How do you save money on RV living? Click "READ MORE" for links to our favorite RV resources, gadgets, gear, & FREE stuff! Get $100 off (or more) a NEW Thousand Trails camping pass/membership at enjoythejourney.life/trails Save on a USED 1000 Trails membership! Contact Kimberly at enjoythejourney.life/TT or 800-272-0401 (mention Tom Kenemore if you call in) Passport America - Save 50% on 1000’s of campsites! enjoythejourney.life/HalfOffCamping Favorite Campsite Finder - enjoythejourney.life/allstays Boondockers Welcome - FREE RV parking: geni.us/boondockers Harvest Hosts - RV FREE at wineries, breweries & more: geni.us/winedock Alternative Overnights video ruclips.net/video/DB9XZN0xgAs/видео.html Best RV Apps for Living Cheap ruclips.net/video/zs1eG-Wwx4c/видео.html Campground Membership Outlet www.campgroundmembershipoutlet.com/ Quick Start Guide: How to Make Money & RV & FREE RV Campsite Setup & Breakdown Checklist(s) enjoythejourney.life/newsletter OUR RV IS FOR SALE: 2013 40' COLUMBUS 365RL 5th Wheel OUR RV TOUR: ruclips.net/video/4vmZc4sx-7Y/видео.html RECENT RV TOUR: ruclips.net/video/XXyli3PCwXA/видео.html Includes generator, washer/dryer, bike rack, featured in a video with us & more! Email us if you are serious about purchasing our RV ($29,995 or best offer) tomandcheri@enjoythejourney.life - SAVE 5% & Fast, Free Delivery on your RV furniture orders with this link: enjoythejourney.life/furniture - Cheri's official BEACH TRIBE apparel! Join now! teespring.com/beach-tribe - Tom's official MOUNTAIN TRIBE apparel! Join now! teespring.com/mountain-tribe - SHOP OUR AMAZON STORE www.amazon.com/shop/enjoythejourney.life ********** SOCIAL: Follow us & share with your friends ********** Subscribe to our RUclips channel: enjoythejourney.life/RUclips Subscribe to our newsletter for updates: enjoythejourney.life/newsletter Join our Facebook Group: enjoythejourney.life/group Facebook Page: facebook.com/EnjoyTheJourney.Life Instagram: instagram.com/enjoythejourney.life Website: enjoythejourney.life/ ********** OUR FAVORITE RV GADGETS & GEAR ********** It takes a lot of gear to make RV living comfortable and more efficient. Check out our favorite gear (and fun stuff) that we use to enjoy the RV life - www.amazon.com/shop/enjoythejourney.life ********** CHERI'S FAVORITE RV KITCHEN GADGETS ********** Cheri loves to cook healthy food, which is sometimes a challenge in an RV. Check out her favorite RV kitchen gadgets that help get the job done - www.amazon.com/shop/enjoythejourney.life ********** OUR WORK/VIDEO GEAR ********** Want to know what equipment we are using to make videos like this one while traveling full time - www.amazon.com/shop/enjoythejourney.life FREE RUclips Channel success tools we use - enjoythejourney.life/RUclipsSuccess ********** LEARN FROM US ********** BOOKS: Get Tom's best-selling book FREE on Audible! geni.us/fansonfireaudio or Kindle and Paperback geni.us/order ONLINE COURSES: How To Pick The Right Business to Start for You! geni.us/startup Entrepreneurs Guide To Finance Your Business or Startup In 2018 geni.us/finance Google, Facebook, Yelp Review Marketing Entrepreneurs 2018 geni.us/marketing Thank you so much for using our links! Tom & Cheri’ :) ********** CONTACT US ********** Email: tomandcheri@enjoythejourney.life Mail Bag: Lake Effect Media 14870 Granada Avenue #1037 Apple Valley, MN 55124 Tom & Cheri, Full-time RV travelers sharing our adventures (and challenges), advice and more from the road. Inspiring others to do it now and live life on their terms, a life of freedom and adventure. 😍 Music by Epidemic Sound #rvliving #rvlivingfulltime #RV
We full timed for 5 months at the same park. We got on as camp hosts and my wife worked there while I still worked my full-time job. I loved waving to the deer on the way to work every morning. Doing the work-camping thing allowed us to live for 5 months without rent, electric, water, sewer, and garbage. Nice.
I have been full time and using the Thousand trails zone pass since January 2019. My nightly cost for Thousand trails is at $4.45 per night, and my out week costs averages at $235.00 for the week. So happy that I left the sticks and bricks life behind.
neo4833 we paid cash for our elite membership which was about 9k, as we are downsizing and just sold our home however based upon your out week average cost of $235 makes me want to tell you to consider an elite membership your payment would be less than that per month they do finance. And depending on your age your yearly dues will freeze at age 62. Buying an elite membership to thousand trails once paid for gives you a lifetime of Camping across the nation for minimal.
We have the Zone Pass + Trails Package and love it. 2nd year now. Been coast to coast with it. We've had some zero dollar months (excluding membership). Boondocking, or long haul travel periods where we stay at truck stops, rest areas, Wallyworld, while traveling during our 7 days "out" of the system. Most parks are easy to book, though there are peak times at some high usage parks that might be difficult to get in. That's been rare though. We've booked a string of TT across Texas like free hotels while crossing the country in advance online, where you can stay 4/4/4/4 indefinitely and not leave the system (each park must be different). We're currently working in California and use our TT membership to reduce our overall RV park costs as low as $365/month. Try living anywhere in So-Cal (30 minutes from Burbank) for less than $400/mon with full hook-ups!
