The Importance of Good Sam Ratings

We’ve all heard the adage, “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Well, the same goes for RV parks. A slick brochure and well-designed website don’t necessarily mean that you’ll have a pleasant experience when you pull into an RV park’s gates.

To get an accurate assessment of an RV park’s quality, check the three-digit Good Sam Rating that accompanies each RV park’s listing in the Good Sam RV Travel Guide and Campground Directory and on GoodSamCamping.com. The numbers give you all the information you need to know when it comes to determining a park’s quality.

The Good Sam Rating System grades campgrounds in three categories: amenities, cleanliness and environment. Campgrounds are graded on a scale of between 1 and 10 points in each category. Only a few parks earn perfect combined scores of 30 points—10 points in each category. If you seek only the best in RV parks, check out our map of  RV parks that have scored 28 points or higher.

Breaking Down the Numbers

The first number of the ratings system evaluates the level of development of RV sites, hookups, recreation, swimming, security, laundry, services, interior roads, registration area and Internet access.

The second number rates the cleanliness and physical characteristics of toilets, walls, showers, sinks/counters/mirrors and floor. If a park achieves a full point in each of the above, it receives a star (*) that indicates exceptionally clean restrooms. Also rated are restrooms’ interior construction, odor, supplies, number of facilities, interior appearance, exterior appearance and location as it relates to park spaces.

The third number appraises the park’s setting and site layout, function and identification of signage, overall exterior building maintenance, noise, trash disposal, litter and debris around the grounds and sites, and appearance of grounds, sites and entrance area.

Rated for RVers, by RVers

Each campground’s rating is determined by a Good Sam consultant team made up of highly trained RVers who travel thousands of miles each year to personally inspect and rate private RV parks and campgrounds. In all, 40 teams crossed North America in preparation for the 2013 Good RV Travel Guide and Campground Directory, making unannounced visits to the campgrounds and taking a complete tour of each facility to compile their report.

Over the years, the directory’s editors and consultants have used feedback from RVers and individual professionals to hone our ratings system. We believe this evaluation tool accurately gauges a campground’s qualities.

Click here for more information about the 2013 Good Sam RV Travel Guide and Campground Directory. Click here to search for RV parks online.