The recreational vehicle is an outdoor animal. It was designed to be able to handle the wilds while providing the creature comforts that make “roughing it” more enjoyable. In light of this fact, some might find it surprising that an indoor RV park is opening up in July 2012: North Dakota Indoor RV Park. It’s the first indoor RV Park of its kind. The scheduled opening is for mid-July 2012.

The North Dakota Indoor RV Park is located about five miles south of Watford City, North Dakota. The park consists of 10 insulated buildings. Each of the structures houses 24 recreational vehicles. Some RV bays are capable of housing motorhomes up to 35 feet in length and 12’6” in height.

There’s one catch, this new indoor RV Park caters strictly to fifth wheels and travel trailers. The indoor park is climate controlled and is aimed at the main oil field workers in the area (Watford City is an oil boom town). The indoor RV Park will offer both 6 and 12-month leases and will include water, electricity, sewer and propane in the lease agreement. Phone and cable TV will also be available for a fee and Wi-Fi will be offered throughout the park. Other amenities include: outdoor patio and grilling area, common room with recreation area including flat screen TVs and couches and a drop off/pick up laundry service.

The RV has long been used as the “go to” for temporary housing so it’s not surprising that the oil boom in the area has left Watford with an extraordinary number of recreational vehicles crowding the streets. The Indoor RV Park near Waterford, North Dakota addresses the needs of the overflow of RVs in the area in the simplest manner possible. Small rural communities like Waterford simply don’t have the accommodations available to handle major increases in the number of migrant workers such as results from the discovery of oil in the region.

RVers who are inordinately interested in the idea of indoor recreational vehicle accommodations will also be interested in finding out more about Berlin’s Innovative Hüttenpalast Hotel.  Many describe it as being the ultimate indoor camping and caravanning experience. This fanciful recreational vehicle themed hotel is located in a former factory building residential district Neukölln in Southern Berlin. Each hotel room is created in a 200 square meter warehouse space. In each is placed a “caravan” or wooden hut. It’s unique and it’s whimsical and it’s a must visit for RVers who find themselves on an international trip to Berlin while their own trusty recreational vehicle enjoys some R&R at home.

The innovative use of caravans (or old school RVs) in an industrial hotel setting and the creation of an indoor RV park in North Dakota both support the long standing theory that RVing is a lifestyle too versatile to ever lose its footing. As the industry continues to gain popularity and strength, the number of new and exciting “firsts” will just continue to evolve. RVers can consider themselves on the cusp of something new and exciting at the start of every trip because the essence of RVing means that no trip will ever be exactly the same…even if it’s only a different song playing in the RV that changes the mood of the road trip.