Hi Gang! If you want to read all about the new programs, read our blog posts on them here: Thousand Trails Guide: gtwy.to/36QeLyM Adventure Membership Post: gtwy.to/3aK8Jke Trails Collection Plus Post: gtwy.to/3aLyNvt
Good video lots of information let me say my head is buzzing.. This RVing is expensive I went out and bought a 2020 1ton Diesel pick up truck and then I purchased a 2019 Montana fifth wheel I still have a lot of add-on-site I have to buy thousand trails sound good to now I’m new to all this I got a lot to learn so what would you say to someone just starting out and I mean just starting out and I just don’t have a lot of money left I’m trying to use my head I watch 100 RUclips videos and I’m trying to buy just the things I need now what advice would you give to someone like me.
I am not sure you will see a comment now on a 2 year old video, but I learned something I thought you might find helpful on another TT membership video. They mentioned that once they checked into their Holiday reservation, they immediately booked their next one as soon as they could get internet access, but on the first day there. I am not sure that works for all membership types, but it would certainly be worth a try. I owned a TT membership many years ago and it worked for the time travelling with my ex and my daughter. Back then you had to have a membership and the low end one was2 weeks in/1 out. Luckily, there was a State (or county) Park right by the one near Orlando we liked and we would spend our week there.... it was terrible for the week with no pool and no trees for shade, though! Good luck and lots of fun in your journeys! Maybe I will see you out there one day... now 60 and doing the crazy old lady traveler thing sounds great to me!
With the Trails Collection Plus are these resorts also factored into the 2 holidays booked at one time? The fall and winter will be a challenge if they are with Thanks Giving, Christmas and New Years all within a three months window.
We tried out TT zone pass, last year to ser how they were to fill in some of the gaps. We have another camping membership with a different club. TT has more campgrounds than our other program. What we did notice was the parks had water and electric but only a dump station. Our rv does have huge tanks so staying a whole week watching what goes in was hard. The parks we used were clean and they had large lots. We arent full time yet but will be by the end of this year and will be looking/comparing TT members again when we get a larger rv with bigger tanks. We will definately look at used memberships too, gotta watch the spending when retired.
I’m confused...The Collection Plus says 21 days in/7days out but then it also says park to park. If you have to be out for 7 days then how can it also be park to park? Or, am I missing something?
Thanks for the comment Paul. Susan, we also have the links to our other videos on the TT programs in the description of this video in case you want to see more about the other programs including the Zone Pass.
The holidays are a big issue for me too! I have the Elite and just bought it in 2020; Do you know if I can upgrade and how much they charge you for an upgrade or since I have only had it for a year could I be considered for it? Thanks for any help and thanks for doing this review because I didn’t even pay attention to the new program. 🌲🏕🌲
That would be a good question to refer to the folks we linked in the description since we don't know all the ins and outs and details of each person's membership set up. We refer to the experts 😊
We have the Trails Collection and each night is free although some campgrounds chard a small fee for 50 amp sites, “premium sites” (normally larger) or extra people above 2. There might be one or more of these fees. Example is a Trails Collection in Arizona that charges an extra $25 per night for each guest additional to 2. It’s a 55 and older campground and I assume it’s to discourage families with kids. Stinks because we travel full-time with our disabled son who can’t live independently.
It can be confusing at first. Like @InMyImage said, it varies. If you haven't seen them, be sure to check out the other TT videos we linked in the description of this video.
Great info. I do see a path and I wonder if its possible to purchase a used membership and then upgrade the membership for the estimated adventure package. That could work out nicely.
I would definitely recommend contacting one of the people we linked in the description to find out for sure or what options there are. Thanks for watching!
What is the link to the page that shows the upgrade cost? You forgot to put it in your blog and the membership upgrade pages on the TT site just collect your info and says someone will contact you. Waiting on info from Brandy but guess I’ll also be getting a call from someone else too now,
We’ve had the Trails Collection going on 3 years. Never been able to get into Sunshine Key near Key West. I’ve been trying to get in from Oct through Mar for 3 years - nothing ever available. Maybe if you try when it’s stifling hot you could get in.