We do the same with a couple differences. We upgraded to a BOGO zone pass with the Oncore add in. What we do is negotiate with that park owner to stay in the site for the off week at a 20% off membership rate. For example we stayed in Apache Junction last year for 2 months costing us about $350. It works.
: Good information. I've been full-time rving for a year-and-a-half and I have only stayed in an RV park twice. I now have my truck camper setup with sufficient solar that it's easy for me to Boondock. I also have an on-board generator but I rarely ever run it. You're right when it comes to RV camping whatever a person enjoys the most and what works for them is the way to do it. Thanks for your video wishing you safe travels.
Some important features of your membership I think you missed in this video: You can spend your “7 days out” of TT in an Encore park as the 2 systems are separate. So you can do 3 weeks in TT followed immediately by a 7 day stay in an Encore followed with another 3 weeks! Also if on the road you can do up to 4 nights and go park to park indefinitely-only after your 5th night do you start the 7 day out timer. Love the Videos keep then coming and good luck on the toy hauler search!
Please everyone stay safe out there!! Let's all say a prayer for our fellow rvers!! Bruce and Michelle Butler. Rest in Peace. They were murdered last week boondocking in Corpus Christy last week. Found buried and the truck and trailer in Mexico. Stay safe U guys!!! God Bless
My wife and I of 42 yrs now just started our 8th yr of ft.... We bounce back-and-forth between Ohio our old home, South Texas in the winter or deep South Alabama, in South Texas we guard job for oil companies Which translates to free water sewer hook up an electric... And $250 A-day... Once the nest egg is reassembled we take off somewhere else we started off in a 5th wheel and a diesel pick up truck now we're in a 40' pusher that weighs 38000 pounds and absolutely love it... Great channel love your enthusiasm Just don't get too many involved in this camping lifestyle lol they will be no spots :).... Have a great week yall...jimbo
Hi jimbo, we are fulltime and are workamping in Amarillo Texas at the big Texan rv ranch and get paid plus free site with full hookups and other amenities, but at the end of the season we're heading to south Texas, and have been interested in the guard jobs, who do we get in touch with and are they good jobs?
Thanks again for the info! We can't wait for the full time transition. Health insurance is one of the only things holding us back for 2 years. Then we are 65 and party time! My wife works for the State of NH, so the insurance is great. Soon,soon. We just came back from a trip to Upstate NH! Love it there in the summer. Not so much in the winter....;).
I did exactly that for last year. TT camping pass SE and Trails collection and stayed in Florida mostly. Until July. So after being out of Fla. I just bought a used TT Elite membership for $3750 and got 3 weeks park to park with 120 days Rez. I am so excited. It should start soon.
Sounds great guys! After that fiasco with that gentleman and rv deal that fell threw, glad to see things working out for you two. I'm sure it was for the best. Now about your being almost debt free, Congratulation! I've been debt free for about five years now and I am loving it. I attended a class called Financial Peace University and my spending has changed and the finances are very good. My wife and I paid cash for a new car this year and it was wonderful walking away with no payment! Not bragging just sharing. I'd like to tell everyone about this method and living. Sorry to many word's, take all the best to you two!
I would be interested in an update on costs post pandemic and after having your subscription for a while, how you still feel about it. Pros/cons. Thank you for your videos
Saw another youtuber who spoke about Thousand Trails and their opinion was that it was difficult to reserve, including how far ahead, schedule wise, you need to make arrangements. I have no experience with using ThousTrails, but their opinion was definitely different than yours. Keep the videos coming Tom and Cheri.
Thanks Sean. Yes, there are some things that are challenging with reserving. Lots of rules to follow, but if you learn them, we think it is still well worth it.
I would be VERY LEERY of any automatic bank draft payments for memberships or anything else! My late hubby and I got burned twice with those kinds of payments (to a company allowing us to take credit cards for our business). This caused overdrafts, and it was a huge mess. We cancelled the service, and there is now NO WAY we ever allowed that kind of payment again! If that's the only way a company wants to accept payments, I'll take my business elsewhere! NO ONE gets direct access to my bank account for ANY reason whatsoever! (I even HATE that the gov't. only wants to make direct deposits of my social security--I'd rather they still mailed me a check!)
Tom, my husband and I a glampers as well. We now have been full time RV’ers for two months and loving it!😂 thanks for sharing this information. Will be checking into Thousand Trails.
I purchased though campground membership outlet. Kim was awesome, and communicated with me through the whole process. We ended up paying $5000 for the Odyssey membership. We now have TT, the Trails collection, RPI Gold, and Passport America. I’m booked through to the New Year’s, and our of pocket will be less than $350. In addition, RPI has great rates on condos and cruises. We parked our RV, flew to Vegas, and stayed in a condo for a week at $330
Hi Ramblin & Gamblin, I have a question for ya, Was $5000 for the Odyssey and one time membership fee ? And the then you just pay a fee for the month ? And will that fee go up every year ? Thank you for your time !
Shore 4 Shore Yes the $5000 was a one time fee for the membership and transfer fee. You will then have to pay the yearly fees for all zones and Encore resorts approximately $850. The RPI Gold is I believe $175 per year. I’ll have to verify and let you know. There are other memberships within the package which can be activated just by paying the yearly dues. If you email Kim at Campground memberships, she can email you the breakdown and pricing for all available TT memberships for sale.
