The Good Sam Club is an international organization of
recreational vehicle
A recreational vehicle, often abbreviated as RV, is a motor vehicle or trailer that includes living quarters designed for accommodation. Types of RVs include motorhomes, campervans, coaches, caravans (also known as travel trailers and ca ...
(RV) owners and the largest organization of RV owners in the world. It is focused upon making RVing safer and more enjoyable, also, saving money for members through club-endorsed benefits and services.
It states that it has over 2.185 million members.
[What is the Good Sam Club? RV Camping Club, RVers Online Community](_blank)
/ref> It was founded in 1966, and is currently owned by Good Sam Enterprises. The organization is affiliated with RV parks and campgrounds.
Overview
History
Credited as the founder of the Good Sam Club is Art Rouse, founder of TL Enterprises, a California-based publishing company responsible for Trailer Life magazine and MotorHome magazine. Rouse and his two sons acquired the organization in 1968 and further developed member benefits and RV-related services for which the club is known. Rouse sold TL Enterprises in the 1980s and died on June 19, 2007, following head injuries suffered as a result of a fall, at 89 years old.
Today
Good Sam Club is based in Englewood, Colorado
The City of Englewood is a home rule municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 33,659 at the 2020 United States census. Englewood is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan S ...
. The organization is currently owned by Good Sam Enterprises, which also owns Camping World
Camping World Holdings, Inc. is an American corporation specializing in selling recreational vehicles (RVs), recreational vehicle parts, and recreational vehicle service. They also sell supplies for camping. The company has its headquarters in Li ...
(an American corporation specializing in selling parts and services for recreational vehicles and supplies for camping), Coast to Coast Resorts, Trailer Life Publications, MotorHome Publications and the Good Sam RV Travel Guide & Campground Directory. The organization also offers additional services such as roadside assistance
Roadside assistance, also known as breakdown coverage, is a service that assists motorists, motorcyclists, or bicyclists whose vehicles have suffered a mechanical failure that either cannot be resolved by the motorist, or has prevented them from ...
, RV insurance, and RV extended warranties for additional fees.
In 2022 Good Sam clubs across America were closed by Camping World executives.
Membership
In 1985, the club had over 450,000 members; today, it has over 2.185 million members.
Nomenclature
The club's name comes from the Bible
The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
parable
A parable is a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, that illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles. It differs from a fable in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, whe ...
of the Good Samaritan
In most contexts, the concept of good denotes the conduct that should be preferred when posed with a choice between possible actions. Good is generally considered to be the opposite of evil. The specific meaning and etymology of the term and its ...
, which tells of a traveler from the region of Samaria
Samaria (), the Hellenized form of the Hebrew name Shomron (), is used as a historical and Hebrew Bible, biblical name for the central region of the Land of Israel. It is bordered by Judea to the south and Galilee to the north. The region is ...
who helped a person along the road who had been robbed and beaten.
RV park affiliations
In 2017, there were over 2,100 RV parks and campgrounds affiliated with the Good Sam organization in which club members receive a 10% discount on the nightly rate for staying in their parks. These RV parks have to meet a minimum standard of services and appearance to be considered for association.
Good Sam also publishes information to help members find parks that provide stated levels of services.
NASCAR
The club sponsored the NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
Sprint Cup Series
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States.
The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, ...
race Good Sam Club 500
The YellaWood 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama, hosting an event in the NASCAR playoffs. The race is one of four NASCAR Cup Series races currently run with restrictor plates, the othe ...
at Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway (Alabama International Motor Speedway from 1969 to 1989) is a tri-oval superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. Built in 1969, the track has hosted a variety of racing events, primarily races sanctioned by NASCAR. The track is ...
and the Camping World Truck Series
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck-based stock cars. The series i ...
' Good Sam Roadside Assistance Carolina 200 at Rockingham Speedway
Rockingham Speedway and Entertainment Complex (formerly known as North Carolina Speedway from 1998 to 2007 and North Carolina Motor Speedway from 1965 to 1996) is a D-shaped oval track in Rockingham, North Carolina, United States. The track h ...
.
See also
* Affinity Group Inc.
*Camping
Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a Bivy bag ...
*Camping World
Camping World Holdings, Inc. is an American corporation specializing in selling recreational vehicles (RVs), recreational vehicle parts, and recreational vehicle service. They also sell supplies for camping. The company has its headquarters in Li ...
* Snowbird
* Stephen Adams
References
External links
Official website: GoodSamClub.com
{{Authority control
Recreational vehicles
Transportation organizations based in the United States
Emergency road services