If you don't use Army Corps of Engineers you should give them a try. There are tons of them in the mid-west and almost always on water. The Army Corps manage reservoirs and campgrounds often have great sites at the water's edge. With a senior national park pass you get a 50% discount making many of the sites under $10/per night. Usually clean and have spacious sites.
Agree. Recently spent a night at COE campground on Seminole Lake on FL/GA line. One of the nicest RV parks I have stayed at. Right on the lake, water and electric and dump station, and $12 a night with senior pass!
It's an absolute Yay for us . We are retired and honestly could not do this wonderful life style without it . We have been full time for 3 years now with a Adventure package , we have seen the east coast and this fall heading west for a couple of years to see it . We do use C.O.E also for in between stops . We are heading to Quart site for some solar install this winter also so we can do some boondocking . We are loving what we are doing ! Stay well and travel safe .
I’m not a full timer and have had a southwest zone camping pass for a few years. I think this is a very fair assessment of TT as they can be hit or miss. We try to stay away from the nightmare places, which are fewer than the good places, and are so excited when we find a gem. One of the gems we found is Cottonwood, AZ 😊
This is a great and fair review. I agree with all your points. I have mainly stayed in the Oregon parks,and they tend to be rundown - but so worth it for their locations. TT is my backup retirement plan - after the purchase of the membership, five hundred dollars a year is a heck of a deal.
this is the best overview of Thousand Trails I have seen yet. At this point we are 75-125 nights per year on the road, and really love national/state/provincial parks as our first choice. Not sure if this would really work for us at this point. Really appreciate the review though. thank you, and as always safe travels...
It's a YAY for us. My wife and I did a test in 2021 using the camping pass in the Pacific Northwest over the summer and loved it. We will definitely buy a used membership (probably the same one you have) when we go full time in a few years. With all of the old campgrounds, the one thing I learned was to test the power in the site for high or low voltage before even starting to set up camp.
We also have a platinum membership we got from a family member so our initial wasn’t as bad. We live in Northern California so with the cost of campgrounds we have to camp one weekend a month to break even on our annual dues. We have a few parks within a 2 hour drive so it’s easy to get away. But I 100% agree with your assessment. We have one that’s 45 minutes away and with the recent storms the lower portion was flooded. It will take 6+ months to fix it. So that’s out for us. For us we also have to factor the cost of gas. For us to go 3 hours away that’s a full tank in our class C. My dad is a full timer and rotates between a few parks. He is an extrovert so he loves the social aspect of it and on his fixed income it’s the perfect answer for him. Still worth it for us.
Yay for us! We hit the road after school ends for 60 days, we head from Florida to Southern California (where we both grew up) . This summer we have 34 of the 60 days covered by TT camping We upgraded to Elite Basic (one level up) which extended our booking period. We live by Disney World and we put the camper down at one of the three Thousand Trails/Encore parks. This allows friends and family to stay within 15 minutes of the parks for free. Since we live in Florida, there are many places we can stay. Between TT and Disney Vacation Club we have some very nice vacations for a few annual maintenance fees.
We love Thousand Trails!! It allows us to travel more and stay the winter in Florida for the last 20 years. We can book or site 180 days ahead which really helps and our membership is frozen dues. We have great friends that we've made over the years. We stay in Florida 5 months every winter and only pay 599 a year. Awesome deal!!
This was one of the best explanations of TT that I’ve found. Thanks so much! I had decided against TT, but your video is causing me to reconsider. Thanks again! 🚀
$10.42/night is your average for those 3 years of Thousand Trails, if you amortize your initial purchase cost. Excellent deal! If you'd had to buy new for $6,000, the 3 years would have been $16.72/night, still very good. And of course with every year, the averaged lifetime per night cost drops more. - Thanks for all the info!
We live in the PNW so have quite a few parks close to us, we have a few that we LOVE, and a few that have been “meh”. We’re just weekenders so it doesn’t make sense to upgrade beyond the zone pass, but when our kids are done with school we will upgrade our membership for full time, unless we find a great deal on a used membership before that. It does get hard to book in the summer with only a 60 day booking window.
I really liked your fair assessment of TT. Yah it's always a bummer when you come across the not so nice parks but that can happen even in non TT campgrounds and sometimes you've paid $50/night! I had the camping pass last year and I'm sure it saved me hundreds of dollars. I just upgraded to elite basic this year and I am doing the monthly payments of $140 so it will be averaging about 4.66 bucks a night for me. That's not bad rent. At that price I'm willing to put up with less than stellar at times. I'm in my RV full time except when house-sitting.
Yay for us! We have a Platinum membership purchased new years ago. We are now spending a big part of our time in an Escapees park on our own membership lot, so we will probably be selling our membership! However, we really got our money's worth over the years! Love the Lake Conroe and Colorado River parks in Texas! Love the channel! Keep up the great content!
Nay had it 5 years in central oregon and couldn't wait to cancel. First loved it, then realized parks are so booked up, I could never get in. These parks are full of pre purchased sites, and it is very tough to get a reservation within 60 days reservation. My experience is: Pools always broke and shut down, bathrooms(usually most) are shut down, very run down, tough spots to park in if you can even find a site. They shut most sites down during winter time, leaving only 25% available(Which are mostly purchased sites). Been enjoying boondocking and won't go back, paying for a membership, that I couldn't use. I was shocked to here you stayed in TT for 150+ days. I was like to get in 4 days.
We hear ya! Yeah it's a way for us to catch up on work, get back into a routine, clean up from boondocking and just relax a bit. We are also ready to get back to nature though after a stay!
It’s a yay for us. We got a trial when we purchased our first RV years ago. I just wanted to go camping and do a shake down, but we were impressed with the campground and how well it was maintained, the space between sites, and the friendly staff. You’re right, some of the preserves are a little run down, but there are some real gems.
I love being at campgrounds where the vibe is friendly! Some are definitely not. The people seem miserable. Sometimes the people in the giant class A’s never leave their “home.” Life long camper
Love this video. Your video has given us one of the better evaluations of TT. We do hate when RV parks or where some identify themselves as resorts, do not do a decent job of upkeep or modernize. As new RV (6/5/22), we have come across a number of outdated RV parks or where they need some serious work. See you guys in Athens, TX. Can’t wait to meet you, if you are going to be there for RV Unplugged rally.
