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mcneon · 01-19-2021, 08:19 AM

Anybody have any experience with Harvest Hosts? Their sites appear to offer sort of a boondocking experience. Apparently you have to join before you can see where the hosts are. Looks interesting, but as we all know, there's a lot on the internet that isn't exactly as it appears!

Our favorite campground in the Nashville are is getting harder and harder to book due to its popularity, so we're looking for alternatives.

Bob in Nashville

GettinAway · 01-19-2021, 08:43 AM

I believe there are many threads here about HH. You might want to try a quick search. We have found HH to be a very positive experience. Finding places to stay while getting from point A to point B. However, we are retired, and don’t mind stopping earlier in the day. Before retiring I would drive until late stay at a Walmart for a few hours and be gone early. Preferred to get to our destination. Now we are enjoying the trip more. We will be in HH places tonight and tomorrow night in AZ.

**azflycaster** · 01-19-2021, 08:46 AM

We are HH members and have stayed in a bunch of HH paces. Wineries, dairy farms, museums and more. You just call ahead and spend the night dry camping. It is suggested that you make a purchase ($20) while you are there. Our first HH night was at a winery in the finger lakes of NY and our free night cost us over a hundred dollars, but we left with some great wine.

If you like to visit these type of places, I would give it a try...

rowiebowie · 01-19-2021, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcneon

Anybody have any experience with Harvest Hosts? Their sites appear to offer sort of a boondocking experience. Apparently you have to join before you can see where the hosts are. Looks interesting, but as we all know, there's a lot on the internet that isn't exactly as it appears!

Our favorite campground in the Nashville are is getting harder and harder to book due to its popularity, so we're looking for alternatives.

Bob in Nashville

You will find mostly good reviews of Harvest Hosts. We've been a member for two years and they are a nice alternative or "safety-valve" when finding other spots gets tough.

We hardly travelled last year and did not use any Harvest Hosts, but I see from their maps they are expanding and adding Host sites to I plan to keep my subscription.

Just be aware that it is rare to find hookups at their member locations. Never seen dump stations, but we've stayed in one that had electricity and another that also had water. Neither charged, but they certainly should as this is costly to add to their locations. Figure on a mostly flat grass or gravel parking site.

While not required, we've bought cheese or wine (sometime paid for a museum tour) to help support the Hosts. All in all, very reasonable.

PS: As with all campgrounds, check the proximity of rail road tracks next to any HH location you might stay at. I seem to find all the ones with railroads within ear shot.

Workbench · 01-19-2021, 09:22 AM

Harvest Host has been a great experience for my wife and I. We got our first AS in August 2020 and have used HH 4 times, each time different and better.

B. Cole · 01-19-2021, 09:25 AM

A retired neighbor and his wife, really like the HH thingy.
They have a big motorhome, and like the ones here on Left Coast /PNW.

OTRA15 · 01-19-2021, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GettinAway

I believe there are many threads here about HH.
. . .

https://www.google.com/search?q=Harv...=airforums.com
https://www.airforums.com/forums/f42...ts-186675.html
https://www.airforums.com/forums/f24...ts-190573.html
https://www.airforums.com/forums/f31...ts-208473.html
https://www.airforums.com/forums/f38...st-215455.html

Welcome to the forum, Bob! Some of the posts on Harvest Host stays are truly inspiring, and when we get on the road again, this resource would make a great trip-planning tool IMO.

Happy trails . . . and . . .

kscherzi · 01-19-2021, 06:22 PM

Ditto to the above. We're members and have used Harvest Hosts. Like others have said we tend to buy much more than $20 dollars of wine, but, its fun[emoji16].

The basic rule is pack out whatever you pack in. No dump stations or hookups of any kind. Take your trash with you. One night stays only. Leave no trace. There are occasional exceptions, but those you work out on a case by case basis.

JoeHTP · 01-24-2021, 09:20 AM

Another positive vote for HH from us. We have been members for about 3 years and have stayed at about 30 in the US and Canada. Always have a very positive experience. Though there is no expectation of payment, we will typically buy a bottle of wine, shop in the market, have a drink or whatever the site offers.

We have really enjoyed our HH stays, and I no longer think of them as just a place to stay on the way to where we are going. The more we have stayed at them and enjoyed meeting the owners and taking in the site, we have come to realize they are a part of the travel experience.

