camping club memberships

[grey ghost]

Just wondering if paying for a club membership is really worth it. We have never joined any of those clubs like Good Sam, Passport, Escapees or any of the others? We are not full-times, but we are going more and more now that my wife has retired and saw a few of these advertised. If anyone could or would like to share their opinions, observations, likes and dislikes we would appreciate it. Thanks

[Gumby52]

I got a Good Sam's 3 year membership for $75.00 with 3 $25.00 coupons at Camping World, Gander, etc. Made use of the coupons, Good Sam's is okay, but kinda like AARP - lots of offers for insurance, now even offering Medicare advantage plans. Not sure I'll renew or not, but I'll see what they have to offer when it's time.

[QCMan]

Many moons ago when we still had to go someplace every day we bought a lifetime membership to Good Sam when they were offering big breaks on lifetimes and we didn't use it much the first few years but it paid for itself by the end of the third year and now it is gravy. I looked but saw no current listing for lifetime membership. If you get a three year and stay in a Good Sam park five times it will pay for itself. After that you will still get ten percent off at every Good Sam park for the rest of the three years. KOA has something similar on a yearly basis but no Gander/Camping World discounts. Depending on where we are going we will get a one year KOA if their parks work best for that trip. It looks like you are retired so a lifetime anything may not be cost effective.

[QCMan]

Right now it is $75 and a $30 certificate.

[Roper46]

Received my Good Sam Elite 3 year membership with the purchase of my new TT in October. Already used the Good Sam RV park discount twice and got discounts at Campimg World store where I purchased the TT.

Have to determine if I renew when the time comes.

[flybouy]

Check out 2 things. 1. where are the parks where you plan to go. Do they honor the discount plan you are interested in. 2. Calculate how many nights you will realistically camp ionm those parks.

When our oldest daughter was first married and lived outside of Philadelphia we would stay at the nearby KOA. Our youngest daughter would stay as well in her popup and frequently my BIL would go there as well with his family. We would reserve and pay for the 3 sites and they would go towards the KOA points and we ended up with several free stays a year. I think the second or third stay we saved enough to pay for the discount card.

When we went out to Memphis and Arkansas a couple of years ago we joined Passport America. Toof it for 5 years as it seemed like the best price point at the time. Can't recall the exact deal but I think it was promotion (when isn't it right?)
We stayed in several PA campgrounds on our three week trip and ended up paying about 1/2 what we would have spent without it.

These last 2 years health issues for my DW put a sever limit on our camping so it wouldn't have paid off. The thing I would never consider is the "time share" type deals like Thousand Trails.

[Bill-2020]

We use Passport America and Good Sam for various parks we tend to go to. KOA as well. We use them enough to pay for the memberships and then a little more. The Good Sam also saves me $.05 a gallon a fuel each week (commutes) at Flying J and Pilot gas stations. I double that savings with another $.05 off a gallon when combining the Gas Buddy card with the Good Sams card at Flying J/Pilot (that's $.10 off/gal). I use enough fuel between vehicles to justify the memberships.

[LHaven]

We took a life membership with Good Sam 22 years ago when we were in our 40s, so it was a good deal. At that time, the magazine was included, and (as newbies) we enjoyed the real education we got reading it. (We still like it, though ask me again after New Year's, when they fold motorhomes into it.) The mag is no longer bundled, but GS members still get a serious discount on it.

Right now, my favorite GS benefit is 5¢ off gas (8¢ off diesel) at Pilot. The other would be the discount at GS parks, though we don't use it as much (we don't intentionally avoid GS parks, we just don't seem to end up at many.) I rarely go to Camping World, but there are bennies there also (including free shipping). GS also offers a discount on their various insurance plans to life members, including extended warranties and an ombudsman service.

GS life benefits are listed here.

I didn't realize GS had downpedaled life memberships, but they haven't gotten rid of them entirely. It looks like now they offer them for $400, but only to existing members, so you would have to pay for a year and then go to this page.

[Roper46]

Wow !! Nice to know Pilot offers .08 cents per gallon discount on diesel with the GS membership. Thanks !

[Bill-2020]

Originally Posted by Roper46

Wow !! Nice to know Pilot offers .08 cents per gallon discount on diesel with the GS membership. Thanks !

Look at Gas Buddy as well to add to that .08 off diesel. ...If you fill up enough to justify the membership.

[wiredgeorge]

We are Passport America and TACO members (TX ASSN of CAMPGROUND OWNERS). We have saved hundreds of dollars particularly using PA. TACO gives you 10 percent discount and some campgrounds will honor both. PA is usually limited to a few days. It is inexpensive and we use the PA site to find campgrounds that honor their 1/2 price discount.

[travelin texans]

Also had GS, Taco, KOA & PA, would recommend any or all of them.
If you're referring to Thousand Trails, Coast to Coast or any of those time share type clubs personally I'd say NOPE, you can stay a lot nights annually at parks all across the country for the price of their yearly memberships.

[dutchmensport]

Any membership is good and pays for itself only if you actually use it. Regardless, you have to spend money to save money.

