Emergency Road Service plans for truck + RV

[youbet]

I'm trying to pick out an emergency road service plan for my truck and camper (Aliner hard-sided pop-up) to have in place before leaving for a leaf peeping trip to Vt, NH, Me in 2 wks. I've got info from AAA and Good Sam. Are there others out there? Anyone here signed on to one of these plans and willing to comment on their level of satisfaction?

 

[RonBoyd]

For the first year, we had the Good Sam insurance. During that period, I began to research other options -- no particular reason, just did. Reading posts in various (and many) RV Forums led me to believe that Coach-net provided more for a slightly less cost. We are members of FMCA and that may have played a role in the decision although we are also members of the Good Sam Club.

In any event, we have not had opportunity to actually test the worth of either company. I plan to send our 2nd year premium to Coach-net next month.

 

[REWahoo]

We had Good Sam's service for a couple of years (one call for a tire problem) and they were OK. I got tired of all the junk mail I was getting from them and switched to Coach Net a year ago.

I've thankfully not had any reason to use them and I'm happy to say they've never sent me any junk mail whatsoever.

 

[braumeister]

Only had one experience lately. In downtown Denver about 5 years ago, I locked my keys in my car. Stupid, I know.
Called AAA and they put me on hold. After 5 minutes I called back and got the same treatment.
Called USAA and they had a locksmith there in about 10 minutes. I still belong to AAA because I like their maps and tourbooks, but I'd probably call USAA first next time for road service.

DW had a tire problem and got AAA road service a few years ago. The guy who came made an interesting comment to her. Said that AAA had the lowest reimbursement rate, so they tended to put their jobs in a lower priority than other road service plans.

FWIW.

 

[travelover]

Timely. DW still belongs to AAA and I just saw her latest bill - $81 a year. I asked her why she would pay that much for towing insurance when she could be towed for less. For her, I guess it is just an old habit that dies hard.


For others worried about finding a towing company in strange territory , it might be helpful to know about Google's free 411 service that is a yellow pages from your cell phone.


1-800-GOOG-411: Find and connect with local businesses for free from your phone.

 

[aldo]

Have had CoachNet for 12 years. Used them twice. First time called for towing a 26-ft RV. Operator was very helpful and huge tow truck was on scene within 1-2 hours and towed us to a local garage that could help us out late on a Friday. Second time I locked myself (including all keys and wallet) out of the RV. Called a local locksmith and paid fee myself. I later submitted the receipt to CoachNet, as suggested by the locksmith. CoachNet reimbursed me. Great peace of mind for RVers.

 

[headingout]

I have the Roadside Assistance on our 20 ft. Class B RV through Progressive (referral from USAA). It's $44/year. Called the number when an alternator went bad this spring and a tow truck was there in 45 min. and took good care of me. No complaints.

Speculation, but I have the impression that roadside assist is a commodity these days that goes out to the same network of tow operators, whoever you call.

I also cancelled Good Sam -- got tired of the junk mail and hard sell.

 

[REWahoo]

Speculation, but I have the impression that roadside assist is a commodity these days that goes out to the same network of tow operators, whoever you call.

That may be the case, but I'd much prefer a dedicated RV service like CoachNet if I ever need our 40 foot motor home towed. The wrecker service down at Ace Automotive Repair doesn't have the capability or experience of towing something that weighs considerably more than the tow vehicle. Having a mechanical breakdown followed by some grease monkey ripping up the fiberglass front end of my RV could really ruin my day.

RV roadside assistance services like Good Sam and CoachNet should know which services to call to handle your equipment. I'm not sure that would be the case with Progressive or other RV insurance companies. At any rate, I'm not willing to take the chance to save $50 a year.

 

[headingout]

Progressive (or their service provider) was very specific in asking me about the weight and length of my rig. The driver showed up with the appropriate size big truck. (And he had a bigger one he could have brought if needed.) I doubt any tow operator would stay in business for long using the wrong equipment.

 

[nwsteve]

We have had Good Sam for a couple of years. One of its pluses is the membership covers all your vehicles. I was NOT impressed the one time I called for assistance on a lock out. They could not seem figure out how to find someone who could show to my location which was my driveway at home which in a major university town.
I am seriously considering dropping and just relying on the tow insurance I have on my auto policy in conjunction with my smart phone to find a provider--see Google look up above.
Then again maybe time for Coach.net. Do you have to be members of FMCA?
Nwsteve

 

[RonBoyd]

Do you have to be members of FMCA?

That was my fault, I suppose. I know of no such restriction. I only mentioned FMCA because I was thinking there was some kind of discount involved... I don't know that for sure, it is only a feeling.

I am a member of FMCa because that is the only way to obtain access to the only (afaik) Roadtrek group --Roadtrek International. That being said, I have no regrets about my membership in FMCA and recommend that you research it well before ruling out joining the group. Along the same lines, I am, also, very pleased with my membership in Escapees -- the cost of which is quite high.

 

[travelover]

Maybe I don't understand this. Regardless of who your tow insurer is, are you not limited to whatever tow business happens to operate in the area? I guess in a more urban area, there might be more choices, but if you break down in BF Egypt, it seems like you are gonna get the local tow guy no matter what insurance company takes the call for you.

 

[REWahoo]

nwsteve, no you don't have to be a member of FMCA or any other assn. to purchase CoachNet service. However, if you are a member of FMCA or several other RV assns, you will get a discount.

Travelover, if you need a tow out in the boonies, yes, you will get the local guy - provided he's got a tow truck capable of towing your RV. Folks like CoachNet are supposed to know what's needed to do the job and, if necessary, call someone else (might take a while to get there) rather than send someone who arrives and says "I cain't tow that dern thang!"

