Like no other RV club, Happy Camper Club offers discount camping across the nation at a whole new level. Going the extra mile is key to the club's growth, giving more than what is promised, helping RVers learn more with free ebooks, and making it possible for the club members and site visitors to create their own RV trips online.
Happy Camper RV Club is well-known throughout the camping industry as a half-price discount rv club. With over 1,000 campground and RV park locations in the US and Canada, the club has doubled membership in the last two years by giving "more than what is promised" to its members, and creating a web site that gives RVers a fun environment online for trip planning and learning.
Club president, Anne Pierson, describes the secret to the club's success by stating, "We always give more than we promise, and our members love the extra bonuses we create to serve them - above and beyond our promise of saving 50% on camping. Members never know when they will get an email from us with a fun "freebie" they can request by mail, or an interesting addition to our web site.
"Our goal is to surprise and delight our visitors and members with added value wherever we find it. As an example, our friends at RV Education 101 gave us a generous gift to share. They provided a free RV Checklists Ebook to us for new members, and the feedback on the ebook has been pure excitement. New members can't believe it when they get a welcome letter from us with this bonus, because we don't even advertise it."
Mark Polk of RV Education explains, "If we don't write down what we need to remember, inevitably we forget something. This can be especially true with RVs because there are just too many things to remember. You will want to protect your investment in a routine and safe manner."
In this 80 page e-book, there are over 35 checklists applicable for pop-ups, travel trailers, fifth wheels and motorhomes, to use from the time you purchase your RV until you store it for winter and everything in between. It includes checklists for Pre-delivery Inspections, Basic Inventory, Tools & Supplies, Getting There Safely, Campground Set-up, Pre-Trip, Home Security, Dinghy Towing, Essential Items, Nice to Have Items, Traveling with Pets, Awning Operation, Winterizing & De-winterizing your RV, Storing your RV, Battery Testing Chart, Spring Prep, and much more.
"We were so excited," says Karen Oschler, a new Happy Camper member. "We joined Happy Camper because they were so highly recommended by our friends who are members. As soon as we joined, they sent us RV Ed's Checklists e-book, which I wasn't even expecting. As a "newbie," I have so much to learn about camping in a recreational vehicle... that ebook was on my list of things to buy - and I got it as a gift!"
In addition to periodic bonus features, the club's fundamental services focus on providing a detailed camping guide, listing each participating rv park and its amenities, pricing and details. The club membership card gives RVers half off the regular rates at quality nationwide campground locations, and the web site provides a chat forum for sharing information, a free trip planner for RV trip routing, tips and advice, RV news articles, a Camp Store, and personal features for those who register as users at the site (membership not required).
"Over 2,000 visitors a day access our web site," states Pierson. "It's full of so much information for RVers; our members return again and again, and non-members are able to learn, become familiar with our services, and join in the discussions. We give non-members full access, because the RV community is about sharing information. Non-members who use our site are able to hear about our 50% discount benefits first-hand from other members, and they're the best salespeople we have."
Happy Camper projects that it will double membership again in 2006, and invites potential members to visit the web site to learn more. A free "Camping Tips" ebook, and other hidden "freebies" are available at the web site for all RV travelers.