We tried to stay at Oakland Park but, we had a hybrid. Ended up having to leave because of that neighborhood and safety. We agree with your assessment of Thousand Trails and writing this from TTO.
When you log in to TT you can go into your account to view every reservation you have ever made. I was surprised to see our list since we joined in 2006! Most of our experiences have been fairly good. Great review of TT!
Excellent review. Very Fair. We are in Washington State and we visited the 3 near us and they all were outdated. The reviews tell the story. We are hesitant to join but I see us getting the Camping Pass with the SW Zone added so we can have the entire west coast. We have checked out some of the reviews and there are more than enough great parks on the west coast to stay. Thank you for sharing with us.
Arron and Chris thank you for this video. Very informative and just subscribed to your channel you are great. My wife and I are looking into doing this in a few years.
I have to say, the experience of being ignored on the street is very regional. We live in Williamsburg, VA and always walk around Colonial Williamsburg. Most people say "HI", but at times, when there are a lot of people from NY, they don't even look at you. It's always nicer to have someone reply, but I feel good about myself for being friendly.
We love it!! $3,47 a day and never have to leave the system, with 180 day reservation TT and 90 day reservation encore. 21 days park to park. Can't beat it! makes me happy! Thanks Thousand Trails.
We stopped at a TT in Ohio, when camping at a state park. They had closed for winter months. So we couldn't talk to anyone. There was a card scanner and people were camping there, but nobody worked there
Love your channel. I have a high level TT membership and love it. A couple of the parks I've used were a bit run down. About the laundry problems. Most of them use a 3rd party vendor for laundry, usually CSC. Those guys are all local franchises and are just hit or miss but it's out of the park's control.
Thanks so much for making this video, I had been researching Thousand Trails but was more confused so I really appreciate this info! I think it could be a Yay for me once we start traveling more frequently. Right now it doesn't make sense but someday.....
When I was a young kid, we used to belong to a camping resort system called Coast-to-Coast with camping resorts all over the country. They were nice with amenities..etc . Then there was this one called the President’s Club and that didn’t last too long. The owner got a little too greedy purchasing a private jet…etc. They were supposed to have 500 places all over the country, only to eventually end up with five in California. But Coast-to-Coast was pretty cool. Happy Travels!!
We first joined TT in 2011. We bought a new 40' MH, then in our early 60s, just retired, on a small budget with SS and small pension for two (and a cat) and hit the road. First year, two weeks in, one week out, up and down the west coast. Then purchased the Elite membership mostly for the three weeks park to park. Our goal was 200 nights per year in TT. Most years missed the goal a bit, but for a few years, stayed a little more than the goal. We have stayed around and all over the country, agree you can't beat the Keys in winter, and the Oregon and Washington coasts in summer. We agree with your best parks, haven't stayed in New Jersey though. Park management is the real key to a good stay, even in lesser parks. You have to be a little flexible, and not too picky which works for us. We say Yay and want to keep traveling for as long as we can.
Good review of it, but it's a Nay for us. We're either at a National Park, a State Park, an Army COE Park, or boondocking. Most private parks are too crowded for us and the sites are too crammed in. Even though we're not full time, we're out camping 3/4 of the year.
Yay for us. TT has saved us a ton of money. There is good and bad to all parks. As you state figuring the nightly cost and full time raving it’s a great option.
Nay for me. I bought my membership and did the 100+ trails collection add on. I did this based on user reviews of the pass. What a mistake. The first resort I went to in Palm Beach was a total disaster. Sardines have more room. At the first place I was assigned, my watch dog surge protector went bananas because there was a short. Would have fried my electronics. The second place was in someone’s mobile home driveway where I was berated for being 2 inches over the line. No privacy and noisy. I was booked for 4 nights but left the next day and went to one of the state parks. It has been state parks from then on. What a waste!
Hi, I just got through watching this video. It reminded me a lot first off I was used to camp up around Connecticut a lot when my kids are growing up, we took out my niece once nice girl and when I saw it your wife, she reminded me an awful lot of her one day at the beach. I took her out body surfing and waves changed as we approach the shore. She ended up underneath me the waves roll, and I lost her as soon as I could stand up. I look for her. She came up out of the water with the biggest size I’ve ever seen and I knew then I was a member of the people who felt like when you fall off a horse you have to get back on right away I took her out and she was great. She continued to body surf, it wasn’t until I lost my wife and she came to memorial service up in Connecticut. Did we talk about it again? Camping brings back a lot of memories. I think you folks. When I moved to Florida, I went to lazy days bought my first camper and they gave me 1000 islands membership. I didn’t quite understand at all but I wasn’t camping a lot then and within three years I called him up and said I no longer wanted to be part of thousand islands, it was interesting only because I didn’t use it. I’m trying to get back in the Camping again I’m trying to remember the good times and from listening to a lot of people you’ve gotten the thousand islands camping. The Florida would be a great deal for me Emma and I am a still , trying them again. Thank you to help me read live a portion of my life. I totally forgot about.
I've crossed the US four times over a three year period, and stayed in every different type of camp imaginable. By far and away, the Thousand Trails camps were the most run-down, mismanaged, ill-maintained campgrounds I have ever experienced. Canceled my membership after six months. Never again.
I have a coast to coast membership that has much of the same likes and dislikes you have on tt. I will not have both c2c or tt at the same year because the cost will not be affordable per night average. I prefer the Corp of engineers, national forests, national parks, city and community campgrounds and also military bases. My average nightly rate in campgrounds is 10.00 so I also try to HH or BW, BLM boondock 50% of the time to stay with in my b7dget
I have a Solitude 310GK. Currently, I have 3 deep cycle wet cell batteries, two 220 watt solar panels, 3000 watt inverter and a 5500 watt generator. The only time I've needed the genny is when boondocking in the dead of winter when the furnace has run all day and night and I've lacked enoungh sunlight to top off batteries each day. I do plan to upgrade batteries later this year though.
This is an informative video and has useful information regarding Thousand Trails, I would recommend changing the title name or adding Thousand Trails to the name.
