Roadside Assistance for Class B

[peteco]

I will start by saying I try to maintain and operate my Roadtrek Class B so I won't have a breakdown. In 46 years of driving I only had one breakdown that I could not fix or that required towing, and that was when the vehicle wouldn't start due to a broken wire in the starting security circuit that occurred at home.

I have bounced around between State Farm roadside, AAA, Good Sam, or having no roadside assistance plan in place. AAA and Good Sam have gone way up in price and have many bad service reports. I am considering joining FMCA and getting their roadside plan. My main concern is getting help when I am in very rural or remote locations.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[booster]

We have ours through State Farm on the vehicle insurance policies, quite inexpensive. Have use it twice in about 40 years, both times local.


My agent says full country coverage is good, (of course he does) and all you do is call the main office, or his to facilitate a tow.

[peteco]

Originally Posted by booster

We have ours through State Farm on the vehicle insurance policies, quite inexpensive. Have use it twice in about 40 years, both times local.


My agent says full country coverage is good, (of course he does) and all you do is call the main office, or his to facilitate a tow.

I always got a fuzzy answer from State Farm on their coverage. Do you think they would arrange for a flatbed tow in an out of the way place?

[booster]

Originally Posted by peteco

I always got a fuzzy answer from State Farm on their coverage. Do you think they would arrange for a flatbed tow in an out of the way place?

I did ask our agent that question, and he said they would, but I don't have it in writing anywhere, which might be a good thing to get and carry. He claimed they will get whatever it takes to move the insured vehicle, including flatbed. Of course, he is an insurance agent.

[Phoebe3]

I can't speak to the RV issue, but we have State Farm. We were towing an 18 ft inboard/outboard boat with our F350 diesel Crew cab 4X4 when the water pump failed on Hwy 15 about 30 miles east of Barstow, Ca. I called State Farm and they called a towing service. The service flat-bedded the truck and towed the boat. It took over an hour and a half to get back to the Barstow repair shop because you can't make a U-turn in the emergency crossovers - you have to go to an overpass like regular traffic and there aren't very many out there. The total cost of the tow was well over $1,000. State Farm covered it.

[goreds2]

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. State Farm reimbursed me for the extra cost. I just took a picture of the receipt and emailed to my agent.

[avanti]

I'm in the CoachNet camp as well. Have tried many options over the years. CoachNet has bubbled to the top. AAA is a nightmare--if for no other reason, look carefully at the geographic coverage exclusions and total cost. Good Sam is just a marketing organization reselling Allstate. They are OK (especially since GS has apparently eased up a bit on their ridiculous marketing practices). But CoachNet is the class act. When you call them, you actually get to talk to somebody who sounds like they care. In my limited experience, they carefully follow the course of your predicament. Pretty impressive.

[GallenH]

Interesting thread. How do you deal with it when you're in a "no service" cell area? Curious because I do have a Garmin capable of satelite communication via text messages. Wonder if any companies out there have the ability to respond to text messages.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by peteco

I will start by saying I try to maintain and operate my Roadtrek Class B so I won't have a breakdown. In 46 years of driving I only had one breakdown that I could not fix or that required towing, and that was when the vehicle wouldn't start due to a broken wire in the starting security circuit that occurred at home.

I have bounced around between State Farm roadside, AAA, Good Sam, or having no roadside assistance plan in place. AAA and Good Sam have gone way up in price and have many bad service reports. I am considering joining FMCA and getting their roadside plan. My main concern is getting help when I am in very rural or remote locations.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

First, I hope you mean you can still make a cellphone call??? if you can't then that's an entirely different conversation.... I have an answer for you, but, first let me know if that's where you're going with that question..

Second, I've had AAA roadside assistance for 38 years.... let me tell you, yeah, they're more expensive, but, they're the best there is. They will come anywhere to your location as long as you're on the road.... not "off road", if you know what I mean.

Third, AAA Premiere RV is what you need.... period.

All of the other services are "also rans"... look, AAA has been around over 100 years.... enough said.

Now, if you mean "remote" as in you're not sure about cell phone service, let me know and I'll respond.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by GallenH

Interesting thread. How do you deal with it when you're in a "no service" cell area? Curious because I do have a Garmin capable of satelite communication via text messages. Wonder if any companies out there have the ability to respond to text messages.

I hope you have the "In Reach Explorer"... ?? Yes, that's perfect.

And, NO... there's no really good alternative to that, I've checked that out thoroughly.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by avanti

I'm in the CoachNet camp as well. Have tried many options over the years. CoachNet has bubbled to the top. AAA is a nightmare--if for no other reason, look carefully at the geographic coverage exclusions and total cost. Good Sam is just a marketing organization reselling Allstate. They are OK (especially since GS has apparently eased up a bit on their ridiculous marketing practices). But CoachNet is the class act. When you call them, you actually get to talk to somebody who sounds like they care. In my limited experience, they carefully follow the course of your predicament. Pretty impressive.

AAA .... a nightmare?? What universe, I mean "state" are you talking about?

AAA is a wonderful service.. if you're willing to pay for it. And, you get what you pay for.

Try getting other services like vehicle registration, mobile battery service for my cars, maps and other travel services through Coach Net....

I don't know... maybe you had a bad experience with AAA.... I've been a member for 38 years... I wouldn't hesitate for one second to highly recommend them to anyone...

Get the AAA Premiere RV service.... you will NOT be disappointed.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by peteco

I always got a fuzzy answer from State Farm on their coverage. Do you think they would arrange for a flatbed tow in an out of the way place?

Progressive Insurance specializes in insuring Class B RV's

[peteco]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

First, I hope you mean you can still make a cellphone call??? if you can't then that's an entirely different conversation.... I have an answer for you, but, first let me know if that's where you're going with that question..

Second, I've had AAA roadside assistance for 38 years.... let me tell you, yeah, they're more expensive, but, they're the best there is. They will come anywhere to your location as long as you're on the road.... not "off road", if you know what I mean.

Third, AAA Premiere RV is what you need.... period.

All of the other services are "also rans"... look, AAA has been around over 100 years.... enough said.

Now, if you mean "remote" as in you're not sure about cell phone service, let me know and I'll respond.

Except in rare instances I expect to have cellphone coverage. We have 3 carriers: Verizon (me), Tracfone (wife), TMobile (backup, only $3 per month). On a trip out west we were surprised that only TMobile worked in a couple of places, so it was nice to have it as a backup.

I will look at AAA again.

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by peteco

Except in rare instances I expect to have cellphone coverage. We have 3 carriers: Verizon (me), Tracfone (wife), TMobile (backup, only $3 per month). On a trip out west we were surprised that only TMobile worked in a couple of places, so it was nice to have it as a backup.

I will look at AAA again.

Just like AAA ...no other company has the coverage Verizon does....

I have a Garmin In Reach Explorer for emergencies....I was in the state of Wyoming and South Dakota with "no cellphone coverage".... I'm using Google Project Fi. ---saves me about $1,000 per year over Verizon..no kidding.... I was upset at first by no cellphone service in remote areas... I have an emergency backup plan.....

Normally.. I'm in areas with robust cellphone service.... Project Fi is a blending of T-MOBILE, Sprint and US Cellular... it switches transparently in the background.

On the major Interstate roads... I'm OK.....

I'm glad you're looking again at AAA for your own information....AAA provides trip interruption... Plus a lot of other things....

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Roadtrek Adventuous RS1

AAA .... a nightmare?? What universe, I mean "state" are you talking about?

AAA is a wonderful service.. if you're willing to pay for it. And, you get what you pay for.

Try getting other services like vehicle registration, mobile battery service for my cars, maps and other travel services through Coach Net....

Coach-net does all of those things except vehicle registration. AAA will do that for me for a very small fee--no membership required.

I don't know... maybe you had a bad experience with AAA.... I've been a member for 38 years... I wouldn't hesitate for one second to highly recommend them to anyone...

Get the AAA Premiere RV service.... you will NOT be disappointed.

Sometimes I wonder whether folks really believe some of the stuff they post. I am starting to feel trolled.

Have you ever bothered to compare AAA with Coach-Net (or any of the others for that matter)?

Here is a very quick summary of the high points. AAA is a bit hard to pin down, since their offerings (and also the services you get while traveling!) vary from region to region, but the following is typical of AAA Premiere RV:

Family coverage
AAA — extra cost option
Coach-Net — Spouse and children under 25 free

Towing
AAA — 100 mile limit on RVs — cars get one 200 mile tow/year
Coach-net — Nearest qualified repair shop. No milage limit

Tire delivery
AAA — not covered
Coach-Net — will locate and deliver tire

Technical Assistance
AAA — none
Coach-Net — Phone support by RV techs

# of service calls/year
AAA — 4
Coach-Net —unlimited

Dispatch of mechanic
AAA — no
Coach-Net —Yes

Travel Interruption
AAA — $1500
Coach-Net — $2000

There is lots more. I won't even get into the cost differences, since we seem to agree on that point.

I am not sure if this is still true, but last time I checked, AAA RV service was not even available in some states (meaning that if you break down in one of those states, you are on your own).

By any rational standard, AAA is both the most expensive and the least comprehensive of the available RV products. Not even in the ballpark.

And this is not to mention their huge and truly appalling lobbying activities which are anti-mass-transit and anti-environment.

[bwolfsohn]

Avanti,

Not taking any sides here... i'm looking for coverage for my soon-to-be-purchased "perfect" roadtrek..

it looked to me like coach-net was $249 for it's top service
and AAA was $149...

not comparing quality... just wanted to double check what i thought i was seeing...

(i did like the coach-net offerings)

[Roadtrek Adventuous RS1]

Originally Posted by bwolfsohn

Avanti,

Not taking any sides here... i'm looking for coverage for my soon-to-be-purchased "perfect" roadtrek..

it looked to me like coach-net was $249 for it's top service
and AAA was $149...

not comparing quality... just wanted to double check what i thought i was seeing...

(i did like the coach-net offerings)

The top flight service for AAA Premier RV ..is around $200 per year.. not $149...
That is for you and your spouse....

Of course it covers all your cars.... I didn't see anything about "mobile battery service" on Coach Net.. maybe I missed it.... here's something to consider...when you purchase a new vehicle battery from AAA... they come directly to your location.. check out your charging system right on the spot...and will offer to sell you a brand new battery if you need it...it's unconditionally guaranteed for three years and prorated for another 3 years ...

If it fails you can call them wherever you are and they will bring you a replacement battery....

I really appreciate and like the fact that they have been in business for over 100 years...founded March 4, 1902 .... .

[avanti]

Originally Posted by bwolfsohn

Avanti,

Not taking any sides here... i'm looking for coverage for my soon-to-be-purchased "perfect" roadtrek..

it looked to me like coach-net was $249 for it's top service
and AAA was $149...

not comparing quality... just wanted to double check what i thought i was seeing...

(i did like the coach-net offerings)

Coach-Net Premier Coach 1 Year Dues is $159.00. I just renewed mine and checked the receipt. The first year may be more or less--I forget. They do have a higher level, but you probably don't need it. The basic service is comprehensive. When you call ask them if there are any discounts. The answer is usually "yes".

You have to look at your local AAA website to get the price, since it varies by location. Just make sure you are getting the price for AAA Premiere RV and that you are reading all of their fine print about extra cost items you may need (in particular, coverage for your spouse and/or children). It is no coincidence that it is so hard to find bottom-line prices on many of the AAA websites.

But, please do get around to looking at quality. AAA is a joke--they traffic on their brand recognition as a substitute for value. The numbers speak for themselves. The 100 mile tow limit alone is a deal killer for me. How much value would that be to a Sprinter owner with a DEF lockout half way to Fairbanks (or most anywhere in the West)? Coach-net will take care of your problem--no string attached.

But, the biggest reason for my loyalty to Coach-Net is the quality of their call center. They may be the best call center I have encountered in any industry. Ask around to Coach-Net customers for validation. Also, for an insiders' view of what the AAA call center and its technology is like, check this out:

https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Am...35_KO36,62.htm

BTW: I want to make clear that Coach-Net is not the only good option. I have settled on them as the best after trying almost all of them over the years. However, other offerings are also credible. In particular, Allstate (which as I said also runs Good Sam) has a good product. It is not that Coach-Net is uniquely good. It is just that AAA is uniquely bad.

Finally, if you care about the environment or urban planning, please do Google around about AAA's extensive lobbying activities (paid for with your money).

[Bruceper]

Here in Manitoba, CAA (the Canadian version of AAA) is fantastic. No issues here and they advised me against the RV option as it is a van under 10k pounds. I've had two tows in three years now and no issues with either of them. The drivers ask me the weight when they see it and ask if the tanks are full and no issues with the tow.

[lmittell]

I had a sudden, premature battery failure while I was at our condo in Jackson, WY last month. I hasten to add that it wasn't a total failure, as the dash would still light up.

To get by temporarily, I stopped at the local NAPA store to get their highest capacity lithium booster battery. In retrospect, I should have bought a chassis battery while I was at it, but having bought batteries at reasonable prices from AAA's mobile battery service in Southern California for years, I thought I'd do it again.

Anyway, a AAA mechanic showed up at the condo and proceeded to jump-start the rig, which was completely unnecessary, as I'd been doing that all day, and I'd told him so.

I asked him to go ahead with battery replacement. He didn't have one, nor did his shop, but they could order one from out of town and it MIGHT arrive the following day. The cost would be $450 for the battery and another $100 for installation.

Instead, I went back to NAPA the next day and bought their whizbang top-of the-line battery for $280. That's about $40 more than shown on their website for some reason, but I needed a battery NOW, so I didn't quibble.

My bad back making discretion the better part of valor, I went across the street to a quicky lube shop, where they installed the thing for $20.

Summing it all up, my AAA premium membership entitled me to spend $250 extra for something that might or might not happen in a day or so. Did I need AAA for this situation? I think not.

To be fair, I've been a satisfied customer of AAA's battery service in Southern California for years. I've had good service and have paid competitive prices.

Here's the takeaway--AAA is no doubt quite good in most large metropolitan areas, but you very well may take your lumps in the hinterlands.

Larry
2017 Pleasure Way Lexor

PS-- That booster battery is the bee's knees. It's found a permanent home in my rig.