A campground sells outdoor space to strangers who bring fire, fuel, vehicles and children onto it. At closing, a new owner typically carries general liability (GL), property insurance with business income, commercial auto, workers' compensation and often an umbrella, then adds coverage for what the park really does: guests' RVs, alcohol, propane, golf carts and online bookings. The seller's policies are a starting point, not a finished program, and many do not move to a new owner on their own. This guide is for entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA) buyers, Small Business Administration (SBA) borrowers and holding companies that just closed on a park.
The short answer
- Core policies: general liability, commercial property with business income, commercial auto, workers' comp and an umbrella or excess policy.
- Add-ons follow operations. Moving guests' trailers, serving alcohol, refilling propane or taking online reservations each points to a different extra coverage.
- Closing day is the deadline. A quote is not coverage. Get written proof that each policy was bound in the name of the entity that now owns the park.
- Lenders add rules. An SBA loan or any other lender's loan agreement can set valuation, loss payee clauses and flood coverage on top of what you would buy anyway.
What are the core policies for a campground or RV park?
The core program is built around guests, fire and weather. Most parks start from the package below, then adjust.
| What can go wrong | Coverage that usually responds | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| A guest trips on a tent stake or slips on bathhouse steps | General liability | Per-occurrence and aggregate limits, and whether legal defense costs eat into the limit |
| Fire or a storm damages the store, bathhouses, cabins or office | Commercial property | Whether replacement cost is elected (the widely used Insurance Services Office (ISO) form defaults to depreciated actual cash value unless replacement cost is shown in the declarations), whether coinsurance or agreed value applies, and which site improvements count as covered property |
| A covered loss closes sites or the camp store for weeks | Business income and extra expense | Whether the limit and worksheet reflect your peak season, and the waiting period |
| A maintenance truck, shuttle or van is in a crash | Commercial auto, with hired and non-owned auto (covers staff using their own vehicles on park errands) | Which vehicles are listed, and who drives them |
| Golf carts, utility vehicles and mowers are damaged or cause injury | Inland marine or an equipment schedule, or auto, depending on the form | Where each unit is listed and how it is licensed and used |
| A groundskeeper or front desk employee is hurt | Workers' compensation | Class, seasonal payroll estimate and the ownership change report |
| A severe injury or an incident involving several guests | Umbrella or excess liability | It sits over liability limits only and adds nothing to property limits |
Which add-ons depend on what your park actually does?
A ten-site tent campground may need little beyond the core policies. A resort-style park with cabins, a pool and a store needs several more. List what you operate, then match it to the table.
| If your park does this | Ask about | Why it comes up |
|---|---|---|
| Moves, stores or spots guests' trailers and RVs | Garagekeepers legal liability (covers guests' vehicles in your care) | General liability usually excludes other people's property in your care, custody or control |
| Sells beer or wine, or hosts weddings and events | Liquor liability | A park can be named in a claim even if it did not pour the drink, and state law varies |
| Refills or sells propane | Propane (liquefied petroleum gas) liability terms, products and completed operations, and property terms for the refill area | General liability wording varies, and pollution exclusions can apply to a leak |
| Holds fuel tanks, runs a dump station, septic system or pool | Pollution liability | General liability generally excludes most pollution, and lenders look at these sites |
| Uses online booking, keeps cards on file for seasonal guests or runs gate and Wi-Fi systems | Cyber liability | Reservation systems and stored guest data are a target |
| Hires seasonal housekeeping, store and front desk staff, some of whom live on site | Employment practices liability (EPLI) | Wrongful termination and harassment claims can follow fast hiring and fast turnover |
| Handles cash and card batches from the store, propane sales and the office | Crime coverage | Employee theft and funds transfer fraud sit outside general liability |
| Sits near water, in a low area or on the coast | Flood coverage and named storm terms | Flood is usually excluded from standard commercial property and bought separately. See the coverage gaps guide |
Review guides: pollution, cyber, EPLI and crime. Library basics: liquor liability and garagekeepers.
What has to be true on closing day?
A campground cannot pause for paperwork. Settle these before the keys change hands.
- The named insured (the company the policy protects) matches the operator and the land holder. Some parks keep the land in a property company that leases to an operating company, so the policies and the lender clauses (mortgagee and loss payee wording, which name the lender on the policy) must match which entity owns which asset. See the wrong named insured guide.
- Policies line up with the licenses. If the liquor or campground license sits in one entity's name, check that the liquor liability policy and the rest of the program name the entity that holds the license and runs the park (see contracts, licenses and bonds).
- You are not relying on the seller's policies. In an asset purchase they usually do not follow you. See policies that still list the seller.
- The effective date fits your first booked weekend, not only the closing date. Workers' comp also has an ownership change report, covered in the workers' comp guide.
