Any Good Sam members here?

[BCDave]

Last year, when I was undertaking a "zillion mile" trek to Texas and back to get my Bigfoot I joined Good Sam to get some of their perks like the discounts on campgrounds, trip planning, etc.

Shortly, I began to receive their newsletters, and began to suspect that they had "sold out" to Camping World as every e-mail and newsletter seemed to read more and more like a CW sale flyer than a RV club newsletter.

As I had, once upon a time, bought something or other at CW, I also had acquired one of their cards.

At the time that I "joined" the CW "President's Club" I was assured that CW allowed free overnight parking/camping at all CW stores, and that the card was good for discounts etc.

Well: All the way from Texas back to British Columbia I did not encounter a single CW that allowed overnight parking. NOT ONE! (And I tried to use that perk!)

As for the discounts? In my limited experience it seems that you can get a $1,000 item for 10% off at CW (with the card) or get the identical item for $695 (with no discount) elsewhere.

None of this is news to a lot of folks on here, as I have garnered over the past few years.

What is sparking my current rant, however, is that the Good Sam Club has now made it official and merged with CW. I just got my new "Sooper-Dooper, it slices, it dices, it makes coffee and it shines your shoes" card, good for BOTH orgs.

In my view, this represents a complete sell-out

My reactions to this merger cannot be accurately presented here as this is a family-oriented site and I would likely banished forever.

Thus endeth my rant for the day.

[Mary F]

Hi, Dave. I don't have anything to add to your CW/GS rant, but I do have a question:

Did you copy/paste your missive into a compose screen? I'm thinking if not, your logout problem seems to have been fixed!

[CallDon]

It's not a merger. Camping World is a part of the same company. They have always been the same. But I would certainly complain about the no camping policy.

[CallDon]

Originally Posted by CallDon

It's not a merger. Camping World is a part of the same company. They have always been the same. But I would certainly complain about the no camping policy.

More info :
Good Sam Club is currently owned by the Affinity Group Inc., which also owns Trailer Life Publications, Motor Home Publications, Camping World, Woodalls RV park directory, and Camp Coast to Coast.

[BCDave]

So, I guess the rather naive belief on my part that there would be some place - some club - where members could get a user-based view of "where is the best place to...." (buy something or have something serviced, etc) was REALLY misplaced when it came to the Good Sam Club. I had allowed myself to be deluded into thinking that GS, being a large organization with a lengthy history, would be an advocate for the individual RVer, and a clearing-house for information, not merely an extension of the largest single retailer in the RV industry.

Being a hotrodder, I am somewhat accustomed to being able to rely on other members of the hotrod fraternity to say that "such & such is a good product", or to warn fellow hotrodders that "you will likely get ripped off if you deal with (X)", and having no fear of being able to contribute my recommendations (both good and bad) for the consideration of others as well.

Is there such a place for RV-ers? (Beside this board, which is, by far, the best site I have found!)

[cpaharley2008]

I too got suckered into both organizations with fees paid and also the GS road service, which has been a debacle in trying to get my accounts straightened out. After spending hours on the phone with their sheeple, I gave up. They will not receive any more of my $$$.

[Donna D.]

Different strokes for different folks.

I live 3 miles from a Camping World and find it to be a candy store for camping and RV people. I buy most of my "stuff" there, but I'm also a comparison shopper. What I don't like to do is pay S&H on anything I can buy locally. I work for a worldwide transportation company and believe me the only people getting rich are those that SHIP. I keep those dollars in my pocket (or buy better product) by picking up the items myself.

Dave sorry you couldn't camp at CW, but I think you're blaming them for city ordinances that prevent camping like that. I have TWO CWs in my area and both allow camping, but then again... city ordinances allow it. Perhaps you didn't read the fine print???

Yeah, I get spam and junk mail from both Good Sam and CW... but, that's why I have a junk folder in my e-mail and a recycle bin for the garbage hauler.

I've never considered Camping World to be an RV club, but a product retailer...

YMMV

[mary and bob]

We belong to Good Sam, but have never actually used any of their benefits. Since we own a 13 foot Uhaul, a popup, and a teardrop, the magazine doesn't much apply to what we do, but being a mechanic retired from a world wide truck leasing company, I'm at least amused by all the problems that the owners of the big rigs have. I have bought a few items from Camping World, and the prices of those particular items were a little cheaper than at Northern Tool at that time and were shipped free. There was a while back on another trailer site a discussion about how many people disliked Camping World, but it mostly related to parts and service and how they only wanted to deal with the big dollar rigs. I understood that staying overnight was for customers that were in for service. We do own and use the campground book, on a recent 3000 mile trip it was handy to have. We did one overnight in a Walmart, asked the manager first and was given the OK. Bob

[CallDon]

Dave, you are correct that they are certainly not unbiased. For years the joke has been about the reviews interest Trailer Life magazines that the never actually criticize any of their advertisers. LOL. That's no secret! I use the CW catalog to see what I want, then find it locally. If a CW were close by, I would lose all my paycheck buying toys. LOL

[itlives]

Being very new to this game, I got Good Sam because of name recognition. The premium is good and I've got piece of mind knowing it is insured.
Now that I have insurance, I can look around for a better deal.
As part of the rant, maybe some alternatives would have been nice for the newbies.

[bbuehler]

Well, I had just about decided to let my 'AAA' roadside assistance lapse, when it expires in mid-March. I was ready to jump on the Good Sam Club's roadside assistance, which includes not only my trailer but my tow rig as well. Now, after reading this thread, it sounds like some folks were not happy with their calls to Good Sam for HELP, while they had roadside assistance needs.

Could more of YOU with Good Sam coverage, please weigh in on this topic?

