Good Sam's Club Emergency Road Service

[Charles Watts]

I know, I know ... alot of folks don't like Good Sam's Club ... you get a lot of junk mail ... but I gotta tell you.

I wouldn't leave home without my Good Sam's Emergency Road Service policy.

Now, I don't work for Good Sam's and I don't want a referral if you decide to join.

But there's nothing like Good Sam's ERS ... if you get in a jam on the road ... plain and simple.

Some may feel protected by their tow vehicle's new car warranty ... some may think their AAA or CAA policy will cover them.

But guess what ... they won't. (AAA has come up with a AAA RV policy ... but it's a poor second choice to Good Sam's Emergency Road Service.

If your tow vehicle or trailer break down 1000s of miles or kilometers from home ... the policy is worth its weight in gold.

I've been there ... and done that ... take the time I had transmission trouble near Cape Enrage, New Brunswick.

[Charles Watts]

Cape Enrage is a bit off the beaten path, but it's a great spot to experience the raw, primal beauty of the Bay of Fundy.

We had been planning to do some hiking at Cape Enrage and then back track to camp at Fundy National Park.

And we were happily motoring along, when all of a sudden, the motor started racing ... and our tow vehicle/trailer quit moving. At first, I thought I'd knocked the gear shift outta gear ... but soon discovered the transmission had given up the ghost.

We were miles from nowhere ... completely unfamilar with the area ... out of cell phone range ... with no houses or traffic in sight. Dead on the road, half on the highway, half off.

It took awhile, but finally a little old lady in an old Nash Rambler came along and offered us a lift to the nearest town ... which was about 20 minutes away. There was one store in this town, with a gas pump, no mechanic or pay phone.

The woman who owned and ran the store, also lived behind the store ... and let me use her phone. It wasn't a crank phone, but it was an old rotary dial phone ... and I was never so glad to hear the Good Sam's Emergency Road Service on the other end.

[Charles Watts]

"Hello ... Good Sam's ERS ... how can I help you."

"I had transmission trouble and had to leave my tow vehicle and trailer on the road." I said.

"Where are you located," she asked.

I didn't know. The lady had gone back down to the store.

To be honest, I can't remember the name of the same town. But once I returned to the phone, they then asked where the vehicle and trailer were located ... and asked if someone would be at the vehicle when the tow truck would arrive.

I told her no, that some nice little old lady had stopped and given us a ride into town ... so to make a long story short ... Good Sam's ERS dispatched a truck to pick us up at the little General Store ... and he took:

1. Pam, the trailer and the dogs back down to Fundy National Park

2. And then hauled me and the disabled vehicle up to Moncton where I was able to rent a car while it took several days to get the tow vehicle fixed.

In short ... Good Sam's ERS will make sure you, your trailer, your tow vehicle and your family will get to the nearest campground and nearest repair facility ... no matter how far the distance.

All the other emergency road service programs will either a: drop your trailer on the side of the road and haul your tow vehicle (5 miles or less) ... or b: haul your trailer and tow vehicle in combo (at the tow operators option, and at added expense) to a repair facility, where they may let you camp in their parking lot.

And most auto road service programs have absolutely no idea where to take a broken trailer for service ... let alone where the nearest campground is located.

Good Sam's ERS promises they'll get your RV and/or tow vehicle to a repair facility and your RV to a campground.

As I said ... I wouldn't leave home without it ... particularly since we usually seek out the out of the way areas, where I have absolutely no idea where to take what, to get fixed.

Good Sam's ERS does.

I wouldn't leave home without it.

[Charles Watts]

Basic Good Sam's membership runs about US$19/yr ... the ERS service is another US$80 or so.

We're frequently on the road ... 1000s of miles from home ... so it's a good value.

If you only camp around home, or only take 1 big trip a year ... only you can decide if it's worth it.

To me, it's cheap insurance ... and I've never once had to worry about what would happen, if we broke down miles from home, unfamilar with the area, needing a place to camp and at the same time, get something fixed.

I actually have a "Lifetime" membership to Good Sam's which I purchased probably more than 15 years ago ... so the only expense to me is the annual ERS policy. (And I selected "automatic renewal" for the ERS so I don't even have to think about renewing it!)

