Although spending your vacations in an RV is considerably cheaper than staying at a hotel, it can still get pricey.
Especially if you’re traveling full-time or opting to stay on the road for extended periods.
Additionally, it’s time-consuming having to search for campsites that will accommodate your RV.
Sometimes you may find yourself checking into one, only to check out a few hours later because it wasn’t what you had in mind.
Fortunately, the RV community has long been offering different kinds of membership to various RV clubs.
On top of this support network, these days, more and more apps are appearing which help to make life on the road so much easier.
A quick Google search will reveal a host of RV clubs and RV-centric apps.
But to help you out even more, I’ve gathered some excellent examples of RV clubs and apps that will leave you wondering what you ever did without them.
RV Clubs And Memberships
RV clubs have much to offer the wandering nomad. But what seem to be on top of most people’s wish lists are discounts.
As I said above, RVing is generally cheaper than staying at a hotel, but it does get pricey once you factor in gas, maintenance, and insurance.
This is where RV clubs come in. Most of these clubs offer decent discounts when it comes to campsites—some may offer up to 50 percent off.
Additionally, there are clubs that offer you discounts on gas, roadside assistance, and much more. Let’s take a look.
#1. Good Sam RV Club
Good Sam RV club is probably one of the best clubs to join.
Good Sam has become an RV community with over one million members, mainly due to their many services.
Becoming a member of the Good Sam RV Club means your trip will surely be a breeze. Good Sam will do nearly everything for you.
They can plan your trip, including approximate estimations on fuel cost, route planning, rest stops, and RV services.
They work with more than 1,600 campsites in the US and Canada. As a member, you could get a 10 percent discount for overnight stays.
Good Sam can even help reduce car maintenance costs. Included in their membership package is RV assistance, such as emergency towing services—for both your RV and vehicle.
Additionally, they can provide you with full-coverage RV insurance, for both your camper and everything you’re towing along.
And, with an optional extended service plan, if your RV or vehicle breaks down, their travel benefits will help you on your way.
#2 RV Golf Club
If you enjoy a bit of luxury while on the road, this club is the one for you.
RV Golf Club has an amazing offer for their members—they get to park at many golf courses and resorts for free.
Now, don’t think this will only be at budget golf courses. Most of the locations available are stunning and you get to stay there free of charge (apart from your membership fee, of course).
That said, you won’t get to play golf for free. But most of the locations will give you a small discount. If you want to save some money on resorts and luxury, and you love golf, this is a great membership to have.
#3 Harvest Host
Harvest Host is not your everyday club.
They offer members a choice of more than 600 locations. These locations are listed as wineries and specialty farms, such as breweries, all across the US.
As a member, you get to stay at these locations for free. Just remember, please don’t drink and RV.
If you love getting close to nature, this is the club for you. Farm owners and brewery owners, among others, can list their property on the Harvest Club website. Then you can go online and plan your overnight stays. Easy peasy!
But just be aware that the club doesn’t offer any RV hookups or services. The locations are mostly private properties so you’ll have to boondock. Still, if you don’t mind this, it’s a lot of fun.
#4 Escapees
Escapees is more of a community than a club.
It’s excellent for both newbies and veteran RVers alike. Although a bit more expensive than the clubs above, it has a lot to offer.
This club has teamed up with several other RV clubs. Between them, they share discounts and benefits for their members.
For example, if you’re already a member of one of its partnering organizations, you can get a discount when joining Escapees.
The club offers discounts at over 1,000 campsites, including some rated as five stars. The minimum campground discount is 15 percent, which means you can save a lot.
However, make sure you check with the campground as to how many nights you can stay with the discount. Some may give you more than 20 days, while others could be less.
#5 Passport America
Passport America offers its members a decent discount of 50 percent off at more than 1,800 campgrounds.
Another benefit you’ll receive as a member is a price reduction when joining other clubs, some of which include Good Sam and Escapees.
That said, not all of the campgrounds offer discounts all year round. Some of them have restrictions, where you won’t get discounts during weekends and holidays, for example.
Fortunately, Passport America offers downloadable fact sheets, which cover these restrictions to help you plan ahead.
RV Travel Apps
Many of us RVers would say that the reason we’re camping is to escape from the daily onslaught of technology.
But let’s not fool ourselves too much!
Even when camping in the teardrop, we’d probably still bring our smartphones, loaded with apps, and that’s ok.
Technology has become a significant part of life and it’s hard to escape it completely.
So why not take some advantage of it instead? Here are some apps we think you’ll find useful while on the road.
#1 Camp & RV–AllStays
If you need some help finding your next overnight campground, this app will surely come in handy.
AllStays has one of the largest selections of campgrounds. In fact, there are a little over 30,000 on the books.
The app will also show you other possible stops, such as Walmart stores, truck stops, and overnight parking places.
The app is not cheap, but once you’ve purchased it, you get access to the listings, even while offline. It’s compatible with iOS and Android.
#2 RV Parky
If you don’t want to spend money on an app, an excellent alternative to AllStays is RV Parky.
This app is also a campground locator, as well as other on-road stops such as Walmart stores and truck stops. The listings here are not as extensive as AllStays, but considering the app is free, you get quite a lot.
#3 The Weather Channel
A weather app is probably one of the most underrated essentials.
Knowing how the weather will turn out can really be helpful when planning ahead.
There’s a large variety of weather apps, but the one that stood out for me was The Weather Channel.
The app is full of features and is 100 percent free. It will alert you of any sudden changes to the skies, or you can skip ahead and view the daily weather for the next 15 days.
And the last nifty feature I want to mention is the road checker. The app helpfully lets you view the condition of the roads on your course.
You can also get the Storm Radar app from them, if you want a more thorough forecast. This app will show you everything from temperatures to wind speed, and more.
It’s updated every six hours so you’ll know when it’s time to find a parking spot.
#4 State Lines
It’s always good to be two steps ahead, and with this app, you will be.
State Lines lets you in on invaluable information about state laws in the area you’re traveling in.
It will tell you about everything you need to know such as traffic laws, tax rates, rest area rules, smoking bans, and much more.
It’s not cheap, but it works even without an internet connection. It’s also pretty fun to use when you get a little bored on the road, not to mention it could save you from a fine or two.
#5 Google Photos
If you tend to take photos of everything you come across, Google Photos is a great way to store them all.
This app gives you unlimited space for the photos taken with your phone.
Additionally, it will organize and label your photos. Then later, when you’ve got some extra time, you can reorganize them into desired albums and share with friends and family.
It will keep your snaps safe and automatically upload them onto your cloud. But even if your cloud storage is full, it will just keep them backed up in the app. So don’t worry if your phone decides to take a swim in the lake.
The Road Ahead
Whether you’re looking to save money, become part of an RV community, or make your trip a little easier, technological solutions are aplenty.
Fortunately, RVers have found ways to co-operate and form clubs that offer all sorts of discounts and perks.
Alternatively, there are also several apps out there to help you make your trip a breeze.
Many will assist you in finding a campground, let you in on state laws, and give you a heads-up as to when you might encounter bad weather.
We hope that you enjoyed our list. Please feel free to mention your favorite apps and clubs down in the comments below.
And don’t forget to give us a like and share.