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Good Sam Club Membership Benefits

(Camp Addict does NOT accept payment from any company to review or endorse their products.)

Wow, Good Sam Club really offers a LOT of different membership benefits, more than one might realize.

They are well known for their campground discounts, but they also offer so much more. (There are several other camper groups that offer similar camping discounts.)

Let's take a look at what kind of RVing benefits you can get through a Good Sam Club membership and what else Good Sam offers to make your RV life easier or better.

Do You Love To Hate Good Sam?

Good Sam is one of those organizations that people love to hate. The intention of this page isn't to go down that rabbit hole, but rather to give an overview of what Good Sam offers RVers.

Good Sam Enterprises is a very large entity ($500M+ annual revenue and part of the larger Camping World organization) that, unless you live under a rock, as an RVer you cannot avoid hearing about.

Because they are omnipresent, we wrote this page to give you glance of what they have to offer.

Neither Camp Addict Kelly or Marshall use any of the listed Good Sam products. We each have at one time, but not now. (Update: Kelly got Good Sam Roadside Assistance mid-2019. Hasn't needed it yet.)

They just don't fit our style of RVing. However, we understand that they work for many RVers (including some of our friends).

Good Sam is notorious for the amount of marketing material they mail you. Prepare to be inundated with marketing mailings if you sign up for a Good Sam service.

This will continue for longer than you would like even after you are no longer a member of any Good Sam service.

The Good Sam Club Review

If you purchase a Good Sam Club membership, you will receive a multitude of benefits.

These benefits range from fuel discounts, to free dump station uses, to 10% off participating campgrounds, and more.

You also sometimes get discounts on other purchases and services that they offer.

Good Sam Club logo

A Good Sam membership is a pretty good deal if you utilize their participating dumps, gas stations, and campgrounds regularly.

I (CA Kelly) started off with a 2-year membership with Good Sam.

Can't say if it paid for itself, since I only mostly used it for gas discounts and an occasional Camping World purchase.

I have not renewed. I just don't use the benefits enough to make it worth it.

But that's just me. If you make a lot of purchases, and want to utilize some of the other MANY Good Sam club benefits, it can very much be worth becoming a member.


Good Sam Roadside Assistance Review

Good Sam Roadside Assistance

They offer three RV roadside assistance plans.

Three RV Plans (one that covers trailers and two that cover ALL RV class types, including motorhomes):

  • Standard Plan (Trailers + Autos)
  • Platinum Plan (Motorhomes + Autos)
  • Platinum COMPLETE Plan (Motorhomes + Autos + Other Benefits)

How do you choose which one is right for you? Easy:

Let's take a more thorough look into each plan.

Standard Plan (Trailers)

  • You can view the Good Sam Roadside Standard Plan brochure here (PDF).

With the Good Sam Roadside Standard Plan you will benefit if you break down in any way. They offer:

  • RV Towing Service (includes covered autos)
  • RV Roadside Service (includes covered autos)
Towing Service

Good Sam Roadside Assistance pays 100% of the towing fees up to the nearest service center.

Doesn't matter how far it is, they still cover the whole cost.

There are no pre-set restrictions or dollar limits. They do not charge additional for additional drivers.

Your whole family will be covered.

If you break down, they will tow BOTH your tow vehicle and the RV or trailer.

They cover cars, trucks, vans, SUV's, boat trailers and motorcycles.

RV Roadside Service

If you are broken down but it's fixable on the spot,  roadside service is what you need.

You will be covered in North America, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

With the Good Sam Roadside Assistance coverage, you get benefits such as:

  • Bringing you a spare tire
  • Jumpstarting your battery
  • Fixing your flat or tow you to get it fixed
  • Get you back in if you are locked out
  • Medical referrals if you get sick
  • Bring you gas
  • Trip interruption assistance

Good Sam Roadside is partnered with over 40,000 independent towing specialists and service providers so no matter where you are, there will be somebody available to help you.

With the Good Sam Roadside Assistance Standard Plan you will also get 15% off at all AAMCO transmission centers.

Platinum Plan (Motorhomes)

  • You can view the Good Sam Roadside Platinum Plan brochure here (PDF).

If you have a motorhome, then the Good Sam Roadside Platinum Plan is what you want. 

You get all the same benefits as the Standard Plan, but it also covers motorized RVs.

Additionally, this plan also covers leased, borrowed, or rented vehicles (including RVs) as well as multiple RVs.

You MUST have this plan if you have a motorhome.

The non-platinum roadside assistance plan will not cover motorhomes.

Platinum COMPLETE Plan (Motorhomes + Travel Trailers)

  • You can view the Good Sam Roadside Platinum COMPLETE Plan brochure here (PDF).

The Good Sam Roadside Platinum Complete Plan builds upon the 'regular' Platinum Plan and adds two additional coverages (both available as standalone purchases).

The Platinum Complete Plan is a great way to bundle different plan types and get a discount in the process.