I have heard that the Encore and 1000 trails registrations are separate. Because of this you could spend two weeks in 1000 Trails then spend two weeks in the Encore system, then go back to 1000 Trails. I've seen several videos that mention this is possible. Then you wouldn't have to pay for anything but the membership or if you were travelling between areas.
I am with you, about clamping! Twenty eight days is great. Get a good feeling about the world and move on. See another area. Boondocking is cool but you have to be prepared for it! Thanks for the video and Safe Travels
How can They say it’s not real RV living? You’re living in an RV it comes equipped with a power cord a waterline a sewer system. You’re not supposed to use them to be a real RV full timer. it’s your choice on the scenery,location and Amenities. You and your RV are on the road you choose to camp as you wish, good luck and great info
Hi, I heard you can stay at any thousand trails park for up to 14 days and then switch over to any encore park, without paying as they are separate contracts and different reservation systems. You may want to check into that and save even more money.
I was born and raised in Minnesota and didn't want to leave it entirely, so I bought into a member-owned RV community close to the cities here. I wanted to still have a "home" to come back to, to visit friends and family, but without the work and expense of owning a home. I own my RV lot and only pay $835 annually for park upkeep. RVing can be done inexpensively with almost any budget, whether it be glamping, boondocking, owning, etc, if a person is creative enough and does their research. Great video with great info, btw! -PJ
This was very encouraging given that my test budget was starting to look like I was having to choose between nice rig with nearly all boondocking or not really what I wanted at all rig but having hookups!
Most RVs are not designed for full-time living. If you buy a new RV, check the warranty information to see if full-time living will void the warranty. Most RVs are not designed for below freezing temps -- the water tanks and plumbing can freeze and break unless they have some type of heating elements. Also, RV propane heaters and human breath produce a lot of condensation inside the RV when it is cold outside and weeks of this condensation will migrate behind the walls and into the insulation where mold will then grow. If you choose to move north for the summer and south for the winter to avoid extreme outdoor temps, like the snowbirds do, you have to figure in the fuel costs of these twice annual long trips. You can boondock for free on BLM and National Forest Service land unless otherwise posted, if you can find a level spot near a road that your RV can travel on, but there are time limits on how long you can stay in a location and you will need to find a dump station and a place for re-filling your fresh water tank and propane tanks when you break camp. Compared to privately owned RV parks, you can usually stay for less cost in those state parks that have primitive camping spots (this is where you can find a dump station and potable water for tank-filling). The smaller, lesser known state parks are more likely to have camp sites available without reservations compared to the big national parks. But expect difficulty finding free places to camp during summer three-day holiday weekends unless you have reservations or are boondocking on BLM or NFS land. You will have the best choice of free or low-cost camp sites if you have an RV that is no more than 25 feet in length. You will have the best camping experiences if you also tow a vehicle so you can make quick trips to buy stuff without having the break camp or visit those tourist spots where an RV cannot fit.
Would you recommend RV life to two college kids (with one dog), one working full time and another part time? They would only be changing locations every 6 months, but not straying too far from family. If so, any recommendations for what type of RV to get?
Average cost to live here $80 . That's taxes, and utilities. Vehicle optional you can take care of all your business on bicycle or taxi if rains constant.
For one week boon docking is ok even in Canada where its cold. A decent solar,system means no generator running unless its really bad weather. Yes even with AC running. Stop in overnight occasionally to top up water and dump rv. There are also sometimes free water at gas stations or city treatment plants. We can be about 3 months without much expense. Look up free xamp sites .com and other places like that.
I mentioned in another comment that the out of park weeks are more than your monthly payment for an elite connections membership. No out of park days and 180 day reservations. We paid cash for ours since selling one of our homes but the payment would have been $180 per month. 😎
Not sure if you know or not but you can leave a 1000 trails club after 14 days and then go stay at an Encore park then back to the 1000 trails. That allows you to stay in the system the entire time.
Been considering TT as well. Working in Texas currently and paying too much for a park. I will use your link when I decide to buy TT pass. Thanks for the info. Safe travels!😊
We are Harvest Host members (but haven't used it yet), Passport America half price RV parks which we've used a few times, we have America the Beautiful (Senior) passes, so we get half price at Corp of Engineer parks (which we've used a lot) get full hook up for less than $15 a night, my husband is retired Navy, so we also take advantage of military bases, and we get an extra discount from them because of our America the Beautiful passes. We have bought solar panels, but haven't gotten them installed yet, when they are installed we hope to boom dock and take advantage of the Harvest Host membership more. Right now Thousand Trails parks don't appeal to me much...
pls tell me about the military base camping what prices n what amenities...is it only for a military person or can it be for a person whos parent was in the military etc.. what about people who were in the military for another country...
One of the items to keep in mind with Thousand Trails memberships, especially in Florida is the high use restrictions they have that start in December and go through the beginning of April.
@@shepherdofmysoul6 no matter your level of membership you can only have 2 TT reservations at a time and they can only be 14 day length. Then if you have Trails Collection you can also add those in.
I love your videos... I'm the "glamping" kind as well so the budget on my end has to accommodate hookups at places. I may not be the extreme glamper but the majority of the times, I do like my hookups and have fun at the sites I go to... I have found sites that are nice and private (some distance between RVers) enough to feel my seclusion and quite content with that. Therefore, this video is very informing and helpful for my travels. Thank you guys...and... you guys are great on your videos. I laugh and learn so much with them!!! Don't change ever!!!
