This article may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase through these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Over the past 9 years of full time RVing, we have tried a lot of camping clubs and memberships. Here are the 6 best RV membership clubs we have found for full time RVers. These are the clubs that we keep joining year after year because they provide real savings and benefits that we actually use. We hope they help you save some money and enjoy everything RV life has to offer!
Passport America Camping Club
A 50% discount camping club.
Cost: $44 per year
Membership Highlights
- Discount camping club offering a 50% discount at almost 1600 campgrounds.
What we think
If you are a full-time RVer or taking an extended road trip the Passport America membership is definitely worth having. You’ll probably make up the cost of the membership in the first two or three nights you use it and it’s all savings after that!
Using the discount is easy. Just find a member park on the Passport America website or app and then call the campground directly. Let them know you would like the Passport America discount. Pay half price. That’s it!
There are often restrictions on when the discount is available. For example, you may not be able to use the discount in the high season or on weekends. Each member campground is different and the rules for each one are clearly spelled out at the Passport America website. This makes it easy to see at a glance whether the discount will be valid when you plan to visit.
Despite the restrictions, this camping club membership is one that we always renew and it saves us a lot of money every single year.
Check out our full review, Passport America Membership – Is It Worth It? for everything you need to know.
How we use it
On the road traveling from place to place we try to schedule all of our overnight stops at Passport America parks. This helps us to keep costs down on the road when we really just need a spot for the night.
We also always check for Passport America parks when we will be visiting an area for a few days or longer.
How to join Passport America
Head over to Passport America and sign up to start saving!
Family Motor Coach Association – FMCA
The FMCA has been around since 1963 and the club provides access to a variety of RV related discounts, RV education resources, rallies and more. Until recently membership was only open to motorhome owners but is now open to all self contained RV owners.
Cost: $60.00 for the first year and $50.00 per year thereafter. (Get $10 off your first year of membership.)
Membership Highlights
- FMCAssist – Medical evacuation and repatriation program including returning your RV to your home location if you are medically unable to do so.
- 50% off two nights per month at the FMCA members only campground in Cincinnati. Stay up to five additional nights at $30 per night for full hookups or $20 for electric only.
- Sprint/ Verizon discounted data plans.
- New FMCA members receive a one year membership to KOA VAlue Kard Rewards program which saves you 10% at KOA campgrounds.
- Campground discounts up to 50%.
- A variety of chapters, events and rallies to help you learn and connect with other RVers.
What we think
FMCA has a lot to offer from RV related discounts to their chapters and rallies. FMCA Assist is automatically included with every membership – when you are on the road all the time it is extremely important to know that an emergency plan is in place for you, your RV & your pet.
How we use it
The number one reason we joined FMCA was the FMCAssist program and the peace of mind that it provides. In a nutshell, it is a medical evacuation program that will also arrange and pay to return your RV and pet to your home location in the case that you have a medical event and can not do it yourself. You can see all of the details here.
We also use the campground discount on occasion.
How to join FMCA
Head to their website and get $10 off your first year of FMCA membership. Once you join you will automatically be enrolled in FMCAssist too!
If you are primarily interested in FMCA Assist it is worth noting that Good Sam has a similar program called Good Sam Travel Assist.
It is a separate program that is not included with a Good Sam membership.
For us, as a couple, the FMCA Membership, which includes FMCAssist is a better value even if we do not use any of the other FMCA membership benefits. Of course, there are often sales so it is worth comparing your options.
Escapees / Xscapers RV Club
A total support network for all Rvers.
Escapees is about far more than discounts. Their offerings encompass many facets of RV life: community, services like mail forwarding & roadside assistance, a job board, long and short term stays, RV advocacy, education and more.
They even have a group for working age RVers called Xscapers.
If you are looking for community on the road Escapees or Xscapers is a great place to start!
Cost: 49.95 per year
Free for active duty U.S. military members.
Membership Highlights
- Both Escapees & Xscapers have all sorts of events from national rallies to smaller more casual gatherings and even regional chapters with local events.
- Birds of a Feather groups are focused on shared interests like photography or genealogy. Some of the Birds of a Feather groups like DOVE Disaster Operations Volunteer Escapees are even non profits in their own right!
- Access to their mail forwarding service and roadside assistance program.
- Smart Weigh – It’s critical to be sure that your RV is not overloaded.
- Smart Weigh gives you the weight of your RV and of each tire so that you can determine if your weight is evenly distributed or if any one tire or side is overloaded. Locations in Texas, Florida & Arizona.
- Members can buy a lifetime lease of a specific lot at a Co-Op park. In a nutshell, you “buy” a lot which is then yours to use as long as you like. Many of the lots have improvements like casitas and you can make your own improvements to the lots. Your lot can go into the rental pool when you are not using it. This is a great option for someone who is ready to get off the road for all or part of the year or who simply wants to know that they have a safe haven to go to if necessary. More info here.
- Access to both dry camping and RV sites at the Escapees Co-Op member parks which are not open to the general public.
- Head-Out Program – HOPs are pre-planned trips with other RVers to various locations or events.
