RV Camping Club Memberships – Are They Worth It?
As I went through my past year of travels I started thinking about camping clubs. Campground fees are a major expense item for many new RVers and lots of folks worry about how to reduce them. Our camping costs generally run around $10-$15/night (year average) thanks to a mix of boondocking, volunteering and public parks, and because of the way we like to camp (mostly on public land) we don’t really participate in many clubs. But perhaps they might make sense for you?
It’s a question that comes up often for newbie RVers. There’s so many camping clubs out there, and they all make a compelling argument for you to join up. “Get 50% off your camping!” “One year of camping for one low price!”. In the face of this deluge of marketing ploys, the tendency for many newbies is to join every camping club so that they don’t miss out on anything.
I can’t deny we initially made the same mistake. In our first year on the road we joined lots of clubs and by the end of that year we’d used almost none of them. This lesson led to item #3 on my popular post “10 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Fulltime RVing” and the very simple statement that “clubs are only useful IF you make use of them“. We took the lesson to heart, cancelled all our memberships and have stuck to the very wise path of “only buy it when you need it” ever since.
So, for today’s post I wanted to elaborate on the camping club thing and review a few of the most popular clubs out there. Here we go…
3 Tips Before You Buy
Research The Membership In Detail -> It always make sense to research what you’re really getting before you buy. For example, there’s no point buying a camping club membership if you don’t like the parks or none of them are on your travel route. Plus you should never enter into a long (non-refundable) contract until you’re sure it’s something you’ll use. Understand exactly what you’re getting into, for how long and what the cancellation terms (if any) are before you make the purchase.
Buy It Only When You Need It (and not before) -> Most memberships can be bought and paid for online almost instantaneously anytime you wish. As an example we bought our Passport America Pass in the RV (online) while driving to the RV park where we were planning to use it. The membership process was supposed to take a day, but we got our pass number mere hours after we applied. Cutting it a tad close, but hey it worked out.
Cancel It When You Don’t Use It Anymore -> Unless you find yourself using your membership regularly don’t make the mistake of buying a membership and then auto-renewing every year. You can always buy another membership later, so buy it once and set it up to remind you the next time it’s due. Then if you haven’t used it as you imagined you would, cut it loose.
With the 3 tips above in mind, here’s a quick run-down of some of the most popular RV camping clubs out there:
Passport America 50% Camping Club
In my opinion this is the absolute best 50% discount camping club out there. It’s inexpensive, it has a nice quantity of membership parks (1,850 parks), the online map search tool is easy to use and you can typically make up the cost of membership within a few days of use.
But it’s also worth paying attention to the details before you join.
Many of the parks that participate are a bit off-the-beaten track, and most parks only offer the 50% discount on certain days or within certain seasons. The limitations for each park are listed on the PA website, and you can sometimes negotiate an extension of the discount rate (outside the “official” limits) but it’s important to understand that the pass does not get you an across-the-board 50% off deal.
As an example the park we’re currently staying at (Mission Bay RV Resort in San Diego) only offers 50% off for 4 days (Mon through Thurs) and you can only apply that discount 2 times in a calendar year (no exceptions here). That said Mission Bay is an expensive park (sites cost $50/night full price) so if you DO come here with PA, you’ll make up the cost of membership within 2 easy days!
Worth it? Generally yes. Most places you’ll make up the membership price within a few days of use, but research if the parks are on your travel path and only buy the membership when you need it.
More Info? Click HERE or HERE (same company, same info just different pages)
Do We Have It? YES, but we didn’t need it until 2015 and only bought it as we were traveling towards a PA park in AZ.
Happy Camper 50% Camping Club
This club seems to have copied the Passport America (PA) model exactly. They offer the same 50% discount deal (again, certain exclusions apply) at ~1,200 parks for a slightly lower yearly cost than PA. However they don’t have a mapping tool (their online directory is horrible to use) and, perhaps even more worrying, no-one seems to talk about them (on RV forums or anywhere else?). Personally I’m not convinced and see no reason to buy into this when PA has such a solid reputation and is so much easier to use.
Worth it? NO, not in my opinion. I recommend Passport America instead.
More Info? Click HERE.
Do We Have It? NO. We’ve never even considered it.
Escapees/Xscapers RV Club
Escapees is certainly much more than a camping club. This is a social and community club, with the added benefit that you get access to SKP parks (at a discount) as well as the opportunity to join with like-minded groups of people (BOF groups) and connect with the pre-retirement crowd (Xscapers was launched for that very purpose last year). There are lots of other things that happen thro’ SKP too, such as boot camp programs, mail & domicile service, CARE, RV advocacy, rallies, groups that arrange trips to Mexico and the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta etc.
Camping-wise the biggest draw is access to inexpensive camping at SKP parks & co-ops (monthly rates at the 19 parks are often as low as $300/mo) and 15-50% discount at “1000 participating parks”. Plus, if you join the “Days End” directory (separate $15 fee), you’ll get access to a long list of boondocking locations cross-country.
The negatives? Finding what discount you can get where is a bear. There’s a online map of the “1000 participating parks”, but to actually figure out what discount you can get, you have to look up each park in a written book either in print on on-line page-by-page (I really wish this was easier). The “Days End” directory is equally frustrating. There’s an online map planning tool and over 800 pages of boondocking locations, but you have to scroll thro’ a written list to figure out the exact details of each spot. Still, it’s a gem of a resource if you’re willing to dig in.
Worth it? Generally yes especially if you boondock (Days End), but you have to be ready to dig deep(er) to get your exact discount info.
More Info? Click HERE and HERE.
Do We Have It? YES. We personally like Escapees and make regular use of their campgrounds & (especially) the Day’s End directory.
Thousand Trails Camping Pass
You can save a ton of money on camping costs with Thousand Trails, but you can also waste a ton too. A lot of people get seduced by the $$ on this one, and at first glance it looks amazing. For only $545 you get “year round” access to all the campgrounds within a given “zone” (there are 5 total zones in the USA), plus they often have an offer (as they do right now) for an extra zone for free. The membership gives you 30-days of free camping, whereafter you only pay $3/night. For camping costs that cannot be beat anywhere!
But the details really matter here!
With the standard zone pass you can only stay max 14-days at a time, then you have to go out of the system for 7 days (alternatively you can move every 4 days, but that’s tough to keep up year-round). Also the Thousand Trails campgrounds are only in certain areas (there are NONE in the middle of the country, for example), and many of the campgrounds are rather run-down (it’s a common complaint amongst users). Cancellation of the membership can only be done in writing & if you enter into a multi-year contract you can’t get out of it without paying the thing in full.
So, how do you decide if this is worth it?
Well, most of the parks allow folks to come in and use them without a membership so my advise is to try out a few of the parks to see if you like them and whether they make sense for you (location-wise). If (and only if) you see yourself using the parks on a regular basis then I suggest looking at the 2nd hand market for Thousand Trails memberships. There is a HUGE resale market on these memberships (online, on RV forums and in RV magazines) so you can typically get a very good deal on upgraded memberships (such as Elite/VIP/Platinum etc.) that give you access to more zones and/or allow you to stay full-time with no days out of the system. Read terms carefully and make sure you know what you’re getting into before you buy.
Worth it? ONLY if plan to you use it regularly. Consider shopping the resale market for more comprehensive membership deals & make sure you read terms in detail before you buy.
More Info? Link to Thousand Trails HERE. Also read these posts about TT from Gypsy Journal, Ditching Suburbia and RVlove (Part I and Part II)
Do We Have It? NO. Doesn’t make sense for our style of travel & camping.
Good Sam’s
So, I totally admit I have an ambiguous relationship with these guys. They’ve been around forever and have a snazyy website that offers all kinds of tempting RV-related stuff such as Camping World discounts, warranties, mail service, trip planning service etc. But they also tend to be rather spammy. Once you join you’re deluged with mail (both paper and otherwise) and their camping discount is really not that attractive -> they only offer 10% discount.
Their main advantage (over other camping clubs) is that they offer the discount across more parks (~2,100 participating locations) most of which do NOT participate in other clubs (such as PA). So, when you can’t get a discount with anyone else, you can typically get it with Good Sam’s. Still, it’s not hugely attractive and unless you spend a lot of time in private parks, you won’t get much use out of it.
Worth it? So-so. Camping discount is only 10%, but if you spend a lot of time in private RV parks it may make sense. Plus if you buy anything at Camping World, the (up to) 30% discount can often make up the costs.
More Info? Click HERE.
Do We Have It? SOMETIMES. When we shop at Camping World (every now and then) there’s often some kind of discounted membership deal going on, so we sometimes renew if it makes $$ sense. The rest of the time we just let it lapse.
Kampgrounds Of America (KOA)
Kampgrounds of America (KOA) manages ~500 campgrounds across the USA/Canada and market themselves as a family-friendly vacation spot. The campgrounds typically offer decent amenities (cabins, pool, pull-through sites etc.) and tend to be very consistent (quality-wise), but they also tend to be pricey (at least $35/night or more). IF and only IF you like the KOA model you might want to consider a KOA membership. For $27/year you’ll get a 10% discount and the opportunity to earn rewards points that can be used for discounts and/or free stays in the future. In 6 years on the road we’ve only stayed at a KOA once (in our very first year) and it was OK, but I have to admit we haven’t been back since.
Worth it? So-so. Camping discount is only 10%, but if you stay regularly at KOA spots it may make sense.
More Info? Click HERE.
Do We Have It? NO. We stayed at a KOA once but it didn’t speak to us. Haven’t been back since.
