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Old 01-24-2012, 03:55 PM   #1
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Good Sam Roadside VS AAA

I would like to know your feelings on Good Sam Roadside Assistance verses AAA RV Plus roadside plan. I have had AAA for the past 6 years, I used it once for a flat tire two years ago, service was fine, however the repair man stood with his hand out and asked for a normal $100 tip for the tire change. I did report this to AAA.

The two plans provide about the same coverage, cost is AAA $159 per year Good Sam is $113 per year. AAA coverage extends to any vehicle I would be in, even not owned. Good Sam has unlimited towing, AAA has 100 mile limit.

What I would like to know is what your feels on Good Sam's plan would be.

Thanks
Chuck
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Old 01-24-2012, 04:02 PM   #2
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There are a number of past threads on this subject. While opinions of course vary the general consensus, at least as I read them is that AAA service varies from good to bad depending on the area of the country and many are not set up for handling RV calls well.
Most of the Good Sam reports were favorable and several friends I questioned were happy with the service when needed. I talked to one MoHo owner in a truck stop who had called them with an alternator problem and they seemed to be getting the job done for him
Your experience may vary.
I personally have AAA on the cars but went with GS for RV travel.. I have not put it to the test.
I never had RV road service in the past as I have been able to cope with most problems, but being I am aging, towing a 50 year old trailer, and towing with a truck with 563,000 mile on it it seemed the prudent thing to do.
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Old 01-24-2012, 04:40 PM   #3
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Thanks Rick, I will try to find the past threads on this subject.
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Old 01-24-2012, 04:44 PM   #4
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I have AAA. Only RV related was a lockout. have had good service on the half dozen or so AAA calls over the last 5 years. I am considering adding good sam and just haveing both instead of having to decide.
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Old 01-24-2012, 05:17 PM   #5
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I have both. Haven't used Good Sam (yet, thankfully) for an emergency call, but my RV is still new so it hasn't had a chance to break down on me. Will probably use Good Sam as my preferred roadside assistance provider in the future, though, no matter what vehicle I'm driving.

Only used AAA on emergency calls for my other vehicles, but got decent service each time. Only 100 miles towing can be a problem, especially since I once broke down nearly 400 miles from home, had to pay $2 per mile for the excess, and had to wait hours until AAA could track down a tow truck willing to take me that far on a Sunday afternoon. (Didn't have a choice of taking the vehicle somewhere closer; the problem was obvious, a cracked block, unrepairable, so when I got home I traded in the broken vehicle rather than buy a new engine.) Also, with AAA you're limited to four "free" service calls a year, after that you pay for everything out-of-pocket. I recommend you don't use them for cheap problems if you have any reason to think you'll have more expensive problems later in the year. It would be a shame to use up your four free service calls on lockouts and jump-starts only to find yourself paying full price for a tow later.

However, when I joined AAA, they offered a no-annual-fee AAA Visa card through Bank of America, that gets me 5 percent off the price of fuel when I pay at the pump, no matter whether gas or diesel, no matter the brand of fuel. The discount doesn't apply to other purchases, or to fuel when paid inside the store, just at the pump. Even if Good Sam has better service otherwise, the fuel discount on the AAA Visa card justifies keeping my membership.
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Old 01-24-2012, 05:52 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by Protagonist View Post

However, when I joined AAA, they offered a no-annual-fee AAA Visa card through Bank of America, that gets me 5 percent off the price of fuel when I pay at the pump, no matter whether gas or diesel, no matter the brand of fuel. The discount doesn't apply to other purchases, or to fuel when paid inside the store, just at the pump. Even if Good Sam has better service otherwise, the fuel discount on the AAA Visa card justifies keeping my membership.
Have you actually checked the fuel discount lately? I have had that card also for many years. Recently the bill credits seemed smaller and I went back through several bills and it seemed to be running about 2 % instead of 5%.
What little research I did led me to conclude that it may vary based on what other purchases you use the card for. I also seem to recall that it may be limited to 50 gallons a day, not sure though.
Anyway if true that would put it on a par with most cash back cards.
Possibly even worse if I am right about the gallon limit.
I know it did not give me enough back to cover dues last year.. In the past it would
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Old 01-24-2012, 08:19 PM   #7
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I've used both AAA RV Plus and Good Sam's ERS. At one point, I had them both at the same time. Each has their advantages, but I ended up keeping the GS because we do a lot of traveling with the Airstream, and there was less ambiguity in their coverage areas.

Below is a link to one of those threads Rick mentioned. Posts #39 & 40 is an example of why I'm glad I chose Good Sam ERS.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f351...ml#post1053203
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Old 01-24-2012, 09:05 PM   #8
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Thank you for your response, we do a lot of traveling with our Airstream, 12,000+ mile per year for the past three years. I think we are going to go with the Good Sam roadside coverage, seems to provide more for less$.
Chuck
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Old 01-24-2012, 09:28 PM   #9
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Good Sam just emailed me with a new card, and a B-i-g Announcement that my card now gave me up to 30% discount at Camping World.

