1985. New Coke was introduced; the Live Aid Concert took place in cities around the world; Willie Nelson launched the Farm Aid Concert to help save family farms; the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX; “Out of Africa” won the Academy Award for Best Picture. And the Camping World President’s Club was born, offering members an automatic 10% discount on every purchase plus other valuable benefits—all backed up with a 100% satisfaction guarantee from Camping World’s founder, David Garvin.

By the end of the following year, over 66,000 campers and RVers were enjoying the savings and benefits offered exclusively to President’s Club members, and their numbers continued to grow. By 1990, the President’s Club boasted over 200,000 active members nationwide. Club membership reached the 300,000 member mark in late 1992; over 400,000 members were active in the club by 1994, and the 500,000^th member was signed up in late 1997. There were over 600,000 active members taking advantage of a growing list of Members-Only benefits by early 2002, and today the President’s Club counts over 750,000 active members.

Why did the President’s Club grow so fast? Members quickly realized how valuable their President’s Club membership could be, offering not only significant savings on RV and outdoor products but also on necessary RV and tow vehicle repairs and service. Plus, membership brought extra “perks”, like savings on campground directories; an annual coupon book filled with hundreds of dollars in savings on RV products and accessories; access to affordable roadside emergency service designed for RVs, specialized tours for RVers through President’s Club Tours and special sales and events open only to members, plus a special publication called RV View that was mailed periodically to all club members.

Members easily saved the modest cost of an annual membership plus much, much more. The membership fee—still today only $19.95 for one year—was never intended to cover the 10% discount, but to help make the valuable “perks” and benefits possible to the growing ranks of RVing and camping families.

Garvin made sure when he launched his namesake club that his valued customers would receive the best deals available on the products and services they needed to support their RV and camping lifestyle. He backed up his claim with a money-back guarantee: if a member was not satisfied with their membership experience, their membership fee would be refunded in full. Very few asked for their money back, however, as the list of benefits continued to grow and as more Camping World stores were opened along popular RV travel routes and near popular vacation destinations.

Today, President’s Club members enjoy the widest range of benefits ever, including discounts on camping fees, rental cars, hotel/motel accommodations, vacation accommodation rentals and pet insurance; free RV and outdoor products through product testing and member-only giveaways; special pricing on select RVs through Camping World RV Sales; savings on mail forwarding, and PC Perks, a members-only email newsletter.

As more and more families discover the joys and relaxation of RV travel, the President’s Club is working harder than ever to bring maximum value and real savings to each of its members. Additional benefits and savings are constantly being sought out to meet the diverse needs of RV enthusiasts, from full-timers to weekend getaway and summer vacation campers. Your President’s Club membership is more valuable today than ever, and will only grow more valuable in the days ahead. Need to renew your membership so you don’t miss out on a single dollar of savings? Call today at 800-626-3636 or visit CampingWorld.com/pc to renew your membership online.