Road/travel insurance

[Paula Bindrich]

I was looking around for AAA type road/travel insurance. With all the scams out there nowadays I'd rather ask some of you guys for assistance. Do you have something other than AAA? Do you like it? Why?

What started this is my ignition fell apart this last week. All the tumblers came tumbling out in my 03 Element. My 10 mile tow was $190 because the steering was locked up and I have 4wheel drive. Ouch. I was lucky that State Farm paid it all but if I was in the middle of some lonely place, far, far away, it could have cost me a whole lot more.

Any suggestions for a very budget minded gal?

Paula

[Toni M T]

My Dad got me AAA as a Christmas present a long time ago when I was in college, and at the time I don't think I was properly grateful for it. However, they helped me out 2 or 3 times that year and now I don't know what I would do with out it when an emergency comes up.

They bail my family and I out of tough situations at least twice a year....everything from jumpstarting the car in minus 40 degree weather in Montana to bringing gas to us somewhere out in the Nevada desert a couple of years ago when one of my relatives mis-judged how far he could go on 1/2 a tank of gas (he has a different kind of auto club insurance-one that did not work in the Nevada desert apparently). We thought we were really in trouble, and here came this guy that totally helped us out and didn't charge us a dime (we were really out in the middle of NOWHERE!)

They have also changed a flat tire for me when I was 7 1/2 months pregnant, gotten the keys out of our locked pickup (the 3 year old thought it would be cute to toss them in just as the pre-locked door was closing) and towed my brother in law out of a ditch and to the dealership when he mis-judged how fast he could go around a curve and broke his axle. We get peace of mind and usually save a lot more than the $60 a year we pay for our 2 cars and a pick-up membership.

They also give nice discounts on hotel rooms, zoos, and other attractions. I suppose there are budget guys out there-but in my experience they don't bring gas out to you in the middle of the Nevada desert when you are totally stranded-so my vote is for AAA! I know that is not what you were looking for, so sorry!

I was looking around for AAA type road/travel insurance. With all the scams out there nowadays I'd rather ask some of you guys for assistance. Do you have something other than AAA? Do you like it? Why?

[Benny K]

Howdy, did you get any quotes from Good Sam?.......apparently they are good folks to deal with and if you get stranded, they`ll tow your trailer to a campground and your tug to a repair shop.....one tow could be worth the yearly fee....Benny

[Barbara Gardin]

Hi

I vote for Good Sam. We have only had to use it once but the service was superb, everything they said was true.

[Jeanne and Steve]

... My 10 mile tow was $190 because the steering was locked up and I have 4wheel drive. Ouch. I was lucky that State Farm paid it all but if I was in the middle of some lonely place, far, far away, it could have cost me a whole lot more.

Any suggestions for a very budget minded gal?

Paula

I guess I don't understand why you're worried that the charge for towing could have been a lot more expensive. Wouldn't State Farm have paid whatever it cost to tow you to a repair facility?

My experience is that State Farm Emergency Road Service is cheaper than something like Good Sam or AAA, plus it will also tow your trailer. It costs us $9.60 / TV / year, but the downside is you have to do all the legwork yourself (figuring out who to call for assistance when you might be in the middle of nowhere, finding a service facility to tow it to, paying the bill. and submitting the bill for reimbursement). When you're broken down on the side of the highway it can be difficult to think clearly, and I think it's probably worth the extra $ to just have one number to call for help. We're thinking of switching to Good Sam.

Jeanne

[Carolyn Patterson]

Just an added note,

On a different tow vehicle and a utility trailer I was hauling dirt to our cabin with, I broke down with a flat tire on the trailer in the middle of no where and where cellular service was spotty. My hand held phone didn't get out, but my OnStar phone was able to. I contacted AAA because I thought a flat was a flat. They informed me that I didn't have the added "trailer" rider on my basic AAA and therefore it wouldn't be a free/covered tire change for me. (OnStar wouldn't respond either for the same reason). My husband was at an out-of-town conference at the time and I was doing one of those "I'll just get it done myself" jobs....it's what I get for being stubborn!

