IN THE DAY AND AGE OF TRYING TO CONTINUE TO ENJOY RV LIFE AND YET NOT SPEND SO MUCH TIME ON THE ROAD BUYING DIESEL, WE ARE CONSIDERING BUYING A CAMP MEMBERSHIP WHICH ALLOWS US TO STAY RENT FREE IN VARIOUS QUALITY CAMPGROUNDS.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE DONE IT THE RIGHT OR WRONG WAY, I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR ADVICE. EXPERIENCE IS THE GREATEST OF TEACHERS!

THANKS, RICK AND JANE

Hello Rick, Jane and welcome aboard...
Do your research prior to making any campground membership decisions.
I've not found ANY that have a 'rent free' possibility... Most have an up-front initiation fee (several THOUSAND dollars) of which does not cover camping. You still pay (albeit a much reduced rate) for a place to camp/park your RV.
You still need to make reservations.
There are limitations for length of stay.
Recommend highly you guys go take a look at the campgrounds included in the particular membership system. That stopped us COLD.
That initiation fee goes a loooooong way to pay for fuel and great camping.

Ok...now we need someone who has had a POSITIVE experience with their campground membership to chime in next. Cheers!

We have been to a number here in FL and would no give a dollar to get in. Most we have looked at were the pits. All were very old run down places to sell off at high dollars. They ask for thousands of dollars then at end ask what will you pay to buy in. No thank you, we love to travel all over the USA and into places we wish to go not spent our time and money in some dump. Read all the rules and also look at all the camp sites up for sell on web. You own the membership for life if you can not sell it off. Rates are open ended and go up each year. Poor way to spend your dollars. I talked to one lady who took the bait and she said she loved the place. I ask number of campgrounds she had been in. Answer, this is our first campground and we have a new TT. Bottom line, do your homework before you make the same mistake she did.

Buying these memberships is like buying time sharing. Looks good. Eventually, it isn't. And then you try to find another sucker to buy it. Some years ago, I had a client who could not pay the bill, so I took eight week of time sharing in the Florida Keys in trade. The time sharing weeks were valued at $8,000 each. I eventually sold them at $1,000 each. Not much difference between this and membership parks!

Foster, I was "reading between lines" on your reply. You tried your best to be positive, but in between each line your post was SCREAMING OUT:

DON'T FREAKING DO IT!!!!!!

I'm convinced.

JJ

I think the first thing to realize is that "there is no free lunch". Do the math and you will realize that you have to spend a lot of time each year for many years to make it worthwhile. The people selling you their packages do not give you time to reflect on these matters. Reading this forum, I think many have found that the parks leave a lot to be desired also.
We went to a Thousand Trails presentation and were promised a number of incentives to attend. That is the first clue that all is not going to be positive. We were promised a $50 gift certificate (Camping World etc.) At the last minute, we had to give the 'agent' $20 as a good faith indication that we would show up for the scheduled one on one presentation. Of course, we would be given our $20 back plus an extra $5. Had to sign a paper with this information on it. Figured that it was a receipt for our $20.
After the meeting we were given a VISA voucher for $25 - I guess the $20 plus the $5. When we asked about the $50 voucher we were told there was no voucher. You signed the 'contract' for the $25 VISA as the 'gift'. If you don't like it, there's the door!!! I guess you realized by now we did not sign on the dotted line immediately and give them our $12,000 discounted today only to $6000, membership. There was nothing to give us in print so everything the salesman told us was verbal. "Trust me, I'm honest. This is a great opportunity."
Oh yes, to activate the $25 VISA, there is a $4 charge so our gift was our own $20 back plus $1!!! I was so annoyed with the deceptive practices that I complained to the Camping World Store Manager where we were approached.
If their initial presentation is full of deception, how much faith can you have in their actual camping system?

I bought my Class-C motorhome brand new in 2007. I was offered a membership through 1,000 trails through the dealership I bought the motorhome. There is an initial membership fee of several thousand dollars that will take years of travel to make worthwhile. I have also found all membership campgrounds regardless have limited stays. There are no membership campgrounds in the United States that offer monthly stays. Most limit stays to 2-weeks. Having to move so often puts a drain on the pocketbook. There are so many very nice, quiet, senic and reasonably priced camgrounds that do offer unlimited monthly stays that a membership campground is really not worth it. MEMBERSHIP CAMPGROUNDS DO NOT OFFER FREE CAMP SPACE SITES. All charge a space site. Most charge comparable to a non-membership type campground.