Campground menberships..Which one?
Jun 25th, 2018, 07:12 PM
#1
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Campground menberships..Which one?
Hi there,
I plan on camping across America for a year and don't know if any of the camping memberships are worth it.
I don't want to boondock constantly because I know there aren't many places in the East. I also need WIFI to work.
I was looking into getting a Thousand Trails membership but the reviews were all terrible and it seems very expensive.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks!
I plan on camping across America for a year and don't know if any of the camping memberships are worth it.
I don't want to boondock constantly because I know there aren't many places in the East. I also need WIFI to work.
I was looking into getting a Thousand Trails membership but the reviews were all terrible and it seems very expensive.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks!
Jun 25th, 2018, 08:21 PM
#2
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I’ve had KOA on and off for years. It depends on two factors:
1) your dedication to the chain. Are you going to stick with that company even in a town with a KOA that has terrible reviews and a private campground that has great reviews?
2) where you are. If most places on your list have a KOA, great. If most places don’t, well, not great. Another issue is that KOA can really add up—and you may actually be better off checking into a motel in some places. A lot of people really don’t expect KOA to be as expensive as it is. I once booked a KOA because it was the only option in town with electricity and my companion was insistent that she needed it for her air mattress...she was apparently expecting it to be $20, an electric site was $48. She was mad, but I told her the other option was no electricity for half the price at the state park. That would be why I don’t have an air mattress lol.
my first thought is that you may want to rethink your plan entirely if it involves relying on campground WiFi for work. It could be down. The campground could be noisy. It might only work at the office/pool room. I’ve done that on shorter trips. It’s a little like playing Russian roulette, and I wouldn’t rely on it.
my second though is that boondocking won’t work period if you want to use WiFi, and you’re really limiting yourself if that’s your main criteria. If I was camping across the US, I’d want to stay at the awesome state and national parks. Not the boring, and often noisy, urban parks.
my third and final thought is that you need to keep in mind that by definition, you are paying for convenience. Showers, pool, camp store. You know who else is paying for that? Large families, noisy drunks, novice campers. I stayed at KOAs a lot with relatives; they’re great for kids and dogs. A solo adult would generally be a lot happier in a state park. I generally maintain my membership for points these days, I only break even on the years when I’m travelling with family, because I find KOAs and similar developed camping neither restful nor scenic nor convenient.
1) your dedication to the chain. Are you going to stick with that company even in a town with a KOA that has terrible reviews and a private campground that has great reviews?
2) where you are. If most places on your list have a KOA, great. If most places don’t, well, not great. Another issue is that KOA can really add up—and you may actually be better off checking into a motel in some places. A lot of people really don’t expect KOA to be as expensive as it is. I once booked a KOA because it was the only option in town with electricity and my companion was insistent that she needed it for her air mattress...she was apparently expecting it to be $20, an electric site was $48. She was mad, but I told her the other option was no electricity for half the price at the state park. That would be why I don’t have an air mattress lol.
my first thought is that you may want to rethink your plan entirely if it involves relying on campground WiFi for work. It could be down. The campground could be noisy. It might only work at the office/pool room. I’ve done that on shorter trips. It’s a little like playing Russian roulette, and I wouldn’t rely on it.
my second though is that boondocking won’t work period if you want to use WiFi, and you’re really limiting yourself if that’s your main criteria. If I was camping across the US, I’d want to stay at the awesome state and national parks. Not the boring, and often noisy, urban parks.
my third and final thought is that you need to keep in mind that by definition, you are paying for convenience. Showers, pool, camp store. You know who else is paying for that? Large families, noisy drunks, novice campers. I stayed at KOAs a lot with relatives; they’re great for kids and dogs. A solo adult would generally be a lot happier in a state park. I generally maintain my membership for points these days, I only break even on the years when I’m travelling with family, because I find KOAs and similar developed camping neither restful nor scenic nor convenient.
Jun 25th, 2018, 08:25 PM
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Re: thousand trails reviews- a few points....
