We’ve had an elite basic thousand trails membership (21 days park to park for about $170 per month) for almost a full year now and we love it! We always feel safe, have full hookups and being able to say in one place for 3 weeks is a major plus for us. There have been amenities such as mini golf and pools at every TT we have visited so far. We often will hop between two campgrounds that are about 30 miles apart so we can stay somewhere for several months if we want to. I know a lot of people don’t like certain aspects of it but honestly It’s been amazing for us! We run two businesses out of our 27ft travel trailer so the safety and connectivity for us is just...priceless.
You're exactly correct. Everyone's idea of "brisk" or "fast pace" is different. When you're old and a bit disabled like me moving every day as you describe it makes me want to be young again like you. As an old person, I'm very happy many of the resorts in Arizona or AQ. I couldn't begin to tell you how much I love kids as long as they aren't mine. I'm equally amazed at how parenting takes place today including making restaurants "play areas" for kids, kids in the "adults only" pool areas on cruises despite VERY clear signage, children who are not taught an "inside voice" where appropriate and the list goes on. The reason Thousand Trails parks are located on the borders/coast of the country is because they started in Chelhalis, Washington and expanded out from there. Thousand Trails used to 'assign" spaces and found it because, to say the least, cumbersome. They finally went to not assigning spaces. There are many tips and tricks to learning how to navigate the Thousand Trails system. Your viewership should know that as of 2019 TT shut down the ability to bounce back and forth between Encore and Thousand Trails memberships. They no longer allow that.
Love your videos!! My fiance and I are always watching and can't wait to hit the open road ourselves. Congrats on all your new gear and we look forward to the changes you make in your journey.
Good review of the Thousand Trails from a mostly unbiased view. Most reviews are either "they're great!" or "they suck!" and then give you all the single sided reasons for their reasoning. We joined Thousand Trails after staying at 2 of their resorts outside of Portland and Seattle recently using our Passport America discounts. We just became full timers this month and after doing the math, felt this was a good investment. We're presently staying at one of their campgrounds in Palm Springs and are very happy with the accommodations here. We're over 55 so the AQ isn't an issue for us. We don't like to move around as fast as you do (mostly age related) so we plan on reserving 2 week stays, then going out of the system for a week and then another 2 week stay. This way we get free camping for 3 weeks each month. We plan of filling the time between reservations with Harvest Hosts (which we love), Casino's and a mix of county, state and national parks. Again, loved your review, it was spot on.
Dud you add the Trails Collection? If so, you can go to you TT park for 2 weeks then to an Encore Park for up to 2 weeks and back to TT for 2 weeks, etc. Because TT and Encore are two different parks as long as you don't try to go TT to TT or Encore to Encore the 7 is avoided.
yes. i added the Trails Collection on my 2 year anniversary with TT. i'm seeing the USA in a 5 or 6 year time span, so i don't want to stay for weeks at a time. for a lot of RVers the 2 weeks at a time is great. i've done TT for 3 years, TTTC for 1 year, i willllllllllllllll resign up.
I am a member and have been to four of the Thousand Trails campgrounds in the Southern California area. The sites have been first come first served so you get to choose from the sites that are available. I LOVE this option because you can drive around and choose one you like vs being forced to pick a site, show up and then finding out that it sucks.
One of your best videos. I’m pleased you waited to do your review until after you got over the initial disappointment of learning about all of the rules & exclusions. It seems like a terrific deal!
Welcome aboard, Eric & Jax ! My wife, Jane, & I are fulltimers. We jump around from camp to camp in Fl during the winter. We have family scattered all over the state. TT is great for us.
I think its a great ideal, if you have your RV parked in a gated community with electrical hook ups, you can feel safe about Jax and be able to run the A.C. or heat and keep your solar batteries charged, it's a very responsible thing to do, it will free you up to do some exploring, which I look forward to.
I've tried for a year to 'fill' in the gray area of research...THANK YOU for doing that, who knew the only way you get the information was to become a member.
Eric! You are sharing my secret with the world! I have been a tent camping member of TT for a few yrs on and off... but, my plan has always been to renew my membership once I become full time and use the system just like you are saying. About, 7 yrs ago the two companies ( Encore and Thousand Trails ) were not separated in their time limits ( like they are now ) and we met two sisters who each bought the tent camping pass and they would move from one sister's to the other sister's membership. They also were very helpful around the resort and everyone loved them... so, no one complained. I hope you love them and the amenities of the resorts... also... there are pot lucks and movie nights and nightly game in the club house. I am 51 now and I am counting the days to 55! Anyway, good luck with TT.
Thank-you for your review Eric- I was always very curious about that program. I really enjoy the way you review your destinations. You truly are helping people with your information. Happy Trails my friend. xo
With the RV lifestyle becoming more popular, I think this is a very wise investment. It provides piece of mind to know you can go on long bike treks and not have to worry about your rig, and Jax. I believe the only thing you didn't cover was Internet reception...is that available at most of these sites? Safe travels... 🙂
Excited that you will be able to explore by bike more and find interesting places further away from your RV. It will be fun. Thx for the in depth details on 1000 Trails.
Memberships are a good choice for people who will really use their memberships. Our TT yearly membership in 2009 was about $480.00. This year it was $573.00 but that includes a Family Courtesy Card (for our son's family). We under-use our membership but we have about 3 TT campgrounds within an hour's drive. The NOMADIC FANATIC's video is excellent, informative, useful, and worth watching several times and maybe even taking notes.
Eric I worked for 1000 Trails for 12 years in the home office in Bellevue, WA before they were bought out and moved to Dallas. I loved the company and our spokespeople were Roy Rogers & Dale Evans (who came to the office twice a year). One of the perks as an employee was being able to stay at the resorts free at any time we had vacation or personal times off. Can't say enough good things about the company but sadly it sounds like it might have changed since new ownership took over.
