RV warrantys worth the $$ ??

gbopp wrote:
Get a copy of the policy and read the exclusions before you spend any money.

Bought our camper in 2006. It was pre-owned and three years old at that point. First RV purchase and got talked in to the $1400 extended warranty.... "As a new RV owner, it would really suck for you to have something go wrong...."

The camper was (and still is) kept inside a heated shop. It is only out when being used. Fifteen months after purchase I discovered the camper had extensive dry-rot in the wings. I suspect the dealer knew about it when he sold it to me.

Discovered the hard way that water damage, regardless of cause, is not covered in the extended warranty. The RV dealer (Curtis Trailers in Portland, OR) wouldn't even return my call when I asked for his help. Needless to say I have a rather dim view of RV dealer ethics as a result.

(The full story was written years ago and posted to RV.net at: link).

-Eric

camperdave wrote:
These warrantee companies are not in the business of losing money.

The answer. They are not in it for your benefit. They are in it for theirs. Take that money you would have spent on a warrantee & set up your own personal maintenance fund. Bet that fund grows especially if you do the simple stuff yourself. YouTube is your friend.

Are they worth the money... Well I went with an extended warranty for one year because I blew an engine (7,000 dollars for a used replacement, Insurance covered) now this engine was 10 years old and was actually murdered (Well Engineslaughter) by a road hazard. not a natural death, which is why insurance covered.

But with a used engine and short on funds (I still had to deductible and a few other things) I went with an extended warranty. Cost me over 1,000 dollars.

So Id have spent, in 10 years. about 15,000 dollars for a 7,000 repair.

I dropped it after the first year.. At that time I was happy that the new engine is working nearly as well as the old (if not as well) slight difference in MPG may be due to other considerations. (Like age of RV)

I can tell you though. Tons of fun (not) replacing the engine. Good mechanic though (Xtreme auto, Townsend GA) he sounds and acts a bit.. Slow.. but he's sharp as I've ever seen I'd give him highest marks.

IF you can get an extended 'warranty' FROM the RV MFG.......Maybe

But these 'other warranties' are NOT warranties they are Service Contracts with very long exclusion sections

Somebody pays $4000 for one ...has an engine failure and company shells out $6000 plus for engine repairs/replacement.
How can they possibly make a profit let alone stay in business :S

Look up the financial report of any of these 'warranty' companies....they are flush with cash :H

Do the math. How does the company providing the warranty make money?

luberhill wrote:
Are any of the warrantys worth the money ? I can do a lot of work myself but if something major goes like engine, tranny, rearend, fridge...just asking

As with all "insurance", it is a sucker bet. You are betting that you will have enough problems that are covered by the Policy that you won't lose money on the deal. The Company is betting that they will get your money (the premiums), and seldom, if ever, have to pay you anything.
Guess who always makes a profit? That's right, the COMPANY! They absolutely must make a profit to stay in business.
As stated, READ the policy (contract) and make sure you understand what will and will not be covered. If you don't like it, don't sign it.
Good luck.

These extended warranties are really an insurance product. The standard rule is never to buy insurance on anything you can easily replace yourself. That is why you buy insurance on your house but not on your leaf blower.

So to answer your question: can you easily afford a major repair? If yes, the forget about any warranty you purchase. If no, then buy the product to keep your RV from being a yard ornament.

luberhill wrote:
Are any of the warrantys worth the money ? I can do a lot of work myself but if something major goes like engine, tranny, rearend, fridge...just asking

When the big stuff fails they don't always pay according to many posts.
Best to just hang onto your cash and add a bit every year to prepare for the 'big one'.

Piece of mind is money in the bank, your bank.

MitchF150 wrote:
"Worth it" can be a subjective term.... You pay X amount for this extended coverage (insurance) and then nothing goes wrong with your rig.. Did you waste your money?

Or, you get more than double back on your insurance coverage in repairs... (assuming they even cover them)

How much trouble was it having all those things break and you having the have them fixed and such..

If you need peace of mind, get the extra coverage. Hopefully, you never need to use it, because I'm sure it's a lot more of a pain to have to deal with claims than it is to not have to claim anything at all in the first place..

I have life insurance coverage on myself for my family's sake.. I sure don't want to have them collect on it anytime soon, that's for sure! ;)

It's all relative..

Just make sure you read the fine print and know exactly what steps you have to take to make a claim..

Good luck!

Mitch

X2

Its been worth it for us but that really depends on the coverage and the cost. Do not pay the full retail asking price for the warranty!! Dealer started out at over $3000. Said no and they kept lowering it. I accepted at $1400. Thats how much markup they have!

Ours is thru XtraRide which is accepted nationwide at most reputable RV shops and dealer service centers. So far they've repaired the toilet, A/C, tank valve and awning. It's paid for itself.