Membership clubs give RV enthusiasts a way to connect with others and provide services important for the enjoyment of the RV lifestyle.
Each club has its own unique set of services, but in general you can find the following in common:
- Member discounts at RV parks
- Various services such as mail forwarding, voice mail, and more
- Group RV camping and special events
- Club magazine and other publications
There are also many free non-membership resources and communities available to RVers, such as RVillage.
- Looking for a cool group of people to meet on the road? You’ll find some cool people in these social and meetup groups!
- Wanting to consult the hive mind? We’ve listed social media discussion groups and online forums by topic and/or RV model here.
- Still looking? See our roster of mobile apps, books, associations, and other helpful resources.
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Table of Contents
Good Sam Club
Membership Price: $29/year
The Good Sam Club is the largest RV interest club in the US, with chapters in Canada, claiming about two million members. With such a large membership, they are able to provide the longest list of member services.
Membership fees begin at $29 for one year, $55 for two years, or $79 for three years. The multi-year programs offer additional rebates and benefits.
Good Sam provides a 10% discount at all their partner campgrounds nationwide. There are more than 2,400 properties as part of the program. You can find an affiliated property by using their web-based search tool here.
For a complete list of services, please visit the Good Sam Club web site. Here is a short list of the most notable benefits:
- Largest network of parks, campgrounds, and merchants offering discounts
- RV financing, insurance, and emergency road service (ERS) available
- Florida residency for those taking advantage of the mail forwarding service (see Postal Mail)
- Free trip routing and planning, including estimated fuel costs
- Savings on gasoline and diesel fuel at Flying J convenience store locations
- 15% discount discount on propane at Camping World
- 10% off at Camping World and Gander Outdoors retail stores (and free shipping on online orders)
- Free use of dump station at Camping World centers
- Discounts on MotorHome and Trailer Life magazine subscriptions
- Local club chapters
Escapees RV Club
Membership Price: $39.95/year
The Escapees RV is another major US club. If you see an RV with Texas plates far from Texas, they just might be full-timers with a permanent Escapees mail forwarding address.
Cost for a standard one-year membership is $39.95 (US-only). Canada and Mexico are both $49.95 per year.
Escapees is best known as an on-demand mail-forwarding service. You can receive mail no matter where you travel in North America.
It’s also known as an enthusiastic social community, with many Birds of a Feather social interest groups. You can find like-minded people interested in hiking, computers, religion, etc.
Escapees also offers a lot of educational material for RV owners, both new and seasoned.
For a complete list of services, please visit the Escapees Club web site. Here is a short list of the most notable benefits:
- Excellent mail forwarding services
- Discount pharmacy drug program
- Educational seminars
- Texas residency for those taking advantage of the mail forwarding service (see Postal Mail)
- Free Escapees.com permanent email address
- Local club chapters
Passport America
Membership Price: $44/year
Passport America bills itself as the “Original” discount camping club! It boasts more than 1,450 campgrounds and offers a whopping 50% off the standard rate! After just one or two stays, you’ll recoup your annual membership fee.
Standard membership fees are $44 for a one-year membership, $79 for a two-year membership, and $109 for a three-year membership.
Passport America has partner campgrounds located all over North America, including Canada and Mexico. Note that a 50% discount is not automatically guaranteed upon reservation. As their website says:
Your Passport America Travel Card entitles you to 50% off of the regular nightly rate on campsites in hundreds of participating campgrounds across the United States, Canada, and Mexico on a space availability basis.
Each campground has individual rules and regulations, so you should contact your destination ahead of time to confirm rates and restrictions. For instance, some may limit the number of nightly stays or may restrict the number of site occupants.
You can find participating campgrounds by visiting Passport America’s website or by browsing their Camping Directory (almost 500 pages!). Use their trip routing app to help plan your route around their partner campgrounds.
Harvest Hosts
Membership Price: $99/year
Harvest Host is the bourgeoisie (“bougie”) side of boondocking. The company has partnered with more than 2,500 wineries, farms, breweries, golf courses, farms, museums and attractions to offer free overnight parking for RVers and travelers.
