Opinions on warranties & protection plans??

[EnjoyTheAdventure]

We are picking up our 1st RV in the next 2 weeks. So many more decisions to be made... I have to get full time RV insurance.. calling RV Advantage soon.

BUT WHAT ABOUT WARRANTIES & PROTECTION PLANS???????

It is a Tiffin Allegro 31 SA 2016 12,000 miles so it does not come with much of a warranty & we have never had a warranty plan do anything for us!! We are getting nervous about tires, blow outs, over weight and ALL of that... Plan on doing the weight smart soon. We joined Escapee, Passport America & now debating on getting Good Sam.

Please give me your opinions on...

*Warranties

*Protection plans

*Full time Insurance

*Road Side Assist plans

*Tire pressure gadgets & tools to have on board 

Thank you!!!! 😀

[jpcoll01]

There are folks here that know a lot more than me and will provide great feedback on all of the items you mentioned.  The one I can weigh in on is Roadside assistance.  I didn't have it and experienced 2 blowouts within 2 hours on the side of a hill on Interstate 75 with full guardrail immediately beside the shoulder.  I had to put my wife and kids in the TOAD and send them on as I was scared for their safety.  I got the tire(s) changed and got to safety but decided my life is worth more than $100 a year, I will never change another tire on the side of the road (at least not a busy interstate with semi trucks coming within inches of me).  Signed up for Good Sam, not sure how good they are, but I feel better knowing I have it.  

[GlennWest]

Our insurance company provides road side assistance very inexspensive with the policy. Progressive. As far as extended warranty, it is basically insurance and if dollars tight and not physically cable of your own repairs may be a good thing. We don't but I can fix most. Also not retired so money is there for repairs. Can just create a fund for such. Likely less money in the long run

[Kirk W]

46 minutes ago, EnjoyTheAdventure said:

*Warranties                 *Protection plans

 

An extended warranty or a service plan is really just a health insurance policy on the RV and the choice should be made as a business decision. I suggest that you read this article which was published by Escapees Magazine and then choose which way is better for you. If you could pay for the things covered by such plans without financial disaster you should probably not buy one. If you would be unable to continue with the fulltime RV lifestyle in the event of major repairs, then you should buy one.

50 minutes ago, EnjoyTheAdventure said:

*Full time Insurance

If you own a home, do you pay for home owner's insurance? If the answer is yes to that question then your answer now is also yes. That is what a fulltime clause does for you. You need to be very careful if you do not buy it since many RV policies limit the number of Wnights per year that the RV can be used and remain covered. 

52 minutes ago, EnjoyTheAdventure said:

*Road Side Assist plans

This is much the same as an Extended warranty, but at a somewhat lower level since the cost is also less. We have always carried one since going fulltime and in that 12 years it was only used 2 times. The first was just phone support for technical advice but the second time required towing. That tow bill would have been about $1600 if we had not had road service coverage so..............  As stated above, some RV insurance does have towing insurance available and it is far less costly. We do use Coachnet at a higher cost for peace of mind as it has no limits.

56 minutes ago, EnjoyTheAdventure said:

*Tire pressure gadgets & tools to have on board 

This one is a bit more complicated. Tire pressure monitoring is a good thing, but expensive. To me, it is a little like insurance but in another form. They are a good thing, but must admit that I have never had one. Tools will depend upon what you are proficient with and will use. 

[EnjoyTheAdventure]

Thank you all for you time in helping me! I appreciate all of your advise  

[SWharton]

4 hours ago, EnjoyTheAdventure said:

We are picking up our 1st RV in the next 2 weeks. So many more decisions to be made... I have to get full time RV insurance.. calling RV Advantage soon.

BUT WHAT ABOUT WARRANTIES & PROTECTION PLANS???????

It is a Tiffin Allegro 31 SA 2016 12,000 miles so it does not come with much of a warranty & we have never had a warranty plan do anything for us!! We are getting nervous about tires, blow outs, over weight and ALL of that... Plan on doing the weight smart soon. We joined Escapee, Passport America & now debating on getting Good Sam.

Please give me your opinions on...

*Warranties

Your rig is warrantied generally for 1 year. I don;t understand the question.

*Protection plans

I assume you mean an extended warranty. We have never had one but I am handy. If you are not handy and have the resources get a extended warranty. Beware though, if you don't follow the procedure as documented in the policy your claim may be rejected. Many people just set the money aside as a rainy day fund for the RV rather than pay for the warranty.

*Full time Insurance

If you travel more than ?? days pere year you are considered a full timer and need that insurance. This is more or less the quiuvalent of home owners insurance.

