We Are DITCHING Thousand Trails| TRUTH For RV LIFE

[@liferedesigned]

What is/ was your experience with Thousand Trails? While we think it is a great resource, we are having serious hesitations with what our future will be with them - sound off below!

[@deangertieexploretheworld]

As a family of 4 living traveling and exploring full time in our RV, we went with the 1000 Trails adventure package. For us it gives us the ability to stay somewhere for a few weeks at an affordable rate. We have stayed at several that were great, some good and yes several that we will not return to. For us beyond the savings, we needed to be at parks where we knew other travel families would be so our kids had that social interaction. For now, and our needs it works. We knew what we were getting into, we are not high maintenance by any means... We do certainly understand why it doesn't work for everyone, but there are some families out there that it just makes goid sense. ❤

[@liferedesigned]

Absolutely! We firmly believe it has a place in the toolbox for sure. If our kids were younger and with us, it would be a dream! For us at this point, we are done raising our kids (we think lol) and want more of a luxury feeling. All the same reasons why a Yogi Bear campground would not be a good fit for us. Who knows, this Resort thing may run its course and in a year or two we may decide it is about saving money- that is the best thing about this lifestyle- there is a way for everyone! Hugs to the kids!

[@SRTV580]

Our only regret was not going for the Adventure Package sooner. We spent so much time in the lower levels trying to decide if it was worth it, and once we "made our money back" we upgraded. Would have gotten so much value if we started with the highest package first.

[@liferedesigned]

We have the adventure package. Still doesn’t overcome the fact that most parks are just “okay” at best. Unfortunately too many of the system parks have been run down for too long.

[@SRTV580]

@@liferedesigned 100% agree, but I've also found that a lot of other campgrounds charging $40+ a night are in a similar state of disrepair. If your expectation with TT is that it will just be "okay," spending

[@roger80465]

We joined TT Elite Basic package in January, 2019. I reviewed our schedule over the last 5 years and we have spent about 240 nights in TT parks. Only a small handful of those nights were in parks that I would consider to be 'resorts'. These are campgrounds, most are older campgrounds and many are in need of TLC. We're currently in TT Timothy Lake South and there are far too many bagged pedestals for power issues. But, this is the first TT campground in a couple years that has had those issues. ELS has been making investments into these parks and it has shown. If I figure an average campground price at $50 (which is low today) we have received in excess of $12,000 of value for our investment. If you are looking for resort living, TT is not the place to be. But if you are looking for a place to sleep while you explore an area, they are perfect. We have about 45 nights scheduled this year. I'm absolutely satisfied with our purchase. As for the negative Nellies, I prefer to avoid them. I shut down those conversations in the bud.

[@liferedesigned]

As we said in the video, for the first year or 2 it is ok. We just want more of an adventure- for us, staying in parks that constantly need some “TLC” is not the experience we want. We work hard and want better experiences. Time and a season for everyone

[@thewanderingshores]

We applaud you for removing negativity from your life. As you know we boondock all the time, so have never had the desire to look at a thousand trails membership, but I have seen several of those reviews were they are very negative about their experience and review of the campground. Thanks for sharing- Kyle and Michelle

[@liferedesigned]

Maybe we become targets of the negativity because we are KZbinrs and people think we have the power to just make a video and have things fixed lol - Either way, we find that if you surround yourself with happy people- you ultimately become happier 🤣🤣

[@RickandDarcirvadventures]

We don’t go to any Rv park for the amenities. We go to a Rv park because we want to see something in the area. We won’t say no to talking to people but we are not traveling to build a community.