Harvest Hosts
This popular membership gives you the chance to stay a night at a winery, farm or agri-tourism site for FREE. The draw is that you get to dry-camp in snazzy spots and you make up the costs of membership within a few days of use. The downsides? Many of the host locations are not in the most popular areas (for example there are ZERO harvest host locations in the popular wine region of Napa/Sonoma), and you are only supposed to stay a single night. Plus it’s often assumed you’ll visit the facility and spend some money there. We used the membership during our cross-country travels and enjoyed it, although we invariably ended up spending more money at these locations than we would have in a regular campground LOL. Still, we enjoyed the off-the-beaten-track locations and got to visit several interesting farms/vineyards and support local products.
Worth it? Yes, but check locations before you buy.
More Info? Click HERE. Plus read this post about HH from The Wynns.
Do We Have It? YES and we have used it several times, all of which we enjoyed.
Boondockers Welcome
This membership allows you to stay for FREE at private residences across the country. You’re staying with people who are opening up their private property for you so size/location varies a lot. Some places you park in their driveway, other places give you a spot on their land. Most spots are dry-camping (no hookups), stay limits vary by residence and you should be ready for a little social interaction with your hosts (that’s all part of the draw, after all). If you’re an introverted-type that prefers to camp in isolated places this clearly isn’t for you, but if you like meeting other RVers and don’t mind staying on someone’s property, you’ll make up the cost of the membership within the first stay.
Worth it? It can be, IF you like the idea of staying on other people’s property.
More Info? Click HERE.
Do We Have It? NO. This isn’t really our style of camping.
America The Beautiful/Senior Pass
We’re too young to qualify for the Federal Lands Senior Pass (62 and over only), but if we did we’d be all over it like a swarm of bees on honey. For the price of just $80 (one-time fee) you get a lifetime of free entry to National Parks, PLUS you get 50% off camping costs at most Federal Land Campgrounds (e.g. National Parks, National Forests, BLM and COE). A great deal IMO! If you’re “of age” to qualify for this one, you’d be silly not to get it.
Worth it? YES, YES and YES! 50% off camping in Federal Land Campgrounds.
More Info? Click HERE.
Do We Have It? I WISH! We’re too young, sadly.
LTVA Seasonal Camping Pass (Winter Boondocking CA/AZ)
This is not your “typical” camping club membership, but it can be a very inexpensive way to camp for the winter season in CA & AZ. It’s basically a combo of BLM offices that have joined forces to create what they call Long Term Visitor Areas. These are large areas of open desert where you can boondock (= camp out in the boonies, no hookups, no specific sites) for the entire winter season for one low price ($180, Sept 15-April 15).
Since BLM camping is typically free why would you even consider this???
Well, the main reason is that you don’t have to worry about stay limits. Typically stay limits on BLM land are 14-days, but with the LTVA pass you can stay in the same place for the entire season if you want to. Also, many of the LTVA areas offer access to either garbage, water or dump (or all three). Lastly, for folks who’ve never boondocked before the LTVA’s are a nice, easy semi-managed way to try it out.
Note/ There is also a “summer” version of this (Mar-Nov) that covers 4 BLM campgounds in the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains, but it’s rather more expensive at $300 for the season and doesn’t cover nearly as much land as the winter LTVA pass.
Worth it? It can be IF you want an easy, hassle-free way to boondock for the winter.
More Info? Click HERE.
Do We Have It? NO. We don’t mind the 14-day BLM limits and tend to move around in the desert when we boondock.
State Park Passes
State Parks are great places to camp (we looooove them!), but they ain’t always cheap. There are ways to save, but not all passes are worth the price and in many places the savings are not all that attractive. Still a few of these do make sense, and in a select few states you can get much, much more than you might expect.
Entry Fee Passes
Certain states such as CO, TX, SD require you to pay a daily entry fee in addition to any camping fees. So for example in CO, you typically pay $20-$30/night for camping, but you’ll ALSO need to pay a $7/day entry fee. If you camp in that state regularly those extra $$ rack-up quickly! The answer is to buy an annual entry fee pass. Costs vary by state, but the principle is the same everywhere -> you get unlimited free entry into all the state parks within that state. In CO it costs $70 for a year pass so if you camp more than 10 days/year you make up the cost of the pass.
Camping Passes
There is only really ONE state that I know of which offers a “true” camping pass and that’s New Mexico. For only $225 you get FREE dry-camping at ANY New Mexico State Park for an entire YEAR! You need to respect the stay limits (typically 14-days at each park) and you’ll pay an extra $4/day for hookups, but as far as camping costs are concerned this simply cannot be beat! You’ll make up the cost of the pass in 3 easy weeks.
Another very-little-known and little-used camping pass is the Washington State “Discover Pass” ($35). This pass doesn’t really save you anything in the State Parks (camping-wise), but it does get you FREE camping at primitive sites in many Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) AND Department of Natural Resources (DNR) spots across the state. Not all rig-sizes can go everywhere and stay limits are typically 21-days (within a 30-day period), but it’s a great deal if you use it. Read more about this from other bloggers HERE.
Worth it? YES, but only IF you stay long enough to cover the costs of the pass. Again, this varies by state.
More Info? Google individual State Park website for details.
Do We Have It? YES, but ONLY when we need them. We buy the passes whenever they make $$ sense.
Related Posts:
Excellent post Nina, and you just saved me a solid day+ of writing – because I had this exact post on my to-do list to cover later this month to compliment our video version.
We did a video chat version of this last year if anyone is interested in our take on it. I’ll just link to this article for the text version 🙂
http://www.technomadia.com/rvclubs
Of COURSE you have a great resource on this! Thanks for linking. You even mentioned a club I totally forgot about (KOA). I’ll update the post to add this one in.
Nina
I’m not really that sad that we’re too young to get the Federal Lands Senior Pass 🙂
I don’t know…the deal is so darn good it’s the ONE reason I’d be happy to be older!
Nina
Just want to let people know that if you qualify for Senior Access Pass you should get it in 2017 because starting in 2018 the cost will be $80 instead of $10. Still a good deal but of course buying it for $10 is much better.
I am planning a summer trip following the Mississippi River from New Orleans to Minnesota. This will be a long trip — I am in no hurry. I am making reservations mostly at Corp of Engineer campgrounds. That senior pass has saved me over $1,000. Now if the government doesn’t shut down and the campgrounds stay open, I’m all set.
COE campgrounds are awesome! And with the senior pass they’re even better. Sounds like you’ve planned perfectly. Good travels to you!
Nina
What are the COE campgrounds? Is there a listing of them?
Thank you
They are Corps of Engineers campgrounds.
You can search for facilities here: https://corpslakes.erdc.dren.mil/visitors/visitors.cfm
And you can book them through recreation.gov here: https://www.recreation.gov/campgroundDirectoryListByAgencyID.do?contractCode=NRSO&agencyID=70902
Nina
Being older really isn’t bad you know and we get discounts all over the place. In fact, most state parks give some kind of a discount to “seniors” (62). It’s easiest if one is in the “golden years” (which seems kinda weird since my hair is silver :-)) to just go to each state’s state park site to find out what it is.
But, when we come back after biking or kayaking or dinner out to a beautiful spot with 50amp of electric and water and paying $9-11/night being “old” is really not bad.
Honestly I’ve found many state parks don’t offer senior discounts unless you’re a resident of the state. For example there’s no senior discount in either WA, OR, FL, NV or AZ if you’re visiting as a non-resident. As a resident, however, you can sometimes get screaming deals (e.g. Senior FL residents (65+) can get half-price camping at FL State Parks!). Many State Parks seem to be like this, but I admit I’ve not looked at all of them.
The Federal Senior Pass (America The Beautiful) on the other hand, provides across-the-country 50% discounts at most Federal campgrounds (National Parks, National Forest, BLM, COE etc.). It just doesn’t applying to State Parks.
Nina
We are FL residents so I do know of the 50% discount here (we are in FL right now FREEZING!) LA, MD and DE do offer 50% discount in STATE Parks using the Golden Age Pass (they seem to be the only 3 states that have reciprocity) so if you are in the east and a resident of one of those states AND over 62 you can do it.
I have only found out about the discounts when I have made reservations on ReserveAmerica and am asked if we have the card. It is pretty sporadic and since we haven’t headed west yet I don’t know about out there. I am in a little bit of shock, after spending the last year in the east and midwest at how much more the state parks cost out west so it makes total sense to boondock! BLM here we come.
BTW, we love the COE parks and haven’t stayed in one yet that was anything less than good. Most are great.
The other thing to consider, for those who are coming east or to the midwest, is the states (MI and WI at least) that charge for a season pass in addition to the camping fees. MI is a hefty $35 which is good for the year BUT they charge a daily charge for the toad-if we planned to leave the campground- as well ($6/campground.) Because we were going to 7 different parks we ended up simply buying another season pass and saving $7. In WI it was just one charge with nothing extra for the toad.
We loved a lot of places in the midwest and stayed mostly in state parks but really if one has the Golden Age pass it makes much more sense to do federal.
Good info! It’s great to know a few of the state parks out east actually support the Federal Golden Age/Senior Pass. I had just assumed (from our experience out west) that they did not, so that’s really good to know.
Also great info on MI. We may be hitting that State later this year.
Nina
More and more, Forest Service campgrounds are being managed by third parties. We have found one in So Dakota and two in California that do not offer a discount to Golden Age/Senior pass holders. When asked about the 1/2 price fee, they claimed it did not apply. Not sure if this was a misunderstanding or if it’s the intent of the Govt. to eliminate these discounts.
