Choosing the Right RV Club

I had never given much thought to RV clubs – until that fateful day.

It was chilly outside and I hadn’t had my coffee yet, but the puppy was urgently communicating to me that nature was calling so I slipped on my dog walking shoes and stepped outside. Good boy that he is, he sits on the mat right at the door and waits for me to tell him to come outside, which is what he did that morning. I got to the bottom step and turned to tell him to come on when a freakish alien wind came out of nowhere, pulled the door out of my hand and promptly slammed it in my pup’s face.

There I stood, no coat, no phone, no keys, and a very locked RV. Terrific.

I walked over to the campground office, hoping that the manager, Freda, was there. She was! I sat down in her office and we laughed over my situation a bit as we tried to figure out what in the world I was going to do. My husband was two hours away on a job so getting keys from him was out of the question.

Finally, she looked at me and said, “It looks like you are going to have to call a locksmith.” And that is when the lightbulb went on.

That is when I realized that I am a Good Sam member and I have lockout service! Freda helped me get the number and I used her phone to call. I explained my situation to the friendly representative and within the hour a locksmith rolled up to my travel trailer and had picked my lock in less than five minutes (which on some level was a bit unsettling). That one incident, though, paid for my membership several times over.

And the puppy? Bless his little heart, my pup was still sitting in that one spot the entire time, waiting patiently for me to open the door and take him out. As soon as that door opened, he was out like a shot and didn’t even do the diva discovery that he usually does looking for the perfect potty spot.

This left me thinking about RV clubs and just how useful they are. This was my first incident and I had been a member for less than a year. My experience with RV clubs was minimal at best. I admit, when I first joined Good Sam it was for my love of deals (they had me at discount – I’m easy that way).

Now I see that they can be quite useful, so these are my tips for finding an RV club.

Decide what benefits you want.
Different clubs have different benefits like organized group trips, roadside assistance, great deals, and other perks. It depends on the club, so do your homework. Research the clubs, talk to other RVers, and check out RV forums to find out what’s out there and what your fellow campers are saying. It does help to have a pretty good idea of what you want as you look, but if you don’t really know what is available then your research will help you identify your needs and decide what you want.

Regional or national?
Some clubs are only active in certain regions while others are good nationwide. Deciding which to go with will depend on several things like how much traveling you will be doing and where you will be going. If you don’t know or you plan to move about, then a national club will probably be better for you. However, if you are going to stay in one region then you might look into a club that serves only that area. Look at the benefits of both before making your decision. Ultimately it comes down to what you want and how much you want to spend.

What RV club matches your lifestyle.
Different RV clubs have different focus areas or accommodations. For instance, some are kid friendly while others are more adult oriented. If you have any special interests you may want to look for clubs that play into those interests like certain sports, hobbies, or activities like kayaking, hiking, or boondocking. Some clubs focus on specific groups like families, military, disabled, or retired couples. Look for a club and community that you can relate to; you’ll have a lot more fun.

Is a specialty club more your speed?
There are many RV clubs out there that focus on a particular area. For instance, RVing Women is a group that addresses issues that are specific to independent female RVers while the RV Consumer Group is a non-profit that educates members so that they can make better informed RV purchases. The American Camping Association does a tremendous push for kids with children’s camps and a strong focus on RVers as well as single campers. They have organized activities and tons of great benefits for members.

I never gave an RV club much thought until I needed it. And I can tell you, I was grateful to have it. Don’t wait until you are locked out in the cold to decide it might be a good idea to join an RV club, find one that speaks to you and join. It will make your RVing so much better.