Is this for full time RVers... if travelers are on the road two months out of twelve....no advantage for them. ? I just saw your map flash up, This is problem for us....a lot missing
Anyone can use Thousand Trails, which is why they have so many different programs. Some fulltimers use it and some don't. We have met many vacation RVers who use it as a getaway. It all depends on your needs and locations you want to visit.
I still feel it is not advantages for those that only go camping a couple times a year, maybe three and don’t go far, if they live in fly ober country....thay was my point...Thanks guys, I enjoy your vids and info.
We love Thousand Trails, we sold our RV back in October 2020 and we didn't renew membership only to save more money towards the new rig we plan on getting. We are excited about the new tear and may get that one if available to us. Thank you for sharing, stay safe😎
Recently found you!! We just bought our first trailer and your videos have helped SO MUCH so far! 💟 I’ve been curious about this - I bought thousand trails because of you guys. I wasn’t sure if we should upgrade to this package - the lady that I called seemed confused on this program.
That's so great to hear! I'm glad we could help. I have only worked with Jim and Brandy Reneau from Thousand Trails so I'd recommend reaching out to them. If it is right for you, they'll be the ones to know! Their e-mail is brandy_reneau@equitylifestyle.com or if you prefer the phone: (770) 622-4188 Good luck!
Upgraded to adventure and collection plus. Went from the ultimate odyssey and feel like it's a better decisions. I full time in florida and most of the locations are encore and the park to park is a great addition.
Good Explanation! When you explain the Camping Pass we think there could be some nuances: (1) You can go park-to-park in Thousand Trails if you only stay 4 days or less in a park. We don't usually put down roots, so four days and we are anxious to move again, although we have been known to stay the two weeks in a nice Trails Collection resort and then boondock for 7 days; (2) If you buy a Camping Pass with the four-year program it locks in your discounted TT payment for four years with the option to get Trails Collection - we pay $475 + $315 for a little under $800 (no tax in our "home" state of Florida) and we have Jim & Brandi to thank for that too! (3) Additionally, you can finance the payments for the Thousand Trails portion so we paid $315 down for the Trails Collection and $41/mo. Very Affordable!
Thank you for this video it explains a lot about his thousand trails works. There’s a a lot to know and learn about with 1000 trails. A lot of choices. I did notice Jason’s beard. Hope you have a great day and see you soon.
Hi, Rae and Jason! We just want to THANK YOU so much for this video and your blog posts about TT. My wife (Meredyth) and I just bought our own RV (an Airstream Nest!!!) and we plan to hit the road FT this summer. As we've been preparing and doing our research, we were getting increasingly concerned about the costs AND limited availability of RV parks - since more and more people like us are flooding onto the scene. And we were starting to imagine far more boondocking than we're ready for was in our future. But we stumbled up this video last night and your detailed, non-biased explanation of the new Thousand Trails Adventure Membership made us lean in and take notice. Less than 24 hours later, we jumped on this opportunity (with the Trails Collection Plus, of course) and we're starting to book our first campsites now! Thank you so much for taking the time to explain your experience and suggestions to make it easy to make this decision. Now all we have left to do is to buy a car capable of towing our new trailer. Oh, and learn how to tow. And use a dump station. And...well, we'll figure it out. 🤣
Glad you found us! Welcome! Congrats on your new purchase and new adventure! We have lots of articles on our site that you may find most helpful. You can sign up for our newsletter as well. www.getawaycouple.com
DON'T FORGET TO ASK IF THERE ARE ANY DISCOUNTS OR PROMOTIONAL OFFERS TO REDUCE YOUR MEMBERSHIP COSTS. THEY (thousand trails) may not remember to offer you this information before sticker shock sets in.
My wife and I have a call scheduled with Thousand Trails. Imagine they will call on Monday or Tuesday. We currently have what we got from the dealership. I guess I need to go to the site again. I couldn't find it last night. Thanks for the information.
Hi guys - thanks for the video. I also checked with Brandy regarding the pricing to upgrade our Elite membership a couple of weeks ago. I’m like you, I would love to be able to purchase just the Collection Plus, but the upgrade was to expensive. We feel like Thousand Trails is a great value since we are full time travelers. Are there some parks we probably won’t visit a second time, yes, but that is very few. We think Jim & Brandy are great too!! Stay safe & happy travels 😊💞🇺🇸
@@inmyimage1081 **** we have the Elite Basic + add the Trails Collection, which we purchased new. To upgrade the quote was $8,595 which doesn’t include any price for the Trails Collection Plus. Hope this info helps.