AAA gave me a phone number for a local towing company as they were not going to call someone if their coverage wouldn't cover the service - I had to call them on my own and speak with a wrecker driver myself. It was quite a lesson for me and I was ready to call AAA and cancel the service I'd had for 16 years because of this I was so angry with them. I did cancel our OnStar once I reached our cabin..they wouldn't even look for number of a local wrecker service for me like AAA did.

Long story short, it was a horrible break down, I ended up having the utility trailer towed to our cabin, and the wrecker driver gave me a break on the towing bill after I explained what I had to go thru just to call him. My tire blew out at 4pm and the trailer finally landed in the driveway of our cabin (30 min from the tow site) at 12mid - minus $90 for the flatbed tow. (I had bent something on the trailer which is why the tire blew out).

If you go the AAA route, make sure you tell them it's to cover a travel trailer also, not just your Tow Vehicle or a vehicle you're riding in. Makes a BIG difference should you have a problem with anything you're pulling with your T.V.

[Bigfoot Mike]

Are we confusing the subject of this thread?
"Road/travel insurance, Like AAA"

A friend of mine sells insurance for Farmers. He can 'spin' you total insurance package with your house, a million dollar umbrella liability, vehicle, etc. to really save tons of money.He put his Insurance all together that way, several of my friends and it has worked out great. An interesting side note, He carries a AAA membership for roadside service.

Roadside service is NOT the same as Insurance.<span style="font-size:10pt;line-height:100%">

<span style="color:#4b0082"><span style="font-size:8pt;line-height:100%">PS: I have AAA membership and my card states I have been a member for 69 years. (I'm not that old, but I received my dad's years when I rolled over my associate membership as a teenager from his.)</span>
</span></span>

[David & Leslie]

We are currently checking into Good Sam & other RV-oriented policies. As full-timers, we really need replacement coverage for the Egg & contents as well as towing for same.

Last winter we had an enlightening experience with our long-held AAA policy. It had been raining for DAYS. In search of a Passport America park to overnight in, we got waaaaay out of someplace like "East Overshoe, TX" and got stuck in the mud on a levy with deep, water-filled ditches on each side. According to our GPS (a mixed blessing some days) we weren't far from the RV park, but they did not have a 4WD or tractor to pull us out. Hmmm.

Aha - try AAA on the cell phone. I already knew from postings here they might refuse the Egg so I committed a sin of omission and said "our van is stuck" ... not an untruth, as JUST the front wheels of the van were mired. A delightful young man arrived in about 90 minutes. He was reluctant to hook up to the Egg bumper (had to pull us out backwards) but said he would if we signed a waiver ... no problem. He could have refused, but I think he felt sorry for us. Oops, chains & tow lines just a wee bit short ... he had to risk getting into the mud too. End result - he gently freed Egg & van, I got a lesson in backing looooong distances to a turn-around spot, and the driver went away happy with a bag of Tootsie pops with Andrew Jackson inside. Phew ... we really need to check on other coverages.

Wishing everyone safe journeys with NO insurance concerns - happy camping! L 'n D

[Linda R002]

We have always had good luck with Good Sam. Sometimes the tow companies they call aren't the best and some are really good. However GS does check to make sure the problem was solved or if they need to call someone else. We got GS because AAA didn't do trailers and there were several other things in the fine print that we liked better with GS. While our TV is covered by the warrentee, GS will make sure our Casita isn't sitting beside the freeway.

My suggestion is to print out the full coverage from the internet for AAA and GS and any others and review them to see what works best for you.

[Gina D.]

My suggestion is to print out the full coverage from the internet for AAA and GS and any others and review them to see what works best for you.

I did exactly that for AAA= and Good Sam.

Not only was the coverage of Good Sam a LOT more oriented to specific RV issues, it cost less as well. Good Sam works for your car on a regular basis, just like AAA, but shines when it comes to RV emergencies.

One of the major factors for me was that GS has a pet transport service included. If you were to be hospitalized or somehow other detained and your pets have to "Go Somewhere", GS will make all the arrangements for you to make sure they are transported and taken care of.

You will have to pay the transport and boarding charges, but it sure is a relief to know I don't have to be on the phone in a strange area making "arrangements".. especially if I CAN'T.

AAA would laugh at such services.

I want my babies covered too!