What is the advantage of having roadside assistance apart from regular policy?

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Graycat1

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I see a lot of people buying roadside from AAA or Good Sam or Coachnet.

What is the advantage of buying there instead of getting roadside with your regular insurance?

Since I have been price checking the past few days, it looks like a regular policy has a line for towing that runs under $40 per year.  The roadside only policies are twice that or more.
 
It really depends on the individual policy.

We've used our roadside assistance policy (State Farm) 3 times in the past two years.
Two towing events, (each tow was over $500...total I had to pay, less than $20 when the closest authorized repair shop couldn't do the work. (brake issue) and one flat tire change.
The ONLY real complaint I've had was in the time it took to get the service provider to us. (and getting the right sized big rig tow truck can take more time than Joe's auto wrecker service at the corner gas station)
 
AAA service can be spotty or non-existent in some states since it is controlled on a state by state basis and not all states have it. Towed miles is another factor, read the small print on any proposed service regarding distances covered. For larger vehicles, the services knowledge in sending the correct tow vehicle for the vehicle is important. Coachnet has a stellar reputation and a telephone help service for RVers but might be more expensive than others.

You get what you pay for!!!
 
If you're towing a travel trailer or 5th wheel, and your tow vehicle breaks down, will they send a second tow truck to pull your trailer in, or will they leave it sitting on the side of the road?
 
The quotes I have been getting have a separate line for tow on each vehicle.  I haven't called anyone back yet until I had more information.
 
Can you call your insurance company's tech support for advice when your RV furnace quits at 2:00 am and it's 30 deg. F outside? Coach-Net will help with that and other non-roadside breakdown situations...
 
RV roadside assistance is unique because of the size of our RVs, because of the complexity of our house/car combinations, and because of where we tend to go.  We've heard too many stories about people who called for a tow and they sent a regular tow truck instead of a flat-bed like you need for a large motorhome.  The previous responders had some good points such as not picking up a tow on a dirt road.  What if you're in a place like Death Valley and need to be towed 100 miles?  Will they cover a big tow like that?  Before buying RV insurance you need to ask them a lot of "what if" questions.  Coachnet and Good Sam are both RV-specific, unlike most of the others.  For example, fixing a flat tire on a car is easy but a flat on a RV can cause a lot of undercarriage damage that you might not expect.  The other roadside assistance programs may cost less, but this is a good example of you get what you pay for.

ArdraF
 
You don't mention what RV you have. If it's a small trailer towed by a pickup, that's one thing. If you have a 45 foot motorhome, that's a whole different animal. Coach Net has technicians on call 24/7 who can assist you in troubleshooting, even when it's not something you need to be towed for, whether it's the generator won't start or the sewer drain is plugged up, or...

CN also understands that a large rig needs a different towing arrangement than a car, they'll find someone to do the towing/service, and they'll follow up until you're done. I recently had a valve stem extension unscrew (my fault, as it happens) from an inner dual, and I was unable to get it back in -- couldn't find the stem on the wheel -- so I called Coach Net. They called a service tech over an hour away (I was near Yellowstone, in Gardiner), and paid for the service charge/mileage -- it just cost me ? hour of his time. The previous time I had to call them, after their tech suggested a number of things to try/check out,  they then sent a tech to work on it (didn't need towing, generator problem), but he was much closer (at QZ).

Regular insurance would have left me with a lot more hassle, and more cost. Plus, should I have to be towed, it's more than just "to the nearest shop." And they follow up. It's worth it to me.
 
Well I have Nationwide towing coverage. So when my MH blew an engine it was a long way to the shop. about $800.00 long. I had to hand over my plastic and take a major hit. Oh Natiowide got me the money in time for me to meet all my obligations but still I had to fork it over up front.

IN the past I've used both AAA (on cars) and coachnet (Motor home) as well..
I do not pay a dime.
 
I got towed twice with my first motor home in 06-07'. Both tows exceeded $1000. I never paid a dime.  I also believe you get what you pay for, and stick with what works.  Motor homes of any size, Class A or C will require "heavy duty tow".  Make sure whatever policy you get has access to those kinds of tow trucks or you are wasting your money.
 
My car insurance towing coverage covers up to $40 per incident.  I find the tow company, call them, pay them, and turn in my receipt.

I have Coachnet.  Last March, I was too anxious to go camping in my new to me FW.  Due to an extremely wet spring, I got stuck in my own back yard  :-*  Called CoachNet.  Explained my situation.  THEY called the tow truck capable of handling my needs.  He spent an hour winching the FW and truck out of the yard and onto solid ground.  Out of pocket expense - -0- -
 
On Father's Day in June, I had a blowout that damaged wires and the gas filler neck under my motorhome. Sitting along a very busy freeway with the blinkers on also caused the battery to go dead and even the emergency start system would not start my motorhome.  CoachNet sent one wrecker to change the tire and then sent an enormous wrecker to tow me to the nearby Lowes, where they had called ahead to get permission for me to spend the night.  In the morning, they sent another gigantic wrecker to tow me to a truck repair place that had the right new battery for me and could fix my wiring and gas filler.  I appreciated that they did not just dump me off at the nearest gas station.