In addition to all the normal Platinum Plan coverages, the Platinum Complete Plan offers the following:

  • Tire & Wheel Road Hazard Coverage - the same coverage offered by the standalone Tire & Wheel Protection Plan is bundled up in the Platinum Complete Plan. This protects your RV's (and covered auto's) wheels and tires should they become damaged under normal usage and need repair/replacement.
  • Emergency Travel & Medical Assistance Services - the same type of coverage that is available under the standalone Good Sam Travel Assist plan is bundled with the Platinum Complete Plan. This coverage helps you if you have a medical emergency while traveling and need assistance with medical evacuation, transportation, RV/vehicle return, etc.

Good Sam Extended Service Plan Review

The Good Sam Extended Service Plan (ESP) is not an RV extended warranty, but rather it's mechanical breakdown insurance.

Good Sam Extended Service Plan

Included with your Good Sam ESP plan is a free 22-point inspection at Camping World.

This benefit is unlimited so you can take it in before every camping trip if you'd like for peace of mind.

The Good Sam Extended Service Plan is backed by an A-rated underwriter.

It's an insurance plan that YOU own (just remember it's a service plan as opposed to an RV extended warranty).

Coverage

So what is covered in this RV service plan?  

As stated on their website, the Good Sam Extended Service Plan covers:

"Most major RV components. Transmission, drive axle, suspension, steering, brakes, engine, heating and cooling systems, generator, refrigerator, range and oven, electronics and electrical, L.P. gas, water heater, waste system, water system and fuel delivery."

For your specific type of RV, you can find out on their website HERE what is and what is not covered.

The Good Sam Extended Service Plan also helps you out if you break down.

Yes, they cover unexpected travel costs for up to 5 days in the event of a breakdown.

Also, they give $100 for up to 5 days to cover lodging, food, etc. (However, they only pay up to $100 per day that your rig is actually being worked on. Have to spend a weekend and the rig isn't being touched? Good Sam won't pay for that time.)

Additionally, they also give $60/day for up to 5 days for a rental car.

However, you cannot get rental car reimbursement if you are covering a towed vehicle (for example, a travel trailer).

The Good Sam ESP is transferrable to a new owner, making a sale even more attractive.


Good Sam RV Insurance Review

Good Sam Club offers insurance for your RV.

What's better about using Good Sam for insurance than a traditional  insurance company?

Well, they know RVs.

Good Sam Insurance Agency

Therefore they offer special benefits that don't come with traditional insurance companies.

Say you full-time... they offer coverage for full-timers.

Say you full-time but you want to stay in an Air BNB for a month or two.

Good Sam insurance will allow you to suspend the coverages you don't need while you aren't using it.

Additionally, they cover permanent attachments such as awnings and antennas.

Traditional insurance companies do not.

You can get one insurance policy for both your RV and auto(s) and you can get up to a 20% discount for combining policies.

They cover personal belongings that are in the RV. These are just a few of the insurance benefits Good Sam offers.


Good Sam Travel Assist Review

Good Sam Travel Assist basically gives you medical help while on the road.

Seems (to us) they should have called it 'medical assist.'

This coverage helps you out if you have any medical issues on the road and cannot continue your trip.

It covers you in ways that your medical insurance will not.

Good Sam Travel Assist

Like what?

Say you go to the hospital in an ambulance, Good Sam Travel Assist will tow your RV back to your home address.

If you have a pet with you, they will transport it to your home.

Good Sam Travel Assist will cover your emergrency medical transportation.

It will cover flights home after an emergency for you, your spouse, family or even traveling companion.

  • Good Sam TravelAssist INDIVIDUAL Plan brochure here (PDF).
  • Good Sam TravelAssist COUPLE Plan brochure here (PDF).
  • Good Sam TravelAssist FAMILY Plan brochure here (PDF).

It's like having a medical concierge. 

They take care of you and your family if you have a medical emergency.

They even keep up with you and monitor your treatment.

You can purchase a single, family or couple plan.

They are VERY affordable and we highly recommend this benefit if you are on the road a lot.

When we researched for this page, they were having a sale for a limited time on the plans. (Single, couple, and family)

So obviously Good Sam Travel Assist goes on sale from time to time.

If you are in no rush, watch for sales and you could save some dough.


Good Sam Credit Card

Geez louise, Good Sam even offers a credit card that earns you relevant reward points.

Good Sam rewards credit card

Naturally, you get points for purchases at companies they own such as Camping World and other family brands.

You get gas points. There is no annual fee. Of course, you have to qualify to get the card.


Conclusion

To sum it up, Good Sam offers a LOT of benefits and features that appeal greatly to RVers.

Depending on your situation and lifestyle, many of these could save you a ton of cash and/or grief.

Motorhome driving thru rock tunnel near Bryce

The benefit of using this club is that they know RVing and RVs.

They are the biggest RV club in the world.  Good Sam has been around since 1966.

Now you know what you do or don't need from Good Sam.

Now, get out there and Camp On!

Also, comment below if you have questions or comments that are relevant to this page. We are happy to help if possible with your decision to become a member or not.

FYI- Our comment section is not a 'sounding board' for you to lodge a complaint against Good Sam. There's nothing WE can do for you. Take it up with them.

