Campground membership question

[FarFromStock]

I have a general question regarding campground memberships...

My husband and I are new to the RV world, and camping in general. We purchased the A127TH in July and have only driveway camped so far. I've downloaded the various checklists to make sure we have all the right "stuff" we'll need when we finally set off. We've replaced lightbulbs, installed the storage box, and tested the grill. Now, it's time to embark on true campground adventures!!!

My question is...what is the best membership (if any) to join - KOA, Passport America, Good Sam, others?????

Thank you all for your inputs!!!!
Debbie

[papap]

I have both Good Sam's and KOA. Depending on how much you camp. Iplan to keep the Good Sams, because lots of campgrounds give you 10% off. Pays membership off quick. We got the KOA because we went to Yellowstone this year. Not crazy about there campgrounds. Most are nice but the stops are to close together for me.

[Oakman]

I think the Good Sam Club is definitely worth joining. With the Good Sam Club you get a discount at Camping World, discounts at campgrounds, a magazine, and use of a configurable online trip planner.

The others will depend on what type of travel you do. I belong to KOA but only because we travel around the country quite a bit and many KOA’s are located close to major highways and convenient for overnight stops. Most KOA’s have sites that are quite close together. It takes a number of nights of camping with that 10% discount before joining a KOA makes sense.

Before joining Passport America I would look at where the campgrounds are located and whether or not they are in areas you might frequent. That program also has many restrictions on the discounts. I’m not a big fan of Passport America because way too many of the RV parks are less than well cared for.

[FarFromStock]

Awesome input!!! Thank you papap and Oakman!!!

[jmswms]

Don't forget the Senior Pass through the US Govt. If you're 62 or over it's $10.00 lifetime membership check out for details. America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass

[camper_Lucy]

We have the Good Sam and KOA as well.
The Good Sam has better benefits, and is accepted at a lot of campgrounds.
The KOA one we have due to a few local KOA's that the DW likes and when you travel and the KOA stops mesh (sometimes to close or to far), they have a very consistent product so you know what the CG will be like, generally (pool vs lake for swimming, store, etc) their sites are a little to tight (close together) for me but I have been in non KOA's that were tighter.

[myredracer]

My 2 cents:

You might take a look at the private/membership campgrounds such as Thousand Trails, Coast to Coast, RPI, Enjoy America, Good Neighbors for example. Can cost a few grand to get in, but if you plan to do a lot of camping, it will be paid off in a few years +/- then it's cash in the bank. Some of these affiliate campgrounds will also accept non-members. Some have better campgrounds and some campgrounds are better located.

It also depends in what you want in a campground. Some live by State Parks and the like. Some like the manicured cgs with full services and amenities.

If you get books for the above campgrounds (RPI, etc.) or read the cg descriptions on the internet, you need to read between the lines in their descriptions. If they say things like "near the beach, visit the famous historic downtown, lots of great restaurants nearby, easy freeway access", chances are that the cg is not very good and it's better to look for another one. If a description goes into detail how lovely the place itself is and maybe has some nice photos, there's a much higher chance of snagging a good campground.


And beware of campgrounds next to train tracks and busy highways.. Gawd I hate that. Think they tell you in advance? Gotta do the research and flesh this out in advance if you can.

The reason I say this is that we just finished a 17 day trip and stayed in 7 campgrounds. We bought a resort membership earlier this year and we are able to stay in "affiliate" campgrounds l mentioned above (Coast to Coast and the others). Three campgrounds were amazing. Lots of trees and privacy. However, we had prebooked one a couple of months in advance for 3 nights. When we got there, the place was disgusting (I'd say more like scuzzy). We drove down the road and were able to get into a Thousand Trails which was one of the awesome ones we stayed in.

Same experience with KOAs for us. Some are really fabulous and some are plain awful. Often difficult to tell from the descriptions as I said. We found a KOA near us (in Lynden, Wa.) that has a small man-made lake in the middle that is really pretty, but they don't mention anything about it in their description. Weird how that works.

There's nothing worse than getting pumped up about your camping adventure only to arrive at your campground to find out it is a major disappointment. You can also try looking up reviews on Google. Some of the campgrounds fill up with mostly motorhomes on a site that is mostly gravel and the MHs are lined up like sardines in a can. That's just not fun if you are one of the few there with a TT or 5th wheel.

While on the Oregon Coast, we visited a Thousand Trails campground in Pacific City to see what it was like. Man, what a fabulous place! Kinda up and down with twisty roads and the place has lots of trees and the sites are nice and private and you can hear the waves crashing on the beach. It's the kind of place I'd love to go and stay at for a few weeks. I picture heaven being kinda like this. Not sure if it's typical of Thousand Trails campgrounds, but if it is, I'd want to stay at one of theirs every time....

[FarFromStock]

Great info!! Thank you jmswms, camper Lucy, and myredracer!!!

[handbuilder]

We have had Good Sams since the early 90's...addtionally, their emergency road service has also been great!

[Timex]

And my 2.5 cents!

