TenOC wrote:
After reading the complaints my worry is (1) the time delay in receiving help and (2) the incompetence (poor training) of the person who answers the phone.
1 - Time Delay - that doesn't matter who the Roadside Assistance provider is. All of the companies use almost exactly the same towing service contactors. Yes, the person who actually arrives at your rig is a contractor. Who usually contracts with AAA, Allstate (Good Sam), Coach Net, individual insurance companies, etc. They contract with several.
The Time Delay is dependent upon several factors.
First is where you are located. If you are out on I-10 in west Texas halfway between Fort Stockton and Van Horn it is going to take two to four hours minimum to get someone to your breakdown.
If you are on I-95 in central Florida, you might see someone in 10-15 minutes.
If it is stormy with a lot of small wrecks, it might take a couple hours no matter where you are.
Another factor is which type of rig you have, and type of breakdown.
If you have a pickup, or a Class B van, almost any towing company can assist you. But I once had a problem on a Sunday morning in a location that should have had good service, and three hours later when the truck arrived, I found they did not come as soon as they received the call because they were in church.
If you have a 43 foot Class A that needs a heavy truck tow rig, or an 18 wheeler tire service, it might take a bit longer. Or it might take a bit less - depending upon location. The more rural - the less likely for heavy vehicle services to be available.
It also depends upon the type of breakdown. Since the vast majority are tire issues - the RA company is likely to send a basic tow truck to you to evaluate the needs of the vehicle.
When I had an axle weld break, they send a regular rollback tow truck. The operators quickly told the RA company that they didn't have the equipment available to put the 10,000 lb trailer on a flatbed and haul it to a service location.
2 - Competence of the person on the phone. From my experience with the axle issue - I will say without a doubt Coach Net has better qualified operators available on the phone than Good Sam.
Good Sam would not let me speak directly to the 'RV tech' who kept trying to say my axle could be fixed on site by a tow truck. Coach Net will let me speak directly to the 'RV tech' if I ask.
Lastly - the basic level Roadside Assistance plan offered by CoachNet, GoodSam, AAA and anyone else is insufficient for an RV needs. You need to purchase the top level plan. Because when you need RV specific assistance, that is going to be the best.
