We Said NO to Thousand Trails (BEST DECISION EVER) Full Time RV
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ค. 2024
- We Said NO to Thousand Trails (FIND OUT WHY) Full Time RV: Are you thinking of purchasing a Thousand Trails Membership? Find out why we decided to skip Thousand Tails Membership and Thousand Trails RV Parks. Find out the best RV memberships for full time RVers.
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You, Me & the RV
You me and the RV
I don't even have an RV and I don't know why I listen to these videos but I do.
Barbara H. Same here 😂
😂😂👍🏻✌🏻
I don't either....and I'm taking notes....BWAHAHAHAA!!!
lol
It’s called Boredom! I’m here for the same reason
SO HAPPY YOU are sharing Why to say "NO" to Thousand Trails!!! My son paid them then went into one of their Camps; to get kicked out! They claim he was Not allowed to stay in his BRAND NEW "CARGO" TRAILER! My son had professionally installed Windows, & Converted Inside! It's Beautiful 🤗. They Never told him it was Not allowed (even though he told them up front about it!) until After they took his money!! He was fine with pro-rated fees. They were "So nice"; they have KEPT ALL HIS MONEY, & ARE REFUSING TO REIMBURSE ANY PART OF HIS YEARLY FEE!! My son stayed 1 night, hope Everyone is listening! Yes 1night, kept his money for the Whole Year! They are Horrible, won't answer nor return his calls! BAD BUSINESS "THOUSAND TRAILS!!!!
Yikes!
Unfortunately most campgrounds I’ve seen do not allow any self conversions.
I don’t agree with this policy.
YES: I've been a full-timer in TT parks here in central Florida for three years now and it has prevented me from becoming homeless, well worth it. I have an Elite membership with the trails collection add-on and it's the cheapest way to live with full hookups I know of. As for the quality of the parks, they certainly are not resorts as some of the park names claim, they are more like low end time shares as others have pointed out. However, I have met some great people in these parks as well as some losers, just as in real life. If you spend a lot of time in your RV or full time it and these parks fit your needs geographically then it's a good deal. I am well versed in the rules, and knowing how to work the system also helps in securing reservations. It works well if you know how to work it. There are a lot of caveats in the rules but they make sense if you understand the systems needs to balance usage. You tell me where else I can live for $74 a month (dues + Trails collection) with free water, sewer and electric, and sometimes cable TV.
how difficult is it to get reservations in the parks? is your elite allow you to stay 2 or 3 weeks at a time? Has there ever been a time that you got booked out...meaning you could not get a reservation anywhere nearby? I some have reservations book a whopping 6 months in advance...LOL
@@bobmiller6676 I rarely have a problem except around Christmas, bike week, stuff like that. I can book 3 months out on TT parks, and 60 days out on Encore parks.
Just curious...Why are you only able to book 3 months out? We have the exact same membership (Elite w/Trails Collection) and we can book 6 months in advance.
But I agree. This is CHEAP RV living. We've been full timing with Thousand Trails since 2015 and it's the BEST decision we ever made. But what works for some may not work for others.
I'm glad it works for you. We're 250 miles from the closest trails.
Our circumstances would not help in regards to keeping and staying at that trails location. Seems you got a great setup for $78/month.
@eric jones I would love to hear more about how you use in in CF. We are from there and considering coming back. How often do you move? What park is your favorite? Can you go back and forth between your top 2?
Received a year of Thousand Trails access with the purchase of our new RV (been RVing for some time). Sounded like a pretty good deal but when we tried to reserve spaces, either the campgrounds were booked up or the available ones weren't where we were traveling. We were however able to stay at 2 locations during a specific trip but when we arrived we were basically told that because other people had extended their stays, the campground had to put us in another spot. So rather then having access to the full hookups which we "thought" we were going to be getting, we were placed at basically the back of the parks in lots that were either in ill repair (wash-outs, broken water connections) or did not have available sewer and basically wound up boondocking. Not that boondocking is out of the question, however when you drive all day expecting full hookups and then getting stuck in poor conditions and essentially having to "construct" a livable campsite, it really wasn't worth a consideration of buying when our year was up. I expect that this membership would only benefit full-timers or near full-timers. If you're a weekend warrior like us, just too much headache. With the COVID pandemic going on, spaces are hard to find even if you aren't using a membership. Something to think about.