We enjoy our local TT parks in Oregon. Not all spots have full hookups and there seems to be a growing number of the better spots being leased out so it cuts back on full hookup spots. The parks need updating, but several have moved to all 50 amp spots so be sure and have a good selection of adapters
We’ve had TT since 07. It’s like you said 50/50. Some good and some bad. Some dated. Some remote. Laundry rooms 🤷🏼♂️🙄😂. It is a value though….and you have to plan for laundry and food. Sometimes it’s just a place to fill and dump then move on. Some are great for a 3 week stay. For FT, it’s a win 👍🏼
In the PNW they are all run down. Also a reservation doesn’t guarantee you a site, they may just put you in overflow. There also isn’t a guarantee that the sites left you can fit in.
Nay to commercialized RV communities. We love nature, not being packed in like sardines. Many of these are turning into hybrid trailer parks... not for us. Actually the "dated" remote park (in the middle of nowhere) you showed is much more attractive... woodlands, quiet and no neighbors breathing down your neck. It's called privacy... I don't see too much of that in these. Just an opinion...
I agree with your entire video except for one thing. Your spread sheet to be totally accurate you should amortize the $3000.00 initial cost over your expected life of the RV membership, It should not all be expensed in one year, ( yes I am an accounting geek). I very much agree that full timers get the best value out of the membership and just weekenders will not get the necessary value out of the membership. another great video guys and rooting for you one RV Unplugged, Go Red Team.
Hey Chris! Someone else commented and also said it should be amortized over the life. I guess at the time we didn't know how long the expected life would be and we really just budgeted as a one time payment. Actually I think at the time we kinda justified the cost because our old rent payment in Minneapolis was close to 2 grand! Appreciate the comment and you rooting us on! Go red team! ❤️
What about the current resale value of the membership? It is possible that it hasn't lost any value or could even be resold for more than the $3000 that they paid. In that case, no cost should be considered since at any time they could recoup their investment. The only true sunk costs are the annual dues and extra package that they bought so the second and third year calculations are most accurate and the first year should have only considered the sunk costs as well. 😀
We agree with you about Thousand Trails. Some are better than others. If we need laundry we have started going out to the local neighborhood cannot depend on the campground laundry. Good video about Thousand Trails!
I’ve had a thousand trails membership for six years it’s awesome. The initial price is a heartache however most the parks are OK like you said there are the bad ones we love our membership. We also Boondock about 50% of the time after we doing that for two weeks we go to thousand trails to clean up and dump works great.
Chestnut Lake in NJ has upgraded all their electric as of last season. all 50/ 30 amp now I haven't been there yet..Its my closet park..still part of the park is without sewer hookups but I have gotten FHU both times I was there last year. Just sharing the info
I just run from those big parking lot campgrounds, I like old ran down ones but I’m just a weekend warrior also in NW USA not Full time like u 2. I like your review, thanks 4 the help.
I just feel that the majority of TT campgrounds are substandard. I have found so many mom & pop campgrounds that are so nice with lots of pleasant people.
The sharing is called 'buddy sites' as in your neighbor is your buddy . We have an Elite Basic membership purchased new so we can sell it if we want, WE use the RPI add on, however we have skipped out on the trails collection which is now an eye watering $370! We stay at TT for about 30% of the year which is economical for us, we prefer to be out on BLM land.
How's finding vacancy with TT? Most other parks are just full, all the time. My concern is paying for a membership and not being able to get a spot when we travel
Thanks for sharing! I’m new to the RV world (still shopping for the right TT) and had not heard about Thousand Trails yet. It sounds like it might be an interesting option for me since my job has evolved and can now become a digital nomad. I heard about Harvest Hosts, Boondockers, etc and see them as good options for mid-relocation but wondered about what options were out there for 2-3 weeks stays (and didn’t cost $75-$90/night). Thanks again for the education!
Looks like a great program for folks such as yourself. Then you can spend plenty of time in wonderful parks. PS You may want to start loving it. Take care.
This has been very interesting, just in general about the topic of camping. even without the cost/benefit of a specific subscription. Thanks for sharing. Even though it wasn't the most beautiful park, that Ft Laud site was interesting. You can really get a crappy hotel room recently around there. I had a self-proclaimed criminal with his one-legged wife living in a room next to mine. On the other side, a bunch of migrant workers. And that was almost beachfront. So it can be really bad if you don't pay way up. Maybe a camper, save on the flight and hotel rooms, bring the cat, sleep somewhere on the way down, and enjoy a visit. Spend the extra cash at the track during the day.
We have been tt members for about 15 years. We used to be able to get in any time. However now with what we call the Covid campers (people who got an rv during Covid) and what it seems like more sites that parks are holding for marketing, we can’t get in. We talked to tt and they didn’t have any solutions. Waiting till people sell those rv they got during Covid!
I did stay in 1000Trails once, after I had spoken with a sales rep by phone who may have explained the plans but as you say, it is very confusing, and I had the impression that I could stay in the park for a month or more, yet when I arrived, I was told that I must leave on day 7, and they were monitoring me, and reminding/threatening if I did not leave. That park was very run down with the creepy vibe as you say. I cancelled the plan and stayed at an off season rodeo grounds, and alternated with a local RV resort as I was working in the area for one year.
Lake Conroe, seen that develop since 1970s filling. Good landowners cut down trees & removed stumps in the lake, excellent fishing and cruising around lake.
I have over 600 nights in TT and TC parks with an average cost of $8 per night including membership purchases and monthly dues. TT is a no brainer for saving money and most of the parks I’ve been to were nice with some being excellent and only a few disappointing.
Once you learn the booking secrets you can sace a ton. We have been fulltime for 2 1/2 years and thousand teails helps us keep our monthly stay under $600 per month average.
For the most part it’s Yay. We’ve had it for about a year and are looking forward to getting the cost per night down to what we feel is more reasonable. Thanks. Safe travels.
I won’t be full time. I plan on purchasing a camping pass for Southwest area to try it out. If I get my value out of it, possibly or buy a membership. They also offer a cabin pass and watching reviews on that some good some not so much but it’s an excellent value as well.
Ya for me. Meet you both at Palm Springs along with Louie. They do have some crappie park's, but when you pay nothing, it takes some of the sting out of it, and we have a list we won't go back to. In 2022, we spent about 275 notes in Thousand Trails, and that keeps our cost down.
