New to the membership thing. Help!

[bumpkinsnana]

My husband and I have a class C motorhome, and are interested in membership options, as we are going to be traveling more frequently starting Jan. 2009. Currently, we have KOA, and Good Sam. We are trying to determine what would be the best memberships for us, but first,I need to know what is available. We are familiar with Thousand Trails and their affiliates. I know there are alot of different options out there -- I have made a list which reflects what I have heard about, but have not looked into yet, they are: Passport America, Outdoor World, Coast to Coast, Happy Camper, Camp Club USA, Western Horizions, RPI and FMCA (what do the initials represent). I am in the initial exploration phase, so if anyone is willing to provide me with info, I would appreciate it. Our home state is Oregon. Thank you!

[utmtman]

I have had KOA, I also have Good Sam. I liked both. I dont care for a lot of the programs cuz one does not save anything in the long run. I have had PA and felt I did not like most the camps I went to and they were all out of the way no where near the highways and byways I was traveling. Have thought of Camp Club but they too have yet to get enough places being new like they are that are near the highways as well. I have also been in PA camps since I quit them and got just as good a discount being a member of GS and other organizations than if I was a PA member. FMCA if Family Motor Coach Association for people with motor homes. I am a member with them and you can also get discounts for being one of their members. I believe that some organizations like Coast to Coast and Western Horizons along with PA are associated. I believe Coast to Coast and Western Horizon are like time share organizations.

[msms113]

There are alot of choices with memberships AOR (American Outdoor Resorts) RPI (Resort Parks Internatioal) and Coast to Coast are all associated with membership parks that require purchased memberships. You are allowed to use the member parks for $8 to $10 a night for usually up to 14 nights per park. I belong to Coast to Coast and AOR they share some parks but some are one or the other. These both have yearly dues and require membership in a camping resort park. Parks memberships range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand's, depending on location and ammenites. Other clubs Good Sam, Camp USA and others have yearly dues and only give discounts off affiliated parks full rates gennerally from 10% to half off. You will need to research the options that suit you best. These are not one size fits all deals.

[bumpkinsnana]

Doe anyone know what ROD stands for?

[phyllism]

ROD stands for Resorts of Distinction. We joined when we started to RV several months a year. It's a reciprocal resort association which has about 80 campgrounds across the country with alot of them being on the West Coast and Arizona. It gives you two weeks free camping twice a year at each park. We've been members now for 4 years and use it quite a bit. The membership includes KM Resorts, Leisure Time Resorts, some Thousand Trails, Colorado River Adventures, Western Horizons and others. They don't have the 125 mile rule exclusion from your home park like RPI and Coast to Coast. I've gotten into a park that is both C2C and ROD with the ROD membership after being told that there isn't room for anyone from C2C. Look at their website for more info. Google Resorts of Distinction. Hope this helps.:)

[bukhrn]

We use Passport America, there are some restrictions at some parks, but the 50% discount is far better than Good Sams 10%, our membership paid for itself after 2 uses.
There is also Escapees club,( I don't know much about them), and, if you are military or retired military, you can use any of the military campgrounds, and if you are, or when you reach 62, dont forget to get your America The Beautiful Senior Pass, which gets you into all the federal parks & forest, & some state parks at a 50% discount.

[lvj58]

Personally, for our patricular RV lifestyle, we can't see the benefit nor justify the cost of memberships in organizations such as Thousand Trails and similar groups.

For us it's just not cost effective to invest a large sum on money for the membership then be obligated with recurring annual membership fees and home park maintenance fees.

Another turn-off for us is the limited 14 day stay, where, after you're all set up, you then have the inconvenience of disconnecting and moving to a different participating park.

When we travel we usually spend a month or more at any one given location. So far we've found it to be more convenient and cost effective to rent by the month and not having to disconnect and move after 14 days.

Perhaps for others who full time, camp ground memberships may work well.

Happy & safe travels to all

[topsweep]

We belong to Passport America, Camp Club USA, Good Sam, and Escapees RV Club.

We are full-timers, so your mileage may vary, but most of the restrictions with PA and CCA are over the weekends which doesn't bother our lifestyle at all. We plan our travel during the week and use the discounted Memberships to help our costs on the road. Both paid for themselves in the first two trips.

Escapees (http://www.escapees.com) is absolutely our best investment and I'd highly recommend checking out their forum even if you don't join. They have RV parks they own, lease lots, and co-op parks they are affiliated with, and some of the nicest people on the planet. It works for us.

Bottom line, research, research, research, and when you think you have it sorted out, research some more. Our needs change, so it's a constant learning process.

Good luck.

[akmshrm]

We joined just about everything when we started being "mostly" full time several years ago. We use C2C a lot of the road and have also used KOA in certain areas....we have certain parks we enjoy with them. This summer we have used our Thousand trails almost exclusively. We have the membership that allows us to travel from park to park and while pricey we have nearly paid for it in three years. We don't pay to park and can usually stay for three weeks and then we just change to another park for another three weeks - some high usage parks we have to move on in two weeks. We also have a KM membership and it comes in handy on the coast of Washington. CampClub USA has some beautiful parks also. It sort of depends on how much you'll use each membership. All of ours are paid for now and we only have our yearly stuff so it all works out.....We just enjoy being able to stop at parks where we want to stop..........
Enjoy the traveling part too......