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Updated March 28, 2024
The quick answer is that our 5 Best RV Campground Memberships used to be:
- Passport America
- Escapees RV Club
- Good Sam Club
- Boondockers Welcome
- Harvest Hosts
But 5 years later, our list has changed! Why, you ask?
Because we don’t camp the same way we used to. Five years ago we were weekend warriors and now we are 3/4 time RVers, which means we are on the road full time about nine months a year.
NOW – Our Top 6 RV Camping Memberships are:
- Thousand Trails
- Harvest Hosts & Boondockers Welcome
- Passport America
- KOA
- The Dyrt PRO
- RV Trip Wizard
The question is which memberships are best for you and why. We made a YouTube video about our six favorite camping memberships and why we like them. Check it out!
Why Join an RV Campground Membership Club?
With more and more people going camping every year, campgrounds are becoming more crowded, and therefore, campground fees are going up. While the average RV campground fee ranges from $25 to $100 per night, we have seen some very popular campgrounds charge as much as $200 per night! And we think prices will continue to increase.
The chart below shows the number of overnight stays in National Parks from 2019 through 2023. Overnight stays for RVs have remained at all-time highs over that period of time, and we expect these numbers to increase to remain at elevated levels for the foreseeable future.
Why Are RV Campground Prices On The Rise?
The chart above only shows RV overnight stays in National Parks. There are also thousands of private RV campgrounds benefiting from increased RV travel demand. And since demand for RV campgrounds has increased, major corporations have taken notice.
Major hotel companies, such as Cruise Inn, have started RV Park franchise networks. Hotel software companies, such as Frontdesk Anywhere, are entering the RV campground industry with reservation and management software.
Some manufactured housing companies have even entered the RV park industry. We have all seen RV Resorts, such as Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp Resorts, popping up all over the country with premium campground prices.
This all matters because when big corporations get involved, they are interested in one thing and one thing only—profit. So, they will find every way possible to drive RV campground prices up. Consequently, this will allow all other RV campgrounds to raise their prices, too.
So why should you join an RV Campground membership discount club? Because it’s the best way to lower the cost of your stay in an RV campground or park.
Passport America, Escapee’s RV Club, and Good Sam’s Club discounts can save you anywhere from 10% to 50% off of your campground fee at participating campgrounds.
And Boondockers Welcome and Harvest Hosts memberships offer free places to stay! So let’s take a look at these membership clubs in detail to see which are the best fit for you.
Our Review of All 6 RV Memberships Clubs
Our review of the 6 best RV membership clubs is in no specific order. They are all terrific clubs to join, but not all of these RV clubs are for everyone. As we review all 5 of them, we will recommend which ones you should join based on which type of RVer you are.
All of these membership clubs offer more than campground discounts. So, choosing a membership really depends on your needs as an RVer.
1. Thousand Trails
Thousand Trails tops our list now because we are on the road so much more. In 2023 we were on the road for 9 months and we expect the same in 2024.
We calculated our camping costs in 2022 to be around $9,000, and we were only on the road for 3 months that year. So we figured if we were on the road for 9 months, our camping costs would triple to $27,000! Yikes!
So we decided to join Thousand Trails so save money because once you join the membership you don’t have to pay for overnight camping fees.
The packages can be quite expensive and they are very complicated to try to explain. So we are just going to cover the memberhsip we purchased.
We paid about $9,000 for the Elite Connections VIP package. I know that’s a lot of money! But guess what. We broke even on our camping membership in our first year of using it.
That’s right. We saved over $9000 in camping fees in 2023 so now we are really camping for next to nothing in 2024 and beyond.
Pro’s
- No camping fees at Thousand Trails Campgrounds – saves you a ton of money the more you use it.
- Over 81 campgrounds
- You can add on the Trails Collection for around $700 a year and use over 100 other campgrounds at no cost.
