11 Discount Camping RV Clubs That Might Save You Money In 2020- Camp Addict (2024)

RV clubs and associations that offer discount camping are all the rage among RVers. Let's face it, camping's not cheap anymore.

With more RVs sold yearly in record numbers, we have way more people hitting the road than ever before.

This means camping is getting more crowded and expensive, so RV club discounts are very appealing!

What Is The Best RV Club To Join?

Camper clubs all have different rules, and they all have various benefits. So which one is right for you?

Is it reasonable to become a member of several RV clubs? It depends on your RVing style, wants, and needs. You'll figure it out!

Best Camping Discount Clubs

The primary benefit of these camping membership clubs is to camp at a discounted rate in a park.

Each has its perks and drawbacks. Up to you to figure out which ones will benefit you most in your RV travel.

Escapees RV Club

Escapees (SKP) RV club has celebrated over 40 years in business (Founded in 1978).

That said, Escapees Discount RV clubs offer much more than campground discounts and are well known as an RV lifestyle club.

They offermail-forwarding services, campground membership and discounts, RVer advocacy, Xscapers club, rallies, meetups, CARE, educational offerings including a boot camp program, and more.

Escapees members can benefit from their three different types of RV 'parking'.

• Rainbow Parks
• Co-op parks
• Discounts on 800+ commercial parks

They have 7 of their own 'Rainbow' parks (including the Escapees Rainbow's End park) and 11 'co-op' parks. Your membership provides a 15-50% discount at 800+ other commercial parks.

Escapees Rainbow Parks

The Rainbow Parks offer four types of parking: short-term, long-term, leases, and deeded lots.

These parks are also open to non-Escapee members, but Escapee members receive a substantial discount.

Some of the Rainbow Parks available

Escapees Co-op Parks

The co-op parks are owned and operated by the co-op members. (Separate and independent non-profit corporations.)

Memberships are only available for purchase by Escapees members. These are lots that can be leased and used only by the lessee.

Lessee's must maintain their Escapee's membership for their lease term.

Lessee's may choose to rent out their lot while they are away on trips, but they may ONLY rent to other Escapee's members.

Some of the co-op parks available

The lease continues as long as the member wants. Then it is sold back to the co-op (or another Escapee) when no longer wanted or needed.

If you want to own without some of the hassles of ownership, and you want a home base but also want to travel and not lose your spot, an SKP co-op lot may be good for you.

Escapees Commercial RV Park Discounts

Escapees have partnered with over 800 commercial RV parks to offer discounts ranging from 15 to 50% off.

Each park has its own rules and limitations as to how many nights you can stay and how much of a discount you will get.

Who Should Join the Escapees Discount Camping Club?

This is a MUST-HAVE membership if you are looking for a travel club with an active community, fellowship, and camaraderie.

Especially if you are a full-timer, the people you meet may become like family.

However, if simply getting the best deal for as many spots as possible for a few nights at a time, you'll want Passport America.

(Sorry, whoever took this pic. I know we used a few different cameras. Let me know if you know that it was you and you would like credit!)

Fees

Escapees memberships cost just $49.95 per year.

This gives you access to the Escapees and Xscapers communities and all of their other services, resources, and programs.

Passport America Discount Camping Club

Passport America has to be one of the best deals available as far as a high percentage (50%) camping discount card program goes.

Before you choose, you must know how you camp to tell if their campground deals will work for you. For probably 90% of traveling campground campers, it's a no-brainer.

Remember that the discount camping sites aren't always the most desirable ones to stay in (this goes for most memberships).

Campsite Discount Percentage, Stay Duration, Rules

The typical discount for using your Passport America membership is around 50%. But some deals aren't that good.

The parking duration time is almost always limited. Some RV parks only offer deals seasonally or during certain days of the week.

Each one varies with its rules regarding discounts. You must read the rules of the particular place you would like to stay.

The Passport America app and website make it easy to find out what each partner offers. They use icons to identify what amenities are available easily.

Screenshot example below.

However, there are no reviews on any campgrounds within the Passport America app or website.

It will be your job to look up reviews on any particular campground elsewhere. Passport America has over 1,450 participating campgrounds in its network.

It's one of the best RV clubs for the steepest discount.

Thousand Trails Discount Camping Club

Boy, oh boy.

Here's where you can potentially sit back and get your popcorn out to enjoy the online disputes! What are we speaking of? It's a love-it or hate-it club.

Love Or Hate?

This membership is either loved or hated.

It works best for those who want to stay in RV parks full-time and love the area(s) in which they are located.

There are horror stories on the Internet (and in-person) about this RV discount club, and there are great stories on the Internet (and in-person) about it, too.

We have heard from people, and have read about, painfully harsh stories of people having the worst customer experience trying to GET and UNDERSTAND the membership.

Others say it went smoothly for them.

Trying to get information about their membership for this article proved very challenging.