@@janicevoss864 wow thanks. we also bought ours new last year and I don’t see enough extra benefits to cough up that much more money with really little true value add. appreciate the info
@@inmyimage1081 *** You’re welcome. Yes, I agree with you about the price and not enough value for it. I do wish they would give the option to buy the regular Trails Collection or the Trails Collection Plus. Safe travels 😊🇺🇸
Thanks for the info. We had been following along in Facebook groups but this was the best comparison and in depth description I've seen. I think we've decided we're good with our current TT membership and won't be upgrading, though the Trails Collection Plus does sound great. Glad to hear that the upgrade will be such a good fit for others though!
Boom! I guess we heard you talking about it 🤣 It's good to know we are so connected with our viewers. Hope you found it useful and helpful. Thanks for tuning in!
What nobody (hopefully I am not jumping the gun) talks about is the fact that Encore "resorts" don't always open up their spaces to your membership. Called Thousand Trails and all they said was it was up to each campground owner to decide what percentage they wanted to make available. You have to call each and every Encore/Trails Collection to find this information. Thousand Trails, you have access to 100% of the spaces. What about Encore-5%, 10% or more. If Thousand Trails would publish this information every year, you could make a more INFORMED decision 🤔 😉 😀 😄 👍.
Not quite 100% in Thousand Trails resorts - in the sales resorts they save a certain number of sites for people who stay for a couple nights, go on a tour then spend a few hours with the sales personnel. We found that several Trails Collections parks only have like 10 sites dedicated to the Trails Collection.
@@Debbie_T_FL Thank you for the valuable information. Can you tell me what Trails Collection campground had the extreme restrictions (10 spots only). Thank you.
@@ronaldw.2923 Both of the 1000 trails that are in the Florida keys have a limitation of 10 spots reserved for encore members we were at the park in the park was basically empty but we still couldn't get our friends in because only ten of the spots were available even though the park was empty.
Funny thing, you do not have access to 100% of TT spaces, unless by 100% you’re referring to the dwindling # of spaces they make available to their members. Yes, you have access to 100% of 40% of their spaces. They’ve cut the number available to members by increasing the # of annuals and by opening their sites (any and all) to the public.
If you like the monotony of going park to park in a system with run down infrastructure (TT calls it rustic), and if you like being so close to your neighbor you can hear him snore at night, have at it. Yes, you will save money, but you will sacrifice your sanity. Yes you can stay 21 days and go park to park, but I guarantee you’ll lose your mind in a short time. Someone will call 911 and they’ll take you away in a straight jacket babbling like an idiot.
Having BEEN a long-time, very early member of TT, I will wager the majority who jump in will ultimately leave it behind for the same reasons we did. Once upon a time, TT was amazing but about 9 or so years ago started aggressive membership drives (the prior version of what's happening now) and grossly oversold the program, changed such that there's too little reinvestment in the properties, and the program results in more frustration than value. By all means, try and decide for yourselves, but make sure your eyes are wide open, you listen carefully and read every last line of everything before you sign on the line... Also, avoid letting a great first year experience in TT lure you into diving deeper with bait that will be dangled. Time reveals all... Whatever my fellow campers decide, stay safe and healthy in your adventures!
Research and research is great advice. Not every camping club type membership is for everyone. And all the programs do evolve and try new things over time. Safe adventures to you as well!
We purchased our platinum membership in 2003. We are full time love our membership and will never upgrade. The new memberships are lesser value than the original memberships.
That is just the main up front cost, there are also annual dues to maintain it. You can also resell it on the used market. Similar to a timeshare, but you can use it a lot more.
So the Thousand Trails membership sounds like a timeshare for RV resorts. There is a high buy in cost plus a yearly fee. Sounds like you have to be a full time RV for well over 5 years to make it cost effective.
Great job guys! Your information was on point, as the day after your video I had a meet up with a memeber specialist and it all lined up. We will not upgrade, we feel 8,000 is a lot for the opportunity to buy into Trails Plus ( despite how wondering that is in itself). And we loose the ability to will it to all our kids. We don't use the cabin so that increased perk is not in play for us. Another 8,000 no. If it was several thousand, yes.
