BY THE RV TRAVEL STAFF
Several RVtravel.com readers have reported receiving messages from the Good Sam Club that it is discontinuing its trip planning tool on April 10. The Trip Planner has been one of the club’s more popular free member benefits. As you will read below, the club “hopes” to launch a bigger and better tool before the end of the year.
“We know how important a trip planning tool is to our members,” the email message noted. “The current trip planning tool has been a wonderful service for many years. However, based on feedback that we have received from our members, we feel that it’s time and necessary to make improvements that meets the needs of all our members.
“A new, bigger and better trip planning tool is currently under construction. We would like to ask your patience while it is being developed. Our hope is to launch the new tool by the end of 2019.”
The message also advises that “if you have any planned trips they will no longer be available once the current trip planner comes down.”
In related news, the club reports that its membership has grown to an all-time high of 2.1 million.
NOTE: Many readers report that RV Trip Wizard offers a better trip planning tool than the one noted above from Good Sam. Learn about it here. Other readers have mentioned RV Parky as a good source for planning a trip.
The message received by members:
I’ll miss the Trip Planner even though I only used it to plan an unfamiliar trip. Its capability of indicating low clearances saved me on few occasions. I also liked the capability of planning fuel stops at truck service stations. Not sure why they couldn’t leave the current Trip Planner up and running while the new one is being developed. They did that when it was last revised and is the norm in today’s technology. I did complete the survey concerning the new trip planner, hopefully comments from the survey will be considered.
Rand McNally has TripMaker that you can use to download to your gps. It does not have the rv parks or Pilots/Flying J on the map. But you can add them as a stop on the map.
So the Good Sam members will miss the spring, summer, and fall months of the RV season while the Trip Planner is offline. And “hopefully by the end of 2019” it the new, improved version will come online. Hmmm. And as the end of the year approaches, queries will receive the standard software developers answer: “Trust us. Real soon now.” It seems more than a bit harsh & foreboding that the planner is being taken down so far in advance of the promised upgrade.
Just another way Lamonis can increase his profit, now the people who took care of the program can be fired.
Luckily I use at least 3 or 4 different websites to help plan trips. So I am not too concerned about GS not offering their trip routing service.
However,it does seem kind of odd to kill one system before having another one in place.
Which ones do you use please?
The only benefit of being a member, for me, was the trip planner. It was the best one we found, others were not good and even dangerous, ie giving routes through tunnels, low clearance etc. I really dont understand why they would take down the current planner while developing a new one especially going into peak travel season, does not make sense and seems that something else is going on. I would think that this will hurt their membership, I for one am not renewing
As a life time member of GS, I have never used it. No loss, not user friendly on a phone.
Any recommendations for a replacement from anyone using different software for RV trip planning?
RVParky.com
Hi, REW. Here’s a response I posted to someone else’s similar inquiry:
Here is a terrific article from Chris Guld, Geeks on Tour, published on RVtravel.com last September: https://www.rvtravel.com/trip-planning-tools/ It covers different trip planning tools for different purposes. I’m sure this will help.
Have a great day, REW! ? —Diane at RVtravel.com
pathetic
Sounds as though they are planning on dropping it completely. I have been on other (non rv) sites that were supposed to upgrade and it never happened.
I agree that they should have kept the old trip planner up and running until the ‘NEW’ version has been completed. They could even set up a beta test of the new one to work out any bugs.
If and when they do roll out the new one, look for an add on charge to use it.
My roadside assistance is up for renewal. Time to consider an alternative.
GS is dead to me. Now no trip planner and still the worst campground discount available. They were the way to go decades. Sadly their time has passed as Mr. Lemonis slowly monetizes and dismantles it.
It makes no sense to get rid,of this one while working on a new one. Why not keep the existing one while developing a better one?
Good Sam club sounds like they are becoming the Bad Sam club. I bet this move has to do with the almighty dollar. You never remove something to replace it later. Shame on you BS club!
Marcus has two commandments in life. 1st commandment is reduce expenses and increase revenue. 2nd commandment is see 1st commandment.
I think it is fine, every application eventually needs updating. The only concern I would have is if they raised the membership pricing.
Here’s the situation! If you are developing a new Software programs, then you get it developed, BETA tested and DEBUGGED, then you launch it as a test, BEFORE taking down the previous program that worked fine!
