SmokeyBare
Well-known member
Bacaye,
You should get a few posts with many different types of replies. I'd say it really depends on your camping style... be it weekend use & vacation... or extended stay use... or traveling on a more regular use.
We full time... and we have 3 clubs we belong too.
Escapee's >> http://www.escapees.com/
Passport America >> http://www.passportamerica.com/
Heartland Owners Club >> which you should already know the site for...
We use Passport when we are on the road traveling... when we can... as there are restrictions attached to some campgrounds.
We use Escapee's when we are traveling as well... many of the associated private RV parks now offer 50% discounts... others wise there are some parks who are not listed in the Passport book... so it gives us additional resources to select from.
We have never signed up for a "Membership RV Club" but I do see many have... and I expect it works well for them.
You should get a few posts with many different types of replies. I'd say it really depends on your camping style... be it weekend use & vacation... or extended stay use... or traveling on a more regular use.
We full time... and we have 3 clubs we belong too.
Escapee's >> http://www.escapees.com/
Passport America >> http://www.passportamerica.com/
Heartland Owners Club >> which you should already know the site for...
We use Passport when we are on the road traveling... when we can... as there are restrictions attached to some campgrounds.
We use Escapee's when we are traveling as well... many of the associated private RV parks now offer 50% discounts... others wise there are some parks who are not listed in the Passport book... so it gives us additional resources to select from.
We have never signed up for a "Membership RV Club" but I do see many have... and I expect it works well for them.
bacaye
Well-known member
Thank you for your response. Have you heard of Coast to Coast Club? I notice it is expensive but wonder how many use this type of club. We are both retired but not ready to fulltime it. We hope to go camping more than a couple hrs away but waiting for Bill to get his cast off. Picking up our new camper got some added expense after he tore a tendon in his arm. Surgery and cast for 9 weeks along with a new camper is keeping us close to home but we are using this time to learn as much as we can. I appreciate your response. I will be sure and check with the two you mentions. Thanks, Bacaye (Barb)
kakampers
Past Heartland Ambassador
Hi...we have been members of CtoC since the mid-ninties. We also belong to AOR (Adventure Outdoor Resorts), and to ROD (Resorts of Distinction). The main issue with these types of memberships is that you must have a "home park" to belong to one of these affiliates. We have two..one in Gettysburg, PA, which gives us to CtoC and the AOR, and one in Casa Grande, AZ thru Western Horizons which gives us the ROD membership.
You can purchase your membership one of two ways. First, you can buy a new membership from a member park...this can be very costly, but not always, or you can buy a resale membership, which usually involves paying a transfer fee and is much less expensive than a new membership. However, the ROD, which in our opinion is the best of the group, is not transferable and requires a new membership purchase. And remember, there are annual dues involved in all of these memberships, so the cost can add up. If you're not using them enough, then they probably are not a good idea.
If you are not fulltime, I would suggest you find a "cheap" new membership at a small, out of the way park or buy a resale. We bought both our memberships years ago in anticipation of fulltiming and have never been sorry. When we are not working we use these as much a possible...example, when we pull out of Syracuse, NY on monday, after the show here, we move 30 miles north to a ROD park and pay NOTHING to camp with full hookups for 11 days, until we move to our next event.
Once we no longer work, we will use our network of memberships almost exclusively...it will REALLY cut our camping costs. As of several years ago the initial cost for our memberships were already paid for by the savings we've incurred...but they are not for everybody...hope this helps.
You can purchase your membership one of two ways. First, you can buy a new membership from a member park...this can be very costly, but not always, or you can buy a resale membership, which usually involves paying a transfer fee and is much less expensive than a new membership. However, the ROD, which in our opinion is the best of the group, is not transferable and requires a new membership purchase. And remember, there are annual dues involved in all of these memberships, so the cost can add up. If you're not using them enough, then they probably are not a good idea.
If you are not fulltime, I would suggest you find a "cheap" new membership at a small, out of the way park or buy a resale. We bought both our memberships years ago in anticipation of fulltiming and have never been sorry. When we are not working we use these as much a possible...example, when we pull out of Syracuse, NY on monday, after the show here, we move 30 miles north to a ROD park and pay NOTHING to camp with full hookups for 11 days, until we move to our next event.
Once we no longer work, we will use our network of memberships almost exclusively...it will REALLY cut our camping costs. As of several years ago the initial cost for our memberships were already paid for by the savings we've incurred...but they are not for everybody...hope this helps.
