roadside service providers

My insurance company says they pay for towing, but they only pay $100. You might check real closely what yours will pay.

Just to be clear, the travel assist and emergency relocate programs from FMCA are club benefits and the RSA is an additional cost program. So the actual cost of their RSA is $159 a year.

Usual correct terms:

ERS - Emergency Roadside Service (Provider).

Motor Clubs - What tow service operators call the ERS providers.

Who contracts to/with who (whom)? Most tow operators contract with several Motor Clubs.

What to expect: Tow Operators do have "priority" clients. Example:
State highway Patrol, State Troopers, City PD, etc. The "priority" is both the organization - repeat customer.....whether it's to clear a wreck or just a stalled vehicle in a traffic lane.

THEY get the "priority" - you don't. Busy time you may wait. Slow time = short wait.

*If* you can access the TOW (operator) forums - some Motor Clubs are tightwads, some are slow to honor invoices submitted, some will question the service rendered to the Motor Club member by the tow operator.

All these are "variables". The same Tow Operator may provide great service one day (15 min. wait), lousy service the next day (hour -or more- wait).

As noted - urban or rural area? Road conditions - good or bad (lots of accidents that get priority)? Time of day, etc., etc.

Soooooo your job as a consumer of ERS - is to determine which Motor Club is "right" for you!!

What services are available for what YOU drive - do YOU need to be with the vehicle? - Will the ERS Provider tow both *your* vehicles (Ex: a pickup with a TT or 5th wheel). Does the service cover *every* vehicle you might be driving?

Extra charge for multiple call-outs? - during what period of time?

BTW - ALL the major ERS providers (Motor Clubs) are underwritten by
other major companies.

My choices are two you probably never considered:
Primary = US Rider. Intended for folks with horses, but no need to own hay burners or have same with you. Tow whatever you are driving and/or towing. Only company that will tow a trailer with live animals (as in horses).

Secondary ("backup") = American Motorcyclist. $50 per year. M/C ownership not necessary, tow whatever you are driving and/or towing -
with or w/o M/Cs in the pickup or trailer. Nice monthly magazine - whether you want it or not, LOL.

Whichever you choose - CALL 'EM and ask questions. Like - who is the parent company? - *If* they don't have time for you, you shouldn't have time (or $) for them!!

:W

Couple of thoughts:

AAA is not a single organization, but rather a confederation of different automobile clubs. Some of them offer roadside assistance for RVs, some DON'T. I've seen posts from people who've bought RV roadside assistance from, say, TX AAA who discovered that, say, MA AAA not only doesn't offer RV roadside assistance to MA members, they wouldn't help the TX members when they broke down in MA in their RV!

Forget AAA.

If you're planning to do anything more than tooling around the lower 48, say going up the Alcan to Alaska or spending your winter down in Baja Mexico, make sure you understand exactly what kind of coverage - if any - your plan offers under those circumstances.

Most roadside assistance programs require you to call them so they can dispatch a tow truck from their approved list. What happens if you're in the middle of nowhere - no cell service - and the highway patrol has to use their radio to summon the only tow truck for 500 miles? Will the club cover that? Under the best of circumstances, you'll probably have to pay the tow yourself and put in for reimbursement. Will the club reimburse the full amount, or is there a maximum limit, and, if so, how much is it?

Lots of things to think about beyond Who's Cheapest.

I have had good luck with Good Sam E R S. They once towed us 70 miles.

Coach Net for years. First question they ask when you call; are you in a safe place. Too many benefits to mention, medical & the biggest for me they will get the RV home if I am not able.

Major TV break down near Mancos CO, wrecker & 1 ton dully for the 5th wheel from Durango. 5W to RV park, TV to shop in Cortez CO. I asked the driver what it would have cost and was told $900+. Then he asked me to sign the invoice and left. Thank you couch net, that one tow paid for years of service.