Is Roadside assistance worth it?

[kfp673]

Hello All,

My wife has had a AAA standard policy for a long time. I dont think it covers the travel trailer as well. Is adding an RV policy through AAA or Good Sam worth it? We used to do most of our camping within 2-300 miles from home, but over the past 3 years we have started doing 1000+ mile trips each year. I think if there was a tire blow out I would likely change it myself, but anything other than that it would certainly be nice to have assistance.

Roadside assistance in general is always mixed reviews so what are your thoughts and suggestions around travel trailer coverage?

Thanks

[BarneyS]

I have Good Sams ERS and have only had to use it one time. On the way back home from spending the winter in Florida a few years ago, I accidentally put a whole tank of gasoline into my diesel truck. I realized it when I looked at my receipt after paying.

Called GS and they sent a truck to take me about 40 miles away to drain the tank and purge the lines. They also offered to tow my trailer to a campground or other safe place but the Flying J said I could leave it there.

The tow truck arrived within 1/2 hour of my initial call, and GS operator called back twice to make sure I was being taken care of. I did not have to pay a cent nor did I even have to sign anything. About 5 hours later, we were on the road again.

In my opinion, they did a great job and I could not have been more pleased with the service. I would not travel without some kind of ERS for both the truck and RV.
Barney

[Finally_Time]

I got stuck in the mud on the Navajo Reservation. Closest big rig towing service Coachnet could find was more than two hours away. Two very nice men with a gigantic tow truck arrived disconnected my car (the tow bar release was jammed), hooked up the coach and pulled it out of the mud, reconnected the car, had me sign a form and went on their way. They did confirm they were the only big tow company within three hours of my location and said they had a lot of experience pulling rigs out of Arizona's red mud. I have a hunch that service would have cost me a lot more than the $125 annual membership I paid for Coachnet.

[Gulfcoast]

My insurance company will pay $100 on a towing bill. If the wrecker charges $600... I would owe $500. If you use your insurance co for towing, you might want to read the fine print. My policy says TOWING, just not how much towing.

[drsteve]

wnjj wrote:

MDKMDK wrote:
Only when you need it.
I've had GSERS for over 10 years and no complaints.

Is that pronounced “geezers?” Sorry, I couldn’t resist. :B

LOL!

[wnjj]

MDKMDK wrote:
Only when you need it.
I've had GSERS for over 10 years and no complaints.

Is that pronounced “geezers?” Sorry, I couldn’t resist. :B

[Cummins12V98]

Nice to have CHOICES! BUT, I have read MANY posts about going thru their special roadside assistance and waiting forever. I look up and go by ratings and when they can come out. Good insurance Company will reimburse well before bill is due.

[Dutch_12078]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
I have towing coverage on my trucks, auto, Motorcycle and RV. I simply call who I want and then email the receipt to my agent and I have a check in a few days. I have complete control of who I get. Towing is dirt cheap to add to a policy.

When I call Coach-Net for assistance with any of my vehicles, it's a simple "sign and drive" deal. No cash or credit out of my pocket, and no waiting for reimbursement. And they know who in the area has the right equipment for my situation.

[Cummins12V98]

I have towing coverage on my trucks, auto, Motorcycle and RV. I simply call who I want and then email the receipt to my agent and I have a check in a few days. I have complete control of who I get. Towing is dirt cheap to add to a policy.

[drsteve]

MitchF150 wrote:

The only time I ever broke down while towing I was on the interstate in northern MI. Called 911

You actually called 911 for this???

Wow...

Just Wow.

Not gonna say anymore so I don't get banned...

Just Wow...

Mitch

Um, yeah... and in fact, they didn't mind at all. Didn't tell me to call a different number, just offered me a couple of choices of towing service. Are you saying it's not an emergency to be broke down on the side of the freeway, with small kids, in a rural area, with no idea who to call? This was 25 years ago. If it happened today, I'd just Google tow service and be done with it, but that wasn't an option at the time.

[BarabooBob]

I have had Good Sam Roadside Assistance for many years. I have used it 2 times, none of them RV or travel trailer related. My wife slide off the road during a snow storm, I called GS and got a quick response from them. For some reason we got a recovery truck from over 50 miles away even though there are 5 companies within 10 miles. Her car was back on the road in about an hour.
The other tie I used it was to get my truck hauled to the local Ford dealer because the driveshaft support bearing failed. This was not an emergency but one of the local companies arrived within 40 minutes.
We frequently go west of Wisconsin to the Rockies, Grand Canyon etc. Towing there can be a long distance and very expensive. We did have an RV but now have a truck and TT. I spend the money on the insurance. GS covers every vehicle and trailer that we own.

[MitchF150]

Here was the original post. Page 2.

drsteve wrote:
The only time I ever broke down while towing I was on the interstate in northern MI. Called 911, told them I needed a tow truck and was pulling an RV. The guy showed up, put my TV on his flatbed and hooked the trailer to his hitch, hauled me to a repair place, charged me $125 bucks. My basic towing plan that comes with the auto insurance paid $100. I was happy.

If I owned a 40' DP that required a huge, expensive wrecker, and perhaps a long and costly trip to a heavy repair facility, I'd definitely have a specialized RV road service plan.

[Grit_dog]

^Someone erase their post?

I can't imagine that either, but where's the post, do you know the context?
Broke down, left lane, freeway, no shoulder? First call is to 911 to get a cop or 2 to direct traffic for my safety and others on the road.

[MitchF150]

The only time I ever broke down while towing I was on the interstate in northern MI. Called 911

You actually called 911 for this???

Wow...

Just Wow.

Not gonna say anymore so I don't get banned...

Just Wow...

Mitch

[kfp673]

Thanks everyone. Great info!

[DownTheAvenue]

kfp673 wrote:
Is adding an RV policy through AAA or Good Sam worth it?

It is an insurance policy, only worth it when you need it.

Having said that, AAA is not a good choice for RVs, as they are comprised of individual "clubs" and what your club contracts with you may not be what another club in a different geographical area from yours can do. Good Sam is not, in my opinion, the best choice for roadside service. When they are good, they are very good, but they fail miserably at times and leave their customer stranded without concern. Just read the posts on this forum! Coach Net seems to offer far superior service.