Can anyone tell me which RV club prefer or if I should even join one??

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evagoblog

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Jun 17, 2018
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I know about Good Sam and now I found out about something like FCMA, and AAA might have RV insurance but not sure if it is just that or like the other clubs they have good RV benefits. I do have an annual travel insurance plan with Allianz for medical etc. so maybe if I just have RV insurance I don't need the RV clubs?  Is it worth it to pay for these RV Travel clubs, are the benefits so similar that I should just pick the cheapest one, the advantage of the Good Sam one is that you can post on their forums without being a member-although this is a topic I CAN'T post on there!

Thanks to everyone who can help! 
 
There are many different products for different purposes.

RV insurance is the analog of car insurance - cover liability or other causality losses.

RV towing insurance i.e. CoachNet, AAA,  cover the cost to change a flat while traveling or towing if stuck or disabled.  A tow for a Class A RV can run over $1000!  Some offer other services like 24/7 phone tech help for anything RV.

RV clubs also vary.  Some are social clubs.  Others are discount clubs.  Good Sam gets you 10% off camping fees at many private campgrounds.  KOA gives you discounts at KOA campgrounds ONLY.  Passport America give a 50% discount at member facilities, but usually only for a couple days and often exclude weekends and holidays.  The National Park Service Senior Pass gives discounts at Federal parks, COA and BLM facilities NOT run by a concessionaire. There are several more as well.  Great RV Escapes may sound good, but appears to many to be a total SCAM.

It all depends on how and where you camp whether a particular discount club is worth YOUR while.  None are perfect for everybody.  There is usually one or two to fit any specific camping style.
 
You don't NEED any RV club, but some of them may have benefits (discounts, services, etc) that you might find useful. Grashley identified some of the types of clubs and benefits, so I won't elaborate on that.


You can buy whatever types of RV insurance you want, usually direct from an insurer or their agencies. RV clubs that offer insurances are just acting as agents for some company or another.
 
Don't overlook Escapees.  They have their own network of owned and discount parks, RVer's Boot Camp several times a year (three days to get you up and running safely with your RV), a mail forwarding service that can provide a valid voting address, the annual Escapade and a great bi-monthly magazine.

Plus their Xscapers sub-group aimed at working age RVers, Facebook groups and a web forum (you don't need to be an Escapees member to participate)

www.escapees.com

https://www.xscapers.com
 
Didn't see if you are full timer,moving around or have a home base.We are long weekenders,with a couple of 1-2 week trips a year.My 2 cents,only worth a penny due to inflation.Join FMCA,and get their road service.They have many benifits if you need helpon the road,theit road service gives towing and tire work.Join,only 18 a year,you get it back with just a few nites at a campground.If you are like me,join a Good Sam club near your home,you will make new friends and meet like minded people,mose clubs have monthly campouts you can attend,HAVE FUN!!!
 
We bought the Passport America last winter for 44 dollars. We saved 50 percent on camping fees at least 20 times in two months. It probably saved us 4 to 500 dollars. There are restrictions, but you just have to look up the websites of the rv park to figure out which will suit your needs. We adjusted our plans to take advantage of the cheaper camping. We put about 10000 miles on in two months.
 
evagoblog said:
I know about Good Sam and now I found out about something like FCMA, and AAA might have RV insurance but not sure if it is just that or like the other clubs they have good RV benefits. I do have an annual travel insurance plan with Allianz for medical etc. so maybe if I just have RV insurance I don't need the RV clubs?  Is it worth it to pay for these RV Travel clubs, are the benefits so similar that I should just pick the cheapest one, the advantage of the Good Sam one is that you can post on their forums without being a member-although this is a topic I CAN'T post on there!

Thanks to everyone who can help!

We're in FMCA and CoachNet.  FMCA to participate in their 4Wheelers Chapter as well as the various "benefits" which we've never used.  FMCA does have about 200 other chapters for every conceivable interest group there could be... and they advertised heavily for RV companies and venders.  CoachNet for the towing/repair service which we've used once... the ignition key broke off in the ignition of the Jeep and I could not get it out so they towed us to a shop which was 4 blocks away.  CoachNet covers us regardless of which vehicle we happen to be driving.  If you are FT, at some point you'll need help I predict but maybe not?  We are "part-time" at best so who knows...?  OTOH I could never change on of these big tires and most of us do not carry a spare anyway so if we get a flat, we need help.
 
I joined FMCA for their Medical Assist program.  Membership provides enrollment in the Medical assist program.  The program will transport a person to the nearest medical facility and transport an RV back home.

I have never used the program but I like knowing that it is available.

We also attend FMCA rallies and we belong to a region club and attend rallies locally.

I also have CoachNet. I have been towed twice and they have located a local mobile repair service.
 
FMCA has lots of benefits and some good discount programs including Roadside assist for $70 per year

GoodSams has a very widely accepted 10% off campground discount for that pays for itself quickly if you use commercial campgrounds other than KOA
 
Most of us "belong" to a couple, depending on our needs and it varies from year to year.  For example, we don't re-join KOA every year.  Some years we use them more than others and we renew when we check in to the first campground that season.  We usually have Good Sam because we use the campground discount often enough.  Also you get a discount on their big campground directory which covers thousands of public and private campgrounds in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.  We've belonged to FMCA for many years and attend rallies which have great seminars for new RVers.  They also have a good magazine.  We join Passport America some years and not others.  Do you NEED to join any of them?  Probably not, but you'll probably want to join one or two.  It's what suits your needs at any given time.

ArdraF
 
From your post I am not certain if you are full time or not.  If you are full time and have sold your home you will need full timer insurance to cover you for liability to you not involving an auto accident.  I know Progressive has a package that will do this, and I suspect other insurance carriers have a package as well.
 
 
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