Jax looks very comfortable with the whole thing🙂 If it's 78 degrees down there in Florida, Jack Frost hasn't gone far enough South and Santa is probably sitting down there on the beach in a lounge chair lol😉 Great Video, Have Lots of Fun in Florida😎
Hi Eric and Jax, thanks for the heads up on the TT membership. Very informative. I've been enthralled the last 3 days, spending countless hours watching youtube re: living as a Nomad. Came across someone earlier speaking about the TT. Then yours. I currently moved from Grand Rapids, MI to Lake Placid, Fl to help care for my mother in her final decent with Severe Dementia. 95% of my belongings are in storage in MI. I'm seriously considering selling off most of it and going on the road once my mother has passed. So I am just beginning my research. Thanks again for your info. I have now subscribed to you and will be playing catch up on your previous posts. Safe Travels.
My wife and I full timed for 2 1/2 years using TT and on off weeks using Army Corp campgrounds. Some TT campgrounds were nicer than others but we were there to explore the area and it gave us a home base. We tried to arrive on Tuesday to get the best sites. Avoid coming in on weekends. Nice video Eric. Dave and Gina
Thank you so much for testing out the membership in this club and doing a review on it. I will be interested to see updates and if you renew. I too have watched many videos of members doing reviews but yours gave me more usable information as to how it works than just about any I've watched so far. Happy New Years Eric and Jax!
Eric, one of the reasons for the difficulty in getting into an Encore Resort is, they only allocate so many TT sites for no charge or a small fee. Some parks may only have 8 sites set aside for those not paying the normal fee charged. We have a Camping Pass for the southern zone and it comes up for renewal in May. We are considering purchasing a used Elite or whatever they called it at the time to include all the TT and associated parks. Yes, it has its hurdles you must jump through or over! We are also Passport America members and just joined Harvest Hosts as well. Those apps are also great! We have stayed at both Orlando, Wildwood and Wauchula parks! Some have lots of permanent people in them and another problem with just one more site taken up for who knows how long?
Hi Eric, We have been members for the past thirty years and are full timers. 'We mostly move between parks in Washington and Oregon and really have gotten our moneys worth out of it. The biggest convenience is the hook ups and knowing where you are going to be ahead of time. The biggest drawback is having to make reservations ahead with our membership we can reserve 120 days prior to use. This is both a convenience and a bit of a pain having to reserve so far ahead. In the summer the parks fill up and they are selling more and more sites as permanent lot sales. The system is a bit run down, they have not invested much into upgrades. Overall, it has been very well worth it and we recommend membership to anyone who is full time. Hope this helps someone out there. Cheryl
All that counts is what these parks are like now......not in past years or decades when RVing was not as popular with John Q Public. Of course it was wonderful even 5 yrs ago......but that is not relevant to what others need to know in the here and now.
We had TT years ago, great for families. We could count on clean secure camp sites where kids could ride bicycles, walk etc w out being watched all the time. We are joining again soon.
The one in Cottonwood, AZ is awesome. You can go to Sedona, the copper mines, the crater, all sorts of day trips. Outside the gates allows boondocking, so you can stay your allotted time, skip outside (but still use all the amenities)
@@sephanisbetartist5213 You are correct! Staying in TT Verde Valley right now. The boondock closures are all the way from Cottonwood to Camp Verde. I will be using Dead Horse State Park for my one week out of TT before going back in.
Welcome to Thousand Trails Eric and Jax.!!! In my experience a lot of times even if the computer says not available, you can call Thousand Trails reservations and get what you want. Also call the camp directly. With your short days they can fit you in despite the system saying full. Safe journey.
The idea of having a boondocker review TT got me to sub. Lots of folks with higher expectations get disappointed when the sites aren’t shiny and new. I feel like a boondocker would look at the same site and be happy because there is power.
I enjoyed your video on thousand trails. I got my membership fee out of it but decided not to renew for many of reasons you gave. I found that more than once, with the first come first serve reservation system didn't guarantee a spot I could fit in. Another time I got a spot that was so steep and loose it required getting a running started to hitch up again. Another reservation issue is that during holidays, which they expand to about a 10 day period, you are only allowed one reservation at a time. You lose the ability to do multiple reservations with the 4 nights and move. You're relegated during holidays to reserve only the next stop. I enjoyed your video. Thanks.
I hope it works out well for you. I flew standby on airlines for 30 years. Some people can't stand the stress. I look at it as a gamble. Sometimes you get stuck in the airport. Most of the time you make your flight. Sometimes I fly first class. Typical of travel, there are unexpected experiences both good and bad. Roll with it, but keep on experiencing!
Hey Eric. Thanks for the information. Here in Mississippi 12-27-18 we had thunderstorms off and on all day. It is supposed to continue all night until around 5am. Thanks for sharing. Till next time, Happy Trails!
We've been practically living at the Orlando trails and encore resorts for 2 years. With our membership, we aren't paying anything to live here and with our mailing address through St Brendan's Isle in Florida, we're able to get Disney and other park passes at resident pricing.
Sorry I never saw your question! It's called Orlando RV Resort. I'm not sure the name of the membership that we got maybe 4 years ago now (elite something), but you can stay for 21 days at a time and then you have to leave for so many days before you can stay for another 21, so we would go to Lake Magic and then return to Orlando RV for 21,get set back up and go to Disney. 😍
Fellow TT member here! Also, my cat and your cat could be TWINS. Apple, my 16 year old BEST FRIEND, he's a cream blue with stripes and spots, hes 28 lbs, and he's been that heavy for his whole life too! His back raises up real high in his back end just naturally so he's funny looking when walking. He's so lazy and he is very very possessive of me... He also sleeps underneath our blanket while underneath my knees bent day and night. He gets mad whenever I get out of bed and follows me around bitching... Pacific NW TT here.... So far so good... Ty for this! I got 100 bucks off as well for 2 years! 40 per month. Apple, my kitty, he's a hybrid with a Kentucky Wildcat /Bobcat daddy and a Chartreux and Russian Blue mix mama cat. Born March 15th, 2004. The camping here in Oregon is much less complicated bc we have far fewer people here camping. Florida is probably really crowded, I can't imagine.