Gary
That’s such a bummer to hear, really it is. The third-parties also tend to jack up the prices so a Forest Service campground that might have cost a reasonable $15 before being transferred suddenly costs $25 or more once they’re being managed by a Concessionaire. We’ve seen it happen, especially in CA.
Nina
I found out that the Forest Service has turned over most of their camp grounds to Concessionaires to run. When they do this it is up to each Concessionaire if they will honor the Golden age/Senior pass holders. I am mad about this because that means that the Forest which belongs to all of us are now being run by a third party that just wants to make money. I also believe that it is a problem with all Govt. entities that they do not have enough man power to run or take care of the land they were hired to take care of. So for me Forest land is just out.
How about State Parks for 100 percent disabled veterans that have an America the Beautiful Pass?
America The Beautiful only applies to Federal Parks (National Parks, National Forest etc.) managed by Federal agencies. State Parks are managed separately by State entities, so you won’t be able to use your pass there. That said many State Parks DO offer veterans discounts, but rules and application process vary by State so you just have to investigate that separately.
Nina
The state of California offers a 50% state park camping discount to the disabled. We had to take my husbands paperwork from the DMV for his disabled placard to one of the district headquarters and pay a nominal fee (around $10) to get a paper card entitling him to the discount. We went to Lake Perris but any district headquarters would do. I believe they have a mail in option also but it’s around $20. We use his card number on ReserveAmerica to get the discount. Makes camping at the beach much more affordable.
Great tip! Thanks so much for sharing Sheri!
Nina
in Wa. state disabled vets get free camping in state parks
Where are these parks, I have not seen any that are less than $35.00 a night without any hook ups in California. We have only seen a $1.00 senior discount at these same parks in California. We would love to know where you found the parks you referred to in your post.
Thank You,
Sincerely, Gary & Sandie
Start by looking at the BLM parks. There are several along the center of the state plus all along the Eastern Sierra Nevadas. The typical price there is $5/night and I’ve reviewed several of them on my blog. Here’s three examples:
BLM Campground -> Horton Creek $5/night
BLM Campground -> Tuttle Creek $5/night
BLM Campground -> Own Canyon $6/night
Also look at County Parks and Fairgrounds. Many of these are around $25/night and sometimes less:
Here’s an example in Ventura: Rincon Parkway $28/night ON the water
Here’s aother in Bishop: Bishop Fairgrounds $25/night with FHU
And another by Tutelake: Tutelake Fairgrounds $18/night with PA discount
And of course there’s lots of BLM land to boondock (free camp) on in the desert. Check my Boondocking section for details on these.
Nina
I am thankful I found your site. You have amazing content and ideas you share.
One question, your video on your motor home has your wife, dog and you in the
back of your motor home with the wind blowing like crazy outside because the
trees are blowing all around.
Any way do you have any other videos showing the other parts of your coach?
I am curious what the master bedroom looks like and how big it looks? I have
started doing searches on coaches like yours, only I hope to find one that is 25′
or near that. Have even contemplated finding a wrecked one or parts to build a
short, wide and tall one, if that is possible.
I have a 5th wheel right now but don’t like it. Dreaming about one 25′ with 4×4
capabilities, so a person can go most anywhere. Something near indestructible.
Please let me know if it is a hair brained idea, thanks.
That video was taken by our buddies Technomadia during one of the epic storms in Cape Blanco (OR). I don’t have any other video’s, but I do have pics of the coach interior in a few posts. There’s a pic of our bedroom HERE and a pic of the living room HERE.There are other pics lying here and there, and at some point I may do some more interior pics, but that’s all I got for now.
Oh and by the way it’s the wife (me) that writes this blog, not the hubby (Paul) 🙂
Nina
DaysEnd document is much easier to use if you use the SEARCH function on the DOC or ODT version. Also they just released mapping software with routing and locations of sites in the doc by city. This is for free! To get the actual specific location and notes, members can use the state code and city name to search for the specific sites in the document.
I usually search by city on the document but I still find it a bear to use. Whenever I find a spot I’m usually going back and forth between map & document to figure out if it makes sense for us, and searching by city is a slow (painful) process. The mapping tool has improved this, but I still have to refer back to the document which means lots of back and forth. Still, I can’t deny that Days End is a fabulous resource and I know there are plans to improve it. It’s one of the big reasons we’ve stayed SKP members all these years.
Nnia
Just found this resource the other day looks like you can add Days End info to your GPS and mapping software including Google Earth –
http://www.discoveryowners.com/cginfo.htm
Interesting! Thanks for that detail!
Nina
I believe that all you get with the DiscoveryOwners Link for DaysEnd is the general vicinity of their listings, Nearest City generally. You must still be a SKP MEMBER and a SUBSCRIBER to DaysEnd to get the actual listing and notes with specific directions. This does mean using the huge file and the search function. I expect they will have their own direct mapping program RSN.
As a subscriber and contributor I really do hope no one is getting access to this treasure trove of locales without participating. If it gets out in the wild, I fear it will go away altogether as they cannot afford to support it without the income.
Great info. Thanks. As a Senior, I intend to take advantage of the America the Beautiful pass. (Speaking if that, please check your link after “more info here” in the America the Beautiful section. It goes elsewhere. )
I found the error and fixed it. Thanks. Yeah, that senior pass is a GEM. Such a huge discount on camping!!
Nina
Great post as always. We have Passport America and its already paid for itself.
4 more years for me for America the beautiful senior pass.
Roll on!
Yeah PA pays for itself FAST once you start using it. We’ve already gotten our money’s worth too.
Nina
You do an amazing job on your blog,such great advice.Always look forward to reading and seeing your beautiful pictures.We just bought a motor home in may last year and plan to spend 4 weeks in Florida this year and another 2 Weeks traveling north weather permitting. We live in pa.and looking forward to retirement next year.Thanks again.
Exciting stuff! I wish you the best of travels!
Nina
We qualify for the Senior Pass and purchased ours while entering Zion. It’s unbelievable how good a deal this is…for a one-time $10. Enter parks for free, get 50% off pretty much any federal campground where a fee is charged.
P.S. We recently purchased Escapees. Have yet to use it. Maybe North Ranch after Quartzite. We like the magazine that I think is monthly. It’s too inexpensive to pass up. Time will tell.
We are Escapees (SKPs) since 2007. We use the mail forwarding service and have made the Livingston base our “domicile” as well. We stay in SKP parks and SKP Coops – separately owned and managed by the coop members under Escapee umbrella. Must be an Escapee to be a Coop member. Also stay in Escapee discount parks – often they are also PA.
We are members of Jojoba Hills SKP Resort just outside Temecula CA. We joined the waiting list after only two days, we had been to several other SKP Coops and this one is what we were looking for. $$ to join, but they are returned 60 days after resigning. Monthly cost is under $300 whether you are there or not!. Not worth it if you don’t plan to spend significant time there.
We have been PA members since 2001 and Life Members for since 2011. We don’t use it a lot anymore, but it has paid for itself every year in savings.
We have friends of ours who bought a lot at Jojoba and know lots of other folks who love the place. We haven’t been yet, but will definitely stay there sometime. Cheers for sharing your thoughts.
Nina
Hope you enjoy the membership. Since they dropped the price (last year sometime) I think it’s become very competitive. I do like SKP as an organization in general.
Nina
Rub it in why don’t you 😉
Nina
Great post…I would totally agree with your assessments of each one you wrote about….Join PA when needed as with Good Sam…since we are seniors we have the Senior pass and use it whenever we can…We really joined the Escapees for the support they give you and the feeling of community it offers…we love the concept of Harvest Hosts but it has never worked out for us so we no longer join..as for the rest, in the 13 years we have been full timing we have never felt the need for the rest of them.
Agree on everything you said. We have similar camping styles so it’s no surprise we agree on all this stuff 🙂
Nina
You put in a good deal of time here for this post. We have a disabled son who we have gotten the Federal “Access Pass” which covers 50% off camping and free entrance access to national parks. We also have a card where he gets 10-50% state park campgrounds in our home state (Ohio). Planning to retire in 4 months and off to Alaska the end of May. Do most of our camping at state parks of OH. PA. NY. and VT. With retirement, besides AK. this summer, plan on UT. & CO. the summer of 17′. Will explore more Wally-docking, boon-docking, especially on our trip to AK. Will do more research on BLM lands in those states.
Been following you two for many years. All sections of your blog show the hours and hours of input spent on details about living on the road. I think I came across your site thru the IRV2.com site where I have been a member since 2000 when Bill (Warpath) started the site.
Very good input. In addition to the Federal pass and what you found in OH there are many other states that offer discount camping for persons with disabilities. The same is true for veterans. If you qualify for either it’s definitely worth checking into the details. Thanks for highlighting that detail.
Nina
Great post Nina!
We agree that PA is a good one, Good Sam is spammy with a lot of junk mail/email overhead and only occasionally useful for us, SKP’s is a good resource and nice to have. The Senior Pass for National Parks may be going up in price soon. I seem to remember reading that the Funding bill just passed caused the NPS to raise the rates. I remember the number as $99 but I can’t find the article right now, it was in the Washington Post a couple of weeks ago.
We have Harvest Hosts but won’t renew because the couple of opportunities we had to use it the hosts never answered the phone and didn’t call us back. Great idea though. We may give Boondockers Welcome a shot.
Yeah I’ve been hearing rumors of that Senior Pass price increase for years. $10 is amazingly cheap, and I have to admit even $99 would be a great deal for what it offers. Either way you can’t go wrong getting it. Cheers for sharing your thoughts!
