# Good Sam Club



## shelty (Jun 26, 2008)

Did a search for this topic, but came up empty and am wondering if anyone belongs or has belonged to this "club." Is it worth the membership fee? I'm kind of skeptical of it, but thought I'd post the question and see what others thought of it.
Thanks


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## Juan (Mar 31, 2009)

I'd be interested to know as well.


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

I got one of those membership two years ago due to us going to a campground that gave such a discount that the GoodSam Club pass would pay for itself in one trip....

Here is their website pertaining to benefits ... Good Sam Club benefits

BUT ... you can NOT imagine how much junk mail you get -- still to this day i get some -- but for the first year (yes they sell your phone number, email address, and physcial address info to EVERYONE) I was getting sooooo much JUNK MAIL that it wasn't even funny....

So yes -- Good Sams Club may be a good value if you camp allot... but the JUNK MAIL far outweighs any benefits...

.02


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## mmblantz (Jul 1, 2007)

I've got a membership. And also their emergency roadside service. Kinda their version of AAA. About $100 a year covers the outback and all my vehicles (I have 6) in the household. ---Mike


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## kmsjs (Apr 14, 2008)

My membership is about to expire. I got the membership from Camping World for $2 when I bought something. I enjoyed the Highways magazine, but I never used the membership for anything else. I have roadside assistance thru someone else, so that didn't matter, and I never stayed at a Good Sam park. That being said, it could pay for itstelf if you stayed at some Good Sam parks, and it is basically the same price as a magazine subscription, and you do get a magazine!

I do agree about the junk mail. The mailbox is always full!


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## Juan (Mar 31, 2009)

The junk mail is enough to keep me away from the membership! I hate junk mail!!!!


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## OBcanOB (Aug 23, 2007)

We have it, paid for itself at one campsite. We get no junk mail (I think I put in the wrong address) and no email (I think I might have given them the wrong email too, hmm







). I just buy a new one each year IF I'm at a site that gives the discount.


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## mmblantz (Jul 1, 2007)

I like junk mail. I'm a letter carrier and it pays my salary!!! It is a huge part of our revenue and without it you would be paying a lot more for your stamps.---Mike


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

I've been a member for a few years, it really paid for itself the year we went to Utah. Other years I may not have saved the amount of my dues but I also enjoy the magazine. As for the junk mail, you can opt out by creating an online user ID and opting out of the extra mailings or call Member Services at 800-234-3450 and ask to only receive your statements and Highway Magazine.


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## clarkely (Sep 15, 2008)

we have it and have the roadside assistance.....covers every vehicle owned by you (non commercial) as well as the trailer..........they will send two trucks, i for tv & one for tt if necessary. I got it for that basically, although we do get discounts as well with it.


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## Rob_G (Feb 16, 2006)

Junk mail aside, I love the membership. It's usually geared towards older couples with RV's, but the deals are GREAT. I save sooo much money every year with the discounts. A lot of times, you'll find that your favorite CG is a Good Sam CG and you could've been saving 10% all this time.

I also look forward to the monthly magazine. There's a lot of good info in there.


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

We have it and will be adding the roadside assistance. The magazine is nice too. give it a try and see what you think.

We dont get any junk mail though. When you sign up there might be a box that you check to opt out of any "mailings" or similar.


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## MO7Bs (Apr 11, 2009)

We signed up for onlly $5.00 using a discount card we purchased at the Wally World in Branson on one of our shake down voyages.

Got our first e-copy of the magazine and found it to be very helpful. Good Sam has also partnered with Coast to Coast and they seem to have a large network of CG's.

I think it would be worth the money if nothing else to determine if it's worth it to you.

But make sure to click the right anti-junk stuff boxes, I think I did and have not received any junk type email or regular mail...yet.









Paul


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## Piecemaker (Nov 15, 2007)

Shelty

I used it already and considered getting my $$ back. Well worth the money. Very fast service.

Brian


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## H2oSprayer (Aug 5, 2006)

Ghosty said:


> BUT ... you can NOT imagine how much junk mail you get -- still to this day i get some -- but for the first year (yes they sell your phone number, email address, and physcial address info to EVERYONE) I was getting sooooo much JUNK MAIL that it wasn't even funny....


I too am a member of the Good Sam Club, as the membership pays for itself with the saving at CG's. *If you call them, they can stop all of the junk mail that you receive*, well, the mail associated with them anyways. I called them to complain a few years back, they updated my preferences on my account, and I have not received any junk mail from them since.