[@TDub_ADV]

So here is our experience with TT, not defending them or anything like that. We just see them as a tool keep our overall camping costs down for the year and gives us the ability to save some money to go to the expensive places we want to go to. For instance since April we have spent all but two weeks in TT parks but that has saved us enough cash that we are spending the summer in NH and Maine at non TT parks. We also have some time booked in the Keys at a non TT park that TT has enabled us to save for and still keep our overall nightly average down. When it comes to TT we keep our expectations low since we know its generally not much more than a place to park. Its a tool just like Escapees and Passport America. Personally we have not experienced any unhappy people in our travels with Thousand Trails. We have found in some places where folks tend to keep to themselves but overall we have not had any bad interactions with anyone in a TT park and everyone i have interacted with has been very friendly. The parks are not perfect but that's ok, and we don't really care about amenities since we rarely use them even at "resorts" we have stayed at. We also don't mind that they are not always near the "stuff" or tourist attractions. We go explore and find the off the beaten path kind of things to do or find a place to hike with the dogs which we always enjoy more than a tourist trap. Recently we were at the TT in Jefferson Ohio and there is not much out there. That is until we discovered that is a ton of Wineries and Distilleries in that area, we found like 5 wineries within 20 minutes of the place and visited a few, one had an Italian restaurant that was really good, like better than the North End of Boston good. We also found a little craft distillery that had some Bourbon and Vodka that was made in small batches from all local grains. We liked both and bought a bunch of it. That made that park a pretty good place for us and we would gladly go back to explore more. Last week we were in Hershey, PA at the TT there. Probably one of the nicer TT parks we have been to and near a pretty big tourist destination. We spent zero time in Hershey Park and zero time using any of the parks amenities. People were friendly tho and we enjoyed it. Heck we even liked Diamond Caverns, not because of the park but because of the Mammoth Caves NP that was just up the road. We spent hours there exploring almost every day after work and an entire Saturday doing cave tours. It was awesome and we want to go back and will at some point. Our park experience was pretty neutral, for the most part folks kept to themselves. We never set foot in a building there or anything like that, we were so busy we didn't even use the fire pit. We spent our days working and then off exploring the caves and also went to the Corvette Museum in Bowling green and when we weren't doing that we were off with our dogs who had a pretty good time there.

[@liferedesigned]

Again, this is just us doing us. If it works for you - enjoy!

[@dominiccampbell1989]

We are just weekend warriors with a very affordable used membership. We use the heck out of our TT membership all spring and summer. TT parks aren't for everyone but for the price hard to beat. Living in Washington state we have a lot of TT parks to choose from and can get to most in under 2 hours from home. But we understand if some people don't like TT parks. For our family of 4 it works out great.

[@liferedesigned]

Can totally see this working for vacations and weekend getaways - We lived it for the first 2 years of being full time, now we are just looking for more. We went full time looking for adventure and something different from the norm- as a full timer in TT we just were not getting that. Now we are staying in places with full blown water parks - gourmet food trucks and live music venues - huge difference in lifestyle. For us now it is the way to go. We could totally see us back in the system when we want to slow down.

[@mur6822]

I looked at TT and decided against it. Then a few years ago I stayed at one because it was available and it was horrible! There were so many full timers there that lived in pig stys! Grass growing as tall as the underbelly all around the rig. Junk cars, broken toys, most laundry rooms and restrooms closed/broken. Pool broken. A stinky stagnant pond. I moved down the road to another campground as soon as I could get a spot.

[@liferedesigned]

That covers quite a few of them for sure!

[@Minnesota_Girl-m6z]

Hello, I think it is great what the two of you are doing. Especially that you were able to move to a warmer climate. Have a great day!

[@liferedesigned]

AWE , THANK YOU! That honestly is something we still are excited about - no more being cold! 😀

[@SHARINGJOURNEY]

We are thinking of taking the winter off from work camping and was thinking about getting a 1000 Trails regional membership.

[@liferedesigned]

As long as you know what you are getting you will be fine. Trip advisor usually has the most honest reviews

[@aimreadings]

Great video Thank you so much for all the great information! 🙏🙏🙏🧿🧿🧿❤️ I do have a question though if you're able to let me know by any chance... How do you go about uploading your music to your videos without KZbin striking it? Any help is greatly appreciated and thank you! 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@liferedesigned]

We use music from the KZbin library

[@aimreadings]

Thank you so much I had no idea that was possible 😆 ... I appreciate your help so much 🙏🙏🙏 ​@@liferedesigned

[@liferedesigned]

anytime :)

[@allenpardon8211]

Just a quick question, are the DZEES cameras still working good for yall?

