Is something up with Harvest Host?

[RVwife]

Are they growing too fast?

Recently, I've had hosts that do not respond even when I use the automated request form or "preferred" method of contact.

This AM I received a brief email saying one of the hosts that had earlier confirmed my stay in the near future is no long a host, find other arrangements (but of course, still come visit our winery). Not going to happen now.

When looking for alternatives in that area, it appeared that several potential host that had been there a week ago, have mysteriously "disappeared" from the map. What's up?

We were lucky enough to find a spot at a nearby KOA, but now I'm wondering if more holes will develop in our trip plan while we are 1000+ miles from home. A bit leary to rely on any further HHs.

Anybody else running into this dilemma?

[EA37TS]

Talked to a couple locations during phone calls.

Locations are electing to withdraw from the program rather than deal with the rude inconsiderate people showing up at their locations. Too many folks trashing the place and spending nothing.

The bad thing is the number of locations that can handle 40 foot towing is minimal and we recently lost three for the reason mentioned.

Same thing happening with communities no longer allowing overnight parking at big box stores.

[The Gritz Carlton]

^^^Exactly^^^ We joined when they first started and have had wonderful stays until recent inquiries. They were bought out and a new, extremely aggressive push started, signing up more and more hosts. The word of this program filtered through the "everything free" mindset and now it's all about free camping. They've partnered with a "free boondocking" profile and this hasn't helped either. When it was farms, wineries, museums and really unique locations...it was great. Now churches and other businesses have signed on with false hopes. The reviews have changed. I've read where some hosts require fees or a minimum purchase (in advance) in order for you to stay. Our first stay was at Horse Creek Winery in south Georgia. Although we stayed "free", after a case of wine and a wonderful dinner in their cafe' we left $450 lighter and had a blast. We stayed at a farm in south Florida for 2 nights on our way to The Keys. Spent a ton of money on fresh picked produce and other items for our trip...excellent visit and we were very appreciated by the host. That's the principal this program was started on and it worked. It's been oversold to hosts and liquidated throughout the "everything free" travelers. Hopefully they will find a reset button soon...or they will lose most of their charter members. The founders of Harvest Host were traveling campers...this makes a difference. I don't know the background of the much larger staff running Harvest Host now but I'd guess most of them have never traveled extensively in an RV and don't understand the value of "off the beaten path" at any expense. Staying in a church parking lot is free...yes...but what can you do for them in return...invite the preacher out for a few beers? I'm not sure what a host pays for being a member but I'd bet the farm this program has become more profit driven than the experience. I have a photo of my wife standing in a vineyard in her pajamas, drinking a fresh cup of coffee and picking grapes for breakfast at 6AM...that's what this program is/was about....and it wasn't free camping!

[ducksface]

Pretty much as above.
We left lots of money behind at every place we could.
Our appreciation cost us plenty in wine we didn't like, hotdogs at very minor golf clubhouse, mediocre pizza served with an even lesser beer.

We were damn happy to do it. We support the bit of forward thinking harvest host was.
We've been to two hh that had a minimum fee.
But,
They had value added.
A private pond with a beach and kayaks and full hook ups. Only us there.
A tour, we didn't take, of a massive 12,000 head cattle ranch($50 minimum purchase from the owners private steak reserve). Only us there.
Ive posted pictures of both places.

Harvest Host was never about free to me.
I signed up due to a story of a hh ran by Franciscan Nuns raising livestock out in the boonies many miles off the beaten path.(or that's how I'm remembering it).




The slides out, music blaring, my dog can crap anywhere he likes gang is alive and well even on this forum.

They can't be admonished because of a mental block/blank they have cultivated.

Summary

MANY of us rv people suck. Those that suck can't be told to straighten their shit up because the mere word 'shit' rushes them to the emergency room.

Least common denominator is the guage we're guaged by.

Ps
We ran into the
We're no longer with harvest host thing
Maybe three times last August.
It was postlogued with, in every case:

'But,
Thanks for the picture and description of your rv and your travel set up.
We won't be home until after 5pm/meet us at the farmers market(where we bought $40 of their stuff)and we'll give you my gate key/fully contained and just the two of you is perfect.
(or variations thereof).

[EA37TS]

Harvest Host history

https://harvesthosts.com/rv-camping/history-harvest-hosts/amp/

After 8 years we will not renew our membership later this year.

[The Gritz Carlton]

I've toyed with canceling as well. We are locked in with the lifetime charter member pricing and that's a value. Hopefully, the value of the original program will return or I will not renew either. There's been 5 situations recently we would have stayed at a HH but "differences of opinions" and changes in host's attitudes and "requirements" have prevented that.