Hey Eric, we love Thousand Trails, we have a home base resort, then move to a resort for 2 weeks then go back to base resort for 7 days. You have to make sure you book out per your membership.
You have truly done the best review ever on Thousand Trails... I learned so much from you, and many have touched on these "problems" but you have really nailed it !!
We just renewed our TT membership with "Trails" add on. We've been happy with it. The TTs in Texas were really great. The California TTs were also great. It's the Encore parks that are 55+ (some Encores are AQ). Most of those that are "AQ" (Age Qualified) still allow us to stay even though we aren't 55 since we're only staying up to 14 nights anyway while most of their residents are seasonal. We wondered around the US alot in 2017 - 2018 and the system worked great reducing our RV park monthly average to about $5/night (membership fees factored in). That's with full hook-ups. Rarely did we have to stay in a water/elec only site. Mostly did the 14 "in" and 7 "out" thing, boondocking for the 7 "out". The 4 day stay plan worked great too allowing us to map out a whole root of parks to stay at. We ran into trouble booking Encore's in Florida during the winter. But Arizona was not so bad, often found spots for up to our 14 night maximum.
Hey Eric, well done video on Thousand Trails. My wife and I are Elite members at TT and we love our membership. We purchased ours planning on retirement use so right now its vacation and weekends but we still get the value out of it. We don't buy the trails collection yet but once my wife retires we will probably buy that as well. Enjoy your membership!
Hi Eric and Jax, my husband and I started out with the NW pass and enjoyed it so much we bought a life time membership which allows us to book out 180 days with Thousand trails up to 21 days at one time no out time required its park to park, and 60 with encore plus they through in Rpi as well. so we have tons of places to choose from. At this time we are in Arizona and loving it. Hope you enjoy and maybe consider the lifetime membership. Give Jax a pet for us!
Nice! This sounds more my cup of tea than wondering every night where I was going to park. Sounds like it just takes a little more planning or like you said, actually knowing where you're going to be staying 2 months in advance. if I'm ever lucky enough to hit the road, this would be right up my alley I think. Hugs to Jax! Enjoy the sunshine and 70s. I'm bundled up in my Nomadic Fanatic hoodie, looking out the window at the10 degree frozen tundra of snow, with my 25lb cat on my lap. lol
RJ Bottlecap a bit of ageism coming through your comments, so un PC. We didnt make the rules, and all have free choice to be a member or look elsewhere. Its Life
Just wish we could have a family with Kids area only. I don't want to bother people with our kids but I also don't want them complaining about us either for kids acting like kids.
WOW! I think you just surprised a lot of followers. We've been members for several years and have enjoyed most of the parks we've stayed in. I hope you will also. Safe Travels!
Good for you Eric. The first time I viewed your channel was when you were parked in Eureka,CA, and some guy was trying to rip the solar panels off your coach. You sure have improved your lifestyle. Good Luck.
Awesome video! So helpful I've asked other UA-camrs before to give us the 411 on thousand trails. It looks to be a great option for a full-timer. Thanks Eric and Jax.
Eric, You should do a trip around the oceans in the US !, like stay on the edge of the us all the way from Washington to LA to Texas to Florida to New York! That would be a cool trip!
Hey Eric, this helped us a lot. Since we live in Tampa and over 55 the added Trails Collection seems good for us. Just a little confused on stay times yet but I guess that is a learn as you go thing. We are sure not in the "class" to buy the higher packages.. LOL Thanks again and keep the videos coming.
Please, PLEASE, when you stay at one of these resorts/campgrounds give a brief overview of that specific park. Location to attractions/towns/grocery.... Size of the lots. Can you get a 40 foot 5th wheel in? Ease/difficulty of maneuvering the park. Amenities, of course. Overall condition. Shade? Sun? You get the point. THANKS! Dave
We have a 42-foot fifth wheel and have stayed a quire a few TT and Encore parks. Some are a tight fit but we’ve been able to get into all of them so far.
Hi Eric. Great channel and thanks for this informative video. Not sure if you knew this, as I don’t recall you mentioning it, but TT will allow you to change your zone 1x within the year. We spend winters in FL and the rest of the yr in the NW area so it’s really cool that we can switch once and save the $59 for the extra zone. Oh and for the AQ campgrounds, only one person has to be over 55. I spoke to the rep. Keep up the great work on the videos!
Can't wait to see what your reviews will be on these campgrounds. One question I have is if people want to "get away", then why stay with a bunch of other people? Almost like staying in a hotel. Seems to me your boondocking has shown us more unique places. Hope you don't lose that part of your vids. This is what makes it all so interesting. Not all this commercial stuff. Good luck and Happy New Year!
So it's going to be important to chat up the camp hosts in each park to know how they operate and to get their maps. I'm guessing the RVers that are returning customers get a higher priority in each park they visit. Priority like better views, etc. So chatting up other RVers in the resorts will be important too.
Weve had out membership 1 year, got it because the east coast was very expensive and theres a lot of parks in the eastern us. Some are old and run down but many are like forest preserves and we like the nature. They are located in fun and historical places. We're so happy we bought it. As wEve been all over the us and had the security of knowing we have a place to stay. We also used our boondockers welcome and harvest host in the Midwest and barely stayed at a campground. Such fun to meet so many kind and generous people.
