Service contracts / warranties club memberships

[Wasoki]

This post may need to be moved to the most appropriate forum....

The new motorhome is ordered and will be here by June ( I hope...).  I am getting "offers" and promotions for extended service contracts, warranties, separate tire coverage, and club memberships.  I am having a hard time sorting the wheat from the chaff.  When buying an appliance, car, etc.  I always decline the extended warranties because I figure that the company offering the product/service has done the calculations of the likely expenses, added a profit, paid a sales staff and still comes out ahead.  Is it any different with a motorhome (other than the expenses are bigger and there are more things to go wrong)?  Most of the contracts that I have read either list limited specific things they cover or an extensive laundry list of things they don't cover.

Then there are various clubs / organizations, from Good Sam, Coach Net, etc.  Other than the connection with like minded people what do these organizations offer?

What is the thinking out there on these issues?

I am not trying to start a running pro or anti commentary, just looking to put these issues in perspective.

 

[Alfa38User]

Coach Net is strictly road assistance insurance and you should not leave home without it!! Need it?? Think of it this way: when was the last time you were able to change a 22.5" 200 pound wheel because of a simple flat??? This company has proven itself able to supply telephone assistance, towing etc., appropriate to the size and type of RV. Its road insurance covers ALL of your vehicles and drivers, not just the RV.  Good Sam insurance has a similar service reputation in many cases but I don't know about other vehicles, drivers, coverage etc.. The AAA RV road insurance has been said to be spotty by some and perhaps only the one person is covered without other memberships. At least that was the case several years ago in Canada (CAA) when I inquired. Many here will vouch for Coach Net.

Many here will handle their own extended warranties (it is actually only insurance despite the fancy name) by putting away the equivalent amounts in a bank account on a regular basis thus providing a fund for the inevitable. Others will buy insurance but the caveat always applies: READ the policy and note what is NOT covered as well as what is.... The list of exceptions is usually a lot longer than the items covered.  These policies are real moneymakers for the dealerships and that, in itself, should tell you something.

If you are buying new, be meticulous in your inspections/testing. YOU are the quality control department, in most cases, for the builder. Your dealer may be good but many(most???) are not. Make sure you note everything in writing that is unsatisfactory and get it fixed BEFORE your warranty expires. Factory service, where possible, is usually much better than most dealerships provide .

I guess it depends on what you are buying, new, used, condition, how handy you are etc. All the individual parts of a motor home such as stoves fridges, microwaves, etc are made by a standard few companies, service manuals etc can often be found on line if needed and thus, if you are handy, much can be done by you at little cost. If you are not or would prefer to have it 'professionally' handled (and I use that term loosely!!), then maybe a warranty is the way to go.....

JMHO, YMMV

 

[Kim (skyking4ar2) Bertram]

I cannot over emphasize the importance of reading the contract and making sure you get clear, concise answers on the coverage and how it works. All extended warranties are not created equal.

In our case, we had an extended warranty on a previous DP that was purchased new, and it was not used in two years.

We had one on the new coach and it started unraveling when we found the contract was not signed and, in fact, did not provide the coverage we expected. Remember, your coach will come with both a coach builder warranty and chassis warranty (assuming a diesel pusher, and likely the gassers). As noted, you can always purchase them after the fact. We had to threaten legal action to get our problem resolved and the results of that remain to be seen.

I think warranties have a place but that is determined by each person's circumstance and their willingness to absorb risk.

Some of the organizations, i.e. FMCA, Escapees, can offer some substantial benefits, and there are many discussions here on the Forum concerning their benefits.

Choose slowly and wisely after your research and you will find what you need.

