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12-12-2007, 02:20 PM
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#1
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Ronan
Posts: 385
M.O.C. #7615
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Passport America
Does anyone belong to Passport America, what are the pros and cons about it.
With AAA and Good Sam Club it's tough to figure out which one or 2 would be the best.
any comments out there
Allen
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12-12-2007, 02:28 PM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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We have it..we use it when we can... The pro's are it is 50% off for a member campground. Cons are there are nice ones and not so nice ones. We also have good Sams..There are more of them but much less discount. We always look for PA Campgrounds first. At 50% off it does not take many stays for the membership to pay for itself.
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12-12-2007, 03:18 PM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Land O Lakes
Posts: 2,751
M.O.C. #7753
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We have Passport and Rich is right, some good some stinkers. But two stays pay for the membership. The difference between the Passport and most of the others is the difference between 10% and 50%. Passport parks in Fla. during winter season have a lot of restrictions. Some don't even take passport during the season. Most that do take it during the season restrict you to one to three days. Other than that we are very happy with our membership. We also have Good Sam, Escapee, AAA, AARP and the National park pass. We went nuts last year when we first got on the road but they have all paid for themselves. Most times you have to ask if they accept any of the discount memberships. Some staff will ask but I always ask... Dave and Betsy
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12-12-2007, 03:26 PM
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#4
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: South
Posts: 2,499
M.O.C. #5140
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What Rich and Dave said. We bought a 3 year membership and have already saved more than 6 times what we paid for it in less than 6 months. As an example, we stayed a week in New Orleans for just $25/night; we and Rich & Helen stayed in a CG outside of Colorado Springs for a week for 1/2 off; etc., etc. A couple of places we were put in the "Back 40" with crappy power, but this has been rare.
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12-12-2007, 03:29 PM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Georgetown
Posts: 1,411
M.O.C. #956
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We are presently in a PA park in Indio, CA. We saved $140 this week and it is a very nice park. Indian Wells Carefree park. They do not honor PA in Jan/FEb/March. Otherwise it is a great place to stay.
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12-12-2007, 04:22 PM
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#6
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Kettle Falls
Posts: 400
M.O.C. #6321
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Have it and use it when we can. As others have said, some good parks some moderate parks. We used it more while we were on the East coast as we were around more parks that took it. We stayed at a great park in Penna. cost $17 a night, other parks ran as low as $12 and as high as $18 a night. We got our money back from a two year membership in the first month. By the way in all the places we stayed in an 8800 mile trip the worst was a KOA it made the worst PA park seem great. If you are going to be on the road full time or long time you might want to also look into Escapees.
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12-13-2007, 01:15 AM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Texas City
Posts: 5,736
M.O.C. #7673
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We use Passport. Like mentioned above, we don't like some of the restrictions during "prime time," but I'm sure we'll live with it. Our first use was at River Valley Campground in October. It's an off month and we had the 50% off. Seven days cost $120 with PA. we had a friend join. They stayed 4 nights and got back what it cost to join in the 50% reduction. As some of the other clubs do, PA provides you with a list of all their participating park, and their restrictions on CD, plus they have on-line listings and corrections. If you get someone to join, you get your next year membership free - so they say.
Edited comment: p.s., if you are going to join, let me know and I'll provide you with my membership number for that free year. :-) :-)
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12-13-2007, 01:24 AM
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#8
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Fernandina Beach
Posts: 311
M.O.C. #7870
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Ditto....Best PA deal we got was $6.00 for an overnight in New Mexico.
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12-13-2007, 02:29 AM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Clearwater
Posts: 10,917
M.O.C. #420
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The above replies just about answers your questions so I thought I would add a few comments on how to save on some of those rates.
I would strongly suggest joining Passport America. Passport America member parks will give a 50% discount on their nightly rates. Each park has it's own conditions/restrictions as to when and for how long the discount applies. These conditions can be found on either the Passport America website or in the Book you will get as a member. The cost to join is $44 per year but you can make that up the first week you are out camping. The second campground we stayed at after joining charged $40 per night, we stayed 4 nights at $20 per night. You do the math. Last spring we spent 6 nights at Elite Resorts near Ocala, Florida. The parks rate was $32.00 a night, we paid $16.00 dollars a night. That was a savings of $96.00.
If you do decide to join please reference the following number as it will get me a discount off of next years dues. # CW335639
Email me or send a Private Message if you would care for additional info.
The Good Sam Club is another good club. Good Sam members get a 10% discount at participating camps and Good Sam has other worth while programs you can join.
As far as AAA, many of us have dropped AAA for road service and bought the Good Sam Emergency Road Service. Where Good Sam ERS was used you very rarely here any complaints. Not always the case with AAA. In dropping our AAA membership we also lose any AAA discounts BUT if they give a 10% AAA discount they also will give a 10% discount on any or all of the following. Good Sam, AARP or Senior Citizen
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12-13-2007, 02:29 AM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Bum F Egypt
Posts: 979
M.O.C. #2733
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To go along with the other you need to us a good CG referance guide. The MOC has a good one on this site and I use Open Road Forum to grade CGs along with campgroundreviews.com.