So. My parents were well off. And they had a pass to A Thousand Trails. I'm very glad you are doing a video on this, because as a kid going to this place I didn't fully comprehend the place. But here is why you didn't hear much about A Thousand Trails. It used to be an invite only. You have to remember, before the days of internet there wasn't much to do for fun except to go camping or the beach. Because of this you could not just get a pass, you needed an invite (which usually came from a family member). Once you had an invite you had a limited time to use it because everyone was only given 1 invite. So my grandmother was in their system and she gave her 1 invite to my mom. Had my grandmother gave it also to my aunt, whom ever redeemed it first got the lifetime subscription. Reasoning: you seen all that grey and you seen so much full because of the way a thousand trails wants to give you the camping experience. A Thousand Trails basically has two types of areas inside of them. Social and secluded. Social areas you will see people like most other camp grounds. Secluded areas you can drive all over the places and never see anyone! As a child we would vacation usually once or twice a month for 1 to 2 weeks at a time, yes... homework packs were my friend. You could spend that whole week or two in the place and never bump into other campers. My experience with them is from late 80s and early 90s. Things may have changed. I live in California and I've been to everyone one of the parks in California.
Not being assigned to a specific spot which fits your RV has been our biggest problem. More than once we've had a reservation only to arrive and find all the "big" sites occupied by smaller travel trailers or motorhomes.
Wow... Thank You so much for doing this! I have wondered about all the different resorts and memberships and if they would be a good deal or fits and this clears it all up...
I love my Elite Thousands Trails Membership, I can stay in each resort up to 22 nights with no out time to go to another resort. You can buy a older membership from the original owners, that's what i did. The Trails Collection make sure you buy it on your anniversary date to get the full year. There will always limitations with everything in life, but you will make it work. So far i love my membership and have had it going on my second year. I am glad you have a membership.
Thank you for the info that you supplied in your video. When we purchased our rv it included a year's membership with TT however not once was I able to take advantage of it other than getting a discount at an Encore campground. One of the reasons for not going to a TTCG was because the closest one was still over 3 hours away and being a newbie we didn't want to get to far away until we knew more about what we're doing. I am however thinking of getting another membership once we become fulltimer's. Thanks again for the detailed info.
Looking forward to the continuing revues of this package. I have faith that you will be a great resource for our own research and tell us all your information straight forward with no BS. This will help clear up some mysteries about a TT package. Also I’m glad you’re done at Disney - UA-cam needed more Disney vids “NOT”!!!!!!
Ive had a membership with them for years. If you plan it right it is more then worth it. like he said even if you figure what a cheap hotel costs, you break even fairly fast.
I pay $5.9677419355 per night for Electric, Water, Trash and a lot Nationwide. 30amp is included 50amp is $5 more per day. I live full-time in my RV its not Cheap it's almost free! 😎
Thanks Eric. Your videos are always interesting but this one really hit the spot. I have been looking for this exact information. Thank you very much. Happy New Year!
We are TT member, I think it ok with a lot of challenges making reservations, my girlfriend loves it. I have two zones, Northeast and Southeast. We find making reservations on weekends when school's out is hard. We haven't used the Southeast zone too much so I can't talk about it. Overall I will renew my membership if for no other reason because my girlfriend likes it.
We’ve had an elite basic thousand trails membership (21 days park to park for about $170 per month) for almost a full year now and we love it! We always feel safe, have full hookups and being able to say in one place for 3 weeks is a major plus for us. There have been amenities such as mini golf and pools at every TT we have visited so far. We often will hop between two campgrounds that are about 30 miles apart so we can stay somewhere for several months if we want to. I know a lot of people don’t like certain aspects of it but honestly It’s been amazing for us! We run two businesses out of our 27ft travel trailer so the safety and connectivity for us is just...priceless.
You're exactly correct. Everyone's idea of "brisk" or "fast pace" is different. When you're old and a bit disabled like me moving every day as you describe it makes me want to be young again like you. As an old person, I'm very happy many of the resorts in Arizona or AQ. I couldn't begin to tell you how much I love kids as long as they aren't mine. I'm equally amazed at how parenting takes place today including making restaurants "play areas" for kids, kids in the "adults only" pool areas on cruises despite VERY clear signage, children who are not taught an "inside voice" where appropriate and the list goes on. The reason Thousand Trails parks are located on the borders/coast of the country is because they started in Chelhalis, Washington and expanded out from there. Thousand Trails used to 'assign" spaces and found it because, to say the least, cumbersome. They finally went to not assigning spaces. There are many tips and tricks to learning how to navigate the Thousand Trails system. Your viewership should know that as of 2019 TT shut down the ability to bounce back and forth between Encore and Thousand Trails memberships. They no longer allow that.
I just watched 13 minutes of this video and then saw that cat and said "holy shit, that cat is @*&$(*@ huge!!" lol
Crazy as it is I have his twin, she is huge as well, IDENTICAL!! and travels with us on our RV trips
Love your videos!! My fiance and I are always watching and can't wait to hit the open road ourselves. Congrats on all your new gear and we look forward to the changes you make in your journey.
Your cat is chilling while you do all the work.🐱
I’m so glad I’m finally going to get the straight scoop on this hot topic. I know I can always count on you for the truth. Thanks, Eric.
I didn't think this would work for you. But as you spoke I realized that this is the natural next thing. And you did it wonderfully. Brilliant!
Good review of the Thousand Trails from a mostly unbiased view. Most reviews are either "they're great!" or "they suck!" and then give you all the single sided reasons for their reasoning. We joined Thousand Trails after staying at 2 of their resorts outside of Portland and Seattle recently using our Passport America discounts. We just became full timers this month and after doing the math, felt this was a good investment. We're presently staying at one of their campgrounds in Palm Springs and are very happy with the accommodations here. We're over 55 so the AQ isn't an issue for us. We don't like to move around as fast as you do (mostly age related) so we plan on reserving 2 week stays, then going out of the system for a week and then another 2 week stay. This way we get free camping for 3 weeks each month. We plan of filling the time between reservations with Harvest Hosts (which we love), Casino's and a mix of county, state and national parks. Again, loved your review, it was spot on.
good planning, that's the way to do it.