Understandable. It is a camping membership club. Some people love it but it's not for everyone. It depends on your usage and needs. We have links to our other videos about it in the description for this one. If you prefer to read about it, we did a complete guide to the Thousand Trails program which breaks it down, and you can read the blog here: www.getawaycouple.com/complete-guide-to-thousand-trails/
At 15k, forget it. We currently have the Annual Camping pass and it’s ok. It works for what it is and we are fine with it. It’s also a LOT more economic at $550 a year.
It all depends on how you use it. You are still paying annually on top of this but less restrictions and longer stops. If you more through the parks week to week or even leave the system parts of the year, then you are right.
Not all camping memberships are for everyone. That's definitely why we try to cover them all (not just TT) so people can be informed about what's out there and find one that benefits them. Thanks for watching!
All these new plans are constantly making it more difficult for older members to book, so they are squeezing older members out, that is BS and isn’t sustainable.
It can be ffrustrating and we get it. All the programs, not just TT evolve and try new things to improve and unfortunately that can happen sometimes. We just try to plan ahead so we can get the most use of our benefits. Thanks for your input and safe travels 😊
Hi Gang! If you want to read all about the new programs, read our blog posts on them here:
Thousand Trails Guide: gtwy.to/36QeLyM
Adventure Membership Post: gtwy.to/3aK8Jke
Trails Collection Plus Post: gtwy.to/3aLyNvt
What are the high use restrictions in Florida and can you get around them with the adventure. Thanks
This was extremely useful, and contained all of the info I was looking for!
Glad to hear!
We miss you guys. It's sad that you guys have split :(
Lol what? We’re still together!
Great video! Thank you for the information!
Good video lots of information let me say my head is buzzing.. This RVing is expensive I went out and bought a 2020 1ton Diesel pick up truck and then I purchased a 2019 Montana fifth wheel I still have a lot of add-on-site I have to buy thousand trails sound good to now I’m new to all this I got a lot to learn so what would you say to someone just starting out and I mean just starting out and I just don’t have a lot of money left I’m trying to use my head I watch 100 RUclips videos and I’m trying to buy just the things I need now what advice would you give to someone like me.
I am not sure you will see a comment now on a 2 year old video, but I learned something I thought you might find helpful on another TT membership video. They mentioned that once they checked into their Holiday reservation, they immediately booked their next one as soon as they could get internet access, but on the first day there. I am not sure that works for all membership types, but it would certainly be worth a try. I owned a TT membership many years ago and it worked for the time travelling with my ex and my daughter. Back then you had to have a membership and the low end one was2 weeks in/1 out. Luckily, there was a State (or county) Park right by the one near Orlando we liked and we would spend our week there.... it was terrible for the week with no pool and no trees for shade, though! Good luck and lots of fun in your journeys! Maybe I will see you out there one day... now 60 and doing the crazy old lady traveler thing sounds great to me!
With the Trails Collection Plus are these resorts also factored into the 2 holidays booked at one time? The fall and winter will be a challenge if they are with Thanks Giving, Christmas and New Years all within a three months window.
What do you get with the first year membership ? Is cabin included or discounted ? And how many days ?
Elaine, it would be best to talk to one of the reps we listed so your questions are answered correctly. 😊
We have not done TT’s but might give it consideration!! Thanks for all this information - TONS to digest!
We tried out TT zone pass, last year to ser how they were to fill in some of the gaps. We have another camping membership with a different club. TT has more campgrounds than our other program. What we did notice was the parks had water and electric but only a dump station. Our rv does have huge tanks so staying a whole week watching what goes in was hard. The parks we used were clean and they had large lots. We arent full time yet but will be by the end of this year and will be looking/comparing TT members again when we get a larger rv with bigger tanks. We will definately look at used memberships too, gotta watch the spending when retired.
Thoughtful response - thank you. TT has a mixed bag of reviews, so learning more about their somewhat confusion program is good.
Glad it was helpful! Great conversation - thanks guys! 😊
Hi kids, could you possibly direct me to where I can find a map of the trails collection on the innerweb. Thanks
See if this is what you are looking for: thousandtrails.com/explore-campgrounds/mapsearch
@@GetawayCouple that was exactly what I was looking for, thank you so much
We're still debating on make such a big upgrade.
