With RVs being sold in record numbers, more people are hitting the road than ever before. This means camping is getting more crowded and expensive. Many RV parks charge over $50 per night for a camping site with full hookups. However, there are a number of RV membership parks and discount clubs that can help lower the cost of RV camping.
Below is a breakdown of RV membership clubs currently available. Read on to decide which RV parks and discount clubs offer the best deal for your RV camping needs.
RV membership parks and discount clubs
RV park memberships are groups of RV parks that offer free or discounted camping for members. Most RV park memberships charge an annual fee for all members and a larger, one-time fee for upgraded memberships.
What is the best RV club to join?
Each membership park and discount club has different rules and various benefits. So which one is right for you?
Is it reasonable to become a member of several RV clubs? It depends on your RVing style, wants, and needs. You’ll figure it out what works best for you.
The primary benefit of these camping membership clubs is to camp at a discounted rate. Each has its perks and drawbacks. It’s up to you to figure out which RV parks and discount clubs offer the best deal for your RV camping needs.
Escapees RV Club
Escapees (SKP) RV club has celebrated over 40 years in business (founded in 1978) and offers much more than campground discounts and is well known as an RV lifestyle club. They offer mail-forwarding services, campground membership and discounts, RVer advocacy, Xscapers club, rallies, meetups, CARE, and educational offerings including a boot camp program.
Escapees members can benefit from their three different types of RV parking:
- Rainbow Parks
- Co-op parks
- Discounts on 800+ commercial parks
They have seven of their own Rainbow parks and 11 co-op parks. Your membership provides a 15-50 percent discount at 800+ other commercial parks.
Rainbow parks
The Rainbow Parks offer four types of parking: short-term, long-term, leases, and deeded lots. These parks are also open to non-Escapee members but Escapee members receive a substantial discount.
SKP Co-op parks
The co-op parks are owned and operated by the co-op members (separate and independent non-profit corporations). Memberships are only available for purchase by Escapees members. These are lots that can be leased and used only by the lessee. Lessees must maintain their Escapee’s membership for their lease term. Lessees may choose to rent out their lot while they are away on trips but they may ONLY rent to other Escapee’s members. The lease continues as long as the member wants. Then it is sold back to the co-op (or another Escapee) when no longer wanted or needed. If you want to own without some of the hassles of ownership and you want a home base but also want to travel and not lose your spot, a SKP co-op lot may be good for you.
>> Read Next: Plan an RV Trip to a Museum: How to Save with Reciprocal Memberships
Commercial RV park discounts
Escapees have partnered with over 800 commercial RV parks to offer discounts ranging from 15 to 50 percent. Each park has its own rules and limitations as to how many nights you can stay and the discount you will receive.
Who should join Escapees?
This is a MUST-HAVE membership if you are looking for a travel club with an active community, fellowship, and camaraderie. Especially if you are a full-timer, the people you meet may become like family. However, for getting the best deal for as many camping sites as possible, there are better choices.
Pros of Escapees
- Multiple membership benefits plus discounts
- Affordable SKP parks and co-op parks
- 15-50 percent off at over 800 participating RV parks
- Great sense of community
Cons of Escapees
- Not the primo membership for discounted camping
Passport America
Passport America is one of the best deals available for discounted camping (50 percent off). For most RV campers, it’s a no-brainer. Remember that discount camping sites aren’t always the most desirable ones to stay in (this goes for most memberships).
Campsite Discount Percentage, Stay Duration, Rules
The typical discount for using your Passport America membership is 50 percent. But some deals are not that good. The duration of your discounted stay is almost always limited. Some RV parks only offer deals seasonally or during certain days of the week. Each RV park varies with its rules regarding discounts. You must read the rules of the particular place you would like to stay.
The Passport America app and website make it easy to know what each partner offers. Passport America uses icons to identify the available amenities. However, there are no campground reviews or ratings on their app or website.
Passport America has over 1,450 participating campgrounds in its network.
Pros of Passport America
- Great discounts
- Large number of available campgrounds
- Pays for itself easily with one or two stays
- Website and app easy to use
Cons of Passport America
- Some parks are less than desirable
- Stays can be limited by number of days/season/day of week
Thousand Trails
Thousand Trails offers multiple plans each with different options and discounts. Knowing if this membership club would benefit you depends on how you camp and where you want to stay (there are five zones to choose from). Understanding the variety of options can be challenging. The basic membership, also known as a zone pass, includes free camping within a specific region of the country.
There are five Thousand Trails zones: Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast. Each zone includes between eight and 23 campgrounds. New members can opt to include additional zones in their membership.
A Thousand Trails membership gives you 14 days max to stay in-network at a spot in whatever zone you bought into. If you stay four nights or more in a campground, you must wait seven days before camping at another Thousand Trails park.
