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RV parks
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Topic: RV parks (Read 11181 times)
rip
Full Member
Posts: 239
RV parks
«
on:
August 21, 2013, 06:26:32 AM »
We are currently in WA. state heading slowly down the coast and stay in rv parks most of the time. When looking for rv parks I came across Thousand trails membership.It sounds like a good deal for us and I am wounding if anyone has a membership or if anyone has heard good or bad about Thousand trails.
Thanks in advanced for any comments. Don
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Ed Hackenbruch
Hero Member
Posts: 2984
Re: RV parks
«
Reply #1 on:
August 21, 2013, 06:33:35 AM »
Don, where are you at? We have been in Wa., now in Or. on the coast working our way back up into Wa. We bought a TT NW zone pass and it has already more that paid for itself.
Right now internet is iffy where we are at and cell service is bad, so we have our phones off. Will be moving north tomorrow so hopefully it will be better.
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Used to own a 1968 MCI 5A and a 1977 5C.
Ed Hackenbruch
Hero Member
Posts: 2984
Re: RV parks
«
Reply #2 on:
August 21, 2013, 06:37:42 AM »
If you want to pm me your phone number we will go into town and give you a call later on.
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Used to own a 1968 MCI 5A and a 1977 5C.
rip
Full Member
Posts: 239
Re: RV parks
«
Reply #3 on:
August 21, 2013, 06:45:37 AM »
We are currently at Birch Bay and next week we will be in Long Beach Wa.Phone is 602-six seven seven,eight one four eight
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Ed Hackenbruch
Hero Member
Posts: 2984
Re: RV parks
«
Reply #4 on:
August 21, 2013, 06:48:23 AM »
Will call as soon as i can, we will also be in LB next week.
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Used to own a 1968 MCI 5A and a 1977 5C.
Ralph7
Full Member
Posts: 162
Re: RV parks
«
Reply #5 on:
August 21, 2013, 07:14:28 AM »
you need to check Nicks Blog on (hitchitch.com), under rv travel adventures and travels. many preowned/good deals, But you must read the details.
ED you know Nick??
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Dave5Cs
Hero Member
Posts: 4665
BCM Subscriber
Re: RV parks
«
Reply #6 on:
August 21, 2013, 06:51:07 PM »
Look on CL also . Put in Thousand Trail ownership sales deals "by Owner". They have deals of way less than they will charge you.
Dave5Cs
Logged
"Perfect Frequency"1979 MCI MC5Cs 6V-71,644MT Allison.
2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport 60th Anniversary edition.
1998 Jeep TJ ,(Gone)
Somewhere in the USA fulltiming.
usbusin
Hero Member
Posts: 671
'60 PD4104-4355 (sold) and '01 Freightliner (sold)
Re: RV parks
«
Reply #7 on:
August 21, 2013, 08:49:43 PM »
Here is the link to the Escapees site for ". . . . .
Memberships for Sale"
http://www.rvnetwork.com/index.php?showforum=30
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Gary D
USBUSIN was our 1960 PD4104 for 16 years (150,000 miles)
USTRUCKIN was our 2001 Freightliner Truck Conversion for 19 years (135,000 miles)
We are busless and truckless after 35 years of traveling
Ed Hackenbruch
Hero Member
Posts: 2984
Re: RV parks
«
Reply #8 on:
August 22, 2013, 08:11:26 AM »
Ralph7, yes we know Nick and will probably be seeing him next week. Thousand Trails has a new deal called zone passes. We bought the NW one. Good for a year from time of purchase, good for 19 parks in Wa. and Or., paid $425 for it, first 30 days no charge, after that it is $3 a day plus taxes. You can stay up to 2 weeks in a park but after that you have to stay out of the system for a week.....or if you only stay for a maximum of 4 nites you can go from park to park without having to stay out. That is what we are doing right now. Considering that the state park at Newport Or. is $27 a nite and the rv park at the marina is $42 a nite for full hookups or $18 a nite for drycamping, the TT pass pays for itself rather quickly. Long ago (30+ years ago) we bought a TT membership but had to sell it during hard times. Nine years ago we bought a Western Horizons membership and used the heck out of it and it paid for itself. Only problem now is that they sold off a bunch of the parks that we used so it is not much use to us now. We are hoping to be in Florida this winter and may buy the SE pass to use as we travel, depends on where we are going to wander after leaving there.
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Used to own a 1968 MCI 5A and a 1977 5C.
