Guest post submitted by the Harvest Hosts team.
If you’re new to RVing — or you’re not sure what type of RV you want to buy — planning a getaway with RVshare and Harvest Hosts is a great way to get your feet wet with the RV lifestyle.
Below we outline how these two companies combine to open up a world of camping opportunities, whether you’re traveling in a Class A motorhome with your kids, towing a fifth wheel with that special someone, or taking off on a solo adventure in a campervan.
What is Harvest Hosts?
Harvest Hosts is an RV membership program that allows its members to spend the night in their RVs at over 4,000 locations across North America.
Campers don’t pay any fees to stay at the wineries, breweries, distilleries, farms, museums, restaurants, and other attractions. However, members are asked to support the businesses by making a small purchase — whether that’s a bottle of wine, locally made cheese, fresh orchard fruit, or a souvenir from a museum gift shop.
A Harvest Hosts membership allows you to overnight at as many Host locations as you’d like — yep, it’s unlimited! However, most stays are for just one night. Sometimes campers can stay longer at the Host’s invitation, and some locations have electric hook-ups, though at the vast majority you’ll be boondocking.
A Harvest Host overnight is meant to provide a unique experience to RVers along a longer travel route. Though many members (especially those new to RVing) also string together a couple of Host overnights close to home to make a weekend getaway filled with cool experiences — from petting llamas to touring an aviation museum to meeting a winemaker. And with the online reservation system, planning your trip is easier than ever!
RVshare and Harvest Hosts offer a wealth of RV and travel information
Before you even commit to renting an RV from peer-to-peer rental service RVshare, you can dig through the RVshare website to get inspired and begin planning your camping getaway.
We love how jam-packed the RVshare blog is with oodles of information about RVing, including newbie renter tips, advice on what to pack, and loads of travel inspiration from beaches to national parks across the country.
Similarly, the Harvest Hosts blog — which is all available for reading, whether or not you’re a Harvest Hosts member — offers tips for RV repair and maintenance. There are also profiles of host locations, including breweries and ranches, and suggestions for things to see and do in various parts of the United States.
Check out all the different locations you can overnight with Harvest Hosts
Once you know your travel dates, have your RVshare rental secured, and know where you’re beginning your trip, you can start having fun with the map of host locations on the Harvest Hosts website. Non-members can log on and see where host locations are: in every corner of the United States, plus areas of Canada and the Baja Peninsula of Mexico.
But you’ll want to join Harvest Hosts to get all the details of each map’s icon: exact location, the size of RVs allowed, how many parking spaces there are, as well as important details about overnighting there (e.g. if pets are allowed, at what time you’ll need to arrive).
Members also have access to customer reviews and camper-submitted photos of each host location. It’s always reassuring to read reviews of folks who’ve stayed at a location before, just to get a “thumb’s up” and recommendations, for example, of the best things to order, taste, or do while at that location.
Join Harvest Hosts to solidify and book your RV road trip plans
With an annual membership fee of just $99 (or $179 for an all-access membership, which gives you access to an additional 400+ golf courses, dump stations, and more), you can start making reservations at Harvest Hosts locations across the country. (Remember to use code RVSHARE for 15% off your membership!)
Even if you aren’t sure if the RV lifestyle is for you, the $99 fee will pay for itself within just a few overnights — so if you think you’re going to rent an RV a couple of times a year, or you plan on tacking on some Harvest Hosts overnights at the beginning or end (or during!) a longer RV adventure, it’s likely well worth the small investment.
Making a reservation at a Harvest Hosts location is as easy as sending a text, writing an email, calling on the phone, or putting in a reservation request through the online “Request a Stay” system.
Meet other Harvest Hosts members and fantastic, generous Hosts
Harvest Host members consistently report that one of the best parts of overnighting at Host locations is meeting fellow RVers. It’s fun to get to know like-minded travelers while tasting wine or sitting around a communal gathering spot at night.
This is also a great way to talk to folks who own a variety of different rigs, which can be helpful if you’re renting an RV from RVshare and in the market to own eventually. RVers love to talk about their rigs, so feel free to ask other travelers about what they like and dislike about their campers and the RV lifestyle in general.
Similarly, businesses sign up to be a Harvest Hosts location for a reason — they love to interact with travelers passing through. They enjoy being a stopover point for a variety of different RVers from near and far, and are typically so happy to share information about their business — whether it’s a museum or a brewery or a farm — as well as the local area.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions of the owners or managers at your Host location. It’s likely they’ll be happy to take the time to get to know you and learn more about your RVing adventures!
Harvest Hosts allows members to take a step off of the beaten path and enjoy unlimited overnights at almost 3,000 unique locations such as breweries, farms, golf courses, wineries, and much more! Our app allows users to plan a full route and create wish lists for locations to visit. And now that most of our Hosts utilize our online reservation system, you can easily log in and immediately see if the date you are looking for is available. Start your adventure today!
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