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Is a timeshare beneficial for truck drivers and single dads?

T

TheButlerDidIt83

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First time call her on here long time timeshare borrower. My parents have been Wyndham owners since 1996. I've never really thought that I would be interested in buying a timeshare but I am a truck driver and I live in Arkansas while my son's live in Florida. I have to reserve a hotel Airbnb or condo once a month to see them. Would I benefit from buying a timeshare if I used it once the month? All right I'll hang up and listen to your response?
 
You can’t use them once a month. Typically it is once a year. Maybe a couple weeks if you have a points-based timeshare. However, a cheap ts and membership in RCI or II would give you access to last minute rentals. They are generally for a week. You would have to do the math. What city do your boys live in or near?
 
Probably Not, But need more info. Are you driving your truck there? Do your kids live in the same area? Do you stay a few days or a week? Most timeshares are in resort areas, how far is that from kids? What areas do you want to go to?
 
I would drop my truck at the truck stop closest to the resort or to wear my sons live. I have learned And the short time that they lived in Vero Beach that that city is the most Boring City to have the word Beach In it. I stay for a few days like a weekend. I'm just tired of paying for hotels resorts and airbnbs through booking and the like
 
Keep on Motel-ing! I only see 4 resorts there- Disney $$$- vistana (probably marriot system now) and what looks to be a couple independent resorts which are generally fixed weeks. Maybe someone has more info on the cost of them, but if your looking to go a few days at a time i don't think a timeshare will help you. Just my opinion though.
 
Thinking more specifically of getting one with Wyndham because I know they do the point system then the fixed day system. And do they still partner with RCI when it comes to using your points for hotels?
 
Well, Wyndham points are available cheap resale and are flexible, but you'd need a lot of points to stay once a month just "straight booked for a week", and if you did manage to grab just a weekend or the like, you'd run out of housekeeping credits so it'd just add cost buying those.

I think you might be well placed to consider a "Timeshare Lite" like the timeshare traveler says on Youtube, and look into the Homewood Suites/Residence Inns hotels that come with a kitchen and a bit more of a studio suite kind of layout. If you liked Hilton ones, the Surpass card might be worth it if you can churn spend through it - you'd get extra benefits, a free night each year and build points for more free nights or just discounts on stays. And they have a Home2 Suites off of I-95 about 8 miles away for 36,000 pts a night Aug 22-23 as an example this year. (That's a pretty low points value). It's $116 a night cash with HHonors. That's a pretty low cash rate too.

At the very least, you could give it a try pretty easily without buying into anything, and if you did decide to go into HHonors the Surpass card is $150 a year but like I said, you get gold membership, FNR if you churn enough spend and points to bring down the cost a bit each year.

As someone else said - Orlando has a bunch of TS, some a little closer in Kissimmee but that still looks like 1.5 hrs away so not ideal. What Wyndhams have you been staying in?
 
As a retired trucker, I'd advise against owning a timeshare for your intended purpose. It's too hard to reserve just a few days here and there. There are additional 'housekeeping' fees for short stays. And parking for an oversize vehicle- even a tractor- is generally not allowed. Trailers- never. I know it's far from ideal, but for now, keep motel-ing it.

Jim
 
TheButlerDidIt83 said:
No because that's what I usually do is get a hotel in Orlando and go pick my son up in Vero Beach and we hang out in Orlando and do all the fun things there.
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jp10558 said:
Well, Wyndham points are available cheap resale and are flexible, but you'd need a lot of points to stay once a month just "straight booked for a week", and if you did manage to grab just a weekend or the like, you'd run out of housekeeping credits so it'd just add cost buying those.

I think you might be well placed to consider a "Timeshare Lite" like the timeshare traveler says on Youtube, and look into the Homewood Suites/Residence Inns hotels that come with a kitchen and a bit more of a studio suite kind of layout. If you liked Hilton ones, the Surpass card might be worth it if you can churn spend through it - you'd get extra benefits, a free night each year and build points for more free nights or just discounts on stays. And they have a Home2 Suites off of I-95 about 8 miles away for 36,000 pts a night Aug 22-23 as an example this year. (That's a pretty low points value). It's $116 a night cash with HHonors. That's a pretty low cash rate too.

At the very least, you could give it a try pretty easily without buying into anything, and if you did decide to go into HHonors the Surpass card is $150 a year but like I said, you get gold membership, FNR if you churn enough spend and points to bring down the cost a bit each year.

