Comments on: Campground Memberships Explained http://gypsyjournal.net/blog/2009/02/02/campground-memberships-explained/ Fulltime RV Travel In Our Winnebago Motorhome Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:45:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: Larry Eckstein http://gypsyjournal.net/blog/2009/02/02/campground-memberships-explained/comment-page-1/#comment-288 Larry Eckstein Wed, 04 Feb 2009 02:31:16 +0000 http://gypsyjournal.net/blog/?p=657#comment-288 A year ago my father in law gave me all his papers and booklets for Westen Horizons and told me I could have it as his wife had passed away and he would no longer ever rv. I said thankyou and called WHI to inquire about transferring the membership. I tried 3 times, could never get any information or even a hint of interest on their part. I finally just quit trying. Guess they don't care about the annual dues! Unbelievable. Talk about poor business practices! Then I saw one of their campgrounds outside St. David, AZ. Trust me, I wouldn't want to belong! I love belonging to Escapees. Talk about a quality outfit with quality parks! If I ever want to belong to a membership campground I'll look up a used Thousand Trail membership. I'm not fulltiming it, but lots to do around Willcox, AZ. And the SKP Coop in Benson is as fine an rv park, and reasonable, as anyone is likely to ever find. A year ago my father in law gave me all his papers and booklets for Westen Horizons and told me I could have it as his wife had passed away and he would no longer ever rv. I said thankyou and called WHI to inquire about transferring the membership. I tried 3 times, could never get any information or even a hint of interest on their part. I finally just quit trying. Guess they don’t care about the annual dues! Unbelievable. Talk about poor business practices! Then I saw one of their campgrounds outside St. David, AZ. Trust me, I wouldn’t want to belong! I love belonging to Escapees. Talk about a quality outfit with quality parks! If I ever want to belong to a membership campground I’ll look up a used Thousand Trail membership. I’m not fulltiming it, but lots to do around Willcox, AZ. And the SKP Coop in Benson is as fine an rv park, and reasonable, as anyone is likely to ever find.

]]> By: Dan Gregg http://gypsyjournal.net/blog/2009/02/02/campground-memberships-explained/comment-page-1/#comment-286 Dan Gregg Tue, 03 Feb 2009 05:29:31 +0000 http://gypsyjournal.net/blog/?p=657#comment-286 Time share comes to my mind. That is all I can say. Lots of solar panels can be had for one year's expenses on one of these. Dan Time share comes to my mind. That is all I can say. Lots of solar panels can be had for one year’s expenses on one of these.
Dan

]]> By: Jerry and Suzy LeRoy http://gypsyjournal.net/blog/2009/02/02/campground-memberships-explained/comment-page-1/#comment-285 Jerry and Suzy LeRoy Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:11:05 +0000 http://gypsyjournal.net/blog/?p=657#comment-285 Nick, you are 100% right about waiting to decide. On the other hand, we joined Thousand Trails when it was selling in the thousands of dollars, while we were still working and living in California. There are lots of TTNs in California, so GREAT! I was immediately transferred to Arizona, where the Verde Valley preserve was just being built, and that's still the only TTN in Arizona. But, we have never looked at our TTN membership as anything but an advance investment in our own retirement. We have since gone on to Coast to Coast, AOR, RPI, ROD, and Sunrise (that's not much to brag about here, althrough they have three parks in Arizona). In addition, we have almost all the discount systems too! We will have to re-evaluate these soon, as our travel is slowing down, and there are places to go where none of these systems exist. You told the story well and truly, but those used memberships were never available back in our "good old days!" Nick, you are 100% right about waiting to decide. On the other hand, we joined Thousand Trails when it was selling in the thousands of dollars, while we were still working and living in California. There are lots of TTNs in California, so GREAT! I was immediately transferred to Arizona, where the Verde Valley preserve was just being built, and that’s still the only TTN in Arizona. But, we have never looked at our TTN membership as anything but an advance investment in our own retirement. We have since gone on to Coast to Coast, AOR, RPI, ROD, and Sunrise (that’s not much to brag about here, althrough they have three parks in Arizona). In addition, we have almost all the discount systems too!

We will have to re-evaluate these soon, as our travel is slowing down, and there are places to go where none of these systems exist. You told the story well and truly, but those used memberships were never available back in our “good old days!”

]]> By: Mike Goad (Haw Creek Out 'n About) http://gypsyjournal.net/blog/2009/02/02/campground-memberships-explained/comment-page-1/#comment-284 Mike Goad (Haw Creek Out 'n About) Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:53:59 +0000 http://gypsyjournal.net/blog/?p=657#comment-284 We're the proud owners of one of those toxic campground memberships. We bought it years ago when we were young and foolish and have kept paying the annual dues planning to use it when we retired, especially it's connections to Coast to Coast. Then, about 6 months ago, we got an letter from Coast to Coast telling us that our home campground is no longer a part of their system and that we had a year to find a new campground. The campground is in Branson, Missouri, and much of the property associated with it has been turned into time-shares. It has been sold several times and now is owned by an international firm that specializes in time-shares and has no other campgrounds from what we can see. One of my goals for this year is to get us out from under this thing. The money that we save on fees will pay for a couple of months of state park and national forest camping fees, which where we would rather take our little rig anyway. We’re the proud owners of one of those toxic campground memberships. We bought it years ago when we were young and foolish and have kept paying the annual dues planning to use it when we retired, especially it’s connections to Coast to Coast.

Then, about 6 months ago, we got an letter from Coast to Coast telling us that our home campground is no longer a part of their system and that we had a year to find a new campground. The campground is in Branson, Missouri, and much of the property associated with it has been turned into time-shares. It has been sold several times and now is owned by an international firm that specializes in time-shares and has no other campgrounds from what we can see.

One of my goals for this year is to get us out from under this thing. The money that we save on fees will pay for a couple of months of state park and national forest camping fees, which where we would rather take our little rig anyway.

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