Good Sam???, Roadside Assistance Options

[Cheryl Fuller]

Cheryl - when you get your card, make sure to call the number listed on the back for the Love's gas discount. Your discount plan isn't activated until you call. Learned that the hard way...

[Cheryl]

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately our cards won't get here before we leave for vacation. I just have our membership number for the campgrounds. I called Good Sam back and they said they would send me a confirmation email which should work at Love's. Now if we can find any that have diesel and will accomodate our size, we're in business.

[Buckeye]

My experience with Good Sam Emergency Road Service was a disaster. In May on a Sunday evening just before dark my fuel pump went out on I-40 near Williams AZ. I was able to limp into a campground in Williams. Monday morning I called GSERS and they told me they would tow me to a provider in Williams, there are 3. I requested to be towed to Flagstaff to the Chevrolet dealer as the work required was under warrenty. I was informed they were only responsible to tow my vehical to a local provider. I got my truck started and got to the local provider and paid him $182.70 to tow my truck to Flagstaff. I then called the GSERS office and explained my problem again to them, they sent me a reembursement form to fill out when I returned home. I filled out the form included all the receipts and mailed it. Couple of weeks it is returned and the claim was denied. Reason: They are only responsible to tow me to a local provider where it was no concern of theirs that I would have had to pay for repairs out of pocked when it was under warranty. When I get home I am reading in the June issue of GS Highways magazine pg 71 Wilted in Willows gets his Dodge towed 45 miles to the dealer. Now Willows Ca. is a town of 6,000+ popualtions, I can't hardly believe there isn't a local provider to work on his truck. I now think that the good deal and price from the Good Sam Club is not such a good deal after all. I will take a long look at AAA RV Plus towing, I understand they will at least take you where you want to go if it is within 100 miles. And they will at least reemburse you part of the towing bill if they can not provide the service. All I can say if Good Sam talks the talk, but they don't seem to walk the walk. Buckeye

[denbroncs]

The most common issue that I've seen with the Good Sam campgrounds is that their standards are so low that basically any camp can become a Good Sam park. Sure - some parks are nice but you never really know. Who cares if you save 10% when the place is a dump??

[cindys6436]

Glad I joined this group and saw this topic. We didn't have the best experience with Good Sam ERs. We are brand new to RVing and are fulltiming - bound to run into some problems! While trying to hitch up our 5th-wheel, it slid off the blocks and landed on the bed of our truck. Called Good Sam ERS and explained the situation in detail. Explained we needed to get the 5th-wheel lifted so we could drive the truck out from underneath it. Explained we did not need to be towed. They sent a tow truck. Took an hour and a half, which wasn't a big deal, but sending a tow truck that couldn't do the job was a big deal, since we had to pay $95 for them to send the correct truck out. We weren't happy about that since we were clear about the situation. After reading some of the previous posts, I thought I'd go ahead and renew our AAA membership with the RV add-on, but our home base is in N. CA - argggh.

Cindy

[Lori Wright]

We've had very good luck with GSERS. My husband and I bought our first RV last year and just to be on the safe side, we bought GSERS before picking it up. Forty-eight hours after we'd had it, my husband was trying to back it into the side yard up an incline (and over a small dip) and ended up grinding the skid plates into the asphalt of our road when the incline was a bit more sharp than he had expected.

Our new RV was stuck, half in the yard, half in the road. I called GSERS, talked to a nice guy who really felt bad for my husband (who was mightily embarrassed) and had a tow out there in 30 minutes to yank the RV out of its predicament.

The second time we've used it this year was when my truck broke down at 2 a.m. (since GSERS covers all vehicles). We had a bit of a snafu because GSERS sent the tow driver to the wrong area, but in the morning, they towed my car to the closest Nissan dealership on a Sunday.

Lori

[wbc]

Hello all! Newbie here. We have Good Sam Road Service and we love it. They helped us when we had a dead battery. Sent a huge truck to our house for a jump for us. We are very happy with it.

[ecker]

First, Good Sam and Good Sam Emergency Road Service are not the same. You must pay for both if you desire both services. Second, I joined Good Sam and FMCA as well as their respective road services. Third, I have used both. The FMCA Coach service is far the best IMO. Coach Net has a staff of technical representatives who try to get you back on road without waiting for a tow if possible. If they can't find a solution, they turn it over to the towing people who in my four experiences keep one informed as to when to expect the truck, where you'll be going and offer you alternatives if not happy with their choice, and service was a prompt as I think it could be given where I wa at. They cover your toad as well under same policy. In addition, if your at an FMCA sponsored rally/convention and become stuck in an off road parking space they'll still cover bill. My experience with GS ERS was that they sent under sized trucks on two occasions, couldn't find anyone to take the call,etc. As for branded, yes Coach Net is a company engaged in this type of work and answer phone for many companies including Ford, etc. That IMO doesn't lessen there attractiveness; it increases it. Finally, if your problem is with a Cummins Engine remember that Cummins provides 24/7 towing help via 800-769-3778 (1-800-POWER-RV) number. You can use them as well. They'll get you to nearest authorized service center, help diagnose the problem and manage the service event to keep you informed.

[onename]

I joined a few years ago and found them to be terrific, always fast friendly and efficent.

Must be bad luck for those who have had trouble

[jefff929]

Our AAA+ really let us down. Down the valley, without the tow truck that was supposed to be attached. Long story short, we no longer have AAA Don't even get me started on what happened after. It sucked bad, You couldn't pay me to use AAA.

[J59T]

My theory on bad luck from the one post, is when it happens once, its just bad luck. When it happens the 2nd time, it's very poor customer service.


Funny thing now is about once a week, I get that stupid letter that I'm not covered anymore and I should renew now. I wasn't getting any coverage then, why pay for not getting coverage.

Service is much difference than just a battery. It's when you really are in trouble is when it makes or breaks the coverage.

[gloriad]

Just switched from AAA RV Plus to Good Sam because of cost. Good Sam was about 1/2 what AAA was. Never had a problem with AAA, but just got too expensive.

[slowpez]

We joined Good Sams Roadside Service in March when we purchased our TT. We have had to call them twice. The first time our hitch broke causing the trailer to fall onto the ball on our truck. It was late Sunday afternoon. We did have some trouble explaining to the lady on the phone exactly what a travel trailer was. It took an hour for someone to come help but come they did. Good Sams called four times during that period (via automated voice) to let us know the progress of the repair truck. They called back as soon as the truck arrived to make sure he was there. This past week we had a flat on our tow vehicle on I-75. It took less than 30 minutes for the tow truck to arrive and 15minutes later we were on our way. I can't fault them so far and we have certainly gotten our money back this year.

Susan

[Galli]

I can only judge by my personal experience, in 4 years that I am a good Sam ERS member, I needed ASSISTANCE only twice and the service was super. I am not debating your statement since you might have been in the wrong place or dealing with wrong people, however, from my part, I would recommend the Goos Sam Service to any one with an RV.

[RVman3252]

We have been a member of Good Sam ERS for 3 years, and have had to use them twice. Both were for tire blowouts, and both times they had a service / tow truck to us in less than a hour.

RVman