Roadside Assistance - Who has you covered?

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Strawb1207

Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2024
Posts
12
Location
Florida
I am a Good Sam member, but I see that I do not have roadside assistance through them. I carry insurance through National General, and I see that I do not have roadside assistance through them. Is it possible my auto insurance provider (Geico) would extend Roadside Assistance to a vehicle they don't cover otherwise? As of right now, I feel uncovered, and I would not know who to call if I broke down.

I want to feel safe in the event of a flat tire, running out of gas, RV not starting, etc. I drive a 2017 Class C motorhome.

Do you recommend signing up for Good Sam Roadside?
 
I picked coachnet because of the unlimited towing mileage and because it covers my entire family and rentals and borrowed equipment. Overall they have been goid but they arent always the best at kweping you up to date. All of them are probably that way though

Personally i avoid good sam like the plague because of issues i have had with camping world
 
Our personal competency and our credit card... And pulling our small Casita travel trailer with our reliable Honda Ridgeline makes this risk about the same as being hit by an asteroid...

We also keep a well stocked tool box when traveling and could rebuild an engine/transmission ourselves on the road if needed...and we did just that many years ago before only purchasing Japanese vehicles. And the reality is that where we live and mostly dry camp, there isn't any company that could come to our assistance anyhow, so we must be self-reliant.

Yep, by all accounts, we have also heard that Camping World sucks.
 
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I am a Good Sam member, but I see that I do not have roadside assistance through them. I carry insurance through National General, and I see that I do not have roadside assistance through them. Is it possible my auto insurance provider (Geico) would extend Roadside Assistance to a vehicle they don't cover otherwise? As of right now, I feel uncovered, and I would not know who to call if I broke down.

I want to feel safe in the event of a flat tire, running out of gas, RV not starting, etc. I drive a 2017 Class C motorhome.

Do you recommend signing up for Good Sam Roadside?
A number of us have been Coach-net customers for many years, myself with total satisfaction. Others have had good experiences with other providers, and you'll probably receive a range of responses.

It's been many years since I had Good Sam ERS coverage, and the one time I used it (in the 80's) I was very pleased, But have no recent experience with them.
 
I have several roadside plans, Coachnet, AAA, Good Sam, Spot SOV, and perhaps others that I forgot about.

IMO, they are all rather random in their service. Depends mainly on how busy the towing companies or others are when they get your call.

BTW, it's always better to have a cop call road service for you whenever possible--at least for AAA-- They have a priority with their calls for road service.

-Don- Auburn, CA
 
DonTom said:
"BTW, it's always better to have a cop call road service for you whenever possible--at least for AAA-- They have a priority with their calls for road service."

Have a friend who owned a towing company and she agreed with his statement. The Highway Patrol has priority.
 
Not sure calling the cops is the best thing. I'm sure that they have priority. But, from personal experience, it might be a ripoff. I hit a truck u joint on the Ohio turnpike a few years ago when I was driving my car. I had roadside assistance coverage through my insurance but the cop was right there and offered to call for a tow. My adjuster told me later that the towing company he called, charged them (and so eventually, the trucking company) an outrageous amount for the tow. I also had a buddy some years ago who worked for a tow company that handled the police tows. They were far from honest and also paid kickbacks to the cop who would call them.

I'm sure most cops are honest. But, not all...

We'll be getting a coachnet policy once we start using our new (to us) rig.
 
We are shopping plans too. Looking at coachnet. Had saferide with FMCA, they just raised the yearly dues to 99.00, saferide is 129.00 so the two together are 228.00.
 
I have Allstate Roadside, mainly because I have Allstate for everythng else, and at the time, it was the best deal going. I have had to use them quite a few times, once for a triple blowout (blew three tires all together on a trip from San Antonio to Houston). They have been great for me. My only complaint is having to scrape and grovel every year for a discount on the annual renewal. You would think after so many years, they would just give it to me and not go through the haggle hassle.
 
Years ago when i was trying to decide I put a spreadsheet together to compare the available plans at that time. I recommend you do the same. List out all the features they all claim and then decide what is most important to you.

