Emergency roadside comparison: AAA Premiere RV vs FMCAssist

[bumpersignal]

Can you all provide feedback which one is better? Either one will cost me $75 (aaa to upgrade my current non-rv). The AAA membership allows $1000 worth of towing whether it's in 1 long tow or many less expensive shorter tows, which is something I like.

I see the chart here and based on that it looks like FMCAssist wins hands down but I'd like to hear some real world experience with either or both, and would be greatly appreciated.

Or would it be a good idea to get both?

[mkguitar]

I use Road America
( covers Canada too)

a free "basic" comes with my Harley Owners group membership

I pay a $49 upgrade to cover my RV and cars ( in addition to my 4 motorcycles)

I have only used the service for my bikes

a couple of tows of over a hundred miles ( unlimited to nearest dealer, unlimited occurrence) saved me hugely

I have not used service with my van.

It may be worth seeing if their service works for you

mike


( the aaa pile-on, I stopped doing business with them when the AZ AAA sold my info to "marketing partner" scammy lifelock who at the time were under federal charges)

[avanti]

Could you please send a link to a AAA program that gives you a $1000 allowance for towing? Every plan that I have ever seen has limited the milage severely, so the $1000 thing is new, and I would like to see the fine print.

Unless things have recently changed dramatically, AAA is a truly awful choice for RV coverage. First of all, it is NOT costing you $75. It is costing you $75 + your base AAA membership +(perhaps) supplement for family members. The reason you should think of it this way is because most of the RV-specific plans also cover all of your vehicles, so you would be able to drop your AAA membership.

Secondly, even $1000 is not overly generous. A single long tow from the middle of nowhere can easily exceed that dramatically in a single event. After that, what do you do for the rest of the year? The best of the RV-specific plans have no limit at all on the number of cost of towing, and as I said, covers ALL your vehicles and also your entire immediate family.

I don't know about FMCA in particular, but there are a number of high-quality alternatives. In particular, you should look at CoachNet. I have tried most of them, and I have settled on CoachNet happily. I think you will find it cheaper and better than AAA in every way. Plus, they don't spend your money lobbying against mass transit.

Here is a thread from a few years ago that explores the options in painful detail:

https://www.classbforum.com/forums/f...ss-b-8140.html

[wny-pat]

When you compare AAA Premiere RV vs FMCAssist, you are comparing two different types of services!!

AAA Premiere should be compared to FMCA Roadside Assistance, as they are similar services.

FMCAssist is emergency medical evacuation and repatriation coverage available to members worldwide as long as you are more than 75 miles from home. It comes with the membership. FMAC sells a optional roadside assistance program.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by wny-pat

As I remember AAA roadside assistance varies from each of their regional clubs. What is available at the region you purchase your membership in may not be available in a neighboring region. i.e. NYS and Penn are in different regions and do not offer the same options. In my opinion, it is the worst of the worst!

Yes.
Not only that, but some regions don't (last I checked) even OFFER RV towing at all. If you break down in one of these regions, you will be on your own. Your home "club" may or may not reimburse you. The hard-to-find fine print of the AAA programs can make VERY interesting reading!

As I have said many times, AAA doesn't even appear to be in the running for RV owners.

[bumpersignal]

The cool thing about having $1k tow limit is that you can choose where you want to tow it to , if it's not the closes mechanic.

Here is a good example from the thread you linked above:

"I have CoachNet and love it. Last year, I had my pickup truck (not the RV) towed via CoachNet. I had to pay the extra costs for towing it out of town to my preferred facility."

Great advice on the regional exclusivity though. This is probably where the 2nd half of my question kicks in - it sounds like it's good to have AAA *and* another option, from the advice you're all telling me.

Now the question is "coachnet" or FMCA roadside? I've heard many negatives of coachnet but since there are so many positive reviews of it here, I'll keep researching it more.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by bumpersignal

The cool thing about having $1k tow limit is that you can choose where you want to tow it to , if it's not the closes mechanic.