*Road Side Assist plans

Yes, get one. Towing is very expensive. Coachnet or Good Sam are 2 of the most popular. Your policy may come with coverage but there is usually a dollar limit.

*Tire pressure gadgets & tools to have on board 

We have a TPMS. Though it has never alarmed one of the benefits is that I can check tire pressure from the comfort of my coach or truck. No going outside and dealling with valve stems, especially if you have duallies.

Thank you!!!! 😀

 

 

[Ray,IN]

Getting terms straight; an extended service contract is not, by law, a warranty, even though most people refer to an ESC as a warranty. As you already know, a contract leaves little wriggle room.

An ESC contract contains specific conditions for filing a claim, and prerequisites must be followed prior to assenting to having repairs performed. An exclusionary contract states what is NOT covered, by omission everything else IS covered. An inclusion contract states what IS covered, by omission everything else is NOT covered. Bottom line, an exclusionary contract is best. If you decide to purchase an ESC add the gaskets and seals rider, otherwise if a gasket fails allowing fluids to leak out, all resulting consequential damage is not covered.

We bought a 3 yr ESC from Camping World when we purchased our MH in 2013. By the end of the contract it paid for itself and perhaps a bit more. As you see our MH is a 2000, which IMO made an ESC prudent. No claims were made on the chassis, all were for the coach portion.

On a different RVing forum a member did not have an ESC, the engine dropped the #6 cylinder valves resulting in a $30,000 repair bill. I wonder if anyone who "self-insures" has that kind of RV savings account?

[EnjoyTheAdventure]

Wow! That is a lot of helpful info and so much to think about. Well I sure appreciate the help because it gives me a lot to consider while reading these forms  

[Barbaraok]

As a matter of fact Ray, yes, some of us do.  We've had a repair fund that we started when we purchased our rig by putting in 10% of the purchase price and adding to it each month.   Because we are paying for everything, we don't have to wait until something breaks, but if we catch a problem, we fix it on our schedule.  If things come as a pair and one has a problem, when it is pulled we have it looked over and then make the decision on it's matching part - often to go ahead and replace rather than wait for that part to fail.  We also never replace just the 'part' in the assembly that failed, but the assembly,  we learned that lesson the first year out.    We also set money aside each month so that things like batteries and tires are 'paid for' before we purchase them - - again on OUR schedule at a time and place that works for us.  Like getting tires in Oregon so we don't have sales tax on that big chunk of change.   Our 'repair fund' has never had a negative balance, and we've earned a steady small interest rate on it over the years. 

[Jimalberta]

Ray.we do as well. It would be painfull but doable. I have never believed in any kind of extended warranties and I feel it has saved me money in the long run. I also do the majority of my own work.

[GlennWest]

We do also. Yes, it hurts to part with money but I hate payments to someone else. To myself 😁

[Kirk W]

6 hours ago, Barbaraok said:

As a matter of fact Ray, yes, some of us do.  We've had a repair fund that we started when we purchased our rig by putting in 10% of the purchase price and adding to it each month. 

There is no doubt that this method is a better way to cover things if you have both the financial ability and the self-discipline to do so. I suspect that there are very few who actually do as you have and for them, some type of insurance may be a better choice. For people who finance their RV home, it would be very difficult to put aside an extra 10% of the purchase price, if possible. 

Barb's plan has other benefits as well since if you do as she suggests you could set aside enough each month that you would be able to replace the RV at some point in the future if you do not experience any major repair expenses. I have no way to know who actually does this and who does not, but it is imperative that when you plan your future you be honest with yourself, making a plan that works and then following it. Insurance of any kind is only rarely a good investment, but it is vital if you have a financial loss that exceeds your ability to pay. If you doubt the need for good insurance, read a few of the stories from the recent hurricanes. 

I actually buy extended warranties on very few things. Never do I buy one for a TV or appliance. Only once on an automobile and twice on RV's out of 6 that we have owned. 

[mptjelgin]

We do also. A lifetime of not buying extended warranties has never resulted in an unpayable bill. I do almost all of our repair work, but if necessary we can pay for any repair.

[Barbaraok]

Kirk is correct, one needs to be disciplined in making sure that set aside amounts are moved into separate accounts (even just within Quicken) so you are not seeing those dollars as being available.   But we have done this all of our lives - any annual bills are set aside on a monthly basis,   same with quarterly bills (like estimated tax payments),  and we always have set aside money for monthly bills a month ahead.   Part of this was because when Dave first was teaching, faculty were paid on a 9 month basis and summer was always an 'extra' so we had to use the income paid over 9 months to be available for the full 12 months.   

