If you’re new to RVing, you might feel a little overwhelmed by everything there is to learn. That’s when a little help from the community can come in handy.
There are several RV memberships and clubs around, that will give you access to a community, as well as campground discounts and a host of other benefits. These RV clubs can be joined for a relatively low annual membership fee.
Meeting with like-minded people and visiting new places are only the tip of the iceberg. We’ve researched and compiled a list of the best RV clubs available.
Best RV Memberships & Campground Clubs
- Harvest Hosts
- Good Sam
- Passport America
- KOA
- Happy Camper
- Escapees RV Club
- Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA)
- Thousand Trails
1. Harvest Hosts
A one-of-a-kind camping club that offers one of the greatest RV campsite memberships available! Harvest Hosts is an organization of almost 3,000 wineries, farms, breweries, and museums that provide members a complimentary overnight stay on their premises.
You buy something from your host in exchange for the stay to help support their local business, which means you get a place to stay and a unique camping experience in exchange for buying a desirable item.
This membership is ideal for RVers who want to support local businesses, have unique camping experiences, and meet new people. Not to mention the beautiful places where you can stay. If you enjoy tasting and buying wine, and you’re likely to do so during your camping trips, you’ll get incredible value from this membership.
2. Good Sam
The Good Sam RV Club has over a million members and offers a variety of services. The club offers route guidance services, such as anticipated fuel costs, trip planning, RV services, and rest spots along the way. It also offers a 10% discount on overnight stays at over 2,400 camping sites in the United States and Canada. Savings at off-price merchants, gasoline savings, a travel planner, propane reductions, and more are among the additional benefits.
They also offer 10% to 30% merchandise discounts at Camping World and gas and propane discounts too.
For all of your vehicles, including cars, membership covers RV help, such as emergency towing. Additionally, this can help you save money on car maintenance. When you’re on the road, it also provides full coverage of RV insurance for your RV and your belongings.
One of the rewards that you might not see but feel is advocacy. The club advocates for your right to RV as part of your membership payments. In 1974, Good Sam presented the first bill to aid in the fight against anti-
RV parking regulations. The Good Sam Club has continued to campaign and affect legislation on RV problems ranging from parking privileges to outdoor enjoyment on public lands at the local, state, and national levels.
3. Passport America
Passport America is laser-focused on offering significant savings at campsites and RV parks. You’ll likely recoup your whole membership price after just one or two visits. In the United States, there are nearly 1400 campgrounds that participate in Passport America. There are campgrounds all over the place, their webpage includes a simple map that shows where each campground is located.
Their user-friendly mobile app and website make it simple to browse all of the participating campgrounds (including those in Canada and Mexico), as well as the current price, the discount you’ll get, and a complete list of each property’s features.
You can discover if any of the affiliated parks are on your journey and get a wonderful visual of your road trip. It can be difficult to get a reservation in a tourist hotspot during a holiday weekend. However, if you travel on a typical weekend, you’ll have a far easier time getting that 50% discount on your campground fee.
Each campground and RV park has its own set of regulations, so double-check that your discount is valid before you go, especially during peak season or around holidays.
4. KOA
KOA has a very typical set of amenities, and its parks are well-maintained. The greatest in outdoor hospitality can be found at KOA campgrounds.
Whether you’re a young family learning about the joys of camping with your kids or a retired couple traveling the country in your RV, all KOA parks provide a choice of accommodation facilities and convenient amenities.
After registering, you won’t get a lot of discounts or benefits, but you will accumulate awards that can be utilized for free nights.
5. Happy Camper Club
Happy Camper does not claim to be all things to all people. They stick to the basics, describing themselves as a “discount club for RVers and Campers.” Happy Camper offers a 50% discount at hundreds of campgrounds throughout their network.
With such a significant camping discounts and new parks joining all the time, adding this to your list of RV clubs to join might be cost-effective. According to the Happy Camper, there are over 1,200 campgrounds to select from.
6. Escapees RV Club
The Xscapers network for working-age RVers was founded in 2015, and it has swiftly grown into one of the most popular methods for the new generation of RVers to establish a community. Members of Escapees can enjoy the benefits of a mail forwarding service, members-only campgrounds, healthcare solutions, job exchange, emergency roadside help, and lobbying on problems affecting RVers.
To offer shared pricing, Escapees has teamed with numerous other RV organizations. Members of Escapees have access to over 800 commercial parks that provide camping discounts ranging from 15 to 50 percent. An online mapping tool with ratings, instructions, and contact detail, and 18 Escapees parks with short and long- term stays are all included. They also have a fantastic community with organized events and online forums.
7. Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA)
The Family Motor Coach Association is an RV organization that provides travelers on wheels with a sense of community, resources, and savings. The Michelin Advantage Program, which gives significant discounts on Michelin tires for RV campers.
FMCA is a fantastic community-focused organization that focuses more on training and engagement for RV owners than on saving money. It’s mainly about connecting RV owners with others who share their interests through local chapters and activities.
It’s also about giving people peace of mind when driving with their Roadside Assistance and FMCAssist services, which you can learn more about on their webpage.
8. Thousand Trails
Thousand Trails is a countrywide network of campgrounds, often known as “preserves,” that are open to the public. Thousand Trails is owned and maintained by Equity Lifestyle Properties, a Chicago-based corporation.
The majority of Thousand Trails preserves are exclusive to members. Although the general public can reserve a few campgrounds, most campers have acquired membership and a zoning permit.
Thousand Trails has around 190 resorts and campgrounds in 25 states as of this date.
Thousand Trails membership saves you a lot of money on camping fees. Finding family-friendly camping spots is a benefit of Thousand Trails membership.
The campsites are family-friendly, including amenities such as playgrounds, mini-golf, boats, and gaming rooms. It’s easy to discover playmates because there are generally a lot of families with children around.
Are RV Memberships Worth it?
In general, yes. In most cases, you’ll recoup the membership fee within a few days of use, but check to see whether the parks are on your route and purchase the membership when you need it.
Which RV Membership Club is Best to Join?
Harvest Hosts is my preferred discount camping club because it provides some of the most interesting and down-to-earth locations to stay across the country. The idea is simple: breweries, wineries, farms, and golf courses all have a lot of areas that aren’t being used. On Harvest Hosts, these sites become “Hosts” and provide 1-2 nights of free RV parking. It guarantees that you’ll have a fantastic stopover point in between destinations.
However, many RVers have multiple camping membership cards, so that they can choose from a variety of campgrounds and locations, and combine the benefits of multiple clubs.
Final Thoughts
There are so many RV memberships and camping clubs out there that it’s difficult to keep track of them all. This article has only covered some of the best of what’s available.
Consider how long you’ll need it, how much diversity you want in campgrounds, where you’ll be heading, and which facilities and benefits are most essential to you when deciding which one is ideal for you.
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