Dud you add the Trails Collection? If so, you can go to you TT park for 2 weeks then to an Encore Park for up to 2 weeks and back to TT for 2 weeks, etc. Because TT and Encore are two different parks as long as you don't try to go TT to TT or Encore to Encore the 7 is avoided.
yes. i added the Trails Collection on my 2 year anniversary with TT. i'm seeing the USA in a 5 or 6 year time span, so i don't want to stay for weeks at a time. for a lot of RVers the 2 weeks at a time is great. i've done TT for 3 years, TTTC for 1 year, i willllllllllllllll resign up.
Sign me up Gary, that is a great plan.
@@dharlander59 I do have the trails collection. Gives me many more choices in areas I will be RV'ng in.
I am a member and have been to four of the Thousand Trails campgrounds in the Southern California area. The sites have been first come first served so you get to choose from the sites that are available. I LOVE this option because you can drive around and choose one you like vs being forced to pick a site, show up and then finding out that it sucks.
I thought that was a pillow until I looked closer! 😂 So funny to see his kitty pretty much comatose while he talks. 😂
One of your best videos. I’m pleased you waited to do your review until after you got over the initial disappointment of learning about all of the rules & exclusions. It seems like a terrific deal!
Welcome aboard, Eric & Jax ! My wife, Jane, & I are fulltimers. We jump around from camp to camp in Fl during the winter. We have family scattered all over the state. TT is great for us.
I think its a great ideal, if you have your RV parked in a gated community with electrical hook ups, you can feel safe about Jax and be able to run the A.C. or heat and keep your solar batteries charged, it's a very responsible thing to do, it will free you up to do some exploring, which I look forward to.
I've tried for a year to 'fill' in the gray area of research...THANK YOU for doing that, who knew the only way you get the information was to become a member.
Eric! You are sharing my secret with the world! I have been a tent camping member of TT for a few yrs on and off... but, my plan has always been to renew my membership once I become full time and use the system just like you are saying. About, 7 yrs ago the two companies ( Encore and Thousand Trails ) were not separated in their time limits ( like they are now ) and we met two sisters who each bought the tent camping pass and they would move from one sister's to the other sister's membership. They also were very helpful around the resort and everyone loved them... so, no one complained. I hope you love them and the amenities of the resorts... also... there are pot lucks and movie nights and nightly game in the club house. I am 51 now and I am counting the days to 55! Anyway, good luck with TT.
Jana Bodhi, do they still have a membership for tent campers?
Thank-you for your review Eric- I was always very curious about that program. I really enjoy the way you review your destinations. You truly are helping people with your information. Happy Trails my friend. xo
With the RV lifestyle becoming more popular, I think this is a very wise investment.
It provides piece of mind to know you can go on long bike treks and not have to worry about your rig, and Jax.
I believe the only thing you didn't cover was Internet reception...is that available at most of these sites?
Safe travels...
🙂
I've found it iffy... in the older parks you have to go to the lodge and sometimes it doesn't work...
Thanks Eric, that video was extremely helpful. My wife and I just joined Thousand Trails and we are trying to figure out how the system works.
Excited that you will be able to explore by bike more and find interesting places further away from your RV. It will be fun. Thx for the in depth details on 1000 Trails.
Memberships are a good choice for people who will really use their memberships. Our TT yearly membership in 2009 was about $480.00. This year it was $573.00 but that includes a Family Courtesy Card (for our son's family). We under-use our membership but we have about 3 TT campgrounds within an hour's drive. The NOMADIC FANATIC's video is excellent, informative, useful, and worth watching several times and maybe even taking notes.
Eric I worked for 1000 Trails for 12 years in the home office in Bellevue, WA before they were bought out and moved to Dallas. I loved the company and our spokespeople were Roy Rogers & Dale Evans (who came to the office twice a year). One of the perks as an employee was being able to stay at the resorts free at any time we had vacation or personal times off. Can't say enough good things about the company but sadly it sounds like it might have changed since new ownership took over.
Jax looks very comfortable with the whole thing🙂
If it's 78 degrees down there in Florida, Jack Frost hasn't gone far enough South and Santa is probably sitting down there on the beach in a lounge chair lol😉
Great Video, Have Lots of Fun in Florida😎
Hi Eric and Jax, thanks for the heads up on the TT membership. Very informative. I've been enthralled the last 3 days, spending countless hours watching youtube re: living as a Nomad. Came across someone earlier speaking about the TT. Then yours. I currently moved from Grand Rapids, MI to Lake Placid, Fl to help care for my mother in her final decent with Severe Dementia. 95% of my belongings are in storage in MI. I'm seriously considering selling off most of it and going on the road once my mother has passed. So I am just beginning my research. Thanks again for your info. I have now subscribed to you and will be playing catch up on your previous posts. Safe Travels.
You are right....one's own perspective.
Thanks for information.
Interesting plan Eric! Can’t wait to see what you do with it man. 👍🏼 Safe travels!👍🏼🤘🏼😎❄️
Sounds like a good Deal to Me!!-Safe Travels to You&Jax🎉🇺🇸🎉Lots of Fun Things to Do!!!I Love Bingo Too!!😉
My wife and I full timed for 2 1/2 years using TT and on off weeks using Army Corp campgrounds. Some TT campgrounds were nicer than others but we were there to explore the area and it gave us a home base. We tried to arrive on Tuesday to get the best sites. Avoid coming in on weekends. Nice video Eric. Dave and Gina
Thank you so much for testing out the membership in this club and doing a review on it. I will be interested to see updates and if you renew. I too have watched many videos of members doing reviews but yours gave me more usable information as to how it works than just about any I've watched so far. Happy New Years Eric and Jax!
