Campground Memberships?

[Dkevdog]

Now that I've got the new 5th wheel, we've been searching the net for campround memberships. I don't even remember the names of all of them. Thesy seem to range from $500 and up and offer fees of $6 in some cases or less, as long as you stay within their campgrounds and network. Any of you have any experience with these? Are any of them worth it?



Kev

 

[DRR-24V]

I would definitely stay away from all of them. They are known as Rip Offs and you can stay anywhere you want a lot cheaper. If you were to camp all year around it might be different. JMO

 

[The patriot]

There WAS a club that if you joined, it would be $5. oo (I think) a night. My Dad's friend belonged to it, but it went out of business. He liked it.

I'd just pick where you want to go to. There is a wide variation in what people think is a neat, clean family oriented campground. If you dont like the place, just go somewhere else.

Eric

 

[Fuzz]

Passport America

We joined this club. $44 a year,while at MM01. We are ahead of them. Their deal is half the regular price at the campgrounds that accept them. We happened to be going to one in AZ. Stayed there for a week at $ 9. 00 a nite All hookups and cable. Regular was 13. 50.

They have a web page:www.passportamerica.com I think it is.

I would look at the parks that take 'em and see if it would work for you in your travels. No contract just annual fee.



IRV2.com is advertising Campers Choice . We are looking at it also. Depends on where we wander the rest of the summer I guess.

 

[SlyBones]

There are two reciprocal clubs that I know of RPI ( Resport Parks International ) CCC ( Camp Coast to Coast ). You pay $6 per night to use them. Yearly fee is cheap and work OK.



Typically you have to join your own private camp club, like thousand trails, american adventure, etc. Then you can join the reciprocal clubs. You are trading nights in your clubs campgrounds for night is some other private camp club, for the same exchange privilages. The main clubs are expensive and give you a fixed number of place to go. If you always like camping at the same spot then it way be worth it.



Typically the reciprocal clubs places are not where you want them to be. Like you want to go to the Grand Canyon. Well the closest one is prolly 70+ miles. ( I did not check, just exapmle ). All of the campgrounds close are charging $50-$100 plus a night and have them lined up to get in. They dont need no clubs.



That I see, the choices are:

- Camp at a national park, state park, and forest campgounds that typically are cheap or free. Have no real facilities and no hookups for your RV.

- Pay high prices per night, get the hookup, facilities, and convience. And dont have a hour drive to see the sights.

- Pay high prices, to join a club. Use the exchange, get nice facilities, hookups, and all. But have to drive an hour to see the sights.

- I find if I am just going to my Dad's in San Diego there are lots of places in town for $20 per night. But try and go to yellowstone. Ouch. its in the park with nothing, outside with high per night charge, or $6 per and drive just to get to the gates.



Do your research before joining.



Also I have noted when I have stayed in the reciprocal places they are popular with retired and full timers. They typically dont mind the drive, are not in a hurry, and have less than $2000 per year for rent, with electritiy, sewer, water and all. ( Plus RV of course ).

 

[danandamy]

I agree with Don. I've read about too many problems with those deals. Alot of times you get locked into these long term agreements you can't get out of. YUK!

 

[Deezul1]

Look in the rear of Trailer Life magazine for campground memberships and get some info on used memberships. There are used membership brokers ther that will send you info on resale memberships. Coast to Coast has been around a long time so maybe will be here a while yet. The ones we looked at limit you to 2 weeks at your home site and a 300 miles radius. We figured to buy a real cheap one where nobody goes a long way away so we arnt limited to a 2 week per year to stay anywhere close to home. Sometimes you can buy in for $150. 00 with low annual dues in those wierd places.

 

[JLauwers]

Check the following site : www:



http://www.rversonline.org/Confindex.html



There is a good article written by Livingston . He writes also for Highways, the Good Sams's Club magazine where you will find many Resorts for resale.



But watch out. Ex: some people have been paying 8,000 $ for a resort which is worth today 1,500, this is the case for 1000 Trails and do not expect you can enter just like that. Every winter I see them parked on the road waiting to get in the Park near Indio along I-8. The park is full.



Some yearly dues are outrageous.



Need more info, ask me.



Silver Surfer,

RVing since 1981.

