June 16, 2004 -- Membership campgrounds and resorts are sort of like time-share condos; once an RVer is a member, he can stay at any of the areas participating with the group. Joining something of this sort has to be weighed carefully against the initial cost, the amount of time you'll stay in the various resorts (note the locations and your access to them), and the amenities they offer.
For example, we recently checked out two upscale membership RV resorts affiliated with Outdoor Resorts of America in the Palm Springs area, the older of which is owner-operated and mostly owner-occupied. We were quite impressed with the cleanliness and security, as well as the landscaping. A great many expensive motor homes and fifth-wheels, as well as a few more modest travel trailers and mini-motor homes, are parked seasonally or permanently on the sites, many of them owned by Southern Californians who use them as a weekend home in the desert. While a few owners make their sites available for overnighters or transient RVers, most seem to keep their vehicles based there. The base lot price in the newer park limited to motor homes is $36,900 to $51,900 for a 35-by-69-foot site, plus a monthly fee of $180.
There are about 450 membership resorts nationwide for RV travelers who want a range of indoor and outdoor activities. Most sell memberships for a one-time fee, much like a country club, plus an annual or monthly fee. One company, Thousand Trails/NACO, based in Bellingham, Washington, owned by U.S. Trails in Dallas, Texas, estimates it has 120,000 members in North America, with about 10,000 using the campground chain year-round as full-timers. Members who use the campgrounds for fewer than 50 nights a year under one plan pay no surcharge, said a spokesman for Thousand Trails, while those who use them more than 50 nights a year pay a $2 fee for each additional night. Except during peak travel seasons, RVers can usually find a spot without reservations. Contact Thousand Trails at 800/328-6226 or log on to www.thousandtrails.com for details and reservations, which can be made up to 90 days in advance.
In general, the spokesman said, the cost of joining a membership campground has dropped considerably from a peak of $10,000 a few years ago. Thousand Trails members currently pay $6,995 for a national membership with annual fees of $499. Thousand Trails/NACO membership campgrounds offer potential members a chance to try out their product with no obligation to buy, though you'll be required to attend a 90-minute presentation. A 2-night stay in any of the company's 59 campgrounds costs $30.
On all membership campgrounds, memberships can be sold after a specified period of time, but it appears to be a buyer's market with a lot of members opting to sell. Because some membership resorts in the past have been plagued by bankruptcies and undelivered promises, potential buyers should check with the local Better Business Bureau, the state attorney general's office, and members of the prospective resort before signing up or making a payment. Avoid resorts that use high-pressure sales tactics and promise big prizes for buyers who sign up right away. And be wary of resorts that seem reluctant to provide information unless you make a personal visit. If you're interested in buying someone's membership, check the classified ads each month in RV magazines such as Trailer Life and MotorHome.
Scam Alert!
A recurring scam preys on people who want to sell their memberships in campgrounds or resorts: An individual contacts the seller, says he has a buyer, then sends an official-looking contract with buyer name and purchase price by Federal Express. All the eager seller has to do is send back a certified check for $500 or so by return FedEx. You can guess what happens next -- nothing.
Camping with Kids
Children make great campers. Veterans of family camping suggest involving children in the preliminary planning, assigning regular duties at the campsite, assigning seats in the car or RV en route to the campsite, and curfew and campfire times, taking into consideration any special evening events from ranger talks to movies and dances at the campground. Older children might also be assigned a last-minute duty at home before leaving, whether locking doors and windows or removing perishable food from the refrigerator.
Even infants can happily go camping. Experts recommend taking along a backpack for a toddler or a chest pack for an infant for hikes, as well as a folding stroller and playpen, mosquito netting, and a baby guardrail for the bed to use in camp. A baby seat that clamps to a picnic table will also allow the child to participate with the rest of the family at meals or game time.
Sunscreen to protect a baby's delicate skin is essential, along with a gentle insect repellent like Avon's Skin So Soft skin lotion. (That works for adults as well; we've used it in buggy places like the jungles of Honduras.)
Camping with Pets
Six percent of all traveling dog owners take their pets with them on vacation, but only 1% of cat owners do, according to the Travel Industry Association of America. Here are 10 tips that'll keep you and your campground neighbors from wishing that figure were lower.
- Keep the cat's litter box in the shower or tub, encased inside a 30-gallon plastic trash bag. Put the bottom of the box in the trash bag, dump a 10-pound bag of kitty litter inside, and snap on the litter box cover. The same cat owner who suggested this to us carries a folding cat cage so her pets can enjoy the outdoors.
- Put a throw rug or two on top of the carpeting in a motor home to protect it from cat (or dog) feet. They can be taken out and shaken when necessary, and washed and dried in the campground laundry.
- Decide whether or not to use a kennel crate. Owners get into debates about whether to keep dogs and cats in airline-type kennel crates when the RV is in motion, or let them lie on the floor, furniture, or dash. The lie-about school suggests the pet could protect itself better from possible injury in an accident if it's free, while the kennel crowd (many of them professional dog handlers) assert just as doggedly that the pet (and driver) are much safer enclosed en route.
- Always carry resealable plastic bags to pick up after your pet, even in camping and hiking areas (or should we say especially in camping and hiking areas?).
