Thousand Trails Membership | 1 Year Our Experience | RV Life

[@Red-76]

Finally someone that likes Thousand Trails as much as I do. I been a member for 4 years . Just upgraded my membership last summer stay 3 weeks back to back and book out 180 days ahead of time and never had any trouble finding a spot. All parks are dog friendly as long as you pick up after them. I wouldn't suggest buying a membership if you only going to go camping once a year. I am full time on disability and making under $1500.00 a month and if I can afford it anyone can.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We wanted to share this information because it is the only way we could afford to be full time and it can help others.

[@MX-CO]

How much do you pay per month?

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

@@MX-CO somewhere around. $250 a month. It’s been awesome knowing what our monthly camping expense will be.

[@CynthiaLee-p6h]

I only get 950 month would it be affordable looking to go full time thanks

[@jessicaoliver9170]

​@@CynthiaLee-p6hI do it

[@FHarris2006]

Just subscribed because I liked your honesty. God willing, hubby and I will begin full timing in June 2024. Considering getting a Thousand Trails membership. We have a 45 foot Tiffin bus and here that many campgrounds, especially Encore sites are not long enough. Covid was rough for me too as I ended up with bronchitis twice and hospitalized with double pneumonia after Covid! Glad we both survived! Looking forward to viewing your other videos!

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Glad you are doing better. If you’re considering a membership call Jim Reneau [phone] tell him sent you he will take good care of you. No sales pressure. I’m so glad your enjoying the videos. Thank you.

[@HeatherNicoleCummins]

We have been full timers for 4 years and have no plans of stopping. We are thinking of starting a family and this looks like a great membership to travel and still have consistent people in our future kid's lives! I think we are sold on this now!

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Thank you for watching the video and I’m so glad it was helpful to you. The membership specialist mentioned in the video are no longer working. To get all the additional information you need reach out to Warren & Sharon Lewis 804-366-0798, by call or text. Also know that May is the 55th anniversary Thousand Trails and they are running specials this month.

[@kloeesadee1690]

Thank you for the info. We just joined. First campground was Cottonwood...we were in heaven!! The bar has been set high now, but determined to find the good ones, cuz love saving the money! Look forward to hearing about other ones you liked!!

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Cottonwood is one of our favorites. We find that different campgrounds offer different things. For instance we love Las Vegas because it’s close to everything. We do have a lot of videos on this channel please let us know if you have questions.

[@steventobin7127]

My Wife and I have been a Thousand Trails member since we bought our first RV, it came as a free one your membership. We have been members since 2020 and liked it so much that we also started as a camping pass members, it has saved us a lot of money in campground fees. My wife recently retired and we are going full time rving. We recently upgraded memebership to Elite, without Thousand Trails we would not be able to go full time rving. 😃

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Thank you for sharing your story.

[@PaddedPew]

God Bless You brother. I had Covid too and was in Hospital for a week. It took me 6 months to feel like I was over it. Enjoying your site.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Thank you I’m so glad you’re better.

[@dr.cijaebelingph.d]

Valuable information! Thank you for sharing your experience. Our family is considering full time RV Life. I’ll be checking out your other videos as well! Blessings on your journey! ✨

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

I’m so happy the information is helpful. We are always happy to help others please feel feee to private message on Instagram or FB at Exploring Through Our Lens, with any questions.

[@aditloae541]

It was awesome meeting you guys! You seem like genuine people and your videos are very helpful. Happy travels!!

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Thank you for that. It was great meeting you guys as well. Hope to see you again on the road.

[@josephharrell5724]

You are right in that if you are full time then Thousand Trails becomes a no-brainer it will save you tons of money. If you are a weekend warrior then the camping pass might work for you but do the math because part time people it is more complicated. We have an adventure pass and hope to book the keys this winter we will see how it goes.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Yes and as we said in the video use a good membership specialist. Jim Reneau is the best. Call or text him at [phone].

[@michellemiller52]

Thank you both for doing this video. I have also thought about doing the camping pass ready to sign up but I watched a couples of videos of people giving negative reviews so since then i have put a hold on getting the pass, but after watching this I'm more positive about signing up. Ty

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

I always advise using membership specialist If you want great people to talk to call or text Warren & Sharon Lewis 804-366-0798

[@jocelynb8935]

Just bought a preowned adventure membership. Expectation management is important and I’ve watched several reviews so I know what I’m getting into and I think this will work for me as I want to slow travel.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Hope you enjoy it! It works very well for us.

