Awhile ago I talked about the Thousand Trails membership that we got for free when we purchased our current RV. At the time that I wrote that, I said we weren’t going to renew it when our year was up. Well, our year ended recently, and it was time to decide if we wanted to renew it.

During our first year of membership we stayed at three different Thousand Trails campgrounds (Gettysburg, Eastern Shore, and another I haven’t written about yet).  After those stays and some further debate, we decided to go ahead and renew our membership.

Three Reasons Why We Renewed our Thousand Trails Membership

1. Affordability

You can pay a lump sum, or have it split into monthly payments. There’s no penalty for paying monthly, so those payments add up to the same amount as the lump sum. The amount will vary based on your membership level and the deal you can find when you sign up (they frequently run deals, so if you don’t see one, wait a few weeks and check back, or use this link to get $100 off your membership fee), but we’re paying about $38 a month. Many campgrounds with full hookups and amenities will run you $50/night or more, so it doesn’t take long to get to the point where you’re camping for free.

2. Campgrounds

I’ll be honest here: depending on where you live or typically travel, a Thousand Trails membership isn’t going to do you much good. There are a number of states, mostly in the midwest, where there are no TT campgrounds. So check the campground map before you make a decision. There are several TT campgrounds in Virginia and the surrounding states, which was a contributing factor in our decision to renew. We may also stop at a couple more this summer as we travel west for family reunions.

3. Motivation

It can sometimes be a challenge to get out of the house and go camping for the weekend. Even with the convenience of an RV or travel trailer, loading up all the stuff the kids need can be a bit daunting. Having something we paid for makes it easier to make the effort to get out and explore. It can be too easy to just say we don’t have the time, but if we already paid for the campground, then that’s one less thing to worry about or to keep us at home.

Some things to keep in mind

1. There are length of stay restrictions

There is a 2 night stay minimum, 3 nights on holidays, and a 14 night stay maximum (21 day for elite memberships). You can only make reservations 60 days in advance (120 days for elite memberships). You may also need to wait a week in between visits to campgrounds.

2. Travel zones

As I said earlier, Thousand Trails has campgrounds scattered across the US. They’ve divided the US into 5 zones, one of which is assigned to your membership. You can stay at any of the campgrounds in that zone without any further charges. Additional zones can be purchased for $49 each- stay two nights and you’ve already paid for that extra zone.

3. Membership levels

Basic membership: pay on a yearly or monthly basis

Elite membership: pay a one-time enrollment fee in addition to the basic membership. This increases the length of allowed stays and how far in advance you can make reservations, in addition to other benefits such as discounts on rentals.

Trails Collection: pay $199 annually on top of the basic membership. This adds more campgrounds to your pool of available resorts.

4. It’s not just for RVs

Thousand Trails campgrounds typically offer tent camping and rental cabins in addition to the RV sites. Some campgrounds even offer yurts and covered wagons you can rent.

Want your own Thousand Trails membership? Use this link and get $100 off your Thousand Trails camping pass!