Good Sam - still worth it?

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by Chuck.C

Like many others, I used the 6 cents/gal discount at Pilot/Flying J stops. Then one day I realized that the 4% rebate on my Costco card was a far better deal, and worked at all gas stations. So even $2.50 gas works out to 12 cents/gal returned and I don't have to worry about yet another bill to pay.

Sam's Club Card I believe is 5% on Fuel !!!

[ysidive]

Originally Posted by Chuck.C

Like many others, I used the 6 cents/gal discount at Pilot/Flying J stops. Then one day I realized that the 4% rebate on my Costco card was a far better deal, and worked at all gas stations. So even $2.50 gas works out to 12 cents/gal returned and I don't have to worry about yet another bill to pay.

Use your Good Sam membership card, and pay with your Costco Card.....
$3.00 a gallon 5 cents off for good sam plus the 4% back on the Costco card makes the price per gallon $2.83 GALLON

[babock]

Originally Posted by ysidive

Use your Good Sam membership card, and pay with your Costco Card.....
$3.00 a gallon 5 cents off for good sam plus the 4% back on the Costco card makes the price per gallon $2.83 GALLON

That's what I do but I almost always find stations that are cheaper than Flying J even with their discount. I have yet to use the GS gas discount.

[KEN9XL]

Originally Posted by KyDan

You summed it up nicely right here-
>We just joined because the one year membership paid for itself, but I’m not sure this will always be the case. Although I like the campground discounts, they only seem to work for pricey private parks and not county, state and national parks.<

It depends on where you stay. Obviously it only works if you actually stay in GS camp grounds. If you tend more to state and national parks then save your money.

GS also gets you a 5¢/ gal discount at certain truck stops.

Some years we save a few bucks with GS, some years we loose...

KyDan,
You will have to explain to me how the gas discount on Good Sam works.
I have been a member for a few years and have never used it.
Are there specific places you must go or do you go inside service area to show your card?
Curious
Thanks
Ken

[babock]

Originally Posted by KEN9XL

KyDan,
You will have to explain to me how the gas discount on Good Sam works.
I have been a member for a few years and have never used it.
Are there specific places you must go or do you go inside service area to show your card?
Curious
Thanks
Ken

Flying J is where you get the discounts. Most of the time you can do way better since Flying J typically has a higher price for credit card transactions than other stations.

I use the GasBuddy app and locate the best price for stations that way.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by babock

Flying J is where you get the discounts. Most of the time you can do way better since Flying J typically has a higher price for credit card transactions than other stations.

I use the GasBuddy app and locate the best price for stations that way.

Discount works at Flying J and Pilot. If you get the RV Plus credit card your discount is even more. This card also works at the pump in the semi lanes which is very convenient for those of us with diesel.

Discount also works for any inside purchases.

I think it's safe to say none of us use FJ/Pilot because of the fuel prices.

We use them for the convenience, especially those of us with longer rigs on long travel days. They are plentiful in our usual area of travel and make for very relaxing stops where we can easily refuel either in RV lanes or semi lanes, buy snacks, refill my coffee, maybe eat at a sit down dinner, etc.

The GS discounts just make it slightly cheaper to stop where we would stop anyway.

[AbdRahim]

Depends. You have to add up how much you spend on gas at Flying J/ Pilot, how much camping that you do where the discount applies and how much you spend at Camping World. 400 gal of gas only saves $20 savings @ $0.5/gal. 3,.500 - 4,000 miles.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by nikita

Just an FYI: We have had AAA RV Gold service for years. This Oct. had a blow out of the 5th Wheel tire on I 95, GA, called AAA. They said that I will have to pay the service man to change the tire, I said "no we have RV Service" - they said "no you don't" - after going back and forth, found out that in 2015 they discontinued RV SERVICE, supposedly we got a letter in the mail that told us this (did not) Now you have to pay an extra $35 a year for RV SERVICE. We paid it right then & there over the phone and she sent us new cards that say "RV" on the front.

We are aware about the extra cost to add RV SERVICE.
Both of our cards have had RV on them for the 12 years we've had a TT.

[aceinspp]

Originally Posted by ysidive

Use your Good Sam membership card, and pay with your Costco Card.....
$3.00 a gallon 5 cents off for good sam plus the 4% back on the Costco card makes the price per gallon $2.83 GALLON

Now if your buying gas at BJs price now using there card is $1.78 a gal which is cheaper than Costco. Later RJD

[dcheatwood]

Worth it for the campground 10% discount if you travel enough to get your money back. Doesn't take long. I bought lifetime membership when I retired in 2012, and you got Highways magazine with membership. That's been stopped though.

[TeachTexas]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

>SNIP<Discount works at Flying J and Pilot. If you get the RV Plus credit card your discount is even more. This card also works at the pump in the semi lanes which is very convenient for those of us with diesel.<SNIP>

Agreed but be careful not all Pilots are created equal There are some out there that are split with the gas, RV lanes and store owned by a contractor that does not honor the discount.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by TeachTexas

Agreed but be careful not all Pilots are created equal There are some out there that are split with the gas, RV lanes and store owned by a contractor that does not honor the discount.

