I approached this issue from the opposite direction. We bought into our host campground because of its proximity to our home and saw it as a place to camp on a regular basis. We paid a lot, probably too much, but we saw it as a long-term purchase and something we could pass on to our children who also camp. The C2C membership was a bonus. The annual membership is not much, the nightly rate is very low and we have seldom had issues getting reservations wherever we travel. Since member campgrounds apparently reserve a few sites for C2C members, we have been able to get a site with as little as a few hours advanced notice.
If you are looking for a host campground just to get into C2C, then find the cheapest one you can anywhere in the country. But if you are going to use your host campground as your base for travel, then find one you would enjoy returning to for years to come.