Unless you have something intelligent or educational to contribute, your angry comment will not be published nor will it be answered. 

Thank you.

  • Looking for more RVing information before you hit the road? Check out what else we have here on Camp Addict.
Kelly Headshot
Kelly Beasley

He-llllo. I'm the co-founder of Camp Addict, which my biz partner and I launched in 2017. I frigging love the RVing lifestyle but in December of 2020, I converted to part-time RV life. Heck, I lived in my travel trailer for over 5.5 years, STRICTLY boondocking for pretty much all of it. Boondocking is a GREAT way to live, but it's not easy. Anyway, I'm passionate about animals, can't stand campgrounds, I hardly ever cook, and I love a good dance party. Currently, I can be found plotting and scheming whether or not to start collecting farm animals (or plotting my next RV trip!) at my beautiful new 'ranch' named 'Hotel Kellyfornia', in Southern Arizona.


Marshall Headshot
Marshall Wendler

Camp Addict co-founder Marshall Wendler brings his technical expertise to help explain RV products in an easy to understand fashion. Full-time RVing from April 2014 - December 2020 (now RVing about 50% of the time), Marshall loves sharing his knowledge of the RV lifestyle. Marshall spends the majority of his RVing life boondocking. He is the part of Camp Addict that knows 'all the things'. He's good at sharing his technical knowledge so you can benefit. 

  • They left us stranded with a flat on the highway telling us to call the sheriffs office for help. WTH? Save your money call AAA or anyone else ! Not these scammers!

    • Left me stranded too. Said they would call back in 15 minutes, after an hour I had to call them again. Said they were working on it and would call me back. They only called me 4 hours later asking if they could cancel the service! These guys have taken my money for years and the one and only time I called them I get ignored. Tried their customer service too, as the author suggested. They don’t call or respond either. So I am out years of dues, many hours sitting on the side of the highway and the tow bill. by the way some locals had pity on me waiting around and got me a tow.

  • Good Sam helped us find both a lender and insurance for full-timing — many lenders will not write a loan on a full-time rig, and many insurers will not insure one. I know a lot of people think “oh, I’ll just lie and they’ll never find out.”

    Not smart: if you wreck your rig, they WILL find out, and 0% of your losses will be covered – or if they do cover it, you’ve now committed insurance fraud. And if the lender finds out, they can (and will) call your loan meaning you have to pay it off in full or they will repossess it because again, you’ve committed fraud by lying about the use of the collateral for the loan.

    My overall opinion of GS is pretty neutral. We try not to stay in RV parks so the membership doesn’t help us in that regard, and so far (knock on wood) we have not needed to be towed, but I wouldn’t expect that that would suck any more or less than any other towing experience. (If you want my ragey, scathing, comments you’ll have to write a similar article about Escapees… and then put on your asbestos suit and stand TF by LOL.)

    • Hi Mary,

      Glad to hear you had good experiences with GS. We completely agree with you about the fact that if you needed to be towed, you wouldn’t expect that they would suck any less or more than any other company you chose for roadside assistance. They ALL contract with local tow companies, and THOSE are the companies whose hands you are in.

      And VERY often, they are not exactly great customer support/service-oriented although that’s most of what they do. They are all notorious for being late, never showing up, etc.

      But boy do people love to scream about the roadside assistance provider they chose if they have a bad experience. Especially over the internet where they can be anonymous.

      So we are happy to hear you had good help from them with finding a lender and finding your full-time insurance.

      Thanks for the feedback!

  • One thing to consider if pulling just a TT is whether your tow vehicle insurance covers it for roadside assistance. We have a State Farm policy with roadside assistance ( I think it’s only $2 additional per month) on our truck and it extends to our trailer. Only have used it once in 5 years and that was for roadside assistance on a flat tire that shredded on our trailer. Just called our agent and he got the nearest service on the line while we waited. About 90 minutes downtime from the time we called him to when we were back on the road.

    • Hi Warren,

      Absolutely! If your auto insurance has a way to extend coverage to a travel trailer, that is definitely a very cost-effective option. There also may be a roadside service option for a motorhome policy.

      Thanks for the comment and for checking out Camp Addict!

  • I haven’t been able to find the answer to this and I’m not about to call GS for an answer. Are you required to hold the Good Sam Membership before you can buy into the Road Assistance and Travel Assist? It just seems to me it should be included if you upgraded.

    • Hi John,

      You aren’t required to hold a Good Sam Membership (the discount camping club side of things) if you want to purchase another Good Sam product. But you do receive one ‘perk’ per the roadside assistance brochure:

      “Members who are also members in good standing of the “Good Sam Club” will receive priority VIP answering and handling of their calls”

      Whatever that means.

      I hope that helps!

      • Yes, that really helps. I don’t travel that much and have found that campgrounds aren’t that expensive. The membership fee doesn’t cover the gas discount. Thanks, Marshall.

  • “They cover unexpected travel costs for up to 5 days in the event of a breakdown.
    They give $100 for up to 5 days to cover lodging, food, etc.”