You guys have got this lifestyle down. The level of knowledge you possess surpasses any other RUclips channel. I watch someone else and immediately think to myself that I’m checking with you guys to fact check the other channel. I’ve learned soo much. Thanks for posting
I was told by thousand trails that buying a pass from someone else may mean restrictions apply i.e. you may not get the full benefit of the pass whatever those benefits are I have no idea.
Have watched videos that you can go from Encore to Thousand trails with no time out of parks. Try it and see if you can book it that way....................
@@EnjoyTheJourneyLife I don't believe it's only the higher end memberships. They are two separate booking systems. I've seen several videos "Thousand trails Hacks"
We used the TT zone pass (2 zones) plus the Encore add-on for about a year. Only one park that I didn’t care for near L.A. as it was really kind of “dumpy”. But it was convenient for what we needed at that point in time.
👏👏 Whoop Whoop good to see ya.. We've been thinking about doing Thousand Trails 👣 so thanks for the review on all that 👍. Yeah we love our hookups lol.
I have heard some say The Thousand Trails has changed. That availability is harder to find. That there have been changes in how its run and reduced campgrounds. Are you still happy with it?
Thanks Tom, good information. This makes me rethink how I will approach my retirement plans next year when traveling the country. This could mitigate the boon-docking we expected to do.
Tom, Cheri... You two are absolutely awesome! We love you two. Tom - you are so funny, and your experiences are helpful for us. Cheri - You are adorable, and we love your humour and tips along the road. We are excited to start our journey :) - Maarten.
Dear Tom and Cheri, can u tell me if the dump sites in the states are free to dump also water treatment plants, do they allow u to dump for free. Love watching u guys, we are saving up for truck and trailer as we speak. Keep on lovin the livin. Love ❤️ from 🇨🇦
Hey can you give me an idea of how much it would be if you had no debt RVs paid off trucks paid off but you stay in a RV park every month and you pay the monthly fee instead of the daily or weekly fee thanks
Your expenses will still vary, but that is one of the cheapest ways to do it. Search our videos for RV under 1K and our 30 day challenge finale for more info on expenses.
Tried to get 1 day, 2 days, any days at TT in NC, TN, SC for any time over a 2 month period. EVERY date at every Campground is booked. So far, waste of $700. I do not suggest TT whatsoever. That's 12 or 13 campgrounds. And not all take pets. And some there are age restrictions.
Even with the elite membership don't you still have to pay the yearly membership fee, like 500.00 or so? There's just so many states that don't have any of their parks. We are considering a zone pass.
❤️ Great video! I'm curious how all you TT Members feel about how you can't reserve a specific site at the campgrounds. My in-laws have a membership and they are trying to get used to driving around and finding a site on the day they arrive. Let me know your thoughts!
I bought an older Thousand Trails contract through a broker. I paid $3500 or so for the contract and I pay $548 a year. I have 60 campgrounds access and I can stay 21 days back to back. I dont have to leave Thousand Trails at all.
You're not really "saving" money until the Thousand Trails cost's have been surpassed right? Thousand Trails only works if you are a RV Park fan correct? Not sure we would ever spend 28 days in a RV park. Maybe. ??
Tried to buy their highest membership but they changed the price on us twice and they let $10k walk out the door. I like the parks the salesman we were dealing with was simply not above board or did not know what he was doing. Needless to say we went with another RV Resort and can still stay at TT with RPI for $10 a night. Like I said the Parks are very nice.
s a Sound Pacific RV Resort they are out of Oregon and Washington but give you several options with several different plans such as RPI, Coast to Coast, AOR, and a couple others. RPI is $10 a night for us and most TT take RPI members. I’m not saying TT is bad we just had a bad experience with the salesman we were dealing with.
Is it possible to live a year and rent a lot to live at in an RV. Like is it possible to use an RV as a house and live somewhere all year and move around once a year
Senior National Park Pass and COE campgrounds. $80 for lifetime and $5 - $15 a night for up to 14 days. No time out. Park to park. And most all COE cg are on a beautiful lake. Oops, maybe I should have kept that to myself.
Love the info, effort, and quality of video! Thank you so much! (Have you considered getting something to make the sound quality not so sharp/loud)? Again, LOVE the videos, just sounds like you’re yelling, or is this just me?
Just starting our Purge! Kids gone! This is very helpful. Didn't know there were a few options for camp fees. Thanks. How did you make out with selling the Columbus?
I tried to book in Arizona for winter, but thousand trails told me that the Arizona resorts don’t follow the same booking timelines because they are so popular in winter. Some Encore resorts were 30 day minimum stays at a high price. It was very confusing, I still don’t have it figured out. Does anybody know what this is about? And is Florida also doing this?
Not sure if anyone can answer this but would anyone know a good option for travel nurse who is full time rving. Our contracts run 6-8 weeks generally so we would be situated that long in one place??? Any idea on memberships for that type of need. Thank youuu😁😁
U2 are the greatest RV lovers, I have not looking on the video and i forgot u were looking to buy a new RV. DID YOU? I also changed my picture that is more like me now. Being a Blonde woman...........hahahaha. It is great to see U2......Love Yeah.....................Namaste
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Are these RV sites near the city or rural?
Damn, bad advice. Only. Lisp service.
We full timed for 5 months at the same park. We got on as camp hosts and my wife worked there while I still worked my full-time job. I loved waving to the deer on the way to work every morning. Doing the work-camping thing allowed us to live for 5 months without rent, electric, water, sewer, and garbage. Nice.