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

Juan said:


> The junk mail is enough to keep me away from the membership! I hate junk mail!!!!


I hate junk mail, too, but our membership more than pays for itself each year. Most private campgrounds honor the membership and you'll get a 10% discount on the camping fee. We stayed at a very nice campground in Gatlinburg about 2 years ago - $54/night. After three nights there, the savings was about $16, and the Good Sam membership fee is $12.

Besides that, you can get their "Trailer Life Directory" for about half the price you'd pay at Wal-Mart. I use the directory, along with MS Streets and Trips to plan out our vacation stops every year, so it is a valuable tool for me. (But I only buy a directory every other year - there's not enough changes in campgrounds to warrant a new copy every year.) I love reading Trailer Life (the magazine that comes with the membership) each month, though. Lot's of good stuff there for RV owners.

I haven't taken advantage of the roadside protection plan, or the emergency care plan, or the extended RV care plan, and the host of other stuff they offer (junk mail), but some folks might like to take advantage of those. I can easily toss the junk mail if it saves me $50-$60 a year on campground fees. (Plus there are a few other places that give 10% discounts - hotels/car rental/etc.)

If you stay at a lot of private campgrounds, it's a good deal. If you stay mostly at state parks, NFS or NP campgrounds, then you won't see much value.

Mike


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## egregg57 (Feb 13, 2006)

I have been a member for about 5 years now. I got so infuriated at the junk mail that I called thier customer service and told them that if the Junk Mail mill wasn't turned off I was cancelling my membership and I would let the community on the forum I frequented know what happened. It took about 6 weeks, as the customer service rep said it would, for the junk mail to come to a trickle.

I was satisfied with that.

Unfortunately it was merely a tease because about 90 days later the mail started picking back up again.

I called back, they pulled up "my file" and read back to me the note put in it in regard to junk mail, yadda, yadda.. I told the woman that the junk mail had started back up and I wanted my membership cancelled immediately and my name removed from any mailing lists they had. Viola, no more junk mail.

I have Good Sam Roadside service which I kept and have had no issue with junk mail with that membership.

I responded to a post much like this some time ago....


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

I've been a member for 5 years and never really made use of it in any way. We're going to let it lapse. They do send you a mostly advertiser filled magazine called "highways" with your membership though.

We do also have the Good Sam ERS and are keeping it as it's a good value and has proven to be connected to good service providers as well.


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

I am a member and have been considering the road side service, but, haven't yet - Has anyone had to use it? I, too, along with everyone else get junk mail - the funniest being - an invitation to join! I didn't know you could call and stop the junk mail so I will give that a try. Other than enjoying reading the highways magazine, we haven't really used it for anything else.


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## Compulynx (Oct 15, 2008)

Free anyway:

http://www.trailerlifedirectory.com/

C


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

I let mine lapse, as I, too, was inundated with more junk mail than should be legally allowed.

Instead, I opted to boost my AAA membership to the premiere level, which covers RV's and motorcycles (got 'em) and 200 miles of towing. Most campgrounds that give a Good Sam discount will also give a AAA or AARP discount (got it, too!). We also have a KOA Value Kard, since we feel that KOA's have consistently good campgrounds.

With Internet access in my truck I can easily find, and contact, campgrounds while I'm on the road.

Two years ago, we went looking for a campground near Columbia, CA using Good Sam's computer mapping _Trailer Life Directory_ we were lead down a road that starting getting worse and worse, the pavement ended, it became narrow, and finally a dead end. I had to back-up the trailer about a 1/2 mile and then maneuver it into someone's driveway to turn around and get out of there. A nightmare.

Went to my DeLorme mapping program and found the correct location of the campground and drove straight there. When I told the managers of my experience with the _Trailer Life Directory_ they knew all about it, and even though the place was a Good Sam campground and they had continually badgered them about fixing the location on the mapping program, it was never done. That was the last time I used the _Trailer Life Directory_ program.

I can put the DeLorme Street Atlas USA program in a "radar" mode, where it will find all campground withing X amount of miles of where I am, great when driving. When we see something we may like, the program will display the phone number, and we call - too easy!

Their _Highways Magazine_ appears to be nothing more than another method to dissemminate even more advertising.

Nothing beats this website for instant, as well as great, information regard our specific brand of trailer, including photos! You can't beat that.