Nina
Just bought aftermarket 1000 Trails which allows 21 days in, 0 days out at any zone in the country. In theory we could bounce around TT for the rest of our lives for $549/year dues. Also have NP Pass. We figure half TT, half dry camping will allow for a decent balance when full timing.
Sounds like you got a great deal! The aftermarket on TT memberships is definitely the way to go.
Nina
I’ll add one more most people never think of: AARP. Some parks will give you 10% with that card. I have a favorite park that gave me Passport America’s 50% for Sunday through Thursday then took my AAPR card for the weekend. I just spread all my discount cards out on the check-in counter and ask for their best deal and was surprised when they selected the AARP card! It never even occurred to me I might be able to use more than one card in one stay.
Interesting. I didn’t know AARP offered any campground discounts. Thanks for the tip!
Nina
Hello Nina:
Thanks for doing this post. I pretty much agree with your write-ups, and I think I can make a worthwhile contribution here.
The America the Beautiful / Senior Pass is the best deal going – hands down. Anyone who is eligible should have one. With the federal government being so unpredictable, this program could disappear anytime, so get it while you can.
“they are not everywhere” comment applies to everyone. No organization can be everywhere. I don’t believe you can cover the entire North American continent with one membership. Expecting to do so is unrealistic.
I use Harvest Hosts whenever I can. I truly enjoyed the experiences I have had so far. They are all dry camping, but that is what your RV was built for! We have stayed at several wineries, farms, and a few “attractions”. The wineries all had wine tastings and interesting conversation with knowledgeable vintners. I’m not a wine aficionado, but I enjoy meeting people who know their business and are willing to talk about it. We almost always pick up one or two bottles for ourselves or as gifts. The farms usually sell produce and some homemade jelly or jam and the farmers are always hospitable. It seems that more and more “attractions” are showing up on the list. This past summer, we stopped at the Texas Air Museum in San Antonio, TX and the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, IN. Harvest Host led us to these locations. We might have passed them by otherwise.
Similarly with Boondockers Welcome. I’ve only used it once so far but will in the future. Great hospitality from other RVers who want to share experiences.
I investigated Thousand Trails membership twice. Both times I walked away with my head spinning. Way too many plans and restrictions. Advice from others is that every year you pay more for less and you should seriously consider buying an existing membership from a present member wanting to sell out. It seems that you would have to become an expert on every plan they ever offered. I have written them off as a bad deal.
I belong to Good Sam. I have their roadside assistance insurance policy, their medical transportation insurance, and I shop at Camping World frequently. If a campground on my route is a Good Sam park, I will flash the card for the discount, but I will not seek one out.
I belonged to Passport America a few years back and let the membership lapse. I renewed it in 2015 and will not renew it again.
Now some downside – namely quality. Half price in a bad campground is not a good deal. If you claim to be a four-star campground and offer me a $40 campsite for $20, that is a good deal ONLY if you are in fact a four-star campground. Alas, that is becoming less and less the case. Two years ago, I worked at a campground that was listed as both a Good Sam Park and a Passport America park. The owner told me that neither Good Sam nor Passport America had ever visited the park. No inspections, no quality control. Ratings were worthless.
In summer 2015, we stayed at several Passport America camps. The best were mediocre; the worst were unspeakable.
Now the real horror story – campground reviews. I am a writer, so I frequent websites for writers. There are many job ads looking for writers to author product reviews, including campgrounds. Even knowing that, I fell for one this summer. The reviewer gave the campground five stars and laudatory comments including raving about the fine steak dinner they had in the restaurant. The review was only two months old. When we arrived, we found a much different story. The campground was a mess, the restrooms were unusable, and the restaurant has been closed for three years. Too late, I checked the older reviews. All older than two years and none very good. This was a Passport America campground.
All that said, my vote is that RV Camping Club memberships are NOT worth it.
Thanks for the opportunity to comment. I hope this adds to the discussion.
All detailed info. Cheers for sharing your thoughts.
Nina
First timers here & we need to know all the dos and donts of traveling in a RV! Thanks for the info
I really like your blog! My husband and I are starting a blog and I would love to refer (link) to your awesome articles. We are just getting it started so I do not have much content, but we hope to soon, We have been living in our rv fulltime now for over three years, but I did not get the “blog fever” until just recently!
thank you again for an amazing website.
Sure! Feel free to add links (I don’t mind them at all). The only thing I ask is that folks don’t re-print my articles or pics on their own blogs, but I looove link-backs. I regularly link to other blogger posts too, especially when they’ve written something I find adds to my own post. Happy travels to you and good luck with all your plans!
Nina
We have been full time now for two years, but do very little dry camping or boondocking. most of the National parks campgrounds do not have hookups, or spaces big enough for us, but we use the senior pass all of the time for park entrance fees. We love state and regional parks. They are not often the cheepest, but are very plesant. Passport America, SKP and Good Sam have all paid for themselves in discounts. We are on the list for Jojoba.
The Senior Pass is one of the very best deals out there! Glad you’re making good use of it on your travels, even without the camping option.
Nina
I’ve used the senior America Pass for the one time fee of 10.00 and have saved thousands using it. Very highly recommend it. I am also a user of Road Side service with Good Sam at present. I’ve eliminated all the junk type mails that they are famous for. Just go their site if you are a member and see the page where you can check mark what you don’t want sent. I’ve eliminated the spam and home mailings by Postal.
Good tip on the spam! I’m going to check the details in my Good Sam’s account today.
Nina
thanks Wayne, but I can’t see on our membership where to alter postal preferences, can you give me a tip?
I know I did the cancelling some years ago on computer. The page showed all the publications they would mail out and e-mail out. I had checked marked a lot of it. Now I see in the current privacy statement this notice…
________________________ ______________________________________________
We recognize that your privacy is very important to you, and we are committed to protecting it. When you subscribe to our publications, join our clubs or otherwise do business with us, please tell us if you do not want to receive our direct mail marketing offers for any or just certain products and/or services. We will mark your account for a three-year period. You will not receive any direct mail offers from us during this three-year period for those products and/or services that you have indicated to us that you are not interested in receiving. If you change your mind, just get in touch with us and ask that we include you in future offerings. You can ask us at any time to not include you in future offerings. However, please note that because marketing campaigns are planned a few months ahead of time, you may continue to receive marketing offers for two to four months. Write to us at Good Sam Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 6888, Englewood, CO 80155-6888 to opt out from specific future mailings.
Thanks for the link! We often seem to be the dissenting voice on Thousand Trails memberships..;)
One main thought (that I don’t have in our article) is that once you buy into TT you’ll tend to *only* stay in TT. Going in you think “we’ll do 1/2 TT and 1/2 other places and still be money ahead!” Once in the system you think “If we go somewhere else we’re spending more money, might as well stay in TT because it’s “free”.
We didn’t ditch the suburbs to bounce around a mediocre ill-managed park system instead..;)
Passport is useful for when we’re in travel mode. Harvest Hosts we’ve purchased and never used. Good Sams – at times, useful for when the PA discount runs out. Boondockers Welcome we’ve never tried but might.
Indeed. And I think that’s the main thing with TT. If you enjoy the parks and don’t mind spending lots of time in the system it can save tons of $$, but if you are not into the parks and/or they are not in the places you want to be then it’s simply not a wise investment.
We (personally) love our public lands too much and prefer to camp there. Plus we like the flexibility of camping in lots of different spots all across the country. For others (e.g. Gypsy Journal who I also linked to), the TT system suits them perfectly. It didn’t work out for you either, which is why I added your link to the mix (folks can read both sides of the story that way).
Cheers for your other thoughts too!
Nina
Some, if not many, RV parks who offer a 10% campsite “discount” with a Good Sam membership will also offer the same discount for holders of AAA, AARP, and other membership cards. The RV park may also offer a campsite discount to members of the military and/or veterans. An RV park’s “other than GS” discount is not necessarily advertised, so it never hurts to ask!
Good point. I’ve never thought to ask for those other types of discounts, but it makes perfect sense.
Nina
It’s too easy to bash 1000 Trails. We are self employed working RV’ers and are fairly new members of 1000 Trails and if you know what you’re getting it’s totally worth it. People expect high end resorts but a 1000 Trails park is a cross between a primitive campground and an RV resort. We could care less about having swimming pools and hot tubs and all the rest, just want a safe, beautiful place to park with hookups, a decent cell connection, nature and that’s what you get.
Most of the parks are older, and on some gorgeous pieces of property, Yes there is a downside, there are long term residents in some of the parks, sometimes the electric at some of the parks can be flakey, but bring a surge protector and move to another site.
The best thing is the cost. Buying into the Elite membership which you can finance costs around $5000 over 5 years time + yearly dues of $545. Our payment monthly is $115 and one needs to remember that we run an electric heater to keep out place toasty warm, fridge and water heater on electric also. There is often park WiFi to supplement our precious Verizon data plan, so the question is, how do they stay in business really?
Sure many of the parks could use some improvements, but we like it primitive anyways so we are completely happy as many of the parks are located in natural surroundings. To compliment the membership they also enroll you in RPI Gold where you can use their park system for $10 a night, full hookups.
People often turn to boondocking to save costs without recognizing that they will have to buy tons of expensive gear to do so or park at Walmart, yuk. I say all this while writing on my desktop computer with a breathtaking view of the Santa Ynez wilderness from my window at the Rancho Oso RV Resort near Santa Barbara paying a mere $115 a month. Pinch me I must be dreaming….
TT clearly works very well for you. We have friends who love the system and friends who hate it, but if you use it regularly (as you do) it can be a very cost effective way to camp. It doesn’t suit our personal style of camping, but for others it may be the perfect ticket.