This is just another thing with BAD SAMS CLUB and Marky L***! He probably Cut 10 jobs by doing this and will never replace them. As for the NEW and Improved Travel Tool, Forget about it, you will never see it again.
I am sorry to say My Wife and I are lifetime members, so we can’t get our money back.
Good Sams (BAD SAMS) was a good company at one time. But, since Marky L*** took over it has only gone down hill!
I will never buy another BAD SAMS product again!
I have used the trip planner on a number of occasions, in fact I just used it a couple of days ago. Maybe it needs some improvement but why take a useable service away before a replacement is available? Something more than than they are saying is going on, why take it down just as we are going into the busy camping/travel season. It is my guess that a replacement Trip Planner will never be available and it is just another way for M. L. to make or save a few extra bucks! I emailed GS expressing my thoughts but have never heard back from them. SURPRISE, SURPRISE!
I use Trip Planner every year as we plan our 3-4 month summer trip. I suspect that the new software will NOT be able to download to our “aged Good Sam GPS units” and will only support a new tablet or other gadget! We have “lifetime maps” on our GPS that is not updated on a regular basis.
I also sent my opinions to the survey request but dont expect any of it to be in the new software.
If I have to buy a new GPS to support the new software then Good Sam will NOT be among the ones selected….do you hear me Mr. Lemonis?
If you are replacing or improving a product, why would you take down, remove or otherwise disable the existing product? Since joining the RV community last year (2018), I continue to be confounded with the way the industry works. As consumers, we all want and choose to be here, and maybe that’s the problem: none of the companies have to really “work” to keep us happy. Instead, they let us think we’re getting as good as it gets, and there is no way to improve. We just don’t understand. The RV industry is just different, and we are just not smart enough to understand that.
As long as we remain sheep, the shepherds will show us their way, and take care of us – their way….
What would happen if 50% of Good Sam members cancelled their membership, insurance, etc. and went with another group or company. Would a message be sent? Would it be heard? Would it be understood? I, for one, am not so sure. I feel, having bought our home on wheels, we are on our own, and have this forum and others to look to for support. Not so much the dealers, and the manufacturers…
Thanks for the space to leave my thoughts, and thanks to all of you we have met – in person or on line – who have shared experiences and advice without hesitation. We are proud to be among you!
Good Sam is no where near the club it used to be. They shouldn’t take the trip planner down until the new one is launched (if ever).
Recreation.Gov just updated their website (with many issues), and left the old one up until launch time. Funny that the government has to show how it’s done!
Many reasons including this why I dropped Good Sam from my list of companies to give my business to.
Don’t trust their evaluation and reviews of campgrounds and RV resorts. Their point system is way off. Scoring some places we’ve been 9 and 10. In reality they were 5. Some we left early they were so bad.
They should not take down the trip planner until the are ready to launch the new and better trip planner. Stupid move on their part.
This is BULL. I use this to find campgrounds every time I go camping. We camp for at least a week every other month. Most of the time we stay at 3 or more campgrounds. We use trip planner to find campgrounds exclusively. As a LIFETIME member this is just not right to just shut it down for months.
This is the last straw for me. I will not renew with them again. Any recommendations where a replacement trip planning tool can be had?
I love the RVParky app, and RVParky.com. Free, and a really good resource.
Thanks for the question, Thomas. Here is a terrific article from Chris Guld, Geeks on Tour, published on RVtravel.com last September: https://www.rvtravel.com/trip-planning-tools/ It covers different trip planning tools for different purposes. I’m sure this will help. Have a great day! 😀 —Diane at RVtravel.com
RVParky free and awesome
Ditto, Trip Planner should stay running until they are ready to launch the ‘new program’. All member info/planning information from the original program should shift transparently to the new program. This is the 21st century. Somehow I am doubting a new program will be forthcoming.
Any thoughts on Camping World’s status – should we be buying new memberships? If Camping World ‘stores’ are at risk because of poor finances (did I read that story right?), should we pay (membership renewal) for something that may be gone?
Good Sam offers a trip planner service? Are we able to use campgrounds that aren’t the overpriced and overcrowded Good Sam Campgrounds?
Where’s Lemonis now?
I agree with the previous comments. I have never experienced a system taken down months before its replacement is launched. Good Sam’s action is not customer friendly.
Ralph, personally, I don’t believe they will offer a new version. In discontinuing its national rallies a while back Marcus Lemons said he was pausing them so they could come back “better” (or in some way improved). Of course, that was the end of the rallies.