No. We had a 1 year free basic membership that came with the purchase of a new MH. Tried a few times to book, no availability. Low end private campgrounds.
We travel all over, their ‘regional’ pricing makes no sense.
Finally, at the end of the free year membership, they kept sending us a 600+$ bill, with ‘late payment due’ in not very friendly letters... called them a few times to tell them to stop, but the bills kept coming in.
Finally sent a registered letter saying I would sue at the ‘small claims court’ in Québec for legal costs of asking them to stop.... Never got a response, but I stopped receiving bills.
Also sent a complaint to the ‘Québec consumer protection agency’, and they were copied.
I would recommend rvers to refuse the free membership from their dealership if they are not certain to use the service. Once your coordinates are in the hands of this company, you will be solicited like crazy by a lot of third parties. They are ( were...?) selling their lists.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I'm a tight wad, waiting for someone to start ( hundred trails).
😂😂🤣😂🤣🤣
@@aprilhatten9671 Yeeesss! A 'hundred trails' with literally a thousand Trails! Like, more than 10 in the southeast.👏👏
😊😂 super funny comment
@@ThePeasantsCottage Yep maybe they can be located in the center of the United States for ordinary People lol
@@jsteele42378
😂😂😂
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on TT and the bloopers. Laughing is infectious :).
The thing I notice most about camp options is that no one ever mentions is fraternal organizations especially through the upper to east part of the U.S.. These clubs, I call animal clubs such as Moose, Eagles, VFW and so on, could have hook ups also for a very minimal fee. Each club has a directory that includes hook ups if available. Staying over at these places can also give you a chance to gain a wealth of information on repairs, if needed, places to wine and dine and local attractions that you might otherwise miss and also you meet some fantastic people. Check it out.
This is correct. I have a friend staying at a VFW In Okeechobee for less than $400 a month full hookups
You two are awesome! My wife and I are just starting to look into RVing and you provide so much good info! Thank you!!!
YES. Full time. Started with a zone pass + Trails collection. 2 years. Moved to an Elite, Paid $5300. Last year, went full time in August. Had to spend only 2 weeks out of the system. More than paid for our membership in less than one year given the high costs in Florida. Also, with a 42' pusher, we find much more access to parks through TT. We like Corps parks too but we also like lots of amenities, pools, courts, gyms - so TT gives that almost everywhere in good fashion. You have to supplement for the middle part of the country. RPI ($150 a year). Passport America ($349 lifetime). I find with the three programs, I can always find great rates, largely FREE (TT) or $10 (RPI). CONS: Florida can be a challenge in the winter because the world is there! Moving every 2-3 weeks (I don't mind this though)
Great video. We're just starting out and this was immensely helpful. Loved the shirts! (retired navy) Thanks Y'all.
I love your videos. The most informative channel I’ve found. I’m not full time. Have an rv and use it a lot but do plan to go full time when I retire and watch and read a lot on the subject just trying to do my homework and have learned a lot by watching you guys. Keep it coming!
Hi guys. I used to be a thousand Trails member back when there were no zones. I was a platinum member which I was allowed 21 days. I am no longer a member, I started in 1993 and let my membership go in 2018. Reason: TTN is now open to the public, it used to be the best campground system in the USA . You could leave your rv open, your kids could run around safely. The monthly or annual maintenance fee does not go to the parks themselves, the money goes to the incentive programs. These last few years the parks have not been able to keep up with maintenance on the parks. Parks at one time had security, which they no longer have.
Just a few items as to the changes in the park system.
I just found you guys and I am now binge watching all your videos!!! I love your positive attitude and all that you do for the troops ❤️💜
Thanks Michelle!! This made our day!!!!
You guys are so fun to watch, love the blooper bits on the end. Your info is always well organized, thorough and complete. Thanks so much!
Thanks so much!
Thank you so much for this video! We are about to embark on being full time RVers and are researching all possible ways to camp. Love your reference to the COE campgrounds and city, county and state parks. The way to go for us too I believe. You just inspired me to join Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome as that opens up all kinds of possibilities. We want to "wing it", but within reason too!! Keep your insights coming - very authentic and very helpful!!
