Thousand Trails Camping Pass?

[Msmith2054]

Anybody have this?or know about it? They offer (on the surface) 190+ campgrounds with no nightly fees at a annual price of $525.

[Tbos]

That cost is for one zone. 14 nights in one of their CGs and 7 days out. I think you can reserve 90 days out and sites are 1st come 1st served. Additional zones are $54 each. Lots of other plans with options available too. “RV Love” and “ Getaway Couple” have multiple You Tube videos about the plans. I’m still undecided. The CGs here in our area are nothing fancy.

[hholmes]

I received one of those Thousand Trails passes for a year free when i bought my new RV. I've been to the campgrounds at Lake Whitney and Lake Towakoni here in Texas so far and definitly not impressed with either place. At both locations, the roads are horribly in need of repair.

The "marina" at Towakoni is nothing more than shallow channel to a small floating dock that may hold 10 or twelve boats, there is no 50amp service and the camping loop we stayed at was subject to flooding when the lake is up.

At lake whitney, the only way to access the lake is by parking and walking 100yds down a trail to see the water.

I would check out the campgrounds you intend to visit in the "zone" you choose to make sure you feel an annual pass is worth the money.

Just my opinion.

[Canonman]

Both our kids have T/T memberships. We've joined them on several camping trips by paying an egregious non-member nightly fee. IMHO the campgrounds are very low end, crowded and in the case of the three we've personally stayed at extremely worn down.
Our preferred camping is Forest Service campgrounds, State or National Park campgrounds or BLM land boondocking.
Our kids keep their memberships because they like the full, or at least partial, hookups and the playgrounds and swimming pools for the grandkids. That said, when the same grandkids camp with us, mountain hikes, swimming in the rivers wildlife and nature viewing seems to keep them just as occupied while I think providing a more true camping experience. Different Strokes for Different Folks:)
I'd recommend visiting a couple of the TT locations you'd be expecting to use the most and see for yourself if they are a good fit for your needs. For us, I don't think we've ever spent $500 in a seasons worth of camping.

[travelin texans]

Personally I'd just pass altogether! Take the money & stay at much nicer locations.
If you do decide to buy into it, go online & buy from an individual looking to get out of theirs, much cheaper.

[Customer1]

The really nice thing about the zone pass compared to a full membership is that there is no long term commitment. Try it for a year and if it isn't for you, walk away.

Ask yourself how many nights you can realistically use it? Fourteen nights would be $37.50 per night, but 21 nights would be $25 per night.

[NH_Bulldog]

We received a free year of camping at Thousand Trails. We live in New England so we picked our zone, made a reservation and planned for our first weekend camping in Maine. Pulled into the place, first impression was not good and it only got worse. We had to drive around the place in a specific part of the campground to try to find a site. Place was loaded with trashy seasonals or lifetime campers since it didn’t look like any of them could ever move again. Finally after s 30 minute fruitless search I stopped at the office and said see ya later! They offered us a spot in an open field with no power, water or sewer, no picnic table and no fire ring....we said no thanks. Drove up the road about a mile and found a really nice place that was clean, friendly and looked beautiful. The following Monday morning I called Thousand Trails and cancelled my free membership. We will NEVER go to another Thousand Trails again.

[JRTJH]

Here's the comment I posted a year ago (July 15, 2018) regarding my impression of "Thousand Trails resort" <note resort is not in caps>...

"When our grand daughter got married we stayed in the Thousand Trails "resort" (all in small letters) near Wilmington, OH. Expensive, dirt sites, antiquated sewer system with broken fittings, leaking water faucets (mud all around them), dirt roads (fun in the rainy season) and no TV, no cable, no WIFI, no clubhouse, no 50 amp service, all for the meager sum of $75 a night, no weekly rate and no refunds.....

Not quite Beirut, but definitely "third world environment with a world class price"..... We won't be back there."
http://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34075&highlight=wilmington&page=2

[travelin texans]

We've toured 2 TT parks & found exactly the same park conditions. Their rules stated 14 days then out so it's curious how so many in these couple parks appeared to be living & storing their crap in so many of the sites.

[Roscommon48]

Waste of money. Lots of issues with costs, limit of stay and access.


Nothing but a timeshare for RVers....

[fatcatzzz]

All depends on where you want to camp. We just spent 21 days at Yosemite Lakes near Yosemite National Park. Public cost to stay for 21 days would be $1575 plus tax. Our cost with membership was $0. Spent 45 days on Oregon coast, again $0 camping cost. Stay all winter last year in Yuma AZ at $0 cost. If you are considering a membership you have to weight the cost ver. where you want to camp. Also you can get the trail collection and stay at Encore Resorts which are an upgrade an have a lot more amenities. Our membership has paid for itself in a short amount of time. All this being said, NOT ALL THE CAMPGROUNDS are created equal. Thousand Trails is not for everyone, but for many it is a great deal. Do your homework and make an informed decision.
Hope this helps.:D

[PARAPTOR]

fatcat you are right on !! These memberships are what you make them, very beneficial to a waste of money. Do your research :cool:

[travelin texans]

All depends on where you want to camp. We just spent 21 days at Yosemite Lakes near Yosemite National Park. Public cost to stay for 21 days would be $1575 plus tax. Our cost with membership was $0. Spent 45 days on Oregon coast, again $0 camping cost. Stay all winter last year in Yuma AZ at $0 cost. If you are considering a membership you have to weight the cost ver. where you want to camp. Also you can get the trail collection and stay at Encore Resorts which are an upgrade an have a lot more amenities. Our membership has paid for itself in a short amount of time. All this being said, NOT ALL THE CAMPGROUNDS are created equal. Thousand Trails is not for everyone, but for many it is a great deal. Do your homework and make an informed decision.
Hope this helps.:D

From talking with other rvers in our travels about TT, Coast to Coast or any of the other campground memberships it's usually about 10 to 1, 10 have found they're a waste of $$ for what's available & 1 has had good luck with them.
Same with Passport America! Our experience with them wasn't good & cancelled after the 1st year. Found that EVERY time at EVERY park we tried to use it those days were blacked out, they weren't holidays or weekends either, figured any day that ended in "Y" was blacked out,
but have a friend that uses it about every stop without issue.