Vote up not responding
We have used RVParky for finding campgrounds for several years and have had good luck finding whatever type and price range of campground we want. It an Android and Apple app.
Why wouldn’t they wait for the new one before eliminating the old one? My guess is no-one will ever see the “new” one.
Or we’ll have to pay for it!!
I asked them that via email – they said the company providing their current service tripled their rates and if they septet using them while waiting on the new service to be ready, they would have to charge us more for their service.
I’ve been a Good Sam club member for a long time. I’m a life member. I guess since I don’t use the trip planning service I didn’t get that notice.
Wonder if Lemonis will read these comments like he did previous negative comments on this site about GSC?? Hope so.
I have been a member for years. The only benefit I have is taking their mail directly to the recycle container.
Another corporate move that undoubtedly and for no good reason will tick off its members. Marcus, hello? Like, why remove the current one altogether while its replacement is being developed? If that even happen. Seems like a ploy. Hopefully many, many members will find suitable trip planners on other platforms and just move beyond GS in this respect. That usually happens when one thing goes out and competition fills the gap. They admitted they use a third party provider so they obviously had some notice of impending price increase if that is to be be believed, so why not just negotiate with yet another provider? They (Good Sam) isn’t developing squat on their own I believe. Liar liar pants on fire! People tend not to return once new habits are formed. Way to go Camping World!
Take the survey on the trip planner main page and express your disappointment in the comment sections. Then, send them a message through their contact page. Express your disappointment, and request that they keep the old version until the new one is developed. Maybe if they realize how many of their members are upset, they will reconsider.
Like all businesses that are bleeding, adjustments must be made. Although not a customer friendly direction, we have the luxury of doing business elsewhere. If you can not find the same product for the same cost or free elsewhere, then you have your answer.
This even happens here with rvtravel, as expenses increased and income is static, decisions were made for the greater good.
There is no free ride folks.
I did contact them asking why they couldn’t leave the existing tool up during the development of the new tool. They responded that the 3rd party system they used was going up significantly in price, and they would have had to increase dues to cover it. I have some issues with their explanation. First, they should have been planning in advance for this and not caught flat footed. Second, I doubt that the added increase would have been a major drag in their overall P&L, and a dues increase would not have been critical. I’ll have to evaluate whether my Good Sam campground savings cover the cost of their membership before I renew with them. Given that our preference is to stay in state and national parks and COE parks, it would be questionable.
I wish they would keep the current planner until they are ready to launch the new one. Canceling the old one in April and then putting out the new one by the end of the year is not the right thing to do for the customers
I used the Trip Planner as one of my tools for vacation route planning. I would hate to loose this GS benefit. While useful, it is long overdue for improvement. Perhaps GS is just using this as leverage to negotiate the price they pay to their software software/service provider.
I think it is dumb that they retire the old one before providing a new one. We use the trip planner all the time. Even if they just leave the old one as is and stop development it would be better then taking it away before they have a replacement.
Rod, This is business decision. You can be sure when CW reintroduces the service it will come with a fee. It will no longer be free! If they introduced the new service with a fee and discontinued the free service simultaneously they would face a humongous backlash and the new service would not sell well. By cancelling the free service now and introducing the new service with a fee, 9 months later customers will be more apt to sign up with less complaints. Good business decision ….. TERRIBLE MORAL DECISION
agreed, we use it a lot and as a reference for places to go back to (or avoid). don’t understand why they can’t leave it up until there’s a replacement
GS had contracted with Rand McNally to provide its online trip planner. You can still use it to plan and transfer your route to most GPS units here http://tripmaker.randmcnally.com/
and it’s free!
Can you download the tripmaker file into the Good Sam GPS? When I try to do that I can only “Import Good Sam Trip” and can find no way to “Import Tripmaker trip” file because the icon does not exist. I suspect the dock software picks GS when the device is connected before downloading the docking software. Any help is appreciated.
After reading this thread, I looked up RVParky (www.rvparky.com), signed up and entered two trips we are about to do: a short one (10 days, 1000mi) and a longer one (41 days, 2600mi). IMHO RvParky is as easy to use as Trip Planner. After GS takes down Trip Planner, its replacement will have to be significantly better/easier/more intuitive to use to cause me to switch back.
I too use RV Parky mostly and find it As good as any other out there.
