Printed RV Magazines Dead or Dying

Above, the now-defunct Motorhome magazine.

According to an editorial/opinion piece in RV Travel, printed RV magazines are dead or dying.

At various times, I subscribed to either Trailer Life or Motorhome magazines. Then, a couple of years ago, Marcus Lemonis ended both magazines and consolidated them into one magazine called RV.

I tried out RV for a year and found it rather boring with too many ads and uninteresting articles. So, when my subscription ended, I did not renew.

According to RV Travel:

Remember the days when printed magazines filled your mailbox? Those thick, colorful publications arrived daily—some wanted, some not. Have you noticed recently most printed magazines have gone away, one by one, and the survivors have become pretty skinny. Trailer Life Magazine, Motor Home Magazine and RV Lifestyle Magazine are gone. Family RVing Magazine from FMCA went from monthly to bi-monthly recently due to declining membership and advertising revenue. And a dozen popular regional magazines long ago published their last issues.

As a frequent writer for Tiffin Motorhomes’ magazine Roughing It Smoothly, I understand firsthand why it has now gone digital-only and will soon give way to other shorter targeted messaging. It’s not that the publishers lost interest, it’s because things changed.

To read more, go here.

RV Travel Poll: Are You A Member of The Good Sam Club?

Since I RV as much as I can (and when I can afford to, thanks to Bidenflation), I make good use out of my Good Sam Club membership.

As I live up the hill from a Flying J Travel Center, the five cents per gallon of gasoline Good Sam discount comes in handy. I also use the camping discount benefit. My membership has paid for itself many times over.

RV Travel has posted a Reader Poll of RVers asking if they are a member of Good Sam Club.

They start it with:

The Good Sam Club was founded in 1966 based on the principle of the biblical Good Samaritan, wherein the club’s members help other members in need. For most of its existence it has served as a social club for RVers while also providing discounts on products and services. Its annual rallies drew many thousands in their prime, and were a big deal for many RVers.

Today, since being acquired by businessman Marcus Lemonis, the social aspect of the club is almost gone, with only small local club chapters remaining, some shutting down each year because of their aging memberships. The club’s main value today is its membership card, which provides a 10 percent discount at many RV parks and at Camping World.

For RVers who camp in commercial RV parks more than a month or two a year, the $29 annual membership is likely worth the investment. The same goes for those who shop often at Camping World. But for RVers who camp infrequently and/or don’t shop at Camping World, its value is questionable.

So our question today is whether you are a member of the club. If so, or if not, would you please leave a comment?

To read more and participate in the poll, go here. 

What's The Future of Good Sam?

Whenever I had an RV of some sort (folding camping trailer, micro-mini motorhome or Class C), I have been a member of the Good Sam Club.

The organization's member campgrounds and RV parks provide members with discounts, which makes membership worthwhile. Along with that, members get five cents per gallon discounts at Pilot/Flying J travel centers. Five cents per gallon may not sound like much, but when one has an RV with a 55 gallon gas tank, the savings add up.

But since the organization (now called just "Good Sam") was acquired by Camping World mogul Marcus Lemonis, some are wondering if its days are numbered. Good Sam members get discounts at Camping World as well.

An article in RV Travel has been posted on this and it begins with:

In early 2021 we wrote questioning the future of Good Sam club members. At that time, Good Sam Enterprises, the parent group, basically suspended all membership social gatherings, including chapter meetings and larger rallies. It also “put on hold” the responsibilities of state and provincial directors, oversight posts held voluntarily by men and women in the organization. All this was said to be related to the COVID-19 pandemic. But at the time we wondered if this was the final straw for a social group that had been active since founded by Art Rouse back in 1966.

‘AND SO IT WAS, THE SOCIAL-MINDED GROUPS OF RVERS UNDER THE GOOD SAM UMBRELLA SIMPLY BECAME GOOD SAMS. NOT MEMBERS OF THE GOOD SAM CLUB.’

“The Club” ceases to be

Following the slowdown of the COVID pandemic, things got “back to normal” for the group. Rallies and chapter meetings went ahead, bringing a sense of normalcy to folks who’d been isolated for a long time. Still, there was a quiet undertone going on, particularly for the “club’s” directors. We put club in quotes, as while the Good Sam organization was begun as a club with a heavy social aspect, after company boss Marcus Lemonis came on board the “club” ceased to be.

Lemonis explained the drop of the word “club” to state directors this way. The newer generation, he said, was not interested in joining clubs. If the Good Sam organization was to grow with the help of younger ones, the “club” would have to go. And so it was, the social-minded groups of RVers under the Good Sam umbrella simply became Good Sams. Not members of the Good Sam Club.