 

[youbet]

Thanks for the comments everybody!

I'm researching CoachNet now. But I have a question...... Since my RV is only a hard-sided pop-up and we only use it recreationally, we're much more likely to call the towing service for one of our cars without the camper being involved. Does this impact chosing CoachNet? That is, would you select CoachNet if you're more likely to call for an issue with your passenger vehicle than with your RV?

 

[REWahoo]

Youbet, I don't think you need an RV emergency road service for a pop-up. We had a pop-up when our kids were young and I never bothered. Any wrecker that can tow your car should have no trouble also towing the attached trailer.

 

[youbet]

Youbet, I don't think you need an RV emergency road service for a pop-up. We had a pop-up when our kids were young and I never bothered. Any wrecker that can tow your car should have no trouble also towing the attached trailer.

Yeah, I've been thinking about that too. But I want some sort of emergency road service since our destinations tend to be remote and I'm concerned about being able to locate help. (Although I appreciate the tip about Google 411 service from travelover!)

So, this was something I'd been thinking about for a while even before the camper came into our lives. Are you suggesting I need no emergency road service at all or that I select one that doesn't specialize in RV's? There doesn't seem to be too much of a cost advantage to the non-RV brands, at least not amounts that would matter to me.

 

[REWahoo]

Are you suggesting I need no emergency road service at all or that I select one that doesn't specialize in RV's?

Until we got a large RV I never subscribed to AAA or any other emergency road service. With the 1-800-GOOG-411 service I'd be even less likely to think one would be necessary today if I had no RV.

The reason I have CoachNet today is due to the issues I mentioned earlier - need for specialized tow vehicle, etc. Also, since we don't carry a spare tire (too large for me to change it even if we had one), the RV emergency service folks are well-versed in finding the proper size replacement tires and dispatching road service to change them. That shouldn't be an issue for your car or pop-up as you should have spare tires for both and (I assume) are capable of changing a flat.

So, I suppose I'm saying if you don't normally subscribe to AAA or other emergency service, I see no need to do so simply because you are hauling a pop-up camper.

 

[youbet]

Excellent inputs REWahoo. Thanks.

I carry emergency road service insurance on our cars and our F150 (which is the TV for the camper and our kayak hauler) through State Farm and it's very inexpensive. You arrange the tow or service yourself and submit the bill to your agent who cuts you a check. The few times I've used it over the years, it's worked well. But the instances were all local where I knew who to call.

However, as I've been advancing into geezerhood the thought of dropping the spare from under the F150 or of finding a honest service provider for a tow and/or for repair work while far from home seems less appealing. DW and I are becoming hassle intolerant! Then when we picked up the camper, that just added to the concern due to both the additonal hardware (although, as you say, minimal) and the extra miles we'll be driving.

So, that brought me to looking for an emergency service provider. I just don't want to contract with one that turns out to be more of a pita than changing the tire or finding a reputable repair service in Moosebutt, USA myself would be.

I appreciate everyones' comments and inputs.

 

[check6]

Another negative for AAA. My 86 year old mother is a long time member and battery went dead. AAA sent someone out and billed her $144.

I called AAA to protest with no avail. I included quotes from Sears and Battery Plus that were in the $70-$80 range.

 

[braumeister]

Sure, but those were "ordinary" batteries that didn't have the AAA seal of approval!

More seriously, we get enough benefit from AAA maps, tourbooks, and discounts that membership pays for itself IMHO. The road service is just an extra safety cushion that DW appreciates having.

 

[rescueme]

Another negative for AAA. My 86 year old mother is a long time member and battery went dead. AAA sent someone out and billed her $144.

I called AAA to protest with no avail. I included quotes from Sears and Battery Plus that were in the $70-$80 range.

I've called AAA to get a jump on various cars (parked in my garage) and then drove them to Sears for a Diehard replacement.

Assuming I was 86 years of age, needing a new battery, and needed my car, I would have no problem with paying the difference in price from a battery in which I would have had to get by driving to a supplier, waiting till they changed it, and paying gas to get theire.

Of course, that's only my opinion ...

 

[Sarah in SC]

I have the RV Plus from AAA and have used it quite a few times. When you have vehicles as old as ours, it would be foolish not to have road coverage for the whole bunch of them.

I'm pretty sure they lose money on us every year. $131 annual for the RV Plus which covers extended towing as well. I can't imagine trying to change the inside tire on our m/h on the road.

I wouldn't consider any of the RV only ones because we need it for the cars. I also find that the AAA discounts are pretty decent, including 15% off for my SeaTow membership for the old boat's tow coverage.

 

[REWahoo]

I wouldn't consider any of the RV only ones because we need it for the cars.

CoachNet and Good Sam emergency road services cover all the vehicles in your household, including motor homes, trailers, trucks, cars and motorcylcles. I signed up for three years at CoachNet and paid less than $95 per year.

 

[nwsteve]

Visited CoachNet website a couple days ago and they were offering their basic 1 year for 99 and premium for 10 more. Additional discounts for 2 and 3 years. If you look at comparison of basic and premium, looks like most rv needs covered in their "Basic",
Both are about 20 bucks less than my renewal notice on Good Sams road service.
nwsteve

 

[audreyh1]

We use Coach Net for our RV and car. We started with them when we got the big RV. They came through with flying colors when we had serious brake problems with the RV and needed towing including figuring out where we could spend Sunday night before a shop opened. They know what to do for the large motorhomes.

Audrey