Thousand Trails - champaign taste beer budget

[offroad]

So was reading some very aggressive reviews on Google about ST CLAIR campground (Michigan boarder town to Canada) in the TT system.  Almost turned me off from going.  Made contact with someone who went this week, and found that it is no worse than any other campground, per pictures and discussion.  Seems that am seeing a lot of crazy extreme rant troll reviews.  People have this super high expectation level of campgrounds, and the TT system in particular when the label of RESORT is put up.  Here are my thoughts from reading into and interpreting reviews and discussions.

1)  These campgrounds are acquired as a bargain, and managed to be as low cost to a corporate group as possible.  Low costs means there is not a lot of expenses that are being worked.  Might be a problem child campground in a less desirable area.

2)   Older campgrounds are designed for 25 foot or less length RV with 30A maximum, and 5000 pound weight, and electric only.  Think state park historic campground 30 years ago.  ****  The RV manufacturers are selling 40 foot plus 10000 pound RV as the normal size with 50A (actually its two 50 amp circuits on many), two or three slides, full hook ups, and expecting a campground to work. TT campgrounds have not caught up in any way.  You are lucky and should be appreciative of that perfect full hook up site.   You cant get the 10000 pound 40 footers into most state and national parks either.

3)  Am going to need to ignore literally half the reviews, and adjust my expectations to be the same as a low budget state park.  If the bathroom is clean, and the space is not too tight, then we are good for a single week.  If you can do more than a week (because its nice) then you should count your lucky stars.

4)  Be kind to your neighbors camping nearby and ask them to let you know of any risk of theft or vandalism.  Most concerned about nearby kids misbehaving.  There are 80% permanent seasonal campers there at many TT campgrounds; so it may be a different mind set on camping. 

 

at least on the Facebook reviews you can reach out to folks and ask them kind and polite attitude questions, as there is a way to interface.  Else anonymous reviews can be very biases with only troll (mean) or princess (too high expectations) types bothering to post. 

 

[TXiceman]

There is always a negative review or tow for most campgrounds.  It is usually something minor such as:

They arrived 10 minutes after the office closed and they are upset no one was there to escort them to the site.

Or the laundry only had 2 machines and both were in use.

Or the showers were wet

or the campsite was covered in leaves in October.

or the campground had puddles after a monster rain.

So you have to dismiss a couple of the poor ratings and look at the people that were happy with the site.

Happy camping.

Ken

[GR "Scott" Cundiff]

I've noticed that the negative Thousand Trails reviews on rvparkreviews are quite often from public users rather than members.  The public pays a pretty high rate to use the campgrounds.  If I paid $70 a night for a campground I would expect it to be a pretty nice campground.  

I confess that I hold TT to a bit lower standard than I do a private campground that I pick along the way.  I am staying for a bargain price and that colors my expectations a bit.

[richfaa]

We do not belong to TT for many of the reasons you mention as we have a 40 Foot 5th wheel 4 slides  50 amp service. We understood what Most TT offered  and what our personal needs were. We have may friends that use TT  and are happy with the service  and the camp grounds. We may read campground reviews but  do not use them as the determining factor for any campground.

[dirtyboots]

Reviews from people you don't know is always a gamble.  Even with Amazon, you have to throw out many of them, top and bottom - at least I do.  It's not just Thousand Trails.  This summer I was told not to ever stop, fuel up, or, heaven forbid, stay at a campground in a particular town in Montana.  2 different people in 2 different states told me the same thing!  The on-line reviews were pretty much a mixed bag, but it fit my schedule and I made a reservation a couple days before arriving for one night before crossing the border into Canada.  To my surprise it was easy to find, the office help was wonderful - and when there was a small problem she corrected it immediately and we were all happy!  I saw people come in without reservations and the office gal found them a space that wasn't really a space, just to help them out.  By dark, the place was brim full of happy campers.  This wasn't advertised as a 'resort', it was a place to stay for the night and it worked.

TXiceman made me chuckle and I have thought the same thing about some reviews.  There are campgrounds that deserve negative reviews but it's all objective. 

[Bill Joyce]

We enjoyed staying at St. Clair last September.  Since we do not need satellite access, ie a clear view of the sky, we had a nice 50AMP pull thru in the woods that easily fit our 40' motorhome and tow car.  