Hey guys, thanks for info we are military retired too. I was glad to hear that you stay at the army corps and the base. We like both and some of the state parks are nice. I had heard about thousand trail but didn’t see a need for it. The whole purpose is to be free to stay anywhere anytime. Stay safe and god bless.
Just signed up as Hosts in Boondockers Welcome, we hope to be RVing next year so we want to learn the ropes! If you are in mid Coast Maine come boondock on our peninsula!
I can't wait to visit Maine again. We hope to head out spring 2021, and New England is on our radar for our first adventure (from SC) since we haven't visited family in over a year now. Harvest Host and Boondockers Welcome are two memberships we definitely plan to join before hitting the road. We'll look for you!
I'll be in that area soon any tips
@@mayflower1224 old orchard beach, old port, portland, freeport for shopping, pemaquid beach, midcoast maine, rockland, acadia....
We are thinking of experiencing the RV life,so thank you for the info!
very helpful guys! We are just starting our full time journey now and find your videos very helpful
Phil, you guys are awesome I love watching you guys. You have a lot of good info. too.
Thanks so much
Yes we have membership via my parents as they signed up when Thousand Trails first opened. Unlimited and our annual fee is $360
I almost joined TT today, but i decided to watch a few videos (pros and cons) and well I'm glad i watched your video. I love your honesty and the fact that you didn't bad-mouth them made it even better. I love the other options you presented. I subscribed to your channel. :) Truly enjoyed your video. Keep up the good work. Eddie & Mary Chinea.
I don’t have either membership. Enjoyed your video (linked from a Google drivin n vibing article). Found you on TH-cam, subscribed and gave a thumbs up. We get our Little Guy Max teardrop in November.
We did when we were full time. It was great to have a place to go charge up, do laundry.
This was our first year traveling for the winter. We purchased the Thousand Trails camping pass and the Trails Collection and it has saved us thousands of dollars in the six months we've used it. We treasured our two week stay at Sunshine Key RV Resort in the Keys last December. Safe travels!
Thanks for sharing!
Enjoyed the video guys. Loved the bloopers, funny stuff. We have a TT membership, but have only been able to us it one time in the last 7 months.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great info. We are in the information gathering stage and hope to have a rig for full time within 3 years. The type of stays you seem to like are exactly what we have envisioned so great to learn we are not off base. Thanks again. My only issue is getting binge butt from watching so many of your videos!
HAHAHA.....well I hope you have comfy chair.....we have much more to offer! LOL
We bought a Harvest Host for the first time in 2020 and found the one and only time we used it to be great. Would have used it more but Covid-19 forced us to return home to Canada. Looking forward to using Harvest Host again. P.S. we stayed in a COE camp and were amazed...must do more. Thanks for the Vlog about them!!!
Welcome!
We have a Harvest Hosts membership and love it. Some of the coolest places we have stayed were Harvest Host locations.
Us too
Love...Love...Love this video! Exactly what I was looking for right now! Getting our first RV next Spring, a Renegade Super C classic 45 foot. Going to be going full-time RVing and trying to figure out the most economical way to stay places and still have access to hook ups but also kind of have ADD and don’t plan a lot in advance, so this is going to be perfect what you’re recommending. Thank you sooooo much!
Our pleasure!
Great video guys I just started watching your videos. I also want to say THANK YOU Phil for your service. I won't buy a Thousand Oaks membership either because to me it's almost like a time share if your lucky you get a good spot if not you end up with what they got or nothing at all, plus they are very expensive. Keep up the great videos.
Yes, I am mixed on mine. I have to say though in this current situation we have been able to stay in a park past our scheduled stay. They are allowing us to hunker in place here. They have really stepped up. The parks are hit and miss though. At the end of the day I prefer state parks all day long. We have the Elite Plus plan right now. My big advise is do not by through FL. It cost more in taxes. Go through member specialist outside of FL to avoid their tax. Thanks for the share. We love Harvest Host as well.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
No: we had a membership 20 yrs ago - we got out of because the parks were old, and in disrepair. Very poor maintenance.