You need to buy a cowboy hat. You look EXACTLY like Woody from Toy Story
Dude you need to get on that, guaranteed to go vyral especially if you are creative.
@@GEAUXFRUGAL he looks like Lord Farquaad from Schrek
😂😂
Hahahahaha
I think he looks like Buzz Lightyear; the eyes, the jawline! 😁
HINT: Buy your Thousand Trails membership at the Big Tent in Quartzsite. Show-only discount and no sales tax.
Great Tip! Thanks for sharing!
Canceled this year
I have been full time and using the Thousand trails zone pass since January 2019. My nightly cost for Thousand trails is at $4.45 per night, and my out week costs averages at $235.00 for the week. So happy that I left the sticks and bricks life behind.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
WOW!! Fantastic 🤗😮!!
neo4833 we paid cash for our elite membership which was about 9k, as we are downsizing and just sold our home however based upon your out week average cost of $235 makes me want to tell you to consider an elite membership your payment would be less than that per month they do finance. And depending on your age your yearly dues will freeze at age 62. Buying an elite membership to thousand trails once paid for gives you a lifetime of Camping across the nation for minimal.
We have the Zone Pass + Trails Package and love it. 2nd year now. Been coast to coast with it. We've had some zero dollar months (excluding membership). Boondocking, or long haul travel periods where we stay at truck stops, rest areas, Wallyworld, while traveling during our 7 days "out" of the system. Most parks are easy to book, though there are peak times at some high usage parks that might be difficult to get in. That's been rare though. We've booked a string of TT across Texas like free hotels while crossing the country in advance online, where you can stay 4/4/4/4 indefinitely and not leave the system (each park must be different). We're currently working in California and use our TT membership to reduce our overall RV park costs as low as $365/month. Try living anywhere in So-Cal (30 minutes from Burbank) for less than $400/mon with full hook-ups!
Could you give me some ideas on locations in so cal? We live here and looking into RV living full time but will be working out here for awhile.
We do the same with a couple differences. We upgraded to a BOGO zone pass with the Oncore add in. What we do is negotiate with that park owner to stay in the site for the off week at a 20% off membership rate. For example we stayed in Apache Junction last year for 2 months costing us about $350. It works.
: Good information. I've been full-time rving for a year-and-a-half and I have only stayed in an RV park twice. I now have my truck camper setup with sufficient solar that it's easy for me to Boondock. I also have an on-board generator but I rarely ever run it. You're right when it comes to RV camping whatever a person enjoys the most and what works for them is the way to do it. Thanks for your video wishing you safe travels.
Some important features of your membership I think you missed in this video:
You can spend your “7 days out” of TT in an Encore park as the 2 systems are separate. So you can do 3 weeks in TT followed immediately by a 7 day stay in an Encore followed with another 3 weeks! Also if on the road you can do up to 4 nights and go park to park indefinitely-only after your 5th night do you start the 7 day out timer.
Love the Videos keep then coming and good luck on the toy hauler search!
I heard they changed that loop hole and you can't do that anymore. Have you done it recently?
Please everyone stay safe out there!! Let's all say a prayer for our fellow rvers!! Bruce and Michelle Butler. Rest in Peace. They were murdered last week boondocking in Corpus Christy last week. Found buried and the truck and trailer in Mexico. Stay safe U guys!!! God Bless
Yes, thank you for sharing....that is so sad to hear. A reminder to us all to be aware of where we are camping and parking.
Thats really sad!
My wife and I of 42 yrs now just started our 8th yr of ft.... We bounce back-and-forth between Ohio our old home, South Texas in the winter or deep South Alabama, in South Texas we guard job for oil companies Which translates to free water sewer hook up an electric... And $250 A-day... Once the nest egg is reassembled we take off somewhere else we started off in a 5th wheel and a diesel pick up truck now we're in a 40' pusher that weighs 38000 pounds and absolutely love it... Great channel love your enthusiasm Just don't get too many involved in this camping lifestyle lol they will be no spots :).... Have a great week yall...jimbo
Hi jimbo, we are fulltime and are workamping in Amarillo Texas at the big Texan rv ranch and get paid plus free site with full hookups and other amenities, but at the end of the season we're heading to south Texas, and have been interested in the guard jobs, who do we get in touch with and are they good jobs?
@@lindamurray5503 any of the gg companies gate gaurd services is probably the best...
Absolutely agree, we just got TT this year and can say it’s 110% true
Thanks again for the info! We can't wait for the full time transition. Health insurance is one of the only things holding us back for 2 years. Then we are 65 and party time! My wife works for the State of NH, so the insurance is great. Soon,soon. We just came back from a trip to Upstate NH! Love it there in the summer. Not so much in the winter....;).
I did exactly that for last year. TT camping pass SE and Trails collection and stayed in Florida mostly. Until July. So after being out of Fla. I just bought a used TT Elite membership for $3750 and got 3 weeks park to park with 120 days Rez. I am so excited. It should start soon.
Sounds great guys! After that fiasco with that gentleman and rv deal that fell threw, glad to see things working out for you two. I'm sure it was for the best.
Now about your being almost debt free, Congratulation! I've been debt free for about five years now and I am loving it. I attended a class called Financial Peace University and my spending has changed and the finances are very good. My wife and I paid cash for a new car this year and it was wonderful walking away with no payment! Not bragging just sharing. I'd like to tell everyone about this method and living. Sorry to many word's, take all the best to you two!