    This isn’t exactly true. We called to use this feature and we were told that we would be given $100 per 8 work hours. (hours that they actually work on your RV) At least that is what we were told when we called.

    • Hi KV,

      I wonder what your actual contract says? Here is what the sample contract says on their website:

      “You will be reimbursed for up to five (5) days of (receipted) expenses for meals and lodging incurred by You and Your family while staying at a hotel/motel or campground in case a Mechanical Breakdown causes a delay en route. To qualify for this benefit, You must not be able to utilize Your fifth wheel or trailer due to a Mechanical Breakdown covered under this Coverage and You must be more than one hundred (100) miles from home, unless your trailer is your sole domicile.

      The covered period will begin on the date of the Mechanical Breakdown. Up to two (2) additional days will be included in the event an inspection by an outside source is required to determine if repairs are covered under this policy. No travel benefits will be paid for delays beyond the control of the repair facility, such as waiting for parts shipments. Expenses will be reimbursed up to $100.00 per day for meals and lodging.”

      It would be interesting to know if your actual contract had the same wording, or if it specifically called out the ‘$100 per 8 hours of labor’ that you were told.

      • That’s what we were told when buying the policy, here is what it actually says. “We will pay the actual expenses, not to exceed one hundred ($100) per day for every eight (8) labor hours, or portion thereof, flat rate labor time from a nationally-recognized labor manual, for the labor time authorized to complete the repair, not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500) for each repair visit.”

        • Thanks for the clarification on the contract wording, KV!

          So if you have to spend a weekend in a hotel when your rig is in the shop, and the shop doesn’t work on weekends, Good Sam won’t pay (for the weekend). Awesome.

          I’ve updated the wording on this page for the service plan section.

          Thanks for letting us know!

  • Good information here, but didn’t answer my question. I found this site to find out just what Good Sam is in regard to campgrounds, but that was not discussed at all, nor is it on their own site. I should just call them, but it would be nice if that could be explained somewhere. Do they own any campgrounds where you can stay free. It doesn’t sound like it for the price of a membership, obviously. So it sounds like a GS member just gets a discount off of a nightly fee. So, for example, if you go to a Thousand Trails campground that is in the GS umbrella, do you get a discount, or do you have to be a member of Thousand Trails (or have another campground membership)? I don’t want to do a lot of camping – I am just looking for a campground membership that gives me a lot of options without paying as much as it would cost to stay in a cheap motel! Thanks.

    • Good Sam doesn’t own campgrounds. They only offer campground discounts at certain campgrounds that have ‘deals’ with them.

      Have you seen our discount RV camping club page? This is where we discuss the different discounts available.

      If you truly want to save money camping, then boondocking is the way to go. Though this is an entirely different beast from staying in campgrounds, and you need to have an RV that can dry camp for an extended period of time.

      • It’s a 10% discount at overpriced private campgrounds and that is it. Why are you acting like there’s more to it than that?

        • Hey Josef,

          Whether or not private campgrounds are over priced is subject to interpretation I suppose. But in a free market society where supply and demand comes into play, campground owners are entitled to charge what they feel the market will bear. My understanding is that private campgrounds, especially right now with the current world situation, are having no problem filling their sites so it doesn’t appear that those staying there share your opinion. Otherwise logic would have it that they wouldn’t stay there.

          However there are people that choose to not pay for private campgrounds, which is why I suggested other alternatives.

          And yes, as I mentioned, a Good Sam membership offers a simple discount at participating private campgrounds.

  • Thanks for this comprehensive analysis.

    I just got a renewal invoice in email for GS Tire & Wheel protection right after having renewed my Roadside Assistance Standard plan, which had me wondering why I had bought both and what the difference was. I came here after a web search. Now I understand.

    I’m going to check out each plan, decide what coverage I really need, and maybe save money just upgrading to Platinum instead. GS sure didn’t explain my options as clearly as you did.

    • We hear you! This post was quite a challenge to get all of the information correct. Their information was confusing, to say the least.

  • After being stranded by AAA and endless research I decided on Good Sam. I’ve been a member since sept 2018. From Sept 2018 – Feb 2020 I called for 3 jumps and one flat tire (over the course of a year and half and 2 membership cycles.) I was canceled with no warning for over utilization. They reserve the right to cancel for ANY reason…meaning if they feel you are using their service too much (more than 4xs EVER) they cancel you. So basically you can retain their roadside assistance plan as long as you don’t ever have a need to use it!!! I am very upset and disappointed. Before this, They were prompt, reliable and you always spoke to a live person…but if you have what they deem too many emergencies (4) over the course of 1 year and 5 months this is not for you. These were jumps and one flat tire…ZERO TOWING or anything major was EVER needed. I was still told over utilization and that those costs offset membership cost…well they set the membership cost. I would have gladly paid more for reliable service I could actually USE. They really get you with the legal ease. They may not be legally liable since they can “cancel for ANY reason” but it’s morally reprehensible. I DO NOT RECOMMEND, BUYER BEWARE. Roadside Assistance is too important, it’s not a game.

