When it comes to long distance travels, there is always a chance that you could experience a flat tire or a dead battery. In such situations, having a good roadside assistance plan could come in really handy and Good Sam along with AAA proposes some of the best packages available in this business. “Good Sam vs AAA, which one is the better deal?” you may ask. Well, in the case you want to learn more about these services, this article is all you need. Down below are additional details about Good Sam and AAA plus the overall benefits of roadside assistance plan.
Contents
Good Sam Roadside Assistance
Founded in 1966, Good Sam Club is an international organization for RVer and one of the largest of its kind. Back in 1985, the club had around 450,000 members and now the number of members exceeds 1,700,000. Club members receive a 10% discount if they decide to stay for the night at a place affiliated with Good Sam. All Good Sam affiliated locations must match a series of service standards in order to join the organization. While Good Sam Club is primarily affiliated with RV parks and campgrounds, it also offers services such as roadside assistance and RV insurance for extra fees.
AAA (American Automobile Association)
As a response to the lack of roads suitable for automobiles, 1,500 members from 9 motor clubs formed AAA on March 4, 1902. Nowadays, AAA has more than 58,000,000 members in 42 individual clubs. The organization provides a variety of emergency roadside service to its member which includes towing, winching, battery replacement, tire change and so on. Some AAA clubs possess an automotive fleet to serve the majority of their members while contracting private firms to handle the surplus. AAA sell roadside assistance package to an assortment of motor vehicles, it even offers bicycle roadside assistance in certain regions.
Good Sam vs AAA: The Complete Comparison
Let’s have a closer look on specific factors to have a detailed comparison of these 2 services: AAA vs Good Sam. Soon, you will figure out which one is going to suit you the best. Here we go:
1. Annual Membership Fees
Both organizations don’t require you to pay an annual fee to be registered as a member. Therefore, you only need to purchase a roadside assistance package in order to access their service.
>> Good Sam vs AAA: Equal
2. Age restriction
These roadside assistance providers don’t a age restriction in place. So as long as you have a legal driver license, you could sign up for their service.
>> Good Sam vs AAA: Equal
3. Coverage Range
Both AAA and Good offer roadside assistance in Canada so you don’t have to worry if your vehicle break down while visiting the country.
>> Good Sam vs AAA: Equal
4. Vehicle Coverage
The service package offered by AAA and Good Sam cover all vehicles: Motorcycles, automobiles, trailers, light trucks, SUVs, RVs, etc. There is no such thing as addition fee for different vehicles.
>> Good Sam vs AAA: Equal
5. Interruption Reimbursement
In case your vehicle breaks down when you are more than 100 miles from home, these organizations will take care of your meal and lodging expenses. This is very useful if you happen to spend a lot of time on the road.
>> Good Sam vs AAA: Equal
6. Standard Annual Plan
Good Sam Standard Annual Plan cost you $79.95 per year while AAA only require $56 for the same period.
>> Good Sam vs AAA: AAA wins
7. Call Limit
When it comes to call limit, Good Sam is the winner in the AAA vs Good Sam competition. Good Sam has a service call limit of 5 per year and the AAA limit stay at 4. In case you don’t know, the Call limit is the number of calls you can make without having to pay additional charges.
>> Good Sam vs AAA: Good Sam wins
8. Towing Limit
Good Sam doesn’t have a Towing Limit while AAA limits its maximum charge-free towing distance at 5 miles. For your information, Towing Limit is the distance that your vehicle could be towed before you have to pay extra fees. Therefore, in the aspect of Towing Limit, Good Sam comes out on top in the AAA vs Good Sam competition.
>> Good Sam vs AAA: Good Sam wins
9. Legal Defense Reimbursement
When a company said that it provides Legal Defense Reimbursement, it means that the company would reimburse you for the legal fees you incur due to driving violations. Of course, the reimbursement only covers to a certain limit and you have to take care of the rest. AAA provides their members with Legal Defense Reimbursement while Good AM doesn’t.
>> Good Sam vs AAA: AAA wins
10. Arrest Bond Certificate
When you are provided with an Arrest Bond Certificate, you could use it in place of cash if you violate traffic regulation and got arrested. Several places don’t accept the bond though and others have a limit on the amount of bond they accept.