It's gotta be hard for campgrounds to get funds to fix and renovate when camping can be had for less than $20 a night average. I get that it's a great deal, but at the same probably not the best busness model for TT. I'm glad you've had overall a good experience with them.
I was thinking this same exact thing as i was watching. If all the campers using the campground were TT members - - it would be difficult for the upgrades to be a sound investment for the owners of the campground. That being said....we are close to getting into this lifestyle part time and this was the best video i've seen on the subject.
Thanks for the information i been thinking about going full time and heard about it but i also love boondocking but also want to go to the east coast too when we go full time
It's a NAY for me I purchased a "new" membership in North Carolina when I first started camping. One of the perks we liked that was part of the membership was discounted camping rates at other non TT campgrounds. I received a list from Thousand Trails of these campgrounds. I contacted 20 of the 25 out of network campgrounds on the list and NONE of them honored the discounted rates Thousand Trails said I was eligible for. I immediately canceled the membership, I felt I had been deceived. So membership campgrounds are not for me.. To my knowledge TT is the only camping membership that has their own specific campgrounds. I'm also not fond of all the "additional fees" they charge if you want to go outside of your membership. Anyway if you like TT then that's all that matters.
I like all your videos including this one but I find this one they have the background music a little too high. But that’s just me. I don’t use any camping memberships because I dry camp at least 90% of the year as I live in my motorhome full-time. And like you guys I’m set up with plenty of solar and plenty of lithium batteries as I have not started my generator and almost 2 months. Thanks again for the video.
Very informative! We’re currently at TT Medina Lake and have been able to see most of what you’re talking about when it comes to dated parks. I have heard this park is about to undergo a refurbishment very soon, so that’s good news!
We just left Lake Medina. There's nothing fancy about it, but we loved it. Spacious, semi private sites with full hook ups were plentiful. The quiet, the wildlife, the hiking trails were so enjoyable.
I’ve been to all those types of parks when we come across one is discussing as your sewer issue, we just leave that’s why we’re full timers we have wheels
It’s a YAY for us. Mostly great or fine. The cost is easily justified. We read the reviews and book accordingly. Basically, if you’re going to use it enough to justify the cost, it’s an easy decision.
Very good information. Glad you are still in the game. Not sure if I liked the Changing Lanes Buoy as it seems like the contest is becoming chance versus skill but was an interesting twist. Weather is FINALLY breaking here and might get a couple of 70 degree days next week WOOHOO!!!!
The CL body was a curve ball! , But it also could have back fired on them with the swap.... We didnt know the values of the buoys.... Good to hear the weather is getting better...we heard about that last storm!
Hi guys, I’m a senior and getting ready to hit the road in my 2002 24’ class A. My daughter and son-in-law live in Bend, Oregon, my family and most lifelong friends live in Louisville Kentucky. I lived in Florida in 2003-2006, then moved with work to Indianapolis Indiana until 2013. I’ve been in Lagrange Georgia since. I was at the Tampa RV show this year. While I was there I talked to the people from Thousand Trails about their plans. I know about buying through the “used plans”, I want the Southeast and Northwest zones plus their Oncore plan. These (3) will cost about $1,100 annually. I don’t like the two weeks in, one week out, so that does make me want to lean towards a higher price plan, but as a senior on fixed income, I just don’t like to spend that much more money. I like y’all must have (safe access) to laundry. I really don’t want to go to a public laundry business in a strange location.
Yes, it can be a tough decision! We decided to do the zone pass our first yer to make sure we liked it before investing the 3k into the full membership!
You said you like Willis Texas/ Lake Conroe and what make me mad about that park is that they charge you an extra 6.00 if you use a 50 amp and you are NOT allowed to jarbow and use 30amp
Agree it does not work very well for part timers. We just do not, as a rule, enjoy privately owned Camp Grounds. We reside in Florida, and camp primarily in the southern east where there are so many State Parks where as seniors we also get discounts. Most camp sites are spacious and private and many have great hiking trails or located close by. Bottom line we just don’t like the parking lot feel of most Thousand Trail camp grounds.
![OhGeesy x Lefty Gunplay - What It Iz [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/L0yzW9t2ixk/mqdefault.jpg)
Going on my 2nd yr of TT. 500 bucks for 10 weeks of pools, biking, lakes and close to the NJ beaches!
If you don't use Army Corps of Engineers you should give them a try. There are tons of them in the mid-west and almost always on water. The Army Corps manage reservoirs and campgrounds often have great sites at the water's edge. With a senior national park pass you get a 50% discount making many of the sites under $10/per night. Usually clean and have spacious sites.
Are those full hookup camps?
We haven't stayed at COE yet..but heard they are great!
@@danyceroppe463 Most are not. They all have dump stations but few have sewer hookups at the sites.
Agree. Recently spent a night at COE campground on Seminole Lake on FL/GA line. One of the nicest RV parks I have stayed at. Right on the lake, water and electric and dump station, and $12 a night with senior pass!
@@danyceroppe463many are here in California. Several are COE and County Regional Parks coop run. All have full hookups with 30//50 amp service.
It's an absolute Yay for us . We are retired and honestly could not do this wonderful life style without it . We have been full time for 3 years now with a Adventure package , we have seen the east coast and this fall heading west for a couple of years to see it . We do use C.O.E also for in between stops . We are heading to Quart site for some solar install this winter also so we can do some boondocking . We are loving what we are doing ! Stay well and travel safe .
It probably was lime powder. It's used pretty extensively in the horse industry to help keep ammonia smells down in the stalls.
I’m not a full timer and have had a southwest zone camping pass for a few years. I think this is a very fair assessment of TT as they can be hit or miss. We try to stay away from the nightmare places, which are fewer than the good places, and are so excited when we find a gem. One of the gems we found is Cottonwood, AZ 😊
Where is the best cellular service in Verde Valley?
This is a great and fair review. I agree with all your points. I have mainly stayed in the Oregon parks,and they tend to be rundown - but so worth it for their locations. TT is my backup retirement plan - after the purchase of the membership, five hundred dollars a year is a heck of a deal.
this is the best overview of Thousand Trails I have seen yet. At this point we are 75-125 nights per year on the road, and really love national/state/provincial parks as our first choice. Not sure if this would really work for us at this point. Really appreciate the review though. thank you, and as always safe travels...