Seangie
www.herdofturtles.org
Hero Member
Posts: 1256
And We're Off... Like a Herd of Turtles
Re: Re: RV parks
«
Reply #9 on:
August 22, 2013, 08:39:56 PM »
We started fulltiming 2 months ago and got a Passport America and an Escapees membership already! Mostly because at the time we got them they paid for themselves. The PA cost lime 35$ and has gotten us 1/2 price on about 4 stays already (about 15$ per stay) The escapees were running a discount on memberships (like 39$) and we so far saved 34$ with that.
We looked at TT but was too much money and locations were no where we have planned to go. Not a bad deal if you plan all your stays with TT.
-Sean
www.herdofturtles.org
1984 Eagle Model 10S
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'Cause you know we,
we live in a van (Eagle 10 Suburban)
Driving through the night
To that old promised land'
wg4t50
Hero Member
Posts: 913
Re: RV parks
«
Reply #10 on:
August 23, 2013, 12:39:04 AM »
I am not retired yet (age only 72), have been playing the RV/Bus Conversion game for 25 years, have kept ears up on these programs, seems most folks who buy in to them, wind up selling below cost just to get out of the contract charges/fees. I had considered a deeded lot near Orlando/Disney (My son works Disney, 25+ years), but after much reading, being scared of getting in over my head with the added fees etc, I decided just go to a KOA type CG. That way I know where the end is.
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MCI7 20+ Yrs
Foretravel w/ISM500
WG4T CW for ever.
Central Virginia
saddleup
Sr. Member
Posts: 430
Re: RV parks
«
Reply #11 on:
August 23, 2013, 04:28:28 AM »
Pass port America, has worked great for us since we got it last year,have overnited and stayed up to a week in some in AZ and on our way back to ND,10-20 bucks not bad , and when we can't find one it averiges out the more higher doller parks, cant run the generater in a walmart for less.
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Yuma,Az
1974 Eagle 05 On the road, to Somewhere
Dave5Cs
Hero Member
Posts: 4665
BCM Subscriber
Re: Re: RV parks
«
Reply #12 on:
August 23, 2013, 06:05:24 AM »
With TT do they tell you each time you move where you have to stay next or do you pick from a list or how does it work. We were going to buy in but 10 years ago they were telling us we had to use ones in the west and then so many in the east etc? So we pulled out.
Dave5Cs from Galaxy S III
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"Perfect Frequency"1979 MCI MC5Cs 6V-71,644MT Allison.
2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport 60th Anniversary edition.
1998 Jeep TJ ,(Gone)
Somewhere in the USA fulltiming.
luvrbus
Hero Member
Posts: 26039
Re: RV parks
«
Reply #13 on:
August 23, 2013, 08:17:55 AM »
I gave my TT membership to another bus guy to get rid of it when they started including the national campgrounds in Idaho and other places they over see in their package as part of the TT campgrounds
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Life is short drink the good wine first
jjrbus
Hero Member
Posts: 2315
MCI5C/N Ft Myers FL
Re: RV parks
«
Reply #14 on:
August 23, 2013, 08:23:59 AM »
I had Passport America used it a bit. 4 years ago I stayed in a park in Punta Gorda FL for 2 months they gave me the 50% rate for both months! JIm
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Remember, even at a Mensa convention someone is the dumbest person in the room!
http://photobucket.com/buspictures
http://photobucket.com/buspictures
akroyaleagle
Hero Member
Posts: 644
Re: RV parks
«
Reply #15 on:
August 23, 2013, 08:36:42 AM »
I know many folks that have memberships in these programs. Most seem happy.
I investigated joining several of them in the early 90s when I went full time. I actually bought coupons from one heavily advertised in the RV magazines. It supposedly had parks everywhere. After carefully inspecting it, I found it didn't have parks that were anywhere near where most folks travelled. Might have been OK for locals or those that like to hang out in the same area. I couldn't get any of the more popular areas to accept the coupons. I found one park in Radium Hot Springs, BC that would take the coupon. They also allowed us to use them past the advertised limit of days. That's the only park that I found that would honor the program. None in the US! After threatening to sue them, they refunded the unused coupons.
I called another to find out more info and was told they wouldn't reveal the parks until after I joined. I did not join.
I believe this is like resort vacation shares. If you know a year or so in advance where you want to stay, go to the same places year after year, and want to lock yourself into that, it might be for you.
As in the vacation shares, there are an awful lot of them on the market just for assuming the dues.