Danny and Lynn
Are you able to get a 50 amp site at each park?
It varies. You just have to check the ones you want to use.
Your link for CMO no longer works.
I’m confused...The Collection Plus says 21 days in/7days out but then it also says park to park. If you have to be out for 7 days then how can it also be park to park? Or, am I missing something?
That means you have to leave the park your in for 7 days but you can go to another park. It confused us too
Got it. Thanks for clearing that up. Great job with the video, by the way!
If we don't have thousand trails yet can we purchase the adventure program? I thought I saw somewhere it was only for current members.
You can, but I recommend testing the waters with a zone pass in an area you want to explore.
Thanks for the comment Paul. Susan, we also have the links to our other videos on the TT programs in the description of this video in case you want to see more about the other programs including the Zone Pass.
The holidays are a big issue for me too! I have the Elite and just bought it in 2020; Do you know if I can upgrade and how much they charge you for an upgrade or since I have only had it for a year could I be considered for it? Thanks for any help and thanks for doing this review because I didn’t even pay attention to the new program. 🌲🏕🌲
That would be a good question to refer to the folks we linked in the description since we don't know all the ins and outs and details of each person's membership set up. We refer to the experts 😊
@@GetawayCouple I saw that after I posted my question! Thanks! 😊
Sounds very confusing. My question is ounce you buy the trail package, is the campsite free, or just discounted?
We have the Trails Collection and each night is free although some campgrounds chard a small fee for 50 amp sites, “premium sites” (normally larger) or extra people above 2. There might be one or more of these fees. Example is a Trails Collection in Arizona that charges an extra $25 per night for each guest additional to 2. It’s a 55 and older campground and I assume it’s to discourage families with kids. Stinks because we travel full-time with our disabled son who can’t live independently.
It can be confusing at first. Like @InMyImage said, it varies. If you haven't seen them, be sure to check out the other TT videos we linked in the description of this video.
Thanks so much for the information. I really appreciate it.
hahaha gotta watch til the bloopers at the very end! 🤣
🤣🤣🤣 Thanks guys! 🤣🤣🤣
Great video very helpful guys great job
Glad it was helpful!
Where is the calculator?
So many different options. We definitely recommend working with one of the people we recommended to find what's best for you.
Great info. I do see a path and I wonder if its possible to purchase a used membership and then upgrade the membership for the estimated adventure package. That could work out nicely.
I would definitely recommend contacting one of the people we linked in the description to find out for sure or what options there are. Thanks for watching!
Nice, good information
So nice of you - thanks!
What is the link to the page that shows the upgrade cost? You forgot to put it in your blog and the membership upgrade pages on the TT site just collect your info and says someone will contact you. Waiting on info from Brandy but guess I’ll also be getting a call from someone else too now,
Bigger question is how many times did you want to use it and it not be available
We’ve had the Trails Collection going on 3 years. Never been able to get into Sunshine Key near Key West. I’ve been trying to get in from Oct through Mar for 3 years - nothing ever available. Maybe if you try when it’s stifling hot you could get in.
Is this for full time RVers... if travelers are on the road two months out of twelve....no advantage for them. ? I just saw your map flash up, This is problem for us....a lot missing
Anyone can use Thousand Trails, which is why they have so many different programs. Some fulltimers use it and some don't. We have met many vacation RVers who use it as a getaway. It all depends on your needs and locations you want to visit.
I still feel it is not advantages for those that only go camping a couple times a year, maybe three and don’t go far, if they live in fly ober country....thay was my point...Thanks guys, I enjoy your vids and info.
awesome video, great info, nice beard.... yes, we noticed...
Thanks for joining us! 😊
$15,000 per year? Lifetime?
Can I sell the adventure program after a few years ?
That would be a good question to refer to the folks we linked in the description. Thanks for watching!
You explained this very well! Thank-you for this. Rita
You are so welcome!
Very nice video today guys... A lot of information passed on to the followers.... Keep up the great work...
Thanks a ton!