Eric, one of the reasons for the difficulty in getting into an Encore Resort is, they only allocate so many TT sites for no charge or a small fee. Some parks may only have 8 sites set aside for those not paying the normal fee charged. We have a Camping Pass for the southern zone and it comes up for renewal in May. We are considering purchasing a used Elite or whatever they called it at the time to include all the TT and associated parks. Yes, it has its hurdles you must jump through or over! We are also Passport America members and just joined Harvest Hosts as well. Those apps are also great! We have stayed at both Orlando, Wildwood and Wauchula parks! Some have lots of permanent people in them and another problem with just one more site taken up for who knows how long?
Hi Eric,
We have been members for the past thirty years and are full timers. 'We mostly move between parks in Washington and Oregon and really have gotten our moneys worth out of it. The biggest convenience is the hook ups and knowing where you are going to be ahead of time. The biggest drawback is having to make reservations ahead with our membership we can reserve 120 days prior to use. This is both a convenience and a bit of a pain having to reserve so far ahead. In the summer the parks fill up and they are selling more and more sites as permanent lot sales. The system is a bit run down, they have not invested much into upgrades. Overall, it has been very well worth it and we recommend membership to anyone who is full time. Hope this helps someone out there. Cheryl
Cheryl Ownbey we just signed up for the NW pass. What are your favorite spots?
All that counts is what these parks are like now......not in past years or decades when RVing was not as popular with John Q Public. Of course it was wonderful even 5 yrs ago......but that is not relevant to what others need to know in the here and now.
We had TT years ago, great for families. We could count on clean secure camp sites where kids could ride bicycles, walk etc w out being watched all the time. We are joining again soon.
The one in Cottonwood, AZ is awesome. You can go to Sedona, the copper mines, the crater, all sorts of day trips. Outside the gates allows boondocking, so you can stay your allotted time, skip outside (but still use all the amenities)
BLM is closing those boondocking spots for two years starting Jan 7... just stayed at that TT... good one!
@@sephanisbetartist5213 You are correct! Staying in TT Verde Valley right now. The boondock closures are all the way from Cottonwood to Camp Verde. I will be using Dead Horse State Park for my one week out of TT before going back in.
Welcome to Thousand Trails Eric and Jax.!!! In my experience a lot of times even if the computer says not available, you can call Thousand Trails reservations and get what you want. Also call the camp directly. With your short days they can fit you in despite the system saying full. Safe journey.
This was a great video. Amazing information. Thanks Eric
The idea of having a boondocker review TT got me to sub. Lots of folks with higher expectations get disappointed when the sites aren’t shiny and new. I feel like a boondocker would look at the same site and be happy because there is power.
Dustin Lilja, yes, and lush greenery... and bingo! Actually, I like primitive and that’s boondocking so how bad can it be?
I enjoyed your video on thousand trails. I got my membership fee out of it but decided not to renew for many of reasons you gave. I found that more than once, with the first come first serve reservation system didn't guarantee a spot I could fit in. Another time I got a spot that was so steep and loose it required getting a running started to hitch up again. Another reservation issue is that during holidays, which they expand to about a 10 day period, you are only allowed one reservation at a time. You lose the ability to do multiple reservations with the 4 nights and move. You're relegated during holidays to reserve only the next stop. I enjoyed your video. Thanks.
I hope it works out well for you. I flew standby on airlines for 30 years. Some people can't stand the stress. I look at it as a gamble. Sometimes you get stuck in the airport. Most of the time you make your flight. Sometimes I fly first class. Typical of travel, there are unexpected experiences both good and bad. Roll with it, but keep on experiencing!
Nice to see you hanging out with Jax, best wishes.
Hey Eric. Thanks for the information. Here in Mississippi 12-27-18 we had thunderstorms off and on all day. It is supposed to continue all night until around 5am. Thanks for sharing. Till next time, Happy Trails!
We've been practically living at the Orlando trails and encore resorts for 2 years. With our membership, we aren't paying anything to live here and with our mailing address through St Brendan's Isle in Florida, we're able to get Disney and other park passes at resident pricing.
Christina Ehinger do u have any links to the campgrounds you stay at. This sounds like life at its best
What type of membership do you have to be able to stay in fla that long?
Sorry I never saw your question! It's called Orlando RV Resort. I'm not sure the name of the membership that we got maybe 4 years ago now (elite something), but you can stay for 21 days at a time and then you have to leave for so many days before you can stay for another 21, so we would go to Lake Magic and then return to Orlando RV for 21,get set back up and go to Disney. 😍
Fellow TT member here! Also, my cat and your cat could be TWINS. Apple, my 16 year old BEST FRIEND, he's a cream blue with stripes and spots, hes 28 lbs, and he's been that heavy for his whole life too! His back raises up real high in his back end just naturally so he's funny looking when walking. He's so lazy and he is very very possessive of me... He also sleeps underneath our blanket while underneath my knees bent day and night. He gets mad whenever I get out of bed and follows me around bitching...
Pacific NW TT here.... So far so good... Ty for this! I got 100 bucks off as well for 2 years! 40 per month.
Apple, my kitty, he's a hybrid with a Kentucky Wildcat /Bobcat daddy and a Chartreux and Russian Blue mix mama cat. Born March 15th, 2004.
The camping here in Oregon is much less complicated bc we have far fewer people here camping. Florida is probably really crowded, I can't imagine.
Hey Eric, we love Thousand Trails, we have a home base resort, then move to a resort for 2 weeks then go back to base resort for 7 days. You have to make sure you book out per your membership.
You have truly done the best review ever on Thousand Trails... I learned so much from you, and many have touched on these "problems" but you have really nailed it !!
This information is Gold. However, I think there will be more surprises, but I know you'll keep us updated. Thanks
Time will tell. I'll let you know for sure! :)
Yep! I've gotten a surprise each time!!!