- You have written proof of binding. A quote or an application is not bound coverage. Ask your broker for the binder or evidence of insurance before closing.
A hypothetical example. A buyer closes an asset purchase on the Thursday before a holiday weekend, with 90 sites booked. The seller's policies are in the seller's company name and end when the seller cancels them. The buyer's broker has quotes, but the carriers have not confirmed binding. On Saturday a guest is hurt on the bathhouse steps. The question is whether a policy in the buyer's name was actually in force. Getting written confirmation of binding before closing settles that question in advance.
Is the seller's program sized for the park you bought?
The seller's broker may have done a fine job for the seller. Check the program against your plan: a park that added cabins last year may still be insured as a tent and RV business. Two questions come first:
- Were building values set years ago, and does the policy actually elect replacement cost, or does it value buildings at actual cash value?
- Are the golf carts, utility vehicles and mowers listed anywhere, and is the park's truck used to move guests' trailers?
The coverage gaps guide owns roads, pipes, trees, storms and guest vehicles. The answers sit in the full policy and endorsements, not on the declarations page alone: see declarations page vs full policy.
What does your lender add to the list?
If you borrowed under the SBA 7(a) program, the loan documents set hazard, flood and cancellation notice terms. Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 50 10 8.1 covers loans numbered on or after October 1, 2026, and earlier loans follow SOP 50 10 8, so ask your lender which applies. For loans over $50,000, hazard insurance on collateral is generally required, with narrow exceptions for smaller loans on low-value collateral. A lender may value roads, pads and buildings differently from the seller's policy, so raise that before closing. The clause list is in the SBA lender requirements guide.
What should you do in the first 30 days?
- Collect the documents. Declarations pages, full policies, loss runs and the open claims list, plus the park's licenses, last water test and inspection reports. See documents for an insurance review.
- Walk the property with the broker. List every building, road, underground line, dock, cart and vehicle, and note which policy lists each.
- Gather operations records. Water testing, tree care and propane handling records help an underwriter price the park.
- Check seasonal payroll. Compare the workers' comp payroll estimate with your real staffing plan for the season.
- Calendar renewals and open items. Mark the dates for the workers' comp ownership report, the next audit and the season's first reservations. The first 90 days guide gives a timeline.
If you want a second set of eyes, Morrow can review the inherited policies against the park you bought, flag gaps and request quotes. Any new terms depend on carrier underwriting.
Keep reading
- Campground and RV Park Coverage Gaps New Owners Find
- What Drives Insurance Cost for a Campground or RV Park?
- Contracts, Licenses and Bonds for a Campground or RV Park
- Your First 90 Days of Insurance After Buying a Business: A Checklist
- SBA Lender Insurance Requirements After Closing: A Detailed Checklist
- All guides for new business owners
Frequently asked questions
Do I need every one of these policies on the day I close?
Most buyers want general liability, property, workers' comp and auto in force at closing, along with any coverage the lender requires. Add-ons such as liquor, garagekeepers and pollution coverage depend on what the park actually does, and they can be added as part of a planned review. Your lender and loan agreement may set a firmer list.
Should I close in the off season or in the middle of a season?
Closing date is a deal decision, but insurance should be bound before the first guest arrives under your ownership. Ask your broker to line up effective dates with your first booked weekend, and ask your lender and counsel whether timing matters.
My park has a pool and a camp store. Do I need more than the basic package?
Often yes. A pool, store, propane or alcohol each point to a specific add-on, such as pollution, products, liquor or garagekeepers coverage. Walk the property with your broker and match each amenity to a policy.
How soon do I tell my workers' comp insurer about the purchase?
In states that follow National Council on Compensation Insurance rules, and in several bureau states with parallel rules, the policy requires reporting an ownership change within 90 days. The rating organization then decides how the seller's history affects your experience modification, so report promptly and ask your broker to help.
References
- SBA: SOP 50 10 8.1, Lender and Development Company Loan Programs (effective October 1, 2026; applies to loans numbered on or after that date)
- NCCI: Experience Rating Plan Manual, Item E-1411, ownership change notification (Texas filing)
- NCCI: Reporting Ownership Change Information
- Insurance Services Office: Building and Personal Property Coverage Form, CP 00 10 10 12
- IRMI: The Auto Exclusion in the CGL Policy (September 1, 2022)
Just bought a business? Get your insurance reviewed.
Send Morrow the declarations pages, loss runs and key contracts you inherited. Morrow can review them against the business you bought, flag gaps and request quotes where it makes sense. Any new terms depend on carrier underwriting.
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This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice, and not a coverage determination. Coverage depends on the actual policy wording, carrier underwriting, your purchase agreement and your contracts. Ask your attorney and accountant about deal and legal questions.