FMCA Roadside Assistance

[SWharton]

Just received our renewal from Coach-Net, yikes $200. Seriously looking at FMCA. Has anyone had any experience with them, good, bad etc.

[Twotoes]

I just purchased their RA a few months ago. They use SafeRide, same company that Escapees has for their RA. I paid $69 but I think the price went up to $74 now. Escapees members pay $99. Haven’t needed to use it yet but it’s good to have. 

[SWharton]

Yes, we are going to switch in December  to FMCA. Too much of a $$ difference.

[docj]

We've had nothing but good experiences with Coachnet, the most recent of which was in July.   We had gotten ourselves stuck in the mud at an RV park up to our axles in a remote area of Prince Edward Island on Canada Day, a major national holiday.  Within two hours Coachnet had a well-respected local wrecker operator on site and winching us out of the mud.  The guy's wife was impressed that right off the bat she had been given a credit card number to cover all the costs.  The bottom line for me is that I'm a very satisfied Coachnet customer; sometimes you do get what you pay for.

[SWharton]

I agree, we have had Coach-net for 20 years and have had varying experiences. So far, everyone seems to be happy with FMCA and the price differential is just too much. $126/year. We'll go with the year to year, if we start hearing about problems we will switch back. I will say though, since we switched to a gasser we have had no break downs vs. the MDT diesel so I hpe we never need them.

[chiefneon]

 

Howdy!

 I totally agree with docj, never had FMCA but started out with SM ERS and was disappointed every time I tried to use them. We’ve had CN for several years and they have given us excellent service every time we call. I used them in Newfoundland and last year in Alaska when the sent two tow trucks one for our 5er and one for our MDT. only questions asked was where we wanted to be towed to. As stated I think it comes down to you get what you pay for.

” Happy Trails “

Chiefneon

[Kirk W]

Since we are not FMCA membeers, we just went with Escapees Road Service for reasons of price. 

[trailertraveler]

Over almost 50 years of RVing, we have switched Emergency Road Service providers a number of times to take advantage of first year discounts. I think it is well known that the providers actually performing the services onsite are basically the same for all the major plans. The difference is in the call center response and the priority that providers may give to a plan based on things like amount of payment and promptness of payment. We have had good service from Good Sam, Allstate, Coachnet, our insurance companies and GMC when the vehicle was under warranty. If you have to join an organization like FMCA or Escapees to get a discount on the ERS plan look at all the other benefits and discounts that membership provides and decide which will be the most beneficial to you. FMCA was not an option for us until their relatively recent policy change to allow trailer trash to join. We joined FMCA primarily for the Medical Emergency Travel Assistance benefit that comes with membership.

Edited July 30, 2019 by trailertraveler

[SWharton]

The Medical Emergency Travel Assistance is the reason we joined FMCA also. RA is an added benefit.

[Kirk W]

10 hours ago, trailertraveler said:

If you have to join an organization like FMCA or Escapees to get a discount on the ERS plan look at all the other benefits and discounts that membership provides

We joined FMCA back in the 90's when we bought our first motorhome but left after a few years because at the time if we attended any of their events we always felt like second class members with our cheap, gas motorhome. It may be different now that they let trailer trash in, but I am no longer interested. 

[docj]

18 hours ago, SWharton said:

The Medical Emergency Travel Assistance is the reason we joined FMCA also. RA is an added benefit.

Not to reopen an old argument, but the Emergency Travel Assistance policy is a lot less than many people think it is.   According to this document from Lloyd's of London, FMCA pays a 70 cent per month premium for each member for this insurance.  Even though there is strength in numbers, one shouldn't expect too much from a policy with <$10 in annual premium.

The key thing IMHO is that this is often referred to as a "repatriation" policy which it clearly is not.  It is intended to ensure that you are taken to the nearest medical facility that can provide the level of care you need, but there is no expectation that this will be a facility in your domicile area.  There is a proviso whereby if you are evacuated to a nearby medical facility and still require additional treatment the policy might pay for transportation to your home area, but that is clearly not the primary outcome.  Furthermore, all other benefits such as returning your RV to your home area are contingent on you (or your spouse) having been approved for medical transport in the first place.