Like Kakampers said there are plenty of options available and you should be able to find one that suits your needs. We have been CtoC members for several years and it's been nice in most cases. CtoC requires you to have a "home park" and that can be nice if you don't want to drive long distance and you use it often. There is a "distance rule" that says if you use a CtoC campground within 125 miles of your home park you must pay their full price to camp there. Thats not too bad unless you have another CtoC campground nearby that is nicer or even closer to home or nearer to something you would like to visit. For instance our home park is in northeast Oklahoma and within the 125 mile rule to Branson MO, so we have to pay the full fee to camp there in a CtoC. There is an annual maintenance fee that is subject to increases too. If you join one of the membership systems do your best to get the maintenance fee "frozen" against future increases and get it entered in the contract!!! We did that and when they tried to increase the fee we showed them the contract and they couldn't do it. What ever you do, good luck and happy camping.
jmgratz
Original Owners Club Member
There are many options to membership campgrounds some good and some bad. Here is what we belong to:
- Western Horizons - expensive to join and they have 22 member parks. We can
camp for 14 days for free ($3 electric surcharge) Must be out of system for 7 days
after the 14 day stay. There is an annual dues.
- Coast to Coast Classic - We obtained this through Western Horizons with our home
park in Rockport Texas. There is an annual fee.
- Thousand Trails/Naco - Depends on what level you join at. We joined at a level we
can camp for 21 days for free then move to another TT park with not out time.
There is an annual dues
- Resorts of Distinction (ROD) - We got this through Thousand Trails. We can stay
for free for 7 days. There is an annual fee to remain a member.
- Passport America - 50% discount camping club - annual fee
- Camp Club USA - 50% discount camping club - annual fee
- Escapee - Membership camping club offering various facets of camping - discounts,
member parks, owner parks, mail forwarding etc.
- KOA - discount card 10% off fees
- Good Sam Club - member benefits and discount camping
There are many different reasons to have different memberships. We have many options to use when we go and seldom do we pay full price for our camping. We really use our Thousand Trails the most as they have many parks available in the areas where we travel. We seldom use our Western Horizon membership as their parks are far away from where we go. When we are on the road we usually use our Passport America or Camp Club USA for overnight stays. We also use our Escapees for overnight discounts. We seldom use our KOA anymore because their prices have gotton so high you could stay at a hotel for what most of them charge. I guess the bottom line is you need to look at how you want to camp, where you will be travelling, how ofter you will travel and how long you will be staying at the location. Then you can determine what you want to do. Check with your friends and talk to others before you decide. Then let someone refer you as most of the membership organizations will give the referring person some sort of bonus. Such as Thousand Trails will give a cash bonus to the referring person. Good luck in your decision. Feel free to Private Message us is you have any questions. We will give you the straight scoop and not BS or a sales pitch.
- Western Horizons - expensive to join and they have 22 member parks. We can
camp for 14 days for free ($3 electric surcharge) Must be out of system for 7 days
after the 14 day stay. There is an annual dues.
- Coast to Coast Classic - We obtained this through Western Horizons with our home
park in Rockport Texas. There is an annual fee.
- Thousand Trails/Naco - Depends on what level you join at. We joined at a level we
can camp for 21 days for free then move to another TT park with not out time.
There is an annual dues
- Resorts of Distinction (ROD) - We got this through Thousand Trails. We can stay
for free for 7 days. There is an annual fee to remain a member.
- Passport America - 50% discount camping club - annual fee
- Camp Club USA - 50% discount camping club - annual fee
- Escapee - Membership camping club offering various facets of camping - discounts,
member parks, owner parks, mail forwarding etc.
- KOA - discount card 10% off fees
- Good Sam Club - member benefits and discount camping
There are many different reasons to have different memberships. We have many options to use when we go and seldom do we pay full price for our camping. We really use our Thousand Trails the most as they have many parks available in the areas where we travel. We seldom use our Western Horizon membership as their parks are far away from where we go. When we are on the road we usually use our Passport America or Camp Club USA for overnight stays. We also use our Escapees for overnight discounts. We seldom use our KOA anymore because their prices have gotton so high you could stay at a hotel for what most of them charge. I guess the bottom line is you need to look at how you want to camp, where you will be travelling, how ofter you will travel and how long you will be staying at the location. Then you can determine what you want to do. Check with your friends and talk to others before you decide. Then let someone refer you as most of the membership organizations will give the referring person some sort of bonus. Such as Thousand Trails will give a cash bonus to the referring person. Good luck in your decision. Feel free to Private Message us is you have any questions. We will give you the straight scoop and not BS or a sales pitch.
We are based in Pennsylvania and, like you, don't plan to fulltime. We joined Outdoor World which has seventeen parks up and down the east coast. Have stayed in Williamsburg, VA, Cape May, NJ, Hershey, PA, and Gettysburg, PA so far this year and plan on the Pocono Moutains in August. We are getting our money out of it. Recommend if you are in the mid-Atlantic region.
Also belong to TTN/Naco for trips out of this area, although they also have a number of good Preserves in MA, PA, VA, FL, TN, OH if you are in this region.
Clark
Also belong to TTN/Naco for trips out of this area, although they also have a number of good Preserves in MA, PA, VA, FL, TN, OH if you are in this region.
Clark
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