Yeah, that doesn't surprise me. When the arrangement brings in no new revenue after the initial sale -- whether the customer spends one night or 240 nights, the additional revenue is the same (zero) -- there's no incentive to maintain, let alone upgrade, the facilities.
Hi, I am enjoying learning from you both. My husband and are researching before we sell our house and go full time RV. Are kids are grown and they even are encouraging us to go out and travel.
Thank you again.
Debra
Love the bloopers. Great info. Learned a lot. About to get a class c and head out. Subscribed!
No- we were waiting for someone to do an awesome video like this 😜 ~ Chasing the Dream RV
Ya'll rock
You guys are awesome. I am a veteran that qualified for the access pass. I was very excited when service connected veterans were allowed base/post access in 2020. Including the campgrounds. I couldn't figure out why you guys were not constantly on base. Then I discovered that I get 50 percent off with so many off the national parks, corps of engineers etc... now I dont get that discount on base. Now I understand why you are not on base more.
You got it!! Also, they are not always in the area in which we are traveling.
The blooper reel at the end is hilarious. Good to see that you guys are having fun.
Thanks Jason......go Broncos!!!
I subscribed and put notifications on, because This video was very helpful. We are close to getting an RV. We’re just debating a Class C, or a Class A. We would be RV campers in Summer and Fall as we would Winter and Spring in South Western Arizona, because of our house is there. Thank you for sharing the many clubs to consider. Now I’ll have my homework and research to do.
Welcome! We are so glad you are here. Good luck with the RV search
I would like to RV in the future and you gave me some great choices besides Thousand Trails....
No - Surprised to hear of the high-level cost for full-timers. Still researching our options so your topic is of interest.
Great video. I'm thinking about getting an RV and TT will NOT be on my to-get list. But some of those other memberships might be. Thanks for the great content!
Welcome!
I love your videos. Thinking of full time RV’ing. Thanks for all the info.
Hello my favorite military rovers. It's been a while since I commented. This was a great video. I'm personally happy that I decided to wait until I had been out on the road for a while. Health issues took us off the road and I would have been stuck with a zone pass without being able to use it. Yes I would have tried the zone pass first to see if I liked it or not. $500-$600 is easier to deal with if you decide that you don't like it, plus $600 for one year of being able to start 14 nights at a time in a campground isn't a bad deal. We are planning on doing some part time ring this summer, but can't stay out long on the road. Still love the lifestyle even if I have to do it part time. Keep doing what you do, take care and stay healthy.
Hey friend I hope you guys are doing well! Prayers for you guys.
Yes: Just purchased a Grand Design Reflection 5th wheel. The purchase of the trailer came with a Thousand Trails membership for a year.
OK, CONGRADULATIONS. ....but take their advice. The industry has ruined itself with greed.
We just bought our travel trailer and haven't decided yet open minded to get info thank you Lynn
Thanks for the insights. We are struggling with the YES or NO question. Bloopers were awesome!
Glad it was helpful!
Been a Thousand Trails member since 2016. We have been doing the 4-year basic 1-zone memberships with The Trails Collection. The advantage of the 4-year membership is that it allows for the same membership cost for 4 years (currently for us at $499/year). The Trails Collection is a $300 add-on that gives us campgrounds all over the Encore/TT areas, not just our zone. We pay $300 at the start of each year for the Trails Collection and $41+/month for the basic membership. We use the 4 day option which allows us to go from TT park to TT park anytime we want. We are planners so planning 60 days in advance is no problem. We normally spend 50 days/year in TT/Encore parks out of the 6 months that we RV every year.
Yes. Members since 1989. We can stay up to 21 days, lovely areas, FREE!. yes I wish there were more preserves in the Midwest, we’ve enjoyed our membership
Thanks for sharing your experience.
THANK YOU!!! We’re going full time in the next few months and this was something I wanted more info on, this video helped me make my decision! ☺️☀️
Glad it was helpful!
You guys are REAL! Love it and your videos.
