Discount Camping Club - RV-Dreams Community Forum

TXRVr · RV-Dreams Family Member

Discount Camping Club

Barbaraok · RV-Dreams Family Member

Has most of the same parks as far as I could see. Happy with PPA so why change?

Barb

Trabuco · RV-Dreams Family Member

No experience with Happy Camper but do like Passport America. Been using them for years.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Escapees partnered with Happy Camper Club for many years, but most found PPA a better deal with a larger campground list. The deals and the quality of campgrounds are similar between the two, so if you are not happy with the quality and price of PPA campgrounds you will not like Happy Camper. Recreation USA, http://www.campingandcampgrounds.com/, is another choice that is similar.

Sushidog · RV-Dreams Family Member

I was a member of Recreation USA years ago. They have far fewer CGs than PPA, but most were $10/night with fewer restrictions than PPA. The quality of the CGs varied a lot. Some nice and some pretty run down - but for $10/night and few if any restrictions, what do you expect? They could have changed over the years so be sure and look at what they currently offer. We were happy with them at the time, but if considering joining them make sure they have member CGs in states you want to camp.

They have a sister organization, "All Campgrounds For Less," that they give you a free membership in when you join Recreation USA. It has a few nicer CGs with a 25% discount, which sounds like what you are looking for. Again, they are not in all states either, so check their offerings before you join.

Chip

TXRVr · RV-Dreams Family Member

Recreation USA doesn't have a big list of CGs, but for $10/nite the annual fee will be regained quickly.

I guess I'll stay with PPA. Thanks for the help, everyone.

Barbaraok · RV-Dreams Family Member

Notice that the Recreation USA website says AS low as $10 a night. Not that all will be that cost.

Barb

Sushidog · RV-Dreams Family Member

This is true. 10 years ago they were all $10/night. With inflation now maybe half have been able to hold that price. Some have gone up slightly, (charging a couple bucks more for 50 amp service or cable TV) while others (the resort types) are now more along the lines of PPA prices. Many parks have added restrictions too, like PPA does. I remember staying in the heart of the Smokies, during color season no less, an a beautiful, resort type park (Woodall 4 star rating) for only $10/night for 2 weeks with no restrictions - but those times have changed. Yes, they have far fewer parks than PPA but are more oriented to the budget camper looking for small, mom and pop type parks, than one looking for one of the larger, full-featured RV parks out there.

PPA represents an excellent value and would be my first choice if I were only going to have one discount membership. I like to camp in states, like TX, that have lots of Recreation USA member parks to choose from, but I you don't then it would be of little value. It would be my second choice before any of the others though (don't forget all the 25% discount parks offered by their free membership in "All CGs for Less" - many of these are not PPA parks, making it worthwhile to have a second membership in addition to PPA.) They used to offer a 6 month trial membership, so you could try them out inexpensively, just to see if you liked them, but I don't think they do anymore.

Chip