KOA And Love’s Travel Stops Team Up For New Campground
Truck stops, like Love’s, are essential to the RV lifestyle. These pit stops offer a slew of conveniences, including fuel, travel items, snacks, restaurant offerings, and more. Some stations also allow weary RVers to park and catch a quick nap or sleep in their RV overnight. (RV-specific parking spots are ideal so RVs do not take up the truck spots.)
Aside from its growing network of hotels and storage rental locations, Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores Inc. is branching out further in the hospitality realm with campgrounds. With the help of Kampgrounds of America Inc., Love’s will be opening its first-ever KOA campground, McComb KOA Journey, at a truck stop location in McComb, Mississippi.
“As we began to consider adding camping to our portfolio of hospitality offerings, KOA just made sense,” said Kevin McCarthy, director of special projects for Love’s. “Both Love’s and KOA have a nearly 60-year track record of being at the forefront of their industries. We really think the combined expertise of these brands makes for a powerful partnership.”
The franchise agreement between Love’s and KOA was announced in May. Plans to open more KOA locations have yet to be publicized. The McComb KOA Journey is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.
Compared to its other campground types–KOA Holiday and KOA Resort–KOA Journey campgrounds have a convenient set-up. They are located near highways and byways, have long pull-through sites, offer after-hour check-in service, and sell RV supplies in the camp store.
“We are thrilled to have Love’s Travel Stops join the KOA Family of Campgrounds,” said Larry Brownfield, KOA senior director of franchise development. “We know that with the power of the KOA brand and Love’s history of providing quality amenities and services to motorists, this new campground will be a resounding success.”
An RVer’s perspective
Jason Epperson of RV Miles speculates, “I wouldn’t expect these to be just small campsites attached to a truck stop if Love’s portfolio of hotels is any indication. Love’s operates full-service Holiday Inn Express, Microtel, and Fairfield Inn accommodations that most people wouldn’t realize have any affiliation with the neighboring trucker’s oasis.”
He reports on the KOA/Love’s franchise agreement in his news brief below, beginning at time stamp 1:33.
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I have the Loves app on my phone and am a regular at Loves when we travel. Would love to be able to stay at a Love/KOA on my travels. Can’t wait.
I don’t see this as a plus. What many Evers who didn’t need amenities were able to stay overnight for free is now going to cost $$$$$. Loves will make money. 99% of knowledgeable RVers see this as just another unnecessary additional cost. Especially when we’re throwing down 130-200 in gas when we stop
This is a great start for us who RV and use Love’s fuel. Even if the KOA is small it is still going in the right direction. Thank you
If Love’s wants to attract RVers they need to reconsider their gas pump traffic. As a motor home towing we find it very difficult to maneuver to their pumps or park anywhere. After several negative experiences, we avoid Love Travel Stops. But KOA does well with RV traffic needs. Maybe they will teach Love’s how to accommodate us!
We are currently at the Loves in St Joseph, MO where we spotted the RV sites for the first time. We are also a motorhome with a towed car and all the sites are back in and too short for us and none of them are pull through. Good idea, bad implementation. Who wants to unhook their car to back in for a quick overnight stop?
KOAs are nice but also ridiculously expensive.
Anything to keep them out of truck stop parking spaces.
Loves and KOA excellent combo
Loves hands down best highway coffee in USA and KOA always top notch and another reason to stay at a KOA …
We always pull in the truck plazas in our RV and stay overnight while traveling. Basically as they call it boondocking. This will stop that. Now we will pay if we want to stay.
K O A dry camping is entirely too expensive, I could have got a cheap motel for that kind of money! Disappointing to say the least
Sure wish Loves would put together a discount fuel credit card like I have at Pilot/Flying J
Loves diesel price is normally 30 cents higher than other surrounding dealers
Wow… Just wow..
Great idea, since you have the BEST coffee on the interstates.
Will be trucks be allowed to park there too?
If so, reefers make a lot of noise, will generators be allowed to run at night?
Stfu dude when I see rvers I force regens and set my idle up can’t wait to help ruin this horrible idea