Alternative to Harvest Host

[sheridany]

I used to belong to Harvest Host but never used it. Many places do not have clear access for my coach, and I won't park on grass with my weight, so I canceled. An article in RV Travel mentioned another option.

Does Harvest Hosts have a new rival? LandTrust “new alternative”

Harvest Hosts has proved to be a popular program for RVers. For those looking for an overnight alternative to an RV park or a Walmart parking lot, Harvest Hosts

www.rvtravel.com

 

[Neal]

I enjoy HH and will be using it more now that I glow in the dark Just takes careful study but it sure can be a different style of camping. Some find amazing places, museums, etc. I enjoyed a farm I stayed at, but missed the apple pies or my half bath would have been stocked to the roof! The hangar I stayed at that I posted not long ago was neat. Moral is, with some study, it can offer unique opportunity but it is boondocking if that's not your thing, i.e. you typically pursue shore power...

I saw the news, will have to check it out just to see what's going on.

 

[Joe Hogan]

Interesting I recently received an email from Harvest Host declining my request for an overnight stay.
Fortunately when I initially did not receive a confirmation when booking online last week I called.
They were very pleasant on the phone and explained that they do not offer space on weekends, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
Which for a retail Farm Store makes sense to me.
The follow on confirmation email is something new to me.

 

[sheridany]

I prefer an overnight spot versus going into a campground en route. Except for a few places like the hangar you mentioned and a petroleum museum in TX where we stayed, the options are limited if you do not want to have trees scratching your paint or tight roads to get to the final point. I have used a suggestion from the forum called Overlander with better success, but they tend to be parking lots, churches, roadside pull-offs, etc, which are more suitable for my size.

 

[sheridany]

Maybe @Neal you monetize your setup and provide power to us little guys in the same overnight area. Just a thought.

 

[Neal]

That is the one typical problem with HH destinations and that's the getting there. I called a HH once and he told me an alternate route to take due to low branches, etc. I wasn't aware, good thing he offered the advice. As we all know, most CG's have well traveled routes by rigs such as ours, HH can be a risk and needs careful study and some time at the crystal ball, palm reader, and whatever else works for you.

 

[Rich W.]

I like the golf course option of HH. Golf courses are plentiful and they are generally closed at night so a late arrival means you are just parking there. The properties are well maintained with good access and while its basically just a parking lot, they don’t have the security issues of more public parking lots. I steer clear of Walmarts after experiencing late night congregations of less than savory “neighbors”. I don’t golf (clubs generally stay home) but I find these properties appealing for a quiet, secure, over night stay.

 

[Neal]

Maybe @Neal you monetize your setup and provide power to us little guys in the same overnight area. Just a thought.

@sheridany at it again, too risky to camp with you my friend! High voltage lines nearby, in neighbor spot!

 

[Neal]

I like the golf course option of HH

Now that @GlampDaddy has me setup with all new (and used) goods I'm ready to stay at some HH golf destinations!

 

[sheridany]

Now that @GlampDaddy has me setup with all new (and used) goods I'm ready to stay at some HH golf destinations!

Just read the print as some require you to play a round to stay there. I ran into that a couple of times. The good part is they usually have a clubhouse where you can dine at a nice restaurant after a long day. And now that @Neal has shiny new clubs, that is a good option. I don't think they want skeet shooters....

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

We stay at a Harvest Host location several times a year. We stayed at the same vineyard near Fredericksburg, TX from the Friday after Thanksgiving until Monday morning. It is a considerable parking lot with a crushed granite surface. I've learned to ask if multiple nights are available and they always have been.

The bonus is meeting so many fun people when staying at a HH.

We were going to stay at a HH in SD this summer but they called me the day before and recommended we not come because they had had a lot of rain and the parking area may be too wet to support our rig.

 

[AbdRahim]

@sheridany at it again, too risky to camp with you my friend! High voltage lines nearby, in neighbor spot!

I thought that is what you are supposed to do when you win. At $1,000 per tire, I will leave it you you big guys. That would be fun to watch from a safe distance, though. I applaud sheridany’s driving skills, though. That must be a mod he did not tell us about, or that feature is only available on special high, high end coaches.

 

[sheridany]

Wait till you see my other mods!

 

[sheridany]

that’s prevost parking assist. Works really well.

 

[LMHS]

I find Passport America (PpA) to be more convenient than Harvest Host. I looked into HH when they first started up. I read a lot of reviews from people who used it. I finally decided it wasn't for me.

May I suggest freecampsites.net for finding an overnight. It doesn't have all the "free or cheap" but it does have a lot of them.

 

[Wemustrv]

We love Harvest Host and have been using it for 6 years no issues. We are a 40' class A with F150 SuperCrew Yes as in any camping area you have to do your due diligence and reviewing the sites. Some of the best most beautiful private sites ever. As for golf courses we have stayed at them and we do not typically arrive in time to golf so we just go to the club house and grab a bite to eat or a beverage. We have never had one refuse us. We have even asked at reservation time if this was acceptable. Top two photos golf course last photo Vineyard. At this point we were flat towing our Miata. Soon after this we switched to the SuperCrew.

.

 

[AbdRahim]

how often is running the generator through the night a problem at Harvest host locations?

 

[sheridany]

Having no data sample to rely on, I want to say about 3/4 or more request no generators; it seems when I have perused the options to stay, 1/4 say yes and some with limits. I see a few more offer electric hookups for a fee I haven't seen before. It could be anecdotal evidence.

 

[Neemer]

In my HH experiences over the past 3-4 yrs, with very few exceptions, I have found the hosts to be extremely flexible with HH rules in general. I have yet to be somewhere that an A/C was needed that the hosts forbade the use of generators. They tend to care more about your business than anything else.

I travel primarily in the south and Midwest, which could be factors.

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

I've stayed in 31 HH and I've always been able to use my generator. Since I've never stayed closer than 250 miles east of the San Andreas fault, it may have something to do with the more lax rules.

I've stayed at 3 with 50 amp 2 with 30 amp at no charge, and 1 with full hook-up for $25/night. I've stayed several times for more than 1 night.