- It can pay for itself within the first year or sooner if you are a full-time RVer
Con’s
- Some parks are less than desirable
- Stays can be limited by the number of days/season/day of the week
- The website is not accurate or easy to use
- It’s expensive upfront
- There are not many campgrounds in the middle of the US
Cost
- $8,500 for the Elite Connections VIP Package
- $725 for the Trails Collection
- Yearly dues of $675
Who Would Benefit From This Membership?
If you RV more than 6 months a year, I would say this membership is for you. If you are on the road less than six months a year, you’ll have to decide when you will break even to determine if it’s with the price.
2. Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome
Overview
When we originally wrote this article, Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome were two separate memberships that we used when we could.
Since then, Harvest Hosts purchased Boondockers Welcome, and now they are available together in one membership package, or you can still purchase them separately.
Harvest Hosts is a network of over 5,000 wineries, breweries, farms, museums, churches and other attractions that allow RVers to spend the night for free. In exchange for your overnight stay, you purchase something from your host to help support their business. Harvest Hosts has a recently updated website and app to help you find the locations of your choice.
The location gallery on their home page features photos of some gorgeous locations to choose from. Reviews and pictures from guests are provided for each host location, as well.
We use Harvest Hosts all the time for one-night overnight stays when we are traveling a long distance and we just want to spend the night somewhere for free. But we also use it because some of the destinations are beautiful and fun!
For example, we have stayed at wineries when they feature live music or farms during harvest festivals. We even stayed at John Schneider’s Place in Louisiana! John Schnieder played Bo on the Dukes of Hazzard, and his place was full of old memorabilia, including the General Lee.
Pro’s
- Very unique camping experiences
- Save money on campgrounds
- Great way to meet locals
- Over 5,000 locations
Con’s
- There are no hookups, usually
- Outdoor kitchens are not allowed
- Stays are limited to one night – unless the host invites you to stay longer
- You are not obligated to purchase something from the host, but it’s a great way to say thanks for the stay and support a local small business.
Cost
- $99 per year but they almost always offer a 15% discount
- You are automatically set up with the auto-renew program. Just email them at any time to opt out of auto-renew.
- Harvest Hosts offers a 100% money-back guarantee. They want you to be satisfied with your experience so this is a no-risk purchase.
Who Would Benefit From This Membership?
Anyone who enjoys unique camping experiences, making friends, and supporting local businesses would benefit from this membership. It’s more of a break-even cost, though, because in exchange for your overnight stay, you are encouraged to buy something for at least twenty dollars from your host’s business.
But if you want to meet some interesting people, stay in some gorgeous locations, and have a unique camping experience, then this membership is a great choice.
Boondockers Welcome
Boondockers Welcome provides a website with a directory of fellow RVers who are willing to let you stay for free for a night or two on their property. They now have more than 3,550 locations across the US and Canada.
Even though the name is Boondockers Welcome, which gives the impression there are no hookups, you may be surprised to learn that three out of every four hosts are able to provide an electric hookup! And many are able to provide water. Some hosts even offer full hookups!
Most of the time, the parking area will be right beside the property owner’s home, or it could be on land that they own but do not live on.
Pro’s
- No Campground Fees
- No limit on how many times you can use the service, but stays are usually limited to 1 or 2 nights.
- The host can provide you with great information about the area where you are staying.
- Members enjoy discounts on RVing-related memberships and products
- If you become a host, you get a 50% discount on a 1-year membership and every time a guest completes a stay at your host location, you’ll be rewarded with credit for 3 months of guest privileges
- You can make new friends
Con’s
- Hosts may or may not have utilities for you to use
- Use of utilities may cost you a small fee – although I don’t really see this as a con
- There may be limits on the size of your rig
- Pets may not be allowed
- Typical stays are only 1 night
Cost
- A 1-year subscription is $79.00
Who Would Benefit From This Membership?
Anyone traveling a long distance and needing overnight stays along the way would benefit from this membership. It’s a great way to travel almost for free.
