Lot-docking

Not to be confused with boondocking, lot-docking is simply pavement surfing for a night. When we travel from place to place, we typically like to keep our mileage down to around 250-300 miles a day. We have found this allows us to take our time, make plenty of stops, and sight-see along the way. There are a number of corporations that welcome RVers to stay the night in their parking lot, and in return, a number of RVers return the kind gesture by making a purchase at their store. Likewise, there are a number of publicly owned spaces that permit overnighting. Here are some of the places we have lot-docked (please check with each business before stopping for the night as well as any city/county ordinance prohibiting overnight camping)

• WalMart
• Sams Club
• CostCo
• Cracker Barrel
• Casino Parking Lots
• Cabela’s
• Bass Pro
• Lowes
• Home Depot
• Menards
• Truck Stops
• Rest Areas
• City Parks
• County Fairgrounds

Pros

• Saves money. A typical night at a private campground will range from $20-$60 a night. Each night you dry-dock, you put money back in your pocket.
• Some stores have night time security patrolling their parking lot. Along the same lines, most parking lots are lit up at nighttime.
• One stop shop…Most of the listed corporations are located near other amenities such as restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, etc.

Cons

• Noise!! This is location dependent but many of the stores are open 24-hours. Cars coming and going at all hours can definitely disrupt your sleep pattern.
• As noted above, although some stores have security at night which can be a pro, crime is still an issue to be concerned about. As with any place on the road, you will be more susceptible to crime in these locations rather than at a private campground. Be vigilant and remove any opportunity of being a victim.

Our favorite locations have been at Cracker Barrel, CostCo, Sams Club, Cabelas, and Bass Pro. These businesses are very RV friendly, and best of all, most close around 9pm so you avoid all of the parking lot noise.

BLM ground

Boondocking

Boondocking is a term used by RVers to describe off the grid or dispersed camping. These sites are without any hookups and can usually be found on public land such as National Forests and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) sites. We use several websites and apps to find good boondocking spots: Campendium, Allstays, Ultimate Campgrounds, and the Public Lands app.

Pros

• Free – All public land is free.
• Safe – Think of it as living in the country but 10x better.
• Solitude – Usually it is just you and the stars.

Tracy

Tracy, the expert behind OurNextRVAdventure.com, brings over 9 years of experience in travel writing and RV living. With a Master’s degree in Travel and Tourism Management, she offers in-depth knowledge on RV maintenance, scenic routes, and campground recommendations. Connect with her adventures on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.

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The post Save Money While Traveling In Your RV appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.

Our two most expensive budget line items are fuel and campground fees.  We try to offset our campground fees by dry-docking along our travel routes and staying longer in one destination to benefit from weekly or monthly rates rather than the daily rates, which are often 40-50% more than the monthly rates.  For example, we are currently in south Texas for the winter and our monthly rate is $649 or $21.63  a day, based on 30 days.  The daily rate at our RV resort is $50 a day. Another great way to save on campground fees is to boondock in National Forrest or on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) ground, which is FREE!!

RV memberships offer a variety of benefits such as discounted stays in associate RV parks and campgrounds, as well as related services such as RV Insurance, and RV Road Service. As you read along, each membership has its own advantages or you can combine two or more to serve your way of camping.

Escapees Club

Website: https://www.escapees.com/

Annual Cost:  $39.95 US  / $49.95 (Canada and Mexico)

The Escapees RV Club is probably one of the most recognizable clubs in the RV industry.  They are a one stop shop for all of your traveling needs to include discounts of 15%-50% at over 800 commercial RV parks, roadside assistance, healthcare solutions, and RV accessories discounts.  The Escapees RV Club also offers a mail-forwarding service ranging from $95-$135 annually for those who live the nomadic lifestyle.  If socializing among other RV’ers is important to you, Escapees RV Club has several regional chapters as well as hosting an annual rally drawing upwards of 800+ RVs each year.

Passport America

Website: https://www.passportamerica.com/

Annual Cost:  1 yr $44.00 / 2yr $79.00 / 3yr $109 / 5yr $179 / Lifetime $399

Passport America is the largest discount camping club  available to RV’ers.  They have over 1,800 participating campgrounds offering 50% discounts on a space available basis.  It is easy to justify the one-year membership during your first or second camping trip.  Their are some restrictions with several of the participating campgrounds such as holidays, festivals, or prime season but the savings far outweigh the restrictions.

Harvest Hosts

Website: https://harvesthosts.com

Annual Cost: $79.00 or $119.00 (Golf Course/Country Clubs)

Harvest Hosts is one of the newer, most exciting membership clubs in the RV world offering an unique camping experience at over 717 locations throughout the United States. These locations include 404 Wineries/Breweries/Distilleries; 194 Farms; and 119 Museums/Attractions; and 302 Golf Courses and Country Clubs. There are some caveats to this membership: 1) You must have a self-contained RV as sites do not have any services; 2) Overnight stays are limited to one night unless the host allows multiple nights; 3) You must maintain liability insurance on your RV and vehicles. There is also an expectation the member spends a minimum of $20.00 to support the host.

Boondockers Welcome

Website: https://www.boondockerswelcome.com

Annual Cost: 1yr. $30.00 / 3yr. $75.00

This membership opportunity is similar to Harvest Hosts. All across the United States, you will find hosts, most who also RV, offering you a place to stay FREE at their home, business, etc. during your travels for 1-3 nights. You simply peruse the BW website map along your route, find a host, send the host a reservation request, and voila. If the host has room for your rig, you simply show up and kindly leave a review of your stay after you leave. Most users of BW like to leave a small gift or gratuity for their host as a gesture of thanks.

Thousand Trails

Website: https://www.thousandtrails.com

Annual Cost: $585.00

Thousand Trails offers five camping zones: Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast with approximately 81 campgrounds throughout the United States. For an annual fee, you choose a particular zone you will be camping in for the year. Once you make a reservation at a TT campground in that zone, you can stay up to 14 days at a time. After each stay, you have to be out of the system for 7 days before you can go to another park and stay for another 14 days for free. These memberships have a 60-day reservation window and are renewed yearly.

Good Sam Club

Website: https://www.goodsam.com

Annual Cost: 1yr $29.00 / 2yr $50.00 / 3yr $75.00

Good Sam Club memberships will not get you as much of a discount as the other membership clubs but it is quite diverse. Your membership will include a 10% discount at all Camping Worlds; 10% discount at over 2,400 campgrounds; $.05 off gas and $.08 off diesel at select Pilot and Flying J locations; and 10% discounts at Gander Outdoors and Overtons. Good Sam also offers insurance services and roadside assistance programs.

We have memberships to three of the above clubs: Escapees, Passport America, and Good Sam Club. All three clubs have helped reduce our camping fees during our travels and have provided us with additional camping resources. Good luck with your research!!

Tracy

Tracy, the expert behind OurNextRVAdventure.com, brings over 9 years of experience in travel writing and RV living. With a Master’s degree in Travel and Tourism Management, she offers in-depth knowledge on RV maintenance, scenic routes, and campground recommendations. Connect with her adventures on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.

ournextrvadventure.com

The post Can RV Memberships Save You Money? appeared first on Our Next Rvadventure.