Ever hear of this camping company? Harvest Host

[Chuck___]

Here is want I wrote to the Harvest Host for a reply.

At first glance I had great hope of becoming a member. I am looking for sites that are rural, quiet, farm, country sitting and forest sittings. I am retired and have a top of the line Mobile Suite 5th wheel and pull it with a newer Ford dually truck. To replace this RV sit up would be over $225,000.00 plus. So, this should give you some indication that I am not a homeless RV traveler. Don't get me wrong, I worked as a laborer most of my life and earned it the hard way.
Here are the obstacles I see before joining your program.

1. Only being able to stay 24 hours or overnight at the sites. Most of the people I know are looking for a quiet spot to stay for several days or a week/plus. After driving hundreds of miles or five plus hours in hopes to arrive at a vacation spot and having to leave the next morning or day doesn't appeal to me. Move everyday! Get out of here.

2. Not being able to see what the sites are like before signing up for a membership. I seen a lot of RV sites that look like Homeless camps and if you're not careful a person can be stuck in one of these dumps.

3. If your company and the Host do not have anything to hide, be open and truthful. I am willing to give references, pictures of my RV and so on, but I will be **** if I am going to travel hundreds of miles not knowing what the site is like and if it is a safe place for my family.

4. Your company sounds like a scam. Pay up front first $99.00 without being able to fully check out your sites and more.

5. Word of mouth travels fast. Like on RV.net. The Good, Bad and Ugly.

[Veebyes]

A member of HH for a couple of years. No problem with the expectation of buying something in their gift shops. We are not wine drinkers so for that reason we avoid the wineries.

The suggested one night limit is understandable also. They don't want squatters freeloading. Never stayed for more than one night however if wanting to spend a day, & an additional night, exploring the area I would not expect a problem.

HH is not a CG. It is not for everyone. There are rig size limits & numbers that can be accommodated. Don't expect a perfectly level place to park. Most likely it will not. Don't expect nice firm ground either. Maybe it will be, maybe not. You might be on the edge of a hay field. Don't expect perfectly mowed grass. It is what it is. If you can abide by the few simple conditions which vary from host to host a stay here & there is a great option from the usual 'camp packem in' that is the typical all services CG.

If you are adaptable to all kinds of situations & maybe meet some really interesting people along the way HH is great.

[Unobtanium]

That is a fairly demanding expectation in what is essentially a free campsite isn't it?

[chris3403]

I've been a member for 7 years. No complaints. You can stay more than one night at some of the places if you ask politely. Every time I've asked they have said yes.
Usually you are in a beautiful setting as the lone camper.
If you want to get an ideal of what these places look like find a winery and drive in and look around. It might be a HH.
I love wine. Usually all they want you to do is try the wine which most of the time you can do for $3-$5 Most of the time that is the only requirement.
If I find a wine I or the wife likes we buy a bottle or two, sometimes 3 or 4 bottles. Two bottles of wine is still cheaper than a night of camping most places.

[pasusan]

We don't belong, but have met and heard of lots of people that HH works well for. It's kind of instead of a Walmart parking lot - just for overnight, but much nicer surroundings and friendly atmosphere.

[valhalla360]

It's not necessarily a scam but you misunderstand their purpose.

They are not intended to provide sites for you to stay a week in the wilderness. The idea is a winery/brewer/golf course/etc... offers to let you spend the night (typically without utilities) in a field or back lot with the expectation you patronize the business.

I do agree completely with your #2 issue. Why they would hide the locations makes zero sense. They give some BS answer about the businesses wanting privacy but what business wants to hide from potential customers.

They indicate that your purchases are the only benefit the business receives. So my guess is hosts don't really care if you are an official member. They make the same amount if you are officially a member or not. So this is a way for the parent company to make sure you buy a membership.

We considered it but decided not to join as we couldn't determine if there were sites suitable for our needs. With 1 night, it would be mostly when we were just quickly passing thru an area and if we have to drive 10-20miles off our route, it's not worth the trouble.

[rlw999]

Chuck .. wrote:
Here is want I wrote to the Harvest Host for a reply.

4. Your company sounds like a scam. Pay up front first $99.00 without being able to fully check out your sites and more.

I get that HH isn't for everyone, but they have a 3 month money back guarantee, that seems like more than enough time to see if it's right for you.

I considered joining, but decided not to, mostly for your first reason - they encourage only one day stays, and you generally need to arrive within the business hours of the host (which can be early afternoon for some).

I don't mind their $20 purchase recommendation, as it's probably some food or wine that I'd buy anyway from somewhere else.

[agesilaus]

LOL we had an irritating experience with a HH site in Tillamook OR, found it on line, no mention of HH at a Cheese Factory, arrived found they had a 2 or so acre field marked off for RV overnight, dry camping. Half set up went into the office to check in was informed they were now HH and to join up or hit the road...heh. More polite tho I assume, the wife talked to them. Hit the road found a good spot 4 miles away that the airport, level paved sites, $15. BTW this is NOT the well known Tillamook Cheese company.
Of course the cheese makers had no obligation to us so I can't complain about it. They can't be held to account to out of date web data.

My real complaints with HH, is that:
1) The expect you to spend $20-30 at each site plus paying for the HH membership. So $30 to dry camp IF:
2) You cannot make reservations so You can arrive and not get in.
3) For us personally we do not partake of alcohol or golf so a large portion of the places do not apply to us anyway.