Nina
I’m having trouble with the “tons of expensive gear” and “Walmart, yuk”. Your RV was made to boondock, what is the expensive gear you need to buy? Walmart, Lowe’s, Cracker Barrel and others offer free overnight camping in the hope you’ll shop there before or after your night’s sleep. No one is suggesting you make them a destination. We use them “en route”. They are quick and easy to find, always in a shopping center and almost always right at the Interstate exit. They let us get a quick evening or morning meal and be on our way with minimum interruption. If necessary, they are a quick grocery stop, and I find the parking lots to be quite secure. Finally, there is never “no vacancy”.
I love finding and visiting interesting and exciting places, but most RV parks (and Walmart too) don’t qualify. When I am hauling to get from point A to point B, Walmart, et al, does the job quite well. They let me drive later and start earlier. I don’t need to drive 20 miles off the interstate and get full hook-ups to catch 40 winks – even at discounted prices.
Overnight “Freebies” are an easy way to save money en route between spots. We’ve stayed at Walmarts several times cross-country, and definitely don’t mind parking for a night just to catch some sleep.
Nina
I forgot to add that most any size RV is fine in the park system and that the rules are fairly simple, 21 day stays in each park. You can also leave for a week and return to the same park over and over if you wish.
For others reading this, I just want to point out that the 21-day rule only applies to the upgraded TT membership types (e.g. Platinum/Elite/VIP etc.). The “standard zone” pass only gets you 14-day in/7-day out (or move every 4 days).
For those wanting to learn more about upgraded TT memberships, and especially how to buy them on the resale market (which I highly recommend for anyone considering this -> it can save you a ton!), I suggest reading this in-depth post from rv love:
http://www.rvlove.com/2015/01/28/thousand-trails-membership-upgrades/
Nina
PA provides the biggest overall savings for us – especially on those one and two-nighters “en route”. We’ve stayed in some “iffy” spots on their list, but have always found friendly people and felt safe during our stay. I want to use HH more often, we loved the two times last summer – especially the Blue Heron Cheese Factory in Tillamook, OR – a great place to spend the night (and really, you’re going to buy cheese anyway). We renewed our GS and more than 50% of the places we stay offer the discount – a couple stops at Camping World, and we can justify the membership. The rest just aren’t for us, and I hear mostly bad things about TT and KOA so not in any hurry to check them out. Thanks for the great summary of what’s out there – especially for the newbies you targeted, this information is invaluable for not jumping in blindly!
Yeah we find we use PA mostly for those “two-nighter” kind of stops too. Most of the PA campgrounds are not really in the places we want, and some tend to be rather run-down, but if we’re on route somewhere and one shows up, it’s almost always the most inexpensive option we can get (for hookups).
Nina
Another great post you guys…lots of good and useful info. Just another tip- Harvest Hosts will not give you any participating farm/winery locations. Why would I want to join without knowing any of this? Another observation about these camping clubs in general is- none of the places we like to visit are listed with any of them! Being members of any of them would seem like having a service policy on your rv and never having a need to use it. My suggestion: Save your money and spend it on a really great place to stay.
Which brings us back to the line from the very top of my post -> clubs are only useful IF you make use of them. If the parks don’t suit your travel style or they are not on the routes you want to see, then it makes no sense to buy into them.
The ONE exception to this is the Senior Pass (America The Beautiful) -> If you’re of age to qualify, I can’t see ANY reason not to get it. Only $10 (one-time lifetime fee) and the benefits are enormous.
Nina
Drew: I don’t understand “Harvest Hosts will not give you any participating farm/winery locations”. They publish a directory and their website has maps with site locations. Explain more.
I think what he meant is that you can’t see a complete list of detailed HH locations until you actually join the program. You can see a snapshot of the maps though, which IMHO gives you a decent idea of where the locations are.
Nina
I can understand Harvest Hosts not publishing the list to non-members because then they (the farms/wineries) would have people coming to try to take advantage. These are most small farmers/wineries and they DO ask for the membership card and they should not have to hassle with people who haven’t a membership. I find HH very respectful of the participating places and the fact that they keep adding them is a sign IMHO that the places appreciate being “protected”.
We have not had as much occasion to use them now since we are traveling short distances but I keep going back and forth about keeping it because the places are SO nice and the 2 times we used it we did so well. We have recouped our membership fees so it’s really not a big deal.
It’s also nice for those of us who do not use the interstates unless we have to because we can stay on smaller roads (we have a 33′ Class A with toad) so I think it’s really as Nina has said-it’s according to how you travel and what kinds of places you like. If you like Interstates and don’t mind parking lots and traffic noise – Walmart et al make more sense but personally I think HH is totally worth the dues.
And that’s exactly the reason we’ve waffled so much on our HH membership! We have several good friends who’ve used HH and they’ve all loved the locations they’ve stayed at. But we haven’t been able to make it work (for us) yet. Every place we go the HH location(s) are not where we want them to be, or too far off our given route. Ideally we’d like to try a HH spot before we ditch the membership completely, but I have to admit it’s been tough to find anywhere that makes sense. Ugh! Maybe we’ll attempt to give it another go this year. We’ll see….
Nina
Thanks for another excellent round-up, Nina. I agree with everything you said. Our absolute favorite card is the Senior Pass — Eric got it several years ago and we’re still thrilled every time we use it — and we use it a lot! For our occasional nights in private parks, Passport America has been great, although we only buy it when we need it (enroute to the park, as you said.) 🙂 We also have AAA, which almost always offers a 10% discount in private parks. Another help in the campground budget department is to stay longer in places — many private parks offer a weekly rate that is significantly less expensive than the daily rate. Of course, that only makes sense if you’re somewhere that you really want to be! For example, we stay at a park in Santa Fe that offers the 7th night free. In all these years, we still haven’t joined Escapees — not sure why….
Totally agree. Monthly stay prices at private parks can be VERY attractive, and we regularly make use of them whenever we find a place we want to hang for a bit longer. We enjoyed a monthly rate in Desert Hot Springs (Sam’s Family Spa) last month and are making use of another monthly rate here in San Diego (Mission Bay RV Park) this month. It saves us a ton of $$ over the nightly rate.
Nina
Nina, I am not a “joiner” by nature, so I have a very high threshold when it comes to being a member of anything. However, we completed a six month tour of the eastern US last year and decided to join RPI-Resort Parks International and Passport America. I joined RPI for two reasons. My wife and I traveled with my brother and his wife. They belonged to RPI and I did not want to pay full price while he was paying $10-$15. The price to join involved buying into a member park and the RPI fee. Total cost-$650. Not cheap but when traveling on an extended schedule, you save a lot of money. Also, when traveling east of the Mississippi, things change dramatically for us westerners. The possibilities for free or low cost camping are few. Public land is scarce. Prices are high anywhere near a tourist area. Many parks are older with smaller spaces. So, it was a no brainier for me, but, like I said, you have to be in the travel mode. PA was handy, but will not renew unless I am in a place where it will pay dividends quickly. Not sure about RPI. To renew will cost $99 for the member park and $109 for the RPI. Many of the RPI affiliates are TT, Naco, etc, I did not like the parks for the most part. We enjoy the western US and are glad to be back. Best regards, Stephen Agnor
Thanks for the info Stephen! I don’t know much about RPI (at all), so it’s good to get details from someone who’s used the system.
Nina
Another really useful and insightful post. Thank you for all this work, We hear from new folk about which camping club they should join, and your summation is exactly what they need.
Thanks! It’s a common question from Newbies, so I felt it would be a useful post.
Another thing which I forgot to mention is that I also usually recommend folks *wait* until they’ve RV’d a while before joining anything, since camping styles are so different for everyone. For example we never knew, when we started RVing that we’d end up spending so much time on public land. In fact we never even knew such a thing as boondocking existed! We learned along the way, and our camping style changed to suit our tastes. And who knows? Maybe down the line we’ll get tired of boondocking and our style will change again. This lifestyle is an ever-evolving thing.
Nina
We were one of those newbies that fell into one of the sales pitch inside Camping World to be a member of RPI/Coast to Coast. We tried to stay at their affiliate parks but most of the time they are out of the way of our route that we skipped them making the memberships very limiting. Also noticed that they are not really nice and we did not really for them. It was no longer cheap paying those annual fees and not using them, so we did not renew after two years. The only time I’d say it paid off was at Key West, where we only paid $15/night, otherwise $80 /night.
This is great info for newbies.
Cheers for sharing your story MonaLiza. It can be easy to get seduced by the sales pitch on some of these programs, but unless the parks are in places you want to go, it’s hard to make them work. Sounds like you got a great deal in the Keys though, so you got decent use out of the membership before you left.
Nina
This week I am going to the Tampa RV Show. I suspect all or most of the RV Camping Clubs will have a booth. If anyone has a specific question they would like answered, I am happy to carry the question for you.
What a nice offer Bob! If you happen you see any new (or different) camping clubs that I didn’t mention on this list, I’d love it if you would add them into the comments.
Nina
Montana State Parks have 2 fee structures for campsites; one for residents and one for non residents. Non residents are charged a daily entrance fee on each night’s camping. For a yearly fee of $35 (2016) you can save $8-$10 per night, so if you are staying more than 3 nights it can be worth buying the pass. We bought ours when we paid of our campsite from the camp host. http://stateparks.mt.gov/fees/
Nevada state parks also charge a daily entrance fee with camping fees, but their yearly passes to reduce this are extremely expensive up to $85 per park or up to $200 for multiple parks. Crazy.
