Recommendations for roadside service plans

[Hydrophilic]

My wife and I just bought our first RV and are super excited.  It is a 1997 Tioga Walkabout (22'), Ford E350 (V10).  Many questions to follow, but right now we are focusing on who to go with for roadside service.  I read some previous posts recommending Coach-Net, but did not see any mention of AAA.  They seem to offer a similar package to Coach-Net for a comparable price ($165/yr for their Premier RV package with towing up to 200 miles).  I'm not sure about Coach-Net, but we could use AAA for all our vehicles (or any vehicle we happen to be in when we need service), and I can add my spouse to the AAA plan for $17 (goes up to $36/year thereafter). There are also other benefits for AAA members (like travel and lodging discounts) that I don't see offered by Coach-Net. We are currently not AAA members, so no bias here. Has anyone looked into AAA and compared them to the other service providers?

Thanks.
Chris

 

[Kevin Means]

Hi Chris - welcome to the forum. We've had CoachNet for 20+ years, primarily because they've always had a pretty good reputation with RVers, and they seem to specialize in RVs (even though they also cover our other vehicles.) While we've never had to use them (I consider that a good thing) it's nice knowing they're there. The bill for towing a rig like ours (a 43 foot Class A) could be $1000.00 if it had to be towed any real distance. CoachNet also offers an RV tech-support line in case you're troubleshooting a problem.

I just re-upped our CoachNet Platinum policy yesterday and it cost $150.00. It comes with some good options but other roadside service providers may offer similar options. FWIW

Kev

 

[Arch Hoagland]

I have AAA with the upgraded plan. So far they paid $12,000 for damage done when an inside dual blew out and another $1,000 for a windshield prior to that.

They have paid for two awnings that blew off my various RV's.

On my homeowners they have shelled out about $32,000 for a toilet water line that broke and flooded our entire house.

I am a happy camper.  When I had these repairs done I asked the various contractors which insurance company they liked to deal with the best and all answered AAA.  They said AAA doesn't cut corners.

The problem with picking insurance is that most of the time people chose by the price.

You never know how good your insurance is until you file a claim and that's where the rubber meets the road.

 

[2kGeorgieBoy]

The following is a post I did back in March for a similar question. Ignore the reference to the truck, as that is what it concerned, but I think the rest will be of interest to you. Some things to think about.

"You said you have AAA towing for your truck. I would look carefully at their coverage. Will  they also tow your trailer if the truck needs to be towed? How far will they tow the truck, to the nearest repair facility or to the nearest facility that can actually repair your vehicle or trailer (if that is the problem). I have Good Sam's Platinum Roadside service and they will tow (unlimited mileage and no out of pocket cost to me) my Class C and my ATV trailer to the repair facility that can handle the repairs, not just the "local garage", no matter the distance. It also covers all my other vehicles (whether towing or not) and trailer if the tow vehicle needs to be towed for repairs. The fact that they will also tow the trailer and not leave it with 2 expensive Polaris ATV's on it on the road for me to find a tow service for, is a big PLUS. They will also tow my ATV trailer if that is what is broken and  needs the tow. I am sure others on this forum will also offer advice on their towing coverage and suggestions."

Arch...I understood that the OP concerned roadside service for a breakdown, not regular insurance covering accidents, blowout damage, windshields and such. Does the insurance plan you're referencing cover this also?

 

[grashley]

X2

Breakdown insurance, or Roadside Assistance,  i.e. Coachnet, gets the unit to a repair shop where the windshield can be replaced.  It does not usually cover the cost of the repair.  AAA has breakdown insurance, but I do not believe that is the type of insurance Arch was talking about.

As Kevin alluded to, Coachnet offers other services as well, such as 24/7 tech help for general RV problems (water pump will not come on) and can connect you with mobile RV techs in the area.  I believe they also cover roadside assistance for your "normal" vehicles as well.

 

[WILDEBILL308]

I have Coachnet and one outher thing I would join FMCA because of the FMCAssist Medical Emergency and Travel Assistance Program is an association-paid member benefit. They allso have a roadsid asist program like Coach net.
Bill

 

[Arch Hoagland]

The following is a post I did back in March for a similar question. Ignore the reference to the truck, as that is what it concerned, but I think the rest will be of interest to you. Some things to think about.

"You said you have AAA towing for your truck. I would look carefully at their coverage. Will  they also tow your trailer if the truck needs to be towed? How far will they tow the truck, to the nearest repair facility or to the nearest facility that can actually repair your vehicle or trailer (if that is the problem). I have Good Sam's Platinum Roadside service and they will tow (unlimited mileage and no out of pocket cost to me) my Class C and my ATV trailer to the repair facility that can handle the repairs, not just the "local garage", no matter the distance. It also covers all my other vehicles (whether towing or not) and trailer if the tow vehicle needs to be towed for repairs. The fact that they will also tow the trailer and not leave it with 2 expensive Polaris ATV's on it on the road for me to find a tow service for, is a big PLUS. They will also tow my ATV trailer if that is what is broken and  needs the tow. I am sure others on this forum will also offer advice on their towing coverage and suggestions."

Arch...I understood that the OP concerned roadside service for a breakdown, not regular insurance covering accidents, blowout damage, windshields and such. Does the insurance plan you're referencing cover this also?

I don't know. I do know they brought a tire, replaced it so they could tow it to a repair facility. If I break down...engine dies, etc, they will tow me to someone who can fix it. 

 

[Hydrophilic]

Thanks for all the quick replies and great advice.  I researched Coach-Net a bit more and it sounds like it is the best deal and would meet all of our needs (for RV and other family vehicles)  I can cancel the towing with our auto insurance and apply that savings toward Coach-Net.

 

[2kGeorgieBoy]

Although you didn't mention it,  be sure that your coverage will also include providing towing for a trailer if you have one. That was one of my main concerns,  that I wouldn't be stuck trying to locate someone to tow my trailer from the side of the road while my RV or Sorento is on its' merry way to a repair shop.