Thousand Trails Campground Membership...Show me the savings!

I'll admit it. I never thought I would ever buy a campground membership. For one we prefer to boondock as much as we can. We like more natural settings with fewer people and more space around us. To us spending $15-$20 a night is expensive as there are so many wonderful free options out there (more so on the West coast we found out this winter). The cost in the East is so prohibitive we weren't sure if we would ever be able to return to Florida again.

We have always preferred to camp off the beaten path. To follow a trail to an area where few people are and be surrounded by natural beauty instead of feeling like you are jammed into a parking lot. One of the main reasons solar is so important to us.

Since we sold our house rather quickly and jumped in, head over heels, into this full time life style we had little time to make a winters plan other then...we are heading to Florida! The last time we travelled to Florida the dollar was at par and we didn't notice a huge cost burden of staying in Florida. This year with our dollar being so horrible, and our last minute plans, I started booking sites to have a place to stay. I didn't want to get down here and not find a spot. I booked all our sites from Jan 25th until the end of march before leaving Canada.

At the Rally in February we met many families who belong to Thousand Trails.

We asked them about the pros and cons of joining Thousand Trails. There were way more pros then cons. Financial reasons was the main benefit we heard over and over again. The second highest ranked benefit was it allowed them to be near other fulltime families more often then not. This was a huge factor for us deciding to buy a zone pass. Our kids had so much fun meeting new friends at the rally we knew the friendship factor would be huge for us.

We read some blogs posts against it like this one. Don't let that one discourage you though...continue reading as THIS one may just put you over the edge in favour of buying into the Thousand Trails membership! Either way you have to decide what is important to your family and run with it!

There ARE huge savings to be had. Initially we were concerned if we would get our moneys worth since we are from Canada and can only stay 6 months of the year in the US. We literally paid for our two zone membership and still saved hundreds of dollars by cancelling bookings we already had and moving into the trails system over the next 5 weeks we had left to stay in the States. We will use it again next fall and will renew next Spring and maybe even upgrade as the savings is huge if you have to stay in regular camp grounds.

We bought a two zone pass with Florida Max attached (Florida Max included Bulow RV resort, Gulf View, Harbor Lakes, Lake Magic, Sunshine Travel and Winter Quarters Pasco as six extra resorts).

Our purchase gave us 23 South East Camp grounds plus the 6 max pass bonus and 18 camp grounds in the North West as we knew we were heading out West again in the fall. We also can switch our zone one time so after we return to Canada we will switch it to the South West Zone from the South East Zone so we can stay in California next Nov and December.

source HERE

Here is what we saved: (all dollar amounts in this post are in USD)

We cancelled one week at Fort De Soto when my daughter broke out in a rash, which refunded us $301 and moved to Peace River for two weeks which was FREE as we have 30 days included with our membership.

We saved 20% at our time we had already booked at Terra Ceia RV Park which was an Encore resort. We could now save 20% because we are trails members. So we paid $40.80 a night instead of $50 with fees and taxes of regular rate. Savings of $36.80.

We changed our month of March reservation at Pine Island RV Park which was $1293.15 for the month, We cut it back to one week so we wouldn't incur cancellation fees and still got 20% off as it was an Encore park. They credited back our credit card $953.05.

We spent two weeks at Punta Gorda RV park which was part of our Florida Max pass for FREE.

So savings wise instead of spending $2096 for Feb 20th to March 31st (basically 5 weeks of camping) we spent $604.95 for two zones and Florida Max pass plus$239.10 in other camping fees (negative refunds) for a total $844.05 which included the membership purchase.

Doing this still saved almost $1300 for 5 weeks of camping! Plus we still have it to use in the fall to drive down to California for Nov and Dec (we will do our one time zone switch), plus if we need it for Jan and Feb before having to renew, we have the potential to save $1000's more depending how much we use it. Since we have it I can see us using it for our 14 days in and then 7 out, over and over and over again...until we upgrade :) Now if only they would buy a few more parks in Ontario and BC and we would be all set!