[ducksface]

Originally Posted by The Gritz Carlton

I've toyed with canceling as well. We are locked in with the lifetime charter member pricing and that's a value. Hopefully, the value of the original program will return or I will not renew either. There's been 5 situations recently we would have stayed at a HH but "differences of opinions" and changes in host's attitudes and "requirements" have prevented that.

What opinions?
We've stayed with:
Manbun types
Maga folk(an assumption based on bumper stickers. No conversation about it)
Hard-core Christian apologists(seems boondockers used to be swamped with them)
Woman haters
Man haters.
Golfers. of all things 8-)
Opinion never came up.

What requirement made it all wrong?

The only attitude we ever had was a host with dementia that didn't know why we were there and why people had been there last night. We made sure to follow him to a neighbors house as we left. He was very pleasant but stressed out.

We have maybe 20 stays with an hh.

[The Gritz Carlton]

Requirement: "Yes...you can stay with us...BUT...a $32 per person (plus gratuity) dinner reservation is required with payment at time of reservation".


We've never stayed at any HH location without patronizing their business and products. Their products and services are what drives us to that location...not "free camping". We would have gone to their cafe for dinner, plus a whole lot more. His attitude, almost accusing us as being "free-loaders", was very insulting. I'm sure it was driven by previous guests that he never saw exit their campers and left fresh dog crap behind for him.


Opinion: "I'm sure you think your RV is nice and self-contained, but I'll make that decision for you when you get here. Be prepared to leave if it's not approved by us."

[ducksface]

Originally Posted by The Gritz Carlton

Requirement: "Yes...you can stay with us...BUT...a $32 per person (plus gratuity) dinner reservation is required with payment at time of reservation".


We've never stayed at any HH location without patronizing their business and products. Their products and services are what drives us to that location...not "free camping". We would have gone to their cafe for dinner, plus a whole lot more. His attitude, almost accusing us as being "free-loaders", was very insulting. I'm sure it was driven by previous guests that he never saw exit their campers and left fresh dog crap behind for him.


Opinion: "I'm sure you think your RV is nice and self-contained, but I'll make that decision for you when you get here. Be prepared to leave if it's not approved by us."

That's fair reason on your part.
I'm sure some butt-breath 77 IQ Cousin Eddy Rv'r drove them to that position(or they're just a dick or they're struggling and you caught the brunt or stupid schoolies in their stupid trash mobile)

Yes, some had alluded over the phone that they expect us not to be a mooch and it was off-putting, but we heal pretty quickly.

Some had told us electric would be extra but upon seeing us insisted we use it for free.
They were on-guard maybe due to weariness or past doo-doo heads.

You've made me think about this a bit. About why a gracious/good business thing like being a hh would turn the hh sour.

I bet some hh have been completely lied to about anything possible to be lied to about.

I'm also wondering about what the logistics are of getting an rv'r removed once a hh invited them, and
especially if an hh charged them money.

I'm sure some antifa-esque folk have tried to squat somewhere at sometime.

I've grown to know some of you all well.
My place is free to some of you.
Some of you not.
General public? Not for $300 a night let alone to sell you a burger with a 5% profit.

Re edit:
I'm mulling this hh down-slide thing pretty heavily.
I need a poll:
I think hh has a 75% no-show rate. Just based on the times we considered such but couldnt be so rude so we drove, or waited.

What do we think hh no show rates are?

[RACarvalho]

I would suggest that HH change the approach to "$50/night which would count for anything you buy, payment in advance".
So if you buy $50 in dinner, merch., etc it is "Free stay", otherwise, it is $50/night for no hookups.
That would avoid the "free loaders" crowd.

We always use Walmart for overnights but I honestly think that Walmart, Cracker Barrel, etc should set a $30/nigh in their parking lot with the same terms above in order to avoid having to forbid overnights down the road in all locations.

[ducksface]

Originally Posted by RACarvalho

I would suggest that HH change the approach to "$50/night which would count for anything you buy".
So if you buy $50 in dinner, merch., etc it is "Free", otherwise, it is $50 for no hookups.
That would avoid the "free" crowd.

We always use Walmart for overnights but I honestly think that Walmart, Cracker Barrel, etc should set a $30/nigh stay in their parking lot with the same terms above in order to avoid having to forbid overnights down the road.

It is better to pay today than down the road they forbit this because of the same reason.

I would truly pay a larger yearly membership fee if they followed that path.

[The Gritz Carlton]

That sums up whats happened to HH. I spoke to a host a few weeks ago that runs a lavender farm and sells lots of homemade products. They had a guest staying in a van camper...he went out to check on them and invite them in for a tour of the farm, etc. They replied..."we can't stand the smell of lavender". Worse, the next mid-morning they did actually come in the store to ask if they could stay another night. HH is going through transitions and they need to evaluate what's going on and make adjustments. It's gone from a vary tranquil experience by accomplished and generous RVers to an advertised Walmart/Cracker Barrel expectation. I've spoke to quite a few hosts that realize what's going on and how the program is changing for the bad. I've suggested to them they charge a small fee ($25-$35) for the night and credit it back to purchases from their stores and services. Everyone wins!! Harvest Host...are you listening???


