RV Club membership

I feel you have to break down what you want from a "club". If you want discounts then of course GS/CW will provide you with not only the store discounts but campground discounts as well. If you are looking for campground discounts your club of choice may be pass port america or coast to coast.

However if you are looking to join a "chapter" within a club Good Sam would be the one to join. You would find a chapter nearest your home and make contact. The rest would be up to you and the chapter folks.

craig7h wrote:
I feel you have to break down what you want from a "club". If you want discounts then of course GS/CW will provide you with not only the store discounts but campground discounts as well. If you are looking for campground discounts your club of choice may be pass port america or coast to coast.

However if you are looking to join a "chapter" within a club Good Sam would be the one to join. You would find a chapter nearest your home and make contact. The rest would be up to you and the chapter folks.

That's exactly my point, i don't know what to expect/want, hence the question. On boat we are member of sailing association, marina and some other clubs that are mostly social functions more than anything else (except the professional bodies).

I read that its good to join Escapees as they do have their own domincile solution, but i wont need that. I also read about good sam and the discounts, which again is not top of the list.

So i want to know from as many of you as possible what are those benefits and why should i do it :-)

If you need a home address they are an option but not the only one by far. In fact, many of the marine ones you may have used are quite viable.

Unlike Yacht clubs, you don't see as much of the formal groups camping. I think it has to do with most people stay most weekends at their home marina so you get to know each other. Most campers are kept at home or in a storage yard and everyone heads out in different directions on the weekends.

Most of the clubs we've come across are usually groups of friends that have grown organically rather than formal clubs. Eventually, someone takes on the role of making reservations and organizing dinner but not like a yacht club.

If you are looking at discounts, yeah, GoodSam/CW work. Another to consider if you are moving a lot is Passport America. They are mostly for short term stays (1-2 days) but really good deals. If you move a lot, they can save you a lot. If you tend to be more stationary only moving once every month or two, they likely won't save you enough.

valhalla360 wrote:
If you need a home address they are an option but not the only one by far. In fact, many of the marine ones you may have used are quite viable.

So i can use our Marina that we are using now. Good point although, i would have to check for vehicle registrations (other than boats :-) ). Anyway i am already working with nice lady in Americas Mailbox to resolve that part of the move. So i have couple of options there.

valhalla360 wrote:
Unlike Yacht clubs, you don't see as much of the formal groups camping. I think it has to do with most people stay most weekends at their home marina so you get to know each other. Most campers are kept at home or in a storage yard and everyone heads out in different directions on the weekends.

Most of the clubs we've come across are usually groups of friends that have grown organically rather than formal clubs. Eventually, someone takes on the role of making reservations and organizing dinner but not like a yacht club.

If you are looking at discounts, yeah, GoodSam/CW work. Another to consider if you are moving a lot is Passport America. They are mostly for short term stays (1-2 days) but really good deals. If you move a lot, they can save you a lot. If you tend to be more stationary only moving once every month or two, they likely won't save you enough.

I know and understand that is how our CLUB came to exist as well, me being the one who organizes the dinners, trips, regattas :-).

But my question is more about those big ones you mentioning, basically is it worth for us to become members ?

Passport america is definite yes for us as we plan to travel as much as we like. Although i can imagine week or two in some nice place too :-).

The question is really generic as am looking for recommendations, why to do it

If you qualify you should get the National Parks pass. Even at $80, it will pay for itself in short order. 50 percent off overnight fees at national parks.

KOA has a discount program. Unlike Passport America, they all honor the program.

RVillage is a social site that allows you to connect with people in the area where you're camping. I've met a few people through their site.

We also joined FMCA for the benefits - things like discounts on Michellin tires, emergency assistance to get home after a catastrophe etc. Finally we joined the Safari International chapter to connect with other Safari owners.

Although I have a GS membership, we joined and belong to a RV club in our city for the social activities and the clubs camping trips throughout the year hosted (wagon mastered) by one or two of the club members to different locations. While we travel alone part of the time it is nice to travel and meet-up with folks you know and to do things together. Also some club members host campouts at locations we did not know about or have not visited.

I have joined the following RV clubs/organizations to save money and meet other RV'ers:

Good Sam (and I've joined a local Good Sam Club Chapter. Nice people to camp with. And the 10% off camping and 50% off admission at their RV shows is a plus.

Passport America- It pays for itself after 2 or 3 uses.

KOA VKR- You get some discounts at various merchants, 10% off at KOA's and you accumulate points that get you free nights.

I have also gotten 10% off camping using AAA and AARP.

I have also joined other RV clubs started by individuals in the past in order to meet other RV'ers.

jplante4 wrote:
......Unlike Passport America, they all honor the program........

can you elaborate on this ?

mikebreeze wrote:
I have joined the following RV clubs/organizations to save money and meet other RV'ers:

Good Sam (and I've joined a local Good Sam Club Chapter. Nice people to camp with. And the 10% off camping and 50% off admission at their RV shows is a plus.

Passport America- It pays for itself after 2 or 3 uses.

KOA VKR- You get some discounts at various merchants, 10% off at KOA's and you accumulate points that get you free nights.

I have also gotten 10% off camping using AAA and AARP.

I have also joined other RV clubs started by individuals in the past in order to meet other RV'ers.

I guess the "LOCAL" bit is the one thats difficult for us as we are technically local everywhere :-)

The Escapees RV Club has other benefits beyond the mail and domicile services. The club magazine alone is well worth the cost, and the 15% discount (a few parks offer 50%) at affiliate parks is a nice plus as are the 7 low cost club owned parks and 11 member owned co-op parks. A full hook up site in Florida during peak snowbird season for $22/night (~$13 @ monthly rate!) is hard to beat other than the Senior pass rates at the limited stay COE/NFS/NPS parks. There are also Escapees chapters throughout the country, and "Birds of a Feather" groups for members with similar hobby and other interests. The Escapees has a new emergency roadside assistance program serviced by SafeRide for $99/year that covers all of your immediate family's vehicles in the US and Canada with unlimited mileage and incidents. The Escapees organization also has a very active RV'ing advocacy program that monitors legislation and other legal issues affecting us, lobbying for changes where needed.