When you camp at a Harvest Host location, you’re in for a memorable experience! “Interacting with the Hosts and supporting them … is an integral part of the Harvest Hosts program,” says the company.
For more information on both these clubs and boondocking in general, please read our Guide to Boondocking.
Happy Camper Half-Price Camping Club
Membership fee: $39/year
The Happy Camper club is perhaps the simplest club on this list. As a member, you can stay at campsites all over the country at one of their participating locations for up to half off!
There are no contracts, upsells, point systems, etc.
And at just $39.99 a year, the price is right! You can also purchase a 2-year membership for $71.99 or a 3-year membership for $99.99.
Membership earns you quite a few free educational and travel resources, including a selection of free ebooks.
The one downside is that the club technology is stuck in 1998. Their website, trip planner, and other web-based resources are nowhere near as convenient as more expensive clubs. However, with a little effort, you can search hundreds of campground listings or use their free online trip planner.
Thousand Trails
Membership Price: $615/year
Thousand Trails is more than a RV club; it’s a way of life. It’s a network of RV resorts and campgrounds in North America, with more than 80 resort locations in 22 states in the U.S with a total of more than 190 resorts and campgrounds.
The resorts span the country, but most are concentrated on the coasts or around the Great Lakes, with several more in the desert Southwest and Midwest. The campgrounds are divided into five zones:
- Northeast
- Southeast
- Northwest
- Southwest
- Midwest
You don’t have to be a Thousand Trails member to enjoy their premium resorts and campgrounds. However, with the Thousand Trails Camping Pass, you can enjoy 100% free nightly camping!
The standard camping Pass only covers one zone. Additional zones cost $65 each. So if you paid the $615 for a standard Pass plus an additional $65 for the four other zones, your total price would be $875 for coast-to-coast coverage.
You can also get access to more than a hundred other partner resorts, such as Encore RV resorts, with the Trails Collection annual pass for $315.
Many travelers swear by Thousand Trails. It is a steep upfront cost, but if you enjoy RV resort living, it will save you $,$$ every year. And unlike dry camping, you’ll enjoy everything from swimming pools and hot tub spas to tennis court and fitness centers.
RV Life Pro
Membership fee: $49/year (special)
Hey, 1.6 million people can’t be wrong!
RV Life Pro is a full-suite subscription to some of the best RV trip planning tools available.
- RV Trip Wizard is a visual tool that helps you find RV safe routes along your journey.
- The RV Life App GPS is an online/offline RV-safe turn-by-turn GPS app built for RVers, by RVers.
- Maintain My RV is a cloud-based maintenance reminder and planning app that helps you keep your RV in tiptop condition.
You can subscribe to RV Life Pro and get all these features (and several more) included!
KOA Rewards
Membership fee: $33/year
KOA: You love ’em or hate ’em. Just like McDonalds or Red Lobster, you’re guaranteed the same camping experience whether you’re in New England or Arizona. The company has more than 500 campgrounds nationwide.
Standard fee for the KOA Rewards loyalty program is $33 per year.
In exchange, you get a 10% discount on the daily registration rate. You earn accumulating rewards points and can redeem them for dollar equivalents to pay off your nightly rate fees.
You also receive access to exclusive discounts from Goodyear Tires, Allstate RV Roadhelp, RV Loan Center by Essex Credit, etc.
Boondockers Welcome
Membership fee: $50/year
Boondockers Welcome is a people-helping-people kind of website. As their website says, “Free overnight RV parking on private property … Locals invite travelers to spend the night, share their stories, and save their money for the real adventure.”
These host locations are exclusively available only to members of Boondockers Welcome who drive self-contained RVs (no tents, minivans, rooftop tents, etc.)
Acting as a peer-to-peer marketplace, Boondockers Welcome gets you in touch with private owners.
For more information on both these clubs and boondocking in general, please read our Guide to Boondocking.
Andy Herrick is a blogging nerd, #8 Enneagram, wannabe bread baker, INTJ, RV industry professional, and small business entrepreneur. He can be found hanging out with his lovely wife and family, skiing, cycling, climbing, hiking, and convincing anyone who will listen why dogs aren’t really that great of pets. Also, he runs this website.
