Harvest Hosts

wapiticountry wrote:
Harvest Hosts doesn’t publish the host locations because that is literally the only thing they have to sell. I would bet almost all the hosts would offer the exact same accommodations to non members if they called and asked.
Those hosts expect you to buy their products, that is how they were sold on being hosts in the first place. It is marketed as a way for those businesses to increase their sales. If the hosts get a string of non buyers just looking for free stays those hosts will become ex-hosts. They aren’t RV centric charities, they are small businesses looking for new customers.

This is literally the business model for Harvest Hosts.

They "sell" the concept to the host sites as a means to bring in new retail traffic that otherwise wouldn't visit. And they promise the host property that visitors will spend at least the value of an RV site at the host property in exchange for a one night stopover. No promise or guarantee of any hookups are required. The host sets the rules regarding pets and generators (both generally not allowed, especially pets if there's a farm dog).

Harvest Hosts then "sells" the concept of these unique locations to dry camp/boondock to RVers. Most of the sites are off the beaten path or at least not along a travel route. Not really for overnight stops if you're enroute somewhere, but that's what Harvest Hosts suggest the sites are intended to be. RVers see "free camping*" and miss the asterisk that says you should spend as much as you would on an RV park night at the host site.

It's never been our style of stopover and we don't care for the business model.