Just wondering what your experience has been. I have a RV rider on my policy, but they just say save your receipts and turn them in for reimbursement. I am curious as to how you even know who to call when you are broke down in the middle of no where. It can be even worse if no cell phone service and its after closing time. Not looking for horror stores, just how did you get taken care of. I know many have AAA or Good Sam, is that the best way to go?

Your going to get answers all over the board with this one.I have National General for insurance Good Sam for Roadside Assistance and have had good luck with them. Twice with my RV and twice with my personal vehicles.With Good Sam you contact a call center ( number is on your card ) and give them your situation. They then contact a local tow company to come help you. Wait times may vary based on your location and how busy the tow company is.You pay for the tow and submit receipt for reimbursement.I know you have an RV Rider on your policy, but double check to make sure it covers your specific vehicle. Good Sam switched up RV plans a few years back and the cheapest plan did not cover Motorhomes but covered tow trailers for roadside coverage. It was all over the forums and I think they finally got it figured out.Some RV riders do not include roadside service for RVs, from what I have learned here on the forums that’s why I say to double check your policy.If you don’t have cell service, then that’s a whole different problem. I always have a tow vehicle with me so I can go get help or cell service if needed.

I'm currently using the $22/year roadside service I get with my Progressive insurance. The one towing event I've had so far using it was quite positive, and would have been a "sign and go" experience except that the NY Thruway requires that roadside service must be dispatched by their own dispatchers using only providers with special permits. I did have to pay up front that time, but it only took a few days to get a complete reimbursement from Progressive.

Back in the "old days" before cell phones, you simply raised your hood so others would know you needed help and good samaritans or a police officer would stop and help. Then they would either radio for help or drive to a phone and call for help. That 'system' actually worked but I wouldn't count on the samaritans today, since society is not as civil now. As you are then a sitting target on the side of the road, you must also be prepared to protect yourself from the less civil element that shares our roads.

I preferred the non-insurance co services like AAA or Goodsam because it kept my insurance co from seeing I had any sort of claim.AAA worked ok for me a few times. Once I was at the end of the year's policy period and had a minor issue on truck so just had it towed the 5 miles home rather than fix it in the store parking lot.Once I was out of state and it took 3 days to get a tow truck. They sent 1-ton sized tow trucks (for cars) a few times despite me saying it had to be a big flatbed tow truck. At least I was in a camper. Not the best camping experience either in a noisy parking lot.I finally had a family member come to get me and to tow the trailer while the Truck camper and truck was put on the flatbed and towed to the shop.Yes, they paid for it all, but towing a big rig or camper or having a trailer attached is still mind boggling for tow companies.A lot depends on the willingness of the tow truck driver to do stupid stuff, like tow a truck with a trailer attached to it, or to tow a big class-B using a small tow truck (the tow truck's front wheels were literally coming off the ground that time), or to bring a flatbed tow truck and then tow a trailer at the same time.Be careful. Even though I discussed and was assured by AAA that the policy covered both the truck and the trailer it actually did not one time. I had to pay the driver to tow the trailer as he had the camper on a flatbed.Maybe Goodsam is a better choice in that they are oriented towards RVs moreso than AAA or your ins co.The covdhoax shut me down so I am not traveling non-stop as before so i do not have a road side policy currently.

I use Coach Net. Had one instance. Broke down middle of nowhere. They took care of everything.If i used my regular insurance, I believe I would have to find tow truck company, call, and then get reimbursed.Ajriding, I don't think having a claim for towing would impact your insurance rates. At least not with any insurance company I've ever had. Neither does having a claim for cracked windshield.Mike

Broke down on the road, what's your insurance experience?

olfarmer
Explorer II
Dec 26, 2021
We have Good Sam ERS. Motor home broke down at the Badlands, S.D. They towed us 75 miles to Rapid City to a big RV dealer (no charge). They checked it out and replaced a fuse, test drove it charged us $100 and sent us on our way. Two days later in Montana the same thing happened. I called and they said they would send a tow but we would have to pay as it was a pre-existing condition. I complained because they had towed us to a place that did not fix the problem and they said I could appeal but I would have to pay at the time. I appealed when we got home and they paid 100% in full. I am very satisfied! The second time was a Sunday evening and they towed us to a campground and then towed us to a Chevy dealer the next morning.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Dec 25, 2021
covered wagon wrote:
My insurance couldn't help me when I was stranded 1:30 am along I-5. Because I only had cash they admitted they couldn't get their cut shared with the towing company because I had no credit cards. They were good enough to give me 3 local towing company phone numbers. I got a deal for that cash and the guy came in 10 mins. He was after mine in a jiffy.

