# Campground Memberships ??



## keygirl (Apr 17, 2002)

Can anyone tell me about campground memberships ?
Fixin' on full timing shortly, thought I should
look into some memberships to save some $$$
Thanks..


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## BarneyS (Apr 20, 2002)

Campground Memberships ??

Hi Keygirl,
We have been members of C2C and RPI for the past 5 years.  You have to purchase a membership at an affiliated resort and then can join C2C or RPI or others at additional cost.  Some resorts sell memberships ranging from $2000 to $7000 but your best bet is to purchase a resale membership.  Some of those go for as little as $149.  Be careful that you have a clause in your contract to opt out of it if you are not satisfied or your circumstances change.  Once you are a member of a resort, you can visit other resorts in the system for as little as $5/night.  We have used the system extensively and have found most places to be very nice and have had no problem getting in to the various resorts - even without reservations.  A good place to check into would be Campground Membership Outlet.  1-800-952-0401.  This is where we purchased our membership through and everything went very smoothly. There are other places to purchase through also.  Check the back of Trailer Life Magazine under "Campground Memberships for Sale" to find them. Good luck on your full timing.  
Barney

1997 Sunnybrook 26CKS TT
1999 Dodge Ram 2500 quad cab, short bed, 5.9gas, auto. 3:54
1996 Harley Davidson FLHRI

Edited by - bsmith0337 on Apr 20 2002  4:22:49 PM


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## C Nash (Apr 20, 2002)

Campground Memberships ??

Hi Keygirl,
Most of the membership campgrounds that we have camped at are very nice with lots of activities.  On the negtive side, most are off the beaten path and are not handy for traveling unless you plan on staying awhile in one spot. If you use them they will pay for themself.  I had a friend that paid 7000 for a membership and never used it.  Needless to say it was useless to them. I agree with Barney check the resale memberships.

Chelse L. Nash
fulltimer03@yahoo.com


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## C Nash (Apr 21, 2002)

Campground Memberships ??

Keygirl, Found this article on the net and thought it might interest you.
This session was essentially a class dialogue about RVer's experiences with campground memberships; and an opportunity for those who may be contemplating purchasing one to learn about the advantages and problems with various types of membership programs.

The assumption is that most RVers enjoy being "on the go". Yet one of the significant costs of RVing is the "retail" cost of daily site rental. Membership programs are intended to address some options to purchasing daily site rentals at retail costs. Most membership programs involve some initial payment, plus an annual maintenance fee. In return, members are allowed to use the member parks at a daily fee.

Some considerations that may be relevant when considering whether a membership would be worthwhile:

How many "days on the road" does an RVer expect? 
Can an RVer be sure she can find spaces when and where she wants one? 
What about high pressure sales tactics used by some marketers? 
Are you really going to use this membership? Are the campgrounds in the areas where you wish to travel? Are you going to want to stay for an extended time? 
The representative of Coast to Coast (CTC) discussed the dilemma of peak demands during prime time periods in favorite RV destinations such as Florida. During the past year there were 17,000 CTC members in Florida competing for 4,000 available sites. The demand is great for them because the cost is only $4 per night for members in good standing. To help compensate for this shortage, CTC has started a new chain of parks, where they expect to see future expansion, called "Good Neighbor" parks. These are essentially public RV parks which have agreed to allocate a percentage of their sites for CTC members, and charge a fixed rate of $11 per day. All others would pay the standard rate, which would be considerably higher. Some in the audience noted the disincentive Good Neighbor parks would have to accommodate CTC members during peak periods.

From the group discussion, we inferred that about half of those present already owned some type of campground membership. Of that number, slightly over half responded that they were happy with their membership. Others expressed various degrees of disenchantment with the arrangement they had. Their concerns seemed centered on constantly escalating annual dues; a perception of decreasing site availability; and the increasing number of usage restrictions which were being imposed on members.

If your campgound "system", i.e. NACO, Thousand Trails, etc., has financial problems, what will happen to your membership? Be cautious if the fees are too low, the park must support itself and this often means higher membership and yearly dues. It was suggested that you investigate the company. Have there been any lawsuits? Check with the Better Business Bureau. The best idea of all -- stay a couple of nights and talk to the people there.


We concluded that RVers who were most likely to be attracted to membership campgrounds were those who placed a significant priority on achieving the lowest daily rates [Though we wonder whether that objective is always achieved]. Those who seemed less inclined toward park membership appeared to be more motivated by the flexibility to "travel wherever, whenever", and by other factors. As Gaylord Maxwell put it, " if you are the type of RVer who hasn't the least idea where he will be on any given evening, a membership campground is probably not for you".





Chelse L. Nash
fulltimer03@yahoo.com


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## keygirl (Apr 30, 2002)

Campground Memberships ??

Thanks everyone for the great info.


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## 2day (May 7, 2002)

Campground Memberships ??

 There are many choice with various price tags. TT seems to calculate out to be the best deal if you are going to be where they are at and if you buy the best package. I know others that saw the yearly dues and bought according to that and not to the amount of time allowed at the parks or the frequency and now they regret it. You can join C2C & RPI through them so you have more options.
If you want something more reasonable until you know what you are looking for I know of a membership for $299. (maybe $249.) FROZEN yearly dues and FREE membership or a choice of 1 to 10 years for under $1,000 with no dues and the benefits to join RPI or C2C.


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## 2day (May 7, 2002)

Campground Memberships ??

 There are many choice with various price tags. TT seems to calculate out to be the best deal if you are going to be where they are at and if you buy the best package. I know others that saw the yearly dues and bought according to that and not to the amount of time allowed at the parks or the frequency and now they regret it. You can join C2C & RPI through them so you have more options.
If you want something more reasonable until you know what you are looking for I know of a membership for $299. (maybe $249.) FROZEN yearly dues and FREE membership or a choice of 1 to 10 years for under $1,000 with no dues and the benefits to join RPI or C2C.


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