Can you provide a link on the "$1000 tow-anywhere" plan? I have never seen it. I am not doubting you, but as I said, the devil is in the details, especially with AAA.

Note, that with the best of the RV plans, they commit to towing to a "qualified" service center. At least when it comes to Sprinters, that means the nearest dealer. If you are near home, I can see some value with the flexibility, since you might have a local mechanic, at least with older vans. On the road, I am no seeing it. N.B.: $1000 won't get you very far with a B-van tow.

If you think it is cost-effective to have redundant coverage, then carry on.

[bumpersignal]

It's a great question. My only source for that info is verbal, and a google search of AAA california is maddening since their site is different and redirects you constantly based on zipcode. I'll find out on Monday if they can provide that in writing.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by bumpersignal

It's a great question. My only source for that info is verbal, and a google search of AAA california is maddening since their site is different and redirects you constantly based on zipcode. I'll find out on Monday if they can provide that in writing.

Thanks. Looking forward to what you find.
I would approach this claim with more than a little skepticism. I have never, ever seen such a plan from them. I know for sure that most AAA plans don't work that way, but as we said, they are all different. Some AAA offices are pretty sleazy and they will tell you anything. It may be a different matter when you are standing on the side of the road. Get it in writing, and READ THE FINE PRINT (and there is a LOT of it).

[bumpersignal]

Originally Posted by avanti

Thanks. Looking forward to what you find.
I would approach this claim with more than a little skepticism. I have never, ever seen such a plan from them. I know for sure that most AAA plans don't work that way, but as we said, they are all different. Some AAA offices are pretty sleazy and they will tell you anything. It may be a different matter when you are standing on the side of the road. Get it in writing, and READ THE FINE PRINT (and there is a LOT of it).

https://www.calif.aaa.com/content/da...emberGuide.pdf

"RV/MOTORCYCLE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE
Members who purchase optional RV/ Motorcycle Roadside Assistance are entitled to an additional four (4) Roadside Assistance service calls or
reimbursements for RV or motorcycle towing, extrication and winching, and RV tire change service per household per Membership year. The Auto
Club will pay up to $500 towards services per allowable RV/Motorcycle service call, up to $1,000 total per household per membership year on
allowable RV/Motorcycle service calls. Members will be responsible for all other costs of service above that amount. "

It looks like the max is actually $500 per tow, up to $1k per year.

That said, I really do love my AAA, so I went ahead and upgraded my membership for RV $75 *and* will sign up for CoachNet as well. This has been a very helpful thread, thanks everyone.

[Jim86301]

It appears that FMCA's Roadside Assistance plan uses the same provider (Saferide) that Escapee's Roadside Assistance plan uses. I switched to the Escapees plan since it is less expensive than from FMCA (including membership in the organization). However I, fortunately, have not had the opportunity to use the benefits of the plan so can't comment on how good they are.

[stevegoldfield]

I suspect that AAA plans vary by state. I upgraded my California AAA membership to Premium in order to cover my RV. I think my rate went from $50 to $100 a year, but I'd have to check the amount. I have coverage for up to 100 miles of towing. I don't think that is cumulative. In other words, I think if I had more than one incident, I am covered for 100 miles each time. I don't know if that applies in other states; I'll check. Most of my trips are inside California, but I do go out of state once or twice a year when there's no pandemic. I have only used the coverage once when my RV needed a jump start. As far as I know, California has no separate RV coverage. CSAA told me that a Premium membership would cover my RV (Carado Banff) in addition to my Prius Prime.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by stevegoldfield

I suspect that AAA plans vary by state. I upgraded my California AAA membership to Premium in order to cover my RV. I think my rate went from $50 to $100 a year, but I'd have to check the amount. I have coverage for up to 100 miles of towing. I don't think that is cumulative. In other words, I think if I had more than one incident, I am covered for 100 miles each time. I don't know if that applies in other states; I'll check. Most of my trips are inside California, but I do go out of state once or twice a year when there's no pandemic. I have only used the coverage once when my RV needed a jump start. As far as I know, California has no separate RV coverage. CSAA told me that a Premium membership would cover my RV (Carado Banff) in addition to my Prius Prime.