Great info only on my first month and have avoided some obvious mistakes. I’ve used your videos and rely on them. Thanks guys
It's a YAY for us. My wife and I did a test in 2021 using the camping pass in the Pacific Northwest over the summer and loved it. We will definitely buy a used membership (probably the same one you have) when we go full time in a few years.
With all of the old campgrounds, the one thing I learned was to test the power in the site for high or low voltage before even starting to set up camp.
We also have a platinum membership we got from a family member so our initial wasn’t as bad. We live in Northern California so with the cost of campgrounds we have to camp one weekend a month to break even on our annual dues. We have a few parks within a 2 hour drive so it’s easy to get away. But I 100% agree with your assessment. We have one that’s 45 minutes away and with the recent storms the lower portion was flooded. It will take 6+ months to fix it. So that’s out for us.
For us we also have to factor the cost of gas. For us to go 3 hours away that’s a full tank in our class C.
My dad is a full timer and rotates between a few parks. He is an extrovert so he loves the social aspect of it and on his fixed income it’s the perfect answer for him.
Still worth it for us.
Yay for us!
We hit the road after school ends for 60 days, we head from Florida to Southern California (where we both grew up) . This summer we have 34 of the 60 days covered by TT camping
We upgraded to Elite Basic (one level up) which extended our booking period.
We live by Disney World and we put the camper down at one of the three Thousand Trails/Encore parks. This allows friends and family to stay within 15 minutes of the parks for free.
Since we live in Florida, there are many places we can stay.
Between TT and Disney Vacation Club we have some very nice vacations for a few annual maintenance fees.
We love Thousand Trails!! It allows us to travel more and stay the winter in Florida for the last 20 years. We can book or site 180 days ahead which really helps and our membership is frozen dues. We have great friends that we've made over the years. We stay in Florida 5 months every winter and only pay 599 a year. Awesome deal!!
This was one of the best explanations of TT that I’ve found. Thanks so much! I had decided against TT, but your video is causing me to reconsider. Thanks again! 🚀
$10.42/night is your average for those 3 years of Thousand Trails, if you amortize your initial purchase cost. Excellent deal! If you'd had to buy new for $6,000, the 3 years would have been $16.72/night, still very good. And of course with every year, the averaged lifetime per night cost drops more. - Thanks for all the info!
We live in the PNW so have quite a few parks close to us, we have a few that we LOVE, and a few that have been “meh”. We’re just weekenders so it doesn’t make sense to upgrade beyond the zone pass, but when our kids are done with school we will upgrade our membership for full time, unless we find a great deal on a used membership before that. It does get hard to book in the summer with only a 60 day booking window.
I really liked your fair assessment of TT. Yah it's always a bummer when you come across the not so nice parks but that can happen even in non TT campgrounds and sometimes you've paid $50/night! I had the camping pass last year and I'm sure it saved me hundreds of dollars. I just upgraded to elite basic this year and I am doing the monthly payments of $140 so it will be averaging about 4.66 bucks a night for me. That's not bad rent. At that price I'm willing to put up with less than stellar at times. I'm in my RV full time except when house-sitting.
Love it! We’ve had a thousand trails membership for about 4 years now and so far don’t have any complaints.
Yay for us! We have a Platinum membership purchased new years ago. We are now spending a big part of our time in an Escapees park on our own membership lot, so we will probably be selling our membership! However, we really got our money's worth over the years! Love the Lake Conroe and Colorado River parks in Texas! Love the channel! Keep up the great content!
Love it!!
Where do people buy a used one?
Nay had it 5 years in central oregon and couldn't wait to cancel. First loved it, then realized parks are so booked up, I could never get in. These parks are full of pre purchased sites, and it is very tough to get a reservation within 60 days reservation. My experience is: Pools always broke and shut down, bathrooms(usually most) are shut down, very run down, tough spots to park in if you can even find a site. They shut most sites down during winter time, leaving only 25% available(Which are mostly purchased sites). Been enjoying boondocking and won't go back, paying for a membership, that I couldn't use. I was shocked to here you stayed in TT for 150+ days. I was like to get in 4 days.
We hear ya! Yeah it's a way for us to catch up on work, get back into a routine, clean up from boondocking and just relax a bit. We are also ready to get back to nature though after a stay!
It’s a yay for us. We got a trial when we purchased our first RV years ago. I just wanted to go camping and do a shake down, but we were impressed with the campground and how well it was maintained, the space between sites, and the friendly staff. You’re right, some of the preserves are a little run down, but there are some real gems.
I love being at campgrounds where the vibe is friendly! Some are definitely not. The people seem miserable. Sometimes the people in the giant class A’s never leave their “home.” Life long camper
Thank you for such an informative video. This is probably the most well rounded view I've seen regarding TT. Much appreciated.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much!!😊
Love this video. Your video has given us one of the better evaluations of TT. We do hate when RV parks or where some identify themselves as resorts, do not do a decent job of upkeep or modernize. As new RV (6/5/22), we have come across a number of outdated RV parks or where they need some serious work.
See you guys in Athens, TX. Can’t wait to meet you, if you are going to be there for RV Unplugged rally.
Congrats on recently starting the RV lifestyle!! It's soo great! We'll be at the RV Unplugged Rally in Athens, so we'll see you there!! 😊
Big grin and smiles at pup with all those deer :)
Good presentation of TT thanks!
We tried to stay at Oakland Park but, we had a hybrid. Ended up having to leave because of that neighborhood and safety. We agree with your assessment of Thousand Trails and writing this from TTO.
It’s a Yay for us! Hard to beat the savings even with the issues from time to time ✌🏻
When you log in to TT you can go into your account to view every reservation you have ever made. I was surprised to see our list since we joined in 2006! Most of our experiences have been fairly good. Great review of TT!
Excellent review. Very Fair. We are in Washington State and we visited the 3 near us and they all were outdated. The reviews tell the story. We are hesitant to join but I see us getting the Camping Pass with the SW Zone added so we can have the entire west coast. We have checked out some of the reviews and there are more than enough great parks on the west coast to stay. Thank you for sharing with us.
