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If you are a frequent RV camper or a full-time RVer, you’ve probably wondered, “Is Thousand Trails Worth It?”
I have been an elite Thousand Trails member since 2020, and I have run the numbers. Based on my calculations, Thousand Trails is a good financial decision. We have saved over $7,000 in just 5 years. We would have saved even more if we had upgraded our membership a few years earlier.
Keep reading to see the exact breakdown of how we saved over $7,000 with our Thousand Trails RV camping membership.
Contents
Is Thousand Trails Worth It?
Summary
Between free campsite stays and complimentary cabin rentals, our Thousand Trails membership has saved us $7,449 over a 5 year period.
Value of Free Thousand Trails RV Campsites
| Year | Fees Paid | No. of Nights at TT | Value of TT Stays | Net Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $7,418 | 59 | $2,655 | -$4,763 |
| 2021 | $915 | 119 | $5,355 | $4,400 |
| 2022 | $925 | 78 | $3,510 | $2,585 |
| 2023 | $1,049 | 21 | $945 | -$104 |
| 2024 | $1,105 | 101 | $4,545 | $3,441 |
| Total | $11,411 | 378 | $17,010 | $5,599 |
In order to calculate whether or not our Thousand Trails membership was worth it, I looked at what we paid vs. the number of nights we camped at Thousand Trails campgrounds.
When we camp outside of Thousand Trails, the average rate we pay is $45 per night. Therefore, that is the value I assigned to each free night camping at Thousand Trails campgrounds.
We signed up for our upgraded membership in February 2020, so I have broken down our RV camping savings by year.
In 2020, we paid a one time fee of $6495 for our Elite Basic Membership. After that initial fee, we only pay annual dues. Annual dues consist of a maintenance fee and payment for our Trails Collection add-on. These fees are currently about $1000 per year.
Now that we have more than paid for our initial membership fee, we only need to camp at Thousand Trails RV parks for about 20 nights per year to cover our annual dues. Anything over that is truly free camping!
Other Benefits
In addition to taking advantage of free camping, our Thousand Trails membership has saved us money in other ways.
Our membership came with free weekly cabin rentals for the first 5 years of our membership. We actually used this benefit twice. At the campground in Texas where we stayed, these cabins typically rent for $925 per week, so that is another $1850 in savings.
How We Could Have Saved More
While $7500 is a great amount of money to save over 5 years, we definitely could have utilized our membership more to maximize our savings.
In 2023, we only camped at Thousand Trails for 21 nights of the year. This is because we chose to stay close to family at a private campground during the winter and we had a free workamping site during the summer.
However, even with only three weeks at Thousand Trails, we basically broke even for the year.
During our first 5 years of membership, we also only used 2 of our 5 free cabin rentals, which are worth a significant amount of money.
The biggest way we could have saved more is by buying our membership earlier. We started full-time RVing in 2016. If we had purchased our membership then, we would have paid less and saved thousands of extra dollars in nightly camping fees.
We could also use our membership more. Our Elite Basic membership allows us to move from park to park, so technically we could stay at Thousand Trails campgrounds for 365 nights a year, which would be equivalent to over $16,000 in savings!
Is Thousand Trails Worth It in 2025?
While it is clear that our Thousand Trails membership has paid for itself, is Thousand Trails still worth it in 2025?
As of this year, Thousand Trails no longer sells lifetime memberships like the one we purchased back in 2020. Instead, they now offer 2 and 4-year enhanced memberships.
The most of affordable of these enhanced memberships is the Journey options which cost $4000 for a two-year term. This membership can also be paid as $500 down and monthly payments of $146.
Assuming the value of a campsite is $45 per night, campers would need to spend 89 nights or 13 weeks at Thousand Trails campgrounds in the 2-year period to break even. Therefore, this membership is probable only a good value for full-time RVers or frequent campers who are traveling in areas with Thousand Trails campgrounds.
RVers who only camp seasonally can still save money with a Thousand Trails Zone Pass, which is only $755 per year. Click here to learn about all the current membership options.
Also, it may be possible to buy an enhanced membership during a sale so you pay less upfront.
Want to save even more money on your RV camping trips?
Check out our guide to cheap RV camping and our guide to the best RV discount clubs.
Happy Camping!
Christina Pate is a seasoned full-time RVer who, along with her husband Justin, has journeyed across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Drawing from her extensive travels, RV repairs and RV renovations, she founded Travels with Ted to guide and inspire fellow RV enthusiasts. Christina is also the co-author of The Owner’s Guide to RV Maintenance and the creator of My RV Log Book.