[@liferedesigned]

Yes they do! No complaints

[@allenpardon8211]

@@liferedesigned that’s good because we just bought 5 of them. Thanks for the response.

[@liferedesigned]

Enjoy!

[@NomadicLiving]

Agree with you about TT - but frankly,. your video was disjointed and had a lot of 'filler' footage. It seemed to take along time to make some short points

[@liferedesigned]

You are right - unfortunately, this isn’t Tik-Tok where you get paid for 30 second videos. We also have amassed us an audience that actually cares about all of our moments and not just the highlights - those are the people we make videos for. If you prefer videos without “filler” KZbin allows you to sort videos by long or short format. Look for the section called “Shorts” that is what they are called on KZbin. Thanks for your feedback and safe travels!

[@Michelle-ky8tn]

Thanks for the update and your thoughts on TT. I’m starting to see the same types on inconsistency in KOA’s as well, I know they have 3 different levels of parks, and we always check that, but the prices have gone way up, we’re paying more for less amenities than we would at a resort, makes no sense. Looking forward to your review on the new campground in Conway, we were over at Ocean Lakes while y’all were down the road, we’ll be back in North MB at Willow Tree in August. Did I hear Bob correctly, you are going to look at possibly buy a new camper?

[@liferedesigned]

KOA we saw that a while back and stopped using them once we went full time. Saw the same things you mentioned - very sad as we used to love KOA. As for a new camper lol, BOB is ALWAYS looking lol

[@cjmi52]

I like how you snuck the looking at a new RV in there. What you getting?

[@liferedesigned]

No comment 🤣

[@markrossnagel4680]

I have an Intech Flyer Pursue that I just purchased. With it came a year long free camping at Travel Resorts campgrounds. My camper is a squaredrop which is bearly bigger than a teardrop. I am not a RV resort kinda guy. Nothing against them but I am not. Thanks for all your info, stay safe and God bless.

[@josephharrell5724]

This is Trent, we met at TT Orlando. Most of the issues that you raise about TT I find can be true no matter what campground you choose to stay at. Many of the TT and Trails Collections parks have great shopping nearby and some others not so much. This is also true for KOA and other campground networks. We stayed at a KOA Harpers Ferry and we found it to be expensive, remote, crowded, and somewhat run down. It was close to Harpers Ferry though. TTO was fairly nice but it is over run with kids, great for some but not for us. Its Orlando so that is what you should expect. After TTO we stayed at several Trails Collection parks in Florida and had a great time. The seasonal campers in these parks made it what it is. The activities were outstanding Bingo, shuffleboard, dominos that we enjoyed very much and the seasonals made us feel right at home. Most had heated pools and hot tubs and only a few instances where they were temporarily closed. We have since done TT Hershey, Cape Cod, and Moody Beach and enjoyed each. As far as grumpy people who don't want to be there: well some are going to B%#ch no matter what, its just human nature. Most people we meet are happy at TT or otherwise. "Real Resorts" are upscale from most TT and you pay for it. TT allows many retired people to full time or nearly full time without draining the 401K. I suspect that wanting to be near family at Myrtle Beach has a lot to do with your hiatus from TT and that is understandable. Myrtle Beach is the trailer capital of the US. Maybe a nice mobile home there might be a good change of pace to get more space and stay in Myrtle Beach for a while. Just fuel for thought.

[@liferedesigned]

Hi Trent! While your points are valid - it doesn’t take much to see how miserable the vocal majority is about TT. We still consider it a valuable resource for those that want to save money BUT for us, it about more than just going through the motions. We don’t want to be in trailer parks (which many thousand trails are becoming) and we don’t want to be “near Cape Cod” when we have the ability to be IN CAPE COD. Our children’s residence in the MB area is why we are here at this location. If you want to stay at the nearest TT 3.5 hours away - Oaks at point south - you can, and will have to deal with the constant flooding there. Sorry, just not for us - all the rest of 2024 and Q1 are booked at resorts as that is what is best for US. Again, if it works for you - enjoy it, we are just sharing what is best for us

[@jocelynb8935]

Appreciate the honest feedback, I plan on buying a used TT adventure membership. And will still do so, I’ll use it to get my moneys worth than after a few years maybe mix it up. I’ve been reviewing a lot of TT reviews so I think so long as I’m aware of the issues I’ll go with proper level of expectations. I’ll just have to be diligent to go through review when picking which TT park to stay at which is what I’ll do anyways for any park. Have fun with your kids.

