Good Sams Campground Ratings

[Raymond]

We use Good Sams as our main source of information to pick a campsite for our Class A Allegro. In early June we went to a location in Custer SD called Bever Lake. It had very high ratins so we reserved multiple days. On arrival we were surprised to find it a hilly park with tree obstructions and many units using boards and rocks to level their units. We could not get a refund form management and let the coach stay grounded on our site because it was beyond level limits. The park was not mowed and had tree limbs all over our site. The hookup was on a slope and difficult to deal with when wet. The park was the most overrated we have ever expierenced and a one time deal for us. We left early! No refund. How can we cross reference the Good Sams ratings to verify they are accurate?

Thanks for your suggestions.

Ray

[Guest BillAdams]

We use Good Sams as our main source of information to pick a campsite for our Class A Allegro. In early June we went to a location in Custer SD called Bever Lake. It had very high ratins so we reserved multiple days. On arrival we were surprised to find it a hilly park with tree obstructions and many units using boards and rocks to level their units. We could not get a refund form management and let the coach stay grounded on our site because it was beyond level limits. The park was not mowed and had tree limbs all over our site. The hookup was on a slope and difficult to deal with when wet. The park was the most overrated we have ever expierenced and a one time deal for us. We left early! No refund. How can we cross reference the Good Sams ratings to verify they are accurate?

Thanks for your suggestions.

Ray

Did the campground have a big ad in the camp book? The reviewers are paid to sell ads as well, so some amount of prejudice would be expected no matter how impartial they might want to be. You might want to go to RVparkReviews.com and post the information there. If you have an internet connection available to you most of the time this is also a good place to do a 2nd check before you book into an unknown campground.

As an aside, there are a number of reviews of this campground at the site I listed and they are almost all glowing reviews with mostly 4-star ratings and positive things to say about the owners and the sites.

[jmonroe]

We've wondered about some of the ratings as well. We've chalked it up to ratings being given by 'city folk' for whom the site of a tree, anywhere within a one mile radius, rates high for asthetics. We've also stayed in a number of lower rated parks, having lost on "completeness of facilities" that we would have rated as outstanding. Clean, attractive, quiet, well groomed with no fear of losing something off the roof to a low hanging branch. We don't choose a campground based on the presence of a game room, multiple pools or onsite mini golf. While more young families may be choosing to take RV vacations, my guess is the majority of us are from a bit more 'seasoned' demographic.