As I write this, the price of diesel fuel is over $5 per gallon, and the price for regular gas is well over $4 per gallon. It is only early May, and fuel prices tend to increase in the summer months. All of us who enjoy the prime RV season will have a lighter wallet when leaving the gas station this camping season. Having the ability to spend less on RV campgrounds will undoubtedly help balance out those fuel costs. A Passport America membership may be the answer.
About Passport America
Passport America could be the smart choice for those discounts. They are known as the original 50% off camping club. It is quite a simple plan. You can purchase a 1-year membership for only $44. There are also 2, 3, and 5-year options, each saving a few dollars off buying a new 1-year membership every year. There is also a lifetime membership for only $299.
Passport America Pros
Within the Passport America umbrella, there are more than 1,200 campgrounds that offer 50% off the nightly rate to members. These include campgrounds in Canada and Mexico. This means that you can recoup the cost of a 1-year membership in 2-3 nights at one of these campgrounds. With the purchase of the membership, you have access to discounted stays at all those campgrounds.
The great thing is that you can go on the website and look at the member campgrounds before purchasing. Therefore, we recommend looking at the campground selection before buying a membership. Since each campground has its own rules, it is essential to read the notes listed for each campground to see how they implement the membership discount. For example, a campground may only give you the Passport America rate for 1 or 2 days of your stay or require you to use a code when you make a reservation.
Passport America Cons
Since the campgrounds are all privately owned, they have some flexibility in implementing the terms of the 50% discount. This is the one con to this membership. But, it is all clearly outlined in the membership directory, the website, and the app. This can be frustrating for some. Browsing the campgrounds before you buy a membership also lets you look at the quality of the campgrounds in the area you plan to travel to see if the membership will be worth it to you.
Variety of Campgrounds
They have member campgrounds covering the very basic to the resort-style RV parks. As indicated earlier, these are private campgrounds, so do not expect the same standards and amenities at all campgrounds that are in the network. Always read reviews on the campground you plan on staying at so it meets your needs. Not everyone likes every campground, but there is a campground for everyone.
Our Experience with Passport America
Kenny and I have each had our own experience with using Passport America. The membership was one of the first things Julie and I purchased when we bought our fifth wheel. Kenny and Sabrina purchased their memberships recently but have already had experience using them. Kenny and Sabrina are in a class A gas motorhome while we are towable people. Because of this and our travel styles, we each had unique experiences using the membership. We will each talk about our experiences since we are different types of RV travelers.
Sean & Julie
When Julie and I were traveling full-time in our 44-foot Heartland Cyclone, we used our Passport America membership when traveling between destinations. Rather than finding a parking lot and taking up a lot of space, we would find a member campground and overnight at a campground. This way, we know we would fit and have hookups, so we would not have to worry about conserving resources and dumping our tanks. We would always call ahead to make a reservation, but arrived after closing many times and did not have any issues receiving the discount, checking in, or checking out.
There was a member campground in South Carolina, right off I-95, that we stopped at many times. It was a no-frills campground but super convenient for overnight stops. We recouped our membership fees a few times over just at that campground! On a side note, on one of our first trips, I ran over and destroyed a picnic table at the campground. It is a story for a campfire one night, but luckily the owners were very understanding and did not get angry with me.
Kenny & Sabrina
Sabrina and I are very new to Passport America, we purchased an annual pass after Sean and I interviewed the CEO during one of our live recordings from the FMCA Rally in Tucson. Although we are new to the program, we have already recouped our $44 annual fee. We took a trip to Reno, Nevada, to take a factory tour of the new Battle Born Batteries factory. One of the stops along the way to Reno was the Tradewinds RV Park. We found it using the trip planner in the Passport America app.
I called the campground to let them know we would like to stay one night and that I would like to use our Passport America discount. The woman over the phone was very friendly. When we arrived at the RV park and checked in, we only paid $22 for the night. That was how easy it was, and we received a great pull-through campsite with full hookups.
The RV Park was very clean, with plenty of amenities, and even though we were getting a considerable discount for the night, the entire staff was incredibly friendly. I was expecting them to put us in the back of the park on a not-so-nice site and treat us like second-rate citizens, but that wasn’t the case. We enjoyed our stay so much that we booked another night for our return trip home.
We recouped our $44 in under four weeks of having the membership between the two stays. Every trip we take from now on until the end of our year membership will be all savings. I wish I had known about the Passport America membership sooner. We could have been saving money a lot sooner.
Other Benefits for Passport America Members
Passport America members receive additional member benefits and savings on RV-related services and programs. These include discounts on caravan tours, rallies, mail service, and more. They also have a trip planner you can use to make traveling in your RV a little less stressful. Also, as part of your membership, you get a paper directory with all of the information that is contained on the website about the member campgrounds.
More Savings on a Passport America Membership
If you want to save money on campgrounds, you can use any of the links in this article. In addition to the membership you select, you will receive three months free just for using the link! If you are interested in trying the program, we recommend only purchasing a single-year membership first. This way, you will recoup your cost with a couple of night stays while trying it out.
Safe travels!
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