Thanks guys for being a truthful advocate for you subscribers
You bet! We love sharing the #RV Life.... the good and bad.😊
Arron and Chris thank you for this video. Very informative and just subscribed to your channel you are great. My wife and I are looking into doing this in a few years.
I have to say, the experience of being ignored on the street is very regional. We live in Williamsburg, VA and always walk around Colonial Williamsburg. Most people say "HI", but at times, when there are a lot of people from NY, they don't even look at you. It's always nicer to have someone reply, but I feel good about myself for being friendly.
We love it!! $3,47 a day and never have to leave the system, with 180 day reservation TT and 90 day reservation encore. 21 days park to park. Can't beat it! makes me happy! Thanks Thousand Trails.
That is awesome!
We stopped at a TT in Ohio, when camping at a state park. They had closed for winter months. So we couldn't talk to anyone. There was a card scanner and people were camping there, but nobody worked there
Love your channel. I have a high level TT membership and love it. A couple of the parks I've used were a bit run down. About the laundry problems. Most of them use a 3rd party vendor for laundry, usually CSC. Those guys are all local franchises and are just hit or miss but it's out of the park's control.
You know you picked some of my favorite campgrounds too. ❤❤❤ YAY
Greatly done…
I love you guys.. we will meet soon👍🙏👽
Thanks so much for making this video, I had been researching Thousand Trails but was more confused so I really appreciate this info! I think it could be a Yay for me once we start traveling more frequently. Right now it doesn't make sense but someday.....
Glad it was helpful!
Great Video! Answers many questions. Thanks! I’m a huge YAY!
When I was a young kid, we used to belong to a camping resort system called Coast-to-Coast with camping resorts all over the country. They were nice with amenities..etc . Then there was this one called the President’s Club and that didn’t last too long. The owner got a little too greedy purchasing a private jet…etc. They were supposed to have 500 places all over the country, only to eventually end up with five in California. But Coast-to-Coast was pretty cool. Happy Travels!!
So many towns and cities have monthly rents that are more than $1000... this seems like I am dreaming.
Great information and enjoy the pros and cons !! As always BS & BK & BC !!
We first joined TT in 2011. We bought a new 40' MH, then in our early 60s, just retired, on a small budget with SS and small pension for two (and a cat) and hit the road. First year, two weeks in, one week out, up and down the west coast. Then purchased the Elite membership mostly for the three weeks park to park. Our goal was 200 nights per year in TT. Most years missed the goal a bit, but for a few years, stayed a little more than the goal. We have stayed around and all over the country, agree you can't beat the Keys in winter, and the Oregon and Washington coasts in summer. We agree with your best parks, haven't stayed in New Jersey though. Park management is the real key to a good stay, even in lesser parks. You have to be a little flexible, and not too picky which works for us. We say Yay and want to keep traveling for as long as we can.
Good review of it, but it's a Nay for us. We're either at a National Park, a State Park, an Army COE Park, or boondocking. Most private parks are too crowded for us and the sites are too crammed in. Even though we're not full time, we're out camping 3/4 of the year.
I work at a berry farm winery in Pigeon Forge TN and we offer harvest hosts. It's called mountain Mist Farms. We would love to have you.
Thanks, sounds like a fun place to stay! We'll keep that in mind as we travel! 😊
Would love to meet y'all
Yay for us. TT has saved us a ton of money. There is good and bad to all parks. As you state figuring the nightly cost and full time raving it’s a great option.
Nay for me. I bought my membership and did the 100+ trails collection add on. I did this based on user reviews of the pass. What a mistake. The first resort I went to in Palm Beach was a total disaster. Sardines have more room. At the first place I was assigned, my watch dog surge protector went bananas because there was a short. Would have fried my electronics. The second place was in someone’s mobile home driveway where I was berated for being 2 inches over the line. No privacy and noisy. I was booked for 4 nights but left the next day and went to one of the state parks. It has been state parks from then on. What a waste!
Hi, I just got through watching this video. It reminded me a lot first off I was used to camp up around Connecticut a lot when my kids are growing up, we took out my niece once nice girl and when I saw it your wife, she reminded me an awful lot of her one day at the beach. I took her out body surfing and waves changed as we approach the shore. She ended up underneath me the waves roll, and I lost her as soon as I could stand up. I look for her. She came up out of the water with the biggest size I’ve ever seen
and I knew then I was a member of the people who felt like when you fall off a horse you have to get back on right away I took her out and she was great. She continued to body surf, it wasn’t until I lost my wife and she came to memorial service up in Connecticut. Did we talk about it again? Camping brings back a lot of memories. I think you folks.
When I moved to Florida, I went to lazy days bought my first camper and they gave me 1000 islands membership. I didn’t quite understand at all but I wasn’t camping a lot then and within three years I called him up and said I no longer wanted to be part of thousand islands, it was interesting only because I didn’t use it. I’m trying to get back in the Camping again I’m trying to remember the good times and from listening to a lot of people you’ve gotten the thousand islands camping. The Florida would be a great deal for me Emma and I am a still , trying them again. Thank you to help me read live a portion of my life. I totally forgot about.
TOTALLY RIGHT ABOUT FOOD...
I've crossed the US four times over a three year period, and stayed in every different type of camp imaginable. By far and away, the Thousand Trails camps were the most run-down, mismanaged, ill-maintained campgrounds I have ever experienced. Canceled my membership after six months. Never again.
There are definitely some bad ones!!
I have a coast to coast membership that has much of the same likes and dislikes you have on tt. I will not have both c2c or tt at the same year because the cost will not be affordable per night average. I prefer the Corp of engineers, national forests, national parks, city and community campgrounds and also military bases. My average nightly rate in campgrounds is 10.00 so I also try to HH or BW, BLM boondock 50% of the time to stay with in my b7dget
I have a Solitude 310GK. Currently, I have 3 deep cycle wet cell batteries, two 220 watt solar panels, 3000 watt inverter and a 5500 watt generator. The only time I've needed the genny is when boondocking in the dead of winter when the furnace has run all day and night and I've lacked enoungh sunlight to top off batteries each day. I do plan to upgrade batteries later this year though.