 

[hotel6]

I got 4 nights free at Blue Mesa Resort in CO - only had to listen to the sales pitch. It all sounded pretty good until they talked price. $8400 membership, $189 processing fee, $395 yr dues. Stays are a buck or $6 a night for two weeks max then you are out for a week before you can come back for another 2 weeks. The alternative investment of camping in National Forests, State Parks etc looks all the better. However, when I am really old this type of approach may have some merit. The real downside that I see is that in order to get your investment costs out of these memberships you have to spend a lot of time in your club and associated park areas. Murphy always seems to point to a different trail to travel One really needs to do alot of homework before jumping into one of these deals.

 

[JLauwers]

To hotel6: I thought that those deals at 8,500 didn't exist anymore. I guess when you found out the price you had a heart attack.



To Dkevdog: Where are you. ? No questions?



Just received the magazine RVView from Camping World. Noticed an ad:



Do not buy a Lifetime Memb. Choose from 1 to 10 years. Don't know what it's worth. Phone: 1-800-201-7393



www.choicecamping.com



It all depends on how many days a year you will be on the road. If you pay a yearly maintenance of 300$ which is common + compulsory membership in C to C or RPI (don't take both) you will have to use it for at least 55 to 60 days a year @ 6$ a day + the cost of your investment. And most of those campgrounds are out on the boonies.



And often when you visit those parks do not think that you can choose your site. The majority wants you to make a reservation some not. And in the winter, S, when you think you can stay 8 days be lucky if they give you 2 or 3 days or nothing.



Questions? Many people are ready to answer.



National Forest are good but reservations are a must; also State Parks.



Silver Surfer.

 

[Dkevdog]

We plan to be using our rig locally more than nationally, within 300 to 450 miles from home, hopefully 1 to 2 weekends a month. And then hopefully 2 longer trips 9 - 10 days in spring and summer. It just seemed to me that it might be a way to offset some of the campsite fees. We've been warned hard about them already. I was just wondering if any of them have any real benefits. And availability of sites seems to be a huge problem. Just tried to get something for this weekedn even at a local state beach and there isn't a thig available. (Yeah I know plan ahead !! ) A lot of people are saying to just show up, you can get in. Even with a membership is availability a problem??



Kev

 

[Doc Tinker]

I guess I'll chime in here now...



Six years ago, I was thinking about buying some property in northern Michigan. Before I got around to doing that, I went to one of the "Membership" campgrounds in the area where I wanted some land. I sat through their pressure sales and ended up buying in. I didn't do it because of a weekness to the sales tactics, but because after evaluating my plans for a land purchase, I decided the campground was a better choice. Sure it was rather expensive, but it was still cheaper than buying property, getting electric and sewer system installed and paying taxes and insurance every year for only one place to go.



At the time of my purchase, there were two "home" parks and two "associate" parks available to me. Today, there are five "home" parks and two "associate" parks. I can stay at any of these parks for free (except for the yearly maintenance fee, which was frozen at a set price for life). If I use a Coast to Coast system park, it costs me $6/night or $11(I think) for a Good Neighbor Park, which is a public campground that allows Coast to Coast discounts. The newest"home" park is within 20 minutes of my wifes workplace, so now we can camp while she commutes.



The Good Neighbor Parks are a great place to stay, if you want to camp near an attraction like Disney World, in Orlando, Florida. I stayed at a campground there, within a 20 minute drive of Disney, for a week. At the time, it cost me $10/night, which was way cheaper than any other campground in the area. In fact, my wife and I towed the trailer down, then had the kids fly down for the week. Our total expenses for the trip, including fuel, camping, food, a whole lot of attractions and the airline was about $2k. Not bad when you think about hotels in the area costing $125+/night, which could have eaten up half of the $2k.



I'm not trying to convince anyone that this is the best way to go. As you noticed, I made a point of telling you that they try pressuring your decission, so be prepared if you go for the sales pitch.



There are alternative ways to join, as some have mentioned, that can save you a lot of money. I would recommend talking to guys who have used the alternative options, before taking that route, so you know how the system works.



Doc

 

[JLauwers]

To Dkevdog: You are in a bad spot - Southern Cal. - with State Parks the most expensive in the country and in some I have never been able to get in. .



I have given up on C toC and my home park in Tx is put up for sale through a broker. I don'y use enough the parks system and never used the Good Neighbor parks.