I could see getting an extended warranty for a motorized RV if one was limited on savings but had a reliable steady income stream, but for trailers and 5th wheels I would think one would come out ahead in the long run.

We do carry roadside assistance through CoachNet, not that we couldn't pay for a tow, but rather I don't want to be on the side of the road trying to locate tow truck, etc.   I value their knowledge and help when we have required it - such as having a tire changed on our car when Dave was 4 days out of the hospital after stents and couldn't in 110 heat in Tyler, Tx work on the car.  That service was priceless in my opinion.   

 

[Ray,IN]

I totally agree with self-insuring if you have the means to do so without inconvenience to your family.  You mentioned towables and buying an ESC, IMO that is not something I would do either, just self-propelled RV's.

The man I was talking about had the first dropped valves 6 months after purchased-used, then it happened again about a month later. The Cummins ISX 650HP engine seems to have more than the usual  amount of problems. Perhaps that is why it is no longer made in that version. The ISX 600HP version is normally used in semi-tractors, and seems to be a reliable engine for OTR use, according to trucking websites.

[richfaa]

We have been long timers for 12 years.  We have been through two trucks and two 5th wheels . We have had the extended warranty on both 5th wheels(Kirk gives a great description what they are) For us they are worth it as all insurance is and we have used it many times. We also have the Ford ESP on our Ford Truck. We have roadside assistance and have used it a few times over the years as we travel many miles per year. These things do cost $$$ and is the individuals choice as to what works best for them. We opt for the convenience   and ease of use. A phone call and all is taken care of. We are very long in the tooth and have never been handy with tools or repair.

Whatever works for the individual is the right way.

 

[Tcwndsr]

We purchased an esc on our 2002 Class A but thankfully have not had the need to use it. Most problems have been minor and easily fixed for well under the $200 deductible the plan has. We still feel  better having it on this older rig that was an unknown when we purchased her. It will be a tough decision whether we renew it next year.

We have road service and have used it twice for our pickup truck. It is a great plan that covers all of our vehicles including the motorcycle. I would recommend always having some type of road service.

We also have  a TPMS. We haven't run into an emergency tire situation on the road but again the peace of mind it provides is worth it. It's also a convenience to not have to manually check air pressures as often.

[masterdrago]

We are going to drop by our nearby Holiday World to see the finance gal. She will give me copies of the 3 extended warranty that are offered there. We're looking at Montana and Solitude at their lot. also a Cedar Creek Champagne at Camping World.

[Kirk W]

11 hours ago, masterdrago said:

She will give me copies of the 3 extended warranty that are offered there.

Very good idea. I never do business with a company that is unwilling to do that and I suggest you do the same for their loan documents. I read every line and ask about anything that I don't understand. In some cases, I get an outside opinion on them. 

[gjhunter01]

I will add my 2 cents. If you can lose or replace your item/vehicle by merely writing a check, then you probably don't need the poor investment of insurance or warranty. The same goes with road service, if you are capable of changing a tire or jumping a battery you may not need that service. It is rare to have a catastrophic vehicle breakdown that requires road service as long as you keep your vehicle maintained, again assuming a large tow bill doesn't have a major financial impact to you. In my life span, I have never put my vehicle on a tow hook. But it is something you have to decide cause non of us advisers will be there to help you if something does go wrong. I have TMPS on my trailer and it did nothing to alert me prior to a tire blow out this summer. Still for $300, its a peace of mind for many years to come to be able to monitor tire pressure and temp while driving.

For the trailer wheel well repair, I was able to stop by Goshen , IN and purchase left over stock plastic fenders for $50 and repaired the rest myself. If I would have had insurance, the $50 wouldn't cover the deductible along with a repair shop charging $500+. Point is, consider your ability when deciding insurance/warranty.

Greg

[ncrowley]

We have a different view of service contracts. We purchased one when we purchased our used diesel pusher and in the 5 years of the contract, it has more than paid for itself. We just got another 5 year contract. We want peace of mind. Will the engine blow or the transmission need replacing? Probably not but we are covered. This will be the last service contract we can get as the RV will be too old when this one is done.

If you decide to get a service contract, REALLY shop around. I spent many months contacting different companies. Amazing, the best price, time period, and coverage was through an RV dealer that we just knew because we stopped there once to look at what they had. So do not discount RV dealers you have no association with. The company they sell for is the company associated with Coach Net, and once I get the contract, I have no further dealings with the RV dealer.