I'm sure there are lots of disclaimers on the 30% off, of course.

Just thought I'd throw this in. You can throw it right back out if you want.
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Old 01-24-2012, 11:00 PM   #10
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Good Sam Card

I got the same card a few days ago in the mail. I believe the wording is "up to 30%." My experience tells me that that kind of verbiage usually means the the max discount is reserved for things neither I nor anyone else want ....

I tend to buy big ticket RV stuff off the Internet after checking other's experience on the Forum, and the staples like TP, holding tank deodorant, etc, at WallMart ... where I probably camped the night before. All that said, I still pay for the Good Sam card, because the campground discounts are attractive.

I do get tired, however, with all the junk mail I get from them some of which is downright deceptive.
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Old 01-24-2012, 11:20 PM   #11
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don't leave home without it

I will not leave home without GS roadside service. Sept.2011 on our way to Albuquerque for the balloon fiesta we had tire problems. I won't go into small details except to say we had a blowout on our spare and a cut on the original front passenger tire on our motorhome. we were 40 miles from anywhere on I-40 at exit xxx as the only location. Our tire is an odd size that few people carry. After a number of calls between the GS rep and myself, she located me 2 tires at a Truck Stop Shop about 40 miles away. About an hour later a service truck arrived with 2 new tires and mounted and installed them both on the front. He put the driver side existing tire into my spare rack. I paid for the tires and a $200 road service fee, if this had been one of the GS provider I would have only had to pay for the tires. I was very pleased with the service.

This was the third time I have used GS service for tires when we were stranded and each time they were concerned with our safety first and getting us a service truck with correct size tires. The first 2 times I only had to pay for the tires as the service shop was on their vendor list. (Aug 2000 in western Okla and 2005 in east Texas.)

I have never used them for my personal cars but would if needed.

I will never put my motor home on the road without my GS roadservice, my cell phone and my credit card.

After I am sure that the GS rep and I are on the same page as to location and what I need, I can grab a book and a soda as I wait for the service truck to get me back on the road.

Kay
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Old 01-25-2012, 10:20 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RickDavis View Post
Have you actually checked the fuel discount lately? I have had that card also for many years. Recently the bill credits seemed smaller and I went back through several bills and it seemed to be running about 2 % instead of 5%.
What little research I did led me to conclude that it may vary based on what other purchases you use the card for. I also seem to recall that it may be limited to 50 gallons a day, not sure though.
Anyway if true that would put it on a par with most cash back cards.
Possibly even worse if I am right about the gallon limit.
I know it did not give me enough back to cover dues last year.. In the past it would
There are actually two fuel discount rates on the AAA Visa, 3% discount if you make at least $500 in other charges (not fuel) that month, 5% discount if you charge more than $500 per month on other stuff. I have no other credit cards, so I seldom have a problem meeting the $500 minimum limit per month for getting 5% discounts on fuel. Even at 3% though, it's better than the Pilot card available through Good Sam that gives you a mere 6 to 8 cents off per gallon (less than 2% these days), and only at Pilot and Flying J.

I never ran into a problem on discount limits per purchase with the AAA Visa, maybe because my Dodge Durango SUV has a 25-gallon gasoline tank and my Airstream Interstate Class B has a 27-gallon diesel tank, so I never had to buy 50 gallons of fuel at a time. I have taken trips where I had to buy more than 50 gallons in one day at different locations, though, and got the full discount for each purchase. Maybe the limit is per transaction and not per day?

They (Bank of America, not AAA) do try, about once a month, to get me to change my discount to something other than fuel, but the alternatives are never anything that I buy enough of to make it worth switching. Maybe if they offered a 5% discount on food?
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Old 01-25-2012, 12:12 PM   #13
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Protaganist. Thanks for the info.. I only use mine for fuel, I guess as a bookkeeping thing so that would explain the 2 %

Regarding the Pilot/ GS card, It is really 6 cents off the cash price, but if you were using some other card at the TRUCK pumps you would be paying 6 cents over cash price. On the other hand Flying J at the RV pumps is usually the cash price with out the surcharge. Not sure about pilot as I have avoided them in the past and really don't like the FJ/Pilot merger.
I prefer to fuel at truck pumps when possible because truckers pull forward and clear the pump when they are done fueling. Very few motorhome drivers, or trailer haulers for that matter at the RV pump will do that plus the diesel pumps run slower. I don't think these folks who block a pump while they go pay and buy stuff are necessarily intentionally rude, but just don't know fueling etiquette .
We carry 85 gallons so it all does make a difference
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Old 01-29-2012, 02:01 PM   #14
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AAA experience

3-4 years ago we were pulling our 1972 31' Sovereign to Spokane and were up in the Idaho panhandle on the Interstate close to the Washington state border about 9PM in the rain when the truck had a flat. We pulled over (couldn't get far over--guardrails, so were buffeted by passing vehicles) and called AAA. After several calls back and forth and a couple of hours wait, the verdict was they didn't have anyone in the area, period. When we asked what we were supposed to do, and what we had been paying for, we got the equivalent of shrugged shoulders and "sorry."

