Escapees Sumter Oaks Website

Sorry, no Dashcam video – we forgot to save the files and they were overwritten.

General Information
Sumter Oaks has 99 full hook up sites (both back in and pull thrus) with water, electric and sewer as well as 25 ERPU (Escapees Rainbow Plantation Unlimited) sites. Be aware that only 57 sites have 50 amp electrical service (consult the park map to see which ones), a wi-fi Hot Spot, a swimming pool, laundry facilities, and a large activity center (complete with library & TV room, craft room, pool table room and kitchen), a club house, a dump station, air pressure tank and Smart Weigh.

Roads are dirt and narrow with lots of trees. Most sites have cement patio pads, but the pull-thrus are just grass/dirt. For satellite reception the best sites are the pull thru sites which are 30 amp only. Many of the back in sites are heavily wooded so if satellite reception is a requirement choose carefully.

Rates:
As Escapee members, the rate at Sumter Oaks was $21 per day (regular rate is $28.50) plus an extra $1.00/day for a 50 amp site. Weekly and monthly rates are available here.

Overall Impression – 3/5
Clearly a popular snowbird park with a loyal clientele, overall the vibe was pleasant and friendly, but for us it didn’t feel like a place we would want to be for an extended period. The main reason for our visit to this park was Smart Weigh which was a great experience. However, the park isn’t ideal for big rigs in our opinion – the roads are narrow with intruding trees, requiring caution to maneuver our 43′ unit around the park. Exiting the park via the normal path requires a 180 degree turn if you are heading to I-75 – we could not make that turn without backing up. Most of the pull thrus are set up so you and your neighbor face in the opposite direction, so (with a few exceptions) are essentially “buddy” sites.

Similar to other Escapee parks, the staff was very friendly, giving us the usual “Escapee hug” before we left the office. Guess they have a lot of activities going on during the winter months which might appeal to some. Except for SmartWeigh, we most likely wouldn’t return here.

Sites

Size – 2/5
Sites are long, plenty of room for a big rig but not particularly wide. Pull-thrus are grass/dirt, other sites may have a concrete patio pad. Most appeared reasonably level.  No picnic tables, grills or firepits here.

Privacy – 2/5
Not any between sites particularly in the pull thru area, perhaps there is in the more wooded area.

Amenities – 3/5
Full hookup sites with water, 30 or 50 amp electrical (50A is $1 extra per day) and sewer, a wi-fi Hot Spot (not sure where but it is listed as an amenity), a swimming pool, laundry facilities, and a large activity center (complete with library & TV room, craft room, pool table room and kitchen), a club house, a dump station, air pressure tank and Smart Weigh. Pet friendly with a dog park.

The only reason we stopped here was to get our coach and toad weighed at their SmartWeigh facility located in the back of the campground. You don’t need to stay at the campground to be weighed but you do need an appointment. Call Al Peterson, the onsite Weighmaster at 518-231-8606 – appointments are available Monday – Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. It was $55 for both the coach and the tow vehicle and well worth it.

Location:

Convenience – 3/5
Not much in the immediate vicinity but we were only there for one night so we didn’t explore the area much. There are grocery stores, a Walmart, restaurants and other services near exit 314 about 15 minutes away.

Physical Surroundings – 3/5
Sections of the campground are heavily wooded, but despite that it still didn’t have a state park kind of feel to it.  Campground was clean and well maintained.

Maneuverability and Roads – 2/5
Roads in the park are dirt and narrow with some intruding and/or low hanging trees. Must get pretty muddy when it rains. Our particular pull thru site (#74) had a poorly positioned tree on it that interfered with our patio side slide and made it a little difficult to situate the rig between the tree and the hookups.

Note if you are in a big rig with a flat tow – don’t follow the normal exit path (Sumter Oaks Drive heading east) and try to exit the campground towards I-75. It is a 180 degree turn from there onto SR-673 westbound. The best way to exit is to maneuver your way to either Sunshine Way, Barred Owl Way or Donkey Lane which will allow for a much more manageable turn onto SR-673 westbound.

Peace & Quiet – 3/5
We were here in May so the park was pretty empty. Seemed relatively quiet with no road noise although during our stay the temps were in the 90’s so we stayed inside with the AC running.

Utilities – 3/5

• Sewer – Threaded cap, but the placement was poor for our rig and the pipe extended a good 10″ above grade so there was no way to arrange a natural slope for the stinky slinky.
  
• Satellite – depends on the site. From our pull thru site we had good satellite reception. Most of the pull thrus have no tree cover.
• WiFi – none at the sites. There is a hot spot, not sure where, probably in the office/clubhouse.
• Cellular signal – good Verizon LTE.
• Over-the-Air (OTA) TV – Poor.
• Power – Good stable 30A.
• Water Pressure/Quality –Good, very soft (unusual), no smell or noticeable turbidity.

What We Liked
– Clean, reasonably well maintained campground
– Friendly staff
– Smart Weigh

What We Didn’t Like
– Set up of the pull thru sites
– Narrow, dirt roads making maneuvering difficult
– 180 degree turn at exit too tight to make without backing up