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Joe Laird
'78 Eagle
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Ed Hackenbruch
Hero Member
Posts: 2984
Re: RV parks
«
Reply #16 on:
August 23, 2013, 10:05:10 AM »
Dave, with the zone pass deal that they have going right now, you can use any of the parks in the zone that you want. If you want to go out of the zone you would have to buy a zone pass for that area.One or two of the parks we have been in have had certain areas set aside for certain members, like KOA members. The rest of the parks have been wide open/first come, first served. (you do have to make a reservation ahead for all of the parks). We have been in several where we had W/E but no sewer, just used the rv dump on the way out. Been in several where we have had W/E/S. Hope that answers some of your questions... We also have Passport America and it has more than paid for itself over the years. Also have AOR and ACN which is thru our Western Horizons membership and allows us to stay in some places for $6-$12 a nite. Just used AOR at Cascade Meadows in La Pine Or. a couple of weeks ago and it was $50 for 4 nites. We were there a couple of years ago and i had forgotten that they took AOR so i paid full price and it was $120 for 4 nites. Didn't remember about it until a couple of days after we left there!!! We moved to a new park yesterday and had no internet or phone in our spot and found out we were having power problems too. Moved about 100 yards away and now have phone and good internet and no power problems so far.
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Used to own a 1968 MCI 5A and a 1977 5C.
fe2_o3
Hero Member
Posts: 569
Re: RV parks
«
Reply #17 on:
August 23, 2013, 10:24:12 AM »
Don...Hello and welcome to the area...We've belonged to Thousand Trails for about 20 years and live in the Everett area north of Seattle along I 5..If you plan to spend time around here then it might make sense to join, if you can find the right deal..I tried to call you this morning to chat about your trip through the area but missed connection... If you would like me to try again, let me know and I can offer plenty of opinions or maybe a little information on other camp grounds along the coast..Either way, while you're here, enjoy our little corner of the universe...Cable
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Sofar Sogood
1953-4104
KB7LJR
Everett, WA.
luvrbus
Hero Member
Posts: 26039
Re: RV parks
«
Reply #18 on:
August 23, 2013, 11:51:17 AM »
Just check the FMCA magazine plenty of member ships for sale there all kinds plenty to choose from most for only a few bucks and the transfer fee
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Life is short drink the good wine first
rip
Full Member
Posts: 239
Re: RV parks
«
Reply #19 on:
August 23, 2013, 08:41:25 PM »
I was in Canada for a few days but if you want to call I would love to chat. Don
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gus
Hero Member
Posts: 3632
Re: RV parks
«
Reply #20 on:
August 24, 2013, 11:18:47 AM »
I use Passport America off and on because there aren't many of them.
My system is to choose a park when I know my schedule for sure, then renew my PA membership if it has lapsed.
Just a few days in a moderately priced park will enable you to get your money back, after that it is all gravy.
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PD4107-152
PD4104-1274
Ash Flat, AR
joel_newton
Jr. Member
Posts: 64
Re: RV parks
«
Reply #21 on:
August 25, 2013, 09:27:57 AM »
We have been TT members for over 20 years. We joined when our girls were young. We loved their "Preserve" called "Lake of the Springs" (LOTS). It was beautiful, many nice amenities, secure and family oriented. It is located in Oregon House, CA about a two and a half hour trip with trailer from our home. It is the only Preserve we have used - and continue to use.
Back then their motto was "We are famly." Gotta say it was true for many years. Unfortunately, their income from dues did not cover the cost of operating the Preserves. They
became a marketing operation using membership fees to cover operations. That doesn't work for long. They began to offer "upgrades" to generate more income. After several changes in ownership, TT is now owned by Equity Life Style Properties. The good news is they are now apparently financially stable.
We have upgraded our membership several times over the years. We now have about every benefit the membership has. My dues were frozen when I reached 65. Each of our three girls have a family membership. One of them will get our membership when we "expire." One of the perks of the last upgrade was a free, one week, "anytime" stay in a "Getaway Cabin" for ten years. We love the cabins. We stay two weeks in the trailer and the last week in a cabin. Basically, the cost of the membership upgrade paid for the cabin.
Overall we feel the TT membership was a cost effective investment for us. There have been
some disappointments specifically related to Lake of the Springs - which may be true for other preserves. They have taken all the sewer sites and put rental trailers, yurts and cabins on them. Members can now rent a space for a year at a time. No one else can use it. Some nice sites now unavailable. They have opened some (all?) Preserves to the public. At least on weekends at Lake of the Springs you no longer have that sense of security, no more "family" and more obnoxious campers. Weekdays are still relatively mellow. Off season is great.
The value for you would depend on usage and the cost of membership. I think you will enjoy
the Preserves. LOTS only has WiFi at the lodge - fine with us. Not sure what other Preserves have.
There are many gorgeous Preserves in Oregon and Washington. I would love to visit them.
But, like my floundering bus conversion, external circumstances drive out lives. At 71 dreams
start to dim.
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1998 Dina Viaggio 1000
Detroit Series 60, Allison B500
Near Santa Rosa, California
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