Community Forums

Lindsay Richards · 03-07-2011, 09:39 AM

The PA website is updated frequently and the Smart Phone app (free) is updated at least weekly. They are more up to date that the two major RV books. The app also have GPS directions and stuff. You can use other apps to get nearby restaurants, gas, state parks and just about anything else. They have over 1500 campgrounds and many have restrictions. It only makes good business sense for the owners to have restrictions and if it wasn’t for the restrictions, there would not be any discount clubs. You just have to work around them. It is easy and they are all stated. As far as the extra charges, there are not supposed to be any that are not charged to everybody else. PA has saved us thousands of dollars over the years. Good business folks at campgrounds recognize that it fills spots that would otherwise be empty. That’s it’s purpose and it works well for campers and campground owners.

Bob and Inga · 03-08-2011, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lindsay Richards

The PA website is updated frequently and the Smart Phone app (free) is updated at least weekly. They are more up to date that the two major RV books. The app also have GPS directions and stuff. You can use other apps to get nearby restaurants, gas, state parks and just about anything else. They have over 1500 campgrounds and many have restrictions. It only makes good business sense for the owners to have restrictions and if it wasn’t for the restrictions, there would not be any discount clubs. You just have to work around them. It is easy and they are all stated. As far as the extra charges, there are not supposed to be any that are not charged to everybody else. PA has saved us thousands of dollars over the years. Good business folks at campgrounds recognize that it fills spots that would otherwise be empty. That’s it’s purpose and it works well for campers and campground owners.

Ditto Lindsay. We always use the website and no longer even carry the hardcopy. We opted for the CD which has an option to download CG updates and that is our backup for when we have no internet.

The new mapping that the website uses, Google, is far superior to what they had and makes it easy to find parks. Then we always double check the park with campgroundreviews.com and also see what else is nearby. When we stop at a PA park we let them know that is how we found them and why we came.

Some parks do not use the PA program in good faith and we avoid them. They are looking for the free exposure and to make an extra buck. These are the ones with the surcharges, large block out dates and then a limit of 1 night. We have found that most parks do use it in good faith, having weekend blockouts when they are normally full or close is not unreasonable.

We also have saved hundreds per year as full timers. It is by far the best discount card out there for commercial parks. Some with weekend blockouts have extended the discount to us on weeklong stays and others have allowed us to stay longer then the posted limit. Just ask, but in person and no before you have arrived.

Bob

Lindsay Richards · 03-08-2011, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Some with weekend blockouts have extended the discount to us on weeklong stays and others have allowed us to stay longer then the posted limit. Just ask, but in person and no before you have arrived.

I think it depends on their Occ Rate at that time. They would rather have half than nothing if they are not going to be full anyway. When you stay two day, the second day doesn't cost them as much as the first day as much of the employee times, problems, and explaining things are already done and it is just the matter of the utilities which is only a few dollars a day depending on the weather. Our MO is to stay 2 days unless we are going from point to point in a hurry. We love to "explore" and two days allows this. Many times, it might say 1 day in the book and we ask at check in and they agree. It makes money for them. About the only time we ever make reservation ahead are holiday weekends.

Hawley · 03-08-2011, 06:48 AM

We've been travelling with Passport America for almost 200 days in the USA. Since October 15th of 2010. WE are fulltimers. WE choose to stay at Passport America Campgrounds. The total cost for our year membershp was $44. I would say that we've probably saved that a hundred times over. That is without exaggeration. We probably saved the $44 in the first two days we had the membership. In fact, we did that right after we got the Passport America membership in Atlantic Canada.

I cannot say enough good about Passport America but now as we travel into British Columbia and Western Canada I know that we are unlikely to find as many participating Campgrounds. That said, we would never drop our membership in Passport America. If you travel extensively as we are doing, it is worth the money and more. The participating Campgrounds have all been first class and we don't regret our membershp for one instant.

We just stayed at Kofa Mountain RV Park in Quartzsite, CA and you couldn't ask for a nicer, cleaner, bettter managed Campground with great WiFi. We had a full hookup with lots of room to spread out. It cost us $17/night with Passport America. We compared prices with some of the other places in Quartzsite and we were paying half what others were paying for a lot less.

Passport America pays for itself almost instantly if you travel at all. JMO.

thelastplace · 03-08-2011, 07:12 AM

Here's my story... we are lifetime members and the December '10 trip to FL all but paid for that. We stayed in Arcadia for 4 days and it was $58.00. On to Kissimmee and stay 8 days for $119. If you are wondering, we didn't choose the parks for their amenities but for there location. Arcadia has an Antique Fair the 4th Saturday of the month and during the season there are over 150 dealers. And the town is full of wonderful Antique Shops. Farther north in Kissimmee was to use our Disney World membership. We don't go to stay at home and play shuffleboard (it was available). I think of it like staying at a really nice motel so I can go see the sites. The Arcadia park was a Carefree Resorts park and nice. The park in Kissimmee was also a Carefree Resorts and OK. Even with the 'resort' title you have to shop around. Now, would I stay again? Arcadia, yes. Kissimmee, maybe. But it wasn't the worst I've stayed in.

But the true travelers are they who leave for leaving’s sake
Saying continuously, without knowing why: ‘Let us go on’.
Paraphrased from Baudelaire’s ‘The Journey’

Hawley · 03-08-2011, 07:14 AM

We too use the Website and have all the Passport America Information downloaded to our Computers. WE also Google Search Campgrounds in an area by entering "Passport America Campgrounds (name of City or Town here)". Leave out the punctuation. They will come up using that method as well. Saves us a lot of time.

We agree that many Campgrounds will extend your Passport America stay if asked.

It's a wonderful program.

