Good Sam campground guide

My wife and I are new the RV world and as young (50+) cyber techs we went the smart phone app rout. First time in camper world and looked at the good sam guide, we know that would never work for us.
We are extremely please with the app we are using and can find most (nothing has them all) RV parks quickly.
I would like to see Camping world come out with an app with search features and routing info like some of the other smart phone apps, but for now we are happily using our phones and tablets with the other apps.

Bob Vaughn wrote:
I find it confusing to find a campground on the road that I am on.

Online!! After Lunch the DW whips out her ipad and begins searching 3-4 hours down the road. Sometimes our requirement is that it is close to our road, not wanting to waste time trying to find the campground 20-30 miles off our planned route. Other times we are more flexible, and interested in finding an unusual campground, in a nice location. Sometimes we want hookups, other times not needed. Books have their place as does online. We are all in the middle of the switch, though, from books to online. I've not had a valuable phone book for some time now. But now I don't have a home phone so it makes sense, but the way we are used to doing things is going to change! Being able to make that change will transform businesses and travelers.

My wife and I have used the Trailer Life CG directory for many years and have always thought it was the best, most complete, and most accurate of the various directories. However, we too were disappointed when we purchased our 2014 edition. It seems, as others have said, that most of the non-Good Sam parks no longer have a detailed description of the park, but merely and address and phone number. In previous editions that we have had, this was definitely not the case. We were very disappointed in our 2014 edition - it is definitely not as complete has it has been in the past.

Ed Headington

Bob Vaughn wrote:
I think my main complaint is wading thru all the superfulous information to find a campground. When I am traveling an looking for my next stop I find it confusing to find a campground on the road that I am on.

That is actually a legit concern, but how would someone change it? Couldn't be just by roads, I mean I-70 is several thousand miles long. By cities? That's how it is now, unfortunately you need to know the name of every Tom Dick and Harry suburb to find a park in the big cities, but if you changed it to list all the parks in Los Angeles area, the park you locate might be 5 hours away from you even though you are in that trade area. Thankfully, the internet, GPS, smart Phones and mapping software solves those problems. The big problem is probably that Paper anything just isn't going to be the best source of info.

I think my main complaint is wading thru all the superfulous information to find a campground. When I am traveling an looking for my next stop I find it confusing to find a campground on the road that I am on.

4X4Dodger wrote:

ETyson wrote:
Hello Shearwater,

I am sorry to read you were not satisfied with the Good Sam RV Travel Guide.

The listings you refer are complementary listings, and include public parks (state, national and provincial). These listings do have limited information, but all include a phone number and either an address if a private campground, or directions if a public park, and we offer the park the option to enhance their information in their listing. We always encourage users to call ahead to confirm amenities and if space is available before arriving.

Please note that ALL private campgrounds, whether Good Sam or not, are rated and inspected each year.

Your feedback is very much appreciated and we always take it seriously when we begin working on future editions of the Travel Guide.

Kind regards,

Ellen
Sr. Marketing and Product Manager
Good Sam Enterprises

With respect, at the price of that book and the amount of very expensive advertising that is in it there is little excuse for not having complete ratings on ALL included campgrounds.

I am sure you are aware that the real reason for the minimal attention to NON Good SAM parks is that the idea is to drive people to the good Sam parks and not others. While I agree with this premise to a point it is completely out of balance in this publication. The book has many many flaws that make it hard to use and not very useful unless you are looking to staying in a big resort type park with the Good Sam seal of approval.

I think many feel as I do that it is a good idea poorly executed and could be so much more useful. (I use mine to stop up the heater vent in the bathroom of my TT.)

I think Mr. Lemonis might want to lessen his TV appearances and focus more on his customers. There seems to be a growing sentiment that Customer service and the needs and ideas of the customers are not a priority at GSE.

Camping World sells the 1664 page book for $11.95. If you consider that to be expensive, you should really find another hobby. The book and Good Sam make it very clear the book is intended to rate PRIVATE campgrounds and RV parks. The ratings criteria are designed to rate those campgrounds. From what I can tell, all the private campgrounds listed in the book do have a rating, an address and a phone number. Most have a bunch of additional information. Local, state, and federal parks have addresses and phone numbers. They are not rated, nor should they be, since they are not private parks and they are built much differently. They generally do not have showers, utilities and the like. A state park or national park would score very low if rated using Good Sam's criteria. It would do them a disservice if they were rated, not help them.
This is America, if you think the world needs a book that rates state parks, create it. Nothing is stopping you. If this thread is an indication there are two or three customers just pining to get their hands on the first issue. You grouse about Marcus Lemonis wasting his time on TV when he should be reviewing campgrounds, yet you are wasting your time complaining about someone's business plan when you should be writing and compiling your own guidebook that apparently would be the cat's meow.

martipr wrote:

ETyson wrote:
Hello Shearwater,

I am sorry to read you were not satisfied with the Good Sam RV Travel Guide.