So what do you think? Do you see the savings?

REVIEW Fort DeSoto Park, St Petersburg, Florida

Camping at this county park is very hard to get reservations for and now that we have been here I can see why.

Directions: Fort De Soto Park, 3500 Pinellas Bayway S, St Petersburg, FL 33715

From Tampa / St Petersburg
Take I-275 south. Take exit 17 onto Pinellas Bayway/FL 682 west.
After 3 miles turn left onto Pinellas Bayway (FL 679). Go 6.6 miles to park.

From Bradenton / Sarasota
Take I-275 north. Take exit 17 onto Pinellas Bayway/FL 682 west.
After 3 miles turn left onto Pinellas Bayway (FL 679). Go 6.6 miles to park.

Park Entry Fee (If NOT camping here): $5/Car for parking. If you enter by bike you do not have to pay this fee. Also if you have a disabled parking permit you do not need to pay the parking fee. If you are camping here you get a free parking pass at the rest of the park.

Our site 88. The only site available for our stay.

Value 3.5/5
We could only get a reservation in the pet area which is $5 more a night so we paid $43 roughly including the $3.50 winter fee. Fee sheet currently as of now can be found here.This is a bit pricey for us however it is an average fee for Florida we are finding.

Site Quality 4/5
Very flat site on crushed gravel. Water and electric hook ups at site. No sewer but a dump station is available inside the camp ground.

Facility Fun 4.5/5
This is a wonderfully natural park with lots to do if you love the outdoors. Kids can easily bike to a couple different play grounds. Bring a kayak and head on out or rent one from the park. There are trails for bike riding. The swimming beach is a 15 minute ish bike ride down the road, with other beaches further along as well. You can take your car and be at a beach in minutes. Fires are permitted in an on ground fire pit which is not provided. I believe you can rent fire rings from the camp store but we did not look into it. Providing a fire ring would have made this park a 5/5 in our book.

Natural Surrounding 4.5/5
This was a very natural setting camp ground. Even though our site was along the road it was well treed and very quiet. There were large trees which we put up our tree hugger straps and our hammocks. The only thing this camp ground was missing was the swimming element. You have to bike or drive to the beach as there is no swimming allowed from any of the sites including the water front sites.

Bathrooms 3.5/5
The bathrooms were clean but they were older. They are open air bathrooms so the floors can be hosed down and the drain runs along the outside of the building. There is also an open air area near ceiling for fresh air to circulate. We arrived the day before the hose down of the bathrooms and they looked just as clean as they did the day after the hose down. Showers only have double curtains. No doors.

Staff 5/5
The camp hosts present at our time of stay were very friendly. The front gate rangers were very friendly and helpful. We left this park a bit early as one of my girls broke out into a bit of a rash and her face started to swell a bit. The ranger suggested we could stop in at the fire station on our way out (or any fire station apparently) and they would give her a check over to make sure everything was OK. I just wanted to get her some Benedryl. The last time it happened we believe it was due to cedar smoke and we think either the palm trees or smoke from someone's fire was making her have a reaction again... long story short...the staff were great here!

Location 4/5
The location is beautiful but it is out of the way. We made the mistake of not hitting the grocery store before arriving and had to set up, leave and go out again another 20 minutes each way to the grocery store. Not to mention we had to pay another $1.25 in tolls after paying $3.75 in tolls with the trailer attached to even get to the park...so be sure to get all your supplies before heading to this park. Otherwise the natural location of this park is wonderful.

Overal 4/5
I absolutely loved this park and could have stayed longer. I loved the natural setting and the spacey sites so you didn't feel like you were sitting in your neighbours laps. My girls were a bit bored at times as the few kids they saw here were not as free to play as the families were at the rally so it took them some adjusting to playing a lone or together again. They got in lots of bike riding, and they were allowed to ride their motorized jeep around this park. There were lots of lizards to catch and observe so they had fun! They would have preferred to have a beach or pool we could walk to but other then that they spent a lot of time at the playgrounds. 

