Retirees make up a large portion of the RV traveling population. Many are full-time explorers, or nearly so. Campground memberships like the Good Sam Club and KOA include discounts on nightly camping rates. Both have online databases showing member campgrounds throughout the United States and Canada. Reservations may be made online or by phone. Listings include important information such as driving directions and whether that park accepts pets.
Kampgrounds of America, Inc
P.O. Box 30558
Billings, MT 59114
406-248-7444
koa.com
Campgrounds listed in both KOA and Good Sam Club are inspected regularly and the features and amenities noted in the online database listings. The two firms are slightly different in their organizational approach, yet both strive to ensure a quality camping experience for their members.
KOA is a single brand that all campgrounds in their database carry. All must be of a certain quality and offer certain basic amenities such as showers, restrooms, laundry rooms, camp stores and dump stations. Many of them offer swimming pools, playgrounds and additional features depending on their location. At least some of the campsites must have full hook-ups. KOA campgrounds are inspected regularly and must keep a certain quality level in order to operate under the brand name.
Good Sam Club’s database is an assortment of private campgrounds, state and national park camping sites that are inspected by representatives of the organization. The best of the best are allowed to display the “Good Sam Park” logo. The database lists what type of campsites are available, what amenities and restrictions, if any, and what type of RVs can be accommodated.
Good Sam Club
P.O. Box 6888
Englewood, CO 80155
800-234-3450
goodsamclub.com
Campground membership clubs usually have agreements with insurance firms, emergency road clubs and RV repair and parts firms. Both Good Sam and KOA members are offered discounts on these and other services. Good Sam Club also offers its own VISA card. Another club, called Escapes, assists with the everyday facts of life that people who live in brick and mortar houses don’t really think about much. This firm helps with mail forwarding, a pharmacy program that lets you pick up medication while on the road and offers identity theft and other insurance. Escapes also operates an RV support community called CARE. This park allows long term stays while RV owners recover from surgery or an illness.
Escapees RV Club
100 Rainbow Drive
Livingston, TX 77351
936-327-8873
escapees.com
It is possible to purchase campground memberships that give you prepaid seasonal use of member resorts. For example, Thousand Trails has 81 resorts in its campground pool and offers memberships and renewable yearly passes. Passes are sold by zones. Members would get 30 days use of resort campgrounds in that zone subject to availability. After the 30 days campers pay a nominal fee per night. Multizone passes are also available. Members pay an initial pass enrollment fee and then an annual renewal fee. The advantage is that you have 30 days of prepaid camping for the year at member resorts. The downsides are that not all states have Thousand Trails campgrounds and some member campgrounds have stay limitations.
Thousand Trails L.P.
2325 Highway 90
Gautier, MS 39553
800-388-7788
1000trails.com
RV owners who live on the road either full time or for months at a stretch still need a sense of belonging. Whether it is the comforting assurance of the Escapee CARE program, or a get together of like minded folk at a Good Sam Club rally, campground memberships give a sense of community to those constantly seeking what’s around the next bend.