But if you want to travel cheap, get some information on the local attractions, and meet some interesting people, then this membership is a terrific choice. It will easily pay for itself with just one or two stays.
Just Use Discount Code RVBlogger15 to Save 15%
When You Join Boondockers Welcome!
3. Passport America
Overview
Passport America is a 50% Discount Camping Club with over 1,100 participating campgrounds in their discount camping network. Passport America also offers a trip routing service and has a terrific app that shows campground details such as pricing and amenities.
We use Passport America when we need to find a campground from Sunday through Thursday nights because this is when the biggest discounts are available. There are some discounts available on Friday and Saturday nights but they are usually 10%.
A really great feature is that before you decide to join you can check out all of the participating campgrounds and see current prices, discounts, amenities, pictures, and any discount restrictions.
All of this can be done right from the website’s home page. Therefore, if you have an upcoming trip planned, you will be able to see before you join if you will save money or not.
Not all of the participating campgrounds offer a full 50% discount. Some do not offer club discounts during certain holidays or days of the week. And campsite duration is usually limited to no more than a week or two.
Each campground has its own rules and discount policies, and they are all very easy to see as you read through the directory of campgrounds.
Pro’s
- Up to 50% off camping fees at participating campgrounds – saves you a ton of money the more you use it.
- Over 1800 participating campgrounds
- Easy-to-use website and mobile app with icons that easily identify campground amenities
- Pays $10 for referrals if you refer a friend
- Can pay for itself within one or two stays
Con’s
- Some parks are less than desirable
- Stays can be limited by the number of days/season/day of the week
- There are no campground reviews by other members to give you a better idea of each campground. (Just use your free RVParky App for campground reviews)
Cost
- 1 Year – $44
- 2 Year – $79 ($9.00 savings)
- 3 Year – $109 ($23.00 savings)
- 5 Year – $179 ($41.00 savings)
Who Would Benefit From This Membership?
Actually, anyone who RVs for more than two nights a year will break even in most cases. But before you join you should research the RV campground options in the area you want to camp. Then, if you find a good campground, join the membership and save some big bucks!
4. KOA
Overview
KOA offers campground locations all across the US in some great locations. That’s what we like about them and why we stay at KOA campgrounds.
For example, you can find KOA campgrounds near national parks, major cities and attractions everywhere. They are more expensive because of their great locations, but when you join the KOA membership, you will receive 10% off of your stays.
It’s but a huge discount but every little bit helps.
Pro’s
- Save 10% at KOAs across the country
- Over 500 campgrounds
- Easy-to-use website and mobile app with icons that easily identify campground amenities
- Excellent locations near many popular attractions
Con’s
- Some parks are less than desirable
- Campground fees can be very high
Cost
- $36 per year
Who Would Benefit From This Membership?
Anyone looking for campgrounds in premium locations with full hookups. This membership works for anyone from weekend warriors to full-time RVers.
5. The Dyrt Pro
We have been members of the Dyrt Pro for over four years now. The Dyrt Pro offers a suite of benefits to its members, from camping discounts to boondocking locations to rewards programs.
We use our Dyrt Pro membership in two ways. First, we use the campground reviews to find great campgrounds, and we take advantage of discounts up to 40% at participating campgrounds.
Second, we use the Dyrt Pro to find awesome boondocking locations with reviews from other RVers.
Pro’s
- Up to 40% off camping fees at participating campgrounds – saves you a ton of money the more you use it.
- Over 1000 participating campgrounds
- Easy-to-use website and mobile app with icons that easily identify campground amenities
- Can pay for itself within one or two stays
- There are tons of campground reviews
Con’s
- Some parks are less than desirable
- Some of the discounts are only available from Sunday through Thursday
Cost
- $36 a year
Who Would Benefit From This Membership?
This membership is great for anyone who loves to boondock and for people who camp on weekdays. We use it ourselves because we fit into both of these camping categories.
