Mermbership Camping

A lot of people participate in campground memberships. Like condo time-sharing, these membership programs usually offer members access to multiple RV parks (sometimes just one park) at reduced rates, sometimes even free. Is a membership program right for you? Depends on how much camping you do and where you like to camp. If you are doing a lot of off-highway activity and mostly boondock in remote areas, you will probably not benefit much from a campground membership. However, if you prefer camping in developed campgrounds with full hookups and near golf courses or other attractions and enjoy sharing the social atmosphere with other campers with similar interests you may find membership camping appealing. Compare your total cost with and without the membership. Count up how many nights you plan to use. For a basis for comparison, calculate how much you would spend at the normal, posted rate. Then see how much you would spend if you joined the "club". Be sure to include initial investment and annual dues as well as nightly fees. You may find that the payback may take several years before you break even and start saving money. However, money isn't the only reason to get a campground membership. Members often receive priority reservations and are offered discounts on local attractions. On top of that, there is often a social benefit to being part of a membership community. If you enjoy getting together with fellow RVers, the benefits of campground memberships may be appealing.

If you own an RV you are likely to receive unsolicited offers from membership campgrounds.  These usually take the form of an offer for one free night of camping in exchange for sitting through one of their sales presentations.  I've tried a few of these and found the sales tactics to be too high pressure for my taste.  An instant turn off for me is when they hit you with the "you have choose now or loose your chance forever" pitch.  I suspect they won't turn you down if you decide later you are interested.  It would be extremely tedious to keep track of every attendee and it just wouldn't be good business to turn people away.  As far as I'm concerned, quality products and services sell themselves.  High pressure sales tactics reek of inferior products or poor attitude toward customers.

Of course there are other RV clubs around you may want to look into. Probably the biggest and most famous is the "Good Sam Club" . Good Sam membership includes discounts at many campgrounds and often on merchandise as well as nightly fees. Good Sam membership now includes Camping World's President's Club, giving 10% discount on all Camping World merchandise. Many manufacturers sponsor or support clubs comprised of owners of their products.  There are also generic RV organizations, such as the Family Motor Coach Association. There are many local off-road motorcycle, ATV, 4WD, and RV clubs, as well as rock hounds, birdwatchers, dog owners, campers, equestrians, and those with an interest in history, rock collecting, bird watching, and mining. Most clubs are anxious to share their wisdom and their knowledge of local attractions and activities and you are very likely to make some new friends who share your interests and with whom you can enjoy outings.  Clubs are a good place to  hook up with like-minded people for social activities and service projects.

If you don't find an existing organization that meets your needs, you may want to look into forming your own. When I lived in southern California I was part of an unofficial, family-oriented group of recreational dirt bikers. We called ourselves the "Desert Rats" . We had no dues and no meetings and no formal organization. We came together through our common interest in dirt-biking and shared many memorable and exciting adventures. We got together just about every holiday weekend for some fun OHV activities and good companionship. You many want to form a more formal club or association. If so, be sure to check with your state parks officials to find out the rules and regulations for RV and OHV clubs.  After ten years living in Utah we still haven't been able to organize a similar group, so you may or may not be able to find compatible companions or create your own.  Registering your club or at least making local land managers aware of your purpose can help establish good working relationships with those in charge of the areas where you want to camp and ride. Properly organized as service organizations, donations to such organizations may be tax deductible. Be sure to check the tax status of any club you join or form. Contributions to many tax-exempt associations may be tax deductible.  A club, formal or informal, is a powerful unit for organizing and conducting service projects to maintain or improve facilities and help promote our sport as well as a fun way to enjoy your sport and support each other.

And the most important thing of all: Have Fun!