- CARE Continuing Assistance for Retired Escapees – RV residency program for Escapees who are no longer able to travel due to age or a medical issue.
- RV Advocacy – Escapees works to protect RVers rights – from the right to vote to the right to overnight outside of commercial campgrounds.
Escapees Membership Discounts
- Discounted prices at Escapees Rainbow parks.
- 15% to 50% off of 800 RV parks
- $5 off Boondockers Welcome membership
- Costco $30 shop card when you join for new Costco members
- 20 % off a Harvest Host membership
What we think
Escapees really is a “total support network for all RVers”. They have a lot to offer that impacts many aspects of RV life.
Escapees/Xscapers are hands down the friendliest people we have ever encountered in our 8 years of full-time RVing – they’ll make you feel right at home, like you’re part of the family. Whether you are young or old, if you want to find like minded RVers and build a community on the road Escapees is the club to join.
I would join Escapees every year even if I didn’t use the discounts or services because I feel that the work that they do is important for all RVers.
The discounts are great too:)
How to join Escapees / Xscapers
Check out all of the benefits and join at the Escapees website.
Good Sam RV Club
Cost: $29 for one year
Membership highlights
- 10% discount on 2400 campgrounds.
- Discount of 5¢ per gallon for gas and 8¢ per gallon for diesel at Flying J and Pilot.
- 10% Discount at Camping World, Gander Mountain and Overtons.
- Free shipping for orders over $49 at Camping World, Gander Mountain and Overtons
- Free dump and 15% propane discount at select Camping World locations.
What we think
The savings can definitely add up over the year.
We are on the road alot and gas can get really expensive. The gas discount alone more than pays for our membership over a year.
We have a 30 gallon gas tank so after about 19 fill ups at Flying J or Pilot we have paid for the membership in savings. (5¢ per gallon savings is $1.50 per tank) If we had a 30 gallon diesel tank we’d save $2.40 per tank and pay for the membership in savings after about 12 fill ups!
The Campground Discounts really add up too, while 10% is not as much of a discount as some other clubs, Good Sam has more member campgrounds (2400!) so it is easier to use.
How we use it
Primarily we use the gas/diesel discount at Flying J and Pilot. We also use the campground discounts, Camping World discounts and propane discounts. For more details check out: Good Sam Club Membership – Is It Worth It?
How to join Good Sam
Sign up at the Good Sam website or at Camping World either in a store or online.
Harvest Hosts
And now for one that is a little bit different and a lot awesome – Harvest Hosts.
Harvest Hosts membership includes access to dry camp at vineyards, craft breweries, farms, museums and even golf courses throughout North America. The idea is that you get to spend the night in your RV or camper van in a unique location and in return you patronize the host business.
Cost:
$99 per year for the Harvest Hosts classic membership
$139 per year for Harvest Hosts + GOLF membership
Membership Highlights
- Unlimited free one night stays at over 2300 Harvest Hosts locations.
- This is dry camping, no hookups.
- Harvest Host Classic includes over 600 wineries, 275 plus breweries & distilleries, 575 plus farms & 400 plus museums where you can spend the night.
- Harvest Host +GOLF more than 400 golf courses and country clubs where you can both spend the night and access the spa & restaurants.
- Either the website or the app can be used to find locations you would like to visit.
What we think
Harvest Hosts is a great way to stay at unique and memorable locations. Plus, you’ll be able to check out a variety of wineries, breweries, farms or museums and get a feel for the local flavor of the areas you travel to.
How to join Harvest Hosts
Head over to Harvest Hosts, choose your plan and start exploring unique overnight RV camping spots!
Thousand Trails Membership Camping Club
Thousand Trails is a membership camping club with 80 plus campgrounds throughout the US.
A membership allows you to camp at any of the Thousand Trails campgrounds according to the terms of your particular membership and generally there are no additional nightly fees to stay at a campground. There are a few campgrounds with fees of about $3 to $5 per night for an upgraded site, e.g. 50 amp service.
There are two main categories of memberships, a Camping “Zone” Pass and upgraded memberships. Within the upgraded membership category there are a variety of membership types, both new and used with different levels of access to the Thousand Trails parks.
An add-on membership called Trails Collection provides access to another 100 plus parks across the country.
Thousand Trails Camping Pass Membership
Cost: $630 per year for one zone, $70 each additional zone
The Camping Pass is the most basic and least expensive membership and is a great way to try Thousand Trails.
Camping Pass Highlights
- The Thousand Trails campgrounds are grouped into five zones: Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, Southwest & Midwest. The camping pass includes access to camp in the zone (s) you choose.
- Camping Pass members can stay in a Thousand Trails campground for up to 14 nights. After a stay, you have to be out of the Thousand Trails network for 7 nights. You can not go directly from park to park.
- Reservations can be made 60 days ahead of a stay.
- Access to member website to manage reservations.
Thousand Trails New Upgraded Memberships
Cost: Varies widely
Annual Dues: Start at about $630 and go up slightly each year.
