By Chuck Woodbury
Recent advertising from Camping World is sporting a new logo with a halo, but it’s no longer over the head of the iconic Good Sam Man. What’s up? My RV industry friends and I have been asking that for a year now.
What do you think? Is Marcus Lemonis, the CEO of the club and Camping World, slowly retiring the Good Sam Man, to simply go with the golden halo? Camping World’s ads and brochures increasingly direct customers to CampingWorld.com/club where the Good Sam Man is seen far less than the new halo-only logo.
Lemonis is a highly energized businessman who is seldom mentioned in Good Sam Club literature anymore. To many if not most industry insiders he is bent on cornering the market on RV sales. He has recently added to his company’s holdings by rapidly buying up RV dealerships across the country and turning them into Camping World stores, where parts, accessories, service and RVs are sold. He has also acquired Gander Mountain and Overton’s outdoor recreation stores.
Lemonis announced recently that he plans to leverage the Gander brand to increase his RV footprint, honing in on areas where Camping World is under-represented and has an opportunity to grow. He said he will launch Gander RV in 40 locations by spring 2019.
So what will happen to the Good Sam Man? Time will tell.
It is so sad when I remember the warm fuzzy feeling we used to get (including the discount at RV parks) and the really good programs they sponsored. Deals on insurance and roadside assistance, etc. were at the top. Slowly the people selling these deals started to sound just like auto salespersons who started misrepresenting the terms and conditions just to get a sale.
Now I am not even sure a park discount is worth being in this program. But it was great for a time.
I believe Mark Lemonis is moving far away from the Good Sam Club. He has allowed some CWs to create local camping clubs like the Chattanooga Camping Club no longer under GS name but sponsored by CW. Tennessee GS would not allow them to stay members or open a chapter there. Many store users are turned down for GS discounts. Lemonis has fired all regional district directors at least in the South East Region. Mississippi State GS closed and sold off its State stores and supplies. He has left the State Directors out in the cold for directions when needed. I cannot speak for or of about other states. I am just a camper but it hurts to see what he is doing.
I’m almost ashamed to say I am a life member… Wouldn’t join now if you paid me to.
Same here.
I agree sure glad i did not put that sticker on our new 5th wheel like you say we too are almost ashamed to being lifetime members what used to be a privilege is kind of embarasseing
Marcus is going to have his own headshot under the halo.
I’m sure the logo has been determined to be racist. As a leftist/progressive; Lemonis doesnt want a white male logo as representing CW.
As a black RV enthusiast, I would like a black Good Sam figure for my rig.
Just change the name to Sam, because all the good has been destroyed by Marcus Lemonis.
I saw the old Gander Mountain store north of Houston on I-45 now has a Gander RV sign out in front of it. The Houston area already has some fairly large RV places, not sure if another one is what we need here.
I have been a Life Time Member of Good Sams long before Lemonis took over. And now, there is NO WAY I Will EVER shop or purchase anything from Camping World, especially an RV!
And when he states he does not need any Republicanis in his stores
Charles, that’s not what he said. . . He’d be a fool to say that. The quote keeps changing each time I see it. — Chuck Woodbury, editor
Wife & I bought a lovely used truck camper. We’re in our late 70’s. I’m thankful for eBay and Amazon. There’s a CW store on the mainland, where our island population shops. We’ve never considered shopping with them (nor do I stick my fingers in a blender).
I don’t know about retiring the GS Man, however, I was in a CW store Tuesday and overheard a salesman telling a customer who was asking about an item “that they had not had a supply truck deliver anything in over two weeks.” Struck me as rather odd.