[@krisg3984]

A nice conversation, sitting down with the facts. Very down to earth. No hands wagging in the air . I myself, like to hear from the person concerned with the bills. Too many RV channels are being paid to sell or these act like money is no object. Lets be real. RVing IS expensive .

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

I’m glad you liked the video.

[@pnwpaths2925]

We are 10 months into our 2 year membership. SO far 30 days of camping for $42 a month has been great. Totally agree, get the idea of a "resort" out of your head. We are up in Washington and have the membership for our local area Washington and Oregon. We have had a few problems with broken electrical and water but we have learned to check over the site thoroughly now because of this. We just got back from our first bad experience and plan to make our first youtube review on it. Not to be negative but to give an honest review of a site that just didn't meet our needs as a family. We can't wait to review other campgrounds that we loved and new ones in the future. Our favorites so far, Seaside, Oregon, Crescent Bar, Washington and La Connor, Washington. New sub from us! Look forward to seeing areas we haven't been to!

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Thank you so much for sharing with us and our community this information we really appreciate it.

[@kloeesadee1690]

I just noticed...I'm your 1k!! Congrats!!

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Yes you are our 1K. Thank you so much. If you want to send your address to our email we would love to send you a gift. [e-mail]

[@kloeesadee1690]

@@ExploringThroughOurLens i dont need a gift, but would love a sticker if you have them. We like to help support you tube channels we believe in and put stickers with our map.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

@@kloeesadee1690 thank you so very much. Email me your address and we will be happy to send you stickers.

[@wrenchoperator6435]

Sounds like a great deal. I'm going to look into it. I also noticed I think we have almost the same RV - a 2001 Monaco Diplomat. We haven't had it long and hope to spend at least six months traveling in 2023.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Let me know if you have questions. Our RV is a 2002 Monaco Diplomat. Where are you wanting to go?

[@wrenchoperator6435]

@@ExploringThroughOurLens Thanks! We're out of NC and I have never been west of the Mississippi, so we really want to see the Grand Canyon, some of Texas and Arizona (Winslow - Rt66 :) ) and Nevada, then head north through New Mexico and Colorado. I want to experience the mountains! We may decide to wander up to Oregon and see the west coast. I've never seen the Pacific Ocean. Eventually we intend to take a Northern route back through the Dakotas and around the great lakes and eventually head to Nova Scotia in Canada before heading back to NC by next fall. We'll be full time in our RV with two dogs and the more we can save on campgrounds the more places we can see. I had intended to do it this year but we had some illnesses in the family and my dad died. Between family stuff and the high cost of diesel we postponed it a year.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

@@wrenchoperator6435 I'm sorry for your loss. I hope you will get to travel next year, sounds like an awesome trip. My husband Dan and I did a lot of travel across the country, Texas, Arizona, and Nevada. California, Oregon, Washington to name a few places. We also did the Pacific Coast Highway. We have lots of videos of these places. Most of the time we were able to stay in Thousand Trails Campgrounds and have saved so much money. Text or call Jim he will be happy to help you. Also, connect with me on Facebook or Instagram at Exploring Through Our Lens, and we can chat privately if you have any questions we love to help. Patti

[@wrenchoperator6435]

@@ExploringThroughOurLens thanks. Will do. I just discovered your KZbin channel recently. I'll check out your other videos and connect on Facebook too. I was planning to skip California and head for Oregon because of the traffic and high costs - especially fuel. Was California worth it?

[@davidking4525]

I’ve spent 537 nights in TT and Encore Trails parks with an average cost of $9 per night. This number includes the original purchase of my used Elite Connection membership plus all my monthly dues plus the occasional up charges for 50 amp. TT makes the lifestyle so affordable and is absolutely a no brainer for full timers. I’m no longer full time but with $48 monthly dues I break even using it one night per month. Is TT perfect certainly not but I love it.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with our community. We agree it’s not perfect but it makes it affordable and a no brainer for so many of us.

[@Mackenzieadventures1]

We got a year membership with our RV purchase have used it allot so far. Also want to try harvest hosts.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Yes that is the camping pass it’s how we started, if you ever want more info reach out to Jim at [phone]. He is great. We have Harvest Host as well. It’s great. I can get you a discount code if you want?

[@Pam-x5b]

Can we use this and be stationary?

[@johnlarabee5835]

Nice job in putting out a lot of information. Miss you guys.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Thank you. We miss you guys too.