We got one years ago, didn’t use it enough to pay for it and had a HARD time getting out of it...they were horrible and had lied to get us in. Never again!!! It all sounds so rosy & they’re so helpful at first, but when we wanted to sell, they were not helpful at all. It ended up costing us a lot to get out. Y’all were smart!
Thanks so much!
That sounds like our experience with a timeshare!
I can’t thank you enough enough. I’ve been in a nursing home for the last 21/2 years and bought an RV ready to roll. But I don’t go into things blindly. I have found y’all to honest fair people and trust your opinions as they have saved me a bunch of mistakes. Thank you again and please keep them coming. Ur in my prayers Tom
That is awesome!
Looks like y'all were ahead of the curve. Almost all of the rv utubers that i watch have ditched their thousand trails membership over the last 2 months and have been very vocal about doing so. Kudos to you and happy travels.
I literally JUST got their postcard in the mail yesterday!! Crazy how this came up in my recommended videos! I was trying to do the math and it seemed like for my "zone" that I'd have to be out camping 45+ days a year compared to their daily rates to feel like I got my monies worth.
OMG, I’m still laughing! Great information! I love the idea of COE and State parks. I’m a little disappointed with a lot of the private parks as well. We stay there but it’s not always the best. I just went to my RV Parky App and filtered out everything except the public parks and boom, there it is. Lots of little green tents that show all the COE, city, county and state parks. Very cool and lots of choices. Thanks again. I feel smarter now. 🤪
Welcome!
I checked out Thousand Trails, but Coast to Coast seemed like a better deal with better campsites - just joined Coast to Coast and looking forward to using it once my wife is better!
Excellent information. Thanks so much. I was literally cracking up at your bloopers on this one. Just love you guys.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Going to be going full time soon so I really enjoy you videos!! Thank you!!
I currently have a thousand trails zone pass because I'm still working and use it for local weekend getaways and it saves me money during the year. The membership you didn't mention is passport America which offers 50% off at over 1800 campgrounds. Passport America campgrounds typically doesn't give discounts on weekends, but during the week when you are traveling to another venue and need a place to stay. My job has me traveling to MD and there is a county campground 6 miles from the office that I receive 50% off 4 days a week using passport America. For about$50 a year it pays for itself in less than 3 nights.
@@Couplesciencethere are restrictions but you can't beat the price. At $44/year, it pays for itself in 2 nights.
Sorry to hear you've had issues.
What I do is call the campground and ask if they have availability then how much it is per night. I then say, oh, I'm a Passport America member and they say 50% off!
I used it every night travelling from coast to coast.
We belonged to Thousand Trails back in the 80's. We spent most weekend there and our kids really enjoyed it. Lots of things for both adults and kids to do. They were eventually bought out by NACO and then the problems started. Poor management, sites deteriorating, rule changes, pool closures and staff problems. We bought a 7 year membership and had planned to take over my parents lifetime membership after that. When ours ended they tried to tell us that we had signed up for a lifetime membership and we had checked the box for it. We had our original paperwork showing the box "not checked" but they showed theirs as being checked. We had problems with them for two years of phone calls, collection companies, threatening phone calls and notifications on our credit reports. They finally gave up when we threatened to sue them. Warning to all, read the contact carefully, watched was you sign and boxes checked (by you and "Them") and above all, keep your original paperwork, and don't send them your originals if they demand them.
That's horrible
I am now watching some of your earlier videos and I love the outtakes. You guys act like Newlyweds!!! Too much fun.
Thank you guys so much for ALL your useful info! We are about your age and are military vets looking to RV full-time. You guys make me laugh lol 😂
I completely agree with your choice of #1 campground, "Corp of Engineers campgrounds are the greatest places to stay. We have been camping for over 42 years and stay at them every time we get a chance.
Do you have to be retired military to stay there?
Totally agree! It looks like a kind of "flat rate" for camping at first but if you read the details it turns out a laughibly disadvantagous deal. Above all: It may theoretically make sense if you use thousand trails campgrounds ALL THE TIME but, honestly, barely any full time RVer does that. Who really needs that? You go on the internet look for a good offer in the region you wanna stay in and that's it. There are so many offers available you really can find something within your budget almost everywhere.
