RV Roadside Assistance for Canada: Good Sam vs CAA

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Hi everyone, Roadside assistance for RVers is important – even if you never have to use it. Having an insurance policy even just gives you peace of mind.

First of all I have to say I have been a CAA member for 25+ years but am really questioning whether I should continue with it for our RV Roadside coverage.

Some of the people I have been speaking with say that Good Sam Roadside Assistance is excellent, so I thought maybe I should do some comparisons and see which company provides better or more service for RV coverage.

CAA Basic does not cover RVs

First of all CAA Basic plan doesn’t cover RVs so we have to go to the CAA Plus Plan which costs $124.20 CAD (remember, I am in Canada) I just picked some of the main points for comparison sake but if you go with either company make sure you research them thoroughly to ensure you get the coverage you need.

CAA Plus (in BC it’s BCAA)

  • Number of Emergency Roadside Calls: 6
  • Tow: Up to 160 kms free or to nearest garage
  • Deliver Gas: Free – up to 10L
  • Locksmith: Up to $100
  • Roadtrip Interruption: Up to $500
  • RV Coverage: Optional for additional $19.05
  • Additional Associate Membership Pricing: $88

BCAA(as per their Website) Policy Features

  • Coverage anywhere in Canada and continental U.S.
  • Replacement Cost Coverage on units that are ten years old or newer (in the event of a total loss and you’ve insured to 80% or more of its replacement value).
  • Emergency Vacation Expense Allowance: includes towing and storage to a maximum of $150 per day, and $1500 in total, so your vacation can continue uninterrupted.
  • Automatic coverage for a newly acquired RV: if you sell your current RV and buy a new one, your new RV is covered up to 30 days.
    24-hour emergency claims service.

Good Sam Standard Package for $79.95 (US) per year

  • RV coverage: Included
  • Spouse and dependent children: Included
  • RV Mobile Mechanical Dispatch: Included
  • Unlimited Distance Towing to the Nearest Service Center (US & Canada): Included
  • Trip Interruption Service: $1500
    Good Sam Roadside Assistance

Good Sam (as per their website) ~ Every Vehicle Covered Under One Plan

With Good Sam Roadside Assistance, you are protected while driving all your owned RV and all your autos with one simple plan. It’s easy to get the help you need, by a provider you can trust. You’re covered while driving the following.

1 Recreational Vehicle (RVs):

  • Self-contained Motorhomes
  • Fifth Wheels, Travel Trailers and Toy Haulers
  • Pop-up Camping Trailers

Non-Recreational Vehicles:

  • Cars
  • Vans
  • Pick-ups, SUVs
  • Boat Trailers
  • Motorcycles

Your Family Is Covered, Too ~ Everyone in your family, including your spouse, domestic partner and dependent children under 25, are automatically included in your plan-at no additional cost.

Friends of ours have used Good Sam for their RV coverage and were extremely happy with the service they received. Read more about their experience here.

Conclusion CAA vs Good Sam RV Roadside Assistance

It appears to me that Good Sam basic offers much more than CAA Plus package for cost as well as benefits.

I couldn’t find how many tows per year are allowed by Good Sam while CAA Plus provides six tows a year.

RV Coverage with CAA costs extra and extra family members cost $88 while Good Sam does not charge for additional family members. Good Sam also has some promos to bring the cost to $99/year here.

I would be interested in hearing what you have to say about this or do you recommend something else for your RV Roadside Assistance?

Traveling in the US? Good Sam is by far the more popular RV coverage option, but consider these other options (compared) below:

Carol Ann

33 thoughts on “RV Roadside Assistance for Canada: Good Sam vs CAA”

  1. iain m

    I purchased a 45 ft motorhome in April 2019.
    Heard about G/S and bought the premium/tire care pack in June 2019.
    Oct 2019 I got bogged down in mud here in Ontario up o rear axles Friday night 7pm.
    One call to GS in Florida, they got on the case, I ended up assisting them by supplying a local Tow name, they dispatched and by 10pm I was out, 1700.00 tow bill totally covered by GS no questions asked
    I was totally amazed and impressed by GOODSAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. Thanks so much for sharing your experience. It’s reassuring to hear these positive experiences. Appreciate it.

      CarolAnn

  2. Dave

    I have had excellent service with good Sam. I have had a vehicle towed to Whitehorse from Teslin (120 miles) three times in one year with no questions asked. I lived. A small town with no certified mechanics. Dave

  3. Donalda Folwark

    Good Sam sent us a letter that they would no longer cover us. Used them 2 many times I guess. We still do not know what happened!!!????‍♀️
    Very frustrating as I drove from Alberta to Arizona and did not have coverage for my boys and I had something went wrong. Needless to say we are now with AMA.

    1. Frustrating! I appreciate your sharing. If that’s is what happens I don’t blame you for changing. Have you used AMA yet? What kind of service did you receive?