While the psychology of all this might have sounded good at the time, in practice, dropping the term “club” did nothing to arrest the problem. Colorado Good Sam state director Rick Smith told us clearly that Lemonis’ approach flopped. Club or no club, Colorado’s membership is “aging out,” in his words. As older ones hang up the keys, new blood simply isn’t there to replace these older ones.

I remember when the Good Sam Club had its headquarters in Agoura, California. I would occasionally stop in to pick up literature on different things. But that was 40 years ago, before it was gobbled up by Lemonis.

The article ends with a section where Good Sam members can comment. 

To read the full article, go here. 

RV Magazine Ignoring Older RVers?

Above, the first issue of RV Magazine.

Prior to January, I had a subscription to Motorhome magazine, published by Marcus Lemonis of Good Sam and Camping World.

In January, my subscription was transferred to the replacement magazine, RV Magazine, for Motorhome and Trailer Life magazines. I guess the idea was to consolidate the content of Motorhome and Trailer Life into one magazine.

Prior to January, I did notice that Motorhome had become thinner (in page count). 

So far, I like the magazine. Apparently, RV Travel website has a quibble with it. They believe the new magazine is ignoring older RVers.

They posted:

After decades of publication, the two most popular American RV magazines, Trailer Life and Motorhome, were discontinued last year. Subscribers received a new, replacement periodical titled RV.

The new magazine, from Camping World and CEO Marcus Lemonis, is pretty — lots of photos and a snappy layout. But the content is aimed squarely at RVers in their 30s and 40s. The May issue only features a few photos of RVers older than 50.

RV advertisements are mostly for travel trailers, Class B and C motorhomes and truck campers. Many articles are about using RVs for outdoor adventure.

Actually, I hadn't really noticed. Now that RV Travel has brought this up, I will be paying more attention.

To read more, go here, 

RV Travel: More Spam From Camping World

Above, The Beast at the Valencia Camping World. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There's a bit of a love-hate relationship between RVers and Marcus Lemonis of Camping World and Good Sam Club.

Many shop at Camping World (including me on occasion) and are Good Sam members (I'm a member). Many complain over the prices of goods at Camping World. Yes, some items are overpriced, but Good Sam members do get discounts. Like anywhere else, smart shopping there can lead to good deals. One's mileage may vary.

Camping World's service departments are a mixed bag. Some are good and some are bad. I had a not-so-good experience with the Valencia, California Camping World on a warranty repair. It all depends on each store's management and staff, so you can't paint all of them with a broad brush.

Lemonis has been acquiring RV dealers and stores over the past few years. With Camping World and Good Sam, he has been building quite an empire. And, with that, Good Sam members generally get a lot of spam mail as a result.

Now, he is acquiring another facet of RVing: a campground booking system.

RV Travel reported:

When Marcus Lemonis took the reins controlling the Good Sam Club, it wasn’t long before many members dubbed it the “Good Spam Club.” Lemonis saw the club membership list as ripe for harvesting. It meant club members could expect to receive tons of junk mail. Mail selling everything from gadgets to extended warranty products, all at inflated prices. Get ready for more spam from Camping World.

 

More than “A chicken in every pot”

We’ve seen Camping World’s march for dominance across the U.S. Lemonis’ own stated goal is to have a footprint in every state in the Lower 48. It’s a promise more fulfilled than “a chicken in every pot.” Nearly every week Camping World announces the takeover of what were often formerly family-owned RV dealerships. Not much junk mail there, but wait – there’s a new acquisition that will give Camping World a real way to spam the unsuspecting.

Camping World Holdings Inc. has now taken over, not another RV dealership, but something farther-reaching. A campground “booking engine” called Nomad Reservations has now become part of the CW empire. In essence, it means yet more spam from Camping World.

To read more, go here. 

No More Trailer Life and MotorHome Magazines In January

Above, the current issue of MotorHome with the announcement.

The November issue of MotorHome magazine arrived in the mail yesterday.

During my perusal of the issue, the most interesting thing that caught my attention were the subscription cards inserted for RV Magazine. My initial thought was, "Hmm. A new magazine?"

Well, yes and no.

Looking further, I saw on page 8 an announcement of RV Magazine and a website, RV.com, that will "launch in tandem" in January 2021.  

But, the kicker was this:

RV Magazine will replace our legacy publications, Trailer Life and MotorHome. 

Replace?! This means that Trailer Life and MotorHome magazines will cease and they will be consolidated into the new RV Magazine.

Existing subscriptions to the soon-to-be former magazines will be replaced by RV Magazine.

At this point, I don't know what my feelings are about this. This has the "fingerprints" of Marcus Lemonis all over.

