanford, FL). Nice enough people, nice pool but sites WAY too small for what you're paying. We are Thousand Trails members and generally stay for 'free' (was paid lifetime up front). I needed 8 nights out of the system due to lack of space in Thousand Trails - and for $500+, I was not impressed. I am out a week again now at an RPI Resort (Bee's in Clermont) and through RPI was $10 a night.....I inquired about extending if I needed for 2 weeks and they quoted me $239 a week which for a slightly larger site than the Sun resort, is a steal in comparison.

Short answer: I have not found Sun RV resorts to be worth their cost.

NXR · 02-12-2020, 08:51 PM

We've stayed in multiple and are currently in the worst one, Arbor Terrace in Bradenton, FL. Our bed slide is 4" from our neighbor's slide. The management refuses to stock dog poop bags. But it is neat and clean, unlike the other half of the property across the street.

Rock Crusher Canyon in Crystal River, FL is superb, like a state park. Very big spaces, 3X the size here, covered heated pool, gated, etc.

Sun RV Resorts seems to buy properties and convert most spaces to park models. We've looked at two others for next year and one was just horrible, 90% old park models, astonishingly narrow streets, etc. Another was much newer.

They're very hit or miss and yes, the picture on Arbor Terrace's page definitely is nowhere here. RV'er be aware.

Kevinbrown01 · 02-13-2020, 08:31 AM

We have stayed at Compass RV park in ST. Augustine - a Sun RV park and were just there last week for the a little over a month. We have a 40 pusher and found the sites to be some of the best we have stayed in - anywhere. The people that worked there were always friendly and helpful. It had a nice dog park, well stocked bags and disposal bins all over the campus, everything was quite neat and tidy. It did have a few "mobile homes, but well over 90% were "transients" like us. I highly recommend it.

Having said the above, I have stayed at a few Sun RV parks that were OK for a night, but that's all. At the end of the day, I look at reviews and hope they are accurate. I personally always put reviews for both the good and the bad and hope everyone does this, to "weed out" the crappy RV parks.

Wayne M · 02-15-2020, 08:14 AM

Sheilag1848, have you considered taking pictures of the problems and submitting them to corporate folks with explanation of what transpired?

calendarboy · 02-18-2020, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NXR

We've stayed in multiple and are currently in the worst one, Arbor Terrace in Bradenton, FL. .

Found it really odd to see that Arbor Terrace has a 4.0 (out of 5) rating on TripAdvisor.
I then scrolled through the user submitted photos. Towards the end the pics got pretty gross.

NXR · 02-18-2020, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calendarboy

Found it really odd to see that Arbor Terrace has a 4.0 (out of 5) rating on TripAdvisor.
I then scrolled through the user submitted photos. Towards the end the pics got pretty gross.

One of the other people staying here said they talked to a person today who said they are the Sun RV regional manager. For the sites that are very close here he said they are planning on removing three sites and replacing them with two for more space.

There's another section on the other side of the road and half of it is very nice, where the fitness room and game room are. The other half is almost pure junk with storage for ancient units. He was told they are going to revamp that bad section also, remove the junk units and improve the sites a lot. Hopefully they do the same on this side of the road.

The sewer hookups are, ummm, "interesting". As the one picture shows there's a kind of mushroom cap on top that appears to be a vent cap. The hose goes in from the side of the T with the mushroom cap on top. The first time I pulled the black tank dump it blasted out from under that cap and poopified everything in the vicinity, including the fresh water filter and similar, which literally are within inches as the picture shows.

So now I have to pull the handle slowly to get a flow running and then pull it all the way open. And it still stinks the area up.

But the power has been stable and the water pressure is OK, varying from 40 lbs psi to 70 lbs psi and clean. Zero dog poop bags, though, no matter how much we ask. They empty the poopstation bags regularly but refuse to supply cleanup bags. What did I expect for $1,500/month, I guess.