Roadside Assistance Companies
I need to purchase a plan, and Good Sam's plans are 50% off for new members, which I would be. (July 4th sale, it says, ending soon). I researched this a year ago, and it seems that many were satis...
Forum Discussion
First - NONE of the roadside assistance plans have their own field service people. ALL of them contract with the same groups of tow trucks/ companies to provide the on-site assistance.
If you are somewhere like the middle of I-10 in western New Mexico or I-70 in eastern Utah - you are going to get the same tow truck no matter which assistance plan you have.
If you are on I-5 near Sacramento or I-19 in Georgia - you might get a different truck depending upon the company.
Coach-Net is the only company which employs people with RV technical experience to help with guidance for problems. All the others use general call centers. At one time a few years ago, Good Sam, Allstate, AAA and State Farm all used the SAME call center.
Dispatch times are the biggest complaint. People have to be reasonable about what they expect.
If you are in east Texas with a problem on a Sunday morning, you may have to wait until the independent tow truck operator gets out of church before he/ she responds.
If you are in heavy traffic on a hot holiday weekend on I-95 in Florida, your call might be far down the list with the tow company getting calls by the dozens.
It's the same thing with a car as an RV, in very busy times for tow trucks, it takes a while for them to get to you.
When we were campground hosts at Big Bend NP, it was 140 miles to Alpine, TX for the nearest tow truck which worked with roadside assistance. There were a couple tow trucks in Terlinqua, but they only worked for cash. Heck, it was so remote that On-Star could not even find a new car to unlock it.
Second - REVIEW THE DETAILS of the individual plan.
Almost all providers offer different level plans. The cheapest plans are worth exactly what you pay for them - almost nothing.
Always go for the highest level of service possible, no matter what the costs. One long distance tow with no plan for an RV can end up costing over $1,000. And be wary of the tow truck driver, especially if he wants to tow your rig.
Too many horror stories of drivers towing a heavy dually with a long 5er attached at 60+ mph on rough roads. The tow truck works on a flat rate. He/she wants to be finished with your job as quickly as possible.
If you are somewhere like the middle of I-10 in western New Mexico or I-70 in eastern Utah - you are going to get the same tow truck no matter which assistance plan you have.
If you are on I-5 near Sacramento or I-19 in Georgia - you might get a different truck depending upon the company.
Coach-Net is the only company which employs people with RV technical experience to help with guidance for problems. All the others use general call centers. At one time a few years ago, Good Sam, Allstate, AAA and State Farm all used the SAME call center.
Dispatch times are the biggest complaint. People have to be reasonable about what they expect.
If you are in east Texas with a problem on a Sunday morning, you may have to wait until the independent tow truck operator gets out of church before he/ she responds.
If you are in heavy traffic on a hot holiday weekend on I-95 in Florida, your call might be far down the list with the tow company getting calls by the dozens.
It's the same thing with a car as an RV, in very busy times for tow trucks, it takes a while for them to get to you.
When we were campground hosts at Big Bend NP, it was 140 miles to Alpine, TX for the nearest tow truck which worked with roadside assistance. There were a couple tow trucks in Terlinqua, but they only worked for cash. Heck, it was so remote that On-Star could not even find a new car to unlock it.
Second - REVIEW THE DETAILS of the individual plan.
Almost all providers offer different level plans. The cheapest plans are worth exactly what you pay for them - almost nothing.
Always go for the highest level of service possible, no matter what the costs. One long distance tow with no plan for an RV can end up costing over $1,000. And be wary of the tow truck driver, especially if he wants to tow your rig.
Too many horror stories of drivers towing a heavy dually with a long 5er attached at 60+ mph on rough roads. The tow truck works on a flat rate. He/she wants to be finished with your job as quickly as possible.
