Harvest Hosts what a joke

[DKRITTER]

Originally Posted by Smazze

Just wanted to to share my experience in case it helps others with Harvest Hosts. I’m sure lots of people love it unless the reviews on the net are fake, but in my experience it’s a joke. We wanted to utilize for our upcoming west trip to fill in some overnights. Their website says to call 24 hours to 2 weeks before your stay. Ok. Reviews all say people have no problem finding sites.

However I’m guessing their online reservation system may be relatively new or more places are utilizing it maybe bc once someone told me about it, I looked at the places we planned to stay and 5 out of 6 are booked for months. So we would have been stranded and scrambling for a place to stay.

They did give me a refund and said they are trying to double their hosts by the end of the year, but it seems to me that its not worth it bc all the good places will be booked anyway.

Just thought I’d share bc I wish someone had told me before I planned our whole trip around it.

Wow, just simply wow!

We have been members of HH for a few years now and have had mostly excellent experiences with them. Only one good never below good.

There have been many, many posts regarding the huge boom in RVr's and the increased necessity for better planning. It's sad to hear you bash a RV business who overwhelmingly has wonderful reviews.

[Do26]

I’m wondering when the communities will rebel and make the hosts comply with local regs, and not continue to have an unfair advantage over regular campgrounds.

[StevefromPA]

We have used HH four times in the last year. All were super experiences! In Florida this year we stayed at the Tallahassee Auto Museum and at a Tractor museum in Virginia.

We called every time to confirm

[SteveJ.]

Originally Posted by Do26

I’m wondering when the communities will rebel and make the hosts comply with local regs, and not continue to have an unfair advantage over regular campgrounds.

Lake County in FL has shut down at least one of them. Their is supposedly a county ordinance that says you cannot sleep in an RV on your property without a permit that one would get for temporary living quarters will building or repairing a residence.

I haven't seen the regulation, I just read about it on the internet.

[Wrktfsh]

Originally Posted by Do26

I’m wondering when the communities will rebel and make the hosts comply with local regs, and not continue to have an unfair advantage over regular campgrounds.

It’s their property

[2Newsomes]

I for one would like to thank the OP for sharing their experience. It is extremely sad however that some of our members have felt it necessary to lash out, shame and down right berate him.

[PS56]

Originally Posted by Smazze

Just wanted to to share my experience in case it helps others with Harvest Hosts. I’m sure lots of people love it unless the reviews on the net are fake, but in my experience it’s a joke. We wanted to utilize for our upcoming west trip to fill in some overnights. Their website says to call 24 hours to 2 weeks before your stay. Ok. Reviews all say people have no problem finding sites.

However I’m guessing their online reservation system may be relatively new or more places are utilizing it maybe bc once someone told me about it, I looked at the places we planned to stay and 5 out of 6 are booked for months. So we would have been stranded and scrambling for a place to stay.

They did give me a refund and said they are trying to double their hosts by the end of the year, but it seems to me that its not worth it bc all the good places will be booked anyway.

Just thought I’d share bc I wish someone had told me before I planned our whole trip around it.

"Nobody goes there anymore; its too crowded."

So, you're saying because they are doing a good job and people go there; then HH is no good?

This happens all the time with RV parks and I've never read where someone said the RV parks were bad.

There is no guarantee of a site. And the company gave you back your money. How is any of this bad.

[stallsmi]

Originally Posted by 2Newsomes

I for one would like to thank the OP for sharing their experience. It is extremely sad however that some of our members have felt it necessary to lash out, shame and down right berate him.

I agree. OP did NOT criticize for HH being successful, just relating an unsatisfactory experience. Snarky replies do no good and degrade this website's usefulness.

[PS56]

Originally Posted by Smazze

.

Glad it works for you guys, wish it would have for us. I was very excited to get out of the crappy overcrowded campgrounds. I could understand a place or 2 being booked, but 5/6 just make me have zero confidence in HH.

Try to find a RV site in Florida in the winter.

[Do26]

Originally Posted by Wrktfsh

It’s their property

Indeed. But use can be controlled by zoning and other regulations.

For instance, if subject to such rules, and a competitor notices the lack of permits and such, there will be consequences. Similar to how localities pressured places like Walmart to stop overnight parking.

Now that HH is stepping up their game, they will get noticed more. That there is no fee, but implied requirement to spend money, does not mean it is not subject to rules.

[rarebear.nm]

When we start on longer trips again I expect we'll join HH and accept the fact that some locations may be full just like any other RV camping area private or public.

[Ljwt330]

Originally Posted by 2Newsomes

I for one would like to thank the OP for sharing their experience. It is extremely sad however that some of our members have felt it necessary to lash out, shame and down right berate him.

Ordinarily, I'd agree with your comment, but one needs to read carefully the OP's own words. Second paragraph,

"However I’m guessing their online reservation system may be relatively new or more places are utilizing it maybe bc once someone told me about it, I looked at the places we planned to stay and 5 out of 6 are booked for months. So we would have been stranded and scrambling for a place to stay." (Emphasis, mine.)

From what was posted, he never actually tried to book a stay, only searched the on-line website and found "full" capacities. He did not call directly to the potential host sites to confirm if they were indeed booked. This was an armchair adventure that did not extend beyond a web search.

Now, I have no issue with what he apparently did. However, as pointed out by many others, impact on campgrounds is tremendous and requires persistent effort. He chose to end his membership based on that one experience, and that was his choice. He was fully refunded. He is entitled to call the organization a "joke," but it is really a reflection on him, his lack of experience with the current situation in campgrounds, and his lack of effort to go beyond the easy key-strokes of a computer.

What he described in the op, finding all desired dates booked for particular campgrounds, is becoming SOP for all types of locations, state parks, private campgrounds, national parks, you name it.

Welcome to the "New Normal."

[scrapperjohn]

A couple things about Harvest Hoast,
Most places only have 1 to 3 sites. It can be a bit of a crap shoot if you can get a site.
I don't have a problem driving 30 miles off my route to stay at a HH. That's the point to me.
The new on line reservations system has only been up & running for a couple months now. A lot of hosts are not set up for it yet.
Stopped at 2 HH in April, wineries. Talked to the owners & actually asked them what THEY thought of the program.
They both said they LOVE IT. !!
It has helped them get through this ugly year of covid.
You let someone stay on your property & it's a guaranteed sale.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by Wrktfsh

It’s their property

But City/County/State regulations and laws apply to the use of the property.