Or is there another BETTER WAY for me to go?

I'm just starting to plan a HUGE cross-country road-trip for mid-March (almost the exact date my Triple A coverage will run out!).

YOUR FEEDBACK is much appreciated!

[floyd]

Originally Posted by bbuehler

Well, I had just about decided to let my 'AAA' roadside assistance lapse, when it expires in mid-March. I was ready to jump on the Good Sam Club's roadside assistance, which includes not only my trailer but my tow rig as well. Now, after reading this thread, it sounds like some folks were not happy with their calls to Good Sam for HELP, while they had roadside assistance needs.

Could more of YOU with Good Sam coverage, please weigh in on this topic?

Or is there another BETTER WAY for me to go?

I'm just starting to plan a HUGE cross-country road-trip for mid-March (almost the exact date my Triple A coverage will run out!).

YOUR FEEDBACK is much appreciated!

Of course,Roadside Assistance does not come with a standard Good Sam membership, it must be purchased separately.
I suggest asking your car insurance agent if you need a rider or if you already have the coverage you need. You might find the coverage is cheaper than a club, or even already included.

[melissab]

I have USAA for my Home, Auto and RV Insurance with towing and Roadside Assistance for our 2 vehicles and the trailer. I have full coverage on e'thing. We do get a multi policy discount so it's worth contacting your auto insurance co. to see what they offer. For full coverage on 2 vehicles plus the trailer and the above mentioned services on e'thing, our monthly premium is $110. We are both over 40 and have perfect driving records and have been with USAA nearly 20 yrs though. We looked into AAA, Good Sam and Coachnet but decied for now our insurance company gives us enough. In Florida where 1 out of 4 drivers are uninsured you have to be well covered!

[floyd]

Originally Posted by melissab

I have USAA for my Home, Auto and RV Insurance with towing and Roadside Assistance for our 2 vehicles and the trailer. I have full coverage on e'thing. We do get a multi policy discount so it's worth contacting your auto insurance co. to see what they offer. For full coverage on 2 vehicles plus the trailer and the above mentioned services on e'thing, our monthly premium is $110. We are both over 40 and have perfect driving records and have been with USAA nearly 20 yrs though. We looked into AAA, Good Sam and Coachnet but decied for now our insurance company gives us enough. In Florida where 1 out of 4 drivers are uninsured you have to be well covered!

Interestingly enough, the advent of mandatory insurance has not moved the needle on the percentage of uninsured, but it has raised premiums and brought on new products, such as "underinsured motorist" coverage.

[reeves99]

Hi Dave,
Thanks for your post. It has generated a lot of useful discussion and information. I'm still debating whether to get GS roadside assistance or go with BCAA (AAA for you Americans reading this). I'm leaning toward BCAA now!
Phil

[WildBirder]

I'm with bbuehler and Phil, I'd like to hear more feed back about service experiences.
My folks have a big rig and are with GS. They had a negative experience when calling for road side assistance. Given the third degree. When help finally arrived it was very good though. As a long time BCAA (AAA) member I've always had an exceptional customer experience. It's always been within the city though. I've also heard nothing but glowing reviews for BCAA. To me "what I get" is more important than what is "offered".
Mark

[Ricky 4]

We signed up this summer with Good Sam. We were to get the presidential discounts at Camping World. The cashier said we would get tons of discounts and free stuff and camping. So far we haven`t gotten anything. The discounts at Camping World are small and if I can find it at Walmart-it is cheaper than the CW presidential amount.
I got the free insurance quote from Good Sam..it was just $20 cheaper a month than what I have now..not worth the hassle of switching. I am still waiting for my free atlas-which they said would be here in 6 weeks.
I must say the CW has many hard to find items but most items are for the big rigs.

Another thought-has anyone painted their wheels or rims and what type of paint did you use? Want to change mine from white to red.

[theresa p]

rich---although you say $20/month savings "isn't worth the hassle of switching"...that mere $20 monthly adds up to $240 annually. to me, that IS worth switching for!

i also have been a roadside assistance customer of good sam for 2 years. i originally purchased their membership for 2 reasons: they cover dependents up to age 25 (some conditions apply) and with 3 boys at home or at school, this was a great savings. secondly, their coverage includes the trailer. previously, we had coverage with CAA (the canadian equivalent of AAA). they do not cover the trailer. what good is it for them to tow my tow vehicle somewhere yet leave my trailer somewhere else? i want them both to go together. we have called them for tows 3 times( on a variety of cars in the family) and each time, service was excellent----quick, efficient and very, very good customer service....each time, they called me back every 15 minutes until the tow truck arrived! i have never had service like that. plus, the concierge service is very helpful when travelling.
all in all, i will continue to be a member/customer of roadside but i do not hold a membership to the good sam camping club. we did, the first year, and did not use it enough to even pay back my membership dues, so we did not renew.

[Kevin A]

We have had the Good Sam membership for about 4 years and have used it several times each summer to get a discount at campgrounds. The discounts have easily paid for the membership (in just a couple trips) and we find that Good Sam CG tend to be cleaner and have nice facilities. I enjoy the magazine, even if just to see what other RV folks are experiencing. I don't use their insurance or shop much at Camping World, but it's a fun place to visit.

[mary and bob]

Like I said previously, Good Sam seems to be geared more towards the motorhome & other big rig people. I get ads in the mail constantly to sign up for their roadside assistance program, and talking about breakdowns that only relate to those big rigs, one of which I certainly don't have. I do have the AAA Premier plan, and added RV on to it for an extra $20. For us that only have small campers, I don't know if Good Sam's policy would even apply to our tow vehicles. Liability coverage comes under my auto policy. Bob