[@theresaashe3203]

my parents were one of the first to join TT. There wasn't even a campground, just the original property. we camped just about every weekend. unfortunately my parents did sell in the 80s. my husband and i and now thinking of joining.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Ghats soo cool that your parents were the first to buy. A lot has changed since then. We spoke with Jim Reneau and he helped us choose the membership that was right for us. He and his wife Brandy are the best. You can call or text them at [phone] for information.

[@auroramarie2463]

I loved the info in the video, but I struggled with the sound so it was not easy for me to hear everything you were saying. I'll admit it's an issue I have in daily life where I struggle to hear a conversation whenever there is a lot of background noise, even though I'm not clinically hard of hearing. I'd just like to ask if you could possibly turn the music down a bit in future videos to make listening easier for people like me who struggle.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Thank you for listening to the video and your feedback we greatly appreciate it.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Thank you for letting us know us know and for watching. We are working to improve our videos.

[@GypsyRose5273]

I love my Thousand Trails membership. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

We feel the same way.

[@roger80465]

We've been TT members for 5 years and have gotten our money's worth for sure. I just looked at our stays for the past 5 years and we have stayed for 285 nights. We didn't use TT much at all in 2020-21 for obvious reasons. Even 2022 was limited because of fuel prices. Current rack rate for the campgrounds in the east (where we've been camping the last 2 summers) is more like $60-100 per night. The last 2 years (140 nights) at a median price of $70 is about $9800. For the 5 years, estimating $50 a night for 285 nights is $14,250 or about 2X what we paid for the membership and dues over the 5 years. I agree, TT has a different definition of 'resort', but they are decent campgrounds. We use the campground as a place to sleep while we explore the area. We aren't there to be entertained. This membership has been one of our best investments.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Thank you for watching and taking the time to share your experience with our community. I agree it has been a great membership.

[@artie360]

The savings increase the more you use your membership. If you camp occasionally it doesn’t pay . We have basic with added zones. The biggest issue is scheduling. Some parks are really run down. Hove you been to Medina Lake in Texas? Very run down but we had a nice time there anyway. Like you stated, if not for Thousand Trails we wouldn’t be able to do all the roving that we currently enjoy. It pays for us.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Thank you for watching. We greatly appreciate you sharing your thoughts.

[@marigoldenergy8512]

Question: When you are booking a site through Thousand Trails do you book the actual site that you are staying in?

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

As of right now, I believe, for the most part you’re not booking specific sites. I know there’s been some talk of that changing.

[@miken.5537]

How did you get the upgrade for $900? Everything I've been reading is for the Elite basic (next step above the camping pass) is almost 10x that amount

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

No it was about $9000 but prices depends on time and the promotions. Call Jim Reneau at [phone] he will give you all the information. Let him know we send you.

[@missouritravelers]

We have no TT in the midwest

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

No the only TT is in the middle of the country is Blue Mesa in Colorado. The company is looking to expand to add more locations.

[@NoeticNotary-sx1ec]

❤❤❤ my dream

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

To get a TT membership?

[@seabliss22]

I'm confused. I thought the memberships ran between 5 and 10 grand for used ones then you still have to pay a yearly fee. How did you get one for $499. ?

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Sorry for the confusion. Yes we pay $499 a year and our membership we pay monthly. So we showed what our costs for the past 14 months were. Also our new membership was less than $9000. It has still saved us so much money. Please less us know of you have other questions.

[@seabliss22]

@@ExploringThroughOurLens that makes more sense. Thanks

[@NicksPerspective]

But your math is all wrong if your membership was $9000 not $900.

[@hollynauss6359]

Sounds like they have a yearly camping pass. TT does have upgraded memberships that come with different perks like being able to book reservations more than 2 months out, stay for up to 3 weeks at a time, and go directly from park to park. A camping pass requires 7 days out of the TT system after each visit.

[@davidking4525]

@@hollynauss6359 just a clarification with a camping pass if you stay 1-4 days you can go park to park while 5-14 days requires you to be out of the system for 7 days. Love my TT.

[@BobBacheler]

Sounds like people need to look past the negative clickbait. Sounds like there are a lot of advantages of Thousand Trails.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Yes people should check for themselves.

[@jamesd503]

Okay, what did he do before retirement? He looks so natural on camera I'm guessing news person

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

He was a news person and in the entertainment industry his whole life. He worked on movies and TV and radio.

