Self insuring vs Roadside Assistance

[ghsebldr]

I know it's a wide open field given all of the different types of RVs there are out there but I'm wondering what folks that have had to pay out of pocket for their own towing,tire replacement, as well as other problems that you would typically use RA for have had to pay.
I have a Class C and am curious what someone with a similar RV has paid for some of the basic services that they have used.
I'm hoping your answers will help me decide about self insuring against break downs and tire service. Thanks

[wannavolunteerF]

A couple of examples:
my son had a flat tire just outside of town, was going to change himself but was having issues removing tire, so called GSERS. they sent someone out within a short while, and they had the impact wrench it took to remove lug nuts.. oh yeah, turned out spare was flat, so they aired it up too. No charge to me and he was on his way to shop to get new tire in a little over an hour.


Was on vacation in Myrtle Beach without TT prior to buying GSRSA. Looked my keys in truck in shopping center parking lot. Took a patient store employee letting me borrow their phone book and about 30-45 minutes of calling to locate someone who would come unlock. Then cost $75 for two minutes of work and they wanted cash. so then I had to go find ATM and get him cash. This was when I made decision to purchase road side assistance.

I chose Good Sam Platinum because it will cover both vehicles and I can be pulling TT or utility trailer. I also have used the Tech Help to trouble shoot an electrical issue on a Sunday morning of a holiday weekend. Knowing I had someone to call to help me figure out what was going on was priceless. Also have learned the GS Platinum lockout service will also unlock my house, which makes me doubly sure they are the best solution for me.

[chiefneon]

Howdy!

We've have had to have been towed a few times. I always ask the driver of the tow truck each time what it would have cost us without our ERS. First time was $1800.00, the second time was $2000.00, last time was another $1800.00. This has been in the course of nine years. That being said I will keep my Coach Net ERS servce I think its paid for its self and then some.

"Happy Trails"
Chiefneon

[ScottG]

I have not needed RA in more than 22 years. I needed it once about 24 years ago and didn't have it - cost me $125 for a tow. In more recent times I have fixed flats myself, which I'd rather do.
At this point even if I had to pay I figure I'm so far ahead that even if I had to pay for something it would still keep me in the black.

[Homer1]

The cheapest RA insurance is the one you never have to use. (Every one knew some one was going to say this)! It is true, you are hedging against big bills that you cannot possibly foresee. You are going to P---the premium away anyway on something you really didn't need. Why not be safe and secure. just sayin.

[RollandB]

A simple decision for me to keep my coverage came when I client broke down in the middle of Nowhere Nevada in thei 37' motor home. It takes a large tow rig which drove empty 3hours one way to get them back to a repair place (wiring had shorted on a hot manifold). The tow Bill was $1350.00

[wbwood]

Back in 2011, we went to Destin Florida during spring break. Got there on Saturday, on Sunday (Easter), my wife locked both our sets of keys in the TT we had at the time. I never got the roadside service, but thought about it before. After finally getting a locksmith to come out on Easter and open our TT door, lets just say we could of saved some money if we had bought the highest plan that GSRA offered. We purchased it soon after. Had it a couple of years. Never used it. Traded in the TT last year on a Class C (in my signature). We got the extended warranty and it came with 7 years of Platinum plus roadside assistance. Still haven't used it. We have read the horror stories of prices of tires and mounting it on your wheel, that this year I purchased a spare and extra wheel. We have no where to mount it, but we just place it in the back of our toad. I call that some self insurance. No way am I gonna carry a big heavy jack and tools to change out a big tire like that.

A few years ago, my son had to have 2 cars towed about 10 miles down the road. Cost was $180 each time. No roadside service. It's just one of those things that its damned if you do or damned if you don't. Kind of like insurance. Yes, you could set aside a few hundred bucks for it every year and not need it. Then again, you could need it several times a year (apprantly some on here have needed it a couple times in one day).

You have to decide what's more important to you.

[Dog_Folks]

peaches&cream wrote:
I will say this again: Why not cover your ERS using your Insurance Carrier. I did this for 6 yrs. and it cost me $39 per yr. with Progressive. I used it 1 time with great results and "no, my rates did not go up".

As you have mentioned this two or three times I will try to respond:

Because my insurance company roadside service will NOT tow my travel trailer to the nearest park if the tow vehicle breaks down. They will just take the tow vehicle and leave my house on the side of the road.

Not what I want in a roadside service, regardless of how cheap it is.

[Dutch_12078]

Over the years, what would have been my costs for tows and tire service that Coach-Net covered has likely covered my annual fee for at least the next forty years. A recent breakdown on our '95 Coachmen Class A involved two tows, and my cost would have been a bit over $1,100.

[JaxDad]

smkettner wrote:
Probably the best part of RA is to have a number to call. I called several tow companies before I could get a truck out to me on New Year's Eve. Then got lucky and found a guy to do the work New Year's Day.

On the other hand, they are all basically insurance companies. Ones that are very good at making a profit, that tells me the odds are in their favour, not the customers.