We would not normally have called them for a flat, but we had bought the truck from a friend who had padlocked the spare in place and we didn't have the key. After my husband found the boltcutters and cut off the lock (lying in the cold rain with me holding a flashlight), he replaced the flat to discover that the spare was flat. After a certain amount of @#$%#@**, he dragged out the compressor and then tried to start the generator to power the compressor. The generator hadn't been started in a while and wasn't willing to cooperate in the rain. FINALLY the generator fired, the compressor compressed, the tire was filled and we limped off to the nearest exit, emergency flashers on, both of us and the dogs soaked and freezing (Dobermans--wouldn't stay in the truck without us when they knew something was wrong) at around midnight.

Yes we made a lot of mistakes, but we thought that is what AAA was for. Found out we were wrong! We learned a lot about preparation and which emergency service not to trust.

Several very nice people had stopped and offered help, but there was nothing they could do, practically speaking. And I don't tease my husband anymore for bringing an entire tool shop on every trip! If he hadn't had all that stuff with him we might still be camped on that Interstate, begging food from passing truckers.

Better luck to all of you!

(Embarassed) Vivian
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Old 01-29-2012, 02:11 PM   #15
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We have used Good Sam for the past couple of years and been very pleased with their service. We called them on a Sunday afternoon from Land between the lakes in Kentucky and got a tow truck in 1 1/2 hours. Have used them twice here around home for our other vehicles and had prompt response both times. They always take care of us and we have never paid anything to the drivers. Just signed their tickets.
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Old 01-29-2012, 02:54 PM   #16
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...i still pay for the good sam card, because the campground discounts are attractive.

i do get tired, however, with all the junk mail i get from them some of which is downright deceptive.
amen~
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Old 01-29-2012, 04:43 PM   #17
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We've had AAA for a while and received very good service with and without the trailer. I, however, switched to Good Sam because they offer better 'knowledge' with the emergencies one might have with RVs. Our 1st travel with our trailer after signing up SOLD me on GS. Our car became disabled on a rural highway and would not start. GS responded immediately with the offer to tow our trailer 20 miles to our intended destination and a separate tow for our car to a repair garage. However, they were having trouble locating a garage but kept calling me back with updates and then finally offered to tow the trailer immediately and return for the car when they had a place for the repair. I was able to get the car repaired along the side of the road (a whole another interesting and unforgetable story) and called to cancel the tow trucks. And do you know that GS called a while later to see if we reached our destination safely. I'm sold.
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Old 01-29-2012, 04:46 PM   #18
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I do get tired, however, with all the junk mail I get from them some of which is downright deceptive.
Ditto to that too!
Neil
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Old 01-30-2012, 06:52 AM   #19
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I do get tired, however, with all the junk mail I get from them some of which is downright deceptive.
You've got that right! I already signed up for Good Sam emergency road service (and paid up through 2014 besides), but I still get mailings asking me to sign up for it! The difference is, since I have ERS, they're asking me to sign up for Good Sam emergency roadside assistance, as if that's somehow different from Good Sam emergency road service.

On the other hand, Good Sam is not quite as bad in that department as is AARP! I guess AARP figures that old folks wouldn't get any mail if it wasn't for junk mail. Thank goodness my apartment complex places a large trash can right next to the mailboxes, so we can discard the junk mail without even bothering to carry it back inside first.
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Old 01-30-2012, 07:33 AM   #20
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I was going to switch to Good Sam this year when renewal for AAA came up, but my wife was not very happy with that. She's (and I, for that matter) had pretty decent luck with AAA for the much more common type of problem (i.e., your car is stuck and needs a tow), and we're afraid GS wouldn't be as good for that - they may have a smaller network and all. Further, when the battery died in my Impala, GS was able to bring a battery right to us, installed it, and tested the electrical system on the spot - all for just the price of the battery. My wife's car was there, too, and they tested her battery for her for free. After so many good experiences, it's hard to change.

And AAA did handle the B190 and the Cougar on the dolly when the B190 broke down. (That was quite a sight...should've gotten a picture.) That was a $130 towing bill that was covered completely by AAA.

I have questions that are probably unanswerable except by someone who has had both in our area - are they as fast as AAA when it comes to needing a tow nearby? My Cougar recently died in a parking lot; AAA was there about half an hour after I put in the request using their app. Would Good Sam have been as fast?

I totally agree on the junk mail thing. I nearly canceled GS altogether because of it, but then we discovered one campground we use frequently only offers a GS discount, not AAA. Sigh.
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