Petey’s RV Park and Marina A dream come true
Story by Steve Nussbaum
Longtime home builder Bret Jordan always had his eye on the property off FM 2353 that wraps around to Park Road 36 behind the PK Plaza shopping center.
He just didn’t know what he wanted to do with it if he ever got the chance to buy it.
The vacant property had been the site of The Winds restaurant, which burned down in the early 2000s – and Jordan knew it was one of the last remaining commercial properties available with lake access.
Jordan and his partner, Justin Anderson, who lives in Fort Worth and is in the oil and gas business, were able to buy the land in February 2020. After considering several business ideas, they finally settled on the creation of an out-of-the-ordinary RV park. Its name: Petey’s RV Resort and Marina.
The business got its name from a dream Jordan had one night. He had been contemplating what to call the new venture, and he knew he wanted it to be easily identified with one word. He awoke with “Petey’s†stuck in his head, and the two men cemented the resort’s moniker when they combined the name with a fun caricature of a possum.
The plans for the business then went through two revisions of engineering and septic system studies before Jordan and Anderson could begin construction later in 2020.
The Possum Kingdom Lake area has lots of camping and RV options, but Petey’s offers amenities that other local campsites don’t have. The business caters to higher-end campers, and one of the first things they’ll notice when they enter Petey’s is the brand-new, modern building at the front gate. In the building are the offices, a fitness center, a laundry facility and a business center, in addition to a luxury shower and bathrooms for all the resort’s guests. There’s also an on-site dog park for pooches at Petey’s.
The property offers paved concrete roads and camping sites, and new sod and 106 large oak trees have been planted to make sure every campsite is enjoyable. The campground also offers water access and a 48-slip marina for campers to use.
Petey’s will cater to those wanting to stay for shorter time periods. The business doesn’t offer permanent sites, but it does allow campers to lease a space for up to 30 days.
Jordan and Anderson also hope to attract winter Texans during the off-season with 90-day rental options. The location is perfect for campers looking for boating, fishing and golfing, as well as easy access to all the retail and restaurants in the area.
Plans for the second phase of the business project include a playground, swimming pool and event space.
Across the country, the demand for RV camping sites has skyrocketed, with RV parks being booked months in advance. A 2021 report by Topline North American Camping states that it’s not just Baby Boomers enjoying RV camping, either: Twenty-two percent of people that are RV camping these days are millennials and Generation Xers.
The demand for RV camping started taking off in 2017, but it was the COVID-19 epidemic that fueled a huge growth spurt in the practice. More than 40 million people go RV camping each year.
To help run the campsite, Jordan has hired longtime PK resident Johna Nicklas as the office manager at Petey’s. Nicklas has lived at Possum Kingdom since 1995, and the family of her late husband, Jim Nicklas, sold parts of their land to the Brazos River Authority to build the lake. Nicklas worked in real estate locally before retiring in 2019, then came out of retirement to be a part of the park. Her love of the lake, combined with an extensive knowledge of the lake’s history, should be a great benefit for all the guests at Petey’s.
Petey’s RV Resort and Marina is one of the largest projects built at the lake in the past several years. The demand for RV camping is growing, and the business will offer a new type of camping experience for those wanting to enjoy our beautiful lake.
