Harvest Hosts

Just like there are multiple styles of RVs, the style of HH is not for everyone. Indeed, all of the categories of host are not for everyone. We filter out a few of the categories when searching for a location.

We are not wine drinkers or big restaurant goers so those locations get filtered out. We don't plan trips around using HH locations. If one is convenient then great. If not, some CG or, heaven forbid, Walmart, will do.

If you are looking at HH for the 'free' factor, keep looking. It is not for you. If you enjoy a different experience from the run of the mill CG & are prepared for bit of dry camping this is a good fit providing stories to be told for years to come.

The 'welcoming committee' consisting of a herd of goats will never be forgotten.

Matt_Colie wrote:
If you can overnight purely self contained, then also consider Boondockers Welcome. It isn't really boondocking, but it can easily qualify as dry camping.
We have been BW hosts for a few years now and only about half even welcome the 15amp lead that I can provide. Oh and water when the weather is warm. I do ask for 5$ for the 15amp because electric here is expensive.
The great joke is that we have yet to be guests anywhere because when we were first members the host density was really low and they just were not where we needed them to be.
I am hoping to change that this year.

Matt

Matt, the two gals that started Boondockers Welcome (very close to here in Southern Ontario) sold the whole thing to Harvest Hosts last year.

BW & HH are one group now.

Unfortunately they resisted identifying the former BW hosts separately but if you know what you’re looking at it’s pretty easy to tell them apart.

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.

If you can overnight purely self contained, then also consider Boondockers Welcome. It isn't really boondocking, but it can easily qualify as dry camping.
We have been BW hosts for a few years now and only about half even welcome the 15amp lead that I can provide. Oh and water when the weather is warm. I do ask for 5$ for the 15amp because electric here is expensive.
The great joke is that we have yet to be guests anywhere because when we were first members the host density was really low and they just were not where we needed them to be.
I am hoping to change that this year.

Matt

deadticket8 wrote:
Good info. I never liked Walmart as all night traffic but that changed with covid. And some Walmarts are actually nice, like Ticonderoga, NY. Where are these parks $20-25 night with electric? I'm all over that! Im going cross country in spring. Planning mostly one and two night stops on way out and back.

We are planning a cross country trip in 2026 or 2027. I am researching things like Harvest Hosts for a variety of reasons. I like the idea of finding an off the beaten path place for a night or two, every 3rd or 4th night. I'm thinking I need at least the ability to use a generator though.

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 person gets it. Good post.

HH does not suit all. If you are the type who really "needs" power or a site almost level then HH is not for you.

HH works well for the adaptable traveller who has a battery bank big enough to get by a night without "needing" to run a generator, the traveller who always travels with at least a days worth of water onboard allowing for short or no notice stays which demand preparedness.

HH is about the experience of the location, if only for a short stay. You pick & choose your preferences. We are not wine drinkers so wineries are filtered out of our search list when considering locations.

Do we save money? I suppose so. A little. But getting 'free' camping has never been a primary reason for being HH members.

I just went on HH and entered my city and email address. Up popped a map of every HH spot in the US. Seems like thats all the info you need to decide if you want to join or not.
On the map there's Icons. When you click on the icon it won't tell you where it is exactly but it's obviously not hard to tell that its a few miles from somewhere. The type of icon tells you what the HH spot is. i.e winery/farm.

Look at where you travel and see if there's some HH in your travels. Whats so hard about that?

No much that I can add. I am in my first year of membership and have stayed in only a few Harvest Hosts. Here is the summary of my experience: It is worth it to stay in some really different places where you can have personal contact with the owners. Our preference is mostly to stay at farms and we have been pleased with those where we have stayed. Don't do it to stay in a free or "inexpensive" place, but do it for the enjoyment of a different kind of overnight RV travel. Every place we have stayed in HH has been far better than a Walmart or even Cracker Barrel, neither of which we have ever chosen in which to overnight.

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.