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Old 03-10-2019, 02:31 PM   #1
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Name: Lisle
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Join and RV Club like Escapees?

I'd like to hear any sage advice about this. Seems like good benefits to joining. Downsides? Preferences for one club over another? Do you ever feel like joining means big brother is watching (I mean if they are forwarding your mail and tracking where you travel, they have alot of info on you)????? Thanks!
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Old 03-10-2019, 07:02 PM   #2
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Name: bill
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On Good Sam, you get bombarded with mailings, to the point that it gets really tiring. They are always, always, always trying to sell you something.
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Old 03-10-2019, 07:21 PM   #3
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Trailer: 1996 Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe; 1946 Modernistic teardrop
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We belong to Good Sam and it has helped some with a few purchases at Camping World. Get plenty of emails and junk mail that I ignore. Had their roadside Assistance for a couple years but never used it and let it lapse because not doing any long trips at this time. Joined Escapees so that we could get in their park in Florida but never went there because couldn't make a reservation. Used the Escapee discount at a private park in Florida which gave us a crappy site way in the back. When we asked about getting a better site we were told that if using a discount like Escapee or Passport America you get the crap sites. Didn't renew Escapees after it ran out. I believe it is a good organization if you want or need their benefits which we did not. Nice magazine included in membership.
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Old 03-11-2019, 04:14 PM   #4
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Name: Bat Dude
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We are Escapees

We opted for Escapees. Great mail forwarding service, RV safety programs, offer rig Smart Weigh program, RV Boot Camp program, on-line RV safety courses, courses on full timing etc. There are a fair number (27) interest groups for members. SKP RV parks are a great deal as well. Scattered across the country and most are open to all comers except the SKP member owned SKP parks which one must be a SKP member to use. There are also Rainbow Parks which are Escapees Club owned in Al, Az, Fl,Mo, N.M., Tn & Tx.

Actually we just emerged from Death Valley this morning (trip report will be posted later) and are now at Pair-A-Dice SKP Coop park.


$50 full hook-up weekly rate. Laundry is $1/ load wash or dry.
Never get spammed by email. The ~$40 annual membership (discounted if a veteran) is well worth the $.

We have used Escapees for mail forwarding for many years now and works very very well while we are "seasonally Full Timing" 4-4.5 months per year.
HTH.


Cheers,
Bat Dude and family
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Old 03-11-2019, 04:20 PM   #5
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FYI my average nightly cost is less than $7.50 per night. No dues to pay, no worry about in "Net" campgrounds. Just go where I want to.



Forward to my daughter mail while gone. Cost $1.00.



Spend your money if you wish but there's ways to avoid it.
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Old 03-12-2019, 03:58 AM   #6
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Lisle.....

I think the "worthwhile?" question may depend upon the type and frequency of RVing you're going to be doing.

Over the years, we were members of Escapees, Good Sam (life member), and Passport America (life member). I am not and have never been a fulltimer, and the mail forwarding has never been of interest.

Good Sam is increasingly of limited advantage, I find, as it has basically become a sales machine. Passport America continues to save me money regularly (easily saving well more than the annual fee I'd be paying if I wasn't a life member).

As far as the observation that club discount sites are often poor ones...... to me, the best way to assure oneself of a decent site is to do a little research on rating sites, which can make clear folks' experiences. I personally prefer the online site "Campgroundreviews.com" (previously named RVParkReviews).

Hope to meet you somewhere down the road.

Frank

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Old 03-12-2019, 08:03 AM   #7
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Name: Lisle
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Thanks, everyone!
And thank you, Frank, very helpful to compare clubs. I will be full time and don't have someone to forward mail, so the mail service is probably necessary, either thru Escapees or Mailboxes (which they say is not as good). The discounts wouldn't be my primary interest in the club. Towing service looks good, too, but not sure if other road assist services are as good or better? Lots to figure out when you are just getting started, as I am, and planning for full time.
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Old 03-12-2019, 10:50 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lisle View Post
Thanks, everyone!
And thank you, Frank, very helpful to compare clubs. I will be full time and don't have someone to forward mail, so the mail service is probably necessary, either thru Escapees or Mailboxes (which they say is not as good). The discounts wouldn't be my primary interest in the club. Towing service looks good, too, but not sure if other road assist services are as good or better? Lots to figure out when you are just getting started, as I am, and planning for full time.
Check with South Dakota for mail forwarding. I'm not sure company they use. Many people full timing have registered South Dakota as their domicile.