But what I tell people about membership campgrounds, be it Thousand Trails or something affiliated with Coast to Coast, RPI, AOR or ROD, is to expect a tight 30AMP water and electric campsite with weak voltage and no cell phone service or free wifi.  If you get better, be happy.  If you insist on 50AMP full hookups with good cell phone reception and free wifi, membership campgrounds are not for you even if they call themselves a resort.

[Barbaraok]

Bill’s description is spot on.  So why do we use them, because we save money, a lot of money, in them.  And we know that we will need to be careful and move to different spot if we need to.  

[GR "Scott" Cundiff]

5 hours ago, Bill Joyce said:

We enjoyed staying at St. Clair last September.  Since we do not need satellite access, ie a clear view of the sky, we had a nice 50AMP pull thru in the woods that easily fit our 40' motorhome and tow car.  

But what I tell people about membership campgrounds, be it Thousand Trails or something affiliated with Coast to Coast, RPI, AOR or ROD, is to expect a tight 30AMP water and electric campsite with weak voltage and no cell phone service or free wifi.  If you get better, be happy.  If you insist on 50AMP full hookups with good cell phone reception and free wifi, membership campgrounds are not for you even if they call themselves a resort.

I guess it depends on what part of the country a person is in.  We've spent almost 100 days in Thousand Trails so far this year and have had FHU/50 amp sites all but 2 weeks of it (come to think of it, both of those were Trails Collection) , one week on 30 amp and one week without sewer.  Seems I remember that on the west coast we had to go without FHU/50 more often when in TT.

[offroad]

19 hours ago, Bill Joyce said:

We enjoyed staying at St. Clair last September.  Since we do not need satellite access, ie a clear view of the sky, we had a nice 50AMP pull thru in the woods that easily fit our 40' motorhome and tow car.  

But what I tell people about membership campgrounds, be it Thousand Trails or something affiliated with Coast to Coast, RPI, AOR or ROD, is to expect a tight 30AMP water and electric campsite with weak voltage and no cell phone service or free wifi.  If you get better, be happy.  If you insist on 50AMP full hookups with good cell phone reception and free wifi, membership campgrounds are not for you even if they call themselves a resort.

exactly what I am finding out.  Since the wife and I picked a small 25 foot RV travel Trailer with 30 A we need less space and less FHU.  Its just that we would see not a few, but dozens of reviews that show a Thousand Trails place is terrible.  And when I start digging into details and contacting folks, we find its not bad at all.  Purely speculate that some are trolling to reduce use of campgrounds, in areas that are over used; or trolling to try and get corporate attention on social media.  Most likely there is too high an expectation when the word RESORT is put out there.  Maybe thats a good way to look at TT.    Do you consider it a RESORT or a CAMPGROUND and why?

and most of the state campgrounds I visited in Florida are about what Bill J. mentions.  Tight and no cell service and no wifi.  So we drive over to the nearest town and a few stores or the library has wifi for when we need it every few days.

[Jim & Alice]

We are TT Members, annually staying in Lake Tawakoni (E. Texas), Verde Valley (Sedona), and Las Vegas.   We find the Park Managers to be very helpful, pleasant, and accommodating.   The Facilities are generally 'pretty good', and the locations are excellent.   Before we bought our Membership (2012, Broker) we read as many reviews as we could... and generally our experiences have turned out consistent with the reviews.   We have had some disappointments (Lake Texoma) and some pleasant surprises (Verde Valley).   

We Summer workamp (and are Members) in a true Resort (Hart Ranch, SD) and can readily see the differences in a TT Park, and a true Resort - In my opinion, they aren't that great for us.   Granted, 30 Amp vs 50 Amp makes us change our electric habits a little... and a gravel pad vs. a paved pad makes us put out a exterior carpet.   But with TT, we knew we bought a 'Campground' Membership, and Hart Ranch a Resort Membership.

Our chief complaint on TT is their gradual 'conversion' to a year-round site-leasing facility for the party crowd.   That is not what we signed up for, but we do understand occupancy rates and a 'bottom line'.   And a recent 'Member Update presentation' (delivered via internet & phone) was a blatant high pressure sales pitch disguised as an 'update' - not well received by us.

But in general... we feel we bought a Campground membership... and got a good return on our purchase investment.    