 

[WILDEBILL308]

Ok what are you getting? Give us all the jusey details. I would hold off on any extended warrantees. You indicate you are getting a new coach so you have warrantees and don?t need extended warrantees until your manufacture warrantees run out. If you by now all you are doing is increasing the profit of the person issuing the warranty. I read all the fine print and decided to self-insure. I also can do most of the repairs if needed. Hear is an example my microwave/convection oven went out. Most of the ?warrantees? had a $500.00 deductible on that item. I bought a new oven for $446.00 and installed it my self.
I definitely would get Coach net and have it in force before you hit the road. I have it and fortunately have not needed it. Just remember most new RVs don?t come with a spare.
I would take the money (what the extended warranty cost) and put it in a savings account. After you have built up that account to a level you are comfortable with, if you don?t need it you have more traveling money.
Bill

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

An extended warranty is insurance for expensive repairs, so justify the cost in those terms. It is not a bumper-to-bumper guarantee like the factory warranty. A diesel motorhome has a lot of very expensive components, so the repair insurance makes some sense there. For other RVs it probably doe snot, since  the probability of a covered, multi-thousand dollar repair is very small.  As you noted, the premiums you pay have to cover the average cost of repairs, the substantial sales commission, and the cost of administering the policy as well as a profit.  Besides, you don't need to worry about an extended warranty until your factory warranty is about up, so don't rush into one.

A road service is somewhat different - it is roadside emergency insurance. For around $100/year you have a friend in need as well as free towing and tire service. Priceless! I like Coach Net, but the Good Sam road service is ok too.

Club memberships: Do not rush into any that cost more than about $50/year. You can gamble on the small amounts and some are easy to recoup, e.g. Passport America. Let a decision on the big ticket ones, e.g. membership parks, wait until you get some travel time under your belt.

 

[Wasoki]

Wildebill,
It is a Georgetown 335 DS.  Delivery is not yet scheduled, but the factory has a build date of 3/28.
I see your tag says you use an Acme tow dolly.  That is one I am considering.  What has been your experience with that dolly?

 

[WILDEBILL308]

That is a nice coach. What drive train are you getting? Like I said earlier I wouldn?t worry about an extended warranty until your original warrantees expire. You will be flooded with offers when that time comes.
I have had a good experience with my Acme Tow Dolly. I like the fact it has disk breaks. I think it is a good tow dolly for the money.
Bill

 

[taoshum]

we went through this barrage of sales and marketing a few years ago... everything under the sun was made to sound like if you didn't buy it all you were gonna lose everything... all the parts were gonna fail and cost you millions, you might get sick and need to be evacuated and all manner of add-ons for your RV... covers, coatings, brakes, sprays, drapes, beds... amazing... we wondered if we had made a huge mistake...

Turns out the advice from the earlier posts is "right on"... CoachNet for sure... wait on the rest of it.  We quickly decided that we didn't have any of this stuff before the RV and survived ok so we decided we'd try it without all the extras.  So far it's been ok.

good luck... try to see past all the hoopla and just go.

 

[loydstuts]

Maybe not extended warranty, but get something that will pay all or most of the towing. I just spent $687.50 to tow mh 70 miles...just my thoughts on the matter

 

[eeaton1]

x2 on CoachNet.  Have had good fortune of only one call but experience with them exceeded all expectations.  Called and they located me on GPS, verified my RV information and had a tow to me in less than an hour.  In meantime, they called a couple of times to check on my situation and provided me the tow operators cell number.  No deductables, no hassle, no signatures required.  Can't say enough about the reasonableness of the insurance and exceptional customer service.  Even though I was supposed to have GM factory service towing on the chassis to nearest GM dealer, I found out that they are not equiped to handle a motor home so that warranty option would never have been available to me if I had relied on it in lieu of getting an additional emergency service contract.  As regards, warranties, clubs, etc.

Heed advice on waiting.  As a newbee, I signed up with several inexpensive discount clubs and purchased many maps and books only to find out I could have found the same information on the web.  Good Sam, AllStays, Mapquest, Woodall's all have free website access and moble apps that will provide you with sufficient information.  Best purchase and easility recoverable investment is a Passport America membership.  Congrats on purchase and happy rving.

 

[therealsimpsons]

x 3 on Passport America and CoachNet. Well worth the cost and never a bad experience with either of them. Good luck on your purchase and most important, have fun!