This is an informative video and has useful information regarding Thousand Trails, I would recommend changing the title name or adding Thousand Trails to the name.
Thank you for your review. We got a free membership when we bought our RV last year. Trying to decide if it will work for us.
We enjoy our local TT parks in Oregon. Not all spots have full hookups and there seems to be a growing number of the better spots being leased out so it cuts back on full hookup spots. The parks need updating, but several have moved to all 50 amp spots so be sure and have a good selection of adapters
We’ve had TT since 07. It’s like you said 50/50. Some good and some bad. Some dated. Some remote. Laundry rooms 🤷🏼♂️🙄😂. It is a value though….and you have to plan for laundry and food. Sometimes it’s just a place to fill and dump then move on. Some are great for a 3 week stay. For FT, it’s a win 👍🏼
In the PNW they are all run down. Also a reservation doesn’t guarantee you a site, they may just put you in overflow. There also isn’t a guarantee that the sites left you can fit in.
Nay to commercialized RV communities. We love nature, not being packed in like sardines. Many of these are turning into hybrid trailer parks... not for us. Actually the "dated" remote park (in the middle of nowhere) you showed is much more attractive... woodlands, quiet and no neighbors breathing down your neck. It's called privacy... I don't see too much of that in these. Just an opinion...
Thats a good point. We don't mind some of the older parks as they have more privacy, bigger sites, and their own sort of nature/beauty. 😊
Yay for us. If you full time or a lot of times , I think it’s worth it
I agree with your entire video except for one thing. Your spread sheet to be totally accurate you should amortize the $3000.00 initial cost over your expected life of the RV membership, It should not all be expensed in one year, ( yes I am an accounting geek). I very much agree that full timers get the best value out of the membership and just weekenders will not get the necessary value out of the membership. another great video guys and rooting for you one RV Unplugged, Go Red Team.
Hey Chris! Someone else commented and also said it should be amortized over the life. I guess at the time we didn't know how long the expected life would be and we really just budgeted as a one time payment. Actually I think at the time we kinda justified the cost because our old rent payment in Minneapolis was close to 2 grand! Appreciate the comment and you rooting us on! Go red team! ❤️
What about the current resale value of the membership? It is possible that it hasn't lost any value or could even be resold for more than the $3000 that they paid. In that case, no cost should be considered since at any time they could recoup their investment. The only true sunk costs are the annual dues and extra package that they bought so the second and third year calculations are most accurate and the first year should have only considered the sunk costs as well. 😀
We agree with you about Thousand Trails. Some are better than others. If we need laundry we have started going out to the local neighborhood cannot depend on the campground laundry. Good video about Thousand Trails!
Thanks guys! We know you love the Keys parks! 😉
I’ve had a thousand trails membership for six years it’s awesome. The initial price is a heartache however most the parks are OK like you said there are the bad ones we love our membership. We also Boondock about 50% of the time after we doing that for two weeks we go to thousand trails to clean up and dump works great.
Chestnut Lake in NJ has upgraded all their electric as of last season. all 50/ 30 amp now I haven't been there yet..Its my closet park..still part of the park is without sewer hookups but I have gotten FHU both times I was there last year. Just sharing the info
Thats good to know! The website photos of the new pool look amazing too!
@@IreneIronTravels I didn't realize the pool was new.. I was there twice last year and was in the pool both time..Its really nice
They may have re done it a few years ago… But the website photos look brand new!😊
I just run from those big parking lot campgrounds, I like old ran down ones but I’m just a weekend warrior also in NW USA not Full time like u 2. I like your review, thanks 4 the help.
This is detailed. Thanks for sharing❤️
I just feel that the majority of TT campgrounds are substandard. I have found so many mom & pop campgrounds that are so nice with lots of pleasant people.
My only hesitation is the lack of campgrounds in the west …..
The sharing is called 'buddy sites' as in your neighbor is your buddy . We have an Elite Basic membership purchased new so we can sell it if we want, WE use the RPI add on, however we have skipped out on the trails collection which is now an eye watering $370! We stay at TT for about 30% of the year which is economical for us, we prefer to be out on BLM land.
The price increase year over year is getting a bit ridiculous!
How's finding vacancy with TT? Most other parks are just full, all the time. My concern is paying for a membership and not being able to get a spot when we travel
Lye or lime, it neutralizes the mess
Thanks for sharing! I’m new to the RV world (still shopping for the right TT) and had not heard about Thousand Trails yet. It sounds like it might be an interesting option for me since my job has evolved and can now become a digital nomad. I heard about Harvest Hosts, Boondockers, etc and see them as good options for mid-relocation but wondered about what options were out there for 2-3 weeks stays (and didn’t cost $75-$90/night).
Thanks again for the education!
Glad it was helpful!
Nothing to add to the conversation…just wanted to say we really love the yay or nay!!
Awesome! Thanks 🙏 for watching them!
Looks like a great program for folks such as yourself. Then you can spend plenty of time in wonderful parks.
PS You may want to start loving it.
Take care.
This has been very interesting, just in general about the topic of camping. even without the cost/benefit of a specific subscription. Thanks for sharing. Even though it wasn't the most beautiful park, that Ft Laud site was interesting. You can really get a crappy hotel room recently around there. I had a self-proclaimed criminal with his one-legged wife living in a room next to mine. On the other side, a bunch of migrant workers. And that was almost beachfront. So it can be really bad if you don't pay way up. Maybe a camper, save on the flight and hotel rooms, bring the cat, sleep somewhere on the way down, and enjoy a visit. Spend the extra cash at the track during the day.
Been a member of Thousand Trails for 35 years, and love it.....
Whoa, 35 years! You've certainly got your monies worth! 👍
We have been tt members for about 15 years. We used to be able to get in any time. However now with what we call the Covid campers (people who got an rv during Covid) and what it seems like more sites that parks are holding for marketing, we can’t get in. We talked to tt and they didn’t have any solutions. Waiting till people sell those rv they got during Covid!
