Breakdown

The best you can do is to make sure your RV and vehicle is in excellent condition before your trip - tires, oil change, etc. You can't do any more.

Have some kind of roadside insurance in case anything major happens and they will tow you to the nearest repair facility for repair. Then you'll have to make a vacation out of waiting for your repair. We've never found a facility that wouldn't let you stay in your RV overnight while repairs are being made. Some roadside insurance allows for a rental car or motel, if needed.

During your days pack a cooler, your laptop, meds, books and whatever you may need and head for a park for a relaxing day. You can also go to the movies, museums, malls, area siteseeing, etc. If the repair facility knows you're not near home they'll most likely get to your problem ASAP. In our 16 years of full-timing and constant travel we've never heard of anyone truly stranded. Inconvenienced maybe but not stranded. :)

Bottom line - you'd get through it just fine. There are millions of travelers out there and many are going cross-country. You just can't worry about everything. Enjoy the trip even if it's cut short.

The first time we were actually stranded by a break down was a starter failure. We got the truck into Lexington Truck Sales. Could not get a new starter until the next day, The dealer let me use a yard mule to move the fiver near the building where we could plug in and we spent the night in the dealer's yard.

Another time we had a broken spring on the fiver and it took several days just to figure out the correct parts needed. Spent a week in an RV Park in Huntington, VA. that time.

Pretty easy to adapt when you have your house with you. Sometimes one has to spend extra time waiting out the weather. Granted flexibility is tougher when you are vacation traveling with limited time, but you do your best.

The important thing is to relax and enjoy yourself, get a good road service policy and worry about solving the problems if and when they occur.

Old-Biscuit wrote:
What would you do if traveling in a car and it broke down and was unrepairable?

Cut the OP some slack. New to the forums; just joined today. Maybe a new RVer. Legitimate question. Sarcasm not necessary.

If it's catastropic failure I would just buy another truck/trailer and continue on my trip unless unable health wise. I drive older vehicles so that is always a concern on a long trip. I try to keep everything well maintained to avoid problems.

For freedom from worry get coverage that will tow you to the nearest repair facility. That's what I've done and only needed it once but it worked out beautifully. That is except for the repair bill. lol

when I had a 84 sunrader which never quit on me, I always had to have contingency plans in mind when I'm traveling 4+ hours from home, so I thought the best I can do when I'm stuck with a catastrophic failure far from home, was to sell it on the spot for what it's worth and come home in a cab or call a friend: so, I always carried the title to the unit ready to part with it if the situation called for it.

It will always be repairable, unless its all smashed up in an accident. If it is smashed up, leave it there, a wrecking yard will take it, and you send them the title when you get home. If not, have enough money to repair a worse case problem, or the ability to get it, and have it repaired.

It is a whole different story if it is not paid off. If insurance does not completely cover it, it will still be in a wrecking yard, and you may still be making payments. IMHO,have a savings account with enough money in it to allow worry free travel. That's what we do, and we drive a 1998 MH, and understand your concern.

My roadside assistance allows up to 200 miles tow to the location of my choice. Beyond that distance, I'm on my own to pay so-much-a-mile.

I try to leave town with everything in the best shape possible, so most "emergencies" will hopefully not be so catastrophic that it'd be cheaper to take it all home than to just get it fixed while out there.

What would you do if traveling in a car and it broke down and was unrepairable?

U-haul.