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Good Sam RV Club Tops 1 Million

31 July 2000


    RVing is booming today -- despite the high cost of gas. The latest indicator is the growth of the Good Sam Club, the nation's largest RV group. For the first time ever, Good Sam has topped 1 million family memberships.

    Formed in 1966 to help RVers in trouble on the road, the club has grown steadily over the years as it expanded services to members, most of whom live in the United States. However, the club's signature logo, a smiling face on a round red badge, can also be seen on RVs in 30 other countries including Japan, Germany, Australia, Bermuda, Nigeria and even Saudi Arabia. It is the largest RV owners' club anywhere, and is still dedicated to helping people out.

    Good Sam encourages people to RV and camp responsibly, and contribute to their communities. With 2,000 active chapters, Good Sam members regularly clean up more than 500 miles of U.S. highways, believed to be the most for any single organization. They also hold an annual roadside trash cleanup that last year covered 47 states and six Canadian provinces.

    Good Samers serve as volunteer hosts at 1,100 state and national parks, collecting fees and taking care of light maintenance. Hundreds of volunteers called "Stand-By-Sams" are on call 24-hours a day to help RVers stranded in their area.

    The club is the single greatest contributor to Dogs for the Deaf, which provides hearing-impaired people with specially trained "hearing" dogs. Over the years, Good Sam has also been a support sponsor of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics, supplying hundreds of RVs throughout the United States to act as support vehicles for the run.

    Today the club offers RV emergency road service, reduced rates to campsites nationwide, discounts on camping and RV-related equipment, special group travel and cruise rates, and travel-oriented services such as mail forwarding and computerized trip-routing.
    Good Sam also helps members locate financing for RV purchases at low interest rates and has a special insurance program for RVs, since many insurance companies will not cover the large vehicles. And it acts as an advocate at the state and national level for RV-related issues.