Our first few days here at the Thousand Trails Encore Park called St Clair RV Resort are reminiscent of our last stay at a Thousand Trails Encore Park. We are not members of the Thousand Trails system but have considered joining on
The few Thousand Trails parks we have stayed at all seem to have a few things in common. Most of the parks we have visited are usually not strategically located to the places we really want to visit… in other words they seem to be out in the boonies! Now this is nice when we are wanting to get away from everything but often we like to explore not only our park but also the offerings in the immediate area. Another downside is the two week limit because it interferes with our desire to have month long stays when we get to a preferred location. Part of our reason for travel is our desire to immerse in certain areas testing them as possible future home sites. When we want to chill and get away from it all it is usually for only 3-5 days.
For example, the dirt/gravel roads are full of potholes and the sites are mostly un-level and poorly maintained as tree branches prevent many rigs from using the sites. Upon our arrival there was no staff at the gated entry but we followed 
The next day we used the washing machines here at the park and not only did we end up with stained brown clothes from apparent rust in the lines but we also 
We will be here a few more days before moving to Wayne County Fairgrounds. Would we stay again at this park? Probably not, but it has more to do with the fact that we probably won’t visit this part of Michigan again than it has to do with the park itself since we chose it based upon its low weekly rate for this area. But certainly this stay has yet to convince us to join any membership park system.
For many others out there, and some of whom we have met, membership parks are the perfect compliment to their full time lifestyle but it simply doesn’t work for us… yet. It may do so in the future when we aren’t as picky as to the locations we want to stay. Other than maybe reducing our overnight camping fees we just haven’t seen the value of joining a membership club system. So for now we will continue to wander around the USA and look for those little campground gems nearer the spots we want to stay…
Certainly seems like a run down park.
ReplyDeleteWe have never stayed in a Thousand trails park but almost exclusively use our R.O.D., Coast to Coast, and A.O.R membership parks, for the last 7 plus years fulltime. Some are better than others. We don't use 50 amp service, thou we could. And have been to all the areas that we enjoy.
But unlike you we tend to avoid the Urban areas enjoying the small towns and villages along the way.
you were one of the couples I was thinking about when I said it works great for some...
DeleteThat park looks similar to the little regional park we're working at. Of course we certainly don't advertise ourselves as being a "resort"!
ReplyDeleteOne of the main reasons we would never do something like a campground membership is that we don't like feeling obligated to use a certain park simply because we have bought the membership. We like keeping all of our options open.
www.travelwithkevinandruth.com
a point we both discussed but didn't include... we too didn't want to feel like we "needed to" go to one park over another
DeleteWe made the mistake of buying into a membership our first year on the road. The park we signed up in was great. It turned out it was almost the only decent one in the system. In addition, we found that our method of Travel was altered by always thinking about using our membership and going places just because of the park.
ReplyDeleteLuckily we only signed up for five years and barely got our monies worth and were not very happy about a lot of the places we had to stay to do that.
We would not recommend a membership park.
glad you at least felt got your monies worth out of it
DeleteHi Guys,
ReplyDeleteThis is "the other" John & Sharon. You might enjoy the three part series I wrote last year (http://blog.caravancamperrv.com/blog2/category/memberships/page/3/)regarding membership parks and our own experiences as managers. It also explains what happens with the finances of such operations and why many of them can't afford to do the things they need to in order to remain "members only". The concept is great, but only if enough memberships are sold and the place is managed properly. But the managers usually have very little to do with how much money the resort has to operate on, as corporate has control of such membership resorts, and they dictate the budget allowed. I suggest that anyone thinking about a membership read my three posts first, and then decide if it's right for you.
Also, try to avoid buying into anything at the resort, as that is where you will pay the most money. I know Thousand Trails likes to handle their own re-sales if someone wants to sell (or at least it used to be that way), but there are other systems out there where members can sell their own, and THAT is where you will find the deals. Nearly all will include Coast to Coast or RPI for reciprocal use with other systems, so don't get too hung up on where your membership is located. Instead, look at all the other places you can go with it, and weigh that against the cost and how it would benefit you. If purchased right, memberships can be a great way to save money if you use them enough, but do your research well. As you said, they may not be the answer for "everybody".
interesting reading indeed... and I would recommend your three part series be read by anyone wanting to know more about the insides of some membership park operations, I agree that many don't really understand what it takes to run a park but most do know if they like their stay there or not... and we all know that if they don't they will tell all their friends thus in part what you say is correct... one disgruntled customer can run off many others, thanks for commenting.
DeleteThe only membership we have is Passport America which we use for very short stops on the way to a longer stay. It has more than paid for its $40 fee by the time we've used it two or three times but seldom are the parks "destination spots". We have stayed in some very nice ones and some OK ones but since we rarely stay over a day or two, it's fine for us. I've heard the same comments as yours about 1000 Trails and Coast to Coast and even Escapees. Most of what we enjoy are the state and national parks anyway so spending more than $40 a year just doesn't appeal. Nice post. Good food for thought.
ReplyDeleteWe did the Thousand Trails Zone Program the first year we full timed. . .and loved it so much, we went home and signed up for the entire package. . . which allows us to stay three weeks in a park
ReplyDeleteNow, while I would never say it's the right answer for everyone. . .we love it. . .and find its works perfectly for us. . .
We are Escapees and have been satisfied with their parks and the costs. Passport America is a bargain even though some parks are not worth it even at 50% off.
ReplyDeleteBut a membership park such as ROD or TT would not suit our lifestyle either. What works for some, doesn't for others. Such is life.
As a workamper in a membership resort this year, I have some very definite opinions forming, but would rather wait until the end of our season to do a full review.
ReplyDeleteWe belong to Thousand Trails and we have discovered the exact same thing as you have found. Some are better than others, but maintenance is not high on their priority list. The only reason we keep renewing our membership is because of Sunshine Key.
ReplyDeleteWe are with you in that these parks just don't fit into our way of travel. We don't quite understand the membership park thing either but we know many who do and love it. I don't know where your travels are taking ou but the UP of Michigan is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWe belong to Passport America and Escapees. We only use them if they are on our route, and if the fit is right. The membership fees are minimal, and over the course of a year, it does save us some money. We tend to travel like you do, going to places and staying for a while before moving. We have avoided memberships in parks like Thousand Trails for the reasons you wrote about.
ReplyDeleteDitto to everything you said. Wholeheartedly.
ReplyDeleteWhen we toured the NE we joined Thousand Trails for one year for $500. We found the same thing in most of the parks. We were glad we only joined for 1 year. Then when we went out to the west coast we joined Ocean Canyon, and with that membership, we also had access with ROD and Coast To Coast. We found that most of these parks also are pretty much run down and not well taken care of with a few exception. It took us 1 1/2 years for us to break even on that membership. The only thing I can say is the memberships help on the budget, and that is about it. I agree with you, go where you want and forget the memberships. We would not do it again!
ReplyDelete