Benefits of Thousand Trails

Here's what I understood from my tooth-pulling chats with their customer 'support':

• Membership is $575/year.
• This is for one camping 'zone.'
• There are five zones to choose from.

This gives you 14 days max to stay in-network at a spot in whatever zone you bought into.

Then you must be out for seven days somewhere else before you can stay in one of their locations in that zone again.

You can buy more zones for an additional $49. You can stay in-network indefinitely if you move every four days or less. But that's probably pretty hard to keep up with.

Still, it's an option.

They also have a 'Trails Collection.' These are Encore Campgrounds which are also open to the general public (non-members).

If you are a TT member, you can stay in these campgrounds for 20% off.

If you buy the Trails Collection membership, you can stay in them for free or for about $20/night.

Not sure if there is a limit on your stay duration or not.

Yes, it is complicated. It's a bit like a time-share.

In conclusion, if you are willing to do a lot of research and also buy an after-market membership, this campground club may be worth your while.

If you search around a little on the Internet, there are other camping memberships available, such as VIP, Elite, etc.

Why they don't advertise this on their website is beyond us.

Once again, knowing if this RV membership club would benefit you depends on how you camp and where you want to stay.

Join Thousand Trails

Good Sam Discount Camping Club

Easily the most popular and well-known of the clubs, Good Sam RV Club offers much more than just campground discounts.

However, the discount on Good Sam-approved parks is nothing to write home about- you only get 10% off the 2,100+ campgrounds in their network.

The Good Sam Club also offers discounts on RV-related items.

They discount propane at Camping World, free dump at select Camping World stores, discount on gasoline and diesel at Flying J stores, discounts on Camping World purchases, roadside assistance, and much more.

Also, they boast over 1.8 million members, and the membership fee is only $25.

So, depending on your style of RVing and how often you take to the road, this camping membership can easily pay for itself quickly if you use the benefits they offer.

General Benefits

A couple of years ago, FMCA finally opened its doors to towable RV owners, people with travel trailers, fifth wheels, and such, as opposed to only people with a motorhome.

This means lots of great benefits to those who join.

Benefitsinclude tire discounts, discounts on a temperature measuring device for pets, mobile Internet, roadside assistance, mail forwarding services, and many more.

FMCA Camping Discounts

Among many benefits, they do have some camping discounts to be had.

KOA

First, only NEW FMCA members (your first year) receive a KOA 'value card', which offers 10% of all KOA parks.

ALL KOA campgrounds are active in participating in this discount. You only receive this perk for your first year. It does not apply again when you renew.

Passport America

Second, you get more out of aPassport America membership.

There's a small amount knocked off of your fee. Plus, you get a few extra months, depending on the number of years you buy once.

Michael Stegner from FMCA quoted these Passport America benefits (when purchasing through FMCA) to us.

This is as of May 2019:

• 1 Year for $41 (includes a free 3 months)
• 2 Years for $74 (includes a free 3 months)
• 3 years for $104 (Includes a free 6 months)

The extra months are what makes this worth it. The purchase price difference is very minimal.

Other Participating Parks

Additionally, they have 300+ commercial RV parks that offer 5-50% discounts to FMCA members.

FMCA Members-Only Campground

FMCA has its member-only campground in Cincinnati.

Members also get two free nights per month at this location.

Reservations must be made in advance.

Fees

Membership fees are $60 for the first year, then $50 each year if you buy annually.

As often is the case, the more years you buy at once, the cheaper it becomes.

Auto membership renewal is available.

Boondockers Welcome

Boondockers Welcome is pretty much like it sounds. It's an RV club offering places to temporarily dry camp on people's private property.

Rules

Members are asked to follow a few rules.

Most rules are common sense.

That said, limitations might be no hookups, the rig length, or having pets, depending on the host you are looking to park with.

Read their stipulations before you contact the host.

• Homeowners (hosts) who are RV friendly and are sometimes RVers themselves can, for free, offer up their spot for a very limited time
• Half off a boondockers subscription
• They also get a few months free added to their membership when they host someone
• Homeowners get to meet new people

• Of course, you get many places to stay for free
• Meet cool new people
• Unlimited stays at locations throughout the United States
• Discounts on RVing-related memberships and products
• Stay in places where there are no RV parks
• Stays available in other countries

Boondockers Welcome Fees

The fee for Boondockers Welcome is a very reasonable $79 per year. They have over 3,140+ hosts in the United States.

There is an option to purchase a plan that also includes Harvest Host locations.

Hosts may or may not have utilities for you to use. (Don't count on it.)

If they DO, the use of utilities may cost an additional amount, which is up to the homeowner.

Marshall and Kelly finally got a membership in the summer of 2019. We enjoyed 4 or 5 different stays without any issues.

One initial concern was that we would have to be ultra social. This has NOT been the case. The homeowners have been very hands-off. Yet friendly.

Perfect!

Harvest Hosts Discount Camping Club

Harvest Hosts is the best RV membership for experiencing, well, experiences!