Good luck on full timing. Maybe we'll run across each other at some time, some place.
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Old 03-12-2019, 12:32 PM   #9
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Name: Chris
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While not a full timer, I have been a member of Escapees, Passport America and Good Sam.. To my mind Escapees was/is my all round favourite.. Well organized, professional, lots of useful services and everyone of their sites visited was operated by folks that liked what they were doing, enjoyed what they were doing and were people people..
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Old 03-12-2019, 07:10 PM   #10
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Name: Bat Dude
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Hi Lisle,


Full timing has some non-trivial issues one needs to deal with, like place of domicile.
Escapees does a great job in assisting/educating folks on how to establish a domicile in one of the few states that support this concept.


This impacts voter registration, IRS taxes, any related health, life and vehicle insurance. Of course vehicle registrations for one's rig and or TV is critical.


The week long Escapees annual Escapade we attended in Tucson a few years back was a huge eye opener on this as well as huge safety issues.



How to remain "connected" while full timing for Internet/email info is also great.
Their Boon-docking group has monthly email newsletters with updates on where to stay and how to get there.


So Escapees is not so much about "discounts" at various RV parks as almost any person seems to have some version of "credentials" that qualify for the 10% off. It is about making sure members have all the education they want/need to maintain their life style on the road.



So Escapees provides an RV Boot Camp and on-line course to learn about many things for life on the road.


Very professional and friendly.


Anyway my $.02 worth.


Cheers and safe travels,


Bad Dude
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Old 03-16-2019, 12:31 PM   #11
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Name: Gus
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After 15+ years, we use Escapees-Escapers, KOA Value Card, GoodSam, AAA Premier RV. Can recommend them all.

On being followed, having your cell phone means you can be followed.

Turn off all incoming mail - being green! Get the Escapees mail forwarding, and be highly selective as to what the mail service keeps. 99.9% should be junk.

73/gus
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Old 03-16-2019, 12:32 PM   #12
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Name: dust in
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lisle View Post
I'd like to hear any sage advice about this. Seems like good benefits to joining. Downsides? Preferences for one club over another? Do you ever feel like joining means big brother is watching (I mean if they are forwarding your mail and tracking where you travel, they have alot of info on you)????? Thanks!

Tracking........I agree with your concerns but believe me if they want you they will find you regardless but....to lessen the load and fears......don't use social media and stay off your cell for any thing other then emergency....Use a land line to phone....its an inconvenience but safer and you are in more control.
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Old 03-16-2019, 12:52 PM   #13
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We are currently members of Escapees and Good Sam, both since the 1990s. I don't see any great benefits, and if you looking at specifics, compare them with non-member options. Discounts are often based on the most expensive of whatever it is. Both Escapees and Good Sam seem to want to cater to the higher end population. With Escapees parks, make sure you understand how they work when it comes to limits on boondocking, requirements for being self-contained, if interested in longer term, understand that may not be available,......... Just check it all out carefully. We had hoped to eventually get a lot, but co-ops, all but one have long, long waiting lists for lots and some are prohibitively expensive for people like us. All those "benefits" that look good are mostly costly add-ons. Shop & compare.
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Old 03-16-2019, 08:04 PM   #14
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Name: Renee
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Because I recently started nightly home kidney dialysis, I can't leave the dialysis machine to chance on a generator. So until I receive a kidney transplant, I must have electricity and access to clean bathrooms for the prep work. It seemed that KOA would work best for us. I know they are typically more expensive, but we used one for the first time a few weeks ago. The campground was excellent. Very well kept up, and the bathrooms were clean. We liked the fact that besides the discount, you get points for each stay that you can use to take more money off the cost. I've booked 3 more trips to KOA campgrounds. If they are all as nice as the one from a few weeks ago, I'd say the $30 yearly fee was well spent (we already got it back with the discounts we received).
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Old 11-27-2019, 02:05 PM   #15
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Name: Richard
Trailer: Escape 21
Texas
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Escapees CARE

Has anyone used Escapees CARE?

It is a retirement home/RV park in Livingston TX, that provides meals and other services, but you stay in your trailer. My wife may need a knee replacement and that would be an option where we could stay while she recovers.
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Old 11-27-2019, 02:18 PM   #16
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I would try the Escapees Discussion Forum: Forums - Escapees Discussion Forum We just dropped our membership with them as it just seemed that the supposed benefits had so many strings attached or some how were not available to us that it seemed like we were just supporting it for someone else.

If the forum doesn't have an answer, I would contact them (Escapees admin) to learn about the specifics, availability, cost, etc.
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