We initially joined Thousand Trails Camping Club. I originally opted for the yearly membership and since they had a deal going when we joined. We got two membership zones for the price of one. Our membership entitled us to 30 nights free each year, and then it's $3 per night thereafter (for 30amp service). We were also able to stay at other Thousand Trails preserves outside of our zones (including Encore Resorts) for 20% off the daily rate.
During our second year with Thousand Trails, we decided to upgrade. I read a fantastic article written by Julie Bennett, which you can read here. She describes each of the various membership options Thousand Trails has to offer in detail, and how to get a good deal with an upgrade. As she mentions and we eventually did, I recommend contacting Campground Membership Outlet and speaking with Kimberly Hoel. Her company resells various campground memberships at amazing deals. You will be able to save thousands of dollars by purchasing a resale membership and still get the same amazing membership benefits as you would paying a lot more. And when you speak to Kimberly, please mention that you heard about her company from us.
I ran across this article by Christina from "Travels with Ted" where they talk in depth about Thousand Trails and the current memberships. I wanted to share their thoughts with you, so if you find their article helpful, please let them know.
If you are interested in the history of Thousand Trails, you can read about it here.
When we bought our upgrade we got what is known as VIP, or Platinum Plus, which only included 60 parks throughout the United States, leaving out the parks which they bought from Mid-Atlantic Resorts and Outdoor World. The other things that our membership did not include was our ability to Will our membership to our children and grandchildren, frozen dues, or the ability to put our dues on hold if an emergency popped up and we could not use our membership. So, if you do decide to buy a used membership buy the highest membership level you can get and make sure these things are included in it.
Beware: We received numerous calls from Thousand Trails wanting to set us up with a gentlemen to get our input about them. We set up the call and when this gentlemen called, he set us up to view a webinar which turned into a glorified sales pitch to upgrade our membership. He went on and on about all the perks we would get, particularly condos and cruises. When he said this upgrade would cost us $6,000, we said NO THANKS.
In October 2018 while staying at Lake Whitney during our week out from Tres Rios, we met with a Membership Specialist to inquire about adding the resorts from Mid-Atlantic and Outdoor World to our membership. That is when I found out what our present membership lacked. So, we decided to upgrade again and met with the Membership Specialist. I mentioned that conference call to her and she said it was a very bad thing as they charge a lot up front and there could also be tax on the purchase, and you still do not get everything in an upgrade. So if you ever get calls to set up a webinar - do not do it.
Anyway, meeting with her was very informative and our upgrade cost us $2,000 less than the webinar guy was offering. With our upgrade, we get the additional 20 parks, 180 days to book in advance (it was 120 before), Trails Collection dues for one year (you get 107 additional Encore parks to stay at), discounts on cabins, Resort Parks International (RPI) dues for two years, which includes Enjoy America (50% off camping), Getaway Cabins, and frozen dues. I am glad we did this upgrade as it will not take us long to pay it off while we stay at Thousand Trails in Florida this winter and on our future RV trips. Our current membership level is Elite Connections. There are three levels of membership: Elite Basic, Elite Connections, and Adventure. They also have something called the Cabin Pass, which you can read about in this link.
We really enjoy staying at Thousand Trails parks. For the most part, they offer large areas for hiking with lots of trees and wilderness. The accommodations they offer are many, such as swimming pools, tennis courts, pickle ball, mini golf, billiards, shuffle board, indoor activities, and many activities for children. We get full hookups with quiet surroundings and lots of trees and woods. There are many trails where I can let my dog loose and she has a blast running, chasing rabbits and deer, and getting her fill of smells. You really cannot find better accommodations than Thousand Trails campgrounds.
The Northwest has 18 Thousand Trails campgrounds in Washington and Oregon. The Southwest also has 19 campgrounds in California, Nevada and Arizona. The Southeast has 23 campgrounds in Texas, Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. The Northeast has 14 campgrounds in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Maine. The Midwest has 8 campgrounds in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois.
