Membership Campgrounds
We are often asked about membership campgrounds and discount camping
clubs. In case it is helpful to others, here is our experience. There are a number of campground programs that offer discounted stays. We have an overview of some of these on our pages about campgrounds and RV Clubs.
We personally belong to
Thousand Trails
with the associated membership campgrounds of Resort Parks International(RPI). And we also use
Happy Campers
and Passport America.
A
Thousand Trails membership is an individual decision. The financial
aspect really boils down to how much you will use the TT parks, which in
turn has a lot to do with where you will travel. If you plan to
fulltime and/or do a lot of RVing in the years to come…it is a
membership campground program well worth consideration.
Here is
our situation. When we bought our motorhome, the dealer (Lazy Days in
Florida), waived the one-time initiation fee, which got us into a “zone”
membership (basically, half of the country). We just had to pay the
annual dues.
We did that for a couple years even though we were
not on the road much. We figured the waived fee was a good deal, and
that we would use the membership a lot more once we were full-time.
Then,
when we did go full-time on the road, we upgraded to the National
membership – our dues stayed the same (with expected cost of living
increases).
While we were in the Northeast USA, TT was not very
helpful since they really didn’t have much in the way of parks in that
area (quite a few additional parks have since been added in the Northeast). As we made our way across country, we stayed at Thousand Trails
parks in Pennsylvania and Ohio, and also used a few RPI and Happy Camper
parks. Once we hit Oregon and California, we used the Thousand Trails
membership campgrounds exclusively.
Since we expected to full-time
for a long while, we upgraded to the Platinum Plus membership. This
enables us to go park to park within TT, stay 3 weeks (with some
restrictions in some parks in high season). It also gave us access to
RPI Preferred (so we can stay longer at some of those parks).
Note: At the time we upgraded,
we also had access to a program called Resorts of Distinction (ROD),
which gave us a bunch of parks where we could stay for free for 1-2
weeks per stay. Since then, the rules have changed and TT members are
no longer eligible for ROD. However the ROD program is still available –
you just have to join one of their participating member campgrounds.
The
TT parks themselves are usually quite nice. They are not the very
highest-end resorts, but they are very pleasant places to stay, usually
in a scenic area. Some of them are off the beaten path, but we are not
looking to stay next to a highway anyway. T hey usually have a variety of
recreational facilities (swimming pools, tennis, pool tables,
horsesehoes, shuffleboard, etc.) and activities of some sort going on.
Bottom line, we are happy with what they offer our lifestyle.
Having said all that, Thousand Trails now sells their zone camping passes. You can buy 1-5 zones, so you can customize your purchase to those areas that interest you, up to a nationwide membership. Be sure to note that Jose & Jill Ferrer are the referring Thousand Trails members.
Give some thought to the various member camping options, based on your individual circumstances and travel plans. A
visit to one of the Thousand Trails parks will give you a chance to
consider park locations, your personal travel plans, and then do the
math on possible savings. Also consider the discounts and options available via the various RV club membership campgrounds.
Jill Miller is the founder of Your RV Lifestyle. Trading corporate America for the open road, Jill, along with her partner Jose, began their RV journey, making an unconventional start by wintering in New Jersey. A natural adventurer, she was motivated by a desire to explore the USA and beyond, embracing the varied landscapes, communities, and cultures across the country.
For Jill, the allure of RV living was not about material accumulation, but rather the pursuit of an adventurous, fulfilling lifestyle. A lover of golf, bicycling, hiking, and line dancing, she has carried her passions across the country, engaging with them in diverse settings. Jill’s commitment to the RV lifestyle came after years of careful research, numerous consultations with RV owners, and personal trials, including living in a rental RV.