Not only do they vary by state, they sometimes vary WITHIN states.
For example, RV coverage is included with AAA Premier in Northern California, but NOT in Southern California. In Northern California, you get up to four 200 mile tows/year. In Southern California, you get ONE 200 mile tow, and up to three 100 mile tows. With these guys you really, really have to read the fine print, which they don't make easy.

As I said, AAA is a mess and a very poor value.

[HWDean]

I'm picking up an RV tomorrow and decided to shop for roadside service.

Just an FYI - According to my reading, you must be a AAA classic member for 90 days before you can upgrade to a plus or premier plan that has the rv add-on for an additional $41 added to those plans:

"New members can join the Auto Club at the Classic level of benefits only. Existing members with Classic level of benefits are eligible to upgrade to AAA Plus® or AAA Premier® if the primary member in the membership household has been a primary member of the Auto Club for the prior 90 days and there have been no tows in the membership household through the Auto Club during this same period. Existing members with AAA Plus level of benefits may upgrade to AAA Premier at any time. Former members of the Auto Club who previously had Plus or Premier level of benefits within the past 365 days can rejoin at the Plus or Premier benefit level. AAA Plus and AAA Premier Roadside Assistance benefits and Optional RV and Motorcycle benefits are effective seven (7) calendar days after purchase date if paid in full."

[Want a B]

Originally Posted by HWDean

I'm picking up an RV tomorrow and decided to shop for roadside service....

Does your RV insurance provider offer road side assistance?

[HWDean]

Originally Posted by Want a B

Does your RV insurance provider offer road side assistance?

Yes they (Geico) do - 19.70/6mo. with unlimited towing

I was just looking at the options. Goodsam is having a 50% off sale if anyone is interested. Not sure if the additional goodies beyond the basics is worth the additional cost; doesn't seem like it.

Here is my Geico plan:

-Towing to the nearest repair facility where the repairs can be made
-Battery jump starts
-Tire changes when you have a functioning spare
-Lockout services (up to $100) if you lock your keys in your vehicle
-Winching your vehicle if it is stuck on or immediately next to a publicly maintained roadway
-Fuel delivery to help get you to a gas station or your destination
-1,000 emergency expense (for covered claim)
-5,000 replacement of personal items (for covered claim)
-10,000 vacation liability

[Snowy]

Don't all these plans suffer from the "small loss" problem? Insurance companies are in business to make money. They do this by charging enough to cover your actual expenses (they know far more than you on the risks of any one person experiencing a covered loss) plus their admin and marketing expenses and what they consider to be an adequate profit. This means when you buy insurance, you are paying not just for the risk you you actually face, but all the other costs involved. Over the long term, insurance customers pay more in premiums (plus interest on those premiums between the time that the premium is paid and the time the loss is incurred) than they would have experienced if they had just paid for the all the losses themselves.

And it gets worse. If you buy insurance, not only are you paying more than you would without insurance, you also have to deal with claims adjusters to get your claim paid. And you have to follow their rules and use their "preferred providers," no matter your preference.

So do i think all insurance is dumb. Not at all. For large potential losses, such as liability, insurance is a good idea because such losses can wipe you out. It is worth the extra cost and hassle to make sure you don't get wiped out. (In the case of liability insurance you also make sure you have the resources to take care of people you harm, which seems to me like something we should all do).

But what about "small loss" risks like getting a tire dealt with. These won't wipe you out - it may be hard or painful to pay out of pocket, but you should be able to pay if you can afford the insurance. Put your premiums in the bank and over the course of your life you will do better than being insured for small risks.

