RV park doing just fine charging $5 a night

The eight site campground. All pull thru sites.

By Chuck Woodbury
RVtravel.com

WASTA, South Dakota -- Along Interstate 90, about 10 miles west of the town of Wall and its mega tourist attraction Wall Drug, is Wasta, population 72, and its 24 Express Campground. In an era when most RV parks along a highway routinely charge $30 to $50 a night, the 24 Express Campground charges $5. It's been in business for three years and is turning a profit.

Small billboard along I-90

Its father-son owners Arley and Tom Rancour also operate the 24 Express Mobile gas station and the Armed Forces Military Collection museum. The gas (and diesel) station is fully automated, the first totally self service station to open in South Dakota. The campground is also self service. Pay your $5 and then take a campsite. The dump station is free if you stay a night.

All eight campsites accommodate the largest RVs and offer water along with 20, 30 and 50 amps electric hookups. RVers can use the toilets in the gas station, but there are no showers. Only fully self-contained RVs are allowed in the park.

To keep costs down, the business has no employees. The property was cheap to buy and the overhead low. "Most RVers come in late in the evening and leave early in the morning," said Arley. "Maybe it costs us a dollar or two in electricity. We don't make much money on any one of the things we do individually, but when you add it up we do fine," he said.

"Our biggest problem is growing trees," he said. "We've planted a thousand, but they all die." Tom said they keep trying to find trees that can survive the clay soil. "Look around, he said. "None of the trees around here look very good."

Seven signs along I-90 advertise the park, but that's it for the marketing effort. Yet, in the busy summer season, it fills regularly. "Business is picking up every year," said Arley, noting that the down economy has many RVers looking for a bargain.

Yet even at $5 some RVers complain. "They want WiFi or a sewer hookup," said Arley. Most of those RVers just turn around and leave.

Arley and one of his home-built soda pop planes

The Armed Forces Military Collection  displays firearms, uniforms, a tank and two mint-condition Jeeps, plus posters, newspaper clippings and other miscellany from World War I through the present. Individual displays are dedicated to the military services of the United States, Germany and Japan. The collection represents a 27-year effort by the family along with some donations. Soon to arrive from Texas is a Navy A-4C Skyhawk jet which saw service from 1964 to 1974. The plane will be displayed outside in front, where it will be highly visible from the highway.

The museum gift shop sells t-shirts, model planes, books, DVDs and more. Arley makes model Corsair airplanes from soda pop cans and sells them for $20.

Tom said the store sells more Vietnam-era related merchandise these days, now that most of the World War II vets are gone. "When Grandpa comes in with a grandchild, he's a Vietnam vet nowadays," he said.

The 24 Express campground, gas station and military museum are at exit 98 off I-90 west of Wall and east of Rapid City. Telephone first for museum hours, (605) 993-3007. The campground is open year round.