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Escapees

campermama
Explorer II
Explorer II
Are any of you members of the Escapees? I am thinking about joining. Very interested in all of their RV parks as I travel as a full timer.

I am just wondering if I travel to one of the parks will I be able to get in (as a member of course)? I would think they are pretty popular. I would want to stay for a minimum of a few weeks to maybe a month or two. I'm just worried about there being a spot when I get there.

Thanks!!
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11 REPLIES 11

Captain_Happy
Explorer
Explorer
As a co-op park member here in Nevada,,our park is pretty full right now because there's no place you can go right now because of the Virus. we have some boondocking sites but that's about all.

Lwiddis
Explorer II
Explorer II
Not the right time to join up IMO.

โ€œTo encourage RVers to stay in place and support our goal to accommodate full-timers who are in a desperate need of a place to stay for the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak, Escapees Rainbow Parks has made the difficult but necessary decision to amend our current reservation policies.โ€

https://www.escapees.com/coronavirus/
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

mkc
Explorer
Explorer
campermama wrote:


What I was asking is how difficult is it to get into their campgrounds, are they always full?

It would be nice to go to a campground once in a while for a few weeks or so.


Rainbow Parks (I think there are 7) each operate a campground for Escapee members. I believe you have to contact each park individually - they are not centrally operated.

The Co-Ops are all independent and not all offer short term stay options. There are 11 of them and each sets their own rules. If they offer short term, it is basically renting another person's long-term-lease lot. They do not have campgrounds, per se.
2017 LTV Unity

PawPaw_n_Gram
Explorer
Explorer
We've not found it difficult to get into Escapee's Rainbow Parks, but we don't travel to high season tourist areas if possible. Sumpter Oaks in Bushnell, FL took a couple days adjustment to our schedule to fit in during Feb a few years ago. We don't got to Racoon Valley or Turkey Creek in the summer season.

The co-ops are a completely separate deal. They are owned by the co-op members, and many don't want to be bothered by reservations. If you stay at one, you are literally borrowing another RV's personal property/ spot. Even if it is an unsold spot, or a community owned spot for visitors. We've stayed at barely improved spots, and in very fancy improved spots with a casita and patio. We are very respectful of the personal space we are allowed to stay in.

Of course the three in Arizona are crowded, maybe full in the winter. Park Sierra near Yosemite is busy in the summer. I'd expect their busy season starts when the snow melts. I've heard the two in Oregon and Washington get full in the summer also.

As far as discounts at regular parks. We've stayed in two, and both were a surprise. When we stay at a park with no discounts, we always ask as we check in, usually about PA. Twice we've gotten discounts with SKP. One only offered discounts to SKP, the other did several programs, and SKP was the best. We've also stopped at one which was in the SKP directory, and were told that a new owner decided to not offer that any longer.

You sound like you will enjoy being an SKP member.

There is an active boondockers group within Escapees, and there is always an almost week long SKP event at Quartzsite each January.
Full-Time 2014 - ????

โ€œNot all who wander are lost.โ€
"You were supposed to turn back at the last street."

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campermama
Explorer II
Explorer II
Good info but I wasn't asking for cheap or discount campgrounds! In fact my preference is boondocking! I have already checked the Escapees website extensively.

What I was asking is how difficult is it to get into their campgrounds, are they always full?

It would be nice to go to a campground once in a while for a few weeks or so.

Sooooo ----> take 2.......


Oh and by the way all of their CG's I checked out did not take reservations!
2018 Dodge Ram 3500 Laramie,SRW,CTD,4x4,Long bed
2020 Jayco eagle ht 274ckds

My Adventure Blog:
https://roaddivaontheroad.blogspot.com/2020/03/getting-ready.html

agesilaus
Explorer III
Explorer III
PawPaw wrote:
The organization is very clear - they are NOT a discount camping club. You will not get preferential reservations at an Escapees Rainbow Park. They however, will work with members to try to accommodate them if possible. We have done a few one day before arrival reservations, but normally make a reservation several days in advance.


Actually I think there are a few private cg that give Escapees discounts. Not very many tho, a couple per state at best. So not a big benefit.
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bobsallyh
Explorer II
Explorer II
Second what PawPaw-Gram said. Been members since 2003 just before going fulltime. Mail Service is outstanding! And many other things.

PawPaw_n_Gram
Explorer
Explorer
Member since late 2013, months before we went full-time. Joining them was the first solid step we took into going full-time.

