Any Good Sam members here?

[Sharon G]

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!

We have had Good Sam's Emergency Road Service for 5 years, and are extremely pleased with it.

In 2009 (a record wet year) we came home from Florida with the Aliner and got the trailer and the truck hopelessly stuck in axle deep clay. I called Good Sam's ERS and they were out here in 20 minutes and pulled both the truck and trailer out.

Then last year Ron was on the way home from town in the truck (no trailer) and had a flat tire. He called ERS again, and they were again out within a half hour.

We wouldn't be without them, and highly recommend them.

[Sharon G]

Just want to add that I do not have a Good Sam's Club membership as it doesn't seem to offer much.

BUT we bought their Emergency Road Service separately, and that's what I'm recommending.

[rgrugg]

Good Sam life members going back quite a few years. Have had their road service for 11 years. Service has been excellent. We've used it in Colorado, New Mexico, Mississippi, Michigan. Did have a long wait in Colorado but the wrecker had to come from 80 miles away through road construction and up Wolf Creek Pass. Towed us to a dealer 80 miles in a different direction and then back to where he came from, another 80 miles or so. We signed and he left. Also took upsto a campground where we unloaded our truck so we could take our camper off, reloaded the truck and took it to the dealer. we're very satisfied.

[BCDave]

I sorta wish that there was some sort of law against organizations like Good Sam being allowed to call themselves a "club". They are not a club - they are the "Good Sam Corp", but their name implies a club. Misleading, to say the least.

I tried to get GS insurance when I picked up my trailer in Texas. (insurance was a tale, in and of itself!) No Texas insurance salesman would sell me insurance unless I had a TEXAS drivers license. So call Good Sam. Oh, yeah, like they are gonna help me! They told me to go home and apply from there! (so, if I could get it insured, I could then get it home so I could apply for insurance....!)

Fortunately, there are I-net based insurance companies, and I do have a US postal address, so.....

On the bright side, yes, the GS card was good for a discount at several campgrounds, but not at some others that had GS logos on their signs!

Camping World? Let's use the one in El Paso as an example. Despite having a series of posts along their fence line with water and power outlets clearly visible on them, they said - "No, we don't allow overnighters. Try the Wal-mart up the road a block or two- they allow it!" I pointed out that the CW national policy was to.... and they replied that "each store is individually owned and operated and there is no such thing as a national policy". (not overly polite about it, either!) Similar treatment at several other CW stores in several states.

At one CW in the Portland area, I was looking at buying a small inverter for powering some small 110V item as we drove along in the truck. I saw one that I liked, and was told that my Pres Club discount does not apply to THAT. I asked about getting an awning installed and was told I'd have to come back tomorrow, just to get a quote on a price. I asked if I could park overnight, and was told 'no'. I left. Bought the identical inverter at Walmart for a lot le$$ than what CW wanted to charge for it.

Yes there are some things that CW carries that might otherwise be avail only off the 'net, but there are a LOT of things that they carry that can also be obtained for a lot less at "Horrible Fright", Wally-World, K-Mart and etc.

Know your prices. Shop around. Comparison shop.

Compare 'net prices INCLUDING S&H with what you can get the identical item for locally.

[SherryNPaul]

We have the Good Sam's road coverage, as well as the Good Sam's membership, and insurance on the trailer through the Good Sam partner. We've only used the road coverage once, (urban area) and service was very helpful and prompt. A friend had a major failure, (rural area) needing both tow vehicle and trailer towed, and he was very happy. So far, so good. I'm sure the level of service is dependent on competency of local affiliates, as it is with all the clubs.

Our trailer insurance is very reasonable (more so than our car insurance carrier quote), so we're also happy with that, though no claims to date.

We do receive an inordinate amount of mailings from Good Sam, unfortunately. I don't know how they afford the postage... We've not used the Good Sam club card for camping discounts, as we don't camp in rv parks, as a rule, so no comment there.

I am not a fan of the Woodall's directory, for a number of reasons. Main one, again, we don't enjoy RV parks. Most of the Woodall's listings are for rv parks.

Sherry

[SherryNPaul]

By the way, our experience in obtaining insurance for the trailer through Good Sam's partner was entirely the opposite of Dave's. A ten minute conversation on the phone and we were insured, at about half the price of our car insurance carrier's quote. That was, however, four years ago. Procedures may have changed.
Sherry

[Frederick L. Simson]

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?

