Texas park operators recently got to see first hand how Joe Moore achieved a 30 percent increase in revenue at The Vineyards Campground & Cabins on Lake Grapevine.

He did it with the help of seven new park model cabins from Athens Park Homes. “They give us good occupancies with about a 24 to 30 month pay back,” said Moore, who gave park operators a tour of The Vineyards Campground & Cabins on Oct. 23rd during the Texas Association of Campground Owners’ fall conference.

While the Vineyards also added new RV sites, Moore said park models appeal to a broader market. “Twenty percent of the U.S. market has an RV, trailer or tent. But 100 percent of the market can use a cabin,” he said, adding that his cheapest cabin brings in twice as much revenue as his most expensive RV site.

Moore markets his cabins at prices ranging from $85 to $160 per night. He added that air-conditioned park models, outfitted with decks and barbecues and clean linens, do well in the greater Dallas market with its 6.5 million people.

“All of our cabins are within 100 feet of the lake,” he said, adding that his cabins were busy during the summertime, even on the hottest days when many people find it too hot to camp.

Moore talked about the merits of upgraded RV sites and park model cabins and answered their questions about tiered pricing, reservation systems, check-in procedures, revenue generated by the new camp store, and other aspects of park operations during a Q & A session.

“We had a good turnout,” said Brian Schaeffer, TACO’s CEO and executive director, said of the fall meeting and park tour, whose platinum sponsor was Rowley Insurance. Representatives from Athens Park Homes, TACO’s newly endorsed park model provider, were also in attendance.

Schaeffer also briefed park operators on new initiatives for 2012.

“One of the initiatives for next year will be a membership drive,” Schaeffer said. “We’re also going to start a new blogging program on TexasCampgrounds.com to drive more traffic to our members sites while keeping visitors informed.”

The meeting concluded with a barbecue at the Texas Star Dinner Theater in Grapevine.

The Texas Association of Campground Operators publishes and distributes the Texas RV Travel & Camping Guide and hosts two consumer websites with online reservation capabilities, including www.texascampgrounds.com and www.texascabinrentals.net.