Ultra-Exclusive RV Resorts for the 1 Percent

If you had a million-dollar motor home, where would you go? Keep in mind that these giants can be as long as 45 feet and can weigh as much as 10 tons! Some states, like California, even have restrictions on where you can drive them. These motor homes require plenty of room to maneuver and solid ground to park on for the night. Then there are the aesthetic considerations: You certainly don’t want your shiny temporary home parked next to a 1979 rust bucket.

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When it comes to RV’s the bigger, the better! (Photo: Millennium Luxury Coaches)

Hot trend

Scott Hunter, a sales coordinator who helps people pick out their million-dollar babies at Ancira RV, near Fort Worth, Texas, told Yahoo Travel that people who buy models priced over $1 million usually pay cash and use them only a few times per year.

That begs the question of exactly where they take them. Yahoo Travel went in search of the answer and found one of the hottest trends in RV parks — what the industry calls “motorcoach resorts.” These resorts sell condominium-style lots that come with perks ranging from golf courses to private marinas and movie theaters. They maintain exclusive clientele by allowing only Class A motor homes, which are the industry’s largest models.

Related: Talk About Glamping! Go Inside a Million-Dollar RV

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This site comes with access to a pool, spa, laundry facility, and golf course.(Photo: Mountain Falls Luxury Motorcoach Resort)

Interest in these ultra-luxurious resorts is high enough that we found many of them still in various phases of construction. As existing units sell out, construction begins on additional lots, as is the case at Mountain Falls Luxury Motorcoach Resort in North Carolina, where 86 new lots are in development. Traditional RV parks are even overhauling entire sections of their parks to add the necessary luxuries, which are then locked behind security gates and offered only to those arriving in “buses,” as the oversized custom coaches are often called.

More than a parking space

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A custom outdoor kitchen. (Photo: Mountain Views RV Resort)

Many motorcoach resorts offer “coach houses” or “casitas” at each heavily landscaped concrete parking spot. Picture an extra living room, kitchen, or even a complete apartment placed strategically near the motor home to provide extra space for living and entertaining. Others have outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, and private hot tubs. And don’t forget that there has to be space to park a golf cart, too! Mountain Views at RiversEdge RV Resort in scenic Creede, Colo., offers “coach retreat” packages that can include fireplaces, steam showers, and luxury kitchens under canopies that can be left open to take advantage of cool mountain breezes.

Location, location, location

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This resort has everything, and the perfect weather makes it a popular destination for RV owners. (Photo: Aztec RV Resort)

It’s no surprise that the most resorts are popping up in Florida, where sites like Aztec RV Resort and Myakka River Motorcoach Resort cater to retirees, golfers, and snowbirds who flock to the Sunshine State to escape the cold. However, the trend is not limited to the Sunbelt states. We found luxury gated resorts in almost every state, including Michigan, where Hearthside Grove matches both the luxury and price tag of sites in Florida and California. Bigfork Motorcoach RV Resort in Montana has just slightly fewer amenities than Southern resorts, but the site makes up for it with Flathead Lake and Glacier National Park.

Related: This Ain’t Camping: Over-the-Top RV Resorts to Enjoy Minus the RV

Exclusive prices

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Lot No. 71 at Desert Shores Motorcoach Resort comes with it’s own waterfall! (Photo: Desert Shores Motorcoach Resort)

Price tags on these luxurious sites are often as much as a second house —averaging in the low six figures — but the sky is the limit. The “if you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it” rule applies in many of these resorts. We found an incredible RV site with its own waterfall pool at California’s Desert Shores Motorcoach Resort for $625,000. Site No. 71 at Heritage Motor Coach Resort and Marina in Alabama includes a finished coach house, covered patio, and boat slip for $499,900.

Renting is an option

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Rent one of these lots and you’ll wake up every day to the ocean. (Photo: Pacific Shores Motorcoach Resort)

Ownership is not always necessary. Some high-end coach owners love to travel the country, staying at one luxury resort after another. Rental sites are available by the night, week, or month at some motorcoach resorts, with prices running as high as $180 per night. We found comparatively no-frills sites with spectacular ocean views at Pacific Shores Motorcoach Resort in Oregon for $100 per night during peak season. But be warned: Don’t expect to show up in any old camper to enjoy the view. Pacific Shores’ website has a very clear disclaimer that your RV must be a minimum of 25 feet long and “in good condition,” or they reserve the right to refuse service. They may not let most of us in, but gawking from outside the gate sure is fun.

WATCH: Can you handle the ultimate driving course?

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