Who reviews Good Sam rated campgrounds

I thank the OP for his response to my pm. His main concern was with the site not level, an issue that cannot not be addressed in GS ratings. It is recognized that 'level' is in the eye of the beholder, different for each class of rig. Flat sites are muddy when it rains. Certainly a site should be within a couple of inches in each direction for ease of leveling, drainage.
I can sympathize with the camp hes in in Seattle for not having flat sites. It is known to rain there.
Enjoy your trip to Alaska!

Max

Ever review is subjective regardless if only checked on a preexisting list or not.....Appearance, condition, functionality, etc. are all subjective considerations.

Fifteen bathrooms that appear clean but poor with function drains and offensive odors, fenced playground and pools that are in need of repair, pools that have scum in them, grass lawns that need mowing, on and on the subjective review go.

All professional reviewers are governed by their passions as well their mental state. Much will depend upon the attitude of the park management and staff.

2gypsies wrote:
For many years I've tried to contact Good Sam to notify them of obvious flaws in their rating of certain campgrounds. I've never received a reply from Good Sam and in future years the rating has stayed the same. Sometimes I think the reviewers become buddies with the campgrounds over the years. I hold more faith in multiple various reviewers of RVParksReviews. However, for both of them, I know they're not 100%. It's just a general idea. I don't even try to contact Good Sam anymore. I do post reviews on RVParkReviews. Good luck!

It seems to me they use the system they do precisely to avoid the conflicts you mention. Pretty hard to give a park a point if it doesn't have the requisite amenity. A subjective scoring, where condition and other judgmental attributes were an issue would lead to a situation where relationships could greatly influence scores. I am curious what you would have them add or remove from the scoring system if you were in charge?

For many years I've tried to contact Good Sam to notify them of obvious flaws in their rating of certain campgrounds. I've never received a reply from Good Sam and in future years the rating has stayed the same. Sometimes I think the reviewers become buddies with the campgrounds over the years. I hold more faith in multiple various reviewers of RVParksReviews. However, for both of them, I know they're not 100%. It's just a general idea. I don't even try to contact Good Sam anymore. I do post reviews on RVParkReviews. Good luck!

The scorecard the reviewers use is in the back of every Good Sam Travel Directory (and in the Old Trailer Life Directories). Like SDcampgroundowner pointed out, it is an objective score card. That means points for having certain attributes. Things like the park being fenced, having a sign, having an office, selling some RV supplies, have a certain amount of toilets, having a playground, having a pool, having a laundry, they type of road surface, the type of site surface and on and all earn a certain amount of points. Those attributes might not meet your standards or be important to you, but that is what they score the park on. I bet if you were to take that scorecard and use it as it was intended to score a park you would come up with nearly the same score. Just don't color the score with personal opinions, a pool is a pool, a nice one worth nothing more than one you wouldn't let your dog swim in.

I never go by the Good Sam or Woodalls as I have found them seriously flawed. Not sure if the reviewers call ahead so everything is neat and tidy. Once I was at a campground when the "reviewers" came in. They spent more time in the office than checking the campground and were gone in a very short time. I trust rvparkreviews and trip advisor now.

nomad297 wrote:

missnmountains wrote:
one of the worst campgrounds we have ever stayed at.

The worst campgrounds I have visited, also were rated highly by Good Sam. I think their rating method is seriously flawed and the results are something that cannot be used as a gauge for most campers.

Rvparkreviews.com and Trip Advisor have been a much better resource for me to find nice places. I never even consider the Good Sam ratings anymore.

Bruce

Not true I have only been burned once in the last five years and I reported that campground - thats one out of 170

Dont forget about Trip Advisor as well.

missnmountains wrote:
one of the worst campgrounds we have ever stayed at.

The worst campgrounds I have visited, also were rated highly by Good Sam. I think their rating method is seriously flawed and the results are something that cannot be used as a gauge for most campers.

Rvparkreviews.com and Trip Advisor have been a much better resource for me to find nice places. I never even consider the Good Sam ratings anymore.

Bruce

missnmountains wrote:
How would one report it to Good Sams?

Ken

aeemerson@goodsamfamily.com