Members can also add the Trails Collection which adds more than 100 affiliated campgrounds across the country to your plan. These are Encore Campgrounds which are also open to the general public (non-members). Additional upgrades include Thousand Trails Elite and Elite Connections.
Once again, knowing if this RV membership club would benefit you depends on how you camp and where you want to stay.
Pros of a Thousand Trails membership
- Multiple parks to choose from
- Add on zones
- Can use a broker to potentially make membership selection easier and cheaper
Cons of a Thousand Trails membership
- Lots of confusing information out there about memberships
- No availability in the middle of the country
- You have to move at least every 14 days to an out-of-network campground
Resort Parks International (RPI)
Resort Parks International (RPI) is an RV camping membership purchased through one of several affiliated resorts. The resort where the membership is purchased is known as your home resort. The RPI membership is an add-on to the home resort membership. The RPI membership is similar to the Coast to Coast (see below).
The major expense associated with an RPI membership is the home resort membership and annual maintenance fees. These fees vary for each home resort but the one-time enrollment fee ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
The RPI network includes more than 200 membership RV resorts, 400 privately-owned RV parks, and hundreds of condominiums and cabins across North America. RPI members can camp at all membership RV parks for a nominal fee. Affiliated public campgrounds offer RPI members discounted rates (typically 50 percent). Cabins and condominiums are available for discounted rates that vary by location.
RPI has an online portal that allows you to make camping reservations online.
RPI offers three different membership levels: RPI Plus, RPI Preferred, and RPI Gold.
There are three ways to purchase an RPI RV membership:
- Thousand Trails: RPI Preferred Gold membership is included with the elite Thousand Trails membership
- Affiliated resort: The most common way to purchase an RPI membership is through an affiliated member resorts. When a camper purchases a resort membership at the home park, a RPI membership can be added on.
- Used memberships: Since some RPI memberships allow for transfer, it is possible to purchase one from the original owner. Online brokers also help RVers locate available used memberships.
Pros of RPI
- Multiple parks to choose from
- Substantial discount on camping costs
Cons of RPI
- You must first purchase a home resort
- You have to move every 7 days
- A substantial up-front cost
Good Sam
Good Sam is easily the most popular and well-known of the clubs. Good Sam offers much more than just campground discounts. However, the discount on Good Sam-approved parks is nothing to write home about—you only get 10 percent off the 2,100+ campgrounds in their network.
However, this membership is still a good value. Good Sam also offers discounts on RV-related items. They discount propane at Camping World, free dump at select Camping World stores, discount on gasoline and diesel at Flying J stores, and discounts on Camping World purchases.
>> Read Next: Good Sam Releases 2023 Top Rated Parks
Also, they boast over 1.8 million members and the membership fee is very reasonable $25 at the time of writing.
Depending on your style of RVing and how often you take to the road, this camping membership can easily pay for itself quickly.
Pros of Good Sam
- Multiple benefits other than just campground discounts
- Very affordable
- 10 percent off 2,100+ campgrounds
Cons of Good Sam
- 10 percent off is a small saving
Coast to Coast
Coast to Coast is a network of RV parks located in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Coast to Coast is part of a larger company that also owns Good Sam, Camping World, Gander Outdoors, and Overton’s.
The Coast to Coast membership is similar to the RPI membership (see above).
Coast to Coast has hundreds of RV parks where members camp for a discounted rate. New memberships cannot be purchased online. Instead, campers must purchase a membership through one of the RV parks in the club’s network. The prices will be different depending on where you purchase the membership.
The major expense associated with a Coast to Coast membership is the home resort membership and annual maintenance fees. These fees vary for each home resort but the one-time enrollment fee ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
They also offer a free 3 day/2 night stay for RVers who are interested in purchasing a membership. You will be required to attend a tour of the park and a membership orientation. Take advantage of this offer if you are genuinely interested in purchasing a membership.
When selecting a home resort for your Coast to Coast membership, it is important to understand their 125-mile rule. Members are not allowed to book reservations at any Coast to Coast resorts that are within a 125 drive from their home resort.
Coast to Coast Deluxe memberships are available as an upgrade and provide additional benefits to members including staying up to 14 consecutive nights in a member park (standard memberships allow seven consecutive nights).
Coast to Coast memberships can also be purchased on the re-sale market. Used memberships can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars depending on the home resort and the included benefits.
The member parks are inspected and rated annually in terms of facilities, amenities, and cleanliness.
Pros of Coast to Coast
- Multiple parks to choose from
- Substantial discount on camping costs
Cons of Coast to Coast
- You have to move every 7 days
- A substantial up-front cost
Kampgrounds of America (KOA)
Kampgrounds of America (KOA) is the largest system of privately held campgrounds with more than 500 locations across the United States and Canada. Their huge number of parks means that most RVers will stay at a KOA at some point in their travels.
