Jump to content
huffypuff

Comparing Coach Net, Good Sam & FMCA Roadside Assistance Coverage

Recommended Posts

Have been looking at all Roadside programs. I have some coverage on my Allstate policy. But I pay up front for the service and Allstate will pay me back upon receiving my invoice.AAA has started coverage for Roadside service cost me $5.00 to add my Sea Breeze  pay on CC each year save $5.00.  Looking at FMCA for 69.00 and Coach Net for 249.00. Had Good Sam's won't have again no help at all on a Trip to Waco, Tx. Called AAA as a Auto Member and they got me a contact in the local area I did have to pay but got help. Cost to replace bad valve stem and air tire with trip cost free man got a great tip and we headed on to Waco .    

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I agree that AAA may be the most efficient and professional, however if you are towing a trailer you have a problem unless you pay for an additional tow...bummer. Good Sam on the other hand now has coverage. I had Blue Sky insurance at the time until they moved out of the RV business. The coach needed to be towed and the loaded 24 foot featherlite enclosed trailer as well. I called them and not long two tow rigs showed up, one small and one large enough to haul the coach and trailer. It was in a snowstorm and cold. I was told what the charge was going to be, plenty, and by the time we were in Pueblo unloading,  I had time to BS with the guy driving tie big rig, the cost nearly halved and the company paid yes...I gave him a nice tip.

I looked at Good Sam and at the time was told that they no longer offered coverage for those of us that tote a large trailer. Now that has apparently changed and again offer the service. 

I subsequently bought Coach Net for a year (currently).  I tried to used it on the Ford F350 dually and can not wait to change when the service time is up. The big kicker, hauling to the closest repair center, which in this case was a Colorado Springs Ford dealer, closing Friday night for the weekend. I needed to get to Denver (home) to the repair shop of choice. Needless to say I re-upped with AAA, cheaper than spending 3 nights in the Springs. In hindsight should have called State Farm as a tow service is included I found out later or just plain forgot. AAA did get it done and very quickly I might add. 

The point I am making, at least for me is that I am in charge of how I handle the situation. This year at least I will not take the big trailer but the aluminum flatbed. The Jeep Wrangler Sport I just bought should handle it just fine. In the case of a problem with the coach, I will make my own moves as it will be far lighter than the bigger trailer. I will very likely add AAA for the coach as I have been with them for 20 years with excellent results.

In any event I think it is a roll of the dice or a spin of the wheel on any given incident as to the kind of service you end up with. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose or fight for what needs to be accomplished.

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi, just joined FMCA yesterday.  I am thinking of getting RSA when our AAA Plus  runs out in August.  I hear some people talking about a towing Caveat, I have not been able to find what this caveat is, could someone please explain

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

They will not “recover” which means if not close to a road or if down in a ravine, they do not tow it out. Many others have this same limit. 

New Years eve, my door lock failed, called, stated it would be 75 minutes before the locksmith could be here. At 70 minutes locksmith called. Stated he was at a service station filling up with fuel and it would be another 20 minutes. Took about 15 minutes to get in. No charge to me. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On ‎11‎/‎1‎/‎2017 at 11:28 AM, bestdl1 said:

I called a local shop who told me to go to a Loves Truck shop, that they would help me. I did! And I am happy to report, that even though they do not work with RV's, they had to removed the hup caps and then they were able to inflate my tires

You were lucky that Loves did anything for you in an RV, the one that I went to would not even sell me a fuel filter because they don't work on RV's or Busses, my filter was a stock item on the shelf in plain site. I will never buy fuel at a Loves as a result.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

We had two breakdowns on last trip. First one waited 8 hours for mobile repair. Second time GS never called us back, we had to find our own mobile repair. Cancelled GS and all coverages we had and signed up with FMCA.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Does anyone have up to date comparisions between FMCA & CoachNet for coverage? Is there a spreadsheet somewhere that makes comparisions?