[@jamesd503]

@@ExploringThroughOurLens DAMN I'm smart! haha

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

@@jamesd503 yes you are

[@JonnieShipbaugh-dc9wk]

Helpful explanation, thanks. The wife looks like Jill Biden. 🙂🤔

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

You think so. I’ve never heard that. I’m glad it’s helpful. Do you want the name and number of the membership specialist we recommend?

[@sylviat8461]

We are CONSIDERING a TT Membership with the add on to allow for the Encore Resorts. However, part of our reason is that we currently have two booked times in two different Encore properties in the Keys……in February. Our bookings would pay for the membership and allow us to try it as we are retiring soon. I’m concerned with purchasing and then NOT getting a spot! I also called TT the other day and the girl was not helpful with me even saying we know nothing about TT and we need help! 😢. Watching many KZbin videos and reading blogs are so confusing!

[@josephharrell5724]

If you want to book the keys encore parks in winter you will need the adventure package and even then you might not get in when you want to be there. If last minute bookings are your thing then you might get in with a lower tiered membership. Yes TT is confusing but Getaway couple has some of the best videos that explain it.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Hi, Yes it would quickly pay for itself. The best way to get all of the information you need is to call a membership specialist. We love Jim and Brandy Reneau at [phone] Tell them we sent you.

[@sylviat8461]

@@ExploringThroughOurLens They never returned my call or text! I did post in a FB group and had an amazing conversation with another membership specialist. She actually shared why I should just keep my current reservations in the Keys and why!

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

@@sylviat8461 that is not like them at all. They are at Blue Mesa I’m wondering if it’s an internet issue. I’m glad you got some answers.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

@@sylviat8461 sorry about that. I know they were have internet issues. Glad you found someone.

[@girvin3203]

I guess I'm still confused... I see ads to buy 1 ZONE for 1 year for like $600-$700. No other fees. Are these limited stays? I realize there are stay limits at individual parks, but I'm asking if there are a limited number of stays per year. That is, can I stay at say, 20 different parks for for 20 weeks during that year? What is the membership where you pay a $6000-$9000 up front cost and then dues per year? There a lot of things about Thousand Trails I don't quite understand. We are planning to retire soon and have a 2011 Itaska Sunstar. Are there age limits on what unit you bring to the parks? Are there fees other than Up front costs?

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

It can be confusing but basically you can get a Zone called a Camping Pass and there is no limited to how many campgrounds for the year but there are restrictions, like you can stay for 2 weeks then have to be out of for a week then can go to another campground.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

So as I wrote the response I realize it maybe more confusing. When we decided what membership to get we spoke to Jim Reneau he and his wife Brandy are reps for Thousand Trails and they helped us decide what membership was right for us, you can call or text him 770-622-4188. We are so happy with our membership and would not be able to be on the road full time if we didn’t have it.

[@JosephCompnotta]

I just bought mine, and can never get a spot at most.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Where are you trying to get spots and what membership do you have? Did you use a membership specialist because they can help.

[@JosephCompnotta]

@@ExploringThroughOurLens I didn't know about them. I bought the membership used so no info was giving to me. I have the trails, the camping and rpi

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

@@JosephCompnotta you may want to call customer support. Used memberships have different rules.

[@JosephCompnotta]

ok , thanks@@ExploringThroughOurLens

[@RandomStuff-zt6qf]

Oops, just bought a pass without a Rep, what is the advantage to having a Rep?

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

There are a lot of advantages. I would reach out and touch base and they can help if you need moving forward. Membership Specialist Jo & Pat Parizo [phone]

[@melcook7885]

I would and have NEVER payed 40$ per night for a campsite with hookups. I am currently paying 12 to 13 on a nightly basis.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

That’s amazing. Our community would love if you would share where you can camp for that amount?

[@benoitfontaine899]

Yup, it would be interesting to know how/where you do it!?

[@sbramel93]

Almost nowhere has rates that cheap.

[@ChloeBensonBeautyBoxes]

I don’t like camping in parking lots

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Me neither

[@DurgaDas96]

The guy sounds like a used car salesman.

[@starreaderbarberemix]

Oregon is a crap state. Florida much better.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Ethan is for sharing your thoughts.

[@livellfamilytrucking]

What about the $5 fee? When you check into the resorts, you didn't add that into your cost.

[@livellfamilytrucking]

And I've heard it's as high as $20.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

I have never had any fee and have been to about 27 Thousand Trails.

[@ExploringThroughOurLens]

Never had a few at all.