      Thanks
      carolAnn

  4. We had G/S premium when a tire on our 5th wheel blew after stopping to check our trailer. This was before dawn on our way to Fl. We were on the side of a 400 series highway in Ontario and called the good Sam hot line and gave our plan #and explained our location and were told that service was not available on this highway. My wife was extremely upset by the attitude of the operator and asked what could be done. Her reply was she didn’t know. At this time an Ontario Provincial Police officer pulled in behind our vehicles with his overhead lights on and asked if he could be of assistance. He even spoke with G/S operator and he put a call into a tire service whom appeared in about 15 min. And replaced our blown tire with our spare while the police vehicle was present. The tire company accepted our G/S card and we were on our way 2&1/2 hours later. I wrote letters& phoned G/S to no avail so I let our service run out and went with CAA R.V. Just a note if you change RV’S to a truck camper make sure there is documentation on your policy stating your truck carries a slide in truck camper as most operators on the callin Centers will try to refuse service, found out on Vancouver Island this past summer.

    1. Good Sam customer service doesn’t seem to be high on their priority. I appreciate the info about the truck camper – thank you. I will be doing a follow-up on my comparison with CAA – Good Sam and adding Coach Net. Thanks for sharing.

      CarolAnn

  5. Lynn

    I’ve had 3 terrible experience with Good Sam in Canada and 1 in the USA. Good Sam will not pay the going rate for a tow truck and companies refuse to come. My starter went in my Class A on a Friday of a long weekend and I was told the earliest they could get an appropriate sized tow truck to me was the following Tuesday. While I was still waiting on the line for them to try and get a truck to come, I was getting a call to see if I was satisfied with their service. Such a huge disconnect within the company. Laughingly they eventually sent out a normal sized truck that couldn’t even lift the RV off the ground. In the end I found a local mechanic who was able to get the RV started with an alligator clip and a piece of wire and I drove to their garage. I switched to CAA and my 1 incident for a blown tire was handled very efficiently. Good Sam has lots to offer in the above comparison but just try and get the services when you need them. 3 out of 3 calls in Canada I had to fight to be reimbursed after the fact and my 1 US call I just paid out of pocket in the end. I had a dead battery and my choice was either a boost OR a tow, not a tow if the boost wasn’t the problem. AND they were going to tow my RV to a garage that had no available appointment for 5 days, had I been paying out of pocket it wouldn’t have been a problem to find a garage but again it was because companies don’t want to have to deal with Good Sam in any way. Horrible company in every way. It might be cheaper but you get what you pay for.

    1. Hi Lynn,
      I am so sorry to hear of your experiences and I am glad that you are sharing your story with us. OMG – how frustrating. Unfortunately I would have been just about screaming about half way through your experience. We all pay good money with the expectation that we will get the service we expect. We recently purchased a Class C through a dealer and we signed up for Coach-net on their recommendation. I know – I know – they make a huge commission. Anyway, we did and so hopefully they will provide the service if we ever need it, as promised. I’ll be keeping everyone up to date on this as we move forward.

      Thanks again for sharing.

  6. Matt

    Good sam will cancel your membership if you use them more than twice in a year.

      1. Heather

        I used Good Sam for three towings this year and just got a letter saying that they were cancelling our membership. I feel like if they had informed us there was a limit or the last time we called, told us that we would be charged that time, it would have been up to me to decide which services to use. The should be more clear if those are there terms.

    1. Tracy Harding

      They did that to me even though I had paid many other years without ever using them

  7. Ron Orr

    Carol, Up to today, would have given Good Sam 4 STARS…

    … But received a letter today from Robert C William’s, Claims Department,Good Sam Roadside Assistance, CANCELLING YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN 10 DAYS.

    I’m a Good Sam Lifetime Member. I’ve been a paid member of GS Roadside Assistance for 7 years.

    In Nov. 2018 we had an engine breakdown on my 31′ Class A in WV and needed a 24 mile tow to closest International dealer. Estimate to fix is $13,000 CND.

    It appears that GOOD SAM WILL PROMISE TO BE OF ASSISTANCE UNTIL YOU NEED THE ASSISTANCE. WHAT THEY DON’T TELL YOU, THE PROMISE IS FOR MINOR ASSISTANCE.

    Appreciate the tow, which GS was most reluctant to provide at the time. They had trouble getting a tow company, because of GS’s reputation in the industry. I eventually had to negotiate it.

    I’ve been dumped and that’s good for only ONE STAR!!

    1. Thanks for your message Ron,
      I don’t like the sound of what you had to go through and will be checking with other RVers to see if anyone else has had similar problems. In the letter may I ask what reason they gave you for cancelling your membership? Forgive me if I don’t understand completely but my thoughts are the roadside assistance is to get you to a repair location but the repairs themselves are not their responsibility. That is how any roadside assistance such as AAA provides. I appreciate your bringing this to my attention.
      I will be doing some more intense research.