Please keep in mind that Camping World stock is plummeting and they are having serious stock problems which I sure will impact what CW & GS will do or have to face in the coming months and years.
I hate to admit, but as a life member (did that back when it was beneficial to do so), I don’t even know what the trip planner IS.
I am a life member but have never used trip planner. I have relied on Delorme street Atlas and Google maps since I gave up on paper maps (still a back up). Of course Delorme is gone, killed by Garmin. I cannot plan more than a couple days down there road even when going cross country since we change routes for weather or any other reason. Our campground search material is every thing from campendium.com to COE to daysend to Harvest Host. When we started rving in 2001 CW was a candy store and we would go Miles out of our way to stop at one. Recently I will go Miles out of my way to avoid them. Many dealers carry what we need and online resources for in the gap when we are staying parked for a while
As a lifetime member (pre political stance by M. Lemonis), I’ve toyed around with their trip planner. It’s not nearly as clunky as some programs that have been around for years, but it’s really nothing special.
I like my Garmin 770DZL, with a thorough itinerary vetting by my Rand McNally print atlas prior to departure. We also keep a copy of “The Next Exit” by the co-pilots seat. And, now that we’ve finally left the stone ages and both have a smart phone, there’s Google Maps and MapQuest.
I am not surprised by this, particularly since I have been using the planner for years. Began just after we bought our first motorhome and our Good Sam/Rand McNally GPS. In the past year or two, I have provided quite a bit of feedback to them about the instability (increasingly unavailable online), out-datedness, and lack of support of the trip planner. I suspect other users were seeing the same thing. So, it appears they were listening, but I doubt the new planner will be a bargain – or any better than other apps now available. Back when we first started using it, there were few planning apps specifically for campers.
So as a frustrated user, I am not all that sorry to see it go, although I agree with others that just taking it — and our files — away cold turkey is a little bit extreme. Along with it, however, will go my Good Sam membership: just one more in a long of line of disappointments from this company.
Watch the dues go up in price to cover the cost of The Trip Planner. I have no intention of renewing my membership this March.
Sounds like poor planning to me. Why would you remove the old one when you don’t have the new one yet. My guess is they won’t even come out with it. I did try the feature once and it was very glitchy. (Yes I had a good connection.) sorry. Just not a Good Sam fan.
Trip Planner has gotten increasingly unstable since I first began using it about 7 years ago. In frustration I found RV Trip Wizard, did their free trial and then signed up for the $30 annual fee. Well worth it. Far more flexible but a little more complicated. And they have FAR more RV parks along your route without trying to highlight the Good Sam’s parks and low-keying KOAs or others. I’m soooooooooo done with Good Sam’s club once my subscription expires, especially since Lemonis’ asinine political comments. Let’s Make Camping Great Again!
I am not and never was a Good Sam member. We fulltime RV (mostly Boondocking) and have used free apps to plan our trips, free apps told to us by the RVTravel Newsletter, by the way (thank you RVTravel). There are some good, free apps out there. Why would you pay for this service?
I have used the GS trip planner for several years as a very useful tool for advanced travel. The best part, IMHO, is the ability to input the RV dimensions to avoid low underpasses, etc. Recently I started using the RV Trip Planner and like it a lot. It does what the GS app does and much more. I am also moving my extended service and road service to Coach-Net. Probably keep GS for the discounts but that is on the bubble too.
Lemonis has destroyed the Good Sam Club, and I’m certain it will soon be a thing of the past.
I’ve used the Good Sam Trip Planner for many years to choose campgrounds while traveling. I was quite dismayed when I received the notice, so I contacted the company with my complaints. Their response was that they had contract problems with the actual developer of the product. They decided to develop their own product but it won’t be ready this year. Their intention is to provide some sort of temporary solution while they work on their own product. They didn’t elaborate as to what the temporary solution was.
I’ve got to say I don’t believe the story that users were not happy with the map service and that was why it was discontinued. I love the software and have told GS that many times. I don’t know of anyone using this service that doesn’t love it, especially if you have a compatible GPS to download to like the Rand McNally 7720. And, puzzle me this… why, if they can’t have the ‘new’ service up until the end of 2019, did they not leave the current one in place until then? Something is very, very fishy here. The map software is at least as important to me as the discount at member RV parks. Very sorry I renewed my GS membership just before their announcement. Might have reconsidered.