Community Forums

Marv Schade · 01-29-2013, 05:13 AM

Can anyone give me their experiences with this Campground network? Is it a good way to travel?

wincrasher · 01-29-2013, 05:37 AM

The search tool would be a good place to start

Jim Estes · 01-29-2013, 06:47 AM

We enjoy thousand trails very much...most of the campgrounds are very nice. It also gives you certain discounts at Encore Resorts. Its a little over $500 bucks a year...you stay free for the first 30 nights...then you pay (I think) 3 bucks a night after that. Doing the math...if you stay 10-12 nights a year...you have payed for your membership... Because just about anyplace we stay is a little over $40 bucks a night with 50 amp service and sewer hookup...

powerboatr · 01-29-2013, 12:27 PM

my plan is unlimited days per year.....however
if you stay at one park over 4 night, you have to stay out of the system for 7 nights

you can stay at a park for 13 nights then out 7

we travel around texas and florida almost exclusively

i like to stay more than 4 nights in some places because there is a whole bunch to do and see

my biggest pet peeve is the horrible park conditions in texas,
most sites are un-level, overgrown and bad bad roads
50 amp sites are not really plentiful plus they charge you 3 a night is you use a 50 amp site, in texas 50 amps is almost a requirement in the summer

then they sold long term spots to NON thousand trails members( they do modified membership now), and the long term spots were the gems of the park, so now we as members are left with less than optimal spots to park
they used to have the clubhouse open 5 days a week, so you could grab a burger or the like.
now they are hardly even open and almost zero activities except for candy bar bingo once a week
we are trying a new to us preserve this weekend to see if its upto date, if not I am going to let em go

wa8yxm · 01-29-2013, 07:08 PM

Uh, that is 14 nights then out 7, same as my plan. So summers I spend 2 weeks in TT and 2 weeks in Outdoor Adventure (An argubally nicer park or not as nice park depending on what you want in a park, the OAI park I stay in has too many kids running wild, other OAI parks are.. Calmer.. I plan to visit some of them this summer)

Winter it's 2 weeks in TT one in a governmen park for 11 or 12 or 20/night depending on the time of year and park, Just now (This very night) it's 12. (I'm 3 miles from church) Come March 1 it will be the 11 park (17 miles) till Easter week when I'm not yet sure where I'm going to park, Likely here for a few days at least. (at the 20 dollar rate) then head to Pendelton and Twin Lakes COE for 11.

llmrealestat · 01-29-2013, 09:34 PM

Look for a membership on the secondary market -- you will get a much better deal! We picked up a Platinum, VIP membership with 366 days a year, park to park (no staying out of the system), 21 day stays (with a few exceptions, then its 14 days). You usually have to pay the transfer fee ($750) and then the cost of the membership itself. We got ours for $1000 and have never regretted it. Like any other system, there are good parks and not-so-good parks. We like several of the ones in Texas and several in California. We love the ones in Washington and Oregon and have pretty good luck with the one in Arizona. On the Zone Pass (the one for $500), they sell it as "free" and the $500 are your yearly dues. Those can go up yearly. Good luck on your search.

lekhuset · 03-25-2013, 09:20 PM

We have recently encountered a problem with our newly upgraded contract. TT is now not allowing us to stay at Palm Desert TT during high use and state that we can only come in for two weeks and have to stay out 28 days. This is after staying 3 weeks in and 1 week out for two years under our Elite contract. Even under our Platinum, we were able to stay 21 days in without being out 28 days. We were promised no high use restrictions with our upgrade to Elite but ELS membership office states that the salesman can promise what he wants and it does not mean a thing to the contract. Has anyone else encountered this?

Marialee · 03-25-2013, 09:43 PM

We have belonged to 1000 Trails for over 30 years. Sorry to hear about the misrepresentation that was given to you. We stay in 21 days then out 28 days at high use parks. Non high use we can go from park to park with out time out of system. TTN has been pretty good with few complaints from us. 1000 Trails has changed hands many times and rules have changed. We just keep camping!!! They now have many different membership contracts and it is confusing to compare one persons contract to another's. You may want to read your contract with a magnifying glass..LOL We just re-read ours a little while ago and found some interesting things.

Mr_D · 03-25-2013, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lekhuset

We have recently encountered a problem with our newly upgraded contract. TT is now not allowing us to stay at Palm Desert TT during high use and state that we can only come in for two weeks and have to stay out 28 days. This is after staying 3 weeks in and 1 week out for two years under our Elite contract. Even under our Platinum, we were able to stay 21 days in without being out 28 days. We were promised no high use restrictions with our upgrade to Elite but ELS membership office states that the salesman can promise what he wants and it does not mean a thing to the contract. Has anyone else encountered this?

Yep, read the contract, nothing the salesman says that's different from what you signed up for counts.

lekhuset · 03-25-2013, 10:07 PM

It is just that we refused the upgrade and even signed the paper and so did the salesman
Then he asked me to write down what it would take to get this deal done. I wrote "no high use restrictions" and he checked it off and said ok, you've got it"! We have a LARGE investment in TT. We have always loved it.

Mr_D · 03-25-2013, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lekhuset

It is just that we refused the upgrade and even signed the paper and so did the salesman
Then he asked me to write down what it would take to get this deal done. I wrote "no high use restrictions" and he checked it off and said ok, you've got it"! We have a LARGE investment in TT. We have always loved it.

Hmm... did you keep that paper and did the salesman sign it? If so you may have legal recourse.

lekhuset · 03-25-2013, 10:36 PM

We have the paper because he wrote it on the back of the refusal but they were notes so not signed. We have lots of emails with his boss who said there would be restrictions but since we could make reservations after that and did for two years, we thought they corrected it. Her last email said she had notified management and they would use it in training. In my opinion, that admitted fault.

Arch Hoagland · 03-25-2013, 10:44 PM

Marv...I'd suggest traveling for about six months and as you travel see if you are near any Thousand Trail parks. If so, visit them and form your own opinion.

There are memberships available from people who have bought them and want to get out of the organization.

I know it used to be a problem to get out of your contract, I don't know if that stll applies.

chaperon · 03-25-2013, 11:06 PM

We went with a zone pass three years ago. As we still work, can only really take advantage of our membership during our 2 week summer vacation. We found value for the price, loving the Washington and Oregon parks we visited. (Cultus Lake is much to be desired)
We have spent quite a few RV holidays in the Pacific North West and have had to travel a lot of extra miles in a day because the RV parks were full, with TT we have never had to worry about this - We know we will always have at the very least a decent site and usually a desirable site with a little planning.