6. RV Trip Wizard
We use RV Trip Wizard all the time. We use it to plan and create our camping itineraries and on every travel day because of the RV-safe GPS.
I wouldn’t exactly call it a camping membership because we don’t receive camping discounts. But we use this tool so often that we thought we should add it to our list.
RV Trip Wizard allows us to do all of our trip planning in one place, storing all of our information about our trip routes. We can even add points of interest that we want to visit along our route.
In addition, we use the RV Life app to pull up our trips into their RV safe GPS, which we use on our cell phones. The GPS takes the size of your rig into account, so it plans your routes based on where your specific RV can and can’t go.
Pro’s
- The best trip-planning tool on the market
- RV Safe GPS to get you to your campground safely
- Easy-to-use app that takes your trip itinerary and loads it directly into the GPS
- RV Trip Wizard has more campground reviews than any other app
Con’s
- Not specifically focused on offering deep discounts at campgrounds
- The GPS can become inaccurate if you lose cell signal
Cost
- $65.00 a year
Who Would Benefit From This Membership?
Anyone can use this membership if you need an RV Safe GPS. Google Maps and Waze are not recommended for an RV GPS because they don’t take the size of your RV into account.
If you RV quite often and do a lot of trip planning then we consider RV Trip Wizard a must!
RV Camping Memberships We Have Used in the Past
1. Escapees RV Club
Overview
Like Escapees RV Club states in its logo, it is a total support network for all RVers. Escapees offers a ton of benefits for all types of RVers, from newbies to the most well traveled.
Escapees members have access to many discounts and support services. They also offer in-person and online RV education classes. If you join Escapees, you also receive a membership in Xscapers, a companion club for working-age RVers.
The club offers discounts of 15% to 50% off campsite fees at approximately 1000 participating campgrounds. Over 100 listings are at the full 50% off. You can also see their online directory of campgrounds that are in the program before you join.
Escapees members can benefit from four different types of RV ‘parking’ or overnight stays.
Escapees RV Park Discounts
Escapees has partnered with over 1000 commercial RV parks to offer discounts ranging from 15% to 50% off. Each campground has its own rules and limitations as to how many nights you can stay and how much of a discount you will get.
Escapees 11 Co-op Parks
These co-op parks are owned and operated by the co-op members. Some of the co-ops offer overnight and weekly campsites at low rates, and some have first-timers lower rates, too. Please call the park you are interested in for details on whether they offer this option or not.
Escapees Rainbow Parks
Rainbow Parks offers four types of parking: short-term, long-term, leases, and deeded lots for sale. The 7 Rainbow Parks are located in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Missouri, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Texas. These campgrounds are more upscale and offer many amenities such as laundromats, dog parks, and more.
Escapees Overnight Camping
Escapee’s Day’s End Directory is full of information and advice concerning boondocking, dry camping, or other low-cost camping options for budget-conscious people. The reviews are provided by and available to other Escapee members only.
Pro’s
- 15% – 50% off at over 1000 participating commercial parks
- Great sense of community at their parks
- Easy to use online map for searching for participating campgrounds
- Excellent RV training programs
- Discounts with Costco, Dish TV, Goodyear and more
- $5 Discount when you Join Boondockers Welcome
- $4 Discount when you join Harvest Hosts
Additional Benefits Geared Toward Full-Timers
- Job center for finding work on the road
- Mail service & domicile options (additional fee)
- RV Rallies
- Health Care Solutions Discount
- Roadside Assistance Discount
- Fulltime Families Discount
Con’s
- Not specifically focused on offering deep discounts at campgrounds
- The number of participating campgrounds is limited
- The online map is not easy to use on a mobile device
Cost
- $39.95/annually for US Membership
- $49.95/annually for Canada or Mexico Membership
There is an additional $10.00 administration fee for your first year but Passport America members don’t pay the admin fee so if you’re going to join both, join Passport America first. The Escapees membership gives you access to the Escapees and Xscapers communities, as well as access to all of their other services, resources, and programs.
