Escapees - would you recommend them?

While I don't use their mail service (I'm sure it's very good), I enjoy using SKP co-op parks when traveling. They are usually excellent and a very good value. I'm also thinking about a domicile state (still using WA) and can't decide between TX and SD. Escapees is a great organization, especially for full time RVers.

We've been members for over 20 years and used their mail forwarding service for 18 years with absolutely no problems.

They don't sell insurance.

You'll get out of Escapees what you want to contribute. It's not about only staying at RV parks. It's becoming active in the Club, visiting their own parks, perhaps getting on a wait list to buy into one of their parks, going to their yearly Escapades (rallies), going through their Boot Camp program for newbies, joining one of their subgroups and doing things with them. They have a CARE facility where you can go an recoup after surgery, still live in your RV but have transportation to doctors and a day program. It offers much more.

I believe the membership is only $40/year right now so it's not like it's really expensive. There's also a wonderful bi-monthly magazine with articles written by RVers and very little advertising.

We've met many friends through this organization and when traveling kept in touch and would plan for meet-ups. Stay at their own parks during the holidays and it's an awesome family-like experience sharing food and many holiday activities. We'd highly recommend the organization for full-timers.

We joined Escapees when we started full time, not for the mailservice but for the other benefits. They are the only voice for the RV community and take action when legislation comes up that directly affect us. We enjoy staying at the clubs parks while traveling, your always welcome. They also have annual book of campgrounds that give discounts on camping.

TRAILRIDER125 wrote:
For those who have experience with Escapees.com. How do you like the service? I am thinking about using their mail forwarding service and address, maybe going through them for insurance too. I have no idea which state to choose, but I am leaning toward Florida since if I set in one place for any given time it most likely will be there. any advice?

Despite what others have said, Escapees does indeed sell insurance -- see www.rverinsurance.com.

However, Escapees is a SD-TX-FL "club". They focus their resources and services in these 3 states.

If you plan to domicile in one of these three states, then great. However, if you're under 65 and have to purchase your own health insurance, SD and TX are awful domicile choices.

TechWriter wrote:


Despite what others have said, Escapees does indeed sell insurance -- see www.rverinsurance.com.

However, Escapees is a SD-TX-FL "club". They focus their resources and services in these 3 states.

Escapees does not sell insurance. It endorses companies throughout the country who specialize in RV insurance.

It will link you to insurance sites like FMCA does. It doesn't sell insurance.

These are the endorsed members of which your above link is one of them:

https://escapees.com/support/endorsed-vendors

These are the commercial members:

https://escapees.com/support/commercial-members/complete-list

There are many companies that support the Escapees RV Club.

It is not a SD-TX-FL club. It is a RVer club. It is for any part-timer or full-timer. Anyone can join who lives in any state and you don't have to use their mail service. If you want to domicile in SD-TX-FL then it does help you with domiciling there but you certainly don't have to.

We use the "address" option and mail forwarding with absolutely no problems. We highly recommend them.

what a load of mis-information. get your facts straight before you speak.
Tech-Writer seems to be a "one trick pony", he answers every question with his view on health insurance, even when insurance wasn't part of the question.

Escapees is not a SD-TX-FL club, anymore than FMCA is an Ohio club just because its headquarters & services are located in Cincinnati.
In fact up until the past year, Escapees mail service was only offered in TX. Its still based in TX, but was just recently expanded to SD & FL at the request of its members.
Escapees supports fulltimers all over the country in many different ways. Escapees helped develop low cost RV parks & coop parks for their members in many states outside SD-TX-FL. Escapees has an RV rights "action team" that has fought many anti fulltimer & anti RV laws in many states outside SD-TX-FL. Escapees publishes a monthly fulltimer RV related magazine that gets mailed to members in every state of the country.
Escapees has negotiated member discounts with campgrounds & other RV related businesses all over the country. Escapees doesn't directly sell insurance or any other RV product. They have commercial members whose products & services they endorse or recommend or negotiate member discounts. Using Tech-Writer's flawed logic, FMCA sells tires since they endorse & offer a member discount for Michelin tires.

Although the Escapees mail forwarding service is excellent, its only one small part of what the Escapees organization does. In fact many Escapee members don't even participate in the Escapees mail service, choosing to use one of the other professional mail services. Many long time Escapee members chose to domicile in SD long before Escapees recently added their mail service to SD.
Also, some Escapee members are not domiciled in either SD-TX-FL for a variety of reasons. Although anyone knowledgeable about fulltiming knows that the vast majority choose to domicile in SD or TX or FL, whether they belong to Escapees or not. That was true before and after getting individual health insurance became a problem for some. Only a portion of the fulltiming community falls into the under 65 and need to provide their own private health insurance. Tech-Writer seems to think the world revolves around that one issue. Its a valid issue but its not the only issue for most of us.

PS: I'm a Lifetime member of Escapees and yes I recommend them, whether you use their mail service or not

TechWriter wrote:

Despite what others have said, Escapees does indeed sell insurance -- see www.rverinsurance.com.

However, Escapees is a SD-TX-FL "club". They focus their resources and services in these 3 states.

If you plan to domicile in one of these three states, then great. However, if you're under 65 and have to purchase your own health insurance, SD and TX are awful domicile choices.

2gypsies wrote:

Escapees does not sell insurance. It endorses companies throughout the country who specialize in RV insurance.

Your distinction is lost on me . . . and does it really matter?

2gypsies wrote:

It is not a SD-TX-FL club. It is a RVer club. If you want to domicile in SD-TX-FL then it does help you with domiciling there but you certainly don't have to.

And if you want to domicile in another state, you're pretty much on your own.

For full time RVers, it's a SD-TX-FL club. Nothing wrong with that, but don't make the club into something it isn't.

Besides Escapees has a really nice mag and website -- www.rvnetwork.com

jrp wrote:

PS: I'm a Lifetime member of Escapees and yes I recommend them, whether you use their mail service or not.

Fasten you seat belts. Here come the fan boys.

We're members and really enjoy the group. The best part we've found is the members all seem to be really nice and helpful.