Auto insurance vs good SAMs roadside in general

[CRS001]

So I know this is a loaded question but in general with full coverage auto insurance (AARP/Hartford) and the coverage from Good SAMs Roadside assistance is it worth having both or will the auto insurance provide the coverage to keep us safe on the road?

[eheading]

We have Progressive insurance and have been very happy with their insurance for the motorhome. One year I decided to drop Coach Net and just use the Progressive roadside service. Big mistake!! Had a breakdown in Louisiana and it took over 5 hours to get a tow truck there. Seems that Progressive wouldn't pay the towing companies the going rate. As a result they couldn't get anyone to agree to come out. I ended up resolving my problem without Progressive's help. When I returned home I dropped the Progressive roadside help and went back to Coach Net.

Ed Headington

[CRS001]

Just a follow up to my original question. I did get AARP Hartford on the phone and found out that if my TV is disconnected from my TT nothing is covered. That was enough for me to sign up for the Goos SAMs roadside assist. Thanks for all the input from everyone.

[willald]

I too have Progressive Insurance on our RV. However, like previously said, I am just NOT convinced that they can provide the level of service in the event of a breakdown, that Good Sam ERS, Coachnet, or AAA plus can provide.

Yes, Progressive or other auto insurance policies will re-imburse you for towing and other expenses after the fact. However, will they provide you a 800 number you can call anytime 24/7 nationwide, with someone on the line that can locate an appropriate towing service and repair shop, get them to you and get you taken care of when you're stuck in the middle of nowhere and have no idea who to even call? Do they have an entire network of RV specific providers, vendors, etc. that they can call on for you? Pretty sure the answer is no, in most cases.

..For that reason, I keep Good Sam ERS coverage as well. Have had to use them on two occasions, and they were great both times.

[dbates]

Several years ago I came to the same conclusion that George & Lesley's did and changed from State Farm Insurance to Progressive for my MH with very little change in premium. I still maintain my auto and home coverage with State Farm. I've been blessed that I've never had to use RV road serve but felt I wanted better coverage than State Farm provided and their agent had to agree.

Since I changed to Progressive I’ve had two windshields replaced, substantial tornado damage claims that were handled very satisfactorily and my premiums have changed very little.

Dave

[mgirardo]

CRS001 wrote:
So I know this is a loaded question but in general with full coverage auto insurance (AARP/Hartford) and the coverage from Good SAMs Roadside assistance is it worth having both or will the auto insurance provide the coverage to keep us safe on the road?

You should check with your Auto Insurance agent to find out what exactly they offer. You may find it is very limited. We have AAA Plus with RV as well as our full coverage policy through Geico. One tow by AAA pretty much pays for itself. We don't always use it every year, but there have been years we've used it several times in a year.

-Michael

[georgelesley]

One reason we have Progressive RV ins is because the towing is basically unlimited. The policy says they will tow our RV to the nearest facility that can repair it. Since our RV is based on a Sprinter we consider this important. We have not used this feature, but when we had a flat tire last trip it was quickly replaced without us paying a penny.

[Dance_Chick]

We have RV towing and roadside with our insurance, but we also have Coachnet. I've read too many times that the insurance coverage is usually a bit lacking, so decided not to take any chances. I believe Coachnet was something like $89.00 a yr. My better judgment was telling me to get a "real" RV roadside service.

[rekoj71]

My auto towing insurance has a cap for how much they will pay for a tow. I usually exceed it with just a car tow if it is more than about 5 miles. I'm sure that an RV tow would be way over and most would come out of my pocket. Have to look exactly at your policy and see what the amount covered is. But now that you mention it I think I may look back at my policy too and see if the MH policy would cover a MH tow like the other roadside assistance would, even if it was payback later. I don't mind finding the help myself, just like to have the bills covered.

[DownTheAvenue]

Typically, the auto insurance just pays you back for your costs associated with road service. Services like CoachNet/Good Sam have reps you call who get the service for you and have made arrangements to pay the service provider.

[Moderator]

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