Passport America, worth it or not?

[Buckeye_Chuck]

Thinking about joining Passport America. Does anyone have any input? What are the good and the bad opinions?

[Acampingwewillg]

garmp1 wrote:

Acampingwewillgo wrote:
I still have PA but have not used it in a few year's. Since getting a Thousand Trail's membership and RPI included, it's hard to beat the cost/savings. I have noted that over the year's with PA, the restrictions seem to be growing on when and how PA can be applied.

For my own edification and that of those afraid to ask, what is RPI that's included?

Sorry RPI is Resort Parks International. I really shouldn't say its included but you have the option to keep it year after year for 100 bucks. IF a particular park is an "RPI Preferred" Park, it's a 10 buck a night cost at the park. I use it mainly for a park in/near Parker AZ, Emerald Cove which is part of Colorado River Adventures....a membership for them is $$$$ so I get to stay at that Park for two weeks at a time for 140.00, we love the place. You can check out RPI with a google search....they break down the camps by state and whether its a preferred site or ???.

It allows you Parks to stay at where Thousand Trails may Not have any at all.

[happycamper1942]

Not always convenient and there are often restrictions but it very quickly pays for itself.
On a 16 week trip across Canada and back through the USA I saved over $500.

[Bumpyroad]

westernrvparkowner wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:
check out the locations/restrictions/etc. on line. call and make reservations with the campground. I have been in some that were bare bones and some that were very nice. if a campground is normally 80 percent full and happens to fill that 20 percent at half price, it is a plus plus, regardless of what a campground owner might think.
bumpy

Your business math is just plain wrong. It is a given that some of those 80 percent will also be PPA members, so the park will have less revenue from that business. On top of that, those 20 pecent additional guests have a cost to them. Electricity, water, and all the misc. costs of a guest. On top of that, there is no guarantee that offering fifty percent discount will bring in a single additional customer, yet it is likely some of the existing customers will use get the PPA discount. That would mean the park would lose money.
PPA works best in three situations.
1. Where the park is has a lot of competition and is not the most desirable of the parks.
2. Where the price can be set where a 50 Percent discount would actually allow the park to make what it really wants for the site.
3. When the park is located in a location that otherwise would not attract customers.
PPA sells the idea that parks are filling sites that otherwise would go empty, but for most parks that is simply not true.

it is completely within the park's purview to "ration" out available spaces for the PA rate. I have had stays at the reduced rate that exceeded the 3 night rule, etc., and doubt that the campground would allow that if they were losing all that money. the pool needs to be maintained as do the grounds and one or two more people using the facilities surely doesn't make a big dent in the utility bill, unless your maintenance folks get paid more if they have to take care of additional people.
I'm sure that some of this expense is written off as good will and perhaps the people will return or increase patronage by word of mouth, if they enjoy their stay.
bumpy

[garmp]

Acampingwewillgo wrote:
I still have PA but have not used it in a few year's. Since getting a Thousand Trail's membership and RPI included, it's hard to beat the cost/savings. I have noted that over the year's with PA, the restrictions seem to be growing on when and how PA can be applied.

For my own edification and that of those afraid to ask, what is RPI that's included?

[bigred1cav]

Use it for 3 days per year and it pays for self

[westernrvparkow]

Bumpyroad wrote:
check out the locations/restrictions/etc. on line. call and make reservations with the campground. I have been in some that were bare bones and some that were very nice. if a campground is normally 80 percent full and happens to fill that 20 percent at half price, it is a plus plus, regardless of what a campground owner might think.
bumpy

Your business math is just plain wrong. It is a given that some of those 80 percent will also be PPA members, so the park will have less revenue from that business. On top of that, those 20 pecent additional guests have a cost to them. Electricity, water, and all the misc. costs of a guest. On top of that, there is no guarantee that offering fifty percent discount will bring in a single additional customer, yet it is likely some of the existing customers will use get the PPA discount. That would mean the park would lose money.
PPA works best in three situations.
1. Where the park is has a lot of competition and is not the most desirable of the parks.
2. Where the price can be set where a 50 Percent discount would actually allow the park to make what it really wants for the site.
3. When the park is located in a location that otherwise would not attract customers.
PPA sells the idea that parks are filling sites that otherwise would go empty, but for most parks that is simply not true.

[Bob___Ann]

WantoWander wrote:

Bob & Ann wrote:
We took a two week trip in January and more then paid for the yearly fee. We were able to use it in three parks which were all very nice. It saved us a good bit on money in New Orleans as we used it for six nights in a very nice location.

Hi Bob and Ann,

Which campground did you stay ay near New Orleans? We are headed down that way in April and I just joined PA so I'm looking for good campgrounds for a cross country trip.

Thanks,
Donna

Donna
It was Pontchatrain Landing. With Passport it cost us something like $40 per night. It is a nice place.

[Allworth]

As someone said: Not for destinations. BUT

Along the way it pays for itself quickly.

Last Summer our major trip was 10 days out; 2 weeks in Utah/Wyoming; 3 weeks in California; and 11 days homeward.

Our PA membership paid for itself before we got to Colorado on the way west. The remaining PA nights were "found money".

Not every night and not every campground, but easy enough to find for one or two night stops on a long trip.

[bikendan]

PA is the only camping club we would belong to.
But we never camp during the summer or holidays. And rarely weekends.
So PA works great for us.

[Acampingwewillg]

I still have PA but have not used it in a few year's. Since getting a Thousand Trail's membership and RPI included, it's hard to beat the cost/savings. I have noted that over the year's with PA, the restrictions seem to be growing on when and how PA can be applied.

[Bumpyroad]

check out the locations/restrictions/etc. on line. call and make reservations with the campground. I have been in some that were bare bones and some that were very nice. if a campground is normally 80% full and happens to fill that 20% at half price, it is a plus plus, regardless of what a campground owner might think.
bumpy

[NCWriter]

Agree with Guidry, not a bait & switch situation. Very straightforward about restrictions. We've used it seven years, more than paid for itself.

Some of the CGs are strictly overnighters and ask for cash. But we've stayed at several very nice places and returned at full price during blackout periods.

[WantoWander]

Bob & Ann wrote:
We took a two week trip in January and more then paid for the yearly fee. We were able to use it in three parks which were all very nice. It saved us a good bit on money in New Orleans as we used it for six nights in a very nice location.

Hi Bob and Ann,

Which campground did you stay ay near New Orleans? We are headed down that way in April and I just joined PA so I'm looking for good campgrounds for a cross country trip.

Thanks,
Donna

[junmy3]

Before retirement we looked at joining for a couple of our 2-3 week trips but did not find enough parks on the way or at our destination to make it worth it. Now that we are retired and spend 1/2 of the year on the road it is definitely worth it.
Saw where some replies say that destinations may not have PA in the area. One place that does is Branson, MO. Definitely saved us money there. While it was not one of the closest parks to Arches NP, we stayed at a PA park in Moab.
Just do the research before leaving on a trip and see if there are PA parks that you can use. We do make sure that we check RVparkreviews.com on all parks that we stay at. Some PA parks we will not stay at because of bad reviews. Of course you have to be careful about the reviews as well. We stayed at several PA parks on our trip to the Grand Canyon with just middle of the road reviews. Several were places to just hookup over night without any other amenities. They were just what we wanted. A decent safe place to spend the night.

[guidry]

I've had PA for several years and never had a bait and switch campground. The restrictions are spelled out when you search the website.