We did the same regarding PA. We had a membership 2 years ago. Didn’t renew or use it last year, but probably will this year, so will take your lead and sign up online the day before we need it, you get an extra discount that way too last time I checked.
Thanks for all those details!
We’ve not yet traveled in MT, but will likely be hitting that state this year. The entry fee pass looks very reasonable. We’ve never bought the NV pass either. We’ve stayed at a few NV State Parks, but not enough to make the pass a worthwhile investment.
Nina
Okay, I’ll admit it. We’re members of Escapees, lifetime members of GS and PA and VIP with TT.
Got the GS and PA through their veterans program so they were very inexpensive. Haven’t broke even yet but will soon with the GS (mostly due to discounts at CW). PA not so much since our camping style usually does not meld well with PA’s restrictions/special requirements.
Initially we were zone pass members with TT and found that a bit constrictive so bought a used VIP membership. 21 days park to park with no breaks or restrictions and snagged at about 1/3 of the cost. Would have paid for itself completely this year except we volunteered at 3 different places giving us 3 months of “free” camping. (Yes, it gets just a little bit windy at Cape Blanco – especially true in December!)
As brand new full timers, Escapees has been the best bang for the buck and had nothing to do with staying at a park. The knowledge base that is their forum is phenomenal and they publish one beautiful magazine.
Nina, spot on once again. Thanks for the article.
I agree that Escapees offers much more than just camping discounts. I like the magazine, the organization and their dedication to RV advocacy. It’s the only “club” we’ve consistently stayed members of since we started RVing. Thanks for sharing your other thoughts too.
Nina
Awesome explanation, thanks!
Great post thank you.
Although we are members of several clubs only one, well two but I’ll get to that, PA is for the camping discount. We have found that on several occasions where we could not get the 50% rate we did get 20%. I wouldn’t join GS or FMCA for the camping discount.
Now we did get a TT Zone pass at the Tampa RV Super Show last year because we honestly thought we would use it. Two zones for $445. The first park was a dump and really not worth the “free” nights. The second park, where we also had reservations, had more amenities but not a site that would be suited to our “Beast” so we left. So our free camping only cost us $63/night. That said we did get a discount at an encore park which I didn’t count in the $63. Using fairgrounds, PA, and others we spent a shade under $19/night
I can totally understand this. We’ve looked at TT several times over the years and the campgrounds just don’t work for us.
Nina
Larry,
Thank you for your January 10, 2016 post on the blog wheelingit.us.
I found your post ….”Now we did get a TT Zone pass at the Tampa RV Super Show last year because we honestly thought we would use it. Two zones for $445. The first park was a dump and really not worth the “free” nights. The second park, where we also had reservations, had more amenities but not a site that would be suited to our “Beast” so we left. So our free camping only cost us $63/night. That said we did get a discount at an encore park which I didn’t count in the $63. Using fairgrounds, PA, and others we spent a shade under $19/night..
You mentioned your “BEAST”… we also have a beast, and have had a few bad experiences fitting into parks that assure us we will fit without a problem.
Do you have any advice or favorite places/parks that fit your beast?
When we bought the annual Texas State Day Use Park Pass we learned of two additional benefits.
You do not need to buy a fishing license if you fish from the park’s pier, dock, or shoreline. If you fish from a boat then yes it is required and it can be purchased at the park.
The park pass also allows you to dump tanks and water up for free without having to stay and pay for a day’s campsite fee. Nice extra if you are just driving by or near a park. I wish Arizona would allow this for their annual passes.
Thank you for another great posting.
Nice tips. Thanks!
Nina
Just another note about state parks. In WI we found, much to our chagrin, that generators may not be run at any time without a medical certificate of need. The CG we stayed at at Lake Wissota had shade on the non-electric sites and sun on the electric ones (works if it’s hot and sunny but not when cool and cloudy). Just something to keep in mind when making a reservation.
I love that you are going to MI this year. The parks we stayed at were all different but overall very good. If you have any questions about Bruin Lake, Silver Lake, Interlochen, Cheboygan, Brimley, Tahquamennon Falls or Van Riper SPs just let me know. Also, do not miss Pictured Rocks in Munising. Serious beauty.
Didn’t know about that generator rule in WI State Parks! Thanks for the tip.
Nina
Nina,
Agree that you will not find HH along your normal travel route. Small farms and wineries are generally off the beaten track. We go to them as a special part of a trip, not for an overnight stop. We try to arrive early to mid afternoon or plan to stay through the morning to get to know the proprietor and enjoy the ambience. Often they are on back roads and can be interesting to get to in even a 36 footer. We hr save planned or travel to get to Golden Acres twice after a great first visit, but the turn into their driveway is scary with trees on one side and a ditch on the other.
The pleasure is often worth the extra time. One winery owner in his 80’s insisted on bringing us to his house for a tour and also took us in to see his very primitive bottling operation. He offered an electric hookup, but I didn’t have a tall enough ladder to get up the power pole to the outlet:)
Great fun, not ideal for a quick on the road stop over like a Walmart.
Hot topic, nice recap of the major clubs and discount programs. I have Federal Senior Pass, PA and Good Sam. I agree with your analysis of the passes, I’ve saved a lot with PA, but not always the nicest.
There is another state pass. In Oregon, if you have the Service Related Disabled Veteran’s pass, all of the state parks are free. The Veteran has to apply with their disability forms with the state and they issue a green placard like a parking placard. Hang it and the site is free for ten days at any state park.
Very nice tip! And I think Oregon allows both residents AND non-residents access to this benefit.
Nina
I found another campground discount club – “Enjoy America!”. I found their website through a brochure from one of their participating campgrounds.
Membership is $49.95 per year. It gets you 50% discount at participating campgrounds with lots of qualifications, exceptions, and disclaimers.
Their website (http://www.enjoy-america.net) says:
“The minimum rating for participating parks is a 4-diamond with the Woodall’s 5-diamond rating system or 5-star with Trailer Life’s 10-star rating system. Parks that are either too new to be rated or are not currently listed are accepted on a probationary basis.”
I could not find any reviews of the club.
Interesting. I’ve never heard these guys mentioned anywhere, so I’d probably be dubious buying in, but it’s good to know there are more discount options out there.
Sure appreciate the update and report!
Nina
PA works great for us as we go west to snowbird since we are doing overnighters 7 or 8 days each way.Probably save $150 just on our snowbird trips.
Terrific review, Nina. It will be very useful for people considering membership clubs. Personally, I only ever joined two: Good Sam and Passport America. I’ve written about Passport America on my blog (www.russontheroad.wordpress.com/user-reports/passport-america-a-worthwhile-campground-discount-program/) including information on discounts available through Passport America that are little known.
Good Sam might have been worth it for me in terms of discounts at Camping World stores, but as I recall I only used it for discounts at campgrounds a very small number of times and as you know those discounts are small. Also, as you stated, they are “spammy”. IMHO, not only do they aggressively bombard you with all kinds of promotional materials, but they have gone beyond to outright deception and lies. I was at a Camping World store once and the young woman at the cash register told me my membership would expire in a month and that by renewing for two years at the cost of $50 I’d get a Camping World gift card worth $25. (The checkout stand, BTW, is where many if not most impulse sales are made and I’m sure Good Sam knows this and uses it to their advantage. Watching this checker for a minute or two made it clear she was aggressively pushing memberships.) Anyway, I said OK to the deal. As it turned out I later discovered that I still had 3 or 4 months left on my membership, not just one, and the $25 gift card turned out to be a gift certificate with an expiration date in the near future. Whether gift card or gift certificate wouldn’t seem to matter, but there was no mention of there being an expiration date when I entered the deal and in my experience with gift cards which I admit is limited, I don’t recall ever encountering an expiration date with a gift card. The likelihood that I’d need to spend another $25 before the expiry was small. I felt as if I’d ben lied to and abused by Good Sam and Camping World. I called Good Sam to request a termination of my new membership which had been solicited under false pretenses and to request a refund. Their representative fought me tooth and nail but eventually acquiesced. The whole incident left a pretty sour taste in my mouth and I can only recommend against doing any business with Good Sam or Camping World as a result.
Cheers for sharing your thoughts. I fully admit to having an ambiguous relationship with Good Sam’s. I’ve never been through what you described, but I’ve always found the discounts to be only so-so, and always lots of spammy stuff.
Incidentally I just received the Good Sam’s travel directory in the mail this past week. I couldn’t believe it when I got it. It was almost 1,600 pages, over 2 inches thick and weighed several pounds. What RVer would want to travel with something like that? Sometimes I really do feel Good Sam’s has lost touch with its customers…
Nina
After a year we have:
Heard very mixed reviews about Camping World from “we buy everything there” to “I won’t set foot in the place” We have used it for some stuff a few times but I find the selection “limited” or not very “creative”. I’d think a place tht caters to the RV crowd would have better stuff. Amazon is easier.
Travel Assist: we have it and have not had to use it. Has anyone had experience with it.
Roadside Assistance: we needed it once though still in the campground with a dead battery. It was 10am but the tech arrived in his private car with his girlfriend in tow, then my husband who was riding over with them to buy a new battery had to wait while she used the bathroom and smoked a cigarette. Yes,GS heard from me. Had it been nighttime I would never have opened the door. However, the only thing we didn’t have to pay for was his driving over. The battery (which we expected) and all labor (which we didn’t) had to paid.
Extended Service Plan: we went for this as we have a 2008 second hand rig and know that something might go wrong. Has anyone used this and is it worth it?
