First, if you decide on 1000 trails please PM me for my membership number so I get credit.
Now.. Thousand Trails has a unique product called a "Zone Pass" this is a limited membership giving you about 1/5th of the parks for one year for about what I pay as dues for a year... 30 Nights free, then a small fee after that, 2 weeks in one out (that last being the same as my "National Membership). They also offer a 3 week in one out national upgrade as I recall. more parks too.
But the Zone pass is a one year renewable.. If you wish not to renew you do have to send a letter. but you are not locked into a lifetime contract
Lifetime contracts: One CG chain I did sign with still, to this day, bothers me for dues... Of course they no longer have any parks I can use.. So I told them Goodby (in writing) and then they told me they needed two letters, So a decade later they are still bugging me for dues (NOTE: way over the 7 year limit) This is the big danger, if you change your mind, they will hound you forever.
Generally though. I still have two memberships.. So during the summer, most of which I spend in Michigan. I pay less than 100/month for parking. Two weeks in one park, two in another
Now; Back to thousand trails: Encore is not doing a good job of funding the parks,, Managers are, for the most park, making every dime do at least a quarter's worth of work but still the parks are not the shining places they once were. However the staff.. Well I can not say I've met nicer people in very many places.. To me they more than make up for it.. Still Electrical systems are marginal (for the most part) Buildings some may be closed and all need work.
The other Membership I have the Buildings all shine.. Floors are mopped daily, Restrooms cleaned several times a day, Pools monitored and staff always there (not necessarily lifeguards but staff) Sites are clean, Electrical ssytems are up to date (no voltage issues) Some of the managers are a bit.. Gruff, but I've not had any problems
This one though is mostly in Michigan. I do have access to like 2 or 3 parks outside of MI as part of this membership (Direct access) but they are all in the north so of no use in january with this Class A.
And of course, belonging to one membership park usually qualifies you for Camp Coast to Coast or RPI (resort Parks International) which allows you to use many other membership parks on a "Fee Basis" of usually less than you'd pay at a private or state or federal park in the area.
Most provide Full hookup,, Water, Sewer, Electric.. Decent showers if you choose to use them.. Some provide Wi=Fi (All Thousand trails but it may be Verizon 2-way Sattlite internet which is ... annoying) and Some Cable, either free or fee based.
My reconnendation is to pick a zone from TT and try a one year Zone pass. Get it when they are on sale and you may get two zones for slightly more than the price of one.