Thousand Trails - The Trails Collection

[ThomBoles]

Hey All,

We are TT members and were looking for a way to increase our site options for when we return to Florida this winter. The park we are at is a TT park so we walked over to the office today. The guy there mentioned that we might be interested in The Trails Collection. It allows you to stay at over 100 more sites thought out the country.

It's an add-on (but separate) to your existing membership that gives you access to more parks. Our current membership to TT only allowed us to visit 2 parks in Florida. With this added on we can now go to 38 parks. Some of the desirable location parks have additional fees ($20/ night) but many of them are included. Bookings over 3 days force you out for 7 and you can stay up to 14. What really sold it for us is we can back up TT sites with the TC sites so our out week is at one of the other's camps essentially covering the cost to be out of network. You can only book 60 days out (out TT is 90 but that doesn't carry over to this).

It goes from your renewal from year to year (paid with your dues) and can be cancelled after the year if you choose. There is a special number to call if interested. Eight Eight Eight - 579 seven five nine nine. We thought it was well worth adding! We were on the phone when the CSR added this to our account and were immediately able to book reservations.

[chiefneon]

Howdy!

There's a lot of discussion regarding this on FaceBook site "Thousand Trails (Outdoor World) thie good and bad".

After reading a lot about this and also talking to TT's as we are Elite Connection members, I have chosen to wait at least until my membership is due the first of the year. If you buy now you only get the remainder of this year before it comes due again. Also the Encore park at this time only allow for ten of these site for use and no garranty you will get FHU site. If you a TT membership not a Pass you can go to a TT's park without being out of the system. You just can't go from a Trails Connection to Trails Connection.

"Happy Trails"
Chiefneon

[ThomBoles]

DutchmenSport wrote:

I have always said, there is no "right" or "wrong" way to do camping. What's most important is that it works for YOU!

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad TT works for you and would be a bad move for me. But glad it works for you well and you are happy with it. In the end, that's really all the truly matters, isn't it!

Thanks for the info you provided. Hopefully, someone else will benefit.

True. We have a house in Florida if we want to stay would could do that but we like being in different places so we moved one of the kids in with us and left (so the house is being watched). TT gives us places to stay and allows us to book out a couple months. I agree they aren't convenient all the time, some are off the beaten path but we can stay there and know that we've already covered the fees. Just pull up, get our documents, hook up and leave without much hassle. We like that about them.

[ThomBoles]

phillyg wrote:
Yeah, only three TT parks in FL, but don't you have the ability to use Encore Parks, too?

We did with a $10 discount off the price on our account. This new plan allows them to show up as available for me to book now under my account at no additional charge.

[DutchmenSport]

ThomBoles wrote:
... Add to that we can now travel most of Florida without additional out of pocket expenses and we're looking at it as a win.

I have always said, there is no "right" or "wrong" way to do camping. What's most important is that it works for YOU!

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad TT works for you and would be a bad move for me. But glad it works for you well and you are happy with it. In the end, that's really all the truly matters, isn't it!

Thanks for the info you provided. Hopefully, someone else will benefit.

[phillyg]

Yeah, only three TT parks in FL, but don't you have the ability to use Encore Parks, too?

[ThomBoles]

I didn't post that to catch flack rather to inform other that choose to use TT that there is an option to add additional parks. We aren't "snobs" but we both like the ability to have water, sewer and electric when we are traveling. Since we are traveling and working I also need a decent internet (cellular) connection. Sure we have stayed at parks that don't have all these things and it just makes it harder for me to do my work and us to be comfortable.

We figured out that becoming members was economical for us which is why we bought someone's membership. We calculated the cost of ownership, yearly maintenance, etc and figured that against an average of $25/night which seems to be about what we spend when staying at a Passport America location. So far in the past 2.5 months we've seen a good part of the country and the largest expense is gas (when all is factored together).

Our addition of the Trails Collection has already covered what we would have spent for a week out of our TT park in Florida for the winter so we found that to be a good deal. Add to that we can now travel most of Florida without additional out of pocket expenses and we're looking at it as a win.

[Campfire_Time]

I don't understand the notion of paying someone to force you to limit your options.

[bob_nestor]

DutchmenSport wrote:
Only 2 campgrounds you can use in all of Florida! Wow! Are you missing opportunities visiting hundreds of other great State Parks and other private campground locations all over Florida. Not to mention the thousands-and-thousands of other State Parks, private campgrounds, and National Forests and COE sites all over the USA! For the price of the original membership for TT, you could have done a LOT of camping elsewhere! After after the membership price, you still have to pay for limited usage. No way! No thank-you!

Yup! Last time I updated my Garmin with camping POI files the one listing campgrounds in North America (commercial, boon docking, City, County, State and National Parks, etc) had over 26,000 locations.

[rv2go]

ThomBoles,
You must not have the right TT Membership. I can stay in 3 TT Parks in Florida. Go park to park.
Plus, for $24 per night, I can stay in all the Encore parks in Florida and the rest of the USA.

[DutchmenSport]

Only 2 campgrounds you can use in all of Florida! Wow! Are you missing opportunities visiting hundreds of other great State Parks and other private campground locations all over Florida. Not to mention the thousands-and-thousands of other State Parks, private campgrounds, and National Forests and COE sites all over the USA! For the price of the original membership for TT, you could have done a LOT of camping elsewhere! After after the membership price, you still have to pay for limited usage. No way! No thank-you!