[@liferedesigned]

Well said and a fantastic approach to TT. We will keep the membership in our "toolbox" as it is a great resource!

[@philkane4390]

Great vid tho, it's old for me. Had a question, wife is heading to FLA this winter, any RV spots for our 16ft travel that she should stop in on the way down? She won't need one in FLA as she is staying @ a barn set up. (Use the toastie, nuke some toasted sammies)

[@liferedesigned]

There are so many - anything Coastal Carolina is amazing as well as East Coast Florida. Look for family run spots for a better experience

[@AmyJarrett-wm5hn]

Love you two. My husband an I will be at lakewood campground the last of August for 10 days my favorite place.

[@liferedesigned]

Have fun! The waterslides are the best! Also, don't forget the food truck that does the fish and chips - we heard so many good things about them!

[@deanschanzenbach7506]

Thousand trails is well worth the price.

[@liferedesigned]

Absolutely can be.

[@alan_whoneedstiedye]

And we thought it was going to be the whole, living like sardines in those places to stay. Hello Oliver!!! 🐕 Enjoy your time with family and together. See you next episode.

[@Walter-ts1vu]

Are you guys in North myrtle or Surfside?

[@liferedesigned]

When this video was finalized we were in Conway, but were in Surfside every day to go to the beach 😀

[@weighit]

When we started full time we too were kind of afraid to spend money, going on the cheap, but as time went on and we found like you 1000 Trails was not always close to things we wanted to be near. We started going to private rv parks and found many to be extremely well run, clean and close to the places we wanted to be. Ended up giving our 1000 trails membership away.

[@liferedesigned]

Exactly what we hear from a ton of people we meet on the road. TT has it’s time and place but for us, at this time - we are going to skip

[@Walter-ts1vu]

Do you guys shop at the local piggly wiggly? I used to fish on the surgmfside pier where there used to be an arcade that they tore down to build the huge building. Don't forget to visit the gay dolphin that has alot of neat stuff in there including megaladon sharks teeth. And my favorite saltwater taffy.

[@liferedesigned]

Actually we don’t shop at Piggly Wiggly as they are owned by C&S Grocery. Bob works in the organic and natural foods sector so we tend not to to go into places that C&S has dealings with

[@cathyshort545]

Lakewood is our favorite campground at Myrtle Beach. We have enjoyed staying at Myrtle State Park.

[@liferedesigned]

Both excellent places!

[@robert2768]

I’m about to upgrade my thousand trails membership. After a four year contract with the Basic pass membership in the northeast I enjoyed all the parks I visited with my 30 ft trailer for 14 day max stays and the price was an unbelievable bargain. Retired at 72, one of my main activities is to walk my dog on various campgrounds and chat with other campers see the sights. I don’t hear constant complaints. I hardly ever hear any complaints. All the complaints I hear are on social media, not in real life for me. It was Bob and Karri that talked up thousand trails and confirmed my interest in continued membership. For my lifestyle, I definitely don’t want a resort. I want a reasonably large network of safe to stay, internet serviced campgrounds at a reasonable price basics electric water, a dump station a bathroom. I’ll provide the rest. Tip tier Thousand trails upgrade is abt $15k. Plus yearly maintenance. Is there any other camp membership that you recommend for the coastal areas of the country?

[@liferedesigned]

So, that we are clear here - TT is a valuable resource for those that are okay with the amenities they provide. If you are not hearing complaints, then you are fortunate and should continue to enjoy. We are only 50, and are looking for more adventures in our lives and are not ready to “take it easy” yet. When that time comes, we may return. But again, this is just us sharing our lives and what works best for us.

