Harvest Hosts

[Glennman]

Hey all, Harvest Hosts (advertised on this board) seems to be a pretty neat deal. I've looked into the Boondockers thing, but found them to be way too restrictive on vehicle length (at least the ones I looked into). With Harvest Hosts, they want you to pay their $99 annual membership fee, but there is no information on examples of places where one might park where a person can look to see if a 45 footer is acceptable. I don't want to join something that you cannot get information on until after you've joined! Has anyone here joined or used their service?

[Van]

Just let ours expire. Waste of money if you are over40' and need hookups. Most places that will take the larger coaches will be  Winery's and the like with big enough parking lots. OMMV.

[luvrbus]

I never stayed at one but have friends that do,the Country  Coach crowd is big into Harvest and most of those are 45 ft x 13 ft tall and never seem to have a problem here in the west.You see tour buses in those all the time stopping so tourist can spend their money on overpriced wine.There are probably a lot of those off the beaten path it may be tough for a 45 ft.There are lots of those in Texas from Austin to Johnson City at the breweries ,Wineries and distiller's, most don't have hookups and are full with Rv'ers getting the free samples 

[chessie4905]

I joined last year before outwest trip. Stayed on e at Boondocksrs welcome and at a Harvest host location. First at a Alpaca ranch. It was so so later stayed at a guys house. It was nice and owner was friendly. My overall opinion is they are not for me. First place you are expected to buy something they are selling. Second place felt like moochin. I just prefer traditional canpsites and not feeling obligated for staying there.
Lot of people love them though. I sort of feel they like being freeloaders, but that's just me.
They do have plenty of locations that will accommodate large rigs, farms, museums, wineries, etc. Members get the app that locates members locations.
They combined Boondockers Welcome and Harvest hosts last year under same umbrella. For now, atleast, they are operated as always before. I'm not planning to renew.
Btw, my rig was 60 feet combined.

[windtrader]

I've been in for a couple years. On the fence about renewing. It really depends on the type of planning or not you do while moving along your journey and what amenties you need or desire.
If you are less plan driven, willing to drift a bit, accept the unexpected as cool and part of the memories and trip, then it may be for you. If you expect hookups, electricity, etc, then not so for you.
This summer I was heading to Medford Oregon and needed to stay overnight for some business. I had stayed in the big box parking lots no problem but figure I'd click up HH and learned about a small valley closeby with small vineyards. Made a call to confirm directions and stay and pulled into incredibly beautiful Applegate Valley.

Winery was closed so no tasting and not obligated to donate in kind.  being fully off grid I only need place to park so it works fine. I do agree many out west are larger farm/agri plots so generally good access for larger vehicles.
Funny Chessie mentions Alpacha ranch as that was one I came across too. same one? how odd would that be. Either way, there are lots of different kinds of businesses so kind of cool to target one with more interest and entertainment than watching thugs beat other in a Wally lot. lol

[chessie4905]

We got lost out west trying to find the alpaca ranch. Turned out we had to call him for verbal directions as he said the gps ones were incorrect. Had us park in small field of hard packed sand and scrub pine trees. Hot there. No hookups, no cell signal, ran generator.Had several Alpacas there. Elderly gent, recently widowed, trying to carry on the business. Had a small shed with some Alpaca clothing items.We purchased a scarf.

[luvrbus]

 Parking at W/M is just about over according to a friend that is manager of W/M in Tulsa since the closing of all the 24 hour stores and they open from 6am to 11 pm some will close at 12am, parking has stopped here at both W/M's, signs posted everywhere on the parking lots, I bet they do tow a few to make their point, I wouldn't put up with the crap they did for years myself 

[Dave5Cs]

 We joined Boondockers Welcome, a few years ago but we do not park over night or even a few day and then leave again. When we first joined it was free and then the second year Harvest Host and Boon dockers welcome joined forces and then HH took it over pretty much and the price went up. We  did not renew last year. Found like John said it was not for us.

[freds]

I tried to use it a couple of times on my current trip but you seemed to have to reserve 48 hours in advance which didn't seem to work with my half @$# travel planning.

[dtcerrato]

When the Walmart in Fairbanks AK stops welcoming overnight campers well then that one would probably be the last one as they actually go out of their way to encourage it. Another WM in Wasilla AK just outside Anchorage  encourages overnight parking also.. it's not our 1st choice but an option. Never belonged to any clubs like HH. Cabelas seems like a step up from WM. We like boon docking, rest areas, pull overs, and hole in the wall campsites. State forests, state parks, BLM land, Federal forests & Parks.

[chessie4905]

I got turned off by a Province owned campground in Canada. No hookups, but they supplied the mosquitoes.Yukon, I recall. New trial policy. Generator run from10am to 12, 6pm to 8. No overnight gen. run. Since I was backed into woods, figured I'd run it since probably wouldnt be heard. Honda eu3000is. Except the ranger was riding around past all the sites every hour. Figured it was a newby trying to look good.

[luvrbus]

When the Walmart in Fairbanks AK stops welcoming overnight campers well then that one would probably be the last one as they actually go out of their way to encourage it. Another WM in Wasilla AK just outside Anchorage  encourages overnight parking also.. it's not our 1st choice but an option. Never belonged to any clubs like HH. Cabelas seems like a step up from WM. We like boon docking, rest areas, pull overs, and hole in the wall campsites. State forests, state parks, BLM land, Federal forests & Parks.

Some W/M's have spent extra money to provide a parking area for RV's,Texas is friendly to RV's all the small towns have some type camping for RV's even if some charge it's not very much, we use those quite a bit

[richard5933]

We've stayed at HH a few times and find that it gives a much more interesting stopping point than a Walmart of Cracker Barrel.

The two which are our favorites have been a small private air field in Illinois which has lots of antique and vintage planes flying, and a car museum on Rt. 66 in Springfield MO.

They're not all available as spontaneous stopping points like a Walmart, but usually with a little notice it's possible to make arrangements.

[luvrbus]

I like to eat at the Cattlemen's Steakhouse east of El Paso off I 10 @ the Fabin exit you can park free there with a 20 amp service we always stop overnight there,we never stop overnight in a RV park from Mohave to central or the coast of Texas 

[Glennman]

Wow! These are a great variety of responses. I suppose it's worth a try, as I would like to be able to park even without hookups. I'm thinking we will be somewhat spontaneous in our travels for a while. 48 hours' notice isn't bad. Also, I don't mind buying a few things to "pay my way" a bit either. I figure if I pay $99 for a year, use it 4 or 6 times and spend an additional $100 on their stuff, I'm going to be doing ok. Thanks everyone.