I'm not saying that this coverage is without any value, but in comparing it to the coverage provided by SkyMed, MASA and similar companies (for a lot more money) one shouldn't overlook the huge difference in premium charged.  If you really believe that a policy with a $10/year premium will pay essentially the same benefits as one that costs ~$500/yr, then I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you along with several other "too good to be true" deals!

Here's the Lloyd's document:https://www.sevencorners.com/docs/default-source/fmca_docs/fmca_plan.pdf

Joel (AKA docj)

Edited July 30, 2019 by docj

[Twotoes]

My health insurance will take care of most of my medical needs. I look at FMCAs Emergency Travel Assistance to take care of my dog and get my RV out of my campsite and into storage for me while I am hospitalized. I am a solo full timer and do not have a sticks and bricks and almost never have any family in the area I am staying in. 

[Kirk W]

14 hours ago, docj said:

I'm not saying that this coverage is without any value, but in comparing it to the coverage provided by SkyMed, MASA and similar companies (for a lot more money) one shouldn't overlook the huge difference in premium charged. 

I have made that same point many times but have been rarely been heard.

[sundancer268]

I switched to the FMCA Policy and then went back to Coachnet because when I stuffed my car into a snowdrift they would not send someone to pull me out, said it was an accident and they didn't cover those types of calls.  I called Coachnet and ask them if they would have covered me in that situation and they said yes.  I put more miles on the car so that coverage is most important to me.

[SWharton]

That is interesting. A year or so ago someone had an accident and needed to be yanked out of a ditch(or something) and Coachnet said no, call his auto insurance. I wonder what changed....................

[docj]

2 hours ago, SWharton said:

That is interesting. A year or so ago someone had an accident and needed to be yanked out of a ditch(or something) and Coachnet said no, call his auto insurance. I wonder what changed....................

I think the difference is that if you need a tow that is directly related to an accident, then the charges should rightly go to whatever party is paying for the costs associated with the accident.  If the tow or extraction isn't related to an accident then the road hazard policy should cover it

[SWharton]

Part of this is what is an accident?

[docj]

13 minutes ago, SWharton said:

Part of this is what is an accident?

I was assuming something that you could rightly charge to either another party or to your own collision coverage.

[SWharton]

I never thought about it before.

[Kirk W]

22 minutes ago, SWharton said:

Part of this is what is an accident?

If you are traveling down the highway in bad weather and slide off into the ditch, is that not accidental? I never really thought of that sort of problem but would think that road service should provide a winch-out service. I may have to contact our service and ask about that situation. 

[SWharton]

I am with you Kirk. I know Coachnet provides winch-out service so the OP in the snow drift would be similar IMO. I'll need to double check with the FMCA provider before switching. Since FMCA and Escapees use the same company I wonder if there might be a difference in coverage.

[SWharton]

OK. I sent notes to FMC/Saferide and Coachnet.

The question:

2. If I am driving my car and skid into a ditch or snowdrift would you provide extraction?

FMCA- If you were driving your car and skidded into a ditch or snowdrift, is considered an accident.  Accidents as well as Vandalism and Acts of God are not covered.

Coachnet-

Winching is a covered roadside assistance. Vehicles cannot be more than 100 feet from a maintained roadway. If a recovery situation, that would be an insurance issue not a matter for your roadside assistance coverage.

Not exactly clear cut based on the question. I am not sure what a recovery situation is. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[docj]

Coachnet winched me out of the mud a couple of months ago.  I got into the mud under my own power.  Is that an accident?  Well, I sure didn't get stuck in the mud on purpose!  Furthermore, the mud didn't sneak up on me!  😂

[SWharton]

Was that your car or RV that was winched out? The companies seem to cover the RV with no problem, it is the car that is in question.

[docj]

54 minutes ago, SWharton said:

Was that your car or RV that was winched out? The companies seem to cover the RV with no problem, it is the car that is in question.

It was the RV, but are you saying that the coverage wording is different for the car and the RV?  If the words are the same there's no basis for denying coverage for the car for things that are covered for the RV.