  • I paid for the best coverage because I am full time. After two yrs I called for a jump. He said we’re not going to cover you. I said well… you took my money and sent me the info and cards. Now that I need you too bad? Well he said your driving a promaster and it’s rated commercial and we don’t do commercial. I asked for my money back as I was never covered…. MAYBE in six weeks.

    • Hi Gayle,

      We are curious- Is your Promaster a legit RV (built by an RV manufacturer) or is it an aftermarket conversion you or someone else built?

  • Good Sam Club Roadside assistance 1/5/2020

    I have the GSRS Platinum level policy.

    Heading north on I5 with my Ford F250 towing my 27’ 5th wheel. The truck overheats, and after waiting a while for it to cool, I checked the overflow, and it became a black volcano of oil and coolant. This is where my adventure with Good Sam Roadside Assistance begins (GSRA). Skip the next few paragraphs and skip to the end for the conclusion if you want the short version.

    I first attempted to use the phone app, but the cell connection was not great, so along the way the app dials an agent for you, so now I begin working with an agent.

    The agent was on drugs. Slurring words, hard to understand, he couldn’t find me using the location app, so I worked to explain in words where we were… After 45 minutes, the agent finally seemed to understand where we were, and he was on the case. Four hours later, I’m still on the highway, and the agent is saying “we’re having a hard time finding a place to tow you”… well, after two hours, I was already doing my own research, and I was finding multiple places that would do the tow ( Truck and Rig ). In fact, some of the places I was chatting with were called by GSRS. It seems that GSRS didn’t like the quotes they were getting, and chose not to engage….. After 5 hours, the GSRS agent was saying “If you can find someone, go ahead, and we’ll reimburse you”….. Bullpucky. I agreed to call them back in the morning, as my wife and I prepared to spend the night right besides I5 with trucks going 75 mph all night…..

    We didn’t sleep well for some reason……

    I called in the morning and escalated. After 3 more hours, GSRS said they found someone, and they’d tow the F250 to the garage, but they wanted to tow the 5th wheel to the “nearest safe location”….. Like a parking lot or something…. WTF!. After much effort, I got them to tow the truck and the rig 40 miles to a mechanic, but they insisted the rig towing ( to the mechanic ) was not covered, and I’d have to pay $300 out of pocket to get the rig towed too. I rolled over, so I could get off the highway.

    Conclusion, this place is a scam, and ANY towing insurance has to be better. This company should be ashamed. They obviously will not part with a buck easily, and it is institutionalized. Bottom line: Good Sam Roadside Assistance is a scam.

    • Hi Mark,

      Ugh. That sounds like a terrible experience to put it mildly. There are plenty of bad stories out there about GS. Then there are also great stories. People who have been perfectly happy with it (aside from all the junk mail they bombard members with.)

      And same with other roadside assistance memberships- happy customers and angry ones. It’s frustrating at best.

      I got GSRA last year and have yet to use it. Knock on wood.

      • Read the policy carefully. I am in a discussion with Good Sam now about the experience. They are looking into it. If they clear it up, I’ll post an update.

        • Wondering if you have an update? We are in the midst of purchasing our first RV (Bumper pull) and considering RA. Your story makes me not want GSRA.

          • After some discussion, they did refund me my expenses. Overall, it remains a sore spot in my memory.

  • I have the Good Sam Platinum plan and fortunately have never had to use the roadside assistance portion. I HAVE had two occasions where I called for technical assistance. Both times I was ultimately given a number to call where I was told that if I didn’t buy my motorhome at Camping World they could (would) not help me.

    • Hi Jim,

      Glad to hear you have not been stuck on the side of the road! I also have GS roadside but have not yet had to use it. (Knock on wood)

      The Platinum plan does not offer any sort of technical assistance. That’s not what the plan is for.

      The plan is there to get you jump started, tow, fix a flat, etc but as far as troubleshooting a technical problem, you’re on your own. You would need to contact the manufacturer of whatever part of the RV was not working properly.

      And good luck with that if you don’t have any kind of warranty (or even if you DO).

      RV manufacturers aren’t known for their stellar customer support, nor their high quality of product. Quite the opposite.

      Sorry you had issues, but don’t expect a Good Sam Platinum plan to help. That’s not what you paid for.

      • Maybe I misinterpret but here is the list of Platinum plan benefits from the Good Sam website. The last item is the Technical Assistance element that set the expectation for me.

        “Your comprehensive Good Sam RV Platinum plan includes

        RV Standard coverage benefits
        Coverage for Motorized RVs
        Coverage for multiple RVs
        Coverage for utility and sport trailers
        Coverage for leased, rented and even borrowed vehicles and RVs
        Operational and Technical Assistance by Certified RV Technicians”

        • Hi Jim,

          I guess it all boils down to what exactly you were asking regarding technical assistance. What the brochure says they will do to ‘help’ is all a bit ambiguous. On one hand they say they say they will give “help in solving technical RV problems, from malfunctioning refrigerators, slide-outs or AC units to transmission, fuel or brake problems. Our Certified RV Techs can also help with manufacturer-specific questions about the power train, chassis or carriage of your RV.”