[@cyndiwaggoner7990]

I’m a nomad and currently have an annual membership till July of next year. Purchased the elite membership. I think it will pay for itself overtime

[@liferedesigned]

Oh it absolutely will - as long as you have low expectations it is a great program. For the reasons we outlined in the video, it is not a great fit for everyone.

[@mcneilsonwheels]

Jerry and I use TT alot to save money. We have had our membership for years and it has definitely paid for the intial cost of the membership. But I do wish they would update their electric panels with the dues we pay yearly. Wilmington TT is a beautiful small campground but needs updating. Corporate is pretty particular who gets money for updating their campgrounds

[@liferedesigned]

TT can definitely be a money saver no doubt! As far as park updates - sadly so many are past the point where updates would change the perception. As members we should NEVER have to be begging for things to be maintained

[@mcneilsonwheels]

@@liferedesigned that is so true! By the way, Jerry and I enjoy your channel!

[@liferedesigned]

@@mcneilsonwheels Well, thank you! That means you both have great taste 🤣🤣Seriously though, Thank You - the kind words are greatly appreciated!

[@michaelschaefer5014]

We bought our membership on the secondary market. They have some pretty rundown campgrounds and some that are decent. I have yet to see one park that was up to par with their facilities. We use them mostly in between workamping jobs. We ended up leaving a workamping job because it sucked. We camped 84 days all Thousand Trails and that was a trip saver. It's worth it if you buy used and set your expectations to decent to poor campgrounds.

[@liferedesigned]

Absolutely! We bought our adventure package on the secondary market and enjoyed it the first 2 years and now simply want more than "decent to poor campgrounds". When you have a system of decent to poor, you also have a clientele that reflects that expectation. Again, we think TT is a valuable resource - BUT at this point in life, we are not looking to settle for decent to poor campgrounds for full time traveling.

[@michaelschaefer5014]

@liferedesigned totally agree!!! Unfortunately, the price of a campsite isn't very affordable for full-time.

[@liferedesigned]

We actually thought the same thing but found that by extending our stay and taking advantage of the monthly rates that most resorts offer it is actually not bad at all. Being closer to the main attractions and areas that we want to be in also saves a ton of money in fuel, plus the reduced mileage is also a consideration. This is a perfect example of why we love this lifestyle, no wrong way to do it and you can change your direction / priorities at any time :)

[@michaelschaefer5014]

@@liferedesignedWe are giving that method a shot this winter. We are booked for 6 months in Clearwater for the winter.

[@liferedesigned]

Clearwater is a beautiful area - as is Tampa. Check out Caladesi Island if you get the chance - one of our favorite places on the gulf coast. The boat ride over usually is great for dolphin sightings!

[@MICMaw123]

I think you did a great show on this with great coverage. I was never going to buy into it, but it was nice to hear someone else put into words what many people think. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@liferedesigned]

Glad it was helpful! We do want to make it clear that we think the program is valuable and a great resource, however - best defense we have heard in favor of TT is that they are "okay" and "googd enough" We sold our house to have great experiences and adventures - not to hang out in places that are just "good enough" lol

[@KathrineSmith-t1v]

Where did you grow up in RI. My husband grew up in Jamestown and I lived there for 28 years before we moved to NH. I hope to get back to RI later this summer.

[@liferedesigned]

I grew up in Misquamicut (Westerly) area 😀

[@travelingenablers]

I’m from Warwick. In fact, we are in RI now, visiting. We are too big for any thousand trails in MA. We have a membership and we have had good experiences and some “interesting” ones.

[@liferedesigned]

Same here, we still think it is a solid program- just at this point in our lives, we are looking for something with a little more fun 😀

[@briancray1232]

I am a TT Zone Pass user. For the $500 to $600 cost per year, I get my money out of it. But, I do not use it exclusively when snowbirding. Part of the problem is that you can only stay 2 weeks at a time. And that is fine, and I use it to stay at locations that I like for short stays for less money. Part of the issue is to manage your expectations. Some parks are older and in need of maintenance, the guests are very transitory, and the activities are limited. Usually when staying at a TT, I am using them to visit certain things and am just looking for a cost effective way to do them and the park is not my main concern. If you are purchasing a TT membership for some thousands of dollars and yearly fees, you better love it and understand what you are getting before purchasing. For my small cost of a Zone Pass, it is good value and easy to not renew going forward.

