Extended warranty

For me, and extended "warranty" isn't necessarily a bad thing. If they worked like they are supposed to. I know some folks will say they are not worth it, that they owned their RV for X number of years and never had a problem. This is true, but I view an extended "warranty" as I would health insurance. If you never have to use the health insurance, was it a waste of money to have health insurance?

For me, the rub comes in for 2 reasons. 1) They are usually way over priced, a nice profit center for the selling dealer. 2) Almost all of the stories I've read on the various RV boards I frequent, indicate these "warranty" companies do every thing in their power to deny coverage.

That's why I would never pay for a 3rd party "warranty".

Omrod wrote:
Unlike most of the other folks I got it and it has paid off. My first real TT was a North Trail and I had to replace both axles, at different times. It cost me a couple thousand plus a few other things that went wrong. Now I have a Salem Hemisphere and I got the extended (5 yrs.) warranty ($1,500) at the time of purchase. That unit is being repaired right now at a truck alignment shop with frame and spring issues. Total estimate is about $2,900 and the warranty company is paying $2,650. We also replaced the AC with the extended warranty that cost me fifty bucks. We put about 6,800 miles on the camper every year. So it has worked for us and it is nice to know we have it if something does happen.

I have the same unit, a couple years younger. Could you please expand on the frame and spring issues, as well as the A/C problem? Thank You

Unlike most of the other folks I got it and it has paid off. My first real TT was a North Trail and I had to replace both axles, at different times. It cost me a couple thousand plus a few other things that went wrong. Now I have a Salem Hemisphere and I got the extended (5 yrs.) warranty ($1,500) at the time of purchase. That unit is being repaired right now at a truck alignment shop with frame and spring issues. Total estimate is about $2,900 and the warranty company is paying $2,650. We also replaced the AC with the extended warranty that cost me fifty bucks. We put about 6,800 miles on the camper every year. So it has worked for us and it is nice to know we have it if something does happen.

Long Answer: A warranty of any kind is only as good as the company issuing it. If you are unfamiliar with the kind of quality that RV companies build, you need to read some more.

Short Answer: no.

Qualified Answer: maybe, depending on who sold it to you. On our first TT (incidentally a Rockwood also) I had an electrical issue shortly after warranty expired (factory had OBVIOUSLY installed breaker in a very unsafe manner). My local independent small dealer fixed it without question and apologized for my trouble. So, again, it depends on the rep/honesty of who you are dealing with.

myredracer wrote:

MitchF150 wrote:
Just bought a new 2019 TT..

Great! But what is it? I assume you got a good "last year" model price that cinched the deal?

Yes I did.. It's a Rockwood 2511S. I posted it here a few days ago.

https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/29935138/gotomsg/29942157.cfm#29942157

As far as the deal goes, for me, it was a great deal, but I'm sure someone would say they could get a better deal.. ha, ha..

In the end, I'm happy and I'm paying the bill, so that's all that counts! :)

I got more than triple the amount on my trade in alone than I thought I would get, so that all by itself made it a great deal! Now, I don't have to have total strangers call me and arrange for a visit to my house to look at my trailer and know where I live..

Lets just say I thought I'd only get around 2 grand trade for it...

In the end, it's parked next to my house right now, and for an old fart, I feel like a teenager getting the keys to the family car for the first time again!

Mitch

MitchF150 wrote:
Just bought a new 2019 TT..

Great! But what is it? I assume you got a good "last year" model price that cinched the deal?

Just bought a new 2019 TT after 16 years of owning my first brand new one.. Was offered the 7 yr extended warranty for $1500 on both units.. I declined at the time of signing the paperwork both times, but asked if I could buy later on and they said yes for up to 10 months after..

Figure I'll see what the first 6 or so months shows and go from there. (never would have used it on the old 2003 Prowler, as it's been a great rig.. Jury is still out on the 2019 Rockwood!)

But, in the end, it's up to you to determine what works best for YOU..

In the end, I'd rather have zero issues with any product I buy and if I did buy the extended warranty, and I had no issues, then at least I didn't have to deal with all the hassles of dealing with warranty issues!

The pay off is whatever you feel was worth the cost.. If you have a TON of issues and have to take the rig in every other day for warranty work, sure.. You got your monies worth on the warranty... But, in the end, you have a POS rig that you have to deal with all that warranty work with..

Or, you pay for the X warranty.. You never have to make a claim... Humm... Peace of mind over having to deal with a POS rig???

Your choice...

Good luck!

Mitch

If you have money to burn and don't know one end of a screwdriver from the other, spend the $$.

Otherwise read the fine print in close detail. Typically things that don't break are covered and things that do, aren't. Best thing is to stock up on some basic tools and some spare supplies (plumbing fittings, electrical connectors, screws, tape, etc., etc.) and fix things yourself.

Even if something is covered, your TT could sit on the dealers lot for many weeks while they fix it to suit their schedule, not yours. Not good in the height of the camping season. And too many dealers are inept and can't fix things properly it at all, even if you tell them what is wrong. (BTDT too many times.) Doesn't matter if it's the factory warranty or extended warranty. If you happen to be far away from home in the middle of nowhere, you're going to have trouble getting to a dealer that will work on it - another reason to have some tools with you. You just never know what will go wrong while you're away on a trip, and it does.

I'd keep your $$ and buy some nice RV accessories instead. :) Or put it towards a good roadside policy. What would happen if your TV broke down far away from home? Would towing be covered for the TT and/or TV? Not something we thought about much until recently when the engine in our truck blew up 5 hours from home.

The insurance policy we had at first was a premium one with some nice extras. If any appliance needed repairs, the TT manufacturer's warranty (2 year) was doubled, so we got 4 year's worth of warranty on appliances. Never once had a single issue with them and never needed the extended period. No wonder they can do that. Appliances aren't something that routinely break.

My answer to the dealer asking about an extended warranty is “if you thing I need one then I don’t want your product if it won’t last very long.

The house almost always wins. Odds are, you will not recoup the entire purchase price of the warranty, especially if you roll it into your financing. Make sure you know what it will really cost you when you do the math. They may tell you "It's only $20 a month"- sure; over the course of the 10 or 12 years that you finance, and the warranty is usually only valid for four or five years after the manufacturer's one year. Also remember that many components such as the A/C, furnace, etc have two year warranties.