Arizona

Tra-Tel RV Park, Tucson – Arizona – RATING – 4.0/5

WIFI – Yes, one of the better parks for wifi, but still not as good as our hotspots

ATT – Yes, 3 or 4 bars, cuts in and out on the hotspot with the Weboost

VERIZON – Yes, fluctuates between four and five bars of 4G LTE with Weboost

OTA TV – Great reception.  We got all the main channels and several secondary ones

COORDINATES – 32.2653° N, 111.0096° W

SERVICES – 20/30/50 AMPS, Sewer, Water

COSTS

Daily rate:$32.99, taxes included
Weekly rate:$197.95, taxes included
Monthly rate:$395.00 with patio plus metered electric
 $375.00 without patio plus metered electric

REVIEW –  We spent January and February in Tucson at Tra-Tel RV Park.  This is a “no frills” RV park.  It is not a resort.  It is not a campground.  It was perfect for our purposes, which was to have easy access to everything in and around Tucson at a reasonable price.  Other RV parks in the area charge $200+ more per month.  We were in site #2, arguably the worst site in the park — not angled, next to a construction yard, and I think smaller than the spots in the rest of the park.  

Pros: 

  •  Friendly and helpful staff.
  • Clean showers and rest rooms.
  • Pet friendly.  
  • 250 steps from the “Loop” multi-use trail.
  • No more than 30 minutes from any of the attractions in and around Tucson.
  •  It’s an easy on and off from I-10. 
  •  Clean and safe.
  • Reasonably priced.
  • Laundry (did not use).
  • Rec room with tables, puzzles, books.
  • Mountain views and great sunsets.

Cons:  

  • The proximity to the Interstate means some road noise.
  • Adjacent to a construction yard, which is ugly and sometimes noisy.
  • Next to the University’s feed lot – luckily, the wind doesn’t come from that direction often.
  • They are starting a construction project on the vacant lot to the west, which could be noisy for the next couple of years.

Overall impression:  Tra-Tel is a reasonably priced, no-frills, safe, friendly and clean full-hookup park with easy access to the Interstate and Tucson attractions.  Despite the cons, we made reservations here again for next year.

Pato Blanco Lakes RV Resort, Benson – Arizona – RATING – 4.5/5

WIFI – Yes, but it’s very slow and it disconnects a lot

ATT – Yes, but it was also slow

VERIZON – Yes, five bars of 4G LTE with Weboost

OTA TV – Not Used here

COORDINATES – 31.9708,-110.2881

SERVICES – 20/30/50 AMPS, Sewer, Water and Cable TV

COSTS – RV Full hook ups – plus electric and taxes 

Daily$43.00
Weekly$225.00
Monthly$450.00
Semi-Annual$2,400.00
Annual$4,200.00

DISCOUNTS –  Escapees, Good Sam, Camp Club USA, Enjoy America / RPI, Passport America, AAA, Happy Campers and AARP Discounts.

REVIEW – This is a combination mobile home and RV park, with a good mix of permanent, seasonal and short-term tenants.  They pride themselves on being friendly and welcoming, and we found that to be true.

Pros: 

  •  Friendly and helpful staff.
  • Extremely friendly place overall – weekly card bingo games and potlucks as well as other activities.  We felt welcome from the first day.  Many of the people we met here had arrived, and enjoyed the place so much, they extended their stay or just didn’t leave!
  • HEATED swimming pool and hot tub.
  • Clean showers and rest rooms.
  • Wide spaces, with plenty of room to spread out.
  • Pet friendly.  The camp hosts carry dog treats! 
  • Library, pool table, exercise “room” in a shelter by the lake.
  • Pet walk around the outer edges of the park.
  •  It’s an easy on and off from I-10. 
  •  It has cute little private fishing lakes. 
  • In the town of Benson, there’s a Wal Mart and a Safeway.
  • Near attractions such as Kartchner Caverns State Park.
  • 45 minutes to an hour from Tombstone, Sierra Vista, Fort Huachuca, Saguaro National Park, and Tucson.

Cons:  

  • The proximity to the Interstate means lots of road noise.
  • There is a railroad nearby so train horns may wake you or keep you awake.   Our neighbor counted 17 trains one night when she had insomnia.  And they blow their horns about six times going through town.
  • When it rains, the outer road collects water and mud, which is both unsightly and no fun when you are walking the dog.
  • Limited things to do in the nearby area, you have to drive an hour or so to get to a city with variety of shops and things to do.

Overall impression:  The friendliest RV park we’ve ever been to.  The scenery here is breathtaking.  It was the perfect place to spend a month, but I doubt I’d stay longer, just because I like being closer to things to do.