Love your outtakes shows your honesty in what your putting out their thanks also thanks for your service Sir
Very welcome
My grandparents had a membership and they absolutely loved it and I loved visiting them and they were member volunteers. 10 years later after they have passed I was considering getting my own membership but I am reviewing videos to see if it’s worth it and how much things have changed and if I would fit in to this lifestyle at this point.
Hi guys, we bought a Thousand Trails Elite Basic, we spend alot of time in California because we have lots of family in the bay area, also we heard good things and some bad things, but overall we love our Thousand Trails. Staying around family its was costing roughly $540. a week ouch! We also plan on staying outside of Thousand Trails parks also. We are about 7 months into full timing so we still have lots to learn. Another great video. Thanks, btw Go Army! 😊
Peter Mullins Thank You Fellow Veteran for Your Service . I was US Air Force '71 - ' '75 worked VA ' 76 - ' 97 .
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Hi, I'm Sherrie. I'm also a Navy veteran, First Gulf War. I'm looking for a van, full size,250 V8 engine.
Hi Stacey and Phil! Boy are we lucky we did buy Thousand Trails! We are on our first trip. Left VA January 1st. Moved around central FL a little, then found Hillcrest RV Resort in Zephyrhills. Stayed one month, then extended another month. Had a blast! But decided to end the season near Orlando. Booked 2 weeks at Orlando RV Resort in Clermont (Thousand Trails) we were supposed to c/o March 31, we were extended to April 7, now we are here till May 1st. Thousand Trails has been amazing! They are following CDC guidelines and stay in place orders! We have been blessed! We are so comfortable in our Entegra. Our neighbors have been terrific. Our neverending winter stay! So, unusual as it may be, we are thankful for our membership.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Clear as mud... absolutely love the outtakes... maybe a blooper channel next?
Great information! I watch you guys all the time! We will be full time and first timers by the end of this year!
That is awesome!
I do not have a Thousand Trails membership, but a friend does and we were not impressed with the couple parks we stayed at owned by Thousand Trails in the Virginia/Maryland area.
Yes, we have a TT membership, and we won't be renewing it. We bought our first camper this past February, and the membership came with the camper. $599 is a LOT to pay for what you get, IMO. The campgrounds we have stayed at are super sketch. An example was one in South Carolina, that the electrical was so wonky, our A/C wouldn't run on it. The sewer hookup was UPHIILL, and wouldn't drain...(that was NOT FUN). We complained, and were moved to a different site halfway through our stay. They also knew about the bad electrical, and gave us the spot anyway, but didn't tell us about it. We found that out from the maintenance man. They wouldn't move us sooner, because they had a LOT of permanent campers, that were very old, and they had limited spots. The other one we stayed at, in Tennessee, looked like it had no maintenance for a long time, and the water hookups were all leaking and had been hit by people backing up into them, and were never fixed. So, no TT is not the place for us. On the other hand, we do have a Harvest Host membership, and love it. Never a bad stay. Just subbed, keep up the great videos!
I took a look at Harvest Host (HH) online, looks really cool. I just have one question with the (HH) locations, are there guaranteed and dedicated water supply and electrical lines to help recharge power your RV?
first off I would like to say how much I have been enjoying your videos and have learned a lot. we have been RVrs for over 30 years and I am still learning a thing or two. Just this month i have come across your videos. we are not Thousand Trails members and probably will not become one. We will be staying at our first military campground in September at the Sea Mist in Dam Neck Va. We are retired Navy and will probably be starting the use of the military and Army Corps of engineers campgrounds more in the future. our June travel this year is already set, and hope to see you on the road.
Thank you very much for the information. It is a great help. We are preparing for full time RVing in two years, so we are starting our researching. Thanks again.
Glad it was helpful!
I can’t believe it’s been two years already, we been with you since the beginning. May 28th 2021 is still our goal.
Thanks so much for sticking with us!!
Stix Jackson you’re starting full timing then? We are shooting for a little bit later that summer/fall
Kelly Powell that was the goal. May 28th 2021 on our 25 anniversary.
Awesome perspective:) we purchased our TT’s this year right before all of this ugh - we have not been able to travel yet but looking forward to it. We look forward to doing HH and BW as well and ACOE... as we will not always be where TT parks are.