      CarolAnn

  8. Troy Dyck

    I had called in 3 incidents over the past few years using Good Sams RV Platinum in Canada. The first two were were tire changes on Class A Motorhome and service and promptness was excellent. The 3rd time I called was for Truck and Utility trailer which had just sightly shifted off the road into snowbank when parked uphill. Fairly simple resolution but I was told trailer was not covered even though I was looking at my paperwork when I called and its said it was covered. So after my truck (which was covered) was towed out, I spent the rest of the afternoon with my truck and a chain dragging my trailer out. I called Good Sam about it later and they said it was covered and to submit the receipt… except it was my labor and my time. I did not renew last year. I may try again this year, I will remind them of my issue before signing up again. Their prices are good comparatively for family coverage.

    1. Thanks for sharing your information Troy. Nothing is perfect – even though we would like it to be. Let us know how you make out.

  9. Sue Bastien

    I’d like the Roadside assistance but would also like the 5 cent discount at the pumps.
    Do I get that with this card ?

  10. James S Cooper

    I had CAA for twenty plus years with never a claim. In 1993 while on a trip to Alaska I broke a valve outside of Chicken. It cost 600 us to have rv towed to Tok. In early CAA added extra cost to have RV covered. My anniversary date was end of Oct so I was not concerned until I renewed the policy. On arriving back in Calgary I submitted the bill and it was refused. I complained loudly because I felt that what I bought in Oct 1992 was valid as long as the policy was current. CAA didn’t agree and I said see you in court. They sent me the amount of the tow in CDN money and again I reminded them the bill was in US money and we would meet in front of a judge. Finally I received the correct amount of cash as well as a policy renewal as it was now due. I never renewed that policy. I went a few years without extra insurance for travelling for a few years but read about Good Sam every time I saw one of their ads. Being Canadian I felt that they would not be of any use to us. As I got older I needed more assistance for on road problems and we were going to Arizona each winter so I contacted Good Sam to see if they could be of assistance. Turns out that was one of our smarter moves. Now my family is covered on the road or at home not just me and it doesn’t matter what veh is involved. Over the years they have been used at home in Alberta as well as on the road in Az. Thank you Good Sam.

    1. Hi James,

      Thank you so much for sharing. I have heard similar stories to yours from other Canadian RVers. Safe travels.

    2. Hi James, Thanks so much for sharing your story. It’s reassuring to know others feel the same as I do about Good Sam – appreciate it.

      Safe travels,
      Carol Ann

    3. Hello, I have had AMA for 20+ years but the roadside assistance cost for my family of 3 is $456. this is for one RV Premium and two Plus memberships. I am researching Good Sam. Although I like most everything about their offerings, I see you must pay labor charge for roadside work, ie changing a tire. With AMA all labor in roadside is included. Can someone tell me what hourly rate they were charged for roadside about like changing a battery out. I am not asking about part cost, only labor please.
      This

  11. Dennis Miller

    Just had s flat on a travel trailer in bakersfield california. Called around 3pm and it would have been 10 pm. This after several calls and with a good spare. All I needed was one tire change. Called a tires service(Les Schwab?) and was done in just over an hour. Good Ssm not good any more

  12. Tigger

    I use to have CAA in the 90’s before i had a cell phone. When I called for a flat tire on my trailer they would not come because the trailer wasn’t covered on my plan (which I didn’t realize). They would not dispatch anyone even if I paid, and they would not even give me a number for a local tow truck. They hung up and left me stranded, oh and in the rain. Needless to say I dropped them and went with Good Sam ERA.
    My wife called Good Sam’s for a dead battery, in my lane way. She asked to tow the truck to the garage for her, and they wanted to tow to a garage close by. She asked to tow to a different garage across town, and that was absolutely not a problem.

  13. Bob

    I’m surprised that CAA does not cover RVs. I thought this company had a wide range of coverage plans. Yes, it’s true big vehicle like RVs can be a challenge to tow, but with the right people there shouldn’t be a problem. Good sam, on the other hand, has a good plan behind them and it costs less too! Looks like somebody has a good competition. Thanks for sharing this!

    1. Hi Bob – yes CAA does cover motorhomes but their coverage does not appear to be as good as Good Sam. Thanks.

      1. Bill Wynn

        Been with CAA for 17+ years. Was told my class B Sprinter van wasn’t eligible for a tow when stuck recently. CAA’s RV coverage is quirky. They will assist with some RVs but apparently the class B vans are not on their coverage list. Check the fine print on your RV coverage so you don’t have any surprises.

  14. Paul A. Blough

    I had all battery’s die over the winter, I called Good Sam’s they had me towed to a dealer for other repairs. No questions ask, no problem, tow was there in 45 min. Another time in Ct, our starter quit working, I call Good Sam’s, they sent a person to fix the starter, could not be fix, had to buy a new one, price very reasonable. Good Sam’s work just like the website said. I don’t know how anyone could asked to be treated any nicer or better. I will be with Good Sam’s as long as we are on the road. Great company.

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