[@liferedesigned]

We believe it is a valuable resource as we stated for those that need it. Too many are becoming trailer parks and not campgrounds. For us, we want to be in the best places for us - currently most (not all) TT do not fit that bill. But again, that is just us

[@victoriamoberg1220]

We have TT for affordability. We do still have a house and full time. Its not always ideal but we found there’s more long term stays with kids our daughters ages. When we did koa the kids would leave after the weekend. We are not at our house because we are searching for friendships and experiences. I agree with what you are saying and I refuse to stay at the SC and peace river locations! Our house is in North Carolina and we love Myrtle Beach! Maybe we will run into you all out there :)

[@liferedesigned]

We were consistently finding that more and more places are becoming like Oaks at Point South and Peace River. The nicer ones we may revisit but we are no longer using them as our primary. Check our community page here or check out our Facebook page as we have been posting places we will be available to "hang out" with channel friends :)

[@allenpardon8211]

I haven’t been back in the ocean since the movie jaws lol. And I concur about the people at TT. I just ran into someone that came to me and explained his problems and I had a fix for all of there problems and some were safety concerns and offered to do it all for free at no cost to him at all. For the next 4 days they never spoke to me again but my wife and I really don’t speak to people unless they ask or talk to us first. We wave or say hello but that’s as far as it goes.

[@liferedesigned]

We are the same way - wave / say hello but never randomly go up to people. We get that we put ourselves out there but we have no authority over Thousand Trails so we are always amazed at people thinking we have that kind of power - we are a small KZbin channel with under 19k subs - they need a manager lol

[@The1833FarmhouseFerals]

Please consider documenting the process of selling your TT membership...

[@liferedesigned]

We most likely won’t sell it as the costs of dues works for when we want it (the keys, Orlando etc) Campground Membership Outlet would be your best resource for selling though

[@Kbvols]

You all nailed exactly why we haven’t went with TT as part of our travel strategy.

[@liferedesigned]

Don’t get us wrong - time and a place for it, just not for us at this time 😀. Safe travels!

[@robertmckee5729]

What TT membership do you have i might want to buy it.....i like TT

[@liferedesigned]

We have The adventure package, as we said in the video - we are keeping it in the toolbox as it has a time and place. You can buy used memberships at www.campgroundmembershipoutlet.com/

[@cristyrobertson9165]

What we found being out in California is run down dumpy parks with brand new rigs or run down rigs. Parking lot style camping in a field, little to no maintenance, questionable power pedestals and 30 amp only. Using our “free” days with the purchase of our new rig we won’t actually buy in. Not impressed.

[@liferedesigned]

We were starting to see the same thing on the East Coast. NOT our way of living for sure!

[@liferedesigned]

Depends on the park. Each place has their own rates for non members

[@liferedesigned]

@@stalbaumfrom what we see on review sites, over $50 is quite common

[@Brianne-kr4ks]

Happy Father's Day Bob!

[@liferedesigned]

Thank you

[@Thesaltymedic36]

Pools have chlorine, it’s OK. 😂 We’ve had Thousand trails since 07 and it’s changed. Originally everyone there was a member, now its members and the public. We all know how the public is 🤦🏼. With that said the price is great but the public have no financial incentive to take care of anything. Public campgrounds are far more expensive because people. The campgrounds have to spend more money to update, clean and staff it. Where TT didn’t have that big of an issue when everyone was a member. For us it will meet our needs in the future. Now some are great and some not so great. It will give us a place to fill, dump and clean the Rv. My dues for a year are a week in a “resort” place. I do wish it was the way it use to be.

[@liferedesigned]

We agree 100%. For us, a huge part is lack of upkeep and the locations being “near” somewhere but not part of it - we started this lifestyle to see places not the places next to the place lol.