          Then they turn around and say “If we are unable to assist you with your technical problem, we will help you locate the nearest professional service center capable of repairing your vehicle, and communicate with the potential service center or repair technicians or set up a service appointment for you.” and “Member acknowledges that the Program instructs and advises that any maintenance or modification to the vehicle should be made by a licensed service provider and not by the Member.”

          They say several other things in there that make you wonder how useful this part of the ‘benefit’ is, including “This benefit is not intended to be used in lieu of routine maintenance or needed repairs on your vehicle.”

          So what is the point of helping with an issue if they don’t want to assist you in making the fix. It seems like it’s more of a service center finding service than anything else. Maybe I too am reading this wrong.

          Bottom line is that I wouldn’t rely on a roadside assistance plan to help solve anything else other than getting me off the side of the road and taken to a place that can perform a necessary repair.

          Interesting that they said they wouldn’t provide any technical assistance unless you purchased the RV from them. That makes it seem like there was a miscommunication as to what you wanted from them. As in they felt like you wanted them to fix an issue with the rig, whereas they felt that should be an issue fixed by the dealer.

          Since I wasn’t a fly on the wall with that conversation I have no idea what went down. But I can totally understand where there may be confusion as to what the plan should cover.

    • Seems to be the case even if you do purchase from them. They live to sell but not service after the fact. Heard this several times now. only been doing the RVing life for around three months. So for what is a huge investment or even like some of us; it is our home, full time!
      Cheers and happy camping mates.

  • I did not find Good Sam helpful. Their Partners come including Bank of the West and camper world Rip me off and we’re not good to work with. I didn’t really find that my Good Sam came in handy. I did better with KOA and US Rider. I don’t know who to tell you to go for for loans, but do not use the Bank of the West partner through Good Sam. 7 years of continual headache before I had to take out a higher interest loan to get out from under it. Now they’re refusing to let me close my savings account that I had to open to get that 5% lone. Definitely not worth it. They changed the terms of the savings account we’re in the beginning I just had to have a direct deposit now I would have to open a checking account to directly deposit into the Savings in order to keep them from charging me $5 a month. That’s the kind of stuff they’ve been pulling for 7 years. Terrible.

    • Hi Maria,

      Sorry to hear you have had issues. Good Sam is definitely not for everyone. Personally, I would recommend to NEVER get a loan through a dealership.(We are assuming you bought an RV and were financed through Good Sam?) I will only use my credit union. ALL banks are notorious for doing what’s best for themselves and screwing over the consumer. This is why I no longer use banks, whatsoever. At the same time, Good Sam has worked fine and even glowingly for others. However, we aren’t big fans.

      I (Kelly) have roadside assistance from them (mostly to test it) and have already had problems getting my welcome packet. Have asked to get it three times now. (Still haven’t received) Other than this, neither Marshall nor myself use Good Sam for anything. It just doesn’t fit into our lifestyle on the road.

    • Hi Bob,

      Sorry to hear that you experienced this. The Good Sam Roadside Service brochure indicates that the call center is open 24/7/365 and doesn’t indicate they will only dispatch during normal business hours. That defeats the purpose of an emergency roadside service.

      I’d be curious to know more about the two instances where you required their service. If there is no available company to respond to a service call then this would obviously delay service. Depending on where the incident occurred one may experience a long delay in response time. Unfortunately that’s the nature of the beast when you are in the middle of nowhere. As opposed to being close to a large city with multiple potential responding companies.

      Sorry to hear about your poor experience with Good Sam Roadside. Have you considered another RV roadside service option?

      • The company good sam uses during business hours silver state towing which was no more than five miles away said they were not contacted by good sam they only guessed that they are only contracted during business hours. The first call was 445 am the second 930 at night

      • I had to wait from 2pm on Monday to nearly noon on Tuesday to get my F250 and 5th wheel towed. All because Good Sam couldn’t find someone at a good price. I had to escalate.

  • I think people with complaints write more reviews than happy customers so I don’t rely on reviews much. I have been a Good Sam club member for a lot of years and generally feel I get my money’s worth returned in benefits. It doesn’t take many camping trips to recover the price of membership. I have also subscribed to their road service for many years and prefer it to other popular national services. Have always had excellent customer service and fast response. Good Sam always gave a call back to make sure that we were safe and confirm that service had arrived. Another benefit that even I was unaware of until I retired & signed up for social security, is a member benefit that gave me a nice discount on a type F Medicare supplement plan. If you want to get the most for your money with any type of membership, you need to make yourself aware of all benefits, not just the most popular ones.

    • Hi David,

      Thank you for pointing those things out. It’s so true- people very much like to complain and often this is what you find even when most of the time service is good. We aren’t saying GS is perfect, it certainly is not.

      But again, you are correct in that they do offer a plethora of benefits. Best to find out what all they do offer and decide if their benefits will work for you or not.

      Safe travels, David!

