OBS66 Report post Posted August 11, 2012 Good afternoon, Not sure if this is where this question belongs but am looking for a little help. I am a new member to FMCA and just received my welcome packet. While reading through the material I saw that new members to FMCA are also entitled to a free 1 year membership to KOA Value cards. Since we are booking a site at a KOA for October, I was wanting to take advantage of the 1 year free members reward card but can not figure out how to obtain it. Any help has any other new members got the KOA reward card Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GailyFwd Report post Posted August 12, 2012 OBS66 We have the KOA ValueKard and use it fairly often while travelling. It will take a couple of weeks or so for you to receive your card from FMCA but that should not prevent you from making your reservations with the KOA. By the time, October rolls around you should have your ValueKard and should be able to present it at the front desk and they can apply your ValueKard discount. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
five Report post Posted August 16, 2012 We got the free one year KOA membership but have yet to use it. KOA is a last resort...you can stay in a motel for what some KOAs charge. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wayne77590 Report post Posted August 16, 2012 We have a KOA card. We use it. The KOA CG's are no better or no worse than any other group of CG's. Just read the RV Park Review on the web to see what other's are saying about any campground. Just remember that competitors can post a review also. I really enjoy the KOA for those times when we are traveling and need to make a reservation ahead of time, like for holidays. I can go on to the KOA web site, pick my area, and pick my KOA campground. When I arrive all the paper work is ready for me. For us, it works. Yes, I have stayed at some that I would not return to, but then I have stayed at many other CG's i would not return to either. A grain of salt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RVerOnTheMove Report post Posted August 16, 2012 While I never make KOA my first choice, KOA is sometimes the most logical choice. When I do have to make KOA my destination I am glad that I have my Value Card as it has saved me a bunch of money over the years compared to staying and not taking advantage of this option. We saved nearly 1/2 the site cost on one visit with points we had accumulated in previous stays. We stay where we stay based upon where we want to visit and sometimes that's a KOA. Why would I give up free incentives when I was going to stay there anyway? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OBS66 Report post Posted August 16, 2012 Thanks for all the imput good and bad. Well we got are card and made our reservations like many have responded we have stayed at many CG that we enjoyed and many we have not but for the most part the KOA's have been fine. Will let you all know how this one turns out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RVerOnTheMove Report post Posted August 16, 2012 I can tell you already how it will turn out. Some of your stays will be excellent, some you will have mixed emotions over and some you will write in your "don't return" list. KOA does not equal KOA. Some are good, some are bad and some are somewhere in-between. Hum, after typing that I realized that a KOA is just like every other campground you will visit. Some you will love, some you will hate and some will fall somewhere in-between. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertdeals69 Report post Posted August 16, 2012 I have never stayed at a KOA because of cost. I prefer Thousand Trails where we can stay up to 3 weeks at a time and then go to another one, all with no daily costs. We do have an annual fee of $585 but thats the only expense. We are in our third week at Sturbridge Ma and going to Pa Sunday. Not all our campgrounds are where we like but with some planning we stay around 100 nights in the system per year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RVerOnTheMove Report post Posted August 16, 2012 Didn't you also have to pay a membership fee to join plus the annual fees? Are you on one of their limited area plans or does it cover the entire US. How many parks are there and doesn't that limit your choices as to where you can camp? Just curious as I have never been involved with any of the membership parks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertdeals69 Report post Posted August 16, 2012 The annual fee is $585 for me. The initial cost is dependent on who you buy it from. I have the use of any park in Thousand Trails, Leisure Time Resorts, NACO, Outdoor World and Mid-Atlantic. Just under 90 parks. I can stay in any park for up to 3 weeks and then go to another for 3 weeks and so on. I can make reservations up to 90 days in advance. Up to 5 of family can do the same for a fee of $30/ year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RVerOnTheMove Report post Posted August 16, 2012 What kind of money are you talking about as far as the "initial cost varies"? Can you then re-sell that when you stop RVing to recoup some of the costs? Do I understand that there are only a total of 90 parks covering the entire US (Canada?). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted August 16, 2012 I'm not a big fan of these type of deals however. If you stayed for the max 21 days and moved on to the next park in one day and stayed at all 90 parks, you would spend 1890 days or 5.18 yaers in the Thousand Trails parks. That would cost $3,510.00 for 6 years membership. That would average out costing $1.86 per night. Hmmmm. Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScoutsPal Report post Posted August 17, 2012 My problem with Thousand Trails or other memberships is location. I go someplace because that is where I want to visit...not because there is a membership park in the area. As far as KOA goes, there are convenient locations when on the road, and those in destination areas are a little more expensive, but like McDonald's you know what your are going to get (usually). If you are retired and full-timing then three weeks in a location which is not necessarily in a "hot spot" is probably OK. But I don't have three weeks to just hang out in a membership park. I'm going someplace I want to visit and the membership parks aren't always (usually) conveniently located nearby. But if you are going to stay at KOA make sure you have the Value card. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted August 17, 2012 Mike I agree with you, however if you are fulltiming it may not be that bad. Herma Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertdeals69 Report post Posted August 17, 2012 It's true that they are not located in all of the places you want to go. However back in the 70's we traveled to all of the lower 48 states twice so chances are that going back to a state again today, we have been there or close to it. While not located in the "hot spots" we find any area has things to see and do. We spent 3 weeks in Jefferson Oh and are just finishing up 3 weeks in Sturbridge Ma. not far from Boston. As far as initial investment goes we went to a TT presentation some years ago and the buy in was in the $8,000 range. I went to ebay and bought it for $99 plus transfer fee of $750. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
five Report post Posted August 17, 2012 We were members of 1000 Trails for three years then let it drop. It seems when we got to a park all the good spaces were taken by people with annual contracts. So while we searched for a good site, most were taken by empty RVs waiting for their week end owners. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertdeals69 Report post Posted August 18, 2012 Most of the parks we have visited in the last year and a half have only been about half full. We are going to be in 2 more on our way to Indy and when I made the reservations 3 days ago both had between 100-200 spaces available. Should be able to find an exceptable site. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maddog348 Report post Posted August 27, 2012 I consider staying at a KOA about on par with eating dinner at Denny's ~~ May not be my 1st choice but I'm sure glad they are there. JM$.02 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RVerOnTheMove Report post Posted August 27, 2012 We just finished up 3 days at a KOA in Port Angeles, WA. It was very nice and most importantly, very convenient to the work I had to do in the area. They had a hay-ride Friday that I was not aware of or I would have been on board. It was lit up with Christmas lights, there was singing and they looped throughout the campground. Even though I was not on board it brought a real smile to our faces as they drove by. The kids on board were really having a blast. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Margok Report post Posted August 27, 2012 We are currently out of the supply of the KOA brochures. If you would like to e-mail me your name, member number, address and phone number, I can forward it to our contact with KOA. They will then get in touch with you to sign you up for the Value Rewards Kard. My name is Margaret Keen and I work for FMCA as Supervisor of Member Services. My e-mail address is mkeen@fmca.com or you can call me at 800-543-3622, ext. 319. Thanks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aztec7fan Report post Posted August 27, 2012 I don't mind KOA too much since they are usually clean, well managed, and convienent. My only problem is that they charge extra for every person over two people. Whenever I comparison shop for a park to stay at for the night I usually need to add $10-15.00 to their advertised price for all the little extras ($3.00/additional people, $3.00 for pull through site since there are no back in sites available, $3.00/person to use their mini-golf, etc., etc.) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fossfactor Report post Posted August 27, 2012 This summer we used our BIG RIG BEST BETS current edition, every campground we stayed at was beyond our expectations! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
klm0924 Report post Posted April 6, 2016 How do I sign up? I have the invitation card with my FMCA membership but cannot find any more info on valukard.com/fmca Thank you. Ken Miller kn.mllr@gmail.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
obedb Report post Posted April 6, 2016 Find a KOA that you want to use and register when signing in. You will be in their data base on a system that all KOAs use and get the discount right then. You can then call a park, give them your membership #, and they know who you are. I sometimes make reservations riding down the road. If you are going to be late getting there, they will want a credit card number to hold the spot for you. Some folks make fun of KOA, but we have good luck with them for the most part. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted April 6, 2016 I renew my KOA card every year when I make the first reservation at one of their Kampgrounds. I give them my ID number they have all of my information on file and they always ask if I would like to renew. We have always had good luck with KOA. We loved the one in Nashville TN at 2626 Music valley Drive. Probably the nicest one I have been to yet. If its your first time here is the link, the card application is on the right side of the screen. https://koa.com/value-kard-rewards/ Similar with Jellystone campgrounds, just no annual fee, you can accrue points for discounts to be used at a later date. Due to this I always try to locate one of these first when making reservations, once a year I get enough points for a free weekend or several free days. It also applies to any items bought in the camp store to accrue points. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