The listings you refer are complementary listings, and include public parks (state, national and provincial). These listings do have limited information, but all include a phone number and either an address if a private campground, or directions if a public park, and we offer the park the option to enhance their information in their listing. We always encourage users to call ahead to confirm amenities and if space is available before arriving.

Please note that ALL private campgrounds, whether Good Sam or not, are rated and inspected each year.

Your feedback is very much appreciated and we always take it seriously when we begin working on future editions of the Travel Guide.

Kind regards,

Ellen
Sr. Marketing and Product Manager
Good Sam Enterprises

I have heard this spin before and either you are lying about the campgrounds being inspected each year or the people you pay to inspect them are inspecting from their recliners while they watch TV and sip suds. Perhaps the owners are doing the inspecting and rating. I once stopped at a campground which the guide listed the size as 60' x 18'. My 29' TT and pickup overhung the site on both ends, my slide was over the hookups and I couldn't open the awning because it was too close to the next site. I no longer use the guide but often look at it to compare the ratings to the campground I am at. I admit they are often quite accurate but just as often the ratings are so far off that it is obvious that the campground was not actually inspected. I really like Good Sam and also Camping World but the guide is really sad.

I think the use of the term "lying" in your post is uncalled for and ill-mannered. Maybe "misinformed" might be a nicer way to put it??

ETyson wrote:
Hello Shearwater,

I am sorry to read you were not satisfied with the Good Sam RV Travel Guide.

The listings you refer are complementary listings, and include public parks (state, national and provincial). These listings do have limited information, but all include a phone number and either an address if a private campground, or directions if a public park, and we offer the park the option to enhance their information in their listing. We always encourage users to call ahead to confirm amenities and if space is available before arriving.

Please note that ALL private campgrounds, whether Good Sam or not, are rated and inspected each year.

Your feedback is very much appreciated and we always take it seriously when we begin working on future editions of the Travel Guide.

Kind regards,

Ellen
Sr. Marketing and Product Manager
Good Sam Enterprises

With respect, at the price of that book and the amount of very expensive advertising that is in it there is little excuse for not having complete ratings on ALL included campgrounds.

I am sure you are aware that the real reason for the minimal attention to NON Good SAM parks is that the idea is to drive people to the good Sam parks and not others. While I agree with this premise to a point it is completely out of balance in this publication. The book has many many flaws that make it hard to use and not very useful unless you are looking to staying in a big resort type park with the Good Sam seal of approval.

I think many feel as I do that it is a good idea poorly executed and could be so much more useful. (I use mine to stop up the heater vent in the bathroom of my TT.)

I think Mr. Lemonis might want to lessen his TV appearances and focus more on his customers. There seems to be a growing sentiment that Customer service and the needs and ideas of the customers are not a priority at GSE.

ETyson wrote:
Hello Shearwater,

I am sorry to read you were not satisfied with the Good Sam RV Travel Guide.

The listings you refer are complementary listings, and include public parks (state, national and provincial). These listings do have limited information, but all include a phone number and either an address if a private campground, or directions if a public park, and we offer the park the option to enhance their information in their listing. We always encourage users to call ahead to confirm amenities and if space is available before arriving.

Please note that ALL private campgrounds, whether Good Sam or not, are rated and inspected each year.

Your feedback is very much appreciated and we always take it seriously when we begin working on future editions of the Travel Guide.

Kind regards,

Ellen
Sr. Marketing and Product Manager
Good Sam Enterprises

I have heard this spin before and either you are lying about the campgrounds being inspected each year or the people you pay to inspect them are inspecting from their recliners while they watch TV and sip suds. Perhaps the owners are doing the inspecting and rating. I once stopped at a campground which the guide listed the size as 60' x 18'. My 29' TT and pickup overhung the site on both ends, my slide was over the hookups and I couldn't open the awning because it was too close to the next site. I no longer use the guide but often look at it to compare the ratings to the campground I am at. I admit they are often quite accurate but just as often the ratings are so far off that it is obvious that the campground was not actually inspected. I really like Good Sam and also Camping World but the guide is really sad.

I could handle the big Good Sam book like it is if it just listed the amenities of all campgrounds; ie, elec sites or not.