[@redforeman-404]

Thanks for confirming what I already sort of figured out about TT. We got a free regional pass with our new camper and will use it for the first time next week for a 4 day long weekend. They seem like a hybrid between trailer parks and campgrounds, some being more one way or the other, with the heavy hitter memberships getting the jump on any/all "destination" parks. The upcoming trip I already expect the worst LOL the Google maps reviews aren't promising. We'll make the best of it and enjoy a few days in a new location. I'll have another opportunity to book another long weekend in August at a different one. TT just isn't a fit for our camping style in the first place as we don't camp enough nights to make it work, even if they were all resort quality. But by God we're going to do some camping there before the free year runs out LOL. We definitely won't renew it. Too many better places to spend a few days a lot closer to home for not much money.

[@liferedesigned]

You pretty much nailed it. When we first started full time, we were just happy to be ANYWHERE and TT was fine - after a couple of years, we noticed it as what you stated - that hybrid of trailer park/ campground. Add that to Karri’s talking points and we’ll - we rather spend the money and be around happy people! I will say this, some parks are phenomenal- they can be few and far between- but as long as you are getting out there - enjoy it!

[@dougorlando1074]

My experience with Thousand Trails has been just ok. We are not full timers, but we do need to be frugal in our stays. We started with the zone pass, and am very happy we didn't commit to a more extensive/expensive membership. The main thing we don't like is that the TT network is not transparent about their sites, and hook-ups. We have toured some to realize only a few were full hookups and the majority were partial hook-ups. Our general impression is that many TT parks are a not maintained as much as private parks, and they are as you noted remote to the destinations we camp to enjoy. We have found three TT parks we like, and we have been able to stay in those three enough to recoup our fees. But, when our 5 year commitment is done, so will we be. Good luck and I enjoy your videos.

[@liferedesigned]

Thank you for saying this, As it sums up our experience as well. The general feeling is that the TT parks are "just ok". When you have that kind of overall experience it is easy to see how people have become upset with the system. Quite a different experience from staying in the system vs out of it - Tremendous value dont get me wrong, just not something we want to live in full time any longer.

[@rvnut1133]

The thought of being in a campground with people packed in like sardines give me chills. In eight years, I have never had a campground membership and never will. Boondocking is the way to go but I do understand that some people need others and drama around them in order to be happy. And yes, you can boondock with a/c by preparing your rig to do so. I do as well as many other. I think you guys are afraid of finding Bigfoot in the woods somewhere. 😆

[@liferedesigned]

Interestingly enough we have never seen a comment from a "boondocker" that does not put down others for their preferred way of traveling. That alone tells us that the crowd is not truly happy.

[@tp5337]

As full timers we spent a ton of money buying into TT and in 2 1/2 years we only used it 2 times for 2 days each time. When you make a reservation and you explain to them the size of your RV and what type of site you need and they say sure you are all set, and then when you get there they say oh thats kind of big and you will have to drive around the park and pick out a site then come back and tell us which one you are taking. Well we drove around the entire park on both occasions and there were only 2 spots at one of the parks empty and only 1 spot at the other that we could barely get into, sorry but thats a BS kind of way to run an RV park. We're done with them. 🤮TP

[@liferedesigned]

Well said! This is one of the many problems with TT - you never know what you are in for. Zero consistency. For the past couple of months that we have been out of the system - we have had none of that stress of not knowing what we were getting - such a more pleasant experience. Expensive yes, but at this stage in life, we will gladly pay to be stress free

[@georgesoulard3522]

Thousand Trails is a resource for us. Some are not the best, but that is why we have wheels on our home. Sometimes we just want to relax and camp in the wilderness and TT has quite a few parks that allow us to do that for very little. We also like to see the sites, so we stay at a resort, but in retirement we just like to do little day trips to small towns and absorb the local flavor. 30 minutes to a grocery store, that is really OK for us. If you want to be closer stay in an overpriced parking lot. We never thought we would get "resort" spots for the little you have to pay. If people think that they were going to get Margaritaville then shame on them for not doing the research. Every TT is different and we have loved some, and not loved some. The ones we liked other people have complained about them. The ones we did not like people do like. To each their own. Lastly we have connetten from your recommendations, and are still struggling with having to cwll and set up a new spot every time we move. That is at least an hour or two every time we move. It works, but not how you present it.