I recently joined Passport America. Will use it for the first time beginning tomorrow. Called to make a reservation at the rv park we will be staying and they honored the PA discount every day of the week, which means 1/2 price per night. Talked to the owner this morning and was told that they will be dropping their discount to 2 days a week. But since I had pre-arraigned my reservation, my 1/2 price discount would be allowed. Guess they(rv parks) pick and choose when to give the discount.

I have also been a Good Sam member since 1995. Their parks are never the same. I'm sure they have a code of conduct to follow. Stayed at some that have been great and some that weren't. When they first started giving the 10% discount, you had to pay cash. Now our cash isn't worth much these days, so they allow credit/debit cards. Even had some non-Good Sam parks give me the 10% off anyway! Guess it was my good looks. Or it could have been there was another park down the road and they wanted to keep me there.

I haven't joined a campground membership park yet. I can't control my temper enough to sit in on one of those sales parties! I feel like the people are trying to rip me off. Many folks love them and I have seen some that were gorgeous!

Be wary of parks that advertise being a RESORT. That could amount to having an above ground wading pool or an exersise room and it contains only a stationary bike. Then charge way too much in the rate for things you would never use in the first place. If you see a brochure or photos on a website of the park, look at the vehichles and campers to see how old they are. A park might have been beautiful 20-30 years ago, so was I!

If you're staying just overnight in a place that is not TOO close to a highway/train, use earplugs or a fan to drown out the noise.

Plan your trip out in advance. Study up on the touristy things to see and do. Planning the trip is half the fun.

Take care in seeing that all maintenance is done on your rv. If something doesn't sound right, it usually isn't! The old adage about if it ain't broke don't fix it, doesn't apply here. If it ain't broke now, it will be. Regular maintenance will help eliminate most problems.

Enjoy your camping experiences (good and bad) and above all !!!!!!!

[Terier]

Lots of good advice already been given so there's little I can add. With it being early in the game please note required lengthy commitments with some private membership clubs.

[clyde]

Originally Posted by FarFromStock

I have a general question regarding campground memberships...

My husband and I are new to the RV world, and camping in general. We purchased the A127TH in July and have only driveway camped so far. I've downloaded the various checklists to make sure we have all the right "stuff" we'll need when we finally set off. We've replaced lightbulbs, installed the storage box, and tested the grill. Now, it's time to embark on true campground adventures!!!

My question is...what is the best membership (if any) to join - KOA, Passport America, Good Sam, others?????

Thank you all for your inputs!!!!
Debbie

Thousand Trails has worked out for us. Thought it was pricey at first glance. After thinking about it for a while and comparing to other options it seems to work out well. In the past 12 months we have spent a total of 100+ nights in their campgrounds or affiliates finding all used to be good to great. All were full hook ups. Campground memberships may not be for everyone. Good Luck........

[Timex]

Might want to read this before getting into a timeshare. We all will get old, change things that may hold our interest, get so sick or disabled we can't travel anymore.

Personal Finance: RV park contract tough to cancel - Personal Finance - Claudia Buck - The Sacramento Bee

I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. Since I am still a working man and can only go a few weeks a year.

[FarFromStock]

handbuilder, Timex, Terier, and clyde - thank you for all of your inputs!!!!!

And to EVERYONE - THANK YOU again!!!! You all have been wonderful help! From what everyone has suggested, combined with the additional research I've done, I think we will go with Good Sam for now. We'll most likely get into KOA as well, but for now we'll just take one bite at a time. Not sure the timeshare is for us, but won't slam the door on that just yet.

[crasher]

My folks had joined several of the membership networks when they were full timing. Periodically, these things would go bust, and change all the rules/benefits. Not surprisingly, you'd still have to keep paying. They can bankrupt, but you can't break your contract.

I'd rather pay as a daily/transient and choose the best places to stay. Some of these so-called private parks will take people off the street as dailies. Each seems to make it's own rules, so you never know.

Good Sam is a good deal - I also buy the roadside assistance coverage. You best money spent is to buy a campground guide - they are several - and look for interesting places to try out. Certainly I'd camp for a couple years before I bought into something.

From what my folks experienced, these memberships cater to the "get something for nothing" crowd (present company excluded, of course! ). I think they take advantage of them and they are often left disappointed, because there really is no free lunch.

[Terier]

Timex - that was an interesting article.

After becoming a widow without any source of income my sister-in-law quickly learned that her Mountain Lakes membership could only be sold & transferred 3 (or 4?) times. Thankfully she was the first owner. This is something to watch out for when buying someone else's membership.

[Night Stone]

We're looking into one ourselves, next weekend we're heading to Julian to check out KQ Ranch. I read up on these things and learn a few things as well. Make sure you read the resort membership fine print and clauses. As they put quite a bit in it and requires monthly dues, no transfer til etc...

Another source I read is the BBB, better business bureau, to check on their ratings etc.

[roanmountaincampers]

One benefit of Goo

[roanmountaincampers]

One benefit of Good Sam is free shipping on orders from Camping World. I can watch for sale items and order as I please with no shipping charges added. This has paid for over my membership in the few months I have had it.