We love Thousand Trails, we sold our RV back in October 2020 and we didn't renew membership only to save more money towards the new rig we plan on getting. We are excited about the new tear and may get that one if available to us. Thank you for sharing, stay safe😎
That is awesome! Best of luck with your new rig! Thanks for watching! 😊
Recently found you!! We just bought our first trailer and your videos have helped SO MUCH so far! 💟 I’ve been curious about this - I bought thousand trails because of you guys. I wasn’t sure if we should upgrade to this package - the lady that I called seemed confused on this program.
That's so great to hear! I'm glad we could help. I have only worked with Jim and Brandy Reneau from Thousand Trails so I'd recommend reaching out to them. If it is right for you, they'll be the ones to know! Their e-mail is brandy_reneau@equitylifestyle.com or if you prefer the phone: (770) 622-4188 Good luck!
I upgraded to the thousand trails adventure program and my account has been locked ever since. I can't say that I would recommend it to anyone.
Sorry to hear that! Are you working with their team to resolve it? They're pretty great about those things!
Upgraded to adventure and collection plus. Went from the ultimate odyssey and feel like it's a better decisions. I full time in florida and most of the locations are encore and the park to park is a great addition.
Very nice!
Jason looking like a real camper now LOL
That's what a little R&R can do!
Good Explanation! When you explain the Camping Pass we think there could be some nuances: (1) You can go park-to-park in Thousand Trails if you only stay 4 days or less in a park. We don't usually put down roots, so four days and we are anxious to move again, although we have been known to stay the two weeks in a nice Trails Collection resort and then boondock for 7 days; (2) If you buy a Camping Pass with the four-year program it locks in your discounted TT payment for four years with the option to get Trails Collection - we pay $475 + $315 for a little under $800 (no tax in our "home" state of Florida) and we have Jim & Brandi to thank for that too! (3) Additionally, you can finance the payments for the Thousand Trails portion so we paid $315 down for the Trails Collection and $41/mo. Very Affordable!
Thanks for the comments and input! There is so much to learn and explain 😊
Thank you for this video it explains a lot about his thousand trails works. There’s a a lot to know and learn about with 1000 trails. A lot of choices. I did notice Jason’s beard. Hope you have a great day and see you soon.
Our pleasure Sherri! Thanks for watching and for noticing the dirt on Jason's face 🤣
@@GetawayCouple I knew it wasn’t dirt. Lol! 😂 love watching your channel.
thank you Stay Safe God Bless
You're welcome and thank you! 😊
Jason, My wife says you’ll look great with a beard! Keep growing!! We love your videos!
Thanks so much for watching! Thank your wife for the compliment and we will see what happens with it from here 😊
Hi, Rae and Jason! We just want to THANK YOU so much for this video and your blog posts about TT. My wife (Meredyth) and I just bought our own RV (an Airstream Nest!!!) and we plan to hit the road FT this summer. As we've been preparing and doing our research, we were getting increasingly concerned about the costs AND limited availability of RV parks - since more and more people like us are flooding onto the scene. And we were starting to imagine far more boondocking than we're ready for was in our future.
But we stumbled up this video last night and your detailed, non-biased explanation of the new Thousand Trails Adventure Membership made us lean in and take notice. Less than 24 hours later, we jumped on this opportunity (with the Trails Collection Plus, of course) and we're starting to book our first campsites now! Thank you so much for taking the time to explain your experience and suggestions to make it easy to make this decision.
Now all we have left to do is to buy a car capable of towing our new trailer. Oh, and learn how to tow. And use a dump station. And...well, we'll figure it out. 🤣
Glad you found us! Welcome! Congrats on your new purchase and new adventure! We have lots of articles on our site that you may find most helpful. You can sign up for our newsletter as well. www.getawaycouple.com
Another great video explaining the often confusing Thousand Trails rules 👍
Thanks Bob! We do appreciate the kudos! It is something that can be hard to explain and we do what we can to try and help or inform everyone!
DON'T FORGET TO ASK IF THERE ARE ANY DISCOUNTS OR PROMOTIONAL OFFERS TO REDUCE YOUR MEMBERSHIP COSTS. THEY (thousand trails) may not remember to offer you this information before sticker shock sets in.
Great point - thanks for the input!
My wife and I have a call scheduled with Thousand Trails. Imagine they will call on Monday or Tuesday. We currently have what we got from the dealership. I guess I need to go to the site again. I couldn't find it last night. Thanks for the information.