Yep, we're TT members + Trail Collection too. We usually boondock the 7 days in between reservations. However, there is also an option to go for only
I would be interested in an update on costs post pandemic and after having your subscription for a while, how you still feel about it. Pros/cons. Thank you for your videos
Saw another youtuber who spoke about Thousand Trails and their opinion was that it was difficult to reserve, including how far ahead, schedule wise, you need to make arrangements. I have no experience with using ThousTrails, but their opinion was definitely different than yours. Keep the videos coming Tom and Cheri.
Thanks Sean. Yes, there are some things that are challenging with reserving. Lots of rules to follow, but if you learn them, we think it is still well worth it.
Very encouraging Tom. We are going to have to get the discount cards. Congratulations on being free and clear..what a joy!!!🤗💓
Can you buy one membership and Cherri another so you can stay 28 days a month? How would they know...
I would be VERY LEERY of any automatic bank draft payments for memberships or anything else! My late hubby and I got burned twice with those kinds of payments (to a company allowing us to take credit cards for our business). This caused overdrafts, and it was a huge mess. We cancelled the service, and there is now NO WAY we ever allowed that kind of payment again! If that's the only way a company wants to accept payments, I'll take my business elsewhere! NO ONE gets direct access to my bank account for ANY reason whatsoever! (I even HATE that the gov't. only wants to make direct deposits of my social security--I'd rather they still mailed me a check!)
Tom, my husband and I a glampers as well. We now have been full time RV’ers for two months and loving it!😂 thanks for sharing this information. Will be checking into Thousand Trails.
you forgot to include the $600 a year fee for thousand trails. Also a big complaint about TT in FL is it can be impossible to get a spot during winter
I purchased though campground membership outlet. Kim was awesome, and communicated with me through the whole process. We ended up paying $5000 for the Odyssey membership. We now have TT, the Trails collection, RPI Gold, and Passport America. I’m booked through to the New Year’s, and our of pocket will be less than $350. In addition, RPI has great rates on condos and cruises. We parked our RV, flew to Vegas, and stayed in a condo for a week at $330
Great to hear! That is exactly what we are looking for! Safe travels and thanks for sharing!
Hi Ramblin & Gamblin, I have a question for ya, Was $5000 for the Odyssey and one time membership fee ? And the then you just pay a fee for the month ? And will that fee go up every year ? Thank you for your time !
Shore 4 Shore Yes the $5000 was a one time fee for the membership and transfer fee. You will then have to pay the yearly fees for all zones and Encore resorts approximately $850. The RPI Gold is I believe $175 per year. I’ll have to verify and let you know. There are other memberships within the package which can be activated just by paying the yearly dues. If you email Kim at Campground memberships, she can email you the breakdown and pricing for all available TT memberships for sale.
@@ramblingamblin4649 , Thank you for the information, have a great day : )
I have heard that the Encore and 1000 trails registrations are separate. Because of this you could spend two weeks in 1000 Trails then spend two weeks in the Encore system, then go back to 1000 Trails. I've seen several videos that mention this is possible. Then you wouldn't have to pay for anything but the membership or if you were travelling between areas.
I am with you, about clamping! Twenty eight days is great. Get a good feeling about the world and move on. See another area. Boondocking is cool but you have to be prepared for it! Thanks for the video and Safe Travels
I’ve heard TT people say that sometimes it’s hard to get a reservation because of so many people doing this.
How can They say it’s not real RV living? You’re living in an RV it comes equipped with a power cord a waterline a sewer system. You’re not supposed to use them to be a real RV full timer. it’s your choice on the scenery,location and Amenities. You and your RV are on the road you choose to camp as you wish, good luck and great info
Hi,
I heard you can stay at any thousand trails park for up to 14 days and then switch over to any encore park, without paying as they are separate contracts and different reservation systems. You may want to check into that and save even more money.
I was born and raised in Minnesota and didn't want to leave it entirely, so I bought into a member-owned RV community close to the cities here. I wanted to still have a "home" to come back to, to visit friends and family, but without the work and expense of owning a home. I own my RV lot and only pay $835 annually for park upkeep. RVing can be done inexpensively with almost any budget, whether it be glamping, boondocking, owning, etc, if a person is creative enough and does their research. Great video with great info, btw! -PJ
This was very encouraging given that my test budget was starting to look like I was having to choose between nice rig with nearly all boondocking or not really what I wanted at all rig but having hookups!
Most RVs are not designed for full-time living. If you buy a new RV, check the warranty information to see if full-time living will void the warranty.
Most RVs are not designed for below freezing temps -- the water tanks and plumbing can freeze and break unless they have some type of heating elements. Also, RV propane heaters and human breath produce a lot of condensation inside the RV when it is cold outside and weeks of this condensation will migrate behind the walls and into the insulation where mold will then grow.
If you choose to move north for the summer and south for the winter to avoid extreme outdoor temps, like the snowbirds do, you have to figure in the fuel costs of these twice annual long trips.
You can boondock for free on BLM and National Forest Service land unless otherwise posted, if you can find a level spot near a road that your RV can travel on, but there are time limits on how long you can stay in a location and you will need to find a dump station and a place for re-filling your fresh water tank and propane tanks when you break camp. Compared to privately owned RV parks, you can usually stay for less cost in those state parks that have primitive camping spots (this is where you can find a dump station and potable water for tank-filling). The smaller, lesser known state parks are more likely to have camp sites available without reservations compared to the big national parks. But expect difficulty finding free places to camp during summer three-day holiday weekends unless you have reservations or are boondocking on BLM or NFS land.
