Roadside assistance?

[booten]

Ok I know this has been ask many times, but I'm going to ask again..

We are looking to get some roadside assistance insurance. Who is the best Good Sam's or Coach net?

[Dog_Folks]

Jim@HiTek wrote:
Not surprised at that, Dog Folks. I haven't paid GS much attention the last 5 years or so.

My biggest complaint about GS is the TONS of junk mail they start sending you as soon as you've signed up for anything from them. Their roadside assistance program brings you flurries of solicitations for their various products.



But I digress. I did once have GS roadside assistance and the times I used them, they didn't seem to know what the heck they were doing. In one case I had to explain that a 37' Class A is too heavy for the tow truck they sent out. I wasn't exactly sure the gal even knew what a Class A was!........

.......All he had was tiny tow truck and a few useless tools. And I'd told GS specifically what equipment was needed for the job.

Stuff like that has never happened with Coach Net.

I have had and used both Coach Net and Good Sam. It really is all about your location and the service provider they dispatch. Some are good and some are bad.

I am NOT sticking up for God Sam but I have been a member for many years, and don't receive any of their junk mail. (Shhhhhh don't tell anyone.)

I am very careful about check boxes on all sites I visit, so make sure I am not agreeing/requesting additional products.

IMHO Good Sam and Coach Net are about equal.

[Jim]

Not surprised at that, Dog Folks. I haven't paid GS much attention the last 5 years or so.

My biggest complaint about GS is the TONS of junk mail they start sending you as soon as you've signed up for anything from them. Their roadside assistance program brings you flurries of solicitations for their various products.

Took 2 years of stuffing all their junk mail into their postage paid envelopes and sending them back with a big NO across the signup cards to get it to finally stop.

Not a big fan of any GS product.

But I digress. I did once have GS roadside assistance and the times I used them, they didn't seem to know what the heck they were doing. In one case I had to explain that a 37' Class A is too heavy for the tow truck they sent out. I wasn't exactly sure the gal even knew what a Class A was!

In another case, I just needed some lug nuts tightened because a tire shop only set them at 125 ft-lbs instead of the 450 ft-lbs they needed and they popped loose on the road...they sent out a kid with no tools, no lug nut sockets, no impact gun, no air compressor. Didn't even have a breaker bar. All he had was tiny tow truck and a few useless tools. And I'd told GS specifically what equipment was needed for the job.

Stuff like that has never happened with Coach Net.

[Dog_Folks]

Jim@HiTek wrote:
I'll give the ultimate reason to use CoachNet instead of Good Sam.

Good Sam is owned by the Walton family. Dun dun duuunnnnnnn.

(So is this web site, so is Camping World).

Wrong. 97% is owned by private equity investor Stephen Adams

[Jim]

I'll give the ultimate reason to use CoachNet instead of Good Sam.

Good Sam is owned by the Walton family. Dun dun duuunnnnnnn.

(So is this web site, so is Camping World).

[Executive45]

FORD or CHEVY..:h

[mhbell]

catkins wrote:
Coach-Net - I have had to use them four times. Every provider has issues with local service folks BUT Coachnet has never failed me.

No one provider is perfect but I will stick with CN. I hope we never "need" them again but will never leave home without roadside coverage that I can count on.

May you never need to call yours!

Good Sam has been good and I would never leave home in a RV without it. Blown tire Lordsburg NM. Stuck in Mud Elko NV. Wiped out side of 5th wheel and tore out axles In camp ground 90 miles north east of Elko NV. Engine quit I-84 Off ramp Twin Falls Idaho towed to ford garage. Lost fuel pump pulling hill between SLC Ut and Ogden Ut towed to Garage. The only time I had trouble and GS refused was when I blew a tire on a utility/ATV trailer. They offered to call a tow truck but would not pay. They have a clause in contract they will not cover a utility trailer. The use I have had out of GS has been well worth it in the 15 plus years I have had Good Sam. It has paid for itself many times over.

[catkins]

Coach-Net - I have had to use them four times. Every provider has issues with local service folks BUT Coachnet has never failed me.

One was a breakdown near Hyder, Alaska. CN sent a flatbed truck 250 miles to haul us 350 miles to a repair facility. Driver said is was a $2000plus haul and that was in 2008! I figure that one tow was worth about 18 years of premiums. Other times needed a tire changed, a tow because all coolant leaked out, and when a key jammed in the key slot and no-go situation. All in different states.