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12-13-2007, 02:33 AM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Texas City
Posts: 5,736
M.O.C. #7673
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Aw Glenn! If I had not been so lazy to not walk to the bedroom to look at my PA Card, I would have listed my number first!!!! :-) LOL
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12-13-2007, 04:40 AM
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#12
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Fallon
Posts: 6,064
M.O.C. #1989
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Or ours. It is in the truck and too cold to go out there. We use when we can and always get our money's worth. We did a 3 year this time which also saves some dough. We've stayed at a couple of CG that honored the PA price for more than the 2 or 3 nights.
Happy trails.....................
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12-13-2007, 08:54 AM
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#13
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Kville
Posts: 2,865
M.O.C. #7871
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The bottom line to PA is that it is very restrictive, but offers huge discounts. If you stay for just a few days at one PA CG, it usually pays for the annual membership.
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12-13-2007, 02:02 PM
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#14
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Montana Master
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Delaware
Posts: 504
M.O.C. #5841
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We agree with everything above posters have said. We used PA while in Branson for the entire stay at Ozark Country. However, we have found that this seems to be the exception.(no restrictions or limits, I mean) The restrictions are listed in the book that you get when you enroll. We just signed up for another 3 years with them.
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12-13-2007, 04:52 PM
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#15
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: South
Posts: 2,499
M.O.C. #5140
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Okay, I have to tell you about a deal we got in Texas. We were just driving through and when we got tired, we started looking for a CG. Found one and pulled in. Didn't know what the rates were; didn't care, either.
It was after business hours and the instructions directed me to either put my money in a provided envelope OR wait for the CG manager to find me. I chose the latter, because I always want to inquire about discounts; at the very least we get Good Sam.
So, the CG manager finds me barbecuing and asks me for my money - she was VERY nice, by the way. She told me the rate was $29 per night. I asked about discounts and she asked if we were GS or PA. I responded with PA. She said the price was now $14.50. I said no problem and opened my wallet to give her the cash. She saw my badge and said the price for a night was now just $9.00. I said "thanks" and gave her a $10 bill and told her to apply the change to their club fund. She did, but in return gave me a stack of coupons that we actually used that saved us another $50! So, that night cost us MINUS $40.
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12-14-2007, 01:18 PM
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#16
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oceanside
Posts: 20,028
M.O.C. #20
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Passport America does not own any rv parks. They list parks in their directory in return for the 50% discount on daily rates, subject to restrictions. Therefore, there are good ones and not so good ones. I usually check the PA directory, then check that park's ratings in the Trailer Life directory.
We just spent five nights in a PA park in Elephant Butte, NM. This is a very nice park (Lakeside RV Park). With tax, the daily rate is 38.04. We paid 19.02 for each night. This park will give the PA rate for as many nights as you want to stay. Of course, the normal monthly rate beats the PA rate, which is only discounted on the daily rate. We usually recoup our membership cost in three or four nights stay, sometimes fewer. We've been members since 2003 and will continue this membership.
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12-15-2007, 01:07 PM
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#17
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Casa Grande
Posts: 5,369
M.O.C. #6333
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We started RVing in June of this year and after joining Good Sam, PA and Escapees (SKP), we have recouped our money on Good Sam and PA. Don't believe we have stayed at an SKP park yet, but will this summer. Will we rejoin, you betcha!!!!
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12-16-2007, 02:56 AM
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#18
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Marinette
Posts: 238
M.O.C. #735
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We do what Steve Reigle does. PA first then check Trailer Life. We have saved a bundle over the last few years. Would recommend PA to anybody. It's GREAT!!!!!
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12-16-2007, 04:53 AM
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#19
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Clearwater
Posts: 10,917
M.O.C. #420
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I do use the book that comes with the membership but not near as often as the Passport America website. I use the website because the book is printed but once a year and the website is kept updated on a very regular basis.
Unlike the book you will find NEW campgrounds that just joined Passport. There was a couple instances where the book showed no listing for a particular area or only a few listings and the website showed a NEW listing that we were able to take advantage of. Some of the very new members can be very appreciative of getting that first Passport America guest.
Also if a campground drops out of Passport you won't find that in the book until the next printing. The website will have that info on the next update.
And I reinforce exactly what Steve said "there are good ones and not so good ones" and you will find this with Good Sam, Escapees, and all the other membership clubs. Here in Largo there is one of those higher priced club membership campgrounds, forgot the club name maybe boylanag can refresh me. The place is terrible. The grounds are about as run down as they come, Huge tree roots sticking out of the ground making it near impossible to get a good level and you can forget about any kind of patio. The other full time residents are not all that friendly either.
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12-16-2007, 05:33 AM
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#20
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Grand Blanc
Posts: 2,508
M.O.C. #5965
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Glenn, it is Vacation Village, a Coast to Coast and Encore park.
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