As someone else said - Orlando has a bunch of TS, some a little closer in Kissimmee but that still looks like 1.5 hrs away so not ideal. What Wyndhams have you been staying in?
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When it comes to Wyndham Hotels I stayed and basically the lower end Super 8 days in all that cuz I'm not picky as long as it has a bed and clean bathroom and showers I'm not picky but I do like to cook instead of buying restaurant food. My parents are presidential owners and so we just stayed in the presidential suite at Bonnet Creek and holy crap that was nice but I know that's not even close to where I would ever be. In Florida I have been to the one in Daytona the one in Pompano Beach and another one in Orlando back in the 90s it was still being built. I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Resort and Cape Canaveral yeah but I paid out a pocket for that one. And what I like to do since my boys are homeschooled is spend a week on their birthday week at a hotel or condo
 
If you are willing to stay in orlando area you dont need a point system. Magic Tree in kissimmee will give you a free 1bd. MF's are $550 and havent raised in 20yrs. They are floating weeks but the only time you would have to book early is holiday weeks. Beyond that use a trading company to go. Last call in RCI has about 20-30 resorts in orlando area for under $400 right now. No hotel point system will allow you to stay this cheep. It is a gold crown resort with all the amenities of a big resort and free. They also have 2bd's with MF's $625. They cost around $1500 if available. They do a quick deed so for about $100 your done in about a week. They also have a plan if you want out.
 
austdav said:
If you are willing to stay in orlando area you dont need a point system. Magic Tree in kissimmee will give you a free 1bd. MF's are $550 and havent raised in 20yrs. They are floating weeks but the only time you would have to book early is holiday weeks. Beyond that use a trading company to go. Last call in RCI has about 20-30 resorts in orlando area for under $400 right now. No hotel point system will allow you to stay this cheep. It is a gold crown resort with all the amenities of a big resort and free. They also have 2bd's with MF's $625. They cost around $1500 if available. They do a quick deed so for about $100 your done in about a week. They also have a plan if you want out.
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Okay maybe here I don't know what MFS are?
 
TheButlerDidIt83 said:
Okay maybe here I don't know what MFS are?
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MFs are Maintenance Fees. All timeshares have them. I think the amounts quoted in the previous post are for a year.
 
Could his parents give him an associate membership on their RCI account so he can book last call?
 
AnnieBets said:
Could his parents give him an associate membership on their RCI account so he can book last call?
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I'm assuming they have it through corporate Wyndham, which sadly doesn't have all the options a straight RCI account would have. I think if he was OK staying in RCI locations, especially in easy to book Orlando, he might well follow @austdav. Super cheap to get access to RCI. Though there's also that Grandview Triennial on Free Timeshares right now that if you just want RCI Last Call access - it works out to like $160 a year I think, but you don't get a "built in week" every year - you get 1 every third year and maybe 2 Vacation Village Bonus weeks - which I do think you could also likely use at one of their Orlando properties.
 
My question would be are you only seeing the boys on weekends or are you seeing them during the week? Are the visits planned or is it a as you have time thing? This matters because if you have a fixed this is when I am going to be seeing them and it is during the week it can be easier to book the timeshare for a few days if you are doing it well in advance. Even booking for just weekends is doable but you need to be doing so in advance.
 
TheButlerDidIt83 said:
First time call her on here long time timeshare borrower. My parents have been Wyndham owners since 1996. I've never really thought that I would be interested in buying a timeshare but I am a truck driver and I live in Arkansas while my son's live in Florida. I have to reserve a hotel Airbnb or condo once a month to see them. Would I benefit from buying a timeshare if I used it once the month? All right I'll hang up and listen to your response?
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How much do you budge for each stay? Are they typically a week long or weekends only?

I feel Florida / Orlando area is the capital of timeshares so even a small budget with a timeshare can do a lot.

You could buy a dual afflicted resort such as Sheraton Vistana or Colonies at Williamsburg so you get both II and RCI. You will get a tons of weeks for $300-500 all included. They all should beat Motels and you don’t need to stay the full week. If you only stay by days then a point based system like HGVC likely works better. Again a very small package can do a lot and some last minute open season cash rental can work like 50-100 a night in a studio - similar to Hilton hotel quality.

If your budget is tight, you can pick up a Sheraton Vistana Resort 1-bed EOY for free or almost free. The annual fee is $300-400 per year and add $200 for II and RCI membership fee each year. And if you don’t find it useful as I guess it could work for you, it’s easy to give it away here or simply deed it back. The best part is you can still keep II and RCI open as long as you pay them membership fees and you can always pick up getaways for $300-500 a week without a timeshare.
 
Suggestion only , I would try to find a one week Getaways thru II or RCI.
I would ask your parents to look for a one week Getaways thru II or RCI in Florida.
They could give this gift this to you as a guest week.
You then would pay your parents for the timeshare week.
You could stay three days or more without any additional fees. IMHO

Are you a veteran? There is a timeshare website called Armed Forces Vacation Website. I think that is the correct title.

You do not have to own a timeshare.
You can book directly with the timeshare resort when you join the website.
There are no joining fees and no yearly maintenance fees.
 
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