You will have the best choice of free or low-cost camp sites if you have an RV that is no more than 25 feet in length. You will have the best camping experiences if you also tow a vehicle so you can make quick trips to buy stuff without having the break camp or visit those tourist spots where an RV cannot fit.
Would you recommend RV life to two college kids (with one dog), one working full time and another part time? They would only be changing locations every 6 months, but not straying too far from family.
If so, any recommendations for what type of RV to get?
Average cost to live here $80 . That's taxes, and utilities. Vehicle optional you can take care of all your business on bicycle or taxi if rains constant.
For one week boon docking is ok even in Canada where its cold. A decent solar,system means no generator running unless its really bad weather. Yes even with AC running. Stop in overnight occasionally to top up water and dump rv. There are also sometimes free water at gas stations or city treatment plants. We can be about 3 months without much expense. Look up free xamp sites .com and other places like that.
I mentioned in another comment that the out of park weeks are more than your monthly payment for an elite connections membership. No out of park days and 180 day reservations. We paid cash for ours since selling one of our homes but the payment would have been $180 per month. 😎
Not sure if you know or not but you can leave a 1000 trails club after 14 days and then go stay at an Encore park then back to the 1000 trails. That allows you to stay in the system the entire time.
Been considering TT as well. Working in Texas currently and paying too much for a park. I will use your link when I decide to buy TT pass. Thanks for the info. Safe travels!😊
Thank you Debra and safe travels as well!
We are Harvest Host members (but haven't used it yet), Passport America half price RV parks which we've used a few times, we have America the Beautiful (Senior) passes, so we get half price at Corp of Engineer parks (which we've used a lot) get full hook up for less than $15 a night, my husband is retired Navy, so we also take advantage of military bases, and we get an extra discount from them because of our America the Beautiful passes. We have bought solar panels, but haven't gotten them installed yet, when they are installed we hope to boom dock and take advantage of the Harvest Host membership more. Right now Thousand Trails parks don't appeal to me much...
pls tell me about the military base camping what prices n what amenities...is it only for a military person or can it be for a person whos parent was in the military etc.. what about people who were in the military for another country...
Elaine, do you have to be “retired” from the military or was in the military? Do you have a link for this?
Thanks for the info Tom. Always good to get first hand tips and advice. Keep'em coming bud I'm taking notes. Take care you two.
New Subscriber! We enjoyed Thousands Trails when we had it. Some campgrounds were nice some need some TLC.
One of the items to keep in mind with Thousand Trails memberships, especially in Florida is the high use restrictions they have that start in December and go through the beginning of April.
Can you explain, thanks
@@shepherdofmysoul6 no matter your level of membership you can only have 2 TT reservations at a time and they can only be 14 day length. Then if you have Trails Collection you can also add those in.
Hi we have been following for the last month or two and have a question. Why do you have a car since you have a fifth wheel?
I love your videos... I'm the "glamping" kind as well so the budget on my end has to accommodate hookups at places. I may not be the extreme glamper but the majority of the times, I do like my hookups and have fun at the sites I go to... I have found sites that are nice and private (some distance between RVers) enough to feel my seclusion and quite content with that. Therefore, this video is very informing and helpful for my travels. Thank you guys...and... you guys are great on your videos. I laugh and learn so much with them!!! Don't change ever!!!
You guys have got this lifestyle down. The level of knowledge you possess surpasses any other RUclips channel. I watch someone else and immediately think to myself that I’m checking with you guys to fact check the other channel. I’ve learned soo much. Thanks for posting
I was told by thousand trails that buying a pass from someone else may mean restrictions apply i.e. you may not get the full benefit of the pass whatever those benefits are I have no idea.
Have watched videos that you can go from Encore to Thousand trails with no time out of parks. Try it and see if you can book it that way....................
Thanks Wendy, yes that works with the higher membership levels.
@@EnjoyTheJourneyLife I don't believe it's only the higher end memberships. They are two separate booking systems. I've seen several videos "Thousand trails Hacks"
We used the TT zone pass (2 zones) plus the Encore add-on for about a year. Only one park that I didn’t care for near L.A. as it was really kind of “dumpy”. But it was convenient for what we needed at that point in time.
👏👏 Whoop Whoop good to see ya.. We've been thinking about doing Thousand Trails 👣 so thanks for the review on all that 👍. Yeah we love our hookups lol.
Great info. I’ll definitely look into a zone pass. $56 dollars a month is nothing.
I have heard some say The Thousand Trails has changed. That availability is harder to find. That there have been changes in how its run and reduced campgrounds. Are you still happy with it?
Heard many say TT has oversold memberships and often hard to find an opening. Annual maintenance fees??
Please tell me how I can start the RV fulltime? And what exactly do I need too do first?
Yay to no credit card debt!!
Thanks Tom, good information. This makes me rethink how I will approach my retirement plans next year when traveling the country. This could mitigate the boon-docking we expected to do.
Y’all are such an inspiration!!
❤️
If you happened to come to San Antonio and stay at the 1000 Trails at Medina Lake look us up.
Tom, Cheri... You two are absolutely awesome! We love you two. Tom - you are so funny, and your experiences are helpful for us. Cheri - You are adorable, and we love your humour and tips along the road. We are excited to start our journey :) - Maarten.
