Camp Clubs

Pete & Linda · 02-25-2010, 11:43 AM

What does everyone think about these camp clubs, Passport, Camp America or any of these 50% off clubs. Are they worth the money?

bdpreece · 02-25-2010, 11:49 AM

We purchased Passport America last fall when we were going from the West coast to Florida and back. We used it heavily and although not all the parks are top notch it was well worth the money. Be aware there are lots of restrictions on usage but if you plan ahead it works well.

Rick Long · 02-25-2010, 12:11 PM

I have CampClub USA and it's ok... IF YOU WANT TO CAMP UP NORTH IN THE WINTER AND DOWN SOUTH IN THE SUMMER!!!! I would really prefer it the other way around but thats what the restrictions leave you with... They'll give you 50% off when no one else wants to be there! OK.. OK.. There are a few that don't restrict when you can stay, but very few.

paz · 02-25-2010, 12:45 PM

We have Passport America, and we think it's worth the price. Yes, there are restrictions, and some of the member parks aren't quite up tp par (if they were that great, they would be full, and they wouldn't be giving sites away at half price), but we have found some real gems. All you have to do is stay a few nights and your membership fee is paid for. We tend to use PA for one-night stops while we're traveling.

GaryKD · 02-25-2010, 01:09 PM

Passport America life member here. Yearly use depends on where/when we are going. The restrictions are sometimes difficult to figure out. Overall, it will pay for itself many times over.

dajudge · 02-25-2010, 04:17 PM

I let my membership expire because it seems when I need it they are not giving a discount. It may be a good deal for someone that is retired, and travels a lot, but I will have to wait for the DW to retire first. Most don't give a discount on weekends, so what do you do if you are in the park when the weekend comes around, move out?

AFChap · 02-25-2010, 04:33 PM

We are Passport America members. Though we normally stay longer (weekly or monthly) than most parks will give PA rates for, we more than make our membership back each year. If I could not see the list of member campgrounds before buying, I would NOT buy a membership. With PA, I think non-members can even browse their website. Whether or not any of them are worth YOUR money will depend on YOUR travel patterns ...where, how long, etc.

ddz1952 · 02-25-2010, 09:07 PM

We're members of Camp Club and yes there are restrictions, but on the other hand we're currently sitting in a wonderful park called Rose Valley RV Ranch in Silver City, NM for 50% off.

paz · 02-26-2010, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dajudge

I let my membership expire because it seems when I need it they are not giving a discount. It may be a good deal for someone that is retired, and travels a lot, but I will have to wait for the DW to retire first. Most don't give a discount on weekends, so what do you do if you are in the park when the weekend comes around, move out?

We have run into the situation where the discount is only offered during the week, and not on weekends. Some Ohio State Parks, for example, honor the 50% PA discount only on Sunday through Wednesday nights. If we want to stay over the weekend, we just pay the standard rate for Thursday through Saturday, then get the discount for the rest of the week. You don't have to leave unless you don't want to pay the higher rate.

Similarly, some campgrounds will give the PA discount for only 1 or 2 nights. They don't kick you out after that - you just pay the higher rate.

I can live with those kinds of restrictions, but there is one trick a few Passport America member campgrounds pull that I really don't like. A few say the 50% discount only applies to the base camping fee. For example, they might say the base rate for a site is only $10, and there is an extra charge of $5 a night for electricity, $5 a night for water, and $5 a night for sewer. This results in t total camping fee of $25 a night, but the 50% discount is only $5 off the $10 base rate. This is a discount of only a 20% discount off the total camping rate, not the 50% that PA advertises. We won't stay at those campgrounds unless there is just no other choice. A 20% discount is better than nothing.

Lorna · 02-26-2010, 12:46 PM

We never seem to stay in the campgrounds that offer the discounts. The discounts are only for short stays and we prefer a public park for those. For long term stays we do park in a campground but discounts don't apply after the first night or two. So for us, it's not worth it.