RV Roadside Assistance 101
12-31-2018
Author: in Education
Driving an RV down the road is a bit intimidating. This is totally understandable, and something that will subside a bit the more often you drive your rig. That said, there are some things you can do to make the experience a bit less intimidating.
For instance, you can 1) ask someone to help you learn to tow properly, 2) replace your tires often so you know they probably won’t blow out on you, and 3) keep everything under the hood of your truck or motorhome in good, safe, working order.
Of course, even when doing everything right, there are still times when things just don’t go as planned. Perhaps you ran over a nail and get stuck with a flat tire, or maybe your motorhome is broken down in the middle of nowhere. When these things happen, the very best bit of security you can have is good roadside assistance.
Are you considering purchasing roadside assistance before hitting the road in your RV? Here’s what you need to know.
When looking at roadside assistance options, make sure the program you are considering covers RVs, and more specifically, RVs as big as yours is. Additionally, if you tow a car or if your RV is a trailer of some kind, you’ll want to make sure that both of your vehicles will be covered should you need to be towed somewhere.
In our opinion, the best bet as far as distance restrictions go is to look for a plan that includes at least 200 miles of towing distance, as you are highly unlikely to be more than 200 miles from a reputable shop.
For instance, one program may include a battery jump, a tire change, or even locksmith services. Another nifty option we’ve seen is a discount on renting a car while your vehicle is in the shop.
Look closely at what your program includes and make sure you are getting what you need, and that you aren’t paying for unnecessary services you’ll never use.
After all, if you have two different companies available to take care of you, you are probably going to be pretty well cared for. Besides, considering how inexpensive roadside assistance really is, there’s no real reason not to double up on assistance just in case.
Lucky for you, we’ve done our research, and we believe we’ve found the top RV Roadside Assistance programs on the market. These programs have all been specially designed with RVers in mind, and many are specifically for long-term or full-time RVers, meaning they offer even more in terms of services.
That said, the middle plan—referred to as the “Premium” plan—offers everything you should ever need at a great price.
These people know the ins and outs of towing trailers and driving big-rig RVs, but they are also purely focused on giving amazing roadside assistance service. Therefore, they know the right questions to ask and the people to send your way to help out.
Besides that, the benefits offered seem pretty excellent and do include unlimited towing to the nearest service center.
The AAA Premier plan includes towing but limits the distance of any given tow, as well as the number of times they will tow your vehicle. For this reason, we recommend stacking this plan with a second option as a backup just in case.
For instance, you can 1) ask someone to help you learn to tow properly, 2) replace your tires often so you know they probably won’t blow out on you, and 3) keep everything under the hood of your truck or motorhome in good, safe, working order.
Of course, even when doing everything right, there are still times when things just don’t go as planned. Perhaps you ran over a nail and get stuck with a flat tire, or maybe your motorhome is broken down in the middle of nowhere. When these things happen, the very best bit of security you can have is good roadside assistance.
Are you considering purchasing roadside assistance before hitting the road in your RV? Here’s what you need to know.
Related Read: 5 Travel Safety Tips for RVers
What to Look For in RV Roadside Assistance
Weight and size restrictions
There once was a time when a simple AAA plan would have you covered no matter what you were driving. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case, and taking a look at size and weight restrictions is definitely necessary.When looking at roadside assistance options, make sure the program you are considering covers RVs, and more specifically, RVs as big as yours is. Additionally, if you tow a car or if your RV is a trailer of some kind, you’ll want to make sure that both of your vehicles will be covered should you need to be towed somewhere.
Distance restrictions
In addition to having size restrictions, many roadside assistance companies also have distance restrictions, meaning they will only pay to have your vehicle towed a certain distance. This can be a serious problem if the included distance is too small or if you happen to be stranded in the middle of nowhere. Therefore, you will want to check out the distance restrictions and make sure you can live with them.In our opinion, the best bet as far as distance restrictions go is to look for a plan that includes at least 200 miles of towing distance, as you are highly unlikely to be more than 200 miles from a reputable shop.
Services offered
Obviously, any roadside assistance company is going to offer towing service should your vehicle break down. That said, some companies offer little extras that others don’t.For instance, one program may include a battery jump, a tire change, or even locksmith services. Another nifty option we’ve seen is a discount on renting a car while your vehicle is in the shop.
Look closely at what your program includes and make sure you are getting what you need, and that you aren’t paying for unnecessary services you’ll never use.
Why You May Want More than One Roadside Assistance Service
Some RVers even go so far as to invest in more than one roadside assistance program. This may seem like overkill, and in a perfect world it would be. However, because every program has its own set of drawbacks, those who travel extensively may find it worthwhile to double up in order to ensure help is always available when they need it.After all, if you have two different companies available to take care of you, you are probably going to be pretty well cared for. Besides, considering how inexpensive roadside assistance really is, there’s no real reason not to double up on assistance just in case.
Related Read: Roadside Assistance for Fulltime RVers
The Best Roadside Assistance Services for RVers
Even knowing all of this information, picking from the many roadside assistance programs out there can be tough. This is why we often see roadside assistance questions being asked in RVing forums.Lucky for you, we’ve done our research, and we believe we’ve found the top RV Roadside Assistance programs on the market. These programs have all been specially designed with RVers in mind, and many are specifically for long-term or full-time RVers, meaning they offer even more in terms of services.
Good Sam Roadside Assistance
Good Sam is an RVing club that offers a number of different services. Among these is roadside assistance, and they have a few different plan options. All include unlimited towing to the nearest service center, as well as a variety of other helpful services, and we feel that they are all perfectly acceptable options.That said, the middle plan—referred to as the “Premium” plan—offers everything you should ever need at a great price.
Coach-Net Premium
Coach-Net is purely an RV roadside assistance company. They are the only company we know of that focuses on only roadside assistance for RVs specifically, and that might just give them a leg up.These people know the ins and outs of towing trailers and driving big-rig RVs, but they are also purely focused on giving amazing roadside assistance service. Therefore, they know the right questions to ask and the people to send your way to help out.
Family Motor Coach Association
Like Good Sam above, Family Motor Coach Association is also an RVing club with a number of different services. Their roadside assistance program is not as well known, but everything we’ve heard has been positive, and since the company knows RVs, we figure they have to know their customer’s needs pretty well.Besides that, the benefits offered seem pretty excellent and do include unlimited towing to the nearest service center.
AAA Premier RV
Finally, we must mention AAA. While this service did make our list because it’s a reputable company and offers RV-specific coverage, it is important to note that it does have some downfalls.The AAA Premier plan includes towing but limits the distance of any given tow, as well as the number of times they will tow your vehicle. For this reason, we recommend stacking this plan with a second option as a backup just in case.
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Author: Chelsea Barron