You're welcome. Hopefully your call will be able to answer all your questions.
Hi guys - thanks for the video. I also checked with Brandy regarding the pricing to upgrade our Elite membership a couple of weeks ago. I’m like you, I would love to be able to purchase just the Collection Plus, but the upgrade was to expensive. We feel like Thousand Trails is a great value since we are full time travelers. Are there some parks we probably won’t visit a second time, yes, but that is very few. We think Jim & Brandy are great too!! Stay safe & happy travels 😊💞🇺🇸
Mind sharing what they told you the upgrade cost was and if you have the Elite Basic or the Elite Connections? Wait on her to send me the info. Thx
@@inmyimage1081 **** we have the Elite Basic + add the Trails Collection, which we purchased new. To upgrade the quote was $8,595 which doesn’t include any price for the Trails Collection Plus. Hope this info helps.
@@janicevoss864 wow thanks. we also bought ours new last year and I don’t see enough extra benefits to cough up that much more money with really little true value add. appreciate the info
@@inmyimage1081 *** You’re welcome. Yes, I agree with you about the price and not enough value for it. I do wish they would give the option to buy the regular Trails Collection or the Trails Collection Plus. Safe travels 😊🇺🇸
Thank you both for watching and info sharing!
Thanks for the info. We had been following along in Facebook groups but this was the best comparison and in depth description I've seen. I think we've decided we're good with our current TT membership and won't be upgrading, though the Trails Collection Plus does sound great. Glad to hear that the upgrade will be such a good fit for others though!
Glad you enjoyed it! Safe travels!
Great timing on the video. I was just discussing this and boom there the email and the video.
Boom! I guess we heard you talking about it 🤣 It's good to know we are so connected with our viewers. Hope you found it useful and helpful. Thanks for tuning in!
we upgraded! can't wait to use it! awesome!
Hope you enjoy it!
What nobody (hopefully I am not jumping the gun) talks about is the fact that Encore "resorts" don't always open up their spaces to your membership. Called Thousand Trails and all they said was it was up to each campground owner to decide what percentage they wanted to make available. You have to call each and every Encore/Trails Collection to find this information. Thousand Trails, you have access to 100% of the spaces. What about Encore-5%, 10% or more. If Thousand Trails would publish this information every year, you could make a more INFORMED decision 🤔 😉 😀 😄 👍.
Great input and comments. Thank you for watching!
Not quite 100% in Thousand Trails resorts - in the sales resorts they save a certain number of sites for people who stay for a couple nights, go on a tour then spend a few hours with the sales personnel. We found that several Trails Collections parks only have like 10 sites dedicated to the Trails Collection.
@@Debbie_T_FL Thank you for the valuable information. Can you tell me what Trails Collection campground had the extreme restrictions (10 spots only). Thank you.
@@ronaldw.2923 Both of the 1000 trails that are in the Florida keys have a limitation of 10 spots reserved for encore members we were at the park in the park was basically empty but we still couldn't get our friends in because only ten of the spots were available even though the park was empty.
Funny thing, you do not have access to 100% of TT spaces, unless by 100% you’re referring to the dwindling # of spaces they make available to their members. Yes, you have access to 100% of 40% of their spaces. They’ve cut the number available to members by increasing the # of annuals and by opening their sites (any and all) to the public.
Thousand Trails still leaves a huge gap in the Midwest. Until they fix that, it isn’t a good choice for us (still anchored to the S&B)...
Totally understandable!
If you like the monotony of going park to park in a system with run down infrastructure (TT calls it rustic), and if you like being so close to your neighbor you can hear him snore at night, have at it. Yes, you will save money, but you will sacrifice your sanity. Yes you can stay 21 days and go park to park, but I guarantee you’ll lose your mind in a short time. Someone will call 911 and they’ll take you away in a straight jacket babbling like an idiot.
Love watching you guys, always great stuff. You guys are great, Take care and God Bless on your travels. Thanks for sharing....
Thank you! You too! We appreciate the supportive comment!!
a hundred reports so far...
