Let's be honest, 5 Star RV resorts have completely redefined what it means to hit the road. These aren't your Grandpa's campgrounds with gravel lots and a single washing machine that eats quarters. We're talking about sprawling properties with heated pools, fitness centers and concierge services and even on site restaurants that could give local bistros a run for their money. Some of the campgrounds in California, such as the Motor coach Country Club, or the opulent and luxurious Blue water Key in Florida; have set the standard so high that the "old" camping experience seems like a completely different sport. It's a debate that will go on and on: Is it “camping” or is it “glamping”? But who can say if you have a margarita in one hand and a golf cart key in the other? These 5 Star RV resorts will provide you with an RV camping experience you need not have even a thought for tenting ever again.

They're for those who don't want to give up creature comforts, in this case, marble countertops, resort pools and Wi-Fi hotspots powerful enough to watch your favorite show while you grill your steaks under the stars. Sure, the purists may roll their eyes, but waiting lists for these spots are a different matter.

People are lining up to park their rigs at 5 Star RV resorts because they've discovered that the best way to enjoy the great outdoors is with a great mattress, a hot shower and maybe a little live music by the tiki bar. After all why choose between adventure and comfort when you can have both?

The Great Glamping Divide

Here's the thing. I've been that person shivering in a tent with a leaky air mattress and a half empty bag of trail mix, telling myself that discomfort builds character and you know what? It does but somewhere along the way, I also discovered that a hot shower and a real mattress don't make you a traitor to the outdoors—they make you smarter. 5 Star RV resorts have been cashing in on this revelation for years and honestly? Good for them.

Because let's be real—5 Star RV resorts aren’t trying to be the KOA of 1985. They're not pretending you're roughing it. They've leaned into the absurdity of it all and they've built entire destinations around the idea that you can have your campfire and eat it too. We're talking about places like the Motor coach Country Club in California where you park your rig next to a backyard cottage and spend your mornings on an executive golf course or Blue water Key in Florida where each site comes with its own tiki hut and private dock because why would you want to share a picnic table when you can have your own island themed cabana?

The Tiki bar Test

There's a moment right around the second round of live music where you realize you've crossed a threshold. You're no longer "camping" in the traditional sense. You're participating in what some academics have officially labeled "glamping"—a term that first showed up in the news media back in 2005 and has been blurring lines ever since. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as "a form of camping that involves accommodation and facilities more luxurious than those associated with traditional camping" but honestly that feels like an understatement when you're at a place that offers swim-up bars and on site spa services.

Take the Firefly Resort in Fredericksburg, Texas for example. It's got 66 spacious sites with full hookups, a luxury pool with an adults-only section and a clubhouse with grills and heaters. You can rent a golf cart to cruise around, because walking is apparently too rustic and when you're done pretending you're a country club member, you can head into town to visit one of the 50-plus wineries. That's not camping. That's a vacation that happens to involve wheels.

The Amenities Arms Race

The thing about premium RV camping is that it's become an arms race. One resort builds a pool the next builds a pool with a swim-up bar. One adds a dog park; the next adds a 1.5-acre dog park with agility equipment and day kennels (looking at you, Normandy Farms) and then there's the Dwell RV Resort in Arizona, which just debuted with a fitness center, pickle ball courts, private cabanas and even covered storage for your rig when you're not using it. It's practically a condo complex that you can tow and you know I'm here for it because if I'm going to spend my hard-earned coins on a weekend getaway, I want to sleep on a mattress that doesn't feel like stone. I need a domain that has that education and is paved with full hookups so I don't have to play the "when is the unloading station open" game. I want a heated pool, fast Wi-Fi and maybe even a spot where I can sip a cocktail while listening to a band that doesn't include a screaming toddler on bongos.

Is It Really Camping?

To the purists out there—who insist that real camping is when you sleep on the floor with nothing but a sleeping bag and prayer—I say this: loosen up. The most important thing is to experience your joy whether you are backpacking in a barren area or backing up your 40-foot diesel pusher on a homestead with a concrete patio and a gas fireplace, the feeling of the element is the same: you step away from your routine, breathe fresh air and reminisce.

Even the dictionary seems to agree. If you look at the definition of camping, it's just "the activity of spending a vacation living in a camp, tent or camper". It doesn't say anything about suffering or sleeping on roots or eating cold beans from a can. So if your "camp" just happens to have a tiki bar and live music, congratulations—you're still camping. You're just doing it with a margarita in hand.

The Bottom Line

So can you truly call it camping when there's a tiki bar and live music? Yes you can. It's just a different flavor of the same pie and if you're still not convinced go ahead and book a spot at one of those 5 Star RV resorts and see for yourself just don't blame me when you start eyeballing the price tag on those outdoor rugs.