Thousand Trails

[dloase]

Are there any members with Thousand Trails memberships? Curious about your experiences and if you feel the dues are worth the campgrounds and camping experience you receive.

 

[2hams]

From what I have read on other forums, it depends on how you travel. It seems that quite a few fulltimers use it. I have also read that you need to beware the fine print. I know there are a couple of parks on the middle peninsula. We stayed at the one in Lynchburg (as nonmembers), it wasn't that great.

We use Passport America for stops along the way when traveling if the rvparkreviews.com are OK. We also do Good Sam.

 

[Outdoorsman]

I know this post is a few years old, but we got 30 nights free at Thousand Trails resorts and was wondering if anyone recommended any particular campground destination?

 

[Capt Jim]

I am not a fan of Thousand Trails. Many of their locations are older campgrounds that they purchased. Narrow, twisting roads and many sites too short for larger 5th wheels. Three that I have visited (only chose to stay one night at one of them) were dirt sites with water/electric only. YMMV, but I would suggest taking a look before making any big plans.
This is only my opinion, and it's worth what you paid for it.

Safe Travels

Jim

 

[Outdoorsman]

Thanks Jim! From looking at the photos of some of their locations, you seem to be spot on with what I saw. I did however see that their Hershey, PA locations has great reviews, so we may go there for a long weekend.

 

[D2Reid]

We have purchased a Thousand Trails membership a couple of time. The reason we have been successful with the program is because they have RV sites that we have been specifically interested in. We hate their rules, very difficult to follow. Our recent purchase of TT was because there is a TT place very near our sons, we will be stopping by several times this year. Otherwise we wouldn't bother.

You can save a ton if you work the TT program. The locations are not the best, but then there are worse. If you have specific destinations in mind it doesn't hurt to look at the TT program. Otherwise just use the usual.

 

[DaveMatthewsBand]

We bought a Thousand Trails membership a couple months ago specifically because we wanted to camp along the Oregon and Washington coasts and because there are almost no boon-docking locations here.
I recommend calling them on the phone instead of buying a membership online because we basically got all of California for free when we called and just asked for the Oregon coast.
I know some folks pay thousands of dollars for the elite membership and a couple of the other levels, but we only paid $500 for a one year membership with certain restrictions, which so far, haven't been a big deal for us. We can spend 14 days at one location then we have to be out of their system for 7, rinse and repeat. OR, we can just stay for 4 days at each location, and go from one TT location to the next, as often as we like. We started off by spending 11 days straight at the TT in Bend Oregon which basically paid for the membership right there since that location without a TT membership is like $47 a night. That being said, every place we stay now, for the rest of the year, is basically free. We don't pay any fees at all, we just go to their website and book the days we want to stay.
Unfortunately, all the TT we've been to seem run down. They all look like they were probably pretty nice 20 years ago. A couple that we stayed at had descent enough showers and bathrooms but every single one that had a laundry room would have half of the machines with "out of order" signs on them.

So far we've stayed at the Oregon TT campgrounds in Bend, South Jetty, Pacific City, and Seaside. In Washington, we stayed at Oceana and Long Beach, which was my favorite so far. At most of their "parks" you're crammed in like sardines. Most of these parks had an overflow area that we opted to stay in since we generate our own power with solar and we'd rather be in a field 100' away from everyone else, but we still get to use their WiFi, and laundry facilities. Nearly all of the TT locations we've stayed at are walking distance to the beach. Overall, the membership is WELL worth it for us, but we full-time. The main reason we're hanging out here is because the temps for the past 5 or 6 weeks have stayed between 50 and 70 all up and down the Oregon and Washington coast while the rest of the country seems to be experiencing some good old global warming. When the temps East of here start dropping below 80, I'm guessing in September'ish, we'll leave the coast, and head South East.
We'd eventually like to do some boon-docking in Nevada and Utah, way WAY OUT away from everyone else.

 

[danny d]

if they are like the ones in ma i will pass all need major up grade sturbridge worst one