      • Kelly I only speak facts I am a long time good sam member. I hope this situation never happens to you or a family member. A lot of people complain with no evidence to back them up my comments are fact

    • David reading you a reply was refreshing. I am not good Sam’s happy camper. I have fallen through the cracks 3 times… But I’ve only been rving regularly since July of 2018. It began with the insurance package they sold me was almost $2,000 more then what I got from USAA affiliated.. 4 hours for someone to come and jump start my engine, and he came with a unit too small., Low wattage.. the second call, the guy never showed up. USAA sent a guy down with a unit big enough to start a track truck. I bought one from pep boys. The booster pack 5000. It’s been a lifesaver.
      A month after having my coach I developed a leak under the bed. Rushed it into
      Camping World where they gave me an appointment 2 weeks out. After two weeks I went in they told me it would be almost 3 months before it would be finished. I drove it from Atlanta to Spartanburg South Carolina camping world and they got the job done the next day along with several other bullet points.
      Now the reason why your statement is a breath of fresh air is because maybe I just fell through the cracks. And we’ll rethink my bad experience with Good Sam’s which I began to call bad Sam’s…
      But through coast to coast I think I will give them another shot. Thank you for your positive experience and input..
      Gerard..

  • Wow, a fairly glowing article that accurately represents the benefits offered by the assorted GoodSam programs but completely ignores the plethora of absolutely horrible reviews these same programs get from actual users. I was ready to sign up until I started reading the reviews. This program has to be an annuity for the company and a goldmine for potential future RV purchasers. They appear to be squandering this opportunity. 5-star service spreads like wildfire in a closed community like the RV community. Unfortunately, so does 2 start service. If I were Marcus I’d put in place a simple rule. Surprise and delight every user….period. An upfront investment that will benefit all their user channels.

    • Hi Steve,

      We pretty much agree with you about the reviews. However, we hardly would call our page a ‘glowing review’.

      We state in the green box at the very beginning of the article that people love to hate Good Sam and that the page is simply a rundown of the facts about what they offer. Anyone who has been RVing for even a little while has heard the rumbles of the Camping World/Good Sam arguments and complaints.

      Our post is to simply let people know what is out there, with a disclaimer at the beginning that many people don’t care for it and we also state that we don’t use it. (Just doesn’t fit into our lifestyles.)

      Another point and a reason we don’t actively ‘bash’ the club is that people LOVE to complain. Much more than they like to praise when a company does well for them. We have heard plenty of good stories from people who have used GS and CW.

      But yes, there are a LOT of complaints out there. Enough to give one pause.

      All that said, we agree that Marcus would be very smart to take you up on your simple rule! (So would their current plummeted $8.50 stock.)

        • Why thank you, Steve!! Heck, the site even helps ME out at times when I forget something, LOL! Glad you are finding it helpful. Have fun in your ventures!

      • HI Stacey,

        We have not researched extended warranties as neither Kelly nor I have a need for one (our trailers are so simple that I can handle just about anything that comes up – or we have a great network of friends that would help out).

        Extended warranties are always a hot-button topic. Whether it’s RV extended warranties, ones for automobiles, or the new appliance you just purchased. Definitely a topic that we should cover at some point, but it’s not really on our radar at this point.

        Best of luck finding the right warranty for your RV.

    • Hi Brian,

      Do you mean one of the photos in this post? All the photos in this article are stock photos, so we don’t know where they were taken. Sorry!

  • First time I have used the roadside assistance. Two hours later the tow never showed up and didn’t answer their phone. Not impressed with the Good Sam service provider.

    • Hi Lee,

      We are sorry to hear about your experience. No one likes to sit on the side of the road waiting.

      If they never showed up and never answered their phone, how did you get out of there?

      That’s the thing about ANY provider you choose. They all contract with a number of different towing services. They don’t own those towing companies, so they (and you) are all at the mercy of how good or bad that service can perform that day.

      It’s a crapshoot, really. But you’re going to pay a lot less using a provider such as Good Sam than you would if you called any towing company directly.

      It’s not Good Sam who didn’t answer the phone. It was the selected towing company.

      Towing companies likely take care of their direct calls before taking care of their providers such as Good Sam. So no matter what company you choose, you’re at the mercy of each towing company. It sucks, but that’s how it works.

      • But you’re paying annually and hopefully not using the assistance annually so maybe not such a good deal. Especially when they don’t respond in a timely manner.

        • Hi Julie,

          There are a number of products/services you pay for on an annual basis that you don’t necessarily use. Most are in the insurance group of products. Auto insurance. Health insurance. Life insurance.

          Roadside assistance is simply an insurance product. Hopefully you never use it, as that most likely means things went sideways. But great to have if something does happen.

          Kelly’s response explains why there may be a delay. (And such a delay is prone to happen no matter what the roadside service you use is, especially if you are in a remote location).

          Thanks for the comment and Camp On!