Total for tire change and two tows was $1,250, and they all did a really professional job.  I am an older woman traveling alone, and they called me several times to make sure I was OK.  I have had tires changed by them before and have taken advantage of their over-the-phone technical advice.

You REALLY do NOT want to watch your RV containing almost all of your worldly belongings (I full-time alone) be jacked up by an amateur who has never changed a dual tire or jacked up a vehicle that big or heavy!!!  Except for one time, CoachNet has always sent help that was familiar with big vehicles and knew what they were doing. 

(That one time was in a campground and my neighbors had to loan the wrecker guy a big enough jack and advise him where to put it to lift my vehicle, so it worked out OK, but I could have called them to send someone else, and they would have.  The service guy was expecting an e-450 van instead of a 32' Class C weighing 14,500 pounds, so it was a communication problem.) 

And ditto on the no pocket expense--ever.
 
I have State Farm with my regular insurance, but swear by Good Sam.  Canada, 2 tows in less than  a week. Over $800. Didn't cost me a penny. Blew clutch, one large tow truck and left 5 wheel hitched to truck. Now have a motor home. Again G.S. tow. Tow driver had to take off drive shaft to tow. Again no cost to me. Depending were u are, might be a little wait. But at my age, I am in no hurry.
 
Your regular insurance roadside coverage MIGHT be okay for your RV... just gotta get the fine print. Many of them are capped at X number of miles, or X number of dollars, which can be highly problematic for our huge vehicles that need specialty towing to specialty locations as several above stories have illustrated. That is why an RV-specific roadside plan is worthwhile in many cases.
 
Be careful with AAA, and carefully read and understand the limitations.

We recently camped friends that have AAA RV coverage.  They got very stuck in the mud (the rain was CRAZY that evening!)  Their rig is a home-converted city shuttle bus (picture a 20 seat airport shuttle converted to a really cool camper). 

They called AAA, and after a brief discussion, were told AAA wouldn't tow them, since they were considered a "bus", and not an RV.  Left them in a tough position, and as you can imagine, and less than happy.  AAA wouldn't budge on it, even after a careful explanation of what the rig is and an offer to send photos to prove it. 

Fortunately, we found a guy from the local waste hauler dropping off a dumpster at the campground.  Some kind words and a $50 bill, and he used the winch that hauls the dumpster onto the truck to pull my friends out.  Took 5 minutes.

Needless to say, AAA was canceled next day, and CoachNet was contacted.
 
First, there is a difference between "towing coverage" and "roadside assistance", so you need to understand what is being offered with those vehicle insurance policies.  "Towing" may be just that - they will reimburse you for the cost of towing (up to some $ limit). "Roadside Assist" says you call them and they will arrange for the service you need as well as paying for it. It also covers more than just towing, e.g. door lock-out, tire service, jump starts, etc.  If you have a breakdown, the ability to call somebody who understands RV services and will find and arrange for the nearest capable provider is sometimes near priceless.

RV coverage is broader and has higher dollar limits than regular vehicle insurance. Towing an RV can easily cost several hundred dollars, and breakdowns can include oddball things like a loose awning or broken hitch.

If you have a truck & trailer, the insurance on the truck may or may not include towing of the trailer.

I've bought roadside assist as part of a vehicle policy, but have had other vehicle policies that offered only limited towing reimbursement. You have to ask specific questions to figure out what each policy provides.
 
SargeW said:
Motor homes of any size, Class A or C will require "heavy duty tow".
Click to expand...

In point of fact, a tow truck with a big old Class A motorhome or bus conversion on the hook is legally the same as a tractor trailer, and the tow truck driver must have a Class A  Commercial Driver's License.
 
Optimistic Paranoid said:
In point of fact, a tow truck with a big old Class A motorhome or bus conversion on the hook is legally the same as a tractor trailer, and the tow truck driver must have a Class A  Commercial Driver's License.
Click to expand...

Yep, back in my towing days I carried a Class A CDL with 'S' (combined school bus/passenger transport), 'T' (doubles/triples), and 'X' (combined tanker/hazmat) endorsements.
 
But, fortunately these requirements are not up to you as the RVer to determine, it is up to the tow truck operator or his employer to determine beforehand. By employing persons without the correct licensing would not speak well for the contractor though....
 
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