The last HH we stayed at offered us a spot on the side of a river that ran through their property, and it was the kind of ideallic spot you would see in an RV ad. The hosts joined us for some hot chocolate around the campfire and we had a great time with them.

Also, if you have not boondocked, it’s a great way to start, because you stay for just one night.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcneon

Anybody have any experience with Harvest Hosts? Their sites appear to offer sort of a boondocking experience. Apparently you have to join before you can see where the hosts are. Looks interesting, but as we all know, there's a lot on the internet that isn't exactly as it appears!

Our favorite campground in the Nashville are is getting harder and harder to book due to its popularity, so we're looking for alternatives.

Bob in Nashville

nadrad314 · 11-03-2021, 11:14 AM

We love Harvest Host! Great way to meet some really nice people and some very private camping sites!! One night I was way back in a pasture on a grass-fed only beef ranch. Also bought a bunch of meat for the freezer! And another high light was a distillery. Live music until 10pm and really quiet after that.

Well worth the cost of zero dollars!! (We always make sure we spend at least $20 inside. In the two cases above I must say we spent way, way more.)

GettinAway · 11-04-2021, 07:12 AM

We’ve had mostly positive stays at harvest hosts. The only negative stays are when the parking lot is too close to a busy highway. Really have had some very fun times and great memories. Way better than a Walmart parking lot.

One of the best things about being retired. Stopping earlier in the day when traveling.

MikeandCarol · 11-04-2021, 07:20 AM

We’ve had pretty good experiences with HH. It’s handy when en route somewhere and you only need a one night stay.

kscherzi · 11-04-2021, 07:41 AM

Positive experiences here too, been a member for many years. However I've noticed that Harvest Hosts has become widely known, they've become popular and tend to get booked up well ahead like other popular venues. Harvest Hosts this past summer moved to an online calendar type booking system in lieu of calling the host directly. We found last summer that some popular hosts were booked out weeks in advance.

Because its currently free to stay apparently people were making reservations with little intention of showing up, as in a backup plan, or not bothering to cancel if their plans changed. This caused Harvest Hosts to enact a policy where three no shows gets one banned from the program.

Xin Li · 01-07-2022, 06:36 PM

We used HH many times and love it. All the hosts we met are super friendly and nice.

Join the FB group and you might find super nice boondocking site for free.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/438798101284739

JMynes · 01-08-2022, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azflycaster

Our first HH night was at a winery in the finger lakes of NY and our free night cost us over a hundred dollars, but we left with some great wine.

I stayed at that exact same place!

**richard5933** · 01-08-2022, 05:47 AM

We've had great experiences with HH, usually staying at their museum locations. Favorite is a little airport museum in Illinois. Always a museum we wanted to see anyhow, so it makes a great break while on a long trip.

Rich Jenkins · 01-08-2022, 06:06 AM

Timely thread bump. We just joined HH and are looking forward to using it for some new experiences this year. Appreciate all the input so far.

DaveP · 01-08-2022, 07:36 AM

Just joined HH this week. Looking forward to our first stay (as yet an undetermined location)!

KCurtis · 01-08-2022, 08:02 AM

We are going on our 3rd year now. I have yet find one that wasn't adding at least 2 to 3 hours on our trip. I tried 3 times to make a reservation last year where the location made some sense for us, but each time they weren't available. Other peoples great experiences made me to decide to join. Maybe someday it will work out for us.

uncle_bob · 01-08-2022, 08:06 AM

Hi

We have been with HH for about 5 years. We did a "lifetime membership" back when that was an option. I'm very glad we did.

They really are not set up to be an alternative to a campground. They are targeted at overnight stops. Multi day ( or even 24 hour ) stays are generally frowned upon. You can indeed sometimes talk to folks and work this or that out if things are not busy.

Indeed they are not a cheap option. I don't think we have ever "escaped" from one without spending more than a bit. Yes, the wine / food / tour / museum was a lot of fun. It's also nice to end a day of driving with an "event" rather than just pulling over and just parking.

One thing to note: Many places do not encourage generator use. They have had bad experiences with folks running construction generators. They are trying to run a business of some sort and the racket in the parking lot is (apparently) not good for business. Folks don't seem like to sit out on the deck drinking and listening to a generator thunder away ....

Location range from what is basically somebodies back (or front) yard to parking lots (with power hookups and water !!!) in downtown somewhere. They can and do fill up so planning can be interesting.

Highly recommended !!

Bob