[fatcatzzz]

Seems you are not talking to the same 10 people I have talked to. Different strokes for different folks.

[vancouverbrian]

There are several issues regarding TT. If cost is your overriding issue, by using their parks a lot, you can drive the nightly costs down. You are limited to 14 days consecutive so if you are not moving along (then 7 days out of the system), it will not work for you. And the next thing is your expectations. If you are seeking the basic services, it will be fine. If you are truly seeking a resort, you will be disappointed. The basic price includes one zone and you can add other zones for $54. And you can add most of the Encore parks for $199. Many who get this pass are full time rvers. Or snowbirds who will use them quite a bit and are seeking lower costs. But if you are a leisure traveler, you will want something better. It has it's place but is not for everyone.

[Modifier]

If you want the advice of a long time camper (55 years +) "stay as far away from all camping clubs as you can get". They are all a good deal for the seller and the buyer is left holding the bag.

[jpwhite]

It depends on what you are looking for. They do have a number of nicer parks in the system. If you stay at one of then for 28 days over the year, it is worth it. If you are a weekend camper with maybe a two week trip per year, not worth it.

We also got a free camping pass when we bought our RV last January. We selected south east, not much near us in Michigan. We stayed in two of their parks for a total of three weeks. The first for park was nice, clean, and well maintained. The people we met were friendly. Most were long term members and had nice things to say about TT. We did hear that it varies park by park. My experience was the vast majority of rigs were newer, large, well maintained 5th wheels and motor coaches, with a few trailers mixed in. It is first come, first serve, I'd prefer the ability to reserve a site, it is no fun driving your rig through the park looking for a place to park. You can move to a better spot when opens up, so I guess if you are there for the 2 or 3 weeks, it is not too bad.

[Smangerer]

We just canceled our TT Zone membership. We purchased because it was the only available campground near Yosemite. The cost of staying as a non member was the same for a week as a year membership so we got the membership. I agree with whats been said that they cram in as many sites as they can and the place is kind of run down. But if I were a full timer it might be worth it.

It felt a little cultish when talking to the "real" members with the 21 day plan.

[Scubadad]

We have a membership. We had to stay 6 weeks in Florida near Disneyworld. I added that zone to my west coast for $50. While not the Ritz, it was cheaper than Disneyworld! We did 4 weeks in Florida, 2 in Texas, and a week in California. That is 7 weeks for $600.

This year may not be quite as good. But if I stay two weeks I feel I break even.

There are other, more expensive options for TT that let you stay longer and go straight into another park without staying out a week.

[wiredgeorge]

From talking with other rvers in our travels about TT, Coast to Coast or any of the other campground memberships it's usually about 10 to 1, 10 have found they're a waste of $$ for what's available & 1 has had good luck with them.
Same with Passport America! Our experience with them wasn't good & cancelled after the 1st year. Found that EVERY time at EVERY park we tried to use it those days were blacked out, they weren't holidays or weekends either, figured any day that ended in "Y" was blacked out,
but have a friend that uses it about every stop without issue.

My wife and I are Passport America members and we save hundreds a year using their discounts. Very happy with Passport America. For the most part, their map of campgrounds honoring their discounts posts the exceptions (you call these blackouts). No surprises there.

[KeystoneKal]

There are dozens of videos on YouTube by full time RVers that use a Thousand Trails membership to full time and travel throughout the US. I think you are limited to 21days at each campground before moving on. A quick search will show the most popular YouTube sites. Several RVers show their monthly budgets.

[td1837]

I bought a tt membership last feb and used it from florida to texas. I plan on using it soon in AZ till it expires, but it has already paid for itself. You just have to plan and make reservations ahead of time @ 2 months. I can stay for 2 weeks, then got to stay out of system for a week, then stay again for 2 weeks. Planning is the key!

[vancouverbrian]

Just remember there are different memberships in TT. Most use the zone pass which is 2 weeks in and 1 week out and booking up to 60 days in advance. This pass is about $500. You can add the Trails collection (encore properties) for $214 and additional zones for $54. Or you can buy a much more expensive membership which gives you better access to the parks. And you can buy these memberships new or used. But they go for thousands of dollars and are lifetime. Make sure that you research what you want. Also, you should research where the parks are located and how good the parks are because expectations can be high and all you may get is a full hook up park that is located in the bush. I just purchased a zone pass with the trails collection and know in advance I will save money. But you might not like the parks, the locations, the price etc and only you can decide if it works for you.

[Tbos]

I bought a tt membership last feb and used it from florida to texas. I plan on using it soon in AZ till it expires, but it has already paid for itself. You just have to plan and make reservations ahead of time @ 2 months. I can stay for 2 weeks, then got to stay out of system for a week, then stay again for 2 weeks. Planning is the key!


Have you had any issues getting reservations within the 60 day window?