I am hoping to be out on the road with my better 1/2 soon.
Stay well & take care.
💗
You too!
wow, great job with this video. I spent 2 hours watching this because I would pause and check out the link/s related to what you presented, then watch a little more and pause again and check out more links, ... We are retired part time rvrs, 4-7 weeks worth a year. we considered thousand trails because we are full hookup people, and because one of our favorite campground 2 hours from us became associated with thousand trails. but the availability of a site is not guaranteed so it's not work the huge cost to join. thank you for all of the valuable information!!!
Great information and sharing!!! Also....love the bloopers!!!!!
Thanks so much!
We started out with the Camping Pass for the first year and a half but recently upgraded to an Elite Basic membership. With our 5th wheel, dry camping was much easier and the camping pass was great for a full-hookup break. We moved to an older diesel pusher and dry camping is not so simple. Not much ground clearance and the body flexes enough that the corners of the windshield popped out a couple of times. Plus the macerating toilet uses a lot of water. So, instead of adding lithium batteries and solar, we opted for the membership. This RV seems to prefer RV parks and campgrounds. We also like the CoE, city and county parks but it seems to be almost impossible to get into state parks so we don’t even bother trying anymore. Cost was similar between solar+batteries and the membership. It seems to be working out fine, after 3 weeks at a TT park in TX, we were getting ready to move on when they extended our stay for a month at no cost.
Good video! We enjoyed the bloopers at the end!
Also two thumbs up for HH! We haven’t tried Boondockers welcome yet.
Richard M wow! I take my DP everywhere (really-been places no one should take a 40’ rig to😜) and have less problems with it than my former towable. Mine prefers boondocking but my new 15yo crew member needs a campground so here we sit (also grateful for TTs hospitality) until SIP is lifted or the park closes for the season. Looking at 100 degree temps next week 😳
Thanks so much!
I buy the Zone Pass on years that I am traveling the East Coast. Last year I paid $535.00 for 2 zones and stayed at least 60 nights in TT Parks. If you took just $40.00 per night x 60 nights I got $2400. in camping for my $535.00 I have favorite parks that I really like and we don't mind the 7 days out. We usually try to stay at COE on our out days if we can get a site. So far, I have always managed to get into the TT parks but it sometimes took more than one call before I could book all of my days. So, for me it works and I like it. With the Zone pass I don't have any long term commitments and I like that too.
Yep that's the route I'm thinking about going as well👍🏽
Thanks for sharing your experience.
By 2:33, I knew TT was not for me either... Thanks for the info.. Best wishes!!
Thanks
😂 you guys are great! Thanks for the tips! We love county/state parks and boondocking! We will check out your recommendations.
Our pleasure!
We are going to Mt. and N.M. starting in Aug. I will look into BW and HH availability along our way. We will be staying at at least two Famcamps. One at Ellsworth AFB, S.D. and at Malstrom AFB in Great Falls. Thanks for the tips.
John Irwin if you’re going to spend a lot of time in NM, they have 225.00 pass that knocks ten dollars off their already cheap 14.00 fees for electric and water sites. So, it’s four dollars a night and you’ve made your money back after 23 days. We’ve stayed three or four months at a time there and $4.00 a night is a great deal.
@@Jumpingoffthecliff , our time in N.M. will be spent in the southeast corner with my Granddaughter and family. There is only one good campground in town as far as I am concerned. This is the edge of the oil fields so a lot of oil field workers in some of the campgrounds. We may only be there 7 to 14 days as the schedule is not set yet. This will be our third trip there. Thanks for the tip anyway.
Have fun!
@@todayissomeday ,Oh we will. Great Grand kids. 5 of them. 2 months to 16 months . One set of twins. Havn't seen any yet except picture and one in not due till June?
John Irwin I worked that area, Artesia, Carlsbad, etc. when I designed and sold frac jobs back before anyone outside the oil patch had ever heard of hydraulic fracturing. It certainly isn’t the prettiest part of New Mexico. Take care.