Camp ground map

Water front pet site

Open air concept bathrooms. One washer and dryer at entrance.
Cost $1.75 wash and $1.75 dry.

Dog bags provided in dog walk areas

Playground in the pet friendly part of park

Water front in NON pet side of park

Playground in NON pet side of park

One of our hammocks set up in the back of our site.

Lots of wildlife to be seen

See our time spent at East beach HERE, North beach HERE and at the Fort and Pier HERE.

Fun at Fort De Soto Campground

First off I must say I LoVed our time at Fort De Soto Park Campground. I was fortunate enough to get a reservation here last minute. Someone's cancellation I surmise as everyone says this park is extremely hard to get a reservation for and I spent all day clicking and re-clicking to get in.

We were in site #88 in the pet friendly side of the park. We have no pets but I took whatever space became available to get in. This site was along the road side but it was still pretty quiet as the only traffic going by was park traffic. Considering the toll to get here with the camper is $3.75 ($1.25 without the camper, people only come here to visit the park which does have a parking fee of $5.

Before Ian and I had the camper set up the girls had already found some lizards.

 Every where we go Sierra catches lizards(or frogs and toads) to observe for an afternoon or two, and then we let them go.

 Once in awhile they surprise her...as this one jumps into her hair.

Aayla likes the lizards too but not nearly as much as Sierra. Sierra is a true animal lover. Aayla carefully holding the lizards before letting them go the next morning.

We couldn't find any food to catch them and we never want to harm any of the creatures they catch to observe. This is a learning activity for us and we always respect the wildlife.

This camp ground was so peaceful. We loved that we had an area behind our site where we could put up the hammocks with our tree hugger straps. Both girls spent a lot of time in the hammocks.

We spent a lot of time bike riding here too. The roads were all gravel but well maintained and easy to ride on.

There were two great playgrounds. This one on the pet side,

And this one on the non pet side.

There were lots of trees to climb and natural beauty everywhere you look.

Some site had water views. I would love to try to get a water view site. They were about $5 more a night but well worth it in my opinion.

Inlet View

Ocean side view

All this and we haven't even left the camp ground yet...there's more to come!

REVIEW Lazydays RV Resort, Seffner, Florida

When we attended the Fulltime Families Rally, it was hosted at Lazydays Rv Resort in Seffner, Florida (6130 Lazy Days Blvd, Seffner, Florida, 33584) A very nice RV park but a bit pricey for our liking. However we received Rally rates which made it way more affordable.

Value 2.5/5
The Rally rate was $37.99 plus tax for a total of $42.55 a night.To us this is on the expensive side. We prefer to camp for free (or close to free... not just to be cheap but usually our free camping spots are amazing). Florida however makes that difficult and the average rate here seems to be between $40-$50 a night. One note to consider is with your paid site here you get two breakfast and two lunch tickets. Currently the non Rally rate for Feb is $48.99 plus tax and the weekend of the Rally was the State fair so it normally would have been $60.99 plus tax a night...and that I find very expensive.

Site Quality 4/5
We were in site 273 in "Rally alley". It was a paved site, very level with full hook ups. The sites weren't huge but they had a fair amount of room on each lot. There was room for your awning to be out and still have space between the next site. Ours had a small tree by the road.

Facility Fun 4.5/5
This resort had quite a lot to offer. There was a large playground, open field space to play with a gazebo. There were tennis courts, basketball nets, a heated pool and hot tub. There was also a free trolley ride that took you over to your free breakfast and lunches over at the RV dealership. Aayla in particular thought this Trolley ride was lots of fun. Especially when they let her ring the trolley bell.

Natural Surroundings 2/5
Although there were a few trees around the resort and grass around the pads I wouldn't say it had a very natural setting. It was very well manicured and taken care of though.There were no trails or pathways to walk besides the roadways.