Dear Tom and Cheri, can u tell me if the dump sites in the states are free to dump also water treatment plants, do they allow u to dump for free. Love watching u guys, we are saving up for truck and trailer as we speak. Keep on lovin the livin. Love ❤️ from 🇨🇦
What do you recomend for monthly income to do this full time?
Hey can you give me an idea of how much it would be if you had no debt RVs paid off trucks paid off but you stay in a RV park every month and you pay the monthly fee instead of the daily or weekly fee thanks
Your expenses will still vary, but that is one of the cheapest ways to do it. Search our videos for RV under 1K and our 30 day challenge finale for more info on expenses.
Tried to get 1 day, 2 days, any days at TT in NC, TN, SC for any time over a 2 month period. EVERY date at every Campground is booked. So far, waste of $700.
I do not suggest TT whatsoever. That's 12 or 13 campgrounds.
And not all take pets. And some there are age restrictions.
Thank you Tom and Cherie.......like the place with the flies! Never forget that! Thanks again for sharing.
Even with the elite membership don't you still have to pay the yearly membership fee, like 500.00 or so? There's just so many states that don't have any of their parks. We are considering a zone pass.
❤️ Great video! I'm curious how all you TT Members feel about how you can't reserve a specific site at the campgrounds. My in-laws have a membership and they are trying to get used to driving around and finding a site on the day they arrive. Let me know your thoughts!
I bought an older Thousand Trails contract through a broker. I paid $3500 or so for the contract and I pay $548 a year. I have 60 campgrounds access and I can stay 21 days back to back. I dont have to leave Thousand Trails at all.
you pd 3500 total price? so why do u pay 548 a yr? pls clarify...
@@Lauren-vd4qe that's my annual fee, I own the membership for 3500 and my annual "dues" is 548.
@@randyb.8829 i see ok thnx
@@Lauren-vd4qe sure
Randy, can you email me the name of the broker? What package did you get?
ilovsci@aol.com
Could you use something like this for black and gray water?
You both make great informational videos. Thank you for sharing.
You're not really "saving" money until the Thousand Trails cost's have been surpassed right? Thousand Trails only works if you are a RV Park fan correct? Not sure we would ever spend 28 days in a RV park. Maybe. ??
Tried to buy their highest membership but they changed the price on us twice and they let $10k walk out the door. I like the parks the salesman we were dealing with was simply not above board or did not know what he was doing. Needless to say we went with another RV Resort and can still stay at TT with RPI for $10 a night. Like I said the Parks are very nice.
What is the other choice for RV Resort?
s a Sound Pacific RV Resort they are out of Oregon and Washington but give you several options with several different plans such as RPI, Coast to Coast, AOR, and a couple others. RPI is $10 a night for us and most TT take RPI members. I’m not saying TT is bad we just had a bad experience with the salesman we were dealing with.
Is it possible to live a year and rent a lot to live at in an RV. Like is it possible to use an RV as a house and live somewhere all year and move around once a year
Senior National Park Pass and COE campgrounds. $80 for lifetime and $5 - $15 a night for up to 14 days. No time out. Park to park. And most all COE cg are on a beautiful lake. Oops, maybe I should have kept that to myself.
Love the info, effort, and quality of video! Thank you so much! (Have you considered getting something to make the sound quality not so sharp/loud)? Again, LOVE the videos, just sounds like you’re yelling, or is this just me?
I am gathering information so when we retire we will be ready.
Going FT in N Florida in May. Kiddos will continue to attend school but any reccomended locations??
Great information!
Have a great night, guys!
Thank you Susan!
Just starting our Purge! Kids gone! This is very helpful. Didn't know there were a few options for camp fees. Thanks. How did you make out with selling the Columbus?
Great info. Thanks for sharing 👍🏿
Will you guys have a meet up in the near future in Florida?
Yeah, but almost all the locations are 55+ age restricted. So what then? Any advice?
With great advice like this my finances are headed to infinity and beyond
How hard is it to get a site on very short notice under the zone pass?
We joined last week! Only 1 zone for now.
Could be a great deal for full timers, not so much for part timers. Plus very limited areas where there are TT parks.
Great video with great info!!
Just bought from RV Campgrounds Outlet.
I tried to book in Arizona for winter, but thousand trails told me that the Arizona resorts don’t follow the same booking timelines because they are so popular in winter. Some Encore resorts were 30 day minimum stays at a high price. It was very confusing, I still don’t have it figured out. Does anybody know what this is about? And is Florida also doing this?
Is there a link to access the information in the chart you shared re Ultimate, Elite Connection, etc.?
Not feasable with our current situation but good to know for the future.
You look like you are up north in MN in this video!! Welcome home!!
Good luck in snowbird season!
Not sure if anyone can answer this but would anyone know a good option for travel nurse who is full time rving. Our contracts run 6-8 weeks generally so we would be situated that long in one place??? Any idea on memberships for that type of need. Thank youuu😁😁
Love my TT. West coast.
Great info 👍
Thank You good information!
Congratulations guys.
U2 are the greatest RV lovers, I have not looking on the video and i forgot u were looking to buy a new RV. DID YOU? I also changed my picture that is more like me now. Being a Blonde woman...........hahahaha. It is great to see U2......Love Yeah.....................Namaste
What part of Orlando Florida can I do this at?
Thank you
How much did you get paid to say 1000 trails is good because I have heard nothing but the opposite
I am surveying to find some of the biggest headaches RV'ers run into while on the road. Please leave an answer below as I am working with a team of students to build an app that provides solutions for us!