TT and KOA are franchises (I think) not chains. Individual owners. There’s a certain standard they need to maintain, but individual campgrounds are only as good as their owners/managers. I’ve found the standards bar to be set pretty low.
also, I think a lot of these developed campgrounds get shafted by reviewers. A lot of negative KOA reviews are from people who didn’t want to camp and it’s impossible to make those folks happy. I’ve seen som really terrible reviews of campgrounds I consider 5 star. And very often, although not always, it’s either people who got kicked out for excessive noise or for something like, I don’t know, the local raccoon absconded with the open bag of marshmallows they left on their picnic table overnight. It’s car camping. A lot of people who like the wilderness won’t enjoy it, and a lot of people who DON’T like the great outdoors won’t enjoy it.
TT and KOA are franchises (I think) not chains. Individual owners. There’s a certain standard they need to maintain, but individual campgrounds are only as good as their owners/managers. I’ve found the standards bar to be set pretty low.
also, I think a lot of these developed campgrounds get shafted by reviewers. A lot of negative KOA reviews are from people who didn’t want to camp and it’s impossible to make those folks happy. I’ve seen som really terrible reviews of campgrounds I consider 5 star. And very often, although not always, it’s either people who got kicked out for excessive noise or for something like, I don’t know, the local raccoon absconded with the open bag of marshmallows they left on their picnic table overnight. It’s car camping. A lot of people who like the wilderness won’t enjoy it, and a lot of people who DON’T like the great outdoors won’t enjoy it.
Last edited by marvelousmouse; Jun 25th, 2018 at 08:50 PM.
Jun 25th, 2018, 11:08 PM
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Jun 27th, 2018, 07:02 PM
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Camping Membership HELP
Hi there,
I was looking into purchasing a Thousand Trails membership but most reviews are pretty bad. Any suggestions on memberships that pay off?
We want to travel around the United States for seven months with our dog in a toy hauler. We have enough savings to stay at the average campsite but would like a place with wifi/showers/pet friendly.
Thanks!
I was looking into purchasing a Thousand Trails membership but most reviews are pretty bad. Any suggestions on memberships that pay off?
We want to travel around the United States for seven months with our dog in a toy hauler. We have enough savings to stay at the average campsite but would like a place with wifi/showers/pet friendly.
Thanks!
Jun 27th, 2018, 11:56 PM
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Re: thousand trails reviews- a few points....
TT and KOA are franchises (I think) not chains. Individual owners. There’s a certain standard they need to maintain, but individual campgrounds are only as good as their owners/managers. I’ve found the standards bar to be set pretty low.
also, I think a lot of these developed campgrounds get shafted by reviewers. A lot of negative KOA reviews are from people who didn’t want to camp and it’s impossible to make those folks happy. I’ve seen som really terrible reviews of campgrounds I consider 5 star. And very often, although not always, it’s either people who got kicked out for excessive noise or for something like, I don’t know, the local raccoon absconded with the open bag of marshmallows they left on their picnic table overnight. It’s car camping. A lot of people who like the wilderness won’t enjoy it, and a lot of people who DON’T like the great outdoors won’t enjoy it.
TT and KOA are franchises (I think) not chains. Individual owners. There’s a certain standard they need to maintain, but individual campgrounds are only as good as their owners/managers. I’ve found the standards bar to be set pretty low.
also, I think a lot of these developed campgrounds get shafted by reviewers. A lot of negative KOA reviews are from people who didn’t want to camp and it’s impossible to make those folks happy. I’ve seen som really terrible reviews of campgrounds I consider 5 star. And very often, although not always, it’s either people who got kicked out for excessive noise or for something like, I don’t know, the local raccoon absconded with the open bag of marshmallows they left on their picnic table overnight. It’s car camping. A lot of people who like the wilderness won’t enjoy it, and a lot of people who DON’T like the great outdoors won’t enjoy it.
Jun 28th, 2018, 09:21 AM
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If it was my question, I'd want all of the responses on one thread.
You can ask the moderators to merge the threads - just click the orange triangle and make your request.
Good luck in planning your journey!
You can ask the moderators to merge the threads - just click the orange triangle and make your request.
Good luck in planning your journey!
