SKPs- Escapees RV Club sold to Harvest Hosts

[Ray,IN]

All Harvest Host owners and workers work from home, they have no office listed on their website.  I suspect they will use the Escapees national rally as an umbrella for all HH members. That's the way I read that blog in my previous reply .

Edited July 23 by Ray,IN

[Lou Schneider]

I don't have any inside knowledge, but I suspect Travis and Melanie decided they no longer wanted to manage the club.  Not too unusual with the third generation of family owned businesses.

The first and second generations had childhoods independent of the business, then became involved as adults.  Not so for the third generation, the business has been there their entire life.  And running Escapees is a very public job -  the Petersons made the leadership role much like being in show business which means you have to give up a lot of your privacy.

Edited July 23 by Lou Schneider

[Steven@146]

On 7/20/2024 at 6:38 PM, bruce t said:

I'll ask the "dumb" question. Who is Harvest Host and what's their background/reputation?

I've been off the road awhile and I quess I've lost touch somewhat. But there seems to be doom and gloom with the move. Maybe, just maybe, it is a great move.

Times change. I joined SKPs around 1996. It's simply not realistic for things not to change. Just because it changes doesn't mean it's "bad". In 1996 where was the internet? Forums? This is just another evolution of the RV community and lifestyle.

 

We are HH members and have stayed overnight at a horse ranch in Kentucky, a farm in South Carolina, a winery in Illinois (that was a good one!) an auto museum in South Dakota and a decommissioned Air Force Base in Indiana. Some had power and water available for an additional cost, but most sites are just a parking place for overnight stays. All were easy to get to, very nice places and welcoming and right on our way. We haven't utilized a Boondockers Welcome site.

With a membership to HH/BW you can stay at places only for overnight for zero cost but they say its nice to purchase items from the HH sites. Farm fresh eggs in SC, several bottles of wine from an Illinois winery, toured the auto museum in SD and some hand made items at the Kentucky horse ranch.

Time will tell but HH/BW/SKP, from our perspective, a great place to be.

[bzawlocki]

A few years ago, Joel Holland (CEO of Harvest Host) and other investors bought "BoonDockers Welcome (BDW)".  

Background:  At the time Joel and Co bought BDW it was essentially a great idea of sharing over-night safe parking spots for other RVers.  It was run via a web site that was elegant in it's simplicity. 

Joel and Co, turned it into a huge mess.  They launched a web site that was perhaps the worst I have ever seen.  The customer service for Hosts was terrible.  They launched an APP for making reservations and as of a few days ago, it was still not functional.  As a Host for BDW, I can tell you first hand that the support is terrible. You can't talk to anyone, you have to "Chat" with someone and HOPE they respond in a day or two.  They don't take suggestions well. 

Joel and Co and in it for the money.  They really don't care about RVers.  They just see this as another way to make money for the investors.

Trust me this is NOT a good thing for Escapees.  

[Kirk W]

5 hours ago, Lou Schneider said:

the Petersons made the leadership role much like being in show business which means you have to give up a lot of your privacy.

Not only that, Escapees came into existence from the lifestyle that they were living and at first was just them and a few friends. It was one of those hobbies that grew into a business and it replaced the careers that each of them had in younger life. Kathy was a kid when Petersons went on the road for Joe's construction electrician work. Kay gave up her nursing and began writing for extra income. When Kathy grew up, she left home and had a life of her own and only became involved with Escapees when she needed a change after a divorce. She joined the family business to find property for a HQ office and to run that office. Bud was a contractor who she met when he was contracted to help in developing Rainbow's End. So none of them spent their entire life with Escapees. Travis was born into Escapees and his only real time away from it was the time spent in the Army (8 years, I think). Also, as Travis took over things Bud & Kathy worked their way out and away, no longer living on site and slowly separating more and more. Escapees was the fruition of a dream for Kay & Joe, it was respite and place 2 divorcees met for Kathy & Bud, but Travis didn't have either purpose. Sometimes success can drown the founders of an organization. 

[Adventurous Widow]

Ahhh shoot. I just joined. I hope they truly carry on all the events and groups that were the reason I joined. 💖

[sandsys]

On 7/22/2024 at 2:31 PM, DanZemke said:

Yes, but I did not see any new information in it.

https://www.harvesthosts.com/blog/harvest-hosts-acquires-escapees-rv-club

Thanks for that link. It answered many of our questions including that this forum will remain and that the magazine will continue to be published. I encourage everyone here to read that document.

Linda Sand

[bruce t]

Just a comment!

I think an issue that has been an issue from day one is the word "club". Escapees isn't a 'club' as such. It is and always has been a business. Members had no 'rights' as would be found in other clubs. It basically boils down to the fact that it's a business and the owners can do as they see fit. Memberships are simply assets to the business. Very simple realy. Unless I've missed something in the last 30 years!

[gypsydan]

On 7/17/2024 at 2:59 PM, GlennWest said:

Question that not answered. Too have mail service we have to pay escapees membership. So are we going to have to join Harvest Host to get mail?

Interesting. No answer. 

[gypsydan]

Has anybody been to Livingston to see what is going on with this transfer?

[DanZemke]

1 hour ago, gypsydan said:

Interesting. No answer. 

Kirk's post, that started this thread, says please visit the following for more details:

https://escapees.com/harvest-hosts-transition

That document includes: "This transition excludes the Escapees Mail Service and Escapees RV Parks, which will remain under existing management and ownership"

[Lou Schneider]

2 hours ago, gypsydan said:

Interesting. No answer. 