We just renewed our TT membership with "Trails" add on. We've been happy with it. The TTs in Texas were really great. The California TTs were also great. It's the Encore parks that are 55+ (some Encores are AQ). Most of those that are "AQ" (Age Qualified) still allow us to stay even though we aren't 55 since we're only staying up to 14 nights anyway while most of their residents are seasonal. We wondered around the US alot in 2017 - 2018 and the system worked great reducing our RV park monthly average to about $5/night (membership fees factored in). That's with full hook-ups. Rarely did we have to stay in a water/elec only site.
Mostly did the 14 "in" and 7 "out" thing, boondocking for the 7 "out". The 4 day stay plan worked great too allowing us to map out a whole root of parks to stay at. We ran into trouble booking Encore's in Florida during the winter. But Arizona was not so bad, often found spots for up to our 14 night maximum.
Hey Eric, well done video on Thousand Trails. My wife and I are Elite members at TT and we love our membership. We purchased ours planning on retirement use so right now its vacation and weekends but we still get the value out of it. We don't buy the trails collection yet but once my wife retires we will probably buy that as well. Enjoy your membership!
Hi Eric and Jax, my husband and I started out with the NW pass and enjoyed it so much we bought a life time membership which allows us to book out 180 days with Thousand trails up to 21 days at one time no out time required its park to park, and 60 with encore plus they through in Rpi as well. so we have tons of places to choose from. At this time we are in Arizona and loving it. Hope you enjoy and maybe consider the lifetime membership. Give Jax a pet for us!
Hey, now that its been a year, I'd love to hear your opinion on Thousand Trails
I think he made a whole new Chanel about this..
Very cool Eric! We are looking forward to your new travel style.
Smart man * living life * top shelf!
Nice! This sounds more my cup of tea than wondering every night where I was going to park. Sounds like it just takes a little more planning or like you said, actually knowing where you're going to be staying 2 months in advance. if I'm ever lucky enough to hit the road, this would be right up my alley I think. Hugs to Jax! Enjoy the sunshine and 70s. I'm bundled up in my Nomadic Fanatic hoodie, looking out the window at the10 degree frozen tundra of snow, with my 25lb cat on my lap. lol
55 and over, no children. Must have pearly gates because it sounds like heaven to me!
That made me chuckle!
RJ Bottlecap we crotchety old people need a gate to keep the snowflakes out.
RJ Bottlecap a bit of ageism coming through your comments, so un PC. We didnt make the rules, and all have free choice to be a member or look elsewhere. Its Life
@@johng4250 your the snowflake for wanting to be "special"
Just wish we could have a family with Kids area only. I don't want to bother people with our kids but I also don't want them complaining about us either for kids acting like kids.
WOW! I think you just surprised a lot of followers. We've been members for several years and have enjoyed most of the parks we've stayed in. I hope you will also. Safe Travels!
Very informative - thank you! I'm 56 so I shouldn't have to worry too much - hey, there is a perk to getting older :P
Great adventures ahead for 2019. Glad I can tag along (virtually)! Hugs to Jax, you and Yoda.
Best video on thousand trails yet
Haven't watched these videos in a while. Glad that you didnt abandon.
I'm so excited about your new experience, just bought the Northeast zone and looking forward to Spring
Good for you Eric. The first time I viewed your channel was when you were parked in Eureka,CA, and some guy was trying to rip the solar panels off your coach. You sure have improved your lifestyle. Good Luck.
Awesome video! So helpful I've asked other UA-camrs before to give us the 411 on thousand trails. It looks to be a great option for a full-timer. Thanks Eric and Jax.
Aaron Costello TT at Rancho Oso did nothing to campers who vandalized us last fall. Put cameras up 24/7 at TT.
We are very happy with our Thousand trails membership. Glad to get you back
It's not strange at all, the zones are centered around the coasts with access to the ocean and the great lakes which is where people want to see
Thanks for doing all of this ground work for us.
Eric,
You should do a trip around the oceans in the US !, like stay on the edge of the us all the way from Washington to LA to Texas to Florida to New York! That would be a cool trip!
Hey Eric, this helped us a lot. Since we live in Tampa and over 55 the added Trails Collection seems good for us. Just a little confused on stay times yet but I guess that is a learn as you go thing. We are sure not in the "class" to buy the higher packages.. LOL Thanks again and keep the videos coming.
Please, PLEASE, when you stay at one of these resorts/campgrounds give a brief overview of that specific park.
Location to attractions/towns/grocery....
Size of the lots.
Can you get a 40 foot 5th wheel in?
Ease/difficulty of maneuvering the park.
Amenities, of course.
Overall condition.
Shade? Sun?
You get the point.
THANKS!
Dave
We have a 42-foot fifth wheel and have stayed a quire a few TT and Encore parks. Some are a tight fit but we’ve been able to get into all of them so far.
RVillage has good write-ups on TT parks, or you can ask
YES !!! A campground review is fantastic for all of us !!
The YT channel ..You Me and the RV...have done some great videos
What a cozy-looking catty!
Hi Eric. Great channel and thanks for this informative video. Not sure if you knew this, as I don’t recall you mentioning it, but TT will allow you to change your zone 1x within the year. We spend winters in FL and the rest of the yr in the NW area so it’s really cool that we can switch once and save the $59 for the extra zone. Oh and for the AQ campgrounds, only one person has to be over 55. I spoke to the rep. Keep up the great work on the videos!
Thanks for the Great info on that T.T. info.. Hope you & Jax had a Great Christmas!!! Have a HAPPY/SAFE NEW YEAR ERIC & JAX!!! LOVE YA BIG HUGS!!!!
Your Disney videos have made me want to go back. I am getting reservations for next Christmas so we can start planning and saving...