If you plan to travel with your trailer outside your home state of Oregon, dump "AAA". I have had great results with AAA for my automobiles. They also treated me well with a previous car and travel trailer when I broke down close to home in Southern California.

They refused to honor my "RV" endorsement to my AAA membership in eastern Kansas and in Oregon. That's when I discovered that AAA membership is NOT with the "American Automobile Association." For me, it is with the "Automobile Club of Southern California." Service is great within your home district, but non-existent for the trailer and very limited for the car once I ventured beyond. Having "RV" on my AAA card was just an extra billing opportunity for higher fees. They had also been charging trailer service to the car's limit of 4 per year; which the RV endorsement paperwork said trailer service was separate and would not count against the car's limit.

It was a very rude awakening along the side of a desolate 2 lane country road in Nowhere, Kansas. When "AAA" neglected to tell the bewildered tow truck driver that I was towing a travel trailer, I wound up having to drive my disabled car flashing "Check Engine", dragging the trailer, at a crawl to the repair shop, misfiring all the way MYSELF AND STILL HAD TO PAY FOR THE TOW TRUCK OUT OF POCKET! (The mechanic/tow truck driver was excellent at repairing the car, however) After being screwed by AAA, I joined Good Sam's. I have used their emergency road service on 2 occasions; once when I needed a tow to a dealership (for the car) and campground (for the trailer), and once to locate a welder in a community I was unfamiliar with. Excellent service, well worth the membership. I upgraded the regular Good Sam to their Life Membership, and I renew the ERS for 3 year blocks at a time for substantial savings. Downside? Unrelenting hucksterism. I get more junk mail trying to sell me stuff I don't need from them than I do from Publisher's Clearinghouse.

[Green Frog]

I dropped AAA after I called them for a tow... I had broken a tooth in the differential of my Blazer S just as I got home. I sat around for SEVEN HOURS waiting for that tow, and then was told by the driver when he finally got there that they had just called him at home during supper to come get me. I don't think I'll go back with them any time in this lifetime!

I joined GS by accident... I just got into the CW President's Club when I bought my Burro, and knowing that I would be buying a bunch of stuff from one of the two conveniently located CWs that are on my normal line of travel. I have about saved the cost of the membership in discounts, but I am finding that they really don't have that much stuff I can't get elsewhere for the $ame or le$$. The jury is still out on whether to renew. BTW, wasn't the Good Sam Club originally a sort of travel group that folks who owned high end campers belonged to? I always expected to see their logo on high priced Airstreams, etc.

Froggie

[BCDave]

I had always been under the impression that the good $am club was an association of Airstream owners, as it was always one of those that I saw the decals on.

(Now it - like CW - seems to be geared more towards those whose RV is based on a Prevost or MCI chassis.)

[Owen Lindsay]

Yes I have been a Good Sam member since 1987. I am also a Charter Life Member since the program was first offered about 20 years ago. I have enjoyed the Highways Magazine, the fellowship of fellow Good Samers and the benefits of membership in an organization where someone has encountered the problem prior to me.

In years that I have travelled extensively, we have taken out ERS and used it many times for everything from fuel pump failure to decking our trailer after the hitch broke at the frame. We benefitted from the dedication of Standby Sams on a couple of occasions. discounted costs on the Campground guide along with a backroads roadmap have led us to many enjoyable weekends in places we might not have otherwise found.

The only frustration I have is having to tear out the reader reply cards before reading any of the publications before reading it. Until 1982, when we had a house fire, I still had the 1966-67 issues of Trail-R-News that first piqued my interest in RVs. It's been a fairly long and a good ride.

[Ricky 4]

We have had excellent service from our insurance company/agent for almost 40 years. When our agent retired, his son took over the business and we have continued with him.
I hate to switch and then get service like some of the people have had. It is worth the $20 a month extra. I know what kind of service I am going to get.
Hopefully I won't need to call them-happy camping to us all!

Originally Posted by 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.

[CallDon]

Originally Posted by BCDave

I sorta wish that there was some sort of law against organizations like Good Sam being allowed to call themselves a "club". They are not a club - they are the "Good Sam Corp", but their name implies a club. Misleading, to say the least.