>> Good Sam vs AAA: AAA wins
RV Roadside Assistance Comparison Chart:
Good Sam | AAA | Winner | |
Standard Plan (Per Year) | $79.95 | $56.00 | AAA |
Premium Plan (Per Year) | $114.95 | $119.00 | Good Sam |
Add person (Per Year) | $0 | $34.00 | Good Sam |
Legal Defense Reimbursement | No | Yes | AAA |
Arrest Bond Certificate | No | Yes | AAA |
Service Call Limit | 5 | 4 | Good Sam |
Towing Limit | Unlimited | 5 Miles | Good Sam |
>> Read more: Coach Net vs Good Sam: Head to Head <<
Good Sam vs AAA Roadside Assistance Service: Pros and Cons
Pros | Cons | |
Good Sam | Excellent service call limit and towing limit. There is no fee when you want to add additional persons to your package. You would be provided with up to 5 gallons of fuel free of charge if needed. A good choice if you have to get assistance packages for multiple vehicles. The customer support quite helpful as well | Does not provide Arrest Bond Certificate and Legal Fee Reimbursements. |
AAA | Offer generous benefits and discounts along with quality services. A wide variety of discount on car rentals and air travels are available. There is also a mapping support which let you plan your travel route. | There is a enrollment fee and you have to pay additional money of you want to add additional persons to your plan. |
Benefits of Having a Roadside Assistance Packages
Towing service
No matter what happens, you could count on the roadside assistance provider to tow your vehicle to your homes or the nearest workshop. In case if you have simple problems like flat tires, dead batteries and alike, the assistance service could send you a mechanic. This mechanic would help you replace the tire, jump start the battery or deal with any issues you are having. If you run out of gas, you could contact the assistance package provider and have them deliver you the fuel. Lose your key? One call and you could arrange to have a spare key delivered to your location.
Customer support
With the advance of technology, now you could contact your assistance service whenever you go. Phone, website, mail, mobile app…..There are many methods you could use to get in touch with your roadside assistance provider. Roadside assistance companies are able to offer online travel planning as well so you could have a memorable and worry-free journey. From the accommodations to the travel routes, you are capable of planning everything down to last detail. If your vehicle runs into trouble in the middle of nowhere, just call the assistance service and their staff would come help you out.
Travel arrangement
Many assistance package providers offer their customer excellent discounts at designated stores and workshop. Whether it’s a place to spend the night or a car to continue your trip, the assistance companies have everything covered. Furthermore, you could sign up for 2 roadside assistance packages at the same time in case there is something you like in both providers. Don’t know what to pick when it comes to AAA vs Good Sam roadside assistance? Well, you can try both of them out and see the way things turn out.
Final Words
AAA vs Good Sam roadside assistance, it’s not easy to pick out the winner of this competition without taking into account your travel situation. Preferences and tastes vary a lot from people to people so there isn’t a single option that could satisfy everyone. But with the help of this article, you should be able to understand the importance of roadside assistance and which provider suits you the most.
Last Updated on September 15, 2018
By Carlos Perry, thanks a lot for the article post.Much thanks again. Fantastic.
This could be a valuable write up… if it were based on real world solutions and results. As I have reviewed Comments and Complaints on AAA and Good SAM Roadside assistance – it appears that most of the claims of Good Sam are empty – with no – or very little – satisfaction for those who actually need the critical roadside help and towing.
AAA plus gives 100 miles per tow
But they will not tow your Fifth Wheel or Travel Trailer, They will leave it on the side of the road. They will not change a tire on your Fifth Wheel or Travel Trailer either. They will put air in it but that won’t help if you blowed it out. Very Deceiving.
DO I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY THAT AAA ONLY PAYS FOR THE FIRST 5 MILES, AND I PAY THE REST?
On the AAA base package the tow max before paying is 3 miles. On the higher packages the free towing limit is 100 miles.
What’s up colleagues, nice paragraph and nice urging commented here,
I am genuinely enjoying by these.
I’m confused by the claim that Good Sam has unlimited towing. Their website says Unlimited towing to nearest service facility. The nearest service facility might be very close to where you break down, while AAA will take me all the way home and to my personal mechanic as long as it is within 200 miles. Which is it? Will Good Sam take me all the way home and my personal mechanic from 200 miles away?