Trip Planner-I actually like it though I am sure there are better ones and I don’t like the fact that the public parks it shows do not have a link to the park website. Just a few more steps but at least we have an idea.
Good Sam CG-have’t used them and haven’t used the 10% “discount” for others since we are old farts and take advantage of the federal lands and FL state park discount since we’re officially FL residents.
Day’s End- is nice but I think if I simply used the other apps I have-All Stays, RV Parky,Public Lands, etc. it would become redundant but we do appreciate seeing updates and notes.
I will say too that since we are not familiar with much of where we will travel out West this year The Frugal RVers boondocking books have been invaluable as we look at what is available.
We too have Roadside Assistance (with Coach Net) and I consider it a key thing to get for any RVer. Good Sam & Coach Net both offer very comparable services. One thing to note -> you do *not* need to be a Good Sam member to get the Good Sam Roadside Assistance.
As for Extended Warranties, you can read my take on them here:
https://www.wheelingit.us/2012/09/11/the-ins-outs-of-rv-extended-warranties/
Nina
Hi Nina,
We have AAA motorhome insurance and roadside assistance. Is this good enough? Everyone seems to have roadside assistance thru other places?
Thanks,
Stephanie
If you have a big rig I’d recommend getting a separate roadside assistance for that. AAA is great for cars and (probably) smaller rigs, but for big rigs you need specialized towing, so it’s better to work with companies that have experience with that. Coach-Net and Good Sams both offer these services.
Nina
Thanks for a great post! We are in South TX for the winter and heading for New Mexico this spring. We have a TX park pass and I’m definitely going to look into the state park camping pass there. We also use Escapees and occasionally Passport to America. Keep Good Sam too because insurance discounts make it worthwhile. I too, wish we were old enough for the National Park senior pass. We have the annual one as public parks are our favorite place to camp.
Oh my! National Park Senior Pass is a great deal. But don’t wish yourself into old age to get it. Enjoy every minute along the way.
Just a quick note. The state camping pass that I listed in the post is for NM, not TX. In TX the only pass that I know of is the parks pass that gets rid of the daily entry fee (which is an additional charge ontop of your camping fee if you don’t have the pass).
Nina
This article was so helpful for us! My husband and I plan to begin our full timing adventure this Spring, and we’re trying to decide which clubs would work for us. One of us is over 62, so we’ll definitely pay the $10 for American the Beautiful. We think we’ll do a lot of boondocking, but we’re also considering either Thousand Trails or Coast to Coast/RPI. There just doesn’t seem to be much written about Coast to Coast. Why is that do you think? I understand it isn’t the kind of camping you prefer, but I think somebody must like it. . . Anyway, thanks for your great blogs!
I strongly recommend Boondockers Welcome and Harvest Hosts. “Dry camping with an experience”.
Coast to Coast has a lot of similarities to Thousand Trails. My advice is to try out a few of their campgrounds and see if they’re in the place you like AND the campgrounds are what you’re looking for. It can save a lot of $$, but it’s got to be something to use on a regular basis to make sense.
Nina
Enjoy your blog very much. Something that I thought might be worth mentioning is that if you or your spouse should happen to have a permanent disability…then you can get the America The Beautiful pass before the age of 62.
I have a stafishishire terrier. He is wonderful loving get and our family dog, aka pitbull. Will myselfand husband run into issues, where people lable our dog and we can’t stay. We are out going people who want to see the united states. I have followed Nina for 2 years have not taken the plunge, my husband says we will not be well recieved. I feel that is labeling my friendly ddog. I just wanted to hear some comments, we wanted to go to Or, Washington Ca , NM some America the beautiful, some boondocking, a mix on where we will be best recieved. Thank u. Please recommend the clubs that would be best suited for us. I have a small chiwawaw also..Thank u
The main barrier you’ll likely run into is that some *private* campgrounds have breed restrictions and that typically includes pitbulls. It’s usually an insurance issue (for the campground) and it simply means that you’ll have to avoid those spots on your travels.
On the other hand, NONE of the public campgrounds or public land areas that I know of (which includes State Parks, COE, Forest Service, BLM etc.) have breed restrictions. So, if you prioritize public land you should have no issues at all. We camp 95% of the time on public land and prefer those areas anyway.
Nina
We’ve been traveling in the east and Midwest for the past year in mostly state and federal parks anD have seen all sorts of breeds, including pits. A number of people have multiple dogs and since we have one and are often talking to others, we’ve never heard anything negative from anyone about larger breeds. Honestly, you might more resistance to the chihuahua assome people have had experiences with one attacking their dog, but in general we’ve found chihuahua owners are very respectful if their dog is not socially adept and keep them separated. It’s really more a matter IMHO of whether your dog feels comfortable with change, being surrounded (in public parks) with other dogs and cats. You know your dog and if you think he’ll be OK then you should have nothing to worry about in public parks.
Good Sam & Passport America have more than paid for themselves and did so within the first couple of months!
Again, an excellent post.
But, I am confused about the ‘Passport America’ club. There seem to be 2 different ones:
– Passport America 21263 Tucker Rd, Long Beach, MS 39560, and
– Passport America 5713 Hwy 85 N, Crestview, FL 32536
You are linking to the MS one here and to the FL one on your https://www.wheelingit.us/blog-links-resources/ page.
(Cherie / Chris are referring to the MS one: http://www.technomadia.com/rvclubs/)
There are also 2 different apps in the GooPlay Store apparently belonging to the two. Did you figure it out?
Thank you again for excellent overall info. You guys (+Paul in investing) are my main source of info in everything related to my soon-to-be new life.
HA! Never noticed the 2 different links before!! I just called the company and they told me BOTH websites are valid. Their main office is in FL, but they have a sister office in MS. They said the info on both sites is exactly the same and refers to exactly the same membership. No real explanation of why they have TWO websites instead of just one with two addresses (that would seem way easier to me), but both links are valid and refer to the same thing.
I think, just for consistency I’m going to change the link here (passport-america.com) to point the same link I have in my resource page (passportamerica.com), but basically you can use either one.
Nina
… and silly me, couldn’t I’ve called them myself instead of bugging you? Well, at least other readers will be aware of this. Thanks and hopefully will see you around to buy you a beer.
No worries. I’m glad you asked actually. Don’t know why I didn’t notice before!
Nina
I just discover your wonderfull web site and I spend almost a full day reading through it. It really look like what Annie, my wife and I have on our mind as discovering. We are planning to be full time RVers next year. We are french Canadien from Quebec and our plan would be to travel north and south through North America for our retirement. Free camping was scarri g me a little but since I read your post, I kind of change my way of seeing it.
Now my main concern is do you know if, as a Canadien citizen we have the right to access the public campground or public land without any problem with the law?
Thank you for help on this subject if you do have the answer.
Alain
Yes no problem for you to camp on public land in the US. We have many Canadian friends who come down and do this every year.
Nina
At first glance these memberships sound so wonderful and to good to be true until you start digging deep down into the fineprint.Only then do you realize there is always a catch.It leaves you thinking ,why don’t they post these limitations front and center.Especially thousand trails.
C’mon now. You know the answer. They don’t post them because they don’t want you to see them.
I have been so confused about all of these camping passes etc for our year road trip next year. This has quickly cleared it up for us and what we should invest in and what we should not. Thanks for all the advice!
Awesome! So glad it was helpful!
Nina
Hi Nina, Loving your site, first time poster but not yet full timer… my wife, a school teacher has 4-5 years before retirement but we have looked for blogs to follow in preparation for the days ahead and yours seems to answer the mail. A number of years back I joined Camp Club USA and it was a great program while it lasted but seemed to whither away, even today the links rarely work. I like the frequent flyers to your site, they are savvy and we have gained through both your experiences and theirs. I have been a long time holder of the Golden Access Pass and can’t say enough good about it, the way I came about it was I was at the entrance to the Grand Canyon, didn’t have a lot of time, but wanted to behold the splendor that many before me had told me of. I got to the window and asked for a day pass and to my surprise, and about $35 at the time, was told it was a 3 day pass. But wait, I said, I only want to take a quick peek, I don’t need the 3 day pass, well, it fell upon deaf ears as the lady Ranger said purchase the pass or leave. Hmm, I asked for any types of discounts, and I had my standard list of five or six but to no avail, none were honored until, I said, I’m a Disabled Veteran, at which time the Golden Pass was free and consequently so was admission. I quickly did the requisite paperwork and showed my card and wham, I was in. By this time, the many cars waiting behind me were happy to see my vehicle moving forward, I’m sure. So, for the many disabled vets out there, be sure to get your Golden Access Pass, it will be a card you reach for often. We hail from the State of Oregon and they honor disabled veterans by allowing us to camp many free days in the state parks. I have traveled to Washington and Idaho and both state that disabled veterans camp free in their state parks but neither clarify that you have to be a state resident to do so. Oregon is the same. A final plug for the Pacific Northwest before I go and that is the parks are beautiful, clean and inviting. For our guests visiting from the Southern States, we can be a bit cool even in the summer months and rain is a frequent visitor. I’m told by visitors from other states that our state park prices are higher than most, but I have never seen a “long term” resident camper, other than the camp hosts, in our parks. For those that like to fish, crab and clam, three day passes are available for a nominal fee. Be sure to bone up on the regulations though, because there is no mercy for ignorance or naivety. Thanks again for such a great service you provide with your website and the information contained within.