Who Would Benefit From This Membership?
New RVers
For new RVer, Escapees is an awesome membership for helping you learn all about RVing and connect with other RVers.
Full-Time Working Age RVers
This is a great membership If you are looking for an active community, and you are of working age. The Xscapers RV community will prove to be a great way to have a sense of community while on the go.
Seasonal RVers
If you plan to be in one spot for a long time, and parks are available in places that you want to see, then this can be a great deal! Especially if you want to have a great community feel in one of their Rainbow or Co-op parks.
2. Good Sam Club
Overview
Good Sam Club is definitely the most well known of the RV membership clubs. The Club has over 2 million members and over 2,400 participating campgrounds but they only offer a 10% campground discount.
But, Good Sam Club offers a whole lot more than just campground discounts. They also offer 10% to 30% merchandise discounts at Camping World and gas and propane discounts too.
We receive coupons and special promotions almost every week! For an additional cost, they also offer roadside assistance (which we carry by the way), extended service plans, tire and wheel protection, insurance, and many other services, as well.
Pro’s
- 10% off camping fees at over 2400 participating campgrounds.
- Up to 30% savings at Camping World
- Save 5 cents off gas & 8 cents off diesel at select Pilot Flying J locations
- Receive free dump station privileges at Camping World SuperCenters that offer dump service
- Save 15% off of propane at Camping World SuperCenters
- The campground directory is available on their website, which shows price range, amenities, and camper reviews.
Con’s
- 10% off campground fees is not very much savings
- Sometimes, the Good Sam Rating is higher than the camper reviews so double-check with the free app RVParky before booking
Cost
- $39 annually
- $109 for three years (You will also receive 3,000 reward points)
Who Would Benefit From This Membership?
New RVers
New RVers would benefit the most from this membership but not because of the 10% discount at participating campgrounds. The better part of the membership is the discounts you will receive for buying RV products at Camping World while you are buying products to outfit your new RV. We get coupons for up to 30% off of merchandise like RV covers, winterizing kits, camp gear, and so on.
Elk’s Club
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is not an RV club, but if accepted, your membership includes RV parking benefits. There are over 2000 Elk Lodges across the US and many offer free RV overnight parking for members.
Each lodge has its own rules and prices, but most overnight stays are free, and many lodges have some type of hookup available. Each lodge sets its own membership fees, but there is usually a $50 initiation fee and yearly dues of $50.
Final Thoughts About the Best RV Camping Memberships
Not all RV campground membership clubs are for everyone. They all appeal to different kinds of RVers with differing travel needs. And your camping needs may change over time like ours did.
So the best way to evaluate which discount membership cubs are best for you is to determine which kind of RVer you are first. Once you know that, you will have a better idea of which memberships will work best for you.
If you travel a lot, having more than one membership would probably be a great idea. For example, by joining Passport America, Harvest Hosts, and Boondockers Welcome, you could slash your travel budget by hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Or if you are a newbie, you might join Good Sam Club, Escapees RV Club, and Passport America to take advantage of all of the merchandise discounts available at Camping World, learning opportunities that Escapees members enjoy and discounts at campgrounds through Passport America.
Thanks for reading this article. If you would like to contact us directly, please feel free to visit our Contact Page and send us an email.
To see a list of all of our articles check out the Blog Archive!
Which RV memberships do you use? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
Mike Scarpignato – Bio
Mike Scarpignato created RVBlogger.com over five years ago in 2018 to share all we have learned about RV camping.
Mike is an avid outdoorsman with decades of experience tent camping and traveling in his 2008 Gulf Stream Conquest Class C RV and 2021 Thor Challenger Class A motorhome.
We attend RV Shows and visit RV dealerships all across the country to tour and review drivable motorhomes and towable trailers to provide the best evaluations of these RVs in our blog articles and YouTube videos.