Read the FAQs in the link referenced above (posted the same day as the announcement of the sale).  It says Escapees and Harvest Hosts will maintain separate memberships, you can have one or the other or both if you want.  You only need Escapees membership to use the mail service.

Edited July 24 by Lou Schneider

[2gypsies]

8 hours ago, gypsydan said:

Has anybody been to Livingston to see what is going on with this transfer?

It's all laid out in the link given by Escapees.  It sounds straight-forward to me.

Read the FAQ in the document published.   

"The Escapees Mail Service is excluded from this transition and will remain under existing ownership, management, and control. All operations and processes will remain as is, to include Escapees: Home domicile services and the requirement of an Escapees membership. You can expect the same high level of service moving forward and Escapees Mail Service does not intend to make pricing adjustments at this time."

 

Will I automatically become a HH Member?

No, you will not automatically become a Harvest Hosts member. The two programs will remain completely separate. While we are bringing together the strengths of both communities to enhance your RV experience, your membership with Escapees RV Club will not change. If you are interested in joining Harvest Hosts, you will need to sign up for a membership separately. This allows you to enjoy the unique benefits and offerings of both programs while maintaining your current Escapees membership."

 

Edited July 25 by 2gypsies

[Kirk W]

18 hours ago, gypsydan said:

Has anybody been to Livingston to see what is going on with this transfer?

While I have not been there, I do communicate with the admin pretty frequently and he works there. So far there has been nothing visibly different. 

[Ray,IN]

19 hours ago, DanZemke said:

Kirk's post, that started this thread, says please visit the following for more details:

https://escapees.com/harvest-hosts-transition

That document includes: "This transition excludes the Escapees Mail Service and Escapees RV Parks, which will remain under existing management and ownership"

Thanks for the link, it ends all conjecture and speculation, of course there is the crowd that what-if's all the time.

[DanZemke]

Thank you for revealing that I wasn't typing with an invisible font! 

But what-if I'm typing with one now? :-)

[DanZemke]

On 7/23/2024 at 3:43 PM, sandsys said:

I encourage everyone here to read that document.

Thanks for trying

[Kirk W]

I was just thumbing through the July/August Escapees magazine and happened upon the article "Reflecting on 46 Years" on pages 62 & 63, written by Melanie Carr, VP. I had read it before the sale of the club was announced, but reading it again with the knowledge that the club has been sold gives the things that were written a very different sound. The things in the magazine are pretty much set about a month before it goes to press, I know from having written several articles for the magazine. Reading that column now makes me very suspicious that Mel knew of the pending sale of the club when she wrote the article. You should really go back and read it again now that we know. 

Edited July 31 by Kirk W
add a link

[Dutch_12078]

15 minutes ago, Kirk W said:

I was just thumbing through the July/August Escapees magazine and happened upon the article "Reflecting on 46 Years" on pages 62 & 63, written by Melanie Carr, VP. I had read it before the sale of the club was announced, but reading it again with the knowledge that the club has been sold gives the things that were written a very different sound. The things in the magazine are pretty much set about a month before it goes to press, I know from having written several articles for the magazine. Reading that column now makes me very suspicious that Mel knew of the pending sale of the club when she wrote the article. You should really go back and read it again now that we know. 

 

Deals like this don't happen overnight, and there may have been too much still up in the air for any announcement at that point.

[Larry Burkett]

Boy you really sleuthed that one out Kurt. I didn't realized what she may have been alluding to when I read it. 

[Kirk W]

56 minutes ago, Larry Burkett said:

I didn't realized what she may have been alluding to when I read it. 

Neither did I but I just happened to pick up magazine this evening and read it again.  😏

[Blues]

5 hours ago, Kirk W said:

Reading that column now makes me very suspicious that Mel knew of the pending sale of the club when she wrote the article.

Oh, I'm sure.  The article is all about the milestone of 46 years.  Forty-six years really isn't very milestone-y.

[ms60ocb]

11 hours ago, Larry Burkett said:

 I didn't realized what she may have been alluding to when I read it. 

I had difference take as I didn't receive my magazine til July 24. I had had a chance to read most of this forum before the magazine arrived. I had read both the Escapees and Harvest Host announcement to the membership. One of my first questions was what is the effective date of this deal? I still don't know that date. But reading the July/Aug magazine told me, this is the introduction of Escapees to the Harvest Host membership.

Clay

[Fhkw9DPJ8V1g]

Just sitting here chuckling to myself thinking about the folks who got their "X"scapers tattoos so that they could get a free lifetime membership. That'll age well.

[gypsydan]

On 7/31/2024 at 2:40 PM, Kirk W said:

I was just thumbing through the July/August Escapees magazine and happened upon the article "Reflecting on 46 Years" on pages 62 & 63, written by Melanie Carr, VP. I had read it before the sale of the club was announced, but reading it again with the knowledge that the club has been sold gives the things that were written a very different sound. The things in the magazine are pretty much set about a month before it goes to press, I know from having written several articles for the magazine. Reading that column now makes me very suspicious that Mel knew of the pending sale of the club when she wrote the article. You should really go back and read it again now that we know. 

 

Thank you Kirk.  I reread the article and it also became clear to me that Melanie was giving us a good-by msg.  Escapees has  been a family for many years, and we are now, like children who reach a certain age, being shoved out into a world to start our own family. 

I have noticed the forum has made many changes, and since it is not mentioned anywhere in the posted transition pages, I can only ass-u-me the forum was also taken over by Harvest Hosts. I hope they keep the same moderators, or that the existing moderators will  choose to stay on.