Membership discounts

Even with a coupon or membership to CW RV supplies are cheaper elsewhere. That goes for GS too. And sans all the junk mail overflowing from your mailbox.

There are small camping stores through out the states that carry the same stuff Camping World does at 'half the price'. Most local RV dealership has a small store inside for common camping and RV parts at half the price of Camping World.

I found 'many' GS CG's that manipulate the cost of the price of their per night fees to accommodate the 10% discount. When you check in and ask the rate and then present your membership card and the owner says "Oh the discount is already in the price"? Yup and your checks in the mail. :R

We have Good Sams because we camp frequently at a Good Sams Park as our hotel room near where our handicapped son lives. Because of this, the membership pays for itself every year. Otherwise, we probably wouldn't have it, b/c we tend to camp in state/federal campgrounds for pleasure. We don't use Pilot/Flying J as much as the name brand stations (Shell, BP, etc.) so we can get gas with the extra additives in it.

We buy things occasionally at Camping World, but their prices are high, IMO, even with the discount. We wait for sales.

If you get a membership to any of the mentioned camping discount organizations, be sure that you'd use it enough to be worth the membership cost.

Our Passport America membership has more than paid for itself each of the past 3 winters. Our GS membership also saves some money. we travel about 5 months over the winter.

I can't even find enough Passports to make it worth the effort. Good Sams are everywhere and they have well paid for our membership.

I bought them all and ditched them all. Passport America being the worst. If you are a pre-planned destination camper it might work. But they have SO many 'exceptions' it's ludicrous for the traveling RV'ing.

Yup you might get half off a day or a free day but you might have to stay 5 days 'during the week' in December or on a special day and space in time and only if the sun and moon are in a certain position at the same time to get half off the price for one day! :R

I live within 4 miles of a Camping World, so I'll likely keep my GS membership for as long as I own my TT.

Based on some planned trips, we joined KOA this year and more than paid for the membership cost by the end of trip 2. Of course you're limited to KOA locations but it worked well for us.

Bumpyroad wrote:
passport america is the best value out there, but check the campground membership list for where you will be traveling and the restrictions. you can easily pay for your membership the first trip.
bumpy

Same here. People seem to forget that the whole point if a campground offering the PA discount is to sell space during slow periods. Why should they offer the discount during a busy period?

We have dropped all but GS. I mostly depends on where you go. Some areas seem to take one over others. Some parks near here do give 50% off for Passport Amer., but then they start adding charges like water, elec. etc that bring the cost back up to what their regular rate would be. Then they restrict when they will honor it. Not all are like that but there are a few

Good Sam is 10% (I've gotten that by showing my library card) and Passport America is 50% discount. PPA has been my "emergency" RV Park finder for quite a few years now and when I can't find a campground that's where I go. As others have mentioned that 50% discount CAN be a little misleading if you don't understand it (they give 50% off the regular price for their lowest price site) and if you choose a site with extras, be it extra people, more features or preferred location they don't ALWAYS honor 50% off THAT price but you still get 50% 0ff the lower priced site. There are sometimes other exceptions like holiday weekends, or seasons of the year but these have never been a problem to me. Phone ahead as they don't always keep their membership directories up to date and a phone call will confirm they are still members and could save a drive out of your way.
Good luck / Skip

We looked for Good Sam camping discounts but out west we probably only used it about 1/3 of the time. Mostly at the full service RV parks.

The Flying J gas discount did not have many stations off the Interstate so we used it very little.

The biggest features for us include their list of campgrounds, the discount at Camping World and I like the four Trailer Life mags.

If you have an idea of where you want to go, checking out the Passport and Sam's opportunities before hand would be a good idea.

Good Sams also like to send RV insurance info.