They offer up unique places to park for the night- primarilydry camping(what is dry camping in an RV?) stays at wineries, farms, breweries, and other attractions.

In exchange, it is implied that you patronize the place you are visiting, if applicable.

However, the bonus is that you get a fun and unique experience and a camping spot for the night.

In fact, they have over 3,300 hosts you can experience, many being east of the Mississippi and a few in Canada.

Group Of RVing Friends At A Brewery Harvest Hosts Location

Rules

There are some rules to be able to stay. For instance, your rig must be self-contained. It MUST have a fully functioning bathroom.

Also, you may not dump your grey tank on their property... these are logical rules that should even be able to go unwritten.

But... you know...(some) people. Additionally, you cannot have/use any type of outdoor kitchen at a host's place.

Harvest Hosts locations

Fees

The membership fee is $99 per year (discount code available) for Harvest Hosts only. There is an option to add Boondockers Welcomelocations ($169 per year total). Plus, an all access pass is available that includes Harvest Hosts, Boondockers Welcome, and golf course locations ($179 per year total).

You'll be automatically set up with the auto-renew program. Email them anytime if you want to opt-out of auto-renew.

Harvest Hosts offers a 100% money-back guarantee.

Now that you're here, you get 15% off the membership cost if you use our link below!

Hipcamp Discount Camping Club

Hipcamp is the 'Airbnb' of RVing.

Founded in just 2013, it has grown to include over 432,000 properties, including public parks, private campground, and private land.

It works just like Airbnb. You search for properties to park your RV (or tent) instead of searching for houses and rooms to rent.

There is no cost to join Hipcamp, but you must register to book.

Hipcamp gets its money from service fees, which is a variable percentage of the amount that you book.

The site is very good at describing amenities on the property, and photos of each property are the owner's responsibility to fill out.

Filters make it easy to find what you need in a camping spot. (Filter for hook-ups, pets allowed, activities, etc.)

Rules

The only rules are set by the homeowner or property owner. Sure, you could get banned if you are an idiot while you stay and get bad reviews.

National Park Service Senior Pass

This is not exactly an RV club membership, but it is such a great deal we had to include it.

You'll benefit greatly if you are a senior citizen (62+ and must be a US citizen or permanent resident).

100% of the proceeds go towards improving and enhancing visitor recreation areas.

The National Park Seniors Pass is a 'senior' version of the America the Beautiful Pass (which is available for anyone to purchase - no age restrictions).

It has additional benefits, including camping discounts at many Federal campgrounds.

The National Park Service Senior Pass grants holders access to all of the Federally operated recreation sites (there are over 2,000) in the USA for free.

(Up to 3 additional adults in the same vehicle also get in for free.)

This pass also grants, at times, 50% off of amenity fees such as camping.

Not all camping fees will be discounted, such as the extra cost of electricity.

Still, this is one not to miss if you are a senior and like to stay in Federal parks.

Explorer RV Club (Canada Only)

If you are a Canadian, this is the club for you. It's the largest RVing discount club in Canada.

They offer up discounts similar toEscapees RV Clubin the States.

Some discounts and perks include:

• Campground discounts in the USA and Canada
• Insurance
• RV Dealer discounts
• Emergency Roadside Assistance (additional cost)

Campground discounts are only about 10-15%.

Some also have additional restrictions, such as long weekends or a limited number of days you can stay.

Sample Campground Discount Detail (10% off for max 6 nights)

Prices for competing roadside assistance seem to show that the Canadian assistance program offers the most benefits.

It's also the best price, even offering assistance in Mexico.

Explorer RV Club Roadside Compared To The Competition

Explorer RV Club offers discounts for purchasing membership two years at a time.

They also offer a discount for the Canadian Forces, but it's very minimal.

Explorer RV Membership Options

All in all, there aren't many choices tailored explicitly for Canadians.

Therefore, if you are staying in enough parks in Canada, it could pay off.

Other Bonus RV Travel Clubs:

Here are some other good RV camping groups you might have interest in. These are primarily social camper groups.

North American Family Campers Association: This social camping organization has very low dues. They have chapters in New England, Canada, and one in Florida. Anyone is welcome, family, solos, couples, you name it.

Family Campers And RVers: This is an international (including North America and Canada) club for social connection. They hold hundreds of inclusive events every year. They also offer youth, teen, adult, and retiree programs. They also have a discount campground benefit.

RVillage: This is a 'social' platform for full-time RVers or part-time RVers. You can learn about RVing, plan meetups with others, and more.

Conclusion

Did you figure out what is the best camping club to join? Heck, there might even be more than one. There are many RV clubs and organizations to consider.

We hope this helped to clear up some things about the crazy world of RV discount clubs. Luckily there are many options when it comes to camping club memberships.

It's about figuring out which RV camping organizations or RV groups are best for you to join!

Just get out there and start doing it.

You will figure out which RV associations are correct for you as you go.

Camp on, Addicts!