My suggestion would be this: Try to get your hands on a 2001 CtoC directory listing all the Good Neighbor Parks in the system.

Pay visit to a couple of parks, stay a weekend or 2 or 3 in different ones and try to talk to people who use the system.



But Doc Tinker has given me an idea: If you really want to buy in a resort:



As home park, buy the cheapest, even if it's in Prudhoe Bay Alaska, with the lowest maintenance fees and visit the Good Neighbor parks in the Lower 48. I hope their locations is OK.



One of the reasons you will be turned away from resort parks is



a) they only have to put up a certain number of spots at the disposal of CtoC members and all are occupied.



b) also, even if you see empty spots, the resort have to keep them for their members. They usually sell a spot 10 times. There will be parks where you will never get in.



I am leaving for 10 days and will be boondoocking in OR and WA.

Have solar panels.



Goog luck; rving is the best you can get out of life.



Silver surfer



.

 

[LEEH]

Dkevdog: Nearly all of the replies you received to your post were negative with regards to he campground membership situation. Here are a few thoughts on the other side of the coin:



1) My wife and I joined the Thousand Trails/NACO about 6 years ago. Yes the initial price was a little steep but no where near the $8500 catagory. Our annual dues are in the $400+ range, but that gets us in for 50 nights at any TT/NACO park in the system. Under the program we signed up for any nights over the 50 nights/year, costs us $2 bucks a night.



2) Many of the campgrounds have fulll hookups (water, elec. and sewer), the remainder have elect and water, with dump stations.



3) All campgrounds have very good security both at the entrance to the park and roving pratrols at night. All the campground staff are very friendly and helpful. (Well, nearly all as everyone has to have a bad day once in awhile. )



4) We have never been turned away from a campground yet, even if we didn't get around to calling in a reservation or getting online to make a reservation. Once in awhile, we have to go into overflow parking for a night or two until a space comes open, but this is a rare occurance.



5) You will find that most if not all the members expect to be waved at, said hello to and visited with if you are so inclined. You will develop muscles in you waving arm/wrist you didn't know you had.



6) The parking areas in most of the TT/NACO parks are well spaced and screened from each other by vegetation, making them fairly private.



Would we join up again if we had to do it all over? You bet, in a heartbea!!!

 

[BillH]

My wife and I joined a member park (Coast to Coast) two years ago and are very happy with it. In addition to the free camping in Michigan, we have used parks in other states for $6. 00 a night, and Good Neighbor Parks for $11. 00 a night There are no charge for our Home Parks or what is classified "Sister Parks".



We used to have a Cottage in Norther Michigan which pretty much dictated we went most of the time. Not to mention that when we went to the cottage there was always work to do, so it wasn't always R&R. The taxes, utilities, etc. was, by far, much more expensive than a campground membership annual fee.



Is a campground membership for everyone? Absolutely not. But, rather than listen to all the negatives, and positives, attend a sales pitch or pitche's and make up you own mind.

 

[Dkevdog]

We got the info pak on coast to coast today. Looking through, it does seem a bit pricey. We figured out we would have to use it more days than we have available to break even. But as Silver Surfer put it- I think there areas many RVs as there are people in Southern Cal. (Yes I know- tell me how great it is to live in the rest of the country... ... . ). But I'm telling you, I can't even find a spot at Wallmart this weekend. Part of the problem is there is a surfing contest and that eats up a lot of space. The other problem is it is peak season and all of the out of staters are here. I here some of you say you have not been turned down from member campsites and others say you have never been able to get in. Kinda like a 50/50 split audience lifeline on "who wants to be a millionaire". . Seriously, though, if joining a club will get me in, than in my case it might be worth joining in. I would guess we have to find a place we are comfortable and see. We are new to this whole thing and I'm sure I'll come up with a ton more questions about it. I'll keep looking into it, and look forward to hearing from people in my are (So or Cent Calif. ) who have had any luck.



Kev

 

[JLauwers]

Free Campgrounds



www.geocities.com/desert_dutch



www.freecampgrounds.com/



Silver surfer

 

[BigMike]

Check out this website www.thousandtrails.com. My wife and I have been members for a couple of years and have not been disappointed in the quality of any of the campgrouds we've been to. We have a lot more to visit. Great family atmosphere, well maintained facilities in beautiful scenic locations.