Having BEEN a long-time, very early member of TT, I will wager the majority who jump in will ultimately leave it behind for the same reasons we did. Once upon a time, TT was amazing but about 9 or so years ago started aggressive membership drives (the prior version of what's happening now) and grossly oversold the program, changed such that there's too little reinvestment in the properties, and the program results in more frustration than value. By all means, try and decide for yourselves, but make sure your eyes are wide open, you listen carefully and read every last line of everything before you sign on the line... Also, avoid letting a great first year experience in TT lure you into diving deeper with bait that will be dangled. Time reveals all... Whatever my fellow campers decide, stay safe and healthy in your adventures!
Research and research is great advice. Not every camping club type membership is for everyone. And all the programs do evolve and try new things over time. Safe adventures to you as well!
Technically I suppose it is possible that TT could make their service more complicated. I'm sure they are working diligently to make it so.
I don't think they are trying to make it more complicated, I think it just gets more complicated as they try to make programs to serve everyone.
We purchased our platinum membership in 2003. We are full time love our membership and will never upgrade. The new memberships are lesser value than the original memberships.
Good to know - and good for you! Safe travels and thanks for watching!
15 thousand is that per year or as you expressed the words 3 years
That is just the main up front cost, there are also annual dues to maintain it. You can also resell it on the used market. Similar to a timeshare, but you can use it a lot more.
We would definitely recommend watching the other videos we linked in the description of this video to get more insight into the program.
Jason’s beard was almost the first thing I noticed. 😁
Me too, lol I almost did not recognize him 😅
And he didn't think anyone would notice 🤣
@@GetawayCouple REALLY like the beard! Looks good!
Beard was the first thing I noticed lol.
Haha! We wondered!
Thanks for the info. Been looking to get into the RV lifestyle and have been binging many RV youtube channels for research. Greatly appreciated!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for joining us and best of luck on your future endeavor!
You did a good job describing the plans. Good Job!!
Thank you Lori! It can be alot to take in, but worth it if it works for your needs.
So the Thousand Trails membership sounds like a timeshare for RV resorts. There is a high buy in cost plus a yearly fee. Sounds like you have to be a full time RV for well over 5 years to make it cost effective.
It would depend on your personal needs and how much you would use it. There are alot of vacation campers who use it for that purpose.
Great job guys! Your information was on point, as the day after your video I had a meet up with a memeber specialist and it all lined up. We will not upgrade, we feel 8,000 is a lot for the opportunity to buy into Trails Plus ( despite how wondering that is in itself). And we loose the ability to will it to all our kids. We don't use the cabin so that increased perk is not in play for us. Another 8,000 no. If it was several thousand, yes.
Thanks for the compliment! And you are right, not all the programs are for everyone. It's nice to have options 😊
I don't know what thousand trails is and after watching this video it sounds so complicated that I have no interest in it.
Understandable. It is a camping membership club. Some people love it but it's not for everyone. It depends on your usage and needs. We have links to our other videos about it in the description for this one. If you prefer to read about it, we did a complete guide to the Thousand Trails program which breaks it down, and you can read the blog here: www.getawaycouple.com/complete-guide-to-thousand-trails/
At 15k, forget it. We currently have the Annual Camping pass and it’s ok. It works for what it is and we are fine with it. It’s also a LOT more economic at $550 a year.
It all depends on how you use it. You are still paying annually on top of this but less restrictions and longer stops. If you more through the parks week to week or even leave the system parts of the year, then you are right.
That's one reason for the different programs, because we all have different needs, camping styles, usage, etc. Thanks for watching!
Way way too many rules.
Not all camping memberships are for everyone. That's definitely why we try to cover them all (not just TT) so people can be informed about what's out there and find one that benefits them. Thanks for watching!
All these new plans are constantly making it more difficult for older members to book, so they are squeezing older members out, that is BS and isn’t sustainable.
It can be ffrustrating and we get it. All the programs, not just TT evolve and try new things to improve and unfortunately that can happen sometimes. We just try to plan ahead so we can get the most use of our benefits. Thanks for your input and safe travels 😊
Excellent information!! Jason - that beard is giving me some DiCaprio vibes my man!! Love it! Stay safe and healthy!
Thanks Andy! 😊
We upgraded on Friday! Let you know how it goes. Sea Shed is going everywhere 😂
Please do keep us posted! We’d love to know how you like it.