RV Camp "memberships"

Hello,

Another question from a relative newbie... only at this for less than a year.  Can someone please help me understand the pros and cons of the RV "memberships" associations?  I've read references to RPI, CTC, Passport and there are probably many others.  I wonder if lots of people join these groups, they must, there are so many?  Which ones are reliable?  Is there a website that helps explain the options?  Costs?  Does it really allow one to get reservations easily and stay in parks for $10/night?  What has the recent economy done to this business?

Thanks, G.

Hi Gary,

We belong to Passport America because it pays for itself within as little as one campground stay.  We have a guide to Passport parks across America.  They are ususally a bit off the road, quiet  for the most part  and do offer 50% off the campground fees. Terry's mapping program gives us an alert when we are within 5 miles of a PA Park.  There are usually some restrictions as to holidays, number of nights you can stay etc but all reasonable.  I don't usually make reservations in advance but  if we are on our way to a destination and I  look up the road a few miles and see a park in the directory, I  phone them to see if they can accommodate us and if they still offer Passport America because yes unfortunately some parks no longer offer the discount.

The Passport America Program has been such a success for us that we actually purchased a Lifetime Membership.  Now if  lots of the parks go under or no longer offer the discount we  could be in trouble  but I can  most assuredly say, it has already paid for itself.  We have used it  all across the USA. Our favorite is Meteor Crater because it is on the way to Albuquerque a frequent destination for us from AZ.  Most of our stays have been  one or two nights as we are on the way to a destination.  Savings add up fast.  I can't say $10 is average because over the years campground fees have crept up, but  it is  cheaper than paying full price!

I don't know about the other Parks you mention so will let those in the know jump in.
Betty

You have to be very careful with the "biggies" like Thousand Trails and RPI, etc.  Those have a fairly high initial cost, and yearly "maintenance" fees that can really add up.  But if you go camping a LOT, and use it frequently, it can be worth it.  If you are an occassional "weekender", I don't think they would be worth it. 

Passport America is different.  It is a yearly fee based program (or 2 years, or 3 years, or lifetime as Betty posted).  I also belong to it, and just this last trip alone it paid for itself, as the campground I stayed at honored it for all 4 nights, which included the Memorial Day weekend!  Now this is the exception rather than the rule, again, as Betty pointed out.  Many of the campgrounds will have restrictions like Betty said.  But if you go camping just 2 or 3 times and get the discount, you have paid for your membership.  And there are no strings attached, no commitments, nothing like the "resort" memberships.

Another vote for PA, and I was only a member for 1 year... we  planned our trips home from NY to IL (after traveling that distance to purchase our RV) and saved quite a bit of money.  And we found an amazing park in upstate PA right on Lake Erie that we never would have known about without the PA directory.  They only honored the PA discount for one night and we paid full price the other, but it was still worth it.  We used the discount in NY and a couple times in IL after returning home while "getting our feet wet" with camping that first year.  Since then we haven't stayed in any PA parks so I haven't rejoined, but I'd do it again without hesitation if our travels took us there.

We traveled with friends who have been Thousand Trails members for several years. Because they didn't use their membership that much while working they estimate their cost per night at over 100.00  per night so far.

They are traveling several months a year now and they have gotten that down to about 22.00 per night when just averaging their dues and the nightly costs. THe biggest irritation is the requirement to make reservations  3 days  (?) in advance. When they decided to extend their stay in Bar Harbor they had to pay the rack rate of forty some dollars a night because they hadn't made the extension three days in advance. They  also had problems traveling with our small group because we were choosing parks for their location or PA discounts so they had to choose between the group or the TT park several miles away. (They did both)

Since my wife and I have camped and traveled in our RV's for over 40 years we have traveled in all 48 main-land states. We are life members of Good Sam Club, KOA, and Passport America. I have never needed any other than these where ever we go. Before we start on a trip I review our route(s), review the RV camps listed in these directories, and we determine our primary and secondary anticipated stopping point for each day of travel. Then, about 2 or 3 pm on each travel day,(sometime earlier), I phone the RV Park and inform the park person when to expect our arrival (usually before 5 pm).

We like Passport America as well and also recently took a trial membership in Freedom Resorts, a similar discount program.

We have a Thousand Trails membership (bought cheaply as a resale) and used all 50 nights the first year, so paid $10/night. Next year, my wife was ill and we couldn't travel much, but still had to pay $550/year for zero nights of actual use. Hope to get my money's worth again this year, though.

I don't recommend that any newbie buy into a long term program like Thousand Trails, Leisure Time, etc. Or buy a membership at just one park to get access to RPI. Wait til you have a few years of camping under your belt and establish a style of your own.  Meanwhile, the annual membership programs like Passport America are a cheap way to get good discounts with no long term commitment.