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When to join clubs and groups


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My husband and I are planning on starting full-timing in less than a year. Just wondering when we should start joining groups that you have to pay for and what would be the advantage to joining earlier rather than right before we hit the road. Here are the groups we are planning on joining so far:

Escapees, Boondockers Welcome, Passport America, Harvest Hosts

We plan to boondock as much as possible and spend the first year in the western half of the US and Canada. Feel free to suggest other groups to join also. Thanks!

Vicki

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Welcome to the Escapees Forum!

In general, I would not join any organization with an annual membership until you will actually need to use it. If you will be trying to make reservations before you hit the road, then joining when you need to make reservations for members of that organization would be necessary. If you are going to use Escapees Mail Services, then you will need to join when you set that up. If you do join Escapees and plan to boondock, then join the Escapee's Days End Group.

Again, Welcome to the Escapees Forum,

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Thanks for asking that question. Matilda and I are (doing a lot of) planning (and dreaming) to travel full time in a little less than a year as well with my first trip planned to tend to residency matters in SD and then on to the Escapees Rendezvous in MO. And maybe I'll drift over to the Hobo Convention in Britt, IA. Just thinking about all this is the most fun I've had in years!

 

 

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2 hours ago, Vicki CO said:

My husband and I are planning on starting full-timing in less than a year. Just wondering when we should start joining groups that you have to pay for and what would be the advantage to joining earlier rather than right before we hit the road. Here are the groups we are planning on joining so far:

Escapees, Boondockers Welcome, Passport America, Harvest Hosts

We plan to boondock as much as possible and spend the first year in the western half of the US and Canada. Feel free to suggest other groups to join also. Thanks!

Vicki

We are not fulltimers and have never been but we have been memebers of Escapees for several years.  I like receiving their information and can use much learned here when on the road. 

Cathy

Cathy (Catharine) Summerfield Hana

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Welcome to the Escapee forums, and an early welcome to the road! It can be a wonderful experience, but a little bit of preplanning will make the transition go much smoother. 

18 hours ago, Vicki CO said:

Here are the groups we are planning on joining so far:

Escapees, Boondockers Welcome, Passport America, Harvest Hosts

We joined the Escapees about 2 years before going on the road and for us, it was a good move as the magazine that they publish proved to be one or our best sources of information. Most articles in the magazine are written by people who are RV'ers and so they have lived the life that they talk about. In addition, should you be planning to use the mail service, I suggest that you get that started at least 3 months before you plan to use it and 6 months won't hurt. In that way, you can easily make sure that all of your important mail is going there well before you actually leave your present address. In addition, you would then save some money if you choose to attend things like RV Boot Camp and/or the next Escapade to be in Sedalia, MO the last week of May 2018. 

Passport America is very easy to join and the timing depends upon when you will begin to use it. There is no value to it unless you are actually traveling by RV, but it is very easy to recover the cost quickly when you do. It only takes about 3 nights for you to be money ahead.

I have not been a member of either of the other two, but doubt that there would be value to either one until you actually begin to use them. 

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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I'm with Linda H. If I was starting now I would join Escapees right away and learn from them as much as I could by reading their magazine, attending Boot Camp and an Escapade even before I bought a rig. The rest of them I would wait until I was actually traveling--or at least at the serious planning stage. We joined Passport America at the first of their parks where we camped after having researched them online.

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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My wife and I joined Escapees about a year before retiring and going Full Time.   We had never RV'd and had not even tent camped in 30 years.   The very first thing we did in Fulltiming was to attend an Escapees Boot Camp, driving from Michigan to Congress, AZ, to do so (Jan, 2013).   We followed that up by attending an Escapees Escapade in Gillette, WY that Summer.  We have been full timing since Jan, 2013, and have enjoyed the lifestyle immensely.   And the Days End Option in Escapees is priceless.

Good Luck!

Jim & Alice LaPeer 

 

 

2007 Dolphin

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We joined Escapees a couple years before we went full time. And I am glad we did! We got involved with our local chapter attended the rallies and learned so much. It was invaluable. Yes, the magazine and forum are great but nothing replaces face to face conversations. Keep the house? Do storage? Rent? Heard all sides. Went to our first Escapade in 1999, came home and put the house up for sale!

David & Marilyn

Living Our Dream

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  • 2 weeks later...
35 minutes ago, Vicki CO said:

I'll plan on joining Escapees right away and look into their Boot Camp and Escapades!

The next Escapade will be in Sedalia, MO next May 27 through June 1st. RVer's Boot Camp will be held immediately before it opens.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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Escapees is the number one RV club to join. The magazine is more then worth the cost. Good Sam has always paid for itself with a few 10% discounts. After that many like Passport for large discounts. Good Luck

 

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Yes, Escapees is worth it just for the magazine.  I have always thought that their magazine was excellent and it seems that they have improved the paper they are using lately.  A nice touch.  Anyway, there are many good reasons to be a member and you will surely benefit. 

Cathy

Cathy (Catharine) Summerfield Hana

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2 minutes ago, BFT said:

I realize I need to join Escapees now to get access to the magazine.

Once you have joined, not only will you start to receive the magazines, but you will then have access to a complete library of back additions via the member website. 

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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2 hours ago, Kirk Wood said:

Once you have joined, not only will you start to receive the magazines, but you will then have access to a complete library of back additions via the member website. 

Thanks Kirk!

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