Lol. Was this in the 1970s, or you just don’t carry credit cards ?
JoeH
Explorer III
Dec 25, 2021
Walaby wrote:
I use Coach Net. Had one instance. Broke down middle of nowhere. They took care of everything.

If i used my regular insurance, I believe I would have to find tow truck company, call, and then get reimbursed.

Ajriding, I don't think having a claim for towing would impact your insurance rates. At least not with any insurance company I've ever had. Neither does having a claim for cracked windshield.

Mike

A couple weeks ago we had a water pump failure on US 1 going into the Keys. A very busy, narrow road. I was only able to get over about 5 feet from the traffic lane. I have been a Coach Net member for 25 years and now was the time to call them. Long story short, it took 29 hours for them to get me towed out. The first truck they sent looked at our class A and said he wasn't able to tow it. The second truck that came , said the same thing. Finally after 29 hours, they sent a 3rd truck that was able to get us off the side of the road. Oh yeah, don't believe their 24x7 claim. I originally called in at 2:30 p.m. and after teh second tow truck left without being able to help, the coach net rep said they would wait until the next morning ( 08:00) before resuming a search for a service provider. Now, we were just outside of Miami, so it's not like we were in the boondocks.
Very disappointed in coach net.
covered_wagon
Explorer
Dec 24, 2021
My insurance couldn't help me when I was stranded 1:30 am along I-5. Because I only had cash they admitted they couldn't get their cut shared with the towing company because I had no credit cards. They were good enough to give me 3 local towing company phone numbers. I got a deal for that cash and the guy came in 10 mins. He was after mine in a jiffy.
garyp4951
Explorer III
Dec 24, 2021
We had Good Sam ERS, and broke down in Tupelo MS in 2017, It took 2 hours in 100 degree heat on the side of the interstate for them to get someone there.

Happy ending, after being towed to a rv park and truck to a dealer, we toured Elvis's birth house, and wife said we are getting a new truck.
mgirardo
Explorer
Dec 22, 2021
We had a positive experience with AAA Plus with RV. We've had AAA for 25+ years and the RV add-on for about 10 years. We got rid of the RV add-on when we started camping seasonally and the TT stayed at the campground. There were a couple times where we had to wait up to a few hours, only once more than 2 hours. That one long wait time was because the only driver AAA could find that could handle a family of 4 (with a booster seat and a car seat) was at the Jersey Shore and we were outside Philadelphia, after coming down the Commodore Barry Bridge. After calling AAA we contacted Coachnet as it came free for 1 year with the HTT we just recently bought and they found the same exact guy, but Coachnet would only take us to the nearest Chevy dealer. AAA took us the 80 miles or so to Hershey's High Meadow Campground, which was our destination, then he took the van to the Chevy Dealer in town. Only cost us $20 for a tip to the driver.

On the East Coast, AAA is pretty good. We've broken down outside of our AAA Region and did not have trouble getting towed. With AAA Plus or better, the tow truck driver will go off-road if he is comfortable doing so. Outside of the East Coast, I have no experience with AAA.

-Michael
time2roll
Nomad
Dec 22, 2021
Twice in 20+ years I have needed assistance. Called a local and paid cash. That is the end of it.
IDman
Explorer
Dec 22, 2021
Woke up on a Sunday morning near Rawlins, Wyo. with a flat tire on my pickup. Called Coachnet, nice lady took info, called me back in 10 minutes and told me who was coming to fix me up. He didn't even have me unhitch the TT and asked if I wanted the spare put on or if I wanted him to FIX the flat.

He fixed it and he was gone in under an hour. Coachnet called the right guy!
toedtoes
Explorer III
Dec 22, 2021
They will all tow you anywhere if you are willing to pay the difference.
Walaby
Explorer II
Dec 22, 2021
toedtoes wrote:
Honestly, they all have their pros and cons.
1. Good Sam and Coachnet will FIRST find a shop willing and able to take your rig. THEN, only after they confirm that, will they then locate a tow truck to get you there. This can cause delays.

My breakdown was at night, in the rain. Coachnet towed me home. That said, I was probably 70 miles from home, and they said the nearest repair shop was in my town, so I had them take me home vice the shop. They did tell me that they would have to charge me if there was a difference. They did use the nearest shop policy, but the dealership was already closed, so there was no way for them to get a confirmation that they would accept my truck. I was out in the middle of absolute nowhere, and fortunately did still have cell service.

I got the impression they would have towed me anywhere I wanted to go, as long as I was willing to pay the difference. Good thing there wasn't a shop closer.

Mike