I did stay in 1000Trails once, after I had spoken with a sales rep by phone who may have explained the plans but as you say, it is very confusing, and I had the impression that I could stay in the park for a month or more, yet when I arrived, I was told that I must leave on day 7, and they were monitoring me, and reminding/threatening if I did not leave. That park was very run down with the creepy vibe as you say. I cancelled the plan and stayed at an off season rodeo grounds, and alternated with a local RV resort as I was working in the area for one year.
Time to use Campground Views to review your campsite before entering Campground.
Lake Conroe, seen that develop since 1970s filling. Good landowners cut down trees & removed stumps in the lake, excellent fishing and cruising around lake.
Gotta sell full priced memberships and higher annual dues for repurchasers
I have over 600 nights in TT and TC parks with an average cost of $8 per night including membership purchases and monthly dues. TT is a no brainer for saving money and most of the parks I’ve been to were nice with some being excellent and only a few disappointing.
Once you learn the booking secrets you can sace a ton. We have been fulltime for 2 1/2 years and thousand teails helps us keep our monthly stay under $600 per month average.
You got a good deal on your membership.
Nailed it
For the most part it’s Yay. We’ve had it for about a year and are looking forward to getting the cost per night down to what we feel is more reasonable. Thanks. Safe travels.
I won’t be full time. I plan on purchasing a camping pass for Southwest area to try it out. If I get my value out of it, possibly or buy a membership. They also offer a cabin pass and watching reviews on that some good some not so much but it’s an excellent value as well.
Ya for me. Meet you both at Palm Springs along with Louie. They do have some crappie park's, but when you pay nothing, it takes some of the sting out of it, and we have a list we won't go back to. In 2022, we spent about 275 notes in Thousand Trails, and that keeps our cost down.
Palm Springs is a popular one! At 275 nights it is soooooo cheap to camp!
Somewhat A nay for memberships. By the way, nice to see you both at the escape is bash. Hope to see you again next year. Thomyt
Nice to see you too Thomyt!
It's gotta be hard for campgrounds to get funds to fix and renovate when camping can be had for less than $20 a night average. I get that it's a great deal, but at the same probably not the best busness model for TT. I'm glad you've had overall a good experience with them.
I was thinking this same exact thing as i was watching. If all the campers using the campground were TT members - - it would be difficult for the upgrades to be a sound investment for the owners of the campground. That being said....we are close to getting into this lifestyle part time and this was the best video i've seen on the subject.
Thanks for the information i been thinking about going full time and heard about it but i also love boondocking but also want to go to the east coast too when we go full time
It's a NAY for me I purchased a "new" membership in North Carolina when I first started camping. One of the perks we liked that was part of the membership was discounted camping rates at other non TT campgrounds. I received a list from Thousand Trails of these campgrounds. I contacted 20 of the 25 out of network campgrounds on the list and NONE of them honored the discounted rates Thousand Trails said I was eligible for. I immediately canceled the membership, I felt I had been deceived. So membership campgrounds are not for me.. To my knowledge TT is the only camping membership that has their own specific campgrounds. I'm also not fond of all the "additional fees" they charge if you want to go outside of your membership. Anyway if you like TT then that's all that matters.
I like all your videos including this one but I find this one they have the background music a little too high. But that’s just me. I don’t use any camping memberships because I dry camp at least 90% of the year as I live in my motorhome full-time. And like you guys I’m set up with plenty of solar and plenty of lithium batteries as I have not started my generator and almost 2 months. Thanks again for the video.
Very informative! We’re currently at TT Medina Lake and have been able to see most of what you’re talking about when it comes to dated parks. I have heard this park is about to undergo a refurbishment very soon, so that’s good news!
Nice! We haven’t been to Medina since 2019, but have fond memories of it!
We just left Lake Medina. There's nothing fancy about it, but we loved it. Spacious, semi private sites with full hook ups were plentiful. The quiet, the wildlife, the hiking trails were so enjoyable.
Yay for us!
I’ve been to all those types of parks when we come across one is discussing as your sewer issue, we just leave that’s why we’re full timers we have wheels
Great review guys good info on the fees
Our pleasure!
It’s a YAY for us. Mostly great or fine. The cost is easily justified. We read the reviews and book accordingly. Basically, if you’re going to use it enough to justify the cost, it’s an easy decision.
👍
Very good information. Glad you are still in the game. Not sure if I liked the Changing Lanes Buoy as it seems like the contest is becoming chance versus skill but was an interesting twist. Weather is FINALLY breaking here and might get a couple of 70 degree days next week WOOHOO!!!!
The CL body was a curve ball! , But it also could have back fired on them with the swap.... We didnt know the values of the buoys.... Good to hear the weather is getting better...we heard about that last storm!
Thanks alot for the great information
Hi guys, I’m a senior and getting ready to hit the road in my 2002 24’ class A. My daughter and son-in-law live in Bend, Oregon, my family and most lifelong friends live in Louisville Kentucky. I lived in Florida in 2003-2006, then moved with work to Indianapolis Indiana until 2013. I’ve been in Lagrange Georgia since.
I was at the Tampa RV show this year. While I was there I talked to the people from Thousand Trails about their plans. I know about buying through the “used plans”, I want the Southeast and Northwest zones plus their Oncore plan. These (3) will cost about $1,100 annually. I don’t like the two weeks in, one week out, so that does make me want to lean towards a higher price plan, but as a senior on fixed income, I just don’t like to spend that much more money.
I like y’all must have (safe access) to laundry. I really don’t want to go to a public laundry business in a strange location.
Yes, it can be a tough decision! We decided to do the zone pass our first yer to make sure we liked it before investing the 3k into the full membership!
You said you like Willis Texas/ Lake Conroe and what make me mad about that park is that they charge you an extra 6.00 if you use a 50 amp and you are NOT allowed to jarbow and use 30amp
Just looking in to traveling. How did you find a used membership? Thanks!
We’re weekenders so we have no input on Thousand Trails. It’s fun love sharing Minnesota nice at parks. 👋
Thats right! MN Nice! 😊
Agree it does not work very well for part timers. We just do not, as a rule, enjoy privately owned Camp Grounds. We reside in Florida, and camp primarily in the southern east where there are so many State Parks where as seniors we also get discounts. Most camp sites are spacious and private and many have great
hiking trails or located close by. Bottom line we just don’t like the parking lot feel of most Thousand Trail camp grounds.