P.S.: We were on the same page, typing at the same time. It's official!! You and I said it...now make it happen HH!!

[ducksface]

Maybe an option like uber has to hire a higher-end vehicle?
Hire a higher end hh?
I'm not a Ruth's Chris fan but I'd pay for the the dinners if a hh spot as a perk.
I'd also pay for the llama farm parking at a lesser amount with store credit.

I'd do almost anything to keep from parking in a standard prison yard, stack 'em deep, sterile, strangers slinky 6 feet from my door, rv park.

[RVwife]

Wow, I didn't expect this to explode and yet I feared that I might hear just what some of you are saying. It's so sad. The few bad apples spoiling it for the majority.

I sure hope HH is paying attention.

Like some of you, we are also on the fence about renewing our membership when it comes up this fall. We choose not to add BW when HH was giving their strong push earlier this season, nor will we get sucked into today's email to join 1000 Trails.

We spend far more at the HH locations than we'd have to pay for most campgrounds. Actually went and made a reservation at a KOA when this HH backed out. The $$$ were not the issue at all. We weren't ready to have our whole trip scuttled due to a mid-course collapse of places to stay. Fortunately most of our other reservations are already made at state and national parks.

We have truly enjoyed a number of the HH museum locations, but honestly, the farm and winery venues are not at all unique to our world. Just retired from 45+ years of tree fruit and grape farming. We have sheep, goats, llamas, and more as neighbors and have our own rare breed ponies. (Ever seen a pony that sports a mohawk or is the star of the kids movie Frozen?)

For us the attraction is in journey off the beaten path, the serenity, and the joy of meeting other interesting and generous folks/hosts.

I sure hope HH isn't shooting itself in the foot with the current focus and approach.

[TripleGGG]

Our HH membership was up for renewal yesterday and we did not renew.

As already stated, many of these small business owners are becoming fed up with the same type of people destroying National Parks.

I was taught to always leave a place better than when I arrived, be it a campsite, an office, house or car I rented or borrowed. How times have changed.

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by TripleGGG

Our HH membership was up for renewal yesterday and we did not renew.

As already stated, many of these small business owners are becoming fed up with the same type of people destroying National Parks.

I was taught to always leave a place better than when I arrived, be it a campsite, an office, house or car I rented or borrowed. How times have changed.

Amen, we were raised the same way. There are still people that follow that creed but there seems to be many more that whose thought pattern never deviates from "me, me, me, me".

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by RVwife

Wow, I didn't expect this to explode and yet I feared that I might hear just what some of you are saying. It's so sad. The few bad apples spoiling it for the majority.

I sure hope HH is paying attention.

Like some of you, we are also on the fence about renewing our membership when it comes up this fall. We choose not to add BW when HH was giving their strong push earlier this season, nor will we get sucked into today's email to join 1000 Trails.

We spend far more at the HH locations than we'd have to pay for most campgrounds. Actually went and made a reservation at a KOA when this HH backed out. The $$$ were not the issue at all. We weren't ready to have our whole trip scuttled due to a mid-course collapse of places to stay. Fortunately most of our other reservations are already made at state and national parks.

We have truly enjoyed a number of the HH museum locations, but honestly, the farm and winery venues are not at all unique to our world. Just retired from 45+ years of tree fruit and grape farming. We have sheep, goats, llamas, and more as neighbors and have our own rare breed ponies. (Ever seen a pony that sports a mohawk or is the star of the kids movie Frozen?)

For us the attraction is in journey off the beaten path, the serenity, and the joy of meeting other interesting and generous folks/hosts.

I sure hope HH isn't shooting itself in the foot with the current focus and approach.

Unfortunately I believe you are seeing the beginning of the downward spiral. The good folks are not renewing and the scum is going to cause more and more good places to call it quits.

[TripleGGG]

Originally Posted by EA37TS

Unfortunately I believe you are seeing the beginning of the downward spiral. The good folks are not renewing and the scum is going to cause more and more good places to call it quits.

That seems to be a recurring theme. I hope we are all wrong!

[Lt Keefer]

Just watch the nightly news and see all the crap that is going down in this country. The thing about discounted options in a free market place is that you get a lot of junk. When you stay at a high dollar resort the price keeps out some of the riff raff. When you stay for free, so does the riff raff. Extend that to hosts that have bought into the kind of places HH caters to and it's not a wonder they are failing.

[Chateau_Nomad]

https://images.app.goo.gl/qhJdjKXzzGNZjrVD9

I guess when Riff Raff shows up, the party's over...