Since I plan on living and Rv'ing in fiberglass rigs a good long while ... the "Lifetime" option seemed to be the way to go ... I don't even know if it's an option anymore.

http://www.goodsamclub.com/

[Gina D.]

Thanks for reminding my Charles. I had intended to do this all week, and I just did.

It is supposed to snow where I am going next week, getting stuck is not an option.

[Charles Watts]

Great Gina!

Have a safe trip!

Hopefully you won't have to use ERS ... but it's nice to know you've got it!

Oh ... also ... Good Sam's ERS covers ALL your vehicles ... and your spouse and all your family members (living at home, under a certain age.)

I can't tell you how many times Good Sam's ERS towed my son's beater pick-up when he lived with us. He had a car, too ... all were covered ... but it seems like his pick-up lived on the back of a tow truck.

[Gina D.]

well, I don't have a wife, so thats money out the door

I noticed theres an add on for pets. They will transport them home for you.. but, I am not sure if that is of benefit, cause they ain't goin where I ain't goin! Sans a medical emergency...

[bdiscount]

Basic Good Sam's membership runs about US$19/yr ... the ERS service is another US$80 or so.

We're frequently on the road ... 1000s of miles from home ... so it's a good value.

If you only camp around home, or only take 1 big trip a year ... only you can decide if it's worth it.

To me, it's cheap insurance ... and I've never once had to worry about what would happen, if we broke down miles from home, unfamilar with the area, needing a place to camp and at the same time, get something fixed.

I actually have a "Lifetime" membership to Good Sam's which I purchased probably more than 15 years ago ... so the only expense to me is the annual ERS policy. (And I selected "automatic renewal" for the ERS so I don't even have to think about renewing it!)

Since I plan on living and Rv'ing in fiberglass rigs a good long while ... the "Lifetime" option seemed to be the way to go ... I don't even know if it's an option anymore.

http://www.goodsamclub.com/

I was glad to read your post about good sam I have AAA (north Dakota, They are different in dif. states) I have used it 3 times in the past year to change whells after a blowout and one time they put the tow vehicle on a truck and towed the scamp to my home (45 miles). I also get maps etc. But they will only do 4 calls per year. I will look into Goodsam when the aaa ends. Actually the prices are close. I travel 2 trips of 5000 miles and 12 for 200 -500 a year

[Charles Watts]

>>service for pets

Gina ... we also take advantage of the Good Sam's Lost Pet service. For the minimal fee ($5 or $10 one time only) you get a id number and a pet tag with a 24/7 800 number, good in the US and Canada.

If your pet is ever lost on the road (or at home for that matter)(but much more important if lost on the road) ... the finder calls the 800 number to the Good Sams lost pet service ... which guarantees the finder expenses will be paid to reunite the pet with you.
(You have to pay the expenses however).

Why is this important? Well, most folks have their "home" phone numbers on their pet tags ... doesn't do much good if you are not "at home" ... particularly if you are not going to be home for several weeks or months.

Say you are on a six week trip across the US ... and lose your pet in Iowa. The finder calls the 800 number and says they have your animal in Ames. You call the 800 number to inquire if anyone has found your pet and are told Joe Blow has your pet in Ames.

Beats having someone call your home phone and get no answer or an answering machine.

I know, I know .... there are imbedded pet ID's ... but folks need a "reader" to read the chip ... and if no one is home ... how are you ever reunited with your pet "enroute," in the middle of a trip.

Hopefully nobody will ever lose a pet ... however, we once were witnesses to a family that lost their cat in a campground ... and had to tearfully leave the campground to go home ... without their pet ... passing out flyers to the other campers with their address.

[Charles Watts]

bdiscount>>tow vehicle on a truck and towed the scamp to my home

Hi b!

Did AAA tow both that far without an extra charge? Or did you have the AAA RV policy?

The Good Sam's Emergency Road service will tow both ... as far as they need to be towed ... for you to be safely camped near an appropriate repair facility.

I, too, used to have AAA years ago ... for trip-tiks, travelers checks, etc. But now that you can do most of your routing online, I feel more comfortable with Good Sams .... hey, more than a million RV'ers belong to Good Sams. We all can't be crazy!

Also forgot to mention that for the basic Membership ... you get a 10 percent discount at Good Sams affiliated campgrounds and repair facilities ... and also get 12 monthly issues of the clubs Highways magazine (which in my opinion, is worth the basic membership fee).