Cherylv · 03-12-2011, 09:25 PM

We joined PA last week. We are planning a trip to visit our kids and Grand kids this coming up week. The nicest Rv park near them is a Sun Land resort and when we made our reservations we discovered they are a PA park. Long story short (I know, too late

) we are saving 3 times the cost of the membership!!! Needless to say, we are very pleased with Passport America

Hawley · 03-13-2011, 09:07 AM

I'd like to give a plug to a Park in California. They are not listed as a PA Park but when we called yesterday and asked about their rates they offered to match the PA Rate of $15/night. Normally they charge $30. The Park is called "The Emerald Forest of Trinidad" at Trinidad, CA and this would be an awesome place to stay if the weather were better. Right now it has been raining steady and the Park is very wet. The Park is set amongst the Giant Redwoods so you get a real feeling of being in a deep Forest. Very quiet. Very very good people running this Park. We couldn't be happier and had it not been for them offering the PA rate we would not be staying here.

Cat320 · 03-13-2011, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by faye

your first park will pay for a year of passport america and it is truly half price camping for the days the park honors the pa.

Agree.

RonK · 03-14-2011, 06:42 AM

Just checked every park/resort we have stayed in the last 2 1/2 months in Fl. Not one on the list that gives the discount during the winter months, so I guess it would not work out for us. Also, tried to find anything in close proximity to where we enjoy staying, no luck. I guess if we would like to use PA we need to stay in Ohio in the winter and summer in Fl. :(

hooverbill · 03-14-2011, 07:11 AM

As noted, one or to visits to a PPA CG will cover your dues. Just be sure to read the fine print, many are very limited on number of days, week end, holidays, etc.

Bob and Inga · 03-14-2011, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonK

Just checked every park/resort we have stayed in the last 2 1/2 months in Fl. Not one on the list that gives the discount during the winter months, so I guess it would not work out for us. Also, tried to find anything in close proximity to where we enjoy staying, no luck. I guess if we would like to use PA we need to stay in Ohio in the winter and summer in Fl. :(

It does take some work to find them at times and anything south of Orlando and near water in the winter will be tough to find. But there are parks that do take it, International RV Park in Daytona Beach, Deer Creek in Davenport (near Orlando), St. Johns in St. Augustine and many others. Most are in the upper half and of the pennisula or on the panhandle. As we don't work for anyone else, we usually take the time to find the parks that do take it, which in turn 'pays us' for our time.

One thing you might try is to print the index of parks and then just cross out the ones that either don't take it or limit it to one night and work from there.

Bob

Seajay · 03-15-2011, 07:31 AM

Here is my take on Pass Port America. Willa and I have it and I wont leave home without it. Here is the reason....
One ... We use it for one and two nite stays when traveling. It is useless to try to use it in Florida for a ''snowbird'' camp sight. Winter is when Florida makes its money. If you want to save money in Florida make reservations at one of the State or County campgrounds and you will get a bargain. Willa and I are ''waterfront on the Indian River'' for less than 30 per night. Our boat is parked about 50 feet from the coach right now and the fishing here is great.We stay here four months from Dec. to April. If you stay in a private campground with this sight you will pay at least 80 per nite if you can get a sight like this. There actually county campgrounds down here that have a limit of two weeks that has waterfront camp sights for SEVENTEEN DOLLARS PER NIGHT. They have access to Tampa Bay for fishing and a nice beach for swimming and picnics and we are talking WINTER TIME RATES.
Two. Dont even consider using PPA for long term camping in a private campground. It is useless for that. Use it in your traveling from point to point. Most of the time we stay in a nice campground for around ten dollars with full hook ups, cable etc etc. It is a little more expensive than Walmart but a whole lot nicer and you aint gonna get ''kicked out at two in the morning''................
Three. Always call ahead and confirm availability and price of the camp sight.
Four ...... Do like we do ..... ''PLAN AHEA' d'

If you use this valuable information you must pay me ten cents the next time you see me. Good advise aint cheap. Of course, on the other hand, if this dont work for you... I NEVER KNEW YOU.........

Lets all thank a vet for our freedoms. They risked their lives for us.

Hawley · 03-15-2011, 01:26 PM

We were in Florida and stayed most of the time in Passport America Campgrounds. First one was at Mexico Beach, Rustic Sands RV Resport Campground. Neat place, within walking distance of all the beaches at Mexico Beach. Many Campers took the time to stroll down to the beaches in the morning. Just for exercise. We could have stayed here for two or three months at the PA rate. No Restrictions.

Second place(West Bay Oaks RV Park) we stayed was at Largo, FL(near Tampa) and we stayed there for one month, December 2010, at the PA Rate. We could have stayed longer. Wonderful location. Rustic Park. "Relax and enjoy the year-round sun and warm weather. Located in the coastal town of Largo, in the Tampa Bay area, just South of Clearwater, and three miles form Indian Rocks Beach. See our website for pictures of the park and surrounding beaches: www.westbayoaks.com" This Park also had the advantage of being just two blocks from the PINELLAS Bike Trail which runs from St. Petersburg through Largo to Tarpon Spring, FL. I will only mention one more Park in Florida but I have a whole list. You need to look around. They are there and they are nice Parks.

The third place we stayed was right on the Gulf of Mexico down on The Keys at Marathon, Florida. We were equidistant from Key Largo and Key West (Maarathon)and visited both places while staying there. I have photos of sunsets in the Park at Marathon that are to die for. This Park limited the stay to five days at the PA Rate of approximately $35per night. We stayed five days.

I could name other PA Parks in Florida but the list is long. We spent most of the winter of 2010/2011 in Florida and mostly at PA Campgrounds. They were ALL very decent places and we thoroughly enjoyed Florida. With Passport America. Without Passport America we would NOT have visited the Keys. Campgrounds there are way way overpriced.