Roadside Assistance Plans

[Toedtoes]

I thought it'd be nice to post a list of various Roadside Assistance Plans and to provide a place for folks to review them.  As folks identify additional plans, I'll add them to this post so that we maintain a complete list on the first post.

AAA (Premier)
Coachnet (Limited, Basic, Premium)
Good Sam Roadside (RV Standard, RV Platinum, RV Platinum Plus)

[Toedtoes]

So far, I have used both AAA Premier and Good Sam Premium.  I believe that they have certain differences that make one good for one service, and the other good for a different service.

AAA - with the Premier, you can get up to 200 miles of free* towing to YOUR CHOICE of locations.  This means you can have your vehicle towed to your preferred shop rather than the closest contracted shop.   *"free" has a dollar limitation on it - because our rigs require a medium duty wrecker, the hourly rate is often more than a standard tow truck, so our actual free mileage is often less than 200 miles.

Good Sam - with the Premium, you get a free tow to the closest shop that agrees to service your RV.  This means you have to go where they tell you.  They will also send a mobile mechanic before agreeing to tow you.

Scenario One:  Say you are broken down on a Sunday afternoon in a "safe place" (meaning not in the flow of traffic) about 100 miles from home. 

You call AAA, they ask where do you want to be towed, you give them the address of your mechanic, they send a tow truck.   

OR   

You call Good Sam, they tell you they will send a mobile mechanic to you.  Mobile mechanic sounds good, but our rigs are 35+ years old.  There are fewer and fewer mechanics who know anything about old carbureted engines.  Then there's the issue of parts - it is very unlikely that the mobile mechanic will have parts for our rigs on hand.  So, unless it's just an easy fix (replacing a hose, belt, etc.), the mobile mechanic will likely say "I can't fix this".  So, you contact Good Sam back and let them know.  Now, they tell you they will locate a repair shop willing and able to handle your vehicle.  It is now late afternoon on Sunday evening - how many shops are open to answer Good Sam's call.  Here's the main catch - UNTIL they locate a shop, Good Sam will not send out a tow truck.  So you sit and wait.

Scenario Two:  You break down 500 miles away from home on a Tuesday morning.  You are in a "safe place".

You call AAA and they ask you where you want to be towed.  The  only place you can think of is your regular mechanic.  As he is 300 miles over the limit, you will have to pay hundreds of dollars for the tow.

You call Good Sam and they send out the mobile mechanic.  He can't fix it so you call Good Sam back.  They call the local repair shops (which are all open on a Tuesday before 5 p.m.) and find one that will accept your RV.  Good Sam sends out the tow truck.

Neither is perfect in every situation, each is better in certain situations.  As I have one driver, one RV, and one SUV, I have decided that having two roadside services is the best for me.  I have AAA premier - if I'm less than 200 miles away, I want my clipper towed to my shop - and it will cover my SUV to satisfaction.  Last year, I added Good Sam Premium - this is only good for my RV, but I find that sufficient for my needs. 

Having used Good Sam, I found their phone service to be severely lacking in assistance.  The "rapid response team" on the rv.net website did resolve those issues quickly AFTER the fact, but it does concern me.  As my renewal came up this past weekend, I decided I'd let it lapse and try out Coachnet.  Price and services are comparable between GS Premium and Coachnet Basic, so I went with the Basic.  Hopefully, I will not need to use it for a while, but if I do, I will post my review of their service here.

[Casti891]

Appreciate the info!

[rvguy101]

we ues AAA Premier, now with me. & that i been a mechanic for 49 years. i can fix stuff, & most of the time. i have the part with us. but last time,. i got a flat, & the spare was not the best due to the dry rot on it. & aaa, i had tow it to the tire shop. that was close to me, was a mile over the limit. but as for other mechanics, i don't trust they will do the right thing. or try to sell me a part i don't need. but if i don't have the part,. i have aaa tow it, to the closest napa or o'reilly, or auto zone. but as for good sam, i don't like.