- Never leave your pet alone in the RV for more than 10 minutes in any weather, and less than that in summer when heat can cause great discomfort or even death.
- Feed pets at night only (especially if they're susceptible to motion sickness), so they will have digested the food before the next day's drive. Give only water during the day, preferably bottled water, which you have introduced at home several days before leaving.
- Check in a campground guide to ascertain whether the campground will accept pets. While many do, some assess a surcharge, and all require that dogs be kept on a leash. When in doubt, call ahead.
- Bring familiar bedding and toys for the pet, and spend some time regularly for about a week ahead of setting off on its first trip just sitting with your pet in the RV to help accustom it to it.
- Bring along your pet's shot records and extra leashes and collars, as well as flea treatment products that will kill not only live fleas but eggs and larvae as well.
- Good Sam Club members can take advantage of the club's Lost Pet Service. They provide a tag imprinted with a toll-free number to call so your pet can be returned during, rather than after, the trip.
Winter Camping
Some of our best RVing adventures have been in winter in snow-covered campgrounds in national parks such as the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon, as well as at various ski resorts. Skiers on a budget will find that many good ski areas permit free, or low-cost, self-contained RV parking overnight in their parking lots -- Killington and Aspen Highlands, for example -- while other resorts such as Breckenridge, Deer Valley, and New York's Holiday Valley have RV hookups or year-round RV campgrounds at or near the site. California's Sierra Summit has free RV hookups for skiers. Many RVers enjoy snowmobiling, sledding, cross-country skiing, skating, and ice-fishing in winter. Besides being able to stay toasty warm with a propane heater that does not require a hookup, winter RVers can enjoy hot meals, hot showers, and a snug, cozy feeling despite ice and snow all around.
We've found winter a good time to visit and photograph national parks, particularly in the Southwest, where a light dusting of snow highlights the vivid red canyons and green pines. Another bonus is the wildlife, especially deer and elk, which comes down into lower elevations in winter for better feeding.
Ten Tips for Cozy Winter Camping
1. Don't connect your water hose to an outdoor faucet overnight unless you want to create a 25-foot Popsicle. Use water from the RV's supply and refill when necessary.2. Add antifreeze to holding tanks to keep drains from freezing.
3. Don't park under trees where branches heavily weighted with snow and ice could break off and fall on your RV.
4. Watch battery strength; the colder it gets, the faster it will discharge.
5. Open one window slightly for fresh air when using a propane heater; we use the window above the kitchen sink.
6. Leave the bathroom door open at night so the heat from the main living area can circulate inside this normally unheated room.
7. Keep a pair of après-ski boots handy for good traction on even short walks through the snow, especially to a photo opportunity.
8. Carry chains or have snow tires for your tow vehicle or motorized RV.
9. Don't let snow accumulate on the refrigerator roof vent or exhaust ports.
10. Drive with extreme care. Even an experienced driver will find handling a motor home or pulling a towable trickier in snow and ice. A heavy motor home can be difficult to stop on an icy surface.
Few Other Concerns
Electrical Hookups
Many older campgrounds, especially in state parks, may have 15- or 20-amp electrical hookups, for which modern RVs with a three-prong plug will need an adapter. When we first encountered this, we were at a Texas state park that loaned out adapters, but we soon got one of our own. You can use the lower amperage as long as you remember not to run the air conditioner, microwave, and TV set at the same time. Otherwise, you'll blow a fuse.
Each manufacturer issues a list of the amperage used by the various appliances, such as TV, refrigerator, microwave, and air conditioners. The total amperage of those units in use should not exceed your campground hookup amperage limitation, which is 15-, 20-, 30-, or 50-amp. If you do exceed it, the power goes off, which is not so much a problem if you are in a campground with circuit breakers. But older campgrounds still using fuses will make resetting more difficult. Learn when to turn off one appliance before turning on another to keep from going over the limit.
Cable TV
Many private RV parks offer cable TV connections as an option, sometimes with an added dollar or two on the nightly fee. If you don't have a built-in exterior cable connection, you can use a length of coaxial cable hooked to the campground connection at one end, then routed through a window to your RV's TV set. You can also use an alternative outdoor entertainment area hookup as the connector. It's best if you carry your own cable, since the campground often does not provide it. Don't forget to turn off the switch to your roof antenna. (It usually has a little red light beside it.) It is also wise to have a male and female connector since campground cable connections vary.
Satellite TV
Newer models of RVs now have satellite dishes on the roof with internal wiring to the control box, usually installed near the TV set. The software for whatever system you use is usually included with the package. (The two major systems are DISH and DirecTV.) One disadvantage of the mounted dish is that in many campgrounds, there is inevitably a tree in the direct path of the satellite signal, requiring you to move the vehicle. If you have such a system, mention it when checking in so the registrar can assign you a site that might be tree-free.
We carry a portable dish on a tripod using a secondary control box from our home, which means we don't have to have a separate account for the RV. We've found that it is a simple matter to make a connection to the satellite by being able to move the dish to an open viewing area. Satellite dishes are particularly advantageous when you travel in rural areas with little or no local TV reception, or when you plan to stay in one area for several days. Remember, your dish programming is set on your home time, so as you move to other time zones, programs are still based on your home time.
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