[Barbaraok]

We stayed at Hart Ranch once, for a week, and after that week we would NEVER purchase a membership there (had considered it) because of the way those of us 'low-lifes' who had affiliated memberships (like C2C) were treated.  Parked out back (out of sight) in a bowl with no trees around, just dust, in 90° weather, sneered at when we arrived at the reception desk (another one of 'those' people), we just decided that we would never go back there again.   

[Bill Joyce]

18 hours ago, GR "Scott" Cundiff said:

I guess it depends on what part of the country a person is in.  We've spent almost 100 days in Thousand Trails so far this year and have had FHU/50 amp sites all but 2 weeks of it (come to think of it, both of those were Trails Collection) , one week on 30 amp and one week without sewer.  Seems I remember that on the west coast we had to go without FHU/50 more often when in TT.

I was talking in general, not just Thousand Trails.  We were put into a tight 30AMP site at North Fork Resort in Front Royal VA on C2C, when nice 50AMPs were available.   We have also encountered weak 30AMP water and electric at commercial and public campgrounds

We had some of our worst situations with cell phone service in the rural Midwest (Bear Mountain in MI was very flakey) and have encountered limited 50AMP and only water and electric in the east.  Going off season helps, otherwise we would not have had 50AMP at Forest Lake TT in Advance NC.   At Orlando TT and Three Flags in Florida the 50AMP sites do fill up.  

Telling people to expect tight 30AMP water and electric with limited to no internet is better than telling them all membership campgrounds are 50AMP full hookups with great internet and are close to Wal-Mart, Costco, Sam's Club and restaurants.  Some people can't seem to manage less than 50AMP, or don't want to.  Some can't seem to manage not having sewer.  Others have to be online every stop.  Some have to have a pool, a place to fish, pickleball, a level concrete pad, etc.  

[Barbaraok]

8 minutes ago, Bill Joyce said:

I was talking in general, not just Thousand Trails.  We were put into a tight 30AMP site at North Fork Resort in Front Royal VA on C2C, when nice 50AMPs were available.   ........

Hey, we also got that site!    Just love how a lot of membership parks put "affiliates" in the back 40.   Never understood why they don't see that they are turning off prospective members that way.   

[Jim & Alice]

10 hours ago, Barbaraok said:

We stayed at Hart Ranch once, for a week, and after that week we would NEVER purchase a membership there (had considered it) because of the way those of us 'low-lifes' who had affiliated memberships (like C2C) were treated.  Parked out back (out of sight) in a bowl with no trees around, just dust, in 90° weather, sneered at when we arrived at the reception desk (another one of 'those' people), we just decided that we would never go back there again.   

Interesting.

We have workamped at Hart Ranch the last four summers.   I work in the Call Center behind the front desk, answering questions, making reservations.   We routinely work with folks from all walks of life... a large part of our camping-member folks being young families with kids... and retired folks like us.   I have never seen the attitude, treatment or behavior you described. 

Regardless, I use it as a comparison tool for Thousand Trails... and my point is, I think my experience with TT is good in that comparison.

[Barbaraok]

When you pull into TT, do you get assigned to the 'back lot' or are you told to go find a spot and report back to them?   While there are times I get frustrated at the pop-up trailer in a site that would easily hold a 45' MH, I do recognize that they pay the same as I do and should be able to choose from what is available.   We have been to quite a few parks (usually under C2C or PPA) that assigned 'non-members' to the undesirable sites and I don't think they realize how their actions will turn away prospective members.   TT has lots of problems (as do they all) but they do realize that if they are nice to people coming in that are not members, they just might get a new member with a little effort.   

 

[FL-JOE]

When I read a CG review I try to see what type/size RV the poster was in when they reviewed the place.  If they were in a 22' pull behind and they thought the sites were spacious I ignore most of that information for example.  If they were in a 45' bus and were extremely picky in their review I ignore most of that also.  I guess I take more of a "average" review approach plus I Google Earth the park and use another site for checking crime in the area.  

 

[Kirk W]

13 minutes ago, FL-JOE said:

If they were in a 22' pull behind and they thought the sites were spacious I ignore most of that information for example. 

So you think that we owners of RVs that are 22' and under should stop submitting reviews? As it happens, we traveled in a motorhome of36' for long enough to know a little more than you may think.

[Kirk W]

But most of them do know what space is needed for larger RVs. If a small RV owner says there is ample space while the owner of a 40' fifth wheel says sites are tight, there just might be some information in the differing opinions. I suspect that may be the reason most review sites ask for the size and type of RV you travel in. In addition, the driving skills of the person writing the review will play a significant part in their opinion of the spaciousness of the sites. Reading them all would tell a person far more than doing so selectively. 