For me the unlimited towing was really impotant cause we have a luxury rv and i wanted to make sure i could get it to a repait place i trusted or even back to the manufacturer. Everyone has different priorities.

It paid off when my tow vehicle broke down heading north out of phoenix a few years ago. Coachnet sent out 2 tow companies, 1 for the tow vehicle and 1 for the rv. They towed them to 2 separate locations. The tow company for the rv moved it into a campground site where i could hook it up and i didnt have to worry about how to move it and hook it up.
 
Been a member of AAA for many years and have their towing coverage. However it was changed several years ago from a maximum mileage per tow of 200 miles for the first tow and 100 miles for subsequent tows to a fixed dollar amount which probably won't cover 50 miles. Because of that, we went with the Camping World coverage. They had a 6 month cover for a very good price. When it expires we'll take another look.

I know the unlimited mileage feature sounds great but the reality is usually they only tow to the nearest repair facility.
 
I have had CoachNet for 12 years, and for me the biggest advantage is that when they choose a place to take you to, they have an agreement with the repair facility is that they have to start work on your vehicle immediately--no putting your vehicle in the back of the lot and getting around to it when they have time.

I also have used them several times when i needed a repair but my vehicle was driveable. For example, a couple of weeks ago, I had a check engine light on and occasionally flashing. I could tell the engine was missing badly, and had called several local places, all of which refused to work on my vehicle because it was too big to fit in their shop, they had a policy of only working on diesel engines, and a bunch of other excuses.

Luckily I was in a comfortable RV park, but I called CoachNet and they set up an appointment for me the next morning with a nearby auto repair place that worked on motorhomes and actually had a lift big enough for my vehicle if I had needed it! I drove over the next morning, and while they had promised to only diagnose the problem, they had some free time and were able to fit me in immediately. (Otherwise, they would have had to fit me in a couple of days later. It was a small place, so that was OK, especially since my rig was driveable and i had a good place to stay a few miles down the road.) I highly recommend Blue Oval Speed Auto in Coeur d'Alene, by the way.

Turned out to be a bad coil, which they replaced while i sat in my recliner in my vehicle. Couple of hours, they were done, and I was gone, and price was reasonable!!

They also have saved me a couple of tows by giving me technical advice over the phone. They handle road service and also will either tow you or send an RV mechanic if something is RV-related but makes your vehicle un-driveable, such as a slide that is stuck out. They pay for the mobile guy to come out, and you pay for the repair.
 
DonTom said:
"BTW, it's always better to have a cop call road service for you whenever possible--at least for AAA-- They have a priority with their calls for road service."

Have a friend who owned a towing company and she agreed with his statement. The Highway Patrol has priority.
My Fault at least in Michigan.. Got my arse chewed for it but... Still My Fault. :)
 
I've had good service from the ERS provided by my Progressive insurance for $21 a year. The towing distance is limited, but the overage cost is minimal. I also have Allstate Motor Club coverage on our car at $7.25 a month. I should mention that Allstate is the contractor for Good Sam/Camping World's ERS call center.
 
We've had Good Sam roadside for years with no more problems than other roadside. They all pretty much use the same providers - main difference might be method/frequency of communication during an event.
 
I had CoachNet during all the years I had a motorhome. I never had to be towed, but their assistance in getting other things repaired was super, with them paying for the service call to get someone out and me paying only for the actual repair.

I was once in an RV park at the north Yellowstone entrance and they dispatched a repair guy from Livingstone, MT -- cost to me was $55 for the actual repair. Sure, it took a while due to the distance, but it was great service.

Another time I was at Quartzsite with my furnace out (Oasis hydronic system, actually), and they found someone in Q to service it (I'd have had no idea who/where) and though it wasn't something actually covered by them it was a big help.

Also, they are helpful with their 24/7 tech on the phone to advise you on DIY repairs, if you need it.

I was extremely pleased with their help on all occasions when I needed something. Even just having them find someone to do the work on something not covered was valuable to me. The peace of mind, as well as the benefit of their help, was well worth the $169/year.
 
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