RV Clubs – Which are Worth Joining?

 

So you bought the RV.. and now you’re learning about all these different clubs & memberships to join.

Passport America (or is it Passport-America?), Escapees, Xscapers, Good Sam, FMCA, Harvest Hosts, Boondockers Welcome, Thousand Trails, Coach Net… which are worth joining now or later? What are their benefits? Which are right for you?

In the video chat below – recorded live during our March 2015 Livestream Event  – we go over the major clubs, describe their features and give you some information to make your own decisions.

(Caution, make sure you have lots of bandwidth available – this is a nearly hour long video. While pricing has changed since this was filmed, the content is still relevant – the text version below is kept fairly up to date however.)

Here are links to the clubs we still retain memberships with:

Support Network Clubs (updated for 2025):

Escapees / Xscapers – www.escapees.com / www.xscapers.com ($49.95/yr)

Established in the late 70s, this is an organization focused on the lifestyle of RVing – appealing to full timers and extended travelers alike. Their benefits include RV education (their boot camp is highly regarded), BOF (special interest) groups, advocacy (they keep on top of laws that impact us), mail forwarding/domicile support, a great magazine and hosting annual rallies. They also have a network of their own RV Parks, some Co-Op parks and offer 15-50% discounts at 1000 other parks nationwide. Membership in one group gets you optional membership in the other at no extra charge.

Harvest Hosts purchased the club side of Escapees/Xscapers in 2024.

Are we Members? Yes – and as of 2019, we are LIFETIME MEMBERS! It took us until 2014 however to join – as we always assumed it was a club aimed at retired full timers. When we finally attended our first Escapade in 2014, we were blown away at what we had been missing all these years. We were so inspired, we worked with the Escapees to help reach other younger folks too by launching Xscapers in 2015 – aiming to help with things like mobile jobs, health insurance, homeschooling, legal hurdles, and setting up businesses.

Campground Discount/RV Parking Clubs:

Harvest Hosts – www.harvesthosts.com ($99/yr – save 20% with this affiliate link, or discount code ‘Technomadia20’)

Founded by Kim & Don (and as of mid-2018 under new ownership who have greatly expanded the program), a couple of RVers who RVed across Europe – where parking at farms & wineries was a ‘thing’. They decided to try to re-create that in the US. They reach out to places that might have RV parking (like wineries, farms  & museums) and then offer a directory to their members. You do have to call in advance to get permission to park, and the expectation is only for one night. But this a great way to stay in some unique places.

Are we Members? YES! We were blessed with a gifted lifetime membership by the original owners. Their mobile app makes it much easier for us consider options that might be along our route to enjoy a truly unique stay. We have LOVED our stays when the stars have aligned.

Boondockers Welcome – www.boondockerswelcome.com ($79/yr – – save 20% with this affiliate link, or discount code ‘Technomadia20’)

The Couchsurfing of RVing – we call it Driveway Surfing (or moochdocking). When you join, you get access to individuals who offer their land/driveway to fellow members for free. If you see a location you’d like to stay at, you contact the owner and see if it’s a fit. It can be a great way to make new friends too. Now also owned by Harvest Hosts, and you can purchase a dual package membership.

Are we Members? Yes. We are also friends of the original founders and they gifted us a lifetime membership long before Harvest Hosts purchased them. But we honestly don’t use the service much ourselves as we prefer to accept invitations (which we usually have a list of) than seek out and ask. But if you’re looking to host cool RVers or meet awesome folks in your travels, this is a fabulous way to do so.

 

Passport America – www.passport-america.com ($49/yr)
(If you join and use the link above, or mention R-0242893 – we get an affiliate credit, and depending on what promos they’re running you may get bonus months too! – Thanks!)

There are actually TWO Passport America clubs, both claiming to be the original.

We’ve seen it explained online that the original founder passed away and the company was left to his two kids. The siblings don’t get along too well, so they split off the company into two. Passport-America.com is operated out of Mississippi, and PassportAmerica.com is run out of Crestview, FL.

They both sign up new campgrounds on their own, but do share their campground lists. The membership fee is the same for each. So as a consumer, it seems it doesn’t really matter too much which one you go with.

Both clubs partners with campgrounds who want to sell their sites at 50% off their listed price (including many Encore parks). This is to help them fill spots during non-prime times – so often you’ll find the discount is only good on weekdays, off-peak or for a limited amount of time. But it doesn’t take long for this membership to pay off.

Are we Members? YES – of Passport-America.com (it’s the one we found first years ago)! We keep this membership active as we use it just enough. When looking for a park to overnight in, or dump/fill our tanks in-between boondocking spots – it gives us a super cheap option to get access to full hook-ups.

ERS (Emergency Roadside Services):

Coach-Net – www.coach-net.com (179 – 249/yr)

Specializing in emergency road side assistance and towing for RVs. Their various levels including service calls, phone help and even towing. They also cover your vehicle (toad or tow).

Are we Members: YES! We purchased our membership before even picking up our bus, and it has paid off on multiple occasions for us. From our 100+ mile flat bed tow when our engine overheated (we never saw the bill, but it had to be $1500-2000), to multiple smaller road side assistance calls to handle constantly failing air valves. We wouldn’t be on the road without this service, the peace of mind is invaluable and we’ve been super happy with our service each time. We pay for the highest end membership to give us the greatest amount of resources and towing range.