New Upgraded Membership Highlights
Thousand Trails Upgraded Memberships include all 80 plus campgrounds and allow you to stay up 21 nights. Then you can go directly to another Thousand Trails campground. This means that you can go from Thousand Trails park to Thousand Trails park as many times as you want to and it is all included in your membership.
- Include all 80 plus Thousand Trails Campgrounds.
- Stays up to 21 nights.
- Book from 120 to 180 days ahead of a stay.
- Go directly from park to park with no time out of the system.
- Can be resold when you no longer need the membership.
Thousand Trails Used / Resale Upgraded Memberships
Cost: Varied
Annual Dues: Varied
Used / Resale Upgraded Membership Highlights
A used Thousand Trails can be a great way to save money but they are complicated. It can also take some time to find, purchase and transfer a membership so you will not be able to start camping with your membership immediately.
There are hundreds of different membership types so you really need to know exactly what you want and make sure that it is included in any membership you are considering. Also, be aware that memberships usually can only be sold once so you will not be able to resell the membership.
We recommend that a full-time RVer interested in a purchasing a resale membership looks for one that includes:
- 21 night stays
- All 80 plus Thousand Trails campgrounds
- Booking window of at least 120 days for most parks. Only the new upgraded memberships have 120 plus day reservation windows at all parks.
- Park to park privileges
- Annual dues starting around $630
- A contract period that makes sense for your situation. (Ours was 3 years, after which we choose to renew year by year. Some are 10 years!)
We used a broker called the Campground Membership Outlet to purchase our resale membership and highly recommend them. You can contact Kimberly at kimberly@membershipoutlet.com or by phone at 800-272-0401. Because she understands the ins and outs of the used memberships, she can help you find a membership that includes the features you want and make sure the process goes smoothly. Even better, it doesn’t cost you anything extra. Tell her Towing Home sent you!
Trails Collection add-on to Thousand Trails Memberships
Cost: $330
Trails Collection can be added to either a Camping Pass or an Upgraded Membership.
Trails Collection add-on Highlights
- Access to another 100 plus RV parks nationwide.
- Allows stays of up to 14 nights. After a stay at a Trail Collection park, you must be out of the Trails Collection system for 7 nights before returning.
- Upgraded Members with park to park privileges may go directly to a Thousand Trails park after a stay at a Trails Collection park.
- Camping Pass members must be out of both Trails Collection and Thousand Trails parks for 7 nights after a stay.
- Can book 60 days ahead of your stay.
- Generally, a stay at a Trails Collection park has no additional nightly fee but there are a few prime parks that charge $20 per night.
- Some Trails Collections are 55 plus.
What we think
Thousand Trails is a great option for a full-time RVer. I do not know of a less expensive way to travel and stay in RV parks with hookups. Without a doubt, the savings can be incredible.
We recommend starting with a Camping Pass so that you can check out several Thousand Trails campgrounds and get a feel for the system before committing to a more expensive Upgraded Membership.
If you are considering a Thousand Trails membership and are not sure which one to start with, check out Thousand Trails Membership (What You Need to Know) to compare the details of each membership level.
Recently the Thousand Trails membership call center has changed to a call back system. When you call, you leave your phone number and they call you back. Realistically, we make 99% of our reservations online so it does not really affect us but is it something to be aware of if you are going to be in and out of cell phone service areas.
How we use it
We have an Upgraded Membership that we purchased on the resale market and we love it. For all of the details, check out how our membership helped us save $28,992.19, travel the country and camp with hookups for $5.01 per night!
Our membership has allowed us to slow down our travels and really get to explore an area before heading on down the road. Even better, because we are saving so much staying at Thousand Trails campgrounds, we don’t feel so bad when we spend the money to stay a few weeks at a RV park in an area without a Thousand Trails.
How to join Thousand Trails
Camping Pass or Upgraded Membership
Thousand Trails Member Specialists, Brandy and Jim Reneau can help you get the best price and the membership that fits your camping style. Contact them via email at brandy_reneau@equitylifestyle.com or by phone at (770) 622-4188. Tell them Towing Home sent you:)
Resale (Used) Upgraded Membership
We used the Campground Membership Outlet to purchase our membership and highly recommend them. You can contact Kimberly at kimberly@membershipoutlet.com or by phone at 800-272-0401. She understands how all of the resale memberships work so she can help you through the purchase and transfer process. It doesn’t even cost you anything extra. Tell her Towing Home sent you!
Pro Tip: RV Trip Wizard is not only an awesome RV trip planning tool but it also makes it really easy to find all of your membership club campgrounds along your route. Check out our detailed review!
That’s a wrap! Those are the 6 best RV membership clubs we have found that work especially well for full-time RVers. We hope you enjoyed the article and that the camping clubs will be useful for your RV journey.
Enjoy This Article? Share It!
THANKS FOR READING!
We’ve been full-time RVers since 2012. Over 127,000 miles and 47 states later, we are still towing our home around the United States.
On TowingHome we share what we have learned along the way; what we love (and what we don’t) about the RV lifestyle, tips and tricks, our favorite campgrounds, places and gear.
We hope that it makes your journey a little bit easier.