[HWDean]

First you give a reason not to buy insurance because the value of the claim is less than what you pay in premiums because ins companies make a profit:

Originally Posted by Snowy

Insurance companies are in business to make money...Over the long term, insurance customers pay more in premiums (plus interest on those premiums between the time that the premium is paid and the time the loss is incurred) than they would have experienced if they had just paid for the all the losses themselves.

In other words:

Put your premiums in the bank and over the course of your life you will do better than being insured for small risks.

Then you contradict yourself by implying premiums are a good thing if your loss would be greater than you could afford.

For large potential losses, such as liability, insurance is a good idea because such losses can wipe you out. It is worth the extra cost and hassle to make sure you don't get wiped out.

However, your initial argument if true for small losses is also true for large losses. The cost of the insurance premiums can also be larger than the value of the claim. Why not bank that money and pay yourself when needed?

The answer is because your claims are paid by other members premiums also who don't have claims. That is the nature of insurance. When you buy insurance you are placing a bet that you will need it, the insurance companies are betting that you won't need it. You claim is paid by the customers that lose their bet

In the present case however, I would not be insuring the cost of the tire I am buying a service that i may or may not need -- one that includes someone coming out and rescuing me from a tire incident. I don't think i get a free tire, or do I?

[Mick327]

I agree with Coach-net. I have had to use them twice and have had favorable experiences both times. AND you get unlimited towing throughout the year. AAA gives you I think 3 tows per year, max. Check them out.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Snowy

Don't all these plans suffer from the "small loss" problem?

...

And it gets worse. If you buy insurance, not only are you paying more than you would without insurance, you also have to deal with claims adjusters to get your claim paid. And you have to follow their rules and use their "preferred providers," no matter your preference.

So do i think all insurance is dumb. Not at all. For large potential losses, such as liability, insurance is a good idea because such losses can wipe you out. It is worth the extra cost and hassle to make sure you don't get wiped out. (In the case of liability insurance you also make sure you have the resources to take care of people you harm, which seems to me like something we should all do).

But what about "small loss" risks like getting a tire dealt with. These won't wipe you out - it may be hard or painful to pay out of pocket, but you should be able to pay if you can afford the insurance. Put your premiums in the bank and over the course of your life you will do better than being insured for small risks.

I completely agree with your analysis as it applies to insurance. I always, for example, take the largest available deductibles, and drop all non-required insurance on older vehicles.

However, when it comes to roadside assistance, it is not obvious to me that the same logic applies. In fact, I am not even sure that these services are really even best thought of as "insurance". Rather, they are more like prepaid logistical services--the value is less in any hope that money is "saved" over time (as you say, it probably isn't). Rather, you are paying for rapid access to expertise in getting your problem solved when you are stranded on the side of the road in a strange part of the country. You can't really buy this a la carte, and it is very valuable when you need it.

There are other considerations as well:

1) It isn't really a zero-sum game in the way that most insurance is. This is because the providers are able to negotiate substantial discounts with the local towing companies that actually do the work. They pay much less than you do, so it is possible to be win/win.

2) The economics are favorable to "frequent RVers" -- lots of people pay for these services year-round, but only travel for 2-weeks every summer, if that. This keeps the price down for those of us who travel much more, and thus get more value from the coverage. (This is true to some extent for most insurance, but I suspect that is much more extreme in this case).

3) If you buy towing coverage from your car insurer, the prices tend to be very low. I think that this is for two reasons: (a) I suspect that these offerings are managed as "loss leaders", rather than profit centers; and (b) Many people carry redundant coverage--they sign up for these things because they are cheap, but also sign up for AAA, because dad did so and it has become a religious obligation. Also, most new cars come with redundant towing coverage for several years.

4) Not all the risks covered are small. Changing tires is one thing, but a 1000 mile tow to Anchorage is quite another. That is why inferior RV coverage such as that offered by AAA is such a poor value compared to quality plans with unlimited towing. Again, most people don't subject themselves to such risks, but lots of us do.

So, in summary, I strongly agree with your point re insurance, but roadside assistance programs are arguably a different animal.