RV MEMBERSHIPS: WORTH IT OR WORTHLESS?

Our family has several memberships, but we haven’t purchased them all.  Seasoned RVers will have their favorites, and we asked a lot of questions.  We even joined a Facebook group dedicated to sharing the “good, bad, and the ugly” about Thousand Trails memberships.  We won’t go in depth on all of the memberships out there and how they can benefit; instead, we’ll explain the types of memberships we have and how they benefit us on our road life.
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Our very first Harvest Host stay!

-Harvest Hosts: This membership is $99-$139 per year, and gives its members access to a database of “hosts” who will permit you to park at their location for a night.  Most of the time this is a boondocking arrangement; hookups are rarely provided.  These hosts may be farms, museums, wineries, or, for the upgraded membership, golf courses.  We have used our membership many times and have always enjoyed our stays with our hosts.
-FMCA: This stands for Family Motor Coach Association, and our membership offers a variety of services, including internet, training, and emergency services.  
-KOA: Our Kampgrounds of America rewards program earns us points every time we stay at a KOA as well as discounts on nightly rates.  There are thousands of KOA campgrounds around the country, and while we didn’t expect to stay at KOAs as often as we have, we have found them to be consistently enjoyable stays.
-Good Sam: Our Good Sam membership came with our RV purchase, and we have enjoyed discounts at Camping World as well as various campgrounds around the country.  We haven’t used this membership as much as we thought we would, and we aren’t sure we will pay for it when our current membership expires.
-The Dyrt: We *accidentally* paid for a premium membership because I forgot to cancel before the free trial expired.  However, we use this membership regularly.  The Dyrt offers reviews and contact information for most campgrounds. We have found most reviews to be accurate and insightful.  I uploaded reviews and photos and earned six more months of premium membership!
We have not purchased a Thousand Trails membership, primarily because it was not financially expedient for our family.  We enjoy boondocking, and Thousand Trails offers campground stays to its members on an intermittent basis; its members are allowed to stay for “free” for a certain number of nights before they have to leave and stay elsewhere.  “Free” does not mean completely free—memberships can cost more per month than we have paid for month-long stays at campgrounds.  Nevertheless, for RVers who do not plan to boondock, this membership could be beneficial in many ways.
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Looking for more information about the RV life?  We discuss memberships and more in our course for RVers.  Check it out here!