Thanks for the info, I will watch for those. Haven't run into any of those in our travels yet, but if I do, I'll send a scathing email to corporate.

We have run into Pilots without RV lanes and definitely not RV friendly. I think it was in Las Vegas and Kingman, AZ. So now if we haven't been there before, we research it and take a peak at it via Google Earth.

[mogman]

We have Good Sam for the Pilot/FJ discount. Used it extensively on our Alaska trip...even found places in Canada. We got a listing book from P/FJ with all their stations... it showed the ones where the gas was separate from the store.
Not so much CW except to comparison shop. We also have their "disaster" insurance.
The best value we have found is membership in the local chapter and the Samboree rallys. Get to camp once a month and enjoy great fellowship.

[Bill and Gail]

Originally Posted by KEN9XL

KyDan,
You will have to explain to me how the gas discount on Good Sam works.
I have been a member for a few years and have never used it.
Are there specific places you must go or do you go inside service area to show your card?
Curious
Thanks
Ken

After you remove your credit card, it asks for you to insert/swip your rewards/discount card, that is your GS membership card.

[aceinspp]

Originally Posted by dcheatwood

Worth it for the campground 10% discount if you travel enough to get your money back. Doesn't take long. I bought lifetime membership when I retired in 2012, and you got Highways magazine with membership. That's been stopped though.

However you get the Trailer Life mag as I do free. Comes with life membership. Later RJD

[aceinspp]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

Thanks for the info, I will watch for those. Haven't run into any of those in our travels yet, but if I do, I'll send a scathing email to corporate.

We have run into Pilots without RV lanes and definitely not RV friendly. I think it was in Las Vegas and Kingman, AZ. So now if we haven't been there before, we research it and take a peak at it via Google Earth.

I ran into only one that did not give the discount on gas and that was couple years ago. Later RJD

[mogman]

Originally Posted by Bill and Gail

After you remove your credit card, it asks for you to insert/swip your rewards/discount card, that is your GS membership card.

The RV plus card is a charge card for Pilot/ Flying J. You put it in the pump, put in your code and pump gas or diesel. It gives a discount off pump price and you get an Email every month with the balance due. You can also use it in the Pilot/FJ store for more stuff!! Go to www.rvpluscard.com for more info.

[larryandamy]

Good post. This question should be revisited once in a while. Your post seemed to ask and answer most of the question at the same time. If someone stays at the private and pricey campgrounds, then the discount is worth it. But if they have AAA which many do for towing, then I think there is no value to have both. Personally, we almost never stay at these because of price, the fact that we do not like parking lot space camping and we prefer to stay where the most beautiful places are, which are the National, State and local parks. And we love boondocking on BLM land for the same reason we do like parking lot space campgrounds. Wide open spaces and no crowds. To each their own... This is just what we prefer.

As far as purchasing items at places like Campers World and getting discounts there. I agree with you that Amazon blows them out of the water on prices and selection even with the Sams Club discount. I marvel at how Camper World stays open. Their prices are very very high. The only time to go there is to browse what you need and then go buy it on Amazon unless you cannot wait a couple of days to get it.

This Post should terrify Sams Club ownership because it states the obvious. I think they will have to evolve like others have to survive in today's web world. I hope they do. Even though I am not a member anymore, I know many that love them and do not have AAA and prefer the private campgrounds and do not mind paying more for the convenience of one stop shopping at places like Campers World.

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by larryandamy

Good post. This question should be revisited once in a while. Your post seemed to ask and answer most of the question at the same time. If someone stays at the private and pricey campgrounds, then the discount is worth it. But if they have AAA which many do for towing, then I think there is no value to have both. Personally, we almost never stay at these because of price, the fact that we do not like parking lot space camping and we prefer to stay where the most beautiful places are, which are the National, State and local parks. And we love boondocking on BLM land for the same reason we do like parking lot space campgrounds. Wide open spaces and no crowds. To each their own... This is just what we prefer.

As far as purchasing items at places like Campers World and getting discounts there. I agree with you that Amazon blows them out of the water on prices and selection even with the Sams Club discount. I marvel at how Camper World stays open. Their prices are very very high. The only time to go there is to browse what you need and then go buy it on Amazon unless you cannot wait a couple of days to get it.

This Post should terrify Sams Club ownership because it states the obvious. I think they will have to evolve like others have to survive in today's web world. I hope they do. Even though I am not a member anymore, I know many that love them and do not have AAA and prefer the private campgrounds and do not mind paying more for the convenience of one stop shopping at places like Campers World.

I'm sorry... I must be a little slow. I assume when you say Campers World you're talking about Camping World... but I wonder if you're confusing Sam's Club (Wal*Mart) with Good Sam's (Camping World) which is the subject of the thread. Help me understand. Thx.

[CedarCreekWoody]

And to add to the confusion Good Sam's Club membership and Good Sam's towing are two different things. You can be a club member without subscribing to their towing service.