I am researching RV memberships in preparation of buying a tiny house on wheels. I want to tour all 50 states and golf in all of them. I had no idea how expensive it was to stay on a day to day basis and originally thought I could move week to week to make it around the USA. It appeared that it would be cheaper to stay at one place for a month then move on, however that is not what I envisioned doing. So I thought there might be some memberships that could save me money. I wish there was more information on where each membership had places in each state before buying in to help someone new decide. I still work full time but I commute to work by plane so I could try to move around within the flexibility that I could find in places near major airports. Your blog has opened my eyes to the possibility of making my plan happen. I almost gave up thinking the cost of parking my tiny house while I flew to and from my job would be too expensive now looks that it might have a chance of becoming a reality. Thanks for the information.
Thank so much, everyone. We are just retired, and buying a used, 26′ Airstream motor coach. I hope to drive the wheels off it, and see…everything. The information here is all new to us – after 2 road trips fm Durham to Greenville, SC and what seems like months since we knew we wanted it, we expect to pick up our “new” RV on Tuesday. WE ARE SOME EXCITED!
1st we get to insp. it along w/ the Owner/Dealer’s “All Trades & Coach Repair Specialist”. Hey! We’ve met Ronnie and he’s a great guy. We’ll also get to practice hook-up & disconnect, plumbing, HVAC, DRIVING,…and all the other things both of them want to tell us about “How to get Started”.
I’m thinking of driving straight to the closest Walmart and boondocking it; to get a fresh start Wednesday AM. The trip is nearly all interstate, till the last 15 mi. Then, after dark, you have to DODGE the DEER. Thanks, but I’ll just wait till mornin’.
Well congratulations to you!! I can feel the excitement in your comment and wish you all the best on the road. Sounds like you’ve found a sweet new home, and have a great plan. Happy travels to you!
Nina
I have owned an rv class a ROCKWOOD 36′ in the past and then got into boating with a 36′ Grand banks trawler.
So I have a good case of wanderlust. Unfortunately I experienced some loss of mobility and use a powered wheelchair now. I am in generally good health otherwise and would like to travel again. I am seeking advice and information from anyone who reads your posts and has some experience with traveling with disabilities.
I am a disabled Vietnam veteran and have a pension as well as SS for income so have a reasonable budget for
Traveling and maintaining an RV. I have some limited mobility and can mount a few steps or walk for short distances as long as I hold on to something, so believe I could get around inside the RV and transport my chair on a small trailer. I would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions,also if it is permitted give out my email to anyone that would like to contact me for a more in depth discusion.
I’d suggest checking out this blog: Rolling in a RV – Wheelchair Traveling. She travels in a wheelchair and has been traveling/blogging about RV travel for years. Great blog.
Nina
I’m surprised you did not mention one of the biggest discounters, Coast to Coast and Good Neighbor Parks. You can generally stay at one of their several hundred parks for as little as $10.00 per night, for up to 14 nights. I think the annual fee is now about $150, plus whatever your “home park” charges. We were members for 5 years, and saved about $3,600 per year, traveling 6 months each year.
You’re right that I didn’t mention them. I’ve looked at Coast to Coast before, but frankly found their website/info difficult & awkward to use. There’s NO direct info on what you have to pay for the various membership options (Classic, Premier, Deluxe etc. -> seriously no info at all!) and the map that I looked at did not have park options in the areas we usually frequent. The lack of pricing was the thing that deterred me the most. So, I dropped it. I’m glad to hear it’s worked out for you and perhaps your comment will encourage others to look at it too.
Nina
Hey guys,
Were you able to use your Escapees membership on the East Coast anywhere.
No we haven’t used it out here. There’s a big SKP Park in Central FL (Bushnell), but we never seem to pass that way. Also we’ve mostly stayed at state parks and county campgrounds out here so we haven’t taken advantage of any SKP Park discounts either.
Nina
Okay guys thanks,
be good…
Thank you for the great background information regarding camping across America at a discount.
Putting the finishing touches on my RV and then selling truck and away we go!!!!
Thank you for the savings and great info!!!!!!!
I joined KOA late 2016. I’ve used it a few times, getting my little discount each time, sometimes begrudgingly ; {
Here’s something they don’t tell you – it’s a KOA policy to charge you $10 (even for members!) if you cancel a reservation. Even motel chains don’t do that!
For this, and other reasons that have to do with sometimes negative encounters with franchise owners, guarantee that I will NOT be renewing. Needless to say, YMMV (your mileage may vary)!
Since we never stay at KOA’s I didn’t know that. Thanks for pointing that out.
Nina
Good article on the various clubs. Just wondering why you didn’t mention FMCA as well? They offer some campground discounts, have a great magazine, have a great discount program for tires, and many other benefits.
This post was focused on camping clubs (= discounts for camping) and FMCA doesn’t offer a ton there. I really like their tire program (we’ve used it ourselves, and written about it on the blog too), and I like some of their other benefits (their medical emergency and travel assistance plan is awesome), but as far as far as camping goes we’ve never personally used them for a discount. So, that’s the main reason they weren’t mentioned.
Nina
Nina,
You are very nice and I love that you take the time to write all this and answer everyone! Full time RV’ing sounds really fun. My husband and I still work and have 4 boys (ages 9-14) so we’re not there yet but we did buy a 35′ Winnebago Adventurer diesel and I am trying to plan a 6 week trip for summer 2018! My husband would fly in and join us for a weekend here and there. So much to think about. I feel like I need to grab a campsite in Yellowstone before they’re gone but have no idea when we’d arrive. (I’m thinking just guess and pick some dates and then make it work?). One big question is, do we bring the dog or let him stay home with my husband??? Of course he would love the trip but I’m already alone with 4 kids and the only driver….maybe I should keep it “easier”?
I’d love any thoughts or referrals to websites I should read!
Steph
For the dog it depends on where you stay and what you do in Yellowstone. Inside Yellowstone you can have dogs at the campground (reserve online to secure your spot), but you cannot take dogs on ANY of the trails. So, once you’re there you’ll be able to walk the dog around the campground and take him/her in your car (e.g. for a drive around Yellowstone), but you will NOT be able to take pooch along to see the hot pools or hike any of the trails inside the park. So, just depends how that works (or not) for you.
If you stay outside of Yellowstone (there’s a private park in West Yellowstone for example, as well as several national forest sites), you can take your dog anywhere outside the park.
When we were there we stayed outside the park (at a national forest campground) and from there we either took short trips into Yellowstone, or took turns going in (without the dog). We never left Polly for more than 4 hours. You can do a search on “Yellowstone” on my blog to see all my info on the area.
Nina
Hi, me again 🙂
I’d love to bring our bicycles with us on our 6 week trip around the Western States. I will be driving our 35 foot Class A and towing our Jeep. Anyway to bring the bikes??? 5 of us… Maybe a 4 bike rack behind Jeep? 1 or 2 on the front of the motorhome?
It has always been a hassle getting our bikes places 🙁 We love to ride tho!
If you have any ideas, I’d love to hear them!
Steph
Sure a bike rack on the jeep, and maybe a few inside the motorhome (while you travel)? That should work. We travel with our bikes on a bike rack that’s attached to our tow car (Honda CRV).
Nina
you might want to update since the senior pass is getting ready to leap from $10 to $80 and there’s a very limited time to jump in at the low price
Yup I’ve updated the post. Thanks.
Nina
Effective 28 Aug 17-the 10.00 pass is no longer. It is now 80.00
Yes, noted and updated.
Nina
Love all the $ saving advise. Unfortunately the lifetime senior pass increased to &80 as of 8/28/17.
$80 for a lifetime pass is IMO still an awesome deal, but yes I’ve updated the post.
Nina
Thanks for rounding them up and explaining the details.
The thousand trails zone pass info should be updated. The zone pass is currently $565, and they no longer charge $3/night. They also have an Encore resort upgrade called The Trails Collection for $199 which gives you access to about 90% of their Encore resorts at no extra cost. There are a few that cost $20 in high demand locations like San Francisco.
We don’t mind changing parks every 4 days and for the average weekend camper, this can offer great saving and enable campers to stay at their favorite park every weekend. We can also reserve 60 days in advance. We have had it since August and have used it extensively. It saved us a ton and we will likely renew next year.
Cheers for the update!
Nina
Regarding the Good Sam discounts, I didn’t see mention of the 5 cent (8 cent diesel) per gallon discounts at Pilot and Flying J gas stops. Is this new? I had a Good Sam membership years ago (before they hooked up with Camping World) but dropped it because I never used the discounts and got tired of the junk mail. With discounts on fuel, I might actually be able to use it now.
This post was solely focused on camping discounts, so I haven’t included any gas info (I have separate posts on how to save $$ on gas/diesel)
That said, what you’re referring to is a separate credit card (The “RV Plus Charge Card”) that you sign up for. The amount of discount you get depends on your membership level: http://www.goodsamclub.com/pfj/
We’ve never signed up. Instead we’ve got a “Flying J/Pilot Frequent Fueler Advantage RV Card” which is free (no membership required) and gives us auto-pump start and $0.03 off per gallon of diesel at the pump. You can signup for it here: https://myrewards.pilotflyingj.com/benefits.aspx
On top of that I use a credit card that gives me 3%.
Nina
Hey there! I’m not quite a full time RVer yet but love to stay at cabins on RV parks and found a few through Passport America. What I can’t figure out is those discounts apply only to RV pads or if it extends to cabins, too. Do you know?
Hmmmm….honestly don’t know. I guess I’d suggest giving a few of those parks a call and asking. Let us know what you find out!
Nina
Wow! Talk about service!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 Yeah, that’s what I was thinking, too… and yes, I certainly will! I suspect it will be on a park by park basis… at $119 or so per night, something more than a 10% disc might be worth it!