Thousand Trails, Inc. Announces Results for Second Quarter of Fiscal 2002

Press Release: Thousand Trails
February 13, 2002
DALLAS, TX -- Thousand Trails, Inc. (AMEX:TRV), one of the nation's largest owners and operators of membership-based campgrounds, yesterday reported its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2002, which ended Dec. 31, 2001.

For the three months ended Dec. 31, 2001, Thousand Trails reported net income of $1.7 million or $0.20 per diluted share on revenues of $19.3 million, compared with net income of $909,000 or $0.11 per diluted share on revenues of $17.1 million for the same quarter last year.

For the six months ended Dec. 31, 2001, Thousand Trails reported net income of $3.9 million or $0.45 per diluted share on revenues of $45.2 million, compared with net income of $2.4 million or $0.28 per diluted share on revenues of $40.4 million for the same period last year.

``We did not see the downturn in business that a lot of companies experienced after September 11,'' said Bill Shaw, President and CEO. ``We originated $5.7 million in membership contracts in the second quarter, compared to $3.4 million last year. Our dues collections have remained steady. In the quarter, our revenues were 13% higher than last year and our income before taxes was up by 75%.''

Revenues grew in the current year as a result of increased membership sales revenue and increased fees from additional campgrounds managed by Trails Management, the Company's property management subsidiary. Membership sales revenue was higher because of higher average new sales prices and an upgrade program. Expenses were also higher in the current year due to increased sales and marketing efforts and operation of the additional campgrounds by Trails Management, partially offset by a decrease in interest expense.

A summary of the Company's financial results is set forth below (in
thousands, except for per share amounts):

                                For the Three         For the Six
                                 Months Ended         Months Ended
                             -------------------   -------------------
                                December 31,          December 31,
                             -------------------   -------------------
                                2001     2000        2001      2000
                             --------- ---------   --------- ---------
Membership contracts
 originated                    $5,669    $3,425     $12,937    $9,583
Change in deferred revenue     (1,792)   (1,371)     (5,374)   (5,189)
                             --------- ---------   --------- ---------
   Membership sales revenue     3,877     2,054       7,563     4,394
Membership dues                10,002    10,050      20,073    20,136
Other campground revenue        3,286     3,103      10,086     9,727
Trails Management revenue         113        59       3,416     1,989
RPI membership fees               798       762       1,686     1,674
Gain on asset sales               173         4         155       154
Interest income                   506       426       1,030       844
Other income                      556       626       1,237     1,476
                             --------- ---------   --------- ---------
Total revenues                 19,311    17,084      45,246    40,394
                             --------- ---------   --------- ---------

Campground operating
    expenses                    9,449     9,429      22,459    22,229
Membership origination costs    2,954     1,775       6,123     4,629
Marketing expenses              1,340     1,154       3,062     2,648
Change in deferred
 origination costs               (627)     (468)     (1,705)   (1,691)
General & administrative and
 member service costs           2,757     2,609       5,452     5,263
Trails Management expenses        281       294       2,983     1,791
RPI membership expenses           504       455         899       891
Interest expense                   18       334          23       670
                             --------- ---------   --------- ---------
Total expenses                 16,676    15,582      39,296    36,430

Income before income taxes      2,635     1,502       5,950     3,964
Income tax provision             (924)     (593)     (2,086)   (1,585)
                             --------- ---------   --------- ---------
Net income                     $1,711      $909      $3,864    $2,379
                             ========= =========   ========= =========

Net income per share-Basic      $0.21     $0.11       $0.47     $0.29
                             ========= =========   ========= =========
Net income per share-Diluted    $0.20     $0.11       $0.45     $0.28
                             ========= =========   ========= =========
Shares used in calculation:
     Basic                      8,155     8,084       8,163     8,047
                             ========= =========   ========= =========
     Diluted                    8,597     8,585       8,608     8,578
                             ========= =========   ========= =========



Founded in 1969 to provide a secure, friendly, and affordable camping experience, Thousand Trails today offers a premium outdoors destination to 116,000 members at 59 membership-based camping preserves located in 17 states and British Columbia, Canada. Thousand Trails also provides a reciprocal use program for members of approximately 300 recreational facilities and manages 241 public campgrounds for the US Forest Service and other entities.

This news release contains ``forward-looking statements'' based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations, estimates, or projections about the future, including statements about the Company's business strategies, plans, and conditions for future growth, are forward-looking statements and involve a number of risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Many factors, including those discussed more fully elsewhere in this release and in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly its latest annual report on Form 10-K and most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q, may cause the Company's actual results to differ materially. These factors include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to control costs, membership-based campground usage and market conditions, and the Company's success in collecting its contracts receivable.

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Contact: 
     Thousand Trails
     Bryan D. Reed, 972/243-2228