KOA has its own rewards program and does not participate in other RV discount clubs. The KOA Value Kard membership offers a 10 percent discount off your rate at all KOA campgrounds. Members also earn rewards points which can be redeemed for free nights at KOA RV membership parks.
Since KOA parks do not accept other RV membership discounts such as Good Sam or Passport America, KOA Rewards is the only way to obtain a reduced rate at their campgrounds.
Contrary to other campground memberships such as Thousand Trails, there are no membership levels. All KOA Rewards members pay the same price and receive the same benefits.
Pros of KOA
- Multiple parks to choose from
Cons of KOA
- 10 percent off is a small savings
- The campgrounds tend on the expensive side
FMCA (Family Motor Coach Association)
FMCA (Family Motor Coach Association) benefits include a monthly magazine, RV rallies, tire discounts, discounts on camping, a temperature measuring device for pets, mobile Internet, roadside assistance, mail forwarding services, and many more. Several years ago, FMCA opened its membership to towable RV owners (travel trailers, fifth wheels, and campers) as opposed to only people with a motorized RV (motorhomes and camper vans).
Pros of a FMCA membership
- Multiple camping discounts
- Benefits other than JUST camping discounts
- Well-known and respected organization
- Excellent RV magazine published monthly
- Low membership fee
Cons of a FMCA membership
- Low savings on camping
- Limited number of campgrounds that offer a FMCA discount
Harvest Hosts
Harvest Hosts is the best RV membership for experiencing, well, experiences! They offer up unique places to park for the night—primarily dry camping stays at wineries, farms, breweries, museums, and golf courses. In exchange, it is implied that you patronize the place you visit, if applicable. However, the bonus is that you get a fun and unique experience and a camping spot for the night. Harvest Hosts has over 3,300 locations you can experience. The program also provides an opportunity to support local businesses and meet the people who run them.
>> Read Next: Good Sam Releases 2022 Top Rated Parks
Pros of Harvest Hosts
- Unique camping experience
- Save money on RV parks
- Camp in places you couldn’t otherwise
- If you have a winery, farm, or attraction, you can become a host
- Over 3,300 hosts
Cons of Harvest Hosts
- Your rig must be self-contained
Boondockers Welcome
Boondockers Welcome is another unique RV membership club that connects members with free RV parking on private property. Boondockers Welcome is pretty much like it sounds. It’s an RV club offering places to temporarily dry camp on people’s private property.
Host Benefits
- Homeowners (hosts) who are RV friendly and are sometimes RVers themselves can, for free, offer up their spot for a very limited time
- Half off a boondockers subscription
- They also get a few months free added to their membership when they host someone
- Homeowners get to meet new people
Member Benefits
- You have many places to stay for free
- Meet new people
- Stay in places where there are no RV parks
Pros of Boondockers Welcome
- Super cheap for the entire year
- If you’re people-oriented, you can make lots of new friends
- Great way to see cities on the cheap
Cons of Boondockers Welcome
- The number of days you can stay is limited
Hipcamp
Discover and book tent camping, RV parks, cabins, treehouses, and glamping. Hipcamp is the Airbnb of RVing. Founded in 2013, it has grown to include over 432,000 properties including public parks, private campgrounds, and private land. It works just like Airbnb. You search for properties to park your RV (or tent) instead of searching for houses and rooms to rent.
There is no cost to join Hipcamp but you must register to book. Hipcamp gets its money from service fees which are a variable percentage of the amount that you book. The site is good at describing amenities on the property; photos of each property are the owner’s responsibility to fill out.
Pros of Hipcamp
- Very easy to navigate website
- Huge variety of places to camp
- Over 430,000 properties to choose from, the most of any club
- Easily filter your results
- No membership fees, just a percentage fee of purchase price
Cons of Hipcamp
- Doesn’t seem to be any
Conclusion
Have you figured out the best camping club to join? There may be more than one. There are many RV discount clubs and membership organizations to consider.
I hope this article helps to clear up some things about the crazy world of RV discount clubs and membership camping. It’s about figuring out which RV camping organizations are best for you. Just get out there and start doing it. You will figure out which RV associations are correct for you as you go.
RV memberships and camping clubs are a great way to save money but all membership options should be thoroughly investigated before signing up. To determine whether a membership is worthwhile for your family, calculate how many nights per year you would need to stay at discounted RV parks to break even on your investment. Also, consider the annual dues and whether or not the membership can be resold if you are not using it.
We personally chose to purchase Good Sam, Passport America, Thousand Trails, RPI, and Coast to Coast memberships. Over the years our camping needs have changed and we’ve let our Coast to Coast membership and RPI membership lapse. Currently we make extensive use of Good Sam and Passport America.
Camp on!
Worth Pondering…
Whether you stay six weeks, six months, or six years, always leave it better than you found it.
—Jim Rohn Enhance