Bathrooms 4.5/5
The bathrooms I went in were very clean and maintained.

Staff 4/5
In person the staff were very friendly and helpful. Over the phone I did have a few instances where the person on the phone had no idea what they were talking about. I had to call in about three times to figure out my space and my rally rate. In doing so when I showed up to the resort I actually had two reservations. One with a rally rate and one without. Better to have two then none I guess. The front desk staff was very helpful in figuring out the situation and extending my rally rate for the days we were staying before the rally started since I was only booked in three days for the rally but we were staying five. It was all worked out in the end. Lazydays rally manager was fantastic as well. He worked his butt off to make everyone happy as there were a couple rally's happening at the same time.

Location 4/5
To be honest we were so busy at the rally that we didn't explore much at all nearby. I do know it was close enough to Tampa to explore and there is so much there available to do.

Overall 4/5
Even though this parks normal rate is pricey for us, the rally rate made it more affordable. It was a great place for a rally, very clean, lots to keep the kids busy, the cul de sac was a great place which we took over so the kids could basically run and play. There is free wifi here. However our site had bad reception from inside the trailer. I had to walk out to the roadway and could get service there. I would come back here again for another rally but I would not come back to pay regular rates. The breakfast and lunch tickets were wonderful (and the food was good). Do take note that you get two per site per day per breakfast/lunch meal so if you have kids then you will need to buy their meals or do as we did and save them up to go together on a couple days instead of everyday. There is on site laundry and a small doggy playground for those of you with pets.

Resort Map

Our site 273

Playground and gazebo beside the tennis courts and grass yard

The covered pool area. Hot tub is to the left in the corner.

The rally building with tables and group campfire outside

The Trolley to take you to the RV store and your free meals

The site sizes did not take into account your trucks so there
were quite a few trucks parked up and down the roadways
 to make it a bit tight at times. Occasionally people would have
to move a truck to get into their sites but everyone was awesome!

Rock Crusher Canyon RV Park REVIEW, Crystal River, Florida

I did a past review of Rock Crusher Canyon RV Resort  HERE the last time we were here so I am not going to redo a full review this time as our opinion has not changed about this park. I will just touch on a few things I didn't talk much about in my last review.

Since our last visit this park has changed ownership and is now part of Sun Resorts. We found the small time feel of the park had changed a little and wasn't as warm feeling as before but it still is a wonderful place to stay and I have nothing bad to say about this park.

This time we were on site 106 which is in the back of the park and even though we were fairly close to the road we didn't take much notice of that fact. Our site was large and had a very natural setting. The site did slope a bit from the road but our "driveway"type pad was very level. All hook ups were easy and well maintained. Lots of large tree around.

This time we found horsehoes, shuffleboard and a dog run up behind the playground. I do not know if these were new since we were last here or if we just missed them our first visit.

The pool was heated and a nice enough temperature for me to even get in.

 Recently they added all new chairs around the pool area.

One nice change from our last visit is the hot tub was no longer 16 plus... younger children could use it with adult supervision. This made my girls very happy. The only thing we noticed this time missing was there are no showers by the pool. Obviously these were not here the last time either but for some reason it struck me as odd this time. There is a shower in the pool area but that is more of a "please shower before entering the pool" type shower. Leaving the pool to go to the bathhouse to have a shower seemed a little silly.

The playground still is in like new condition and had some nice new picnic tables near by.

The laundry room by the pool with washers and dryers for $1.50 per load.

There was another bathhouse with wash rooms, showers and laundry in it.

This park is very family friendly. The girls loved riding their bikes all over the park.

 

They were also allowed to ride their jeep here which made them very happy campers. We will definitely be back here again. Hopefully next time we will have a kayak or two to enjoy the springs with.

One last little tid-bit about the area is we found a BEACH! That was the only thing from our last review that we thought was missing.