Is Good Sam Finished As An Active RV Club?

The Good Sam Club, the RV-oriented club that's been around for decades, may be finished as a social RVer club.

Even I noticed a difference in Good Sam since the days it was an independent club based in Agoura, California and before Marcus Lemonis gobbled it up for his empire. I am a member, only for the discounts at campgrounds and at Camping World when, on rare occasions, I might shop there. I do, on occasion, buy their campground directory, but even that isn't a good as it used to be.

RV Travel has detected some new changes, and they don't seem to bode well for the Good Sam Club we've known for years.

They wrote:

The Good Sam organization changed on Friday. Earlier, customers of affiliate Camping World received a letter from the company explaining just what actions it was taking to protect the health and well-being of customers and employees alike. But Friday, the letters that went out weren’t for customers – rather, they were addressed to State and Provincial Good Sam Directors.

As might be expected, the Coronavirus pandemic has thrown the proverbial monkey wrench into the works of social gatherings. Good Sam, not surprisingly, ordered all state and provincial rallies canceled, as well as smaller, individual chapter meetings. But what surprised and dismayed many was this line: “To keep you and your family safe, as well as continuing to follow the CDC guidelines, the difficult decision has been made to pause the Good Sam State/Provincial Director program, effective immediately.” 

It was easy to understand the cancellation or postponement of rallies and other gatherings. But to suddenly sack the directors of the state and provincial organizations was quite another. We turned to an industry insider as to just why this might have taken place. Here are a few gleanings from what we heard. 

First, to some, this wasn’t a complete surprise. The handwriting may have been on the wall – or on the company logo – as long as a year ago. Good Sam Enterprises, the holding company that oversees the club, redesigned the company logotype. The old logo featured the Good Sam Club – but in the new iteration, the word “Club” suddenly vanished, and Good Sam is flanked now by Camping World and Gander pointers. It would seem that Good Sam Enterprises was, at that point, far more interested in retail operations and in “subscription-based products, services and publications” than in the social activities on which the original organization was solidly based. 

For now-former state and provincial directors, what does this all mean? In terms of finance, not much. A few directors got a stipend; all received repayment of their expenses, and when it came time to buy a new RV, directors could get a discount – provided they marched down and bought one off the lot at Camping World. But many of these directors and, quite often, their spouses, had made the Good Sam Club their heart and soul. Two of those, Martin and Diane Qualey, have invested years in helping Maine chapters of the club push ahead in what they feel is the real Good Sam spirit. Martin was the director of the Maine organization – until Friday. 

Martin picked no bones about the sudden change. “I will grant Good Sam leeway in the need to limit liability during the pandemic,” Martin told us by telephone. “For them to completely dissolve was an overstep.” He feels that, contrary to the spirit of the Good Sam Club founders, money has become the principal thing for management. Speaking of the chapters he and his wife helped to oversee, Martin said, “I think that [Marcus] Lemonis and others would like to see [state organizations] go ‘bye-bye.’ We’re an insignificant number – 350 to 500 members in Maine, as opposed to one to two million ‘members’” in the overall scheme of things. In Martin’s thinking, the present-day company is far more interested in their database of members and its potential for money-making than in the social network that Good Sam once was.

To read more, go here.

The RV Wingman On Camping World's Marcus Lemonis

Anyone who follows this blog is aware that I had some issues with Camping World.

Generally, I have no issues with Camping World's retail store. Some prices are a little high, but many people can save by using their Good Sam membership discount.

It is their service department I had issues with since they are (or were) an authorized repairer for Winnebago.

Alan Warren of The RV Show USA has posted a video on some of the business practices of Camping World's CEO Marcus Lemonis.

If you are planning to by a new RV and financing it, see this video first.



The video's description:

The RV Wingman finally gives us the name of the one person he believes is to blame for the current state of the RV Industry and for the direction it is heading. In this no-holds-barred rant, he opines on why he believes Marcus Lemonis is responsible for the all time low stock price of CWH and is ultimately responsible for financially burying hundreds of thousands of RVers. God bless the honest, hard-working (silent majority) of men and women in this country who keep things going for everyone else. Post your comments below and share this video. You can also call and leave a voicemail 24/7 at 1-330-Wingman

Camping World Fights For Its Huge Flag In North Carolina

Above, the flag at Camping World in Valencia, California. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A big battle is brewing between Camping World in North Carolina and the city of Statesville over Camping World's enormous U.S. flag.

Camping World, an RV dealer and supplier, flies enormous flags at their stores to honor veterans and military members.

Statesville has filed a lawsuit and is fining Camping World over the flag.