[@liferedesigned]

That is the problem for us with Thousand Trails - nobody can present it any better than saying it “is good enough” - We personally didn’t join this lifestyle for places that are “good enough” As for Connecten, you do realize all I can present is my experience. I have never had to wait more than 20 minutes to get my network switched at a new location. If you are experiencing what you say you are - reach out to their management team, I am quite sure they can assist you.

[@womennomads]

Nice video 😊

[@californiahikingadventures2249]

I never go in the ocean either… fish pee in there 🤣

[@liferedesigned]

So do people 🤣🤣🤣

[@californiahikingadventures2249]

@@liferedesigned eeewwwwwwwww🤢🤮🤣

[@liferedesigned]

@@californiahikingadventures2249😂😂

[@RescueDiver805]

Love those sandwiches. Great for travel days. Quick and easy.

[@liferedesigned]

they are great - our new go to now!

[@SmokyMountainBlessed]

we have never stayed at a thousand trails, but I would not like the drama

[@liferedesigned]

There are bad ones and okay ones. That becomes where the problem lies. At best, they are okay and on par with state parks. Most are in need of repairs to the sites or infrastructure itself - it is always an anxiety filled arrival wondering if this one will be good or not. Again, we see value in the system but at this point in our lives we are looking for a bit more than just "okay" safe travels!

[@christinawharff]

We’ve been TT members for several years and it always paid for itself every year and then some . No it’s not resort camping and I’m perfectly ok with that. If I want to spend to much money on a campsite I will, till then I’ll stick with the shantytown feel of the TT club. We just started our life of full time RV living and we bought the elite package. With the cost of this package, it will have paid for itself after the first year on the road. We aren’t camping snobs, we don’t need all the bells and whistles. For us TT is the perfect fit to let low income people afford life on the road. Stuff happens , stuff breaks , parks have issues, it happens , just roll with it and you will be happy. I find I like the off the beaten path parks myself cuz I don’t want to be by attractions. Sometimes, like in Florida, the parks are to close to things for my country girl taste. But I suck it up and be happy cuz I’m doing what I want at a price I can afford and that makes us totally happy with our choice to stay in TT.

[@liferedesigned]

Hi Christina: Maybe you didn’t watch the entire video so let me summarize. Our issue (as stated in the video) has less to do with the parks themselves and more to do with the constant complaining of its members. We have the top tier package (The adventure package) packages don’t matter at all if you are surrounded by unhappy people. 90% of reviews are negative of ALL TT properties. If you are happy with your membership, enjoy it. The interesting thing is not ONE SINGLE message in defense of TT refers to the properties in the highest regards - nope, all say they are “okay” “decent” or in your case good enough for people that aren’t “snobs” We work hard and joined this lifestyle for more than places that are “just ok”. Proof of the unhappy people that utilize the system is very evident in the choice of words to defend it.

[@michaelwaller6093]

I have had 3 free TT memberships here in the PNW. I would never spend money for a membership here the NW as the affiliated parks are just junky and trashy. Maybe eastern TT are differently managed and better. Still, I would not be a member. Just does not work for us.

[@WanderingSwallows70]

Did you get your Red’s at Costco? Lol😂

[@liferedesigned]

Yes we did! Love us some Costco deals!

[@WanderingSwallows70]

@@liferedesigned as soon as I typed that, Bob said you got them at Costco in the video. I was laughing at myself for not being more patient.

[@liferedesigned]

lol, well at least you know we told the truth 😀😀

[@barryholiday8998]

The lack of self-awareness is kind of funny.

[@liferedesigned]

Thanks Doc, When we make videos it is always a treat to have someone view it for free and then critique our way of living or being. We find the desire by some to interject kind of funny

[@kimberlyhoward4032]

🧐