However, I would still recommend you buying a resale membership, but make sure you buy one that encompasses all the campgrounds, offers three week stays, park to park, and the ability to will your membership to family. I will only recommend the Trails Collection if you will be staying at the Encore parks. The cost keeps going up every year, and I think it's up to over $300 a year now.
During our second year with Thousand Trails, we decided to upgrade. I read a fantastic article written by Julie Bennett, which you can read here. She describes each of the various membership options Thousand Trails has to offer in detail, and how to get a good deal with an upgrade. As she mentions and we eventually did, I recommend contacting Campground Membership Outlet and speaking with Kimberly Hoel. Her company resells various campground memberships at amazing deals. You will be able to save thousands of dollars by purchasing a resale membership and still get the same amazing membership benefits as you would paying a lot more. And when you speak to Kimberly, please mention that you heard about her company from us.
I ran across this article by Christina from "Travels with Ted" where they talk in depth about Thousand Trails and the current memberships. I wanted to share their thoughts with you, so if you find their article helpful, please let them know.
If you are interested in the history of Thousand Trails, you can read about it here.
When we bought our upgrade we got what is known as VIP, or Platinum Plus, which only included 60 parks throughout the United States, leaving out the parks which they bought from Mid-Atlantic Resorts and Outdoor World. The other things that our membership did not include was our ability to Will our membership to our children and grandchildren, frozen dues, or the ability to put our dues on hold if an emergency popped up and we could not use our membership. So, if you do decide to buy a used membership buy the highest membership level you can get and make sure these things are included in it.
Beware: We received numerous calls from Thousand Trails wanting to set us up with a gentlemen to get our input about them. We set up the call and when this gentlemen called, he set us up to view a webinar which turned into a glorified sales pitch to upgrade our membership. He went on and on about all the perks we would get, particularly condos and cruises. When he said this upgrade would cost us $6,000, we said NO THANKS.
In October 2018 while staying at Lake Whitney during our week out from Tres Rios, we met with a Membership Specialist to inquire about adding the resorts from Mid-Atlantic and Outdoor World to our membership. That is when I found out what our present membership lacked. So, we decided to upgrade again and met with the Membership Specialist. I mentioned that conference call to her and she said it was a very bad thing as they charge a lot up front and there could also be tax on the purchase, and you still do not get everything in an upgrade. So if you ever get calls to set up a webinar - do not do it.
Anyway, meeting with her was very informative and our upgrade cost us $2,000 less than the webinar guy was offering. With our upgrade, we get the additional 20 parks, 180 days to book in advance (it was 120 before), Trails Collection dues for one year (you get 107 additional Encore parks to stay at), discounts on cabins, Resort Parks International (RPI) dues for two years, which includes Enjoy America (50% off camping), Getaway Cabins, and frozen dues. I am glad we did this upgrade as it will not take us long to pay it off while we stay at Thousand Trails in Florida this winter and on our future RV trips. Our current membership level is Elite Connections. There are three levels of membership: Elite Basic, Elite Connections, and Adventure. They also have something called the Cabin Pass, which you can read about in this link.
We really enjoy staying at Thousand Trails parks. For the most part, they offer large areas for hiking with lots of trees and wilderness. The accommodations they offer are many, such as swimming pools, tennis courts, pickle ball, mini golf, billiards, shuffle board, indoor activities, and many activities for children. We get full hookups with quiet surroundings and lots of trees and woods. There are many trails where I can let my dog loose and she has a blast running, chasing rabbits and deer, and getting her fill of smells. You really cannot find better accommodations than Thousand Trails campgrounds.
The Northwest has 18 Thousand Trails campgrounds in Washington and Oregon. The Southwest also has 19 campgrounds in California, Nevada and Arizona. The Southeast has 23 campgrounds in Texas, Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. The Northeast has 14 campgrounds in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Maine. The Midwest has 8 campgrounds in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois.
However, I would still recommend you buying a resale membership, but make sure you buy one that encompasses all the campgrounds, offers three week stays, park to park, and the ability to will your membership to family. I will only recommend the Trails Collection if you will be staying at the Encore parks. The cost keeps going up every year, and I think it's up to over $300 a year now.