According to The Daily Caller:

A North Carolina company is fighting fines and a lawsuit reportedly from the city over flying a huge American flag. 

Camping World flies a 40-by-80-foot flag outside of its Gander RV location in Statesville, North Carolina, as a way to honor military members and veterans. The city, however, believes Camping World is violating codes that say a flag cannot be more than 25-by-40 feet if it is flown 100 feet from a highway, WSOC reported Monday. 

Camping World, an outdoor supply and RV company, said it faces a $50 per day fine retroactive to Oct. 15, 2018. 

“I don’t care if it goes to $500 a day,” Marcus Lemonis, CEO and chairman of Camping World and Gander RV, said according to WSOC. “It’s not coming down.” 

A Statesville spokesperson said the city began fining the company after asking it to take down the flag several times, WSOC reported. City officials failed 3-5 to vote in an ordinance that would allow Camping World to fly a flag of its size.

Many RV enthusiasts, including me, have issues with some of Camping World's business practices. But in this matter, I am fully in Camping World's corner.

To read more, go here. 

Good Sam Denies Medical Emergency Air Ambulance Claim

Above, the air ambulance helicopter that took me to Twin Falls. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

This is a story I can relate to somewhat.

When I had my heart attack in Wells, Nevada last July, I was in no condition to make any medical or any other kinds of decisions. Luckily, my friend Mitch Geriminsky took charge. He was told that there's a hospital in Elko, Nevada and a better facility in Twin Falls, Idaho. He opted for Twin Falls. Soon, I was airlifted by helicopter to Twin Falls.

Fortunately, since this was a medical emergency, it was all covered.

Some people aren't so lucky with their insurers.

From the Los Angeles Times:

Of the many dubious reasons insurers use for denying claims, one of the most bizarre is telling a patient they neglected to obtain prior approval for treatment in the midst of a medical emergency. 

Because, of course, the first thing most people think of in a life-or-death situation is phoning some insurance company’s call center and jumping through bureaucratic hoops. 

Kathy Mutchler faced this Catch-22 recently — and found herself saddled with a $71,000 air ambulance bill — after being diagnosed with a severe kidney infection in Mammoth Lakes, where she was staying with her wife in an RV park. 

Mutchler, 64, who these days calls the open road home, is a member of the Good Sam Club, the world’s largest organization of recreational vehicle owners. You’ve probably seen the stickers on the backs of RVs and campers. 

Mutchler pays $89.99 annually for the service’s TravelAssist program, which, among other things, says it covers medical evacuations if suitable care isn’t available locally, as well as any costs involved in returning to your RV. 

Mutchler’s wife, Kathy O’Hara, 60, joined her for the trip and contacted Good Sam as soon as they landed in Nevada to let the organization know what was happening. She was given a case number by a service rep. 

Mutchler was hospitalized for three nights. Her condition gradually improved, she was released from the Reno medical center, and she and O’Hara rented a car for the return to Mammoth Lakes — an expense they believed that, like the air ambulance, would be covered by the Good Sam coverage. 

It was on the drive home that a Good Sam rep called. Mutchler’s claim had been denied. She’d be responsible for the air ambulance and rental car costs.

To read more, go here.

Marcus Lemonis Indicative of A "Snowflake CEO"

Above, The Beast at the Valencia, CA Camping World. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

About a couple of weeks ago (just before I headed off to Idaho to see the eclipse), Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis inferred that Trump supporters not shop at his Camping World stores. This caused a public outcry (including one from a prominent NASCAR driver who cancelled a $150,000 RV order at Camping World) which led to an apology by Lemonis.

This has led to a sharp response by one of Lemonis's competitors.

Digital Journal posted:

Southaven, MS - A competitor to Camping World, Southaven RV & Marine, says the recent statement by Camping World CEO, Marcus Lemonis, is “very childish, petty, and an attempt at free publicity rather than tackling serious issues in our country,” says Mark Hixson, CEO for Southaven RV and Marine, the largest indoor RV & Marine showroom in the USA. 

“CEO’s are supposed to be ultimate leaders. They help bring large organizations through difficult times. They gather people around a cause, they do not divide. They don’t buckle under pressure and they don’t attempt to profit from racial or religious tensions. These CEO’s leaving Trump’s advisory board are leaving us, the American people. Rather than hanging tough and helping Trump continue this positive economic growth we are all experiencing, they are jumping ship on Americans over a political difference.  Not me. In fact, RVing is the perfect idea for all the craziness. Perhaps, if more people go RVing, we could all relax, come together, and enjoy this great country. Shop at our RV and Marine dealership regardless of your political views," said Hixon.

To read more, go here.