I have used their 24/7 tech line numerous times and they have assisted me with getting an appointment when on the road and don't know where to go. I do have the higher level coverage now that covers all cars and a small utility trailer with the ATVs when in AZ.

No one provider is perfect but I will stick with CN. I hope we never "need" them again but will never leave home without roadside coverage that I can count on.

May you never need to call yours!

[Jim]

CN saved my butt several times. Blown tire in the middle of remote Canada, got stuck in deep dirt in a state park in Utah, high centered on a parking lot slope where my rears dropped into a too deep service access hole, engine froze up on a hill...

The big one, where it probably cost CN lots of $$$$, was when my engine blew in Winslow. CN hired a flatbed tow vehicle that carried my rig to the diesel shop of my choice in Flagstaff!

[Bucky1320]

LVJ58 wrote:
Been with Coach-Net for many years haven't had to use them yet...

This would be common I would think. I wonder if a person added up all the premiums, how many tows they could pay for in cash? I have been tempted to sign up for one, but I would probably strangle someone if I waited a couple hours and no wrecker had yet been contacted.

[gemert]

Effy wrote:
Coach net. They are the only service I know of that will go out of their network and operate 24/7/365 to ensure to get you a responder. Ask me how I know. GS will only stay in network so if you are in an area with no GS responders - too bad and I don't think they keep 24/7/365 hours, and AAA has separate sub networks that often don't play nice with each other. You might belong to an AAA but you may not belong to the areas you're traveling AAA. They are different. Coachnet also covers all your vehicles - not just your RV, any time, anywhere.

Long story short, late on a Sunday near Pittsburg our toad broke down 50 miles from the CG. Coachnet couldn't find any tow in their network available. Did they quit and say sorry? No. They started going through the yellow pages until they found a driver and paid him on the spot, what he charged. Kept me apprised of the situation every few minutes. Tow was free to me and the driver said it's the best coverage he's seen. He said he avoids GS calls because they negotiate his rate down and pay him monthly instead of immediately. Said they are a hassle to deal with. He said he's in the Coachnet network now and favors them over GS or AAA.

We lost all air on our way down a Mountain in Virginia on I77 a week or so ago. GS couldn't find us a road service provider that could respond in less than 3 hours. They went out of their way and arranged an out of network service that responded within 45 minutes. Very happy.

[falconbrother]

We use Good Sam. I wouldn't leave my neighborhood without roadside assistance. I'm cheap on a lot of things but, I seriously would not travel in an RV without it.

[JFC]

I agree that it's the luck of the draw if you get help. Have had GS for 13 years and used it once 12 years ago until this week end. I was in a rest area and had a slide problem, needed help to get slide in to continue. Called GS. After 20 minutes of describing my location and the problem, which I clearly stated I needed help to retract the slide, I was put on hold while the clerk "consulted her RV technician". She came back and said "you need a mobile mechanic" however, we don't have any that work week ends. If you call back on Monday, we'll be glad to schedule an appointment for you. So much for 24/7 roadside assistance. I was able to recruit help and did not need to spend a day waiting for GS.

[Jim]

I have had both GS and Coach Net. And CN is by far the more competent. They have service techs available to help over the phone.

GS often doesn't seem to even know the difference between a Teardrop trailer and a 40' Class A.

Neither service is perfect of course but I'll stay with CN after having experience with both.

As far as AAA? I've read so many complaints about them I wouldn't even consider their service. The biggest complaint is spotty service coverage and service times. Leaving motorists stranded overnight for instance.

[roxy13019]

We have Coach-Net. About a month ago we broke down on the Ohio Turnpike. It took over 4 hours, but we finally got towed to a garage. Tow company wouldn't accept Coach-Net's credit card over the phone for payment (only accept cash, physical credit card or AAA on turnpike). So we had to pay for tow (ouch) and Coach-Net said to send receipt for reimbursment consideration. I spoke to them on the phone today and they received my receipt on 6/8, it's not done processing yet, but when it is done processing I should receive my check 30-45 days after that. The tow truck driver did tell us that they don't accept Coach-Net because Coach-Net does not like to pay. Guess he wasn't wrong about that.