[offroad]

2 hours ago, FL-JOE said:

When I read a CG review I try to see what type/size RV the poster was in when they reviewed the place.  If they were in a 22' pull behind and they thought the sites were spacious I ignore most of that information for example.  If they were in a 45' bus and were extremely picky in their review I ignore most of that also.  I guess I take more of a "average" review approach plus I Google Earth the park and use another site for checking crime in the area.  

 

what tool do you use to check crime statistics in a specific area?  Found CITY-DATA.COM for free that has more information than I need and free.  Let me know of any other tools.

[FL-JOE]

On ‎8‎/‎31‎/‎2018 at 8:16 AM, Kirk Wood said:

So you think that we owners of RVs that are 22' and under should stop submitting reviews? As it happens, we traveled in a motorhome of36' for long enough to know a little more than you may think.

There is little doubt you know much about RVing.  I'm not sure how you read what I posted and then regurgitated that comment.  I'm just saying that for me a review from someone I don't know (or recognize their screen name) who is in a 22' RV and submits a review about spacious sites I pretty much ignore.  I am hauling 73' around so a 80' wide pull through works but I can drop my trailer and back into a 45' site if the roads are wide enough.  

[FL-JOE]

23 hours ago, offroad said:

what tool do you use to check crime statistics in a specific area?  Found CITY-DATA.COM for free that has more information than I need and free.  Let me know of any other tools.

crimereports.com has always been pretty good.  There are some parts of the country that don't do the reporting so you can't get the information from that site, but overall it works great for what I need.  

[offroad]

also have seen some remind folks that TT campground can mean resort with wide spaces and paved roads and 50 A electric with FHU, or it can mean old fish camp with 20A 110V outlets for many sites, and electric only.  Its really a random possibility some times. 

Am also noticing that many poor comments do not ever list the names of the camp manager, and their boss.  Everyone has a boss.  You can give them praise; or ask them what the resources problem is needed to get the major systems fixed (roads, low wattage electric, shower bathrooms falling apart, etc.).  Maybe send a message to BBB or town manager/mayor/first selectman to say your tourist dollars will go elsewhere if they cant help with taxes and laws to improve campground service resources availability.  Have no idea if that would carry any weight in that community, but you can mention that a dialog is open on social media about the issues. Or will this get you chastised as an agitator. 

 

 

[GR "Scott" Cundiff]

We're at Hershey TT right now - we think it's a great campground.  

Just for fun I looked at my many Thousand Trails campground reviews.  We have stayed at, I think, 31 Thousand Trails over the past 5+ years; several of them more than once.  Of the 31 there are 5 or 6 that we wouldn't care to return to.  Some of them would work out for a few nights if we just needed a place to stop, although I wouldn't go out of my way to go to any of them just to save a few night's camping fees.

I know that some fulltimers see Thousand Trails as their permanent camping solution.  They try to stay in the system 365 days a year, saving a lot of money on camping fees.  We don't see it that way.  We think of Thousand Trails as a way to save money that can later on be spent on campgrounds in especially desirable areas.  In other words, we don't want to "live in the system" and, therefore, never visit wonderful camping locations in, for instance, Utah or Colorado just because (1) there are no Thousand Trails there and (2) camping is more pricey there.

As I mentioned earlier, if I were paying rack rate on Thousand Trails stays I would expect more, but as the purpose of this thread suggests, you shouldn't expect to get Hilton-level service for Motel 6 rates.  

From my point of view, Thousand Trails is a lot better than some people think.  It's not, though, a perfect fulltimer's camping solution.

[Barbaraok]

Scott, good summation.  That’s how we view TT.   Save when we can to allow us to spend on other stays.  Luckily, the west coast has a lot of TT/Encore parks we can use. 

[ToddF]

We added the Trails Collection last year to our zone pass. Between the 2 zones and TC, we have access to over 100 parks from ME to CA. 

I LOVE their reservation system  And check in is always a breeze.

Most of the parks we have been to have FHU.

I plan to buy a membership when my 4 year contract (zone pass 2 zones for 4 years at $425 year + TC $199 optional) is up.

Todd

They might have a special at the Hershey RV show or at the Hershey Park.