Can't wait to see what your reviews will be on these campgrounds. One question I have is if people want to "get away", then why stay with a bunch of other people? Almost like staying in a hotel. Seems to me your boondocking has shown us more unique places. Hope you don't lose that part of your vids. This is what makes it all so interesting. Not all this commercial stuff. Good luck and Happy New Year!
👍 Thanks for the info Eric and God bless ✌️
So it's going to be important to chat up the camp hosts in each park to know how they operate and to get their maps. I'm guessing the RVers that are returning customers get a higher priority in each park they visit. Priority like better views, etc. So chatting up other RVers in the resorts will be important too.
And Jax didn't hear a dam word you said! Hee-Hee!
Except it's for his own protection, and that's smart! 👍
Weve had out membership 1 year, got it because the east coast was very expensive and theres a lot of parks in the eastern us. Some are old and run down but many are like forest preserves and we like the nature. They are located in fun and historical places. We're so happy we bought it. As wEve been all over the us and had the security of knowing we have a place to stay. We also used our boondockers welcome and harvest host in the Midwest and barely stayed at a campground. Such fun to meet so many kind and generous people.
So. My parents were well off. And they had a pass to A Thousand Trails.
I'm very glad you are doing a video on this, because as a kid going to this place I didn't fully comprehend the place.
But here is why you didn't hear much about A Thousand Trails.
It used to be an invite only. You have to remember, before the days of internet there wasn't much to do for fun except to go camping or the beach.
Because of this you could not just get a pass, you needed an invite (which usually came from a family member). Once you had an invite you had a limited time to use it because everyone was only given 1 invite. So my grandmother was in their system and she gave her 1 invite to my mom. Had my grandmother gave it also to my aunt, whom ever redeemed it first got the lifetime subscription.
Reasoning: you seen all that grey and you seen so much full because of the way a thousand trails wants to give you the camping experience.
A Thousand Trails basically has two types of areas inside of them. Social and secluded.
Social areas you will see people like most other camp grounds.
Secluded areas you can drive all over the places and never see anyone! As a child we would vacation usually once or twice a month for 1 to 2 weeks at a time, yes... homework packs were my friend.
You could spend that whole week or two in the place and never bump into other campers.
My experience with them is from late 80s and early 90s. Things may have changed.
I live in California and I've been to everyone one of the parks in California.
Eric I am so happy for you what a great place to stay . Lots of stuff to do.Hi Jaxs
Don't blame you for wanting some security on the road, hope the membership works for you!
Not being assigned to a specific spot which fits your RV has been our biggest problem. More than once we've had a reservation only to arrive and find all the "big" sites occupied by smaller travel trailers or motorhomes.
my head hurts ... Jax says 'just take care of it '
Finally great to see Jax again.
Wow... Thank You so much for doing this! I have wondered about all the different resorts and memberships and if they would be a good deal or fits and this clears it all up...
I love my Elite Thousands Trails Membership, I can stay in each resort up to 22 nights with no out time to go to another resort. You can buy a older membership from the original owners, that's what i did. The Trails Collection make sure you buy it on your anniversary date to get the full year. There will always limitations with everything in life, but you will make it work. So far i love my membership and have had it going on my second year. I am glad you have a membership.
A great review. Thank you!!!
Happy New Year to you and Jax!
Thank you for the info that you supplied in your video. When we purchased our rv it included a year's membership with TT however not once was I able to take advantage of it other than getting a discount at an Encore campground. One of the reasons for not going to a TTCG was because the closest one was still over 3 hours away and being a newbie we didn't want to get to far away until we knew more about what we're doing. I am however thinking of getting another membership once we become fulltimer's. Thanks again for the detailed info.
I love this resort......SHERWOOD FOREST RV RESORT was my first too.....
I noticed how excited Jax was at what you were saying. The bed isn't any softer there than anywhere else.
We love your videos. Thanks for all the great info. Hope to be on the road soon. See you on the road soon. Just Keep RVing!!!!
@Graylan I remember that one! Really useful. 👍
Looking forward to more info on thousand trails, enjoy your videos.
Leaf Verde in buckeye Arizona is awesome.
Found this complicated, but understandable. Excellent video. Very good information.
I signed up for the platinum membership. 1,000,000 trails. 😂😂😂
What does the platinum membership include?
@@gflem 999,000 more trails! 😉😂
@@Kjellmclean endtrails lol
Looking forward to the continuing revues of this package.
I have faith that you will be a great resource for our own research and tell us all your information straight forward with no BS.
This will help clear up some mysteries about a TT package.
Also I’m glad you’re done at Disney - UA-cam needed more Disney vids “NOT”!!!!!!
Welcome to thousands trails hope to see you at one of the Virginia resorts
Wow, so complicated, not worth the stress ugh. Thanks for letting us know, Eric !
Will you do a review in a year to see if it was worth it?
Bear8Photo your a party pooper !
Ive had a membership with them for years. If you plan it right it is more then worth it. like he said even if you figure what a cheap hotel costs, you break even fairly fast.
100% worth it.
I pay $5.9677419355 per night for Electric, Water, Trash and a lot Nationwide. 30amp is included 50amp is $5 more per day. I live full-time in my RV its not Cheap it's almost free! 😎
Yeah, and how much he wins at bingo
Thanks for the info Eric. All the best to you and Jax in the coming new year.
Hey Eric, good info. Thanks for sharing, Lo :)
Thanks Eric. Your videos are always interesting but this one really hit the spot. I have been looking for this exact information. Thank you very much. Happy New Year!
We are TT member, I think it ok with a lot of challenges making reservations, my girlfriend loves it. I have two zones, Northeast and Southeast. We find making reservations on weekends when school's out is hard. We haven't used the Southeast zone too much so I can't talk about it. Overall I will renew my membership if for no other reason because my girlfriend likes it.
Really looking forward to your reviews of these places. Please let us know the good, bad and the ugly.