Thanks Phil and Stacey for all the video content. I am a TT Elite member and although it is far from perfect I feel it is a good choice. You neglected to mention that time moving about translates into higher costs (fuel and maintenance) as well as stress. I like to hunker down for 3 week stays and if I can bounce between TT campgrounds I can keep my costs in check. You also neglected to factor in the solar expense to your boondocking stays. One more point to consider is the size of the rig and where you can actually find a place to park it. Botton line.....individual circumstances are unique and one size fits all doesn't apply. Thanks again....keep the content coming.
Love your humor. Very informative. Hope to RV in the future...God Bless!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Lot of good info. Just getting started RVing and want to do some boon docking and harvest host. I like the way you two think.
Have fun!
Be sure to watch until the end for epic bloopers! I couldn't stop laughing during the filming of this video.
Thank you for sharing your Thousand Trails perspective for everyone. The best decisions are made with the most information!
BEST BLOOPER REEL😂😂😂😂
Yeah, the bloopers were hilarious!
You, Me & the RV oh, you guys look so happy in this bloop reel! I hope you’re having enough fun to make it worth all the work. Thank you sooo much for this channel. We LOVE it!
Agreed! Once the laughing starts, it's hard to stop (for me too). Thx for that!
"clear as mud" LOL. Thanks for much needed, extra laughs!
We full time RV and it paid for itself in 14 days of use. We’ve loved that it is an upfront fee, so basically a prepaid expense. We can cut out campground expenses dramatically just by staying at TT campgrounds.
We are trying to do most of the country in only one year, so we have also purchased every zone. The $49 each seems so nominal that it was a no-brainer to buy zones.
Should we stop fulltiming, TT will no longer be a good fit for us. But for now it’s great!
Downsides are that you can’t reserve a specific site, everything is first come first served, some campgrounds aren’t very well kept.
Overall if you use it a lot it is dirt cheap, and you get what you pay for! But we’ve been really happy with it
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I agree with you about camping at a Army Core Engineer sites are the best. Clean and on the water. We tend to stay at the 4 campgrounds at Rend Lake in Illinois. We camp part time and still have our home. We live in Troy, Illinois. I love your videos.
This video has been SO helpful! We keep going back and forth on if we wanted to get a membership to thousand trails or not because we plan to stay along the coast (beach bums here) but in order to meet our needs the cost is so high.
Glad we could help.
NO, still trying to decide IF..it's a good fit for my style of travel.
Thanks for sharing
Don't Do It! Not worth it, they ripped off my son 🥴😥😰🥴
Thousand Trails does not sound like a good fit for me. boondocking, off grid camping - that sounds good to me. Thank you for sharing this info!
Our pleasure!
That's how we roll. Most Elks Lodges have member camping too. Cheap.
Thanks for your insight on this subject. We are beginning F/T' ers and believe we will be trying some of your favorite types of stays as well! Currently in Livingston Tx but will be on the move again in January.
Ya'll are cool! Thanks for the good info. We are State Parkers and COE's for sure!! Love them! Stay safe!
Awesome! Thank you!
Yes. Great value!!! We chose Basic Camping Pass (added an extra Zone). $550/year with discount. Pays for itself within 12-15 nights/year. Therefore, we stayed in Yosemite TT for free (for 2 weeks). We are on the west coast. Also, everyplace else was booked a year in advance. Not all TTs are well maintained, but good enough. Yes!
Thanks so much for sharing the info! It will help.
I agree. The camping pass is an extremely good value. We wintered for 3 months in FL using TT as much as possible (I was able to get into all the parks I wanted to except the Keys). Average night was
Yes I feel that it's a good value as well and plan on getting the camping pass to try it out and see if we want to get a full-blown membership. Thanks for sharing Yosemite is not a bad place to be able to stay for two weeks at😉
I had joined Harvest Hosts because I recently went on an out West trip and was gone for a month but I didn’t use it once. I find I don’t plan ahead but stop when I’m tired. Harvest host they want notice ahead of time and that’s just not how I roll so I canceled
Hey, sister!
Love watching the wife doin the outside stuff getting ready to leave .priceless.👍👍👍👍😍😍
Thank you, for information you provided. As a newbie to RVing, any information is great. I normally don’t comment back, but for future of endeavors greatly appreciated.
Our pleasure!