We are 3/4-time RVers who created RVBlogger.com to provide helpful information about all kinds of RVs and related products, gear, camping memberships, tips, hacks and advice.
I checked out a number of RV parks while planning our 6 month trip. I wanted to see which offered Passport America to see if it made the membership worthwhile. Almost all of them had so many exclusions that we couldn’t find any making membership worthwhile.
We did however get a Harvest Host membership which has been great. We will continue on with Harvest Host.
Great info.
When you have opportunity, you should highlight some Canadian side equivalents or where the American memberships honour Canadian parks etc. Also, it would be nice to know sites across Canada discounts, perks etc.
Thanks,
Thank you for the information. I have asked to join your Facebook group. We just purchased a motorhome and will not be full time but will travel more than we have been. We got a free year of Thousand Trails with the purchase. I have heard pros and cons. I will let you know.
My wife and I are going to retire soon and currently live in the north, and would like to find places where we can place our camper for the winter months with full hookups, any suggestions on rv memberships or places that might be able to accommodate what we are wanting to do. Thanks Ron
I’m retiring soon. I plan to live and travel in a class A motorhome. I’m beginning the research into discount memberships and extended stay locations , 30+ days at a time. I’m interested in nationwide travel. Where should I get more information for this type of camping?
This is wonderful information! I will definitely make sure to click on your links when I decide which packages I want. Hopefully that benefits you in some way. Thank you so much for all of your hard work.
Very informative! Thank you. We are just beginning to learn before taking the leap.
One question though- you left out Thousand Trails. Is that because they operate more like a timeshare?
Hi Ted,
We don’t belong to Thousand Trails so I didn’t include them in the article. I just have no experience with them so I didn’t feel right about including them in the article.
Let me know what you think of them if you decide to join.
And as an FYI – We started a new Facebook group that we are launching today called RV Camping for Newbies!
It’s a great place to ask questions and get great answers from your fellow RVers in the group!
We hope you’ll check it out!
Mike and Susan
https://www.facebook.com/groups/RVCampingforNewbies/
For overnight parking, I find that I use my Sam’s Club membership. With the Plus membership, I get early access to the store. Many of the stores offer coffee, cookies/danishes and/or fresh fruit to their early members. Overnight parking is offered as a member perk. I have parked overnight at many Sam’s Clubs when overnight parking wasn’t allowed at the Wal-Mart next door. I have even been invited to stay for up to a week in a secure, gated and patrolled Sam’s parking lot. I am often encouraged to buy a steak and get my grill out to cook it. I buy roughly 80% of my groceries from Sam’s so making a purchase isn’t a big deal. In fact, I buy enough stuff from Sam’s, that I routinely save more than the cost of the membership thru the Cash Rewards program. I’ve only found 2 clubs that didn’t allow overnight parking (one was due to a small, cramped parking lot and the other was due to safety). I’ve stayed in Sam’s Club lots in 10 states.
Hi LMS,
Thanks for sharing that info! Really helpful and informative!
Mike
Great information for this newbie! Thank you!
Hi Janet!
I’m glad you like the info! Please feel free to use the comments or shoot us an email if you have any questions!
Mike and Susan
This is great. I aam starting to live and travel in my car in western pa right now. Will any of these help me.
Hi Vicki,
If you are car camping and looking for free places to stay overnight then the OvernightRVParking subscription would be perfect for you. It’s only $24.95 (until January 31st then it’s going up by $5) Here’s our special link if you would like to subscribe. It’s a 12-month subscription but when you use our link you get three extra months for free!
Here’s the link!
https://goto.rvblogger.com/OvernightRVParking
Safe Travels!
Mike and Susan
Saved as a favorite, I love your web site!
Thanks Mike!
I appreciate the kind words and I’m glad you found the site useful enough to save it to you favorites!
Mike