Another RV club question

[AlaskanRV]

I live in Alaska and have not used an RV club, not much point up here. We are going to start our grand tour in August and going as far as Denver on the first leg. What are the benifits of joining a club? Are they good in Canada? Which one would you suggest? All of it is new to me so any information is great! Thanks.

[scenic route]

Bruce and Franny, We are no 'seasoned' veterans at this RV'n thing, but on this trip (FL. & now in SD headed NW to Glacier NP) Passport America has been great for us (50% off rates). We also belong to Good Sams but so far, PA has been the 4 to 1 favorite of the two. Would use GS more but because of their 'weenie' 10% discount, we'll go with PA most times.

PA of course has restrictions (sometimes not valid on weekends and some holidays...gotta play the game) but we still support the campgrounds with PA because well...they are PA participating campgrounds and are willing to give RV'ers that big discount on 'off peak' times. I'd love to see Good Sam boost their discounts because, frankly, some are too far out of the way for the 10% to make much of a difference. Fuel will burn up that 10% in short order.

Others with more experience with clubs will have additional (and better) information but for now, the PA thing is working well for us. Safe travels. Bob

[BryanL]

You can join a club for two reasons. One is for 'benefits' where there are some financial gains to be had by being a part of a group. The other reason to join a club is for friendship with others who share your RV values.

If your interest is in benefits, then it becomes a matter of first deciding your needs. Once you know where benefits will be of most value to you, then you can comparison shop to see which 'club' will get you the best financial return. For the RV, benefits can include campground cost discounts, roadside assistance, insurance, travel assistance, amenities of various sorts, and home base services.

The biggest problem is usually deciding upon one's needs. Do you use commercial resorts or prefer boondocking or public campgrounds? Overnight or longer term? Do you need routing and map assistance? What kind of roads do you travel where you might need roadside assistance? What level of insurance do you need and to cover what?

As for the friendship reason, that requires participation to fully utilize and that can be influenced by current friends, time available to travel, and interests.

[SEMO Mike]

We used Passport America a couple of years ago for a trip from Missouri to Nova Scotia. It more than paid for itself and we had great campsites. On a trip across western Canada last year we stayed mostly in Provincial Parks but still got our moneys worth.

[AlaskanRV]

Thanks for the posts so far. Good points by all.

What are my needs and why a club? Well, not sure what my needs are as yet, not having been out of Alaska with an RV. Up here it is mostly boondocking or state/federal sites. Those are pretty much boondocking too, no hook ups provided. Most have well maintained areas with level/close to level pads. We love them. Not sure what to expect "outside". Discounts on commercial parks would be nice.

We do not plan on speeding from one stop to the next, we are taking a month to get to Denver. We want to see several areas on the way down and also leave time to stay and enjoy spots we really like. I can't see we would stay anywhere more than a few days though.

I pictured in my mind that being a member would break the ice in campgrounds. See another member and sit and talk around the fire or picnic table or what ever. Maybe it doesn't work that way.

I have good insurance with roadside assist. I don't know that I need routing but that might be fun to play with to see what they suggest.

We plan to park the RV near Denver and fly home, to take up the journey later from there, working our way around the US a month or two at a time.

[RV Wizard]

Be sure to get an iRV2.com sticker and put it on your coach. Let others know you are a member here and you may be surprised to find there are other members you will come across. If they do not have a sticker, they also need to get and display one, or two.

[AlaskanRV]

Thanks for the tip, I will do that.

[Gary RVRoamer]

Quote:

I pictured in my mind that being a member would break the ice in campgrounds. See another member and sit and talk around the fire or picnic table or what ever. Maybe it doesn't work that way.

Being a member breaks the ice only when you attend a club function, i.e. everybody there is a member.

But you will find that RVer tend to be gregarious and are easily talked to in campgrounds. We are all transients, so most are looking for the same thing you are - somebody to socialize with a bit for the brief time you share a park. Just say hello to everybody you see and don't be bashful about offering help to someone who has a problem or inviting them to your campfire or to just sit and have a coffee or a beer. Many will respond in kind.

[AlaskanRV]

Well, Roamer, that is how it works here but was not sure about the "outside" world.

I looked all over the site (obviously not ALL OVER cause I can't find it) but where do you find an IRV2 sticker?

[RV Wizard]

In the Community Announcement forum is a sticky http://www.irv2.com/forums/f1/irv2-sticker-70185.html
You need to click on the Contact Us button at the top of the page and request your sticker.

[AlaskanRV]

Thanks Wizard.