Mail service was the biggest reason we decided on Escapees. We were already Texas residents, so it was a plus. Nothing but change address and county of vehicle registration. My registration for my vehicles and my insurance went down because Polk County is not urban like Collin County.

And the local Polk county authorities actually like having 20+ thousand residents who don't acutally live in the county, use county services except voting and registering vehicles.

We've used a few Rainbow parks, and stayed at a couple Co-ops.

You do not have to be a member of Escapees to stay at Rainbow Parks. (Interesting story how the first park 'Rainbow's End' was named in Livingston.)

But you do get a discount on the rate, which is usually much better than other commercial parks in the area. Every Rainbow park, and every Co-op we have visited has a late afternoon/ early evening gathering. It meet new people in the park, talk about things. We are always made very welcome. The check-in staff usually greets us with a hug. Since Joe and Kay founded Escapees years before the Livingston property was purchased, greeting new arrivals as family with hugs has been a tradition.

Escapee Co-ops have their own rules, and most require travelers be members of Escapees. Maybe not for the first visit.

The organization is very clear - they are NOT a discount camping club. You will not get preferential reservations at an Escapees Rainbow Park. They however, will work with members to try to accommodate them if possible. We have done a few one day before arrival reservations, but normally make a reservation several days in advance.

Legally Escapees is a privately held corporation, controlled by the original founding family. Many to most of the staff are full-timers who for what ever reason, have left the road.

Their post-travel adult daycare program is wonderful. Even for long-term (3-12 months) rehab with an intent to return to full-time travel.

Their legislative advocacy benefits all RVers, full-time or weekend warrior.

We've attended many Good Sam state rallies. Unfortunately, not a national rally. The Escapee's nation Escapade we attended was wonderful. A big sense of family and friendship. Good Sam is good, and we are currently on the Texas State Staff which runs our annual rally. But Escapees is 'more'. A few local meetings of Escapees we have visited were fun.

Frankly, if you are thinking of joining Escapees, or Good Sam, for 'cheaper' RV camping spots - both would be a waste of money. Each has many other benefits, especially the social aspects that make them very worthwhile in our opinion.

If you or the spouse is over age 62, the absolute best discount camping program is the US Federal Senior Pass.

Passport America is also beneficial. We easily camped averaging under $25 per night for a couple years with those two programs.

If you want lower costs, a membership program such as Thousand Trails or RPI or Coast to Coast can get your costs for RV spots under $4,500 per year easily.

But each of those also has limitations. Are there parks where you want to travel, what are their rules.

Looking for discounts, you are not going to be visiting premium parks like Fort Wilderness or beach fronts in various areas.

We strongly urge anyone considering full-timing to consider Escapees.

Escapees Story
Full-Time 2014 - ????

โ€œNot all who wander are lost.โ€
"You were supposed to turn back at the last street."

2012 Ram 2500 Mega Cab
2014 Flagstaff 832IKBS TT

STBRetired
Explorer
Explorer
I'm an Escapee member and have stayed at several of the Rainbow Parks. Co-op parks are for Escapees members only while anybody can stay at a Rainbow Park. Escapees members do get a reduced rate. Couple of the co-ops do not offer monthly rates but all of the Rainbow Parks do. I joined Escapees originally when booking a 2 week stay in Heiskell, TN while we we still just vacation camping. The 2 week non-member cost was more than the 2 week member cost plus the price of the membership dues. Now that we are retired and do much longer stays, we have kept up our Escapees membership.
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agesilaus
Explorer III
Explorer III
I am a member but haven't stayed at one of their parks so far. But right now the coop parks, which are owned and run by the members who own a site, are mostly restricting access because of the plague. That may lighten up as the summer goes on. Each one of those parks are different so you'd have to check the park you are interested in. Some are allowing outsiders to stay but they cannot use any of the facilities. The other parks, so far as I know are open.

From what I've seen from other members they are not hard to get into. Escapees is well worth joing so I suggest that you check their website out as suggested by Rob.
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Straightline dual cam hitch
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Second_Chance
Explorer II
Explorer II
A whole bunch of folks on this forum are Escapees members. Go to the Escapees web site to find information about the club and parks. Escapees have two types of parks - co-op parks where you buy a membership. The different co-op parks have varying rules about non-co-op members staying in the parks, and there are always stay limits for that. The other type of parks, called Rainbow Parks, are "come and go" parks that aren't co-ops. You would have to check on the individual Rainbow park pages to see what their stay limits are. I'm not sure that Escapees is what you're looking for from what you've described, but for accurate information, do your reading on their web site.

Rob
U.S. Army retired
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