Good Sam, KOA are decent memberships --- if you use them, the savings does add up. But again, you have to use them. But if you are using Good Sam campgrounds anyway, or if you are using KOA campgrounds anyway, then the membership will pay for itself after only 2 or 3 visits. After that, there is a savings.

The nice thing about these types of "memberships" is the fact they are a one-time pay annually and that's it. If you are looking into buying a time-share type campground membership, like 1000 Trails, then you really need to be living the full time RV life to make it truly worth it. The initial membership is hundreds of dollars, then annual dues, and the the cost of the actual campsite. Then you are limited to a geographical area. And every night you are not in one of their campgrounds, you are loosing.

All that money can easily pay for a LOT of campground spots in a LOT of State Parks and National Forests and you are not limited where you can go.

Good Sam and KOA's are not limited to any geographical location. But they are not everywhere either. But the membership is honored across the entire USA. But again, the more you use it, the more cost-effective the original membership price is.

Now Good Sam membership also has benefits for purchasing from Camping World, and the old Gander Mountain stores, which was bought out by the Good Sam organization. But those 5%, 10% discounts by being a member can add up over time.

A third option you might consider are annual passes to the State Park system in your home state. I'm from Indiana and have had the annual pass for Indiana State Parks every year for the last 30 years. Indiana charges an entrance fee. In-state is now $7.00. If camping, you still have to pay the first time entrance fee for your length of stay. With the annual pass, you don't have to pay the entrance fee.

Now, the annual pass for in-state residents is $50. At $7 for entrance, you'd have to enter an Indiana State Park 7 times to recoup that $49 and to simply break even. If you do not plan on visiting an Indiana State Park at least 7 times over the course of the year, then you are better off just paying the $7 the once or twice you go.

Are they worth it? The answer is "Yes" if you use it. The answer is "no" if you don't us it enough to at least break even. Only you can do THAT math, as no one knows how much you'll use any of the memberships.

We camp a lot throughout the entire year. We keep the Good Sam, KOA, and the Indiana DNR annual pass. No commitments, no contractual obligations, and a very useful tool if you use them. For, the 3 of them are worth it. We usually just break even with KOA, we come out ahead with Good Sam because we not only camp but we also shop in their stores, and we ALWAYS come out way ahead with the Indiana DNR annual pass.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

Also had GS, Taco, KOA & PA, would recommend any or all of them.
If you're referring to Thousand Trails, Coast to Coast or any of those time share type clubs personally I'd say NOPE, you can stay a lot nights annually at parks all across the country for the price of their yearly memberships.

I have a friend who is a Thousand Trails member. He bought his membership originally at a discounted rate (sale as I recall) and says he can't afford to take off and camp for months at a time unless he uses the TT membership; he stays pretty much in their campgrounds and makes a Texas swing every year. There are a lot of gotchas in TT membership but it really works well if you understand the membership you purchase (they have lots of different plans/options) and actually use the membership to pretty much the exclusion of other campgrounds.

[Smartin108]

In our travels, mostly west and north from our Indiana base we found the vast majority of Pilot locations did not honor the GS discount.

[Richeyb]

I guess I like to be covered just in case😳. Good Sam RV, AAA RV, Gas Buddy and TSD Open Road. TSD to me has the best saving on diesel for Loves and TA stations saving up to 30 cents a gallon. Good Sam will get you maybe 3cents off at Pilot. Gas Buddy maybe 3-5 cents... If you driving a pusher or pulling a big one it’s hard to beat TSD.

[BRB Rig]

Good call Richey! I don’t know why anyone with diesel wouldn’t get the ECS Fuel Card via TSD Logisitics. Our DW has a 75 gallon reserve tank in the bed and we’ve significantly saved hundreds this year using it. It’s worth hanging in line at the semi pumps.

[ObiRich]

We have a Good Sam's. In addition to the 10% off for Good Sam campgrounds, you get 5 cents on gas and 8 cents on diesel at Pilot/Fling J, decent discounts in the Camping World/Gander stores and website, and a lower threshold for free shipping. Plus even now and then I get a coupon for $15 off anything at the store...I've walked out with stuff and not paid a cent.

[86cj7]

Originally Posted by Richeyb

I guess I like to be covered just in case😳. Good Sam RV, AAA RV, Gas Buddy and TSD Open Road. TSD to me has the best saving on diesel for Loves and TA stations saving up to 30 cents a gallon. Good Sam will get you maybe 3cents off at Pilot. Gas Buddy maybe 3-5 cents... If you driving a pusher or pulling a big one it’s hard to beat TSD.

Richeyb question with your TSD card I know you can't use the normal pumps but if they have a RV pump set up in the Big Rig area can you use it? or is it only good in the Big Rig areas?

Thanks Rod

[Dallasrules]

We have travlers plus. I think its about $70/year. We pay $10/$15 per night at campgrounds that take it. There are 5 within 100 miles of us. One campground we were at last year a person was bragging that they got $25/night with some discount they had. I didn't have the heart to tell him we were paying $10.