You could say that same thing about Escapees . It is also a for-profit corporation like Good Sam. Most "clubs" are often organized legally as a 501c3. They are not. Escapees is entirely controlled by the Peterson family who run the club, hold all the offices and published the magazine.

[Victor Benz]

It's interesting to read the responses here. For us up in the frozen north (it's -32 degrees C (-26 degrees F) today), it is a little simpler. My AMA (Alberta Motor Association) is good all across Canada, and I'm told, in the US as well, although I haven't tested it there other than discounts. I am on the Husky gas program that saves dollars against the annual membership renewal, so I usually pay only a few bucks to get the RV Pluss membership.

Having said that, I am also a Good Sam member for the past about 20 years. I have no idea how many days I would have to drive to get to a Camping World, so that is not an issue. I have used their camping discounts at Good Sam parks (we have a few) to good effect. The main benefit is the magazine. I am continually learning new things from their "problems" sections, and I believe they do a good job of highlighting new products of interest. I have never considered their road assistance as a real option.

Vic

[CallDon]

How much is the regular cost of the service after the first year special price??

[cpaharley2008]

As Frederick stated above, check your American Automobile Association handbook that is applicable to your home state. Here in Pennsylvania, they do not cover rv's without an engine, so trailers are not covered. I went with Good Sam ERS 4 years ago, it covers all my cars (4 of them) my motorcycle and my rv, for 3 drivers all for around $120/year with discounts for a multiyear policy. For the peace of mind, it is priceless. I'm finding as I age gracefully, the less I have to worry about, the better I feel. I' m even thinking about buying 7 year extended service policy on the rv that covers 100% for less than $1k.
Who knows, between the extended service policies on everything, my hair may stop turning grey and return to my natural color??
Do you think that may happen?

[Sharon G]

Originally Posted by CallDon

How much is the regular cost of the service after the first year special price??

If you're talking about the Emergency Road Service, ours was up to $129 a year this time. I think the year before it was $119.

I usually pay as soon as I get the notice that it's coming due. But last time I put it off until the last week. Then I got a call offering me the introductory rate of $89 to renew.

I seriously think the $129 a year is reasonable since they have been there for us when we needed them.

Just for perspective, I went shopping last week and noticed EVERYTHING has gone up, and not just a few cents.

[yellowroseoftexas]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

As Frederick stated above, check your American Automobile Association handbook that is applicable to your home state. Here in Pennsylvania, they do not cover rv's without an engine, so trailers are not covered. I went with Good Sam ERS 4 years ago, it covers all my cars (4 of them) my motorcycle and my rv, for 3 drivers all for around $120/year with discounts for a multiyear policy. For the peace of mind, it is priceless. I'm finding as I age gracefully, the less I have to worry about, the better I feel. I' m even thinking about buying 7 year extended service policy on the rv that covers 100% for less than $1k.
Who knows, between the extended service policies on everything, my hair may stop turning grey and return to my natural color??
Do you think that may happen?

If that works I'm in right now!

Also, I joined Good Sams (basic membership) for three years at $11. a year just because it was a resonable price and I got a $25. camping rebate. We stayed in a Good Sams park on our way home (used the rebate!) from picking up our new egg & the people at the Vineyards Campground in Grapevine, Texas were truly lifesavers when we accidentally locked ourselves out of our trailer. I am not big on RV parks either, but after that experience I will look for Good Sams Parks if I can't find a state park. As far as insurance we found our Allstate to be resonable (hopefully good) and just added the trailer to our car/house coverage. We don't have many places to shop for RV stuff here, so I have enjoyed the shipping discounts for Good Sams avaliable at the CW. Last time it was free shipping if you spend $50. and right now they have $5. shipping. The mass of emails is a little annoying - bad thing is I can almost always find something I want.........

[Perry J]

I don't belong to the Club but have their towing insurance.
The in tank fuel pump quit on my Sunrader 2 years ago. There are no Good Sam tow providers in my area.
They sent a tow truck 65 miles to move my moho 3 miles.
I have no complaints about the Good Sam Roadside plan.
John

[BobB]

I have been a GS member for almost 10 years. This is not your father's Good Sam Club or Camping World. You might want to look Affinity Group up in your Wikipedia.

Bob
Bigfoot 17CB

[BCDave]

Wow!! That explains a lot, actually.