Membership
RV Parks & Discount Camping Clubs,
by Alice Zyetz (continued from
Page 1)
RECIPROCAL
RV RESORT COMPANIES
You must belong to a membership
park that will then offer, for an additional amount (usually
less than $100 a year), the opportunity to join one of these
organizations. For approximately $6 to $8 per night, members
can stay in one of a network of membership parks throughout
the country. Read the fine print. Available spaces, number
of nights, and distance from your home park may be limited.
Rentals are available at some resorts. The most popular of
these companies are:
For a minimal annual amount
(approx. $45), you pay 50% of the nightly charge at a large
number of private parks throughout North America. The advantage
is that the new RVer is only risking a one-year minimal investment
if this option doesn't suit. Again, read the fine print. Some
parks have limitations on weekends, holidays, or during high
seasons. The most popular currently is Passport
America, with more than 1065 participating campgrounds
in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Happy Camper Club (recommended by RoadTrip America)
provides a 50% discount at 970 campgrounds, and Recreation
USA, which offers a $10-per-night rate at over 300
campgrounds in the United States.
"USED"
MEMBERSHIPS
 A
number of companies resell memberships for the membership
parks at reduced prices. Individuals also advertise their
own re-sales. This can be a good deal, but check with the
particular membership campground to see if they will honor
the resale and whether there is an additional processing fee.
Two of the companies involved are:
THINGS
TO THINK ABOUT
To decide what membership is
right for you, consider what camping experiences you are
looking for and then do a great deal of exploring to find
the right one.
- Are you an occasional RVer,
part-timer, or full-timer? How much usage will you get
from the membership you buy? Without joining any group,
overnight camping costs run from $15 up, with special weekly
or monthly rates if you stay longer. Figure out what the
average cost would be to you.
- Where do you plan to travel?
Do you prefer large urban areas and more popular resort
areas? Check the location of the private campgrounds. Are
they located where you will want to be?
 What
time of year do you plan to travel? Are you willing
to plan ahead? Many membership campgrounds are busy during
weekends and holiday periods. Public campgrounds for discount
coupons may not apply during popular seasons, weekends,
and special holidays. Be sure to check.- Do you prefer a more natural
setting or are you comfortable with pavement and RVs parked
close together?
- Check contracts! How
do you cancel? Can dues be raised? What happens if the park
is sold?
PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE
As full-timers for almost ten
years, my husband and I enjoyed our membership in Thousand
Trails when we wanted to take a break from boondocking. We
would look forward to our two-week stints as our luxury: plenty
of water, electricity, and trashcans. We never took a site
with sewer hookups because they were too close to other rigs
and didn't have enough of a natural view for us. Instead,
we emptied our tanks when we came in and dumped again when
we left. As part of my research for this column, I asked other
full-timers what membership campground companies they are
currently using. Those who responded enjoy Passport America.
Here are two more excellent
Web sites that will direct you to many others. Just like
everything else, do your research on the 'Net first, and be
sure to talk to other RVers. Benefit from their experience,
but always figure each person's bias into the equation!
- Google
Search Results provide links to most RV membership
programs.
- RV
NetLinx: Another comprehensive list of RV memberships
and an excellent summary with more links.
Alice
Zyetz
May 16, 2004
|
Alice
Zyetz and Jaimie Hall have
been RVing fulltime with their husbands
for more than ten years each. Together
they have published two books on the
RV Lifestyle: