Roadside Assistance - which do you recommend?

Wife and I are renting a car one way to drive approx. 900 miles to possibly purchase a motorhome.  After purchase we plan on doing some camping and visiting some friends on the way back.  I like the idea of roadside assistance but not sure which one to go with.
Which do you recommend? 

I recommend Good Sam but there are some who hate them. The 4-5 times I have used them they have NEVER let me down
what I have to say to you is;
If you have the type of personality that cannot stand  sitting by the side of the road for an hour or two waiting for service  to be procured for you then you will probably NOT be happy with any service.
Whichever service you get READ THE CONTRACT CAREFULLY know your rights and responsibilities. Most people I see complaining either complain about the wait or complain because they wanted something not provided for in the contract.

We have always had the AAA plus RV plan.

Used it twice, two days in a row over the last twenty years. Both were tire related because I installed valve extenders which destroyed the rubber valves which was my fault. You need metal valves with extenders but I didn't know that at time. Both valve problems were solved on the side of the road without being towed but you must have a spare tire with you or you would need a tow.

NOTE 1: My newer Winnebago came with metal valves and valve extenders

NOTE 2: Because of the virus you have to get transportation to where ever they tow your vehicle; before the virus they would let you ride in the tow truck.

AAA will tow up to 100 miles based on the plan you buy but it's 4 to 7 bucks per mile after that depending on what state you need the tow in. Hopefully with a Ford E350 chassis I'll always be in range of a Ford dealer or tire store.

AAA plans cover the driver not the vehicle so it covers me in my RV, car or motorcycle.

Coach-Net.

The trouble with AAA RV coverage is that. AAA is an affiliation of  many  local clubs some of which do not offer RV coverage. If you are in an area that offers the coverage fine but be aware that if you travel to an area where the local club does not offer coverage  you may experience a degraded experience. The local club will not have gone out and found all the available RV contractors so the list of places that will service you will be shorter. Again you will get service but not as good as expected.

I use the FMCA plan, though one has to be an FMCA member to buy it.  I still think it is the best plan out there, though that may change in the future as the FMCA is having major financial issues thanks to Covid-19 and having to cancel their major rally this spring.

One good thing about Good Sam is they work hard to find someone willing to fix your problem. If you think a Ford car dealer will fix a motorhome think again. Many will not touch it because their overhead doors are too low, it will not fit their lifts, or they don't see a big profit margin on the repair. Another con for AAA is they want to tow it to their own service center which may not be the best choice for you.

darsben said:

I recommend Good Sam but there are some who hate them. The 4-5 times I have used them they have NEVER let me down
what I have to say to you is;
If you have the type of personality that cannot stand  sitting by the side of the road for an hour or two waiting for service  to be procured for you then you will probably NOT be happy with any service.
Whichever service you get READ THE CONTRACT CAREFULLY know your rights and responsibilities. Most people I see complaining either complain about the wait or complain because they wanted something not provided for in the contract.

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Dido That is what we have had for 15 years and has worked very well for us

I had AAA for a while but unbeknowst to me AAA covers "people" not vehicles. My kid was driving my vehicle, I was overseas on a business trip, he called AAA and they said he was not covered.

He called me back, I remembered something about GEICO coverage.  GEICO towed him home and he replaced the serpentine belt that had failed.

I dropped AAA and now have only GEICO - they basically do everything that AAA does - battery jumps, bring gas, key lockouts and 50 miles of towing. For the RV when I added it they noted that the towing is from wherever I am to the nearest "suitable" repair shop regardless of distance.And confirmed it covers the vehicle regardless of who is driving.

Unless an independent coverage has something really outstanding I would check with your insurer.

I have Good Sam, Punctured tire they came out changed tire 19.5" cost a bit so I now have tire coverage.

Regarding AAA, I've only needed road side assistance twice; once in AL, once in FL. We live in OH. Waited about an hour for assistance. Not a big deal in a motor home. I guess if you're pulling a travel trailer the wait would seem longer.

I'm pretty sure AAA just calls a local tow truck company. Both were very friendly and took care of the problem quickly. I can have my vehicle towed anywhere I want within 100 miles without incurring additional fees. I do carry a spare tire, 5 ton Jack and tools but wouldn't feel comfortable replacing my rear inside tire on the side of the highway in the middle of the night. They have commercial grade equipment and big lights and flashers. It was actually a nice break. LOL

GEICO insurance is great especially for RVs and motorcycles. $99 per year for a motorcycle is crazy good.

Tom55555 said:

GEICO insurance is great especially for RVs and motorcycles. $99 per year for a motorcycle is crazy good.

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Not trying to actively plug GEICO (everyone needs to do their own research) but on my "old" RV when I added it 6 weeks ago it's gonne run about $600 a year for full coverage, roadside assistance, $250 deductibles and $5,000 contents theft with $0 deductible.

My bike is also like $60 bucks or so a year liability only...

Coach Net is superb, and besides roadside assistance they have techs on 24 hour call who can sometimes help you to troubleshoot and/or repair your problem. In addition, they've made some appointments for me (on things they don't cover) saving me headaches trying to find someone. And besides the coach, I've got coverage on all my vehicles.

I use the FMCA plan, though one has to be an FMCA member to buy it.  I still think it is the best plan out there,

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I've not investigated that one, since Coach Net is so good. But being an FMCA member gets their "bring it home" plan (FMCAssist*) at no extra cost, which was my initial reason for joining.


* FMCAssist:

FMCAssist is emergency medical evacuation and repatriation coverage available to members worldwide as long as you are more than 100 miles from home.

Coach Net has helped us twice in the past year: once to tow a car with failed electrical system and another to change a tire.  (Not trade a flat for a spare, actually provide a new tire and change it on the rim.)  We thought it was outstanding service both times.

"After purchase we plan on doing some camping and visiting some friends on the way back."

I did the same thing but found camping in a newly purchased RV was problematic since it lacked bedding, towels, dishes, cooking utensils, food, and many many other things you take for granted.  I ended up staying in motels on the way back home from purchase.

Geico has Full Emergency Roadside Service included in my RV insurance package for about $660 per year. (2012 Tiffin Allegro Red 38QRA

darsben gave sound advice, I think.  So many of the rants against a road service stem from expectations well beyond what the contract promises, which is probably the result of salesman BS and buyer ignorance.

Good Sam isn't all bad (or all good), but the others have their share of complaints as well. And they all have the same Achilles's heel, which is their dependence on independent mobile service providers everywhere. If you encounter a situation where the local service is busy or not very near to you, or the service employee is not very skilled or very ethical, or the road service is limited to towing you elsewhere, you are probably going to be unhappy.
I've had policies with GS, Coach Net, and Allstate Motor Club. Have had both good and not so good experiences, mostly dependent on the timing and location of the breakdown. I used to recommend Coach Net but since they became part of NMC I now feel their customer service & coverage is no better than any of the others.  I'd shop for the best price for the level of service I wanted and change each year or so if necessary.

Despite the above, I recommend having a roadside service contract. Few things give more peace of mind than being able to call for help when your camping trip suddenly goes into the crapper with a mechanical breakdown or you get stuck in mud or a ditch you didn't see. The help may be less timely than you wish or cost you some extra, but for most of owners it's still a godsend.

The help may be less timely than you wish or cost you some extra, but for most of owners it's still a godsend.

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Amen!

I've had AAA, and Good Sam for several years.
Iv'e not had a breakdown or tire malfunction or anything the whole time.
I guess they work pretty good.

As my Dad used to say, better to have what you don't need than need what you don't have.

Anyone use or hear of a plan, through RV Advisor?  My Goodsam plan will expire this coming summer and I need to do something.  Only used the GS plan once and it worked well; along with their Tire & Wheel plan, I got out of a flat tire on an inside rear dual, using my spare in less than an hour while in on an interstate hiway.  Then got the tire covered afterwards.  They replaced a 9 year old tire with a "side wall zipper blowout".