How many are SKP'S

[dersequim]

Just a question, since I got my Escapees Magazine today?

[vickster]

What is a SKP's? Guess I am not one since I don't know what it is.

[vickster]

Duh! Never mind, just figured it out -- SKP is shorthand for Escapee.

(Only took me six minutes to figure out!)

[DHenry]

I was thinking the same as you vickster. "What is a SKP?. So you must know I am not one either.

[Glenn and Lorraine]

Escapees is primarily a fulltimers RV club. Clic on the link to find more info.

dersequim, we were members but did not renew this year as we never used them. Will probably rejoin next summer as we get back on the road. Thinking of changing our residence to Texas. At that time we may start using all their services.

[sreigle]

We are not Escapees members but plan on joining before the end of the year. We will take advantage of the rv park discounts but will continue our South Dakota residency.

[Northstar]

Thanks for the neat info. Happyrving....

[stiles watson]

Visited their headquarters, Rainbows End, in Livingston, TX, three weeks ago. A lot of RVers were there for their October Fest. They seemed like a very nice group of folks. We joined. Just a hint, if you join Camping World's Presidents Club first, there is a discount coupon in their kit for joining SKP's. Of course, we saw it AFTER we had joined.

[sreigle]

Thanks, Stiles, for that info. We are PA members but I'll have to go look for that coupon. Didn't know about it. Thanks.

[tbhd]

Just a funny story---The first SKP's member we met at a campground was a retired prison guard so we throught at first the SKP's were a camping group of corrections employees (or possibly ex-cons living on the road). Ha ha ha

[joand]

We are Escapees members. Went to their fall rally (called an Escapade) at Goshen, IN this Sept. and loved it. They are a really neat group of people from the experience we've had so far.

[mobilrvn]

We have been SKPs for almost 12 yrs and feel that we get our money's worth. It allows us to be TX residents (no state income tax) without having to live in TX. It is what I'd call a "blue collar" RV club with the main emphasis on full-timing or full-timer want-a-bes, but that is not a requirement. For us, their best "product" is their mail forwarding service which is reasonable and very good---they even have their own ZIP code. SKP stands for Support, Knowledge and Parking. Active membership is about 34,000 families. They have a bi-monthly information packed magazine. Twice a yr they have an Escapade one in the west in the spring and one in the mid-west in the fall. The Escapades are full of seminars and fun---a great start for someone thinking about adopting the fulltime RV lifestyle or who wants to get the most out of RVing. Additionally there are 11 SKP co-op campgrounds and 8 other campgrounds owned by the club. For those who have medical problems, they have a CARE center at the headquarters in Livingston, TX. Most RV magazines will have an ad for the Escapees in their classified section. This is a great organization for every RVer and now the club has started lobbying for various RVers rights and protections which are critical for all of us, full-timer or weekender.

[patodonn]

Good organization. We were members but recently discontinued the membership because we don't need/use any of their services at the present. If we relocate to TX, or some other factor more aligned to their services, we would rejoin, anytime.

[bob n pam]

Hi. We're SKP's (members of Escapees) and have found it to be useful in terms of campground discounts, staying at SKP parks and enjoyable in terms of meeting other SKP's here and there. We chose South Dakota over Texas for permananet residency, but that was a personal preference. We know many folks who use the Escapee mail service and are quite happy with it.

[sreigle]

Hi mobilrvn. Thanks for an excellent post. Vicki just read me another of your posts, in another thread, also excellent.

We're fulltiming but chose South Dakota as our official residence. Nevertheless, we plan to join Escapees by end of this year. We'll not take advantage of their mail forwarding or residency since we already have that but we will take advantage of their campground discounts. Just wanted to say that even for those who chose other than Texas as their residence, there appears to be a good advantage with these discounts. It might not be cost effective for part-timers but I think it will be a good value for us. Along with Passport America and Good Sam. (we're not renewing our KOA membership; used it just once this year).

--edited-- Just wanted to comment we joined Escapees yesterday and have had several emails back and forth with them. I'm very impressed with the quick replies, the helpful attitude, and getting a real person on the other end. Very nice people.

[HamRad]

We've been members for a couple of years. Great group. We've stayed at 3 of their RV parks. They are some of the nicest parks we've seen. Attended the Escapade in Goshen this year. It was our first. We plan to attend the Escapade in Imperial, CA in March of 2005.

HamRad

[Bowie]

Escapee wannabees. Have researched carefully and know many who are. It's in our plans.

[8.1al]

We have been SKP's for several years and will continue . They do a lot of lobbying for the RVers and can use all our support.

[Gypsy]

I joined Escapees 2 years ago, about 3 months before becoming a full-time RVer. I've attended 2 Spring Escapades and 1 Fall Escapade (in Sept, just before the MOC Rally). As a Solo RVer, I've also enjoyed attending the Solos BOF (Birds of a Feather) pre-Escapades the week before Escapade. It's been fun to meet others who travel alone and trade tips about how to manage the lifestyle in order to get the most out of it. I'm now getting involved with another BOF called Boomers (for Baby Boomers, or people who think young and don't get hung up on rules and regulations). I'll be joining them in Quartzsite in January for a boondocking "Boomerang." All the BOFs and regional chapters can be found on the web site (www.escapees.com). Since I travel all over the lower 48 States, I haven't joined a regional chapter. However, whenever I encounter one I'm always welcomed to participate in their social events.

For me, the camaraderie among people is the best benefit of membership. Whenever I see a SKP emblem on an RV in a campground, I know I'll find friendly and supportive people inside. I've also stayed at a few of the SKP coops, where I instantly felt like part of the family. When I hear people say they've dropped their membership because they didn't use the discounts or mail service, I think to myself, "They're missing out on the best part - the people contacts and resulting friendships that develop, which can enrich their RV experience for years to come."

The Escapees Club is unlike any other in that it's not just about discounts or an RV park system. It's so much more, and I hope anyone interested will check out the web site, explore the various BOFs that might match your hobbies, lifestyle, etc., and request an information packet including a sample of the excellent magazine. There's also an online forum, similar to this one but not focused on any manufacturer or type of RV, where you can find discussions and tips on just about any topic related to RVing.

I'll be happy to respond privately to anyone interested in knowing more about Escapees - just send me an email. And I hope to see all you other SKP's at the Spring Escapade in Imperial, CA March 20-25. I'll be looking for Special Hugs with you!

Sharon McKay
SKP #78639

P.S. Welcome, Steve and Vicki! Glad to hear you've joined.

[sreigle]

Just received our Escapees "packet" in the mail today and have some questions for you experienced Escapee-ers. I figured out that the discount parks offer a discount on their rates. That one's a no-brainer. The others probably are, too, but I'm not as sure about them. The Rainbow parks and Co-op parks have some special sites and features for those who want a home base. But how do those work for those of us who are just traveling through the areas? I think it's saying they all have room for us but I'm not real sure. I don't want to count on a park, then get there and find out I didn't understand. Can anyone explain this a bit. I'm just interested in staying anywhere from overnight to maybe a month or two at most and how the discounts apply, and to which parks. Thanks.