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Old 11-18-2017, 06:54 AM   #1
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Good Sam Roadside Assistance.

Have to post my experience yesterday with Good Sam. My DW and I spent 14 hours (yes FOURTEEN hours) stuck on the shoulder of I-10 Westbound in Florida. Thanks to the lack of professionalism by both Good Sam and their contract towing companies.

A little background on the situation. We boondocked at Walmart in Crestview, FL. Got on the road, and about 5 miles down I-10, the computer has a red emergency message stating engine coolant is at 230 °F, and the 'shut off engine light' illuminates. Pull to the shoulder, turn off coach, go to the engine compartment, and find the tell tale puddle forming on the ground, toad covered in fluid, and engine covered in fluid. This is 9:39AM. Call Good Sam and explain the situation. They have me on hold for 45 minutes while they try to locate a towing company in the area. Rep finally comes back on the line and tells me the wrecker will arrive about 12:30. At about 12:45 I call the wrecker company to inquire where the truck is. They tell me he is still on another call in Pensacola winching out a stuck box truck. Soon as he is done he will be over. About 2 o'clock the driver calls me to verify my location. Says he is about an hour away. At 4 o'clock still no wrecker. I call the driver to ask where he is. I am told the call was cancelled and I should have been notified. To say I am frustrated is an understatement! Call Good Sam back. The rep was condescending. She did find a company capable of towing the motorhome...3-4 hour ETA! At 9 o'clock driver calls me he is on his way. 10 he arrives. Goes to hook up, and the generator slide out is hanging to low, he cannot pick up my motorhome without danger of cracking the fiberglass nosepiece. He was a very nice guy, he looked at motor and almost immediately found the problem. Coolant came out of weephole on waterpump. The waterpump is bad. So we put in water to get us off the highway, he followed us to next exit . It is now midnight, and we are in Holt, Florida.

At 9, Good Sam called me back, I explained the wrecker was on the way, and I am a little frustrated with the lack of service. He said a supervisor will be calling me in about 15 minutes. Never got the call. So now I am waiting on a call from Good Sam for a mobile mechanic. This should have been done yesterday morning.

To say I will not renew with Good Sam is an understatement! Any recommendations for another roadside assistance company?
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Old 11-18-2017, 09:55 AM   #2
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I had to use Good Sam roadside once and all was well. Auto Club, if you're a member offers RV roadside towing.
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Old 11-18-2017, 12:46 PM   #3
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I had Good Sam as well until this year. I never needed them (thankfully) but just got sick of all the junk mail. I have read many good reviews of CoachNet so I paid the heavy first year price and made the switch. They seem to have the least amount of complaints and we will be traveling longer distances in the future so I made the switch. Didn't solve the Good Sam junk mail issue though as I now get more as they try to get me back.
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Old 11-18-2017, 08:16 PM   #4
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In my own experience the customer service at Coach-Net itself seems much better than what I've experienced with Good Sam. I actually had both of them my first two years. (hey, it's a '92 Trek and I was going solo) Now I'm just with Coach-Net.

I'm under the impression that with most roadside assist programs, the quality varies depending on what tow/recovery company/network wins the local contract and how low they bid to win it. You might even end up with the same truck showing up, whether you use Good Sam or Coach-Net, or your U-Haul rental breaks down, but they can prioritize you differently depending on which membership you have. I'm thinking OP kept dropping down the queue on a busy day. How much can Good Sam possibly offer with $59/yr memberships? Similar to extended warranty companies: Keep adding more members, Ponzi-like, until the support becomes useless.

I experienced a situation similar to the OP's when a friend was moving from Oregon to Colorado and his U-Haul truck got a flat. Eight hours later we were back on the road. For a flat tire. The first truck that arrived didn't have the right socket. We were skeptical, guessing their contracted tow price is much better than for fixing a flat. Later, after dark, the exciter wire broke loose, we lost all charge and the headlights started dimming. You can bet we fixed it ourselves rather than calling for help.
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Old 11-18-2017, 09:15 PM   #5
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We belong to CoachNet and the (1) experience I had several years ago when I needed them sealed my continued membership! Excellent contact + follow-up!
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Old 11-18-2017, 09:28 PM   #6
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I have been with Coach Net for 7 years. They do their job very well. I broke my serpentine belt near the Washington DC beltway. They had a mechanic there with my belt in about 45 minutes.
Their tech service people know what they're doing. I'll be with them for many more years.
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Old 11-18-2017, 10:22 PM   #7
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On the escapees forum is a rather long thread about poor service from coach-net, just like good sam here. They mostly use the save vendors to provide ERS. Keep in mind, when you call the ERS number you are talking to a person in a phone bank who likely is making minimum wage and only knows to read the script on the computer screen. If you don't explain your problem in terms they can relate to the list of questions on the screen, they get the "deer in the headlights' condition. That's when I ask for to speak with a supervisor, and then things go well.
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Old 11-19-2017, 07:51 AM   #8
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I think you will find good and bad comments on all the programs. Major considerations are where you are, what service you need and what type/weight MH you have. I currently have Good Sam and the one time I needed them, they were very prompt in responding. FMCA also has a Roadside Assistance Program which costs $69. I thinking about having both so that when I need service I have a choice.
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Old 11-19-2017, 08:05 AM   #9
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Half joking, being in an RV would it help to tell the tow truck driver once you get their # you will have food and coffee ready for them on arrival?

Understanding the drivers are usually either on-call and being pulled away from their families. Or, quite busy with other calls. Or both!
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Old 11-19-2017, 08:34 AM   #10
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I have had Good Sam ERS for the last 13 years and fortunately never needed them. However I did call them this summer while I was having a engine issue to see what they would do in the event I needed a tow. The answers I got even after the tech talked to their "diesel" specialist made me switch to Coach Net.
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Old 12-12-2017, 07:39 PM   #11
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I just got a letter saying that they've discontinued the Good Sam standard road assistance program and upgraded me to Platinum for the remainder of my term. So when I renew I guess it is going to be more expensive now.
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Old 12-12-2017, 08:14 PM   #12
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Coach-Net here. I had GS the first year I had the coach but heard and read too many horror stories like this. I switched to CN and plan to stay with them. Certainly will not be spending any of my money on anything related to Camping World. Lemonis sealed that deal.
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Old 12-12-2017, 10:41 PM   #13
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I got the same letter but in all fairness, they did adequately explain why they had to raise rates. I've used them twice and had great service. My friend recently had to call Coach Net and it took 8 hours for someone to respond so all of them have problems.
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Old 12-13-2017, 03:05 AM   #14
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I had Good Sam for a few years. Used a couple times with good results. Then moved to Coach Net several years ago when they added tech support services. Used the service with good results a couple times. Year before last I inadvertently missed renewing. Was charged $250 to get back onboard due to a couple few weeks lapse after several years with them... Grated on me. And they had/have no automatic renewal feature.

Is now renewal time again. Have it marked on my Google calendar. Opted to go with FMCA Roadside Assist - $207 for three years.
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