  • we are a 6 yr member having the Platinum membership. 3 weeks ago during our trial trip thru northern Alberta and BC,,the water pump went on our Itasca Cummins powered motorhome. i called good sam. lady said we would have to wait for parts for a bout a week and wouldnt tow us home 550 kms. so we also have AMA which i called and they towed me 440 kms with my membership ,leaving a bill of dam near $800 we paid to the trucker with his 45 ft flat bed. I called Good sam again after we got home and a fellow said to submit the bill on line. which i did and the next day Good Sam called me and said.yes they will reimburse me!. thanks Good Sam and AMA for getting us home.

    • That’s a great positive story, so thank you for sharing, Ken! Glad to hear everything worked out well for you. ????????

      • now that its fixed. i was wondering if we continue on our trip ,will good same help us again. AMA only does one long tow a yr?

        • Hey Ken,

          I’d reach out to Good Sam and/or look at the brochure for your particular plan to find out if there is any limits on the number of tows they will provide in a given time period.

          We hope your trip continues smoothly with no more incidents!

    • Don’t do it! We paid a lot of money for this, hoping we didn’t have to use the roadside assistance for a flat tire on our RV. So here we are on side of busy interstate waiting. After I the i initial call no one called us back within 40 minutes. So we called again. However, that person kept us on hold 25 minutes to get back on to say she can’t find anyone. we were not getting anywhere. We even talked to a supervisor who was of no use or help. One person asking what kind engine did our 5th wheel have. We spoke with with 5 different people and was on hold for hours. Then one told us it’s Sunday so most places are closed. And I asked was that in the fine print that on Sunday’s you don’t contract with any service providers? It was a two hour shit show of stupid people and no one talking to the other and incompetence at its finest. Never seen customer service like this anywhere ever. Please find a better company because this one shouldn’t even be servicing anyone. I will be reaching out to see owns this company and why it is so poorly run. Very annoyed being in a dangerous situation and 3 hours later still no one has showed up even after they finally said someone would be here finally in 25 minutes that was about 40 minutes ago…. my husband is now trying to change tire side of highway.

      • Hi Debra,

        That IS the ‘Pitts’. Heh. Get it? Hopefully you can laugh by now!

        Yeah, we don’t know of a single ‘perfect’ tow company provider. They sub out many different companies, and let’s face it. Tow truck drivers aren’t the most, well, um, well, maybe you know what I am trying to say.

        It’s not exactly an amazing customer service/support industry. I’ve had bad experiences with other companies as well. Left on the side of the road in Banff NP late at night with a flat. Called. They couldn’t figure out where I was, blah blah blah. DIdn’t call back when they should have, all of it. Finally, a mounty (is that what they are called?) stopped and he kindly ended up doing my full tire change! Dang tow truck never came.

        We feel your pain. All companies have these bad stories. Wish we knew the solution to perfect towing assistance. But we don’t.

    • Hey Jack,

      You can read the Good Sam TravelAssist plan brochures to find out what qualifies. They are linked to in the TravelAssist section above.

      • They have a comparison chart on their website which has a bulleted list of coverages. I am not a member, just started researching plans as we will be full timing this spring.

  • 9 months into my Roadside assistance Good Sam just sent me a cancelation notice saying my family was messing up their avg cost… hum you offer insurance… the consumer actually uses it… lets drop them…. what am I missing..

    • Hi Ken,

      How many times was your Good Sam Roadside Assistance plan utilized by a family member during the course of these 9 months?

      Like any service contract, (or insurance policy for that matter), there is generally a clause that allows for either party to cancel the contract at anytime. Good Same Roadside Assistance is no different. Their plan brochure states the following: “Membership is subject to cancellation by either party at any time for any reason, upon written notification.” It sounds like Good Sam chose to exercise this clause in the contract.

      This is no different than how an automotive insurance policy works. If an insurance company’s underwriting department determines that a policy holder has submitted too many claims within a given time period, they have the option to non-renew the policy.

      Companies that provide service contracts are in the business to make money. They have a fiducial responsibility to mitigate financial losses. This is why it’s best to only use a service contract for genuine emergencies and not take advantage of such contracts for items that you can easily handle on your own.

      Sorry to hear that Good Sam cancelled on you. Fortunately there are other options out there. Best of luck getting another coverage policy and Camp On!

  • Do you know anyone who has actually used “travelassist”? If my wife and I get sick in Calif. will they really tow the RV back to North Carolina for free?

    • Hey Michael,

      The vast majority (as in everyone, pretty much) of the RVers we know are full-timers, so they don’t have a home base. Therefore they wouldn’t use the ‘return your RV to your home base’ feature of Travel Assist.

      If you meet the requirements outlined in the plan descriptions (brochures are linked to in the above page), then yes, they will return your RV to your home (per the contract that you have with them). They won’t tow it. They will drive it. Read the plan descriptions to learn more about what has to happen, or give Good Sam a call.

      Hopefully you will never need to have this service, but it certainly is good peace of mind. Thanks for the question and Camp On!

    • Hey Tarassia,

      Please contact Good Sam Insurance (or visit their website) to confirm what they will, and will not, cover. Because of the importance of RV insurance, and what coverage is included, we think it’s best that you hear it straight from the source.

      Thanks for the question and Camp On!

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