Just finished a six week trip which included the Dakotas. I picked up a Good Sam directory at the start of the trip. I used it a couple of times to find a campground, but I found a couple of nice campgrounds on my RVParky app that were not mentioned in the GS book.The GS directory went into great detail on how they calculate their grades, but there was no mention of what criteria they use for inclusion or exclusion. Does anyone have insight into that?

I always thought the campground paid to be included.

It's done through a paid advertising in their directories.Quite expensive, too.RV parks can advertise without being a member of Good Sam Parks.

Affinity Group or AGI is owned by Stephen Adams... 97 percent (have to spell it out as this site will not post using the percent sign). It includes Camping World, Woodalls, Good Sams, Trailer Life, and Coast to Coast. I stopped advertising with them when they tried to justify their high prices because of all the hits and the amount of time people were spending on their internet sites... Woodalls, GS, Trailer Life, and RV.NET ....... What a crock of stuff and the main reason they let us play on here is to make their numbers look good for those dumb enough to pay their high advertising prices thinking they have lots of people using their guides. I stopped carrying their guides almost 10 years ago... when I stopped getting free ones, lots of free ones that increase their circulation numbers. As Richard found out, there are plenty of other places to find CGs that you do not have to pay to be included. I may not be a member on here much longer.

Whole lot of BS being slung around. A park does not pay to be rated or included in the guidebook.The criteria is the park has to offer sites to the public. (can't be a church camp, a park that is completely members only or some guys private enclave). They book publishers and rating staff have to know the park exists. The park can opt to not be rated and therefore not be included in the book. Rating is also free. The raters do sell ads, but there are plenty of parks with no ads and good ratings. In the book is the exact scorecard the raters use when reviewing a park. If you were to score each park using that scorecard and put your personal feelings aside, you will almost always come up with the same score +/- maybe 1 point. I have never been offered a better rating if I buy an ad, and have never been told the rating would go down if I didn't. The whole world isn't just a collection of scam artists looking to screw you, really.

I respect westernrvparkowners comments. However, having been to many rv parks (178) I do find that there are times that there are things that simply cannot be in the ratings as compared to what one finds. I am not saving these are ad influenced; I am just saying I find things higher rated than what one finds on occasion. I walked in to check in to a park last Fall and as I approached the desk I was greeted with, "Welcome to the only Good Sam 10-10-10 rated park in Colorado". I don't know if that was true or not but they certainly did not deserve the rating for many reasons.I use RVParkReviews - do not go back more than 2 years, throw out the high and the low, look at the website (knowing this can be kinda slanted :-)) and make a decision from there.

Anyone know the criteria for being included in GS directory?

13 Replies

Ivylog
Explorer III
Jul 23, 2016
Affinity Group or AGI is owned by Stephen Adams... 97 percent (have to spell it out as this site will not post using the percent sign). It includes Camping World, Woodalls, Good Sams, Trailer Life, and Coast to Coast. I stopped advertising with them when they tried to justify their high prices because of all the hits and the amount of time people were spending on their internet sites... Woodalls, GS, Trailer Life, and RV.NET ....... What a crock of stuff and the main reason they let us play on here is to make their numbers look good for those dumb enough to pay their high advertising prices thinking they have lots of people using their guides. I stopped carrying their guides almost 10 years ago... when I stopped getting free ones, lots of free ones that increase their circulation numbers.
As Richard found out, there are plenty of other places to find CGs that you do not have to pay to be included. I may not be a member on here much longer.
parkmanaa
Explorer
Jul 23, 2016
It's done through a paid advertising in their directories.
Quite expensive, too.
RV parks can advertise without being a member of Good Sam Parks.
Mfan
Explorer
Jul 23, 2016
I always thought the campground paid to be included.

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Anyone know the criteria for being included in GS directory?

13 Replies

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