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Yesterday I received a letter from Good Sam ERS; I supposed because I did not renew and I went with FMCA/Saferide ERS. Anyway it said they have a new ERS @ $69/yr. Closer reading found it stated it was for towable RV's only. That's the best I remember, I shredded it already. so if anyone has different information, correct me.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had a three year plan with GS for $270 that is about to expire.  Now to renew for one year, they want $160, with a $10 discount.  Coach Net wants $250 and FMCA wants $74.  These are current figures.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Unless things have changed with CN, when I needed mobile mechanics services CN paid for the service call and mileage charges.  I paid for labor and materials.  The FMCA plan states that it will cover no charges for any aspect of mobile mechanic services.

I also noticed that winch-out services are limited to $500.  Last summer I needed to be pulled out of the mud at an RV park in Canada.  Of course, the problem occured on a major national holiday--Canada Day.  CN covered everything; I didn't pay a dime.  I have no idea what it cost.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The FMCA plan states that it will cover no charges for any aspect of mobilemechanic services.

Thats because it is a Roadside Assistance Plan not a Extended Service Plan. It will cover towing for a breakdown to a shop that will do the repairs. If you want the repairs covered you need to purchase a Service Plan (extended warranty) in addition to the RA. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
4 hours ago, txtiger said:

The FMCA plan states that it will cover no charges for any aspect of mobilemechanic services.

Thats because it is a Roadside Assistance Plan not a Extended Service Plan. It will cover towing for a breakdown to a shop that will do the repairs. If you want the repairs covered you need to purchase a Service Plan (extended warranty) in addition to the RA. 

With all due respect, over 10 years we have traveled over 65,000 miles as full-timers.  In all that time there have been a couple of instances where we needed the services of a mechanic on the side of a road because of mechanical breakdown.  IMHO towing the vehicle would have been a rather uneconomical approach to problems that were resolved with an hour or two of work at the vehicle.  As I said in my post, CN has found us an available mechanic and,  in the past, has paid for the mechanic's service call and mileage fees.  I paid for the mechanic's time and any parts or supplies that were needed.

FMCA is entitled to adopt any terms and conditions it wishes for its roadside assistance plan.  All I was doing was pointing out the differences between the FMCA plan and my personal experience with the CN plan.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Does anyone have experience needing RA with a Class-C?  Since I am not much smaller than a large Dually pick-up I would think I should be towed if the repair on the road was not possible.

As my chassis is a Chevy 4500 all the running gear should be serviceable at any GM dealership. I am pretty mechanically inclined but don't travel with my big main tool-chest so I may need a mechanic at some point in the future.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, tireman9 said:

Does anyone have experience needing RA with a Class-C? 

I am not sure the size of the coach would determine that as much as ones ability to make repairs on the roadside. Being the chassis you have is a very dependable platform my only concern would be tire failure,.

I am confident aside from a road hazard you got that covered already :P

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

For the last eleven years I've had Good Sam Roadside Assistance coverage.  The cost for that coverage generally increased at about the rate of inflation from $60'ish to $80'ish per year.   I was stunned with the annual renewal notice I received this past weekend that showed the annual cost has jumped to $160 per year!!!   The cost for the FMCA Roadside Rescue plan is only $74 per year.

For an insurance that I've yet to use, paying $160 for one year of Good Sam RA is unthinkable !!    What is the forum's experience with the FMCA Roadside Rescue plan which is much more cost effective?    Your thoughts are greatly appreciated!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, fagnaml said:

For the last eleven years I've had Good Sam Roadside Assistance coverage.  The cost for that coverage generally increased at about the rate of inflation from $60'ish to $80'ish per year.   I was stunned with the annual renewal notice I received this past weekend that showed the annual cost has jumped to $160 per year!!!   The cost for the FMCA Roadside Rescue plan is only $74 per year.

For an insurance that I've yet to use, paying $160 for one year of Good Sam RA is unthinkable !!    What is the forum's experience with the FMCA Roadside Rescue plan which is much more cost effective?    Your thoughts are greatly appreciated!

The big increase is to cover wheel and tire replacement.  

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ray, I must have missed something!  Mobil service for tire replacement & we pay for tire, was what originally put GS RA on the map!  I can't see where Mobil Serv. has gone up enough to justify the added amount per year!  

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 1/7/2020 at 1:45 PM, huffypuff said:

The big increase is to cover wheel and tire replacement.  

The last time my RF tire blew out, I paid for the tire and the wheel....got money refunded for the wheel because I did not need it, but not the $800 Michelin.  There was no labor charge.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...