In my case, the first, and last time I called them, that handy 800 number cost me 5 hours on the side of the interstate in a snow storm without heat. Then the delay meant I was stuck for the weekend, paying for a motel and meals while my motorhome sat locked in a shop.

The tow truck driver told me point blank, he COULD have towed me in 5 minutes, not 5 HOURS, but the RA refused to pay full price and in a snow storm he was too busy to take a discounted fee. So I sat in the cold waiting for him to work through his list of full-price jobs.

Bottom line. The $69.95 RA cost me $345 in motel charges, $210 in restaurant food. All because a wealthy corporation didn't want to part with an extra $60 or $70.

That's NOT what I'd call being a Good Samaritan.

[peaches_cream]

I will say this again: Why not cover your ERS using your Insurance Carrier. I did this for 6 yrs. and it cost me $39 per yr. with Progressive. I used it 1 time with great results and "no, my rates did not go up".

[Duck]

The one reason why I carry my GS road side service is that if you need to have road side service you just call the 800 number and they locate and send out the service. If you do it you have to TRY to locate a service, then call them and have the cash ready for the work they do.
Don

[LarryJM]

Grandpere wrote:
On our 33 foot Southwind a typical tow is $550 to $750, so I would think that your class C would be in the same area. If you are reasonably young and can handle tires upwards of 100 pounds you could change a flat yourself. I carry a mounted spare, an electric impact wrench, an 8 ton jack and jack stands and can change all tires on our mh except for the right front. The configuration of the drivers door step makes it impossible for me to wrestle a 150 pound tire into position there.

On our maiden voyage we broke down 4 times so the money we paid for emergency roadside assistance more than paid for itself. We currently have Good Sam and AAA. Come renewal time I am going to drop Good Sam and go with Coach net, but still keeping my AAA that we have had since 1999.

Why 2 service companies you wonder? Because each one has its problems and with 2 plans I have backup if one happens to one fail me as Good Sam did last Sunday. They could not find anyone to come and change a flat tire on the right front of my mh. I called AAA and within an hour we were ready to travel again. Good Sam is having problems and they seem to be getting worse, hence my changing from Good Sam to Coach net. AAA Premiere costs me $140 a year while Good Sam and Coach net premiere plans are $159 both together are still less than 1 towing bill.

Good luck with your decision making.

Like you I have been carrying AAA non RV PLUS (100mi tow) for as long as I can remember (over 30 years) and the CN gold for several years and have only used the AAA like twice in the last 20 years and never the CN. So I would be BOOKOO $$$ ahead had I gone the self-insured route. However, to carry both is only around $20-$25/mo and I view it as one would any insurance it's there if you need it and I just don't try and manage that small amount of $$ in the overall scheme and cost of RVing.

Larry

[time2roll]

Do you carry a mounted spare? Can you change the tire? If so I would lean toward self insure.

Since 2000 I have changed 2 trailer tires, replaced an alternator and once had to be towed (truck only) to a shop to get a new fuel pump. I paid $85 cash for that short tow. And once needed a truck battery. Got a jump and it was under warranty at the local Costco 🙂 (self install) Just saying some stuff can be handled without a tow.

Probably the best part of RA is to have a number to call. I called several tow companies before I could get a truck out to me on New Year's Eve. Then got lucky and found a guy to do the work New Year's Day.

I recently begged three shops to install an alternator, mid week no holiday. Including the Ford dealer. I swapped it myself as no one had the time but O'Reilly had the part and some tools.

You just don't know what you may encounter. Not all RA is perfect either by the posts here. The larger the RV the more it is needed IMO.

[Grandpere]

On our 33 foot Southwind a typical tow is $550 to $750, so I would think that your class C would be in the same area. If you are reasonably young and can handle tires upwards of 100 pounds you could change a flat yourself. I carry a mounted spare, an electric impact wrench, an 8 ton jack and jack stands and can change all tires on our mh except for the right front. The configuration of the drivers door step makes it impossible for me to wrestle a 150 pound tire into position there.

On our maiden voyage we broke down 4 times so the money we paid for emergency roadside assistance more than paid for itself. We currently have Good Sam and AAA. Come renewal time I am going to drop Good Sam and go with Coach net, but still keeping my AAA that we have had since 1999.

Why 2 service companies you wonder? Because each one has its problems and with 2 plans I have backup if one happens to one fail me as Good Sam did last Sunday. They could not find anyone to come and change a flat tire on the right front of my mh. I called AAA and within an hour we were ready to travel again. Good Sam is having problems and they seem to be getting worse, hence my changing from Good Sam to Coach net. AAA Premiere costs me $140 a year while Good Sam and Coach net premiere plans are $159 both together are still less than 1 towing bill.

Good luck with your decision making.

[restlesswind]

I can't say what the $ cost would be,but one roadside service and tow bill could wipe out any savings from self insuring.We have used GS roadside service 4-5 times in our 8 years of full timing.I would bet it would have costs us at least twice the amount to pay the tow bills as it has to pay for roadside service.
Others will probably have actual numbers for you.