But, if you don't have AAA or AARP, don't mind breaking the back of your mailman, and believe that contacting Good Sam to stop sending all those advertisements is possible, then it's a good deal.


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## Joonbee (Jan 18, 2008)

I have it and have been able to make it pay for itself. Also have their roadside assistance. Have been lucky enough to never use it, but did alot of question asking before buying and even converted a freind who was with AAA. No junk mail either, just alot of mail from them regarding camping stuff and attempts to get me to enroll in further coverage, but I simply delete. Not a real hassle.

Also have KOA, because the 2 memberships are so cheap that they pay for themselves in a one use.

Just renewed my Good Sam and roadside assist for 3 more years.

Jim


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

I have and have used it, very happy. Honestly tho, I would much rather pay the money and not break even on the money because if I m using the road service, it means I m having a problems. Don t want problems.


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## mmonti (Jun 27, 2007)

for whatever the cost of the membership was it has been worth it. The campground discounts help, altho not once have I ever been asked to show my membership card. Like everyone said you will get a TON! of junk mail. You can stop some of it and alot of the spam in your email from their website. Funny story, we kept getting these renewal letters in the mail and I used to just toss em as we were already members, but my wife got one and paid it next thing I know get the Life Member package in the mail







oh well, i woulda just renewed every year anyways. One nice thing is the Highways Magazine, I kinda like getting it, some decent articles and info on campgrounds but just as youd expect full of advertisements. Im tempted to get my self a poly jumpsuit from that clothing manufacturer thats always advertising in there.


















Mike


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## Calvin&Hobbes (May 24, 2006)

mmonti said:


> for whatever the cost of the membership was it has been worth it. The campground discounts help, altho not once have I ever been asked to show my membership card. Like everyone said you will get a TON! of junk mail. You can stop some of it and alot of the spam in your email from their website. Funny story, we kept getting these renewal letters in the mail and I used to just toss em as we were already members, but my wife got one and paid it next thing I know get the Life Member package in the mail
> 
> 
> 
> ...


A one piece suit, and velcro sneakers....life couldn't get much easire than that!


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

We got our renewal in the mail the other day and have decided to let it lapse, never used it much. We have AAA rvplus for roadside service.

Mike


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## Just Add Dirt (May 5, 2009)

mmblantz said:


> I like junk mail. I'm a letter carrier and it pays my salary!!! It is a huge part of our revenue and without it you would be paying a lot more for your stamps.---Mike


Hey Mike can I have all my junk mail forwarded to you?


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## MO7Bs (Apr 11, 2009)

camping479 said:


> We got our renewal in the mail the other day and have decided to let it lapse, never used it much. We have AAA rvplus for roadside service.
> 
> Mike


Mike,

Take a look at AAA RV Premier...another $25 a year and you get $750 a year in 'trip interuption' reimbursement, plus longer towing, etc. I thought it was worth it if I ever have an issue and need to stay in a hotel a night or two.

(No I am not affiliated with AAA in any way, nor do I get any kind of compensation for this.)

Paul


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## Ridgway-Rangers (Apr 18, 2008)

Bricker417 said:


> We got our renewal in the mail the other day and have decided to let it lapse, never used it much. We have AAA rvplus for roadside service.
> 
> Mike


Mike,

Take a look at AAA RV Premier...another $25 a year and you get $750 a year in 'trip interuption' reimbursement, plus longer towing, etc. I thought it was worth it if I ever have an issue and need to stay in a hotel a night or two.

(No I am not affiliated with AAA in any way, nor do I get any kind of compensation for this.)
Paul
[/quote]

Mike,
I am a Good Sam Member but will not renew. I have not reaped any benefits. I got Good Sam because someone said they had a great trip planner. Wrong. Very cumbersome. AAA has a great trip planner on their website for members. It is much better than Good Sam's and easy to change a route, drag and click.. That with their camping books will give you ever possible combination of route and lodging.
Hope this helps,
Brian


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## MO7Bs (Apr 11, 2009)

Just found a local 'Good Sam Club' here in my area and contacted the club president.

Turns out they meet once a month within a 150 mile radius of Joplin (about 45 miles from my place) for a camping get together. Only requirement is to be a Good Sam Club member. Sounds like some fun, a chance to meet new folks. Cool part is that the club president only lives about 4 miles from me!

Just tryin' to get the most out of my $5.00 membership.









Life is like that, you get out what you put in. Kinda like this website too!


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