Are you a current member of the Good Sam Club? If you answer yes, are you a new member or have you been a member for a long time? We’re curious!
As we’re sure you know, the Good Sam Club is the largest organization of RV owners in the world. Today, the club has nearly 2.2 million members. The membership costs $29 a year, which will pay for itself quickly if you stay at one of its 2,400+ parks and campgrounds, where you receive a 10% discount. You also get perks such as saving at Camping World and Gander RV & Outdoors (plus free online shipping), fuel savings, trip planners, dump services, and a propane discount. Not too shabby…
So, are you a current member? Please tell us in the poll below. We’d also like to know what you like or dislike about your membership in the comments.
I joined Good Sam and did get a discount on a couple of items, but driving 22 miles one way ate up any discount. When we went shopping for a tow bar, we received an $8,000 quote from the up seller at Camping World. We left in shock and went to the dealer where we had purchased our RV. $6,000! Everyone insisted only Blue Ox would fit. A friend has a RoadMaster tow bar, but I was so confused as to what would work, I called RoadMaster. Bought everything from them direct, just over $1,200 delivered, $350 installation at Uhaul. I let the membership lapse.
DECADES ago, I “bit” at an offering for a Good Sam Club Life Membership. I had not yet started RVing (and would not until 2010). Of course, the GSC has been gutted by Marcus L over the last several years so, my Life Membership is almost worthless now (I do get a small discount when I rarely shop in a Camping World). After hearing several horror stories about the RVs that Camping World sell, I would NEVER buy an RV from them (and also would NOT recommend CW to any other RVer).
I was a member of the Good Sam’s ham club and it was just too unorganized and undependable.
Yes, but only because we must be members to get our “special” rate on our RV insurance. Shopping around next renewal because GS discount is replaced by FMCA and CW is just awful, never shop there. Lemonis just makes me gag.
Life member for 20+ years. Got a life membership for our daughter when she graduated from college (they were offering a great deal). The CW store discount has paid for itself. Also the campground discount has paid for itself over the years. Benefits have eroded over the years and it appears the “club” has been crushed out of existence. And that’s too bad. The local clubs did a lot for the communities they were located in or camped in. A few might still be kicking and doing good works for good causes.
Lifetime membership. Many years ago they had a deal for new members. I wrote email to Marcus L. that we had been paying yearly for a long time, why just offering to new members. He changed the promo and opened it up. Fortunately it has paid for itself by now. We do have their insurance which we had to use and were pleased with how it was handled. Have their Travel Assist program. Use the Flying J rewards card (although not as often since we signed up for the TSD program). Canceled the roadside service and went with Coach-Net. We also used them when they did event trips. Yes, expensive. However, got to go to Daytona 500 when it was impossible to get tickets. We learned the ropes and eventually went on our own. Met some great people we still are in contact with and see a few every year at the 500, including the “wagon” masters.
Good Sams was once an actual rv club with many active chapters and events across the country. This included a large national rally. Since Markups Lamoanis (misspellings intentional) bought the rights to it it has become nothing more than a marketing tool for Cramping World, and now Granduer Maintain.
Lifetime member
Lifetime member. Wish we weren’t. Association with Camping World sucks!
yup, since 1986,
Ok technically I am a member because I bought a lifetime membership the first year it was offered. However the only thing I use is to find campgrounds. I haven’t stayed in a GS park in years.
Paid for a lifetime membership the first year they were offered. Never dreamed it would wind up like it is now – just a marketing tool for Camping World.
I was until Camping World ruined it.
I have a life membership of Good Sam. I sold our RV almost 3 years ago and am not pleased with good sam. I do not like their email and snail mail crap and I will not purchase anything from them.
We became lifetime members many years ago before CW took GS down. If I wasn’t lifetime, I wouldn’t be a member now. The GS discount at campgrounds isn’t worth the $29.00.
I have been a member for 11 years.
I too took a lifetime membership long before camping world messed things up. I miss the Highways Magazine and the campground guide keeps getting smaller and less useful each year.And I wish the club meeting were still around. I do stay in several Good Sam parks each year but maybe not enough to recoup the high membership price they charge each year. It use to be a great club but not anymore and that is sad.
Ditto Ron: I too am a life member – since about 1994. It is now a hollow shell of what it was and could have been. Meg Ryan did a fairly good job of keeping it informative and useful. Too bad!
We debated renewing our Good Sam (Bad Marcus?) membership and finally concluded that our annual discount at a campground we visit one or two times annually more than offsets Good Sam’s annual fee. We have cancelled all other connections to Camping World/Good Sam/ML, including Motorhome Magazine/RV Life.
I won’t even shop at Camping World. Most of the stuff they have I can get cheaper at etrailer.com or Amazon.
I was a member several years ago. Then I had a flat tire south of Orlando and they sent out a man who didn’t have an air compressor in his truck. He couldn’t help me. So what is the point of their road side assistance? When I complained to Good Sam, they said they only allow their contractors to put a spare tire on the trailer. If the spare needs air, then you are out of luck.
Even WORSE experience! After waiting OVER 2 hours, he came out with nothing more than I had already in a tiny pickup truck with NO WARNING LIGHTS! Then , put the tire on, but it wasn’t on right, luckily we were able to pull off the interstate a few miles down the road out of traffic and put it on correctly. No response from Good Sam on a written letter or email!
I am a life member for years now! Love the campground discount and love the RV Plus card discount at Pilot Flying J.