[Nick]

Charles

I checked the don't send special offers box on both snail and email and it kind of slowed my Good Sams mail to a relative trickle.

I think you probably talked me Good Sams ERS at the old place. Hope we never have to use it.

Nick

[Gina D.]

Charles,

My dogs have my cell # instead of home. Since ones cell # will pretty much stay with them thru life these days, I thought that was better than reregistering thier chips, getting new hang tags etc.

I did note the service tho, sounds good.

[Renee K.]

Basic Good Sam's membership runs about US$19/yr ... the ERS service is another US$80 or so.

We're frequently on the road ... 1000s of miles from home ... so it's a good value.

If you only camp around home, or only take 1 big trip a year ... only you can decide if it's worth it.

To me, it's cheap insurance ... and I've never once had to worry about what would happen, if we broke down miles from home, unfamilar with the area, needing a place to camp and at the same time, get something fixed.

I actually have a "Lifetime" membership to Good Sam's which I purchased probably more than 15 years ago ... so the only expense to me is the annual ERS policy. (And I selected "automatic renewal" for the ERS so I don't even have to think about renewing it!)

Since I plan on living and Rv'ing in fiberglass rigs a good long while ... the "Lifetime" option seemed to be the way to go ... I don't even know if it's an option anymore.

I've been a lifer for a long time and paid for ERS when I didn't have a tow, and last year used it twice in one month for large conv. vans. I have never experienced any tow service who took so much care, so would say GS gets the best! They don't always have to tow so far, but if it were out of pocket it would cost near $100 for a tow truck to just turn the key! Once more! They will tow any veh. that I drive wherever I may be! You can not get that on any extra insurance towing service that I know of. For those who say they have that service for half the price, just check out their fine print! GS-ERS has NO fine print!

[Craig Nold]

Charles,
You have just about covered the reasons to choose God Sam ERS over AAA. I switched to Good Sam for many of the same reasons.
I had AAA Plus for years and was about 75 miles north of Dawson City, Yukon when I realized just how useless the service really is. I would be on my own hook for the next 800 miles. It was on that trip that I decided to get a Casita. I was going to move up to the Plus RV plan until I read the fine print and considering that much of my travels take me beyond 100 miles from the nearest Toyota dealer or tire shop. Anyone who doesn't believe that should just get out a map of Nevada or Utah. AAA Plus RV provides an additional truck and driver for one hour and this hillbilly don't need rocket science to know that you can't tow a trailer 100 miles in one hour. With ERS, all I have to worry about is how to call when my cell phone won't.

[Patrick M.]

I prefer to self-insure for towing services, although the "peace-of-mind" value of having that phone number/quick rescue is different for everyone. For me the value doesn't pencil out. In 38 years of owning vechiles, new and used, I've never had a breakdown of significance on the road. When I take long trips I see thousands of vehicles and only a few apparently broken down, which reinforces my opinon that the odds of a breakdown are extremely small.

So I'll take the 38 years x $100 = $3,800 saved and motor on down the road and deal with whatever slings and arrows come my way as the come.

Pat

[BOBSMITH]

I used to have AAA when I traveled a lot in my job. There were some years when I had to use it a LOT (one year I had to be towed five different times). It was a great deal for me, then.

Right now, I need to compare the plans between AAA and Good Sam. The people I bought the Casita from used Good Sam.

[Frederick L. Simson]

For me, in a congested urban area, AAA RV service has gotten the job done.

The major incident I encountered was when the crankshaft bearing seized up on my 1991 Toyota Camry V6LE wagon while towing my Compact Junior trailer southbound on Interstate 5 (just south of the 405 junction). This was a Sunday afternoon on my way home from a trip to our Malibu Retreat. AAA found us an independant towing contractor who delivered the Compact Junior to the house in San Diego, and then the Camry to my mechanic's, and brought us home again, for $50 out-of-pocket (above the AAA payment to him); which I considered reasonable at the time.

A minor incident was when we had a spare trailer tire (again on the Compact Junior) changed out in Arizona on Interstate 8, half way between Yuma and Casa Grande.

Granted, I haven't strayed far from major highways in my travels. Like Patrick M., I have done relatively well so far.

I have noticed, that every purchase at Camping World generates a reminder mailer from Good Sam that I am not taking full advantage of their service.