My first experiance using Coachnet

[Jim_Sharon]

I have had Coach net emergency road service since 2006, and have never had to use it. Lucky me.
As a result of not using it, I never really understood how it worked until yesterday.
Now that I know what it does I am less than happy with it. But I suspect that all the other "emergency road service" providers work the same way.

Yesterday, on a camping trip from Annapolis Md., to Dutch country in Pa., I experienced a wheel bearing heating up on my fifth wheel camper.
I managed to pull off the beltway on to a grassy patch between an on ramp and the beltway, so I was safely away from the main road, but I needed to get the bearing replaced/repacked.
So I called Coach net. I figured it was about time I got something back from them.

I explained my problem to a nice lady, and she said a technician would be calling me soon. About 45 minutes later a guy from Texas called me.
I explained my problem to him, and he said a repair man would be calling me within the hour.

About an hour later a guy from Drack Interstar called me ( I don't know where he was located ). I explained my problem to him, and told him what axle I had so the repair man could arrive with the correct bearing. He told me the repair man would be there in an hour to replace the bearing.

By now I have been sitting near the side of the Baltimore Beltway in the hot sun for about 3 hours, but the repair man is on his way thank goodness.
About 3 pm. I called Drack Interstar back to ask where the repair man was. They said he got held up on the last job, but would be there in an hour.
About 4:30 I called Drack Interstar back to see what was wrong.

At first they told me that they were a commercial truck and trailer repair company, and did not work on campers.
When I convinced them that someone had indeed commited to fixing my 5th wheel, after my insurer called them, they put me in touch with the guy I had talked to originally. Good news, He will be there in an hour.

I called back after an hour or so. Went through the same routine with them wanting to know the commercial chassis number of my trailer. Me explaining that it was a recreational camper, but that I was referred to them through my E.R.S. company ( Coach Net ), and eventually talking to the right person.

He explained to me that they did not work on RV's, I explained to him that someone there said that they would, when he said " who did you talk to". I said "Issaah". He said "I am Isaah".

well, we finally got on the same page, he now remembers talking to me
,and put me on hold while he worked this out.
After what seemed like forever, he came back on the phone and told me that the repair man is not coming. He can not get the part.

Issaah explained how sorry he was, and said he would get a different repair person, and he would be there in an hour.....

I tried to remain calm as I told Isaah that I did not believe him.
I said to tear up the contract, or whatever it was, I would handle it myself.

I managed to limp back home on the bad wheel bearing 5 miles at a time.
I was only 25 miles from home, so don't look for a crippled camper on the beltway.

For the people with emergency road service like I have, you should know that the service will likely contact a repair center, who will contact a sub contracting repair provider.
The repair provider is actually working for the repair center, and does not really work for you, so doesn't care much about you.

I suspect that all of the E.R.S. companies work the same way, so it probably doesn't matter if you have Allstate,AAA,Good Sam,Coach Net, or any other ERS.

I think I would have been better off to find my own repair provider, but on the road, there is no way for me to find one.
You guys with smart phones could probably do it easy, bit I have a flip phone, Maybe I should have spent the money on a smart phone instead of ERS....Jim

[Splashers3]

In our 10 years of RVing, we have needed Good Sam's emergency roadside service twice....they are 0 -2 and were nothing but a headache. This last summer, we called as our landing gear broke a shear pin...and we could not leave the camp ground. By the time the GS rep found us a rep, we had the local c/g mobile guy deep into the problem. The tech GS found was about 1.5 hrs away and was charging for mileage Plus a service call and then his time, and couldn't get there til late afternoon - Which we were fixed good enough to travel and on the road before he could have arrived.

The first time we were stranded the story was nearly the same. GS offered us a free year of service when I complained....we are done with GS roadside service....and will take our chances.

Agree, it's priceless when somebody doesn't show.

[I-Can-Am-Can-Yo]

Big Katuna wrote:
A fifty mile tow will be in the $1000 area.

A tow truck that never shows is priceless.

[Big_Katuna]

A fifty mile tow will be in the $1000 area.

[billmac]

I have had Good Sam and Allstate Road Services and paid in over $100 a year for many years. I was not satisfied with either and no longer have road service. It has been over 5 years since I have needed assistance and have saved hundreds.

I am taking my chances and will trust my smart phone and cash/credit card to bail me out in a jamb.

[I-Can-Am-Can-Yo]

Coach-Net refused to send a contractor to change a flat tire for us because we were 'out of the service area'. We were 35 miles east of Columbus, Ohio, the state capitol.

I asked for and received a full refund of my membership without question.

I'll take my chances.

[fj12ryder]

Ozlander wrote:

Jim2007 wrote:
Hi.. sound like to me coach net need to screen their contractors better. I just think that they have responsibility to select good contrator. Jim2007

And how do they do that?

Since this is their business they should make an effort to determine that the people involved operate a reputable business. From what I've see they are not particularly selective about their choices. Maybe they actually need to talk to the people involved.

[Ozlander]

Jim2007 wrote:
Hi.. sound like to me coach net need to screen their contractors better. I just think that they have responsibility to select good contrator. Jim2007

And how do they do that?

[Jim2007]

Hi.. sound like to me coach net need to screen their contractors better. I just think that they have responsibility to select good contrator. Jim2007

[midnightsadie]

your problem lies with the contractor we,ve used coach net three times this year with excellent service. the contractor dropped the ball not CN.

[SailingOn]

I have Good Sam, but my best 'insurance' has been to change a tire and repack the wheel bearings myself, at home, in the shade. A spare bearing set, packed with grease and stored in a peanut butter jar helps my confidence on the road.

[Jim2007]

Hi.. I have had good Sam for over 10 years and used them three times.. I did have to wait a couple. Of hours on one call for help. The other 2 time the service guy showed up with in a hour .... sorry to hear about your poor service.. What did coach net say about the poor service? Jim2007

[Campfire_Time]

darsben1 wrote:
They are all dependent on the service company they dispatch for your problem. Since they all use about the same companies I doubt if you result would ahve been any different with another provider. I am well satisfied with Good Sam Roadside.
But as I related in a post last month I and a few other people ran over something on I80 in NJ. One had AAA, one had insurance coverage and I had Good SAm. The same guy showed up to change all our tires

And that's the bottom line here. Especially if you are away from sizable populations there's only so many towing/repair companies. All the ERS plans use whomever is in the area and if they are busy you wait. If they don't have the skills, tools, or proper equipment, you wait.

[mockturtle]

Obviously, if we have unsatisfactory service from a contractor we need to make sure the insurance carrier is informed. There is some discretion regarding choice in most locations.

[Esacnj]

Maybe the thing to do is let the responding repair Co. know that you want to be sure you get their Co. name correctly. That way you can properly post you experience on the RV forums. I doubt they want a bad report on the forums. And once you have the name you can tell them your intentions (good or bad).