Well I am in snow here in Indiana and am thinking about vacation. I wondered what It would cost to tow my rig ( a u225) 300 miles if I were to break down near Wisconsin dells this upcoming summer. My rig runs great and I have never had a problem (knock wood) just wanted to be prepared, I am a single dad with 2 boys ; 7 and 9. How do tow truck drivers charge? Thanks friends
Foretravels RARELY break down, you see the breakdown stories here but you never see the 4500 mile trips with NO problems.
To avoid breakdowns, you do the maintenence, stay aware of how the machine is operating AND subscribe to Coach Net so they can handle the big problem.
In other words.... Don't worry bout it. :dance:
Gary B
Towing insurance is less than $100 per year. I have read on this forum, of tow bills of $600 to $1200! Something like $3 per mile.
Tow insurance from Coachnet or Good Sam is a must have in my book. It not only covers your coach but all your other vehicles year round. As mentioned cost is around $100 but the premium service may be up to $140 and does have valuable additional services. It will also get fuel delivered to you, a mechanic sent to you on the road and a flat tire fixed on the road.
Foretravel, or SOB, makes little difference. Having owned, and heavily used, motorhomes since 1977, I would agree, get an RV towing policy and don't worry, be happy. We have been towed 2 times in those 30+ years
Coach-Net is invaluable....a must-have...you've been really lucky so far but independent towing costs a fortune...on my last trip I thankfully had local mobile techs come out but that isn't always possible.....I happened to be very near a major interstate, (oops I-10).... :o .....you can get really good deals for the first time sign up, especially at a big rally or RV show....after the 1st year you'll pay more but it's still worth it. I'd also check out their web site & then maybe call them and tell them you're considering all the other options (Good Sam, etc.) and let them "sell you" ....maybe they'll give you the "show/rally rate" on the phone.
Anyway, it's the best....
The voice of experience here now.
First tow, 109 miles on flat deck $850
Second tow 4 days later, 15 miles $569
Third tow 2 days later, 160 miles on flat deck $ 900.
I was covered for 3/4 of the first tow with AAA and also have Good sam which I have not used yet. I do not know how many (if any) tows they allow for the same problem.
JohnH
ps. I hate looking at the rear of our coach up on a flat deck!
John if it makes you feel any better I had to have my Semi Truck towed week before last 36 miles $699.30!! $450.00 just to hook up to it then $6.00 a mile plus fuel surcharge!I wonder if I could buy a coachnet towing package for the Semi?Hmmnn I might need to look into that. ;)
Good Sam came thru for us when our '93 U225 broke down in the middle-of-nowhere Texas a few years ago. The cost for the tow truck was $395 just to leave the shop. He disconnected the drive shaft (bugger of a job), hooked up his air line to release the brakes, and towed us 85 miles to the nearest repair facility. The tow would have been around $1200 for that one experience. At that rate, Good Sam had paid for itself for the next 10 years! Never leave your driveway without some kind of coverage!
AAA's tow benefits have been reduced over the years and are different depending on your home state. 100% agree with Carol. Towing is very expensive and tow coverage will pay for years of premiums in just one breakdown. Collision/comprehensive insurance is another. Our front cap creaks like a door in a haunted house making transitions off paved roads. Returning home from Quartzsite, our driver's side windshield gasket has pulled up exposing the cap Fiberglas for about 12 inches on the bottom corner. The windshield is tough but not sure how tough.
Pierce
Every time you leave your driveway, you might be on a hook before its over. In my 25 yrs of busin & Foreyravel'in have never needed a tow yet. Did call Coach Net once with a question. Agree, think wise to have some protection.
I got coach net premium through my insurance company for $89 a year, or something. It also is valid for my cars and better terms than AAA. I fix everything on my cars and RV, but even I wanted towing insurance.
I did research and overall, people seem to have the best experience with coachnet. Like everything, a person has a bad story once in a while, but coachnet seems to be best to deal with.
Remember too Coach-Net does a lot of other things besides towing.....towing should be a last resort...they've brought me fuel, (when I foolishly let it get down to a quarter of a tank, :-[ lesson learned!), located/dispatched the most qualified service provider in the local area, jumped the battery......sure, once they find the provider, you pay for the problem (if it's a big one) to be resolved but it sure is nice to "have a friend" when you're stuck far from home. Thier response time is great and customer service tops. Nice when you're stranded and feeling vulnerable.
Krush, who's your insurance co. that got you the deal for Coach-Net? I'm about to renew and its gonna cost $129.50. I do have the car set up for towing, etc. thru USAA, a lot cheaper than thru AAA. Like about $1.15 a month.
I used Overland Insurance Services RV & Motorhome Insurance Quotes (http://www.rvins.com/) 480-994-9584 or 800-677-4027. They were the cheapest quote with agreed value coverage that I could find...20-30% less than others. I think the coach net premier I got for $89. I joined good sams (not towing, just the "club")only because the discount on insurance was more than cost of yearly good sams membership.....go figure; and now they send me junk mail.
We have Coachnet thru the Escapees, it has already paid for itself.
We have used them 3 times in two years. Anyone one of those instances would have cost more than paying for two years of Coachnet.
We have used Good Sam for all the years we have had an RV. We have had occasions to use their services also. When you are "in the middle of nowhere" it is good to know that help is only a phone call away. When we have used the services we had no clue what was available locally. Good Sam, Coach Net, AAA, equals Peace Of Mind. Oh and our last tow was over $600.
Roland
Well I thought I would just report that a chq has been sent to me from Good Sam for one of the tows we had this last trip. I spoke to them 2 months after the tow and they told me to send in a claim with all the info and they would look at it. I did not call them for the tow as Cummins shop said they will be covering it as it really was a problem of theirs!! Well as mentioned they did charge me $1350.00 for that last one south of Tucson. The actuall bill from Tow company was $1155.00 but Cummins added a charge that I did not know about at time.
So thanks to Good Sam I get some relief back and want to let you all know that they have stood behind me even though the claim was 2 months late!!
Way to go Good Sam
JohnH
And how much does Good Sam cost per year, John?
best, paul
Paul,
I just renewed my GoodSam roadside Insurance for $112.95.
I've been with them for over 14 years. It includes all other cars in the household. I never asked if they cover motorcycles, boats, etc.
I just renewed it for another year and because I paid it about3 months early they gave me a credit of an additional 3 months. The cost was $25 for the year(just looked on my visa acct.) It seemed low but that is what shows. This is for the Deluxe Member one which gives you fuel savings as well as others.
JohnH
poolenglish, I broke down last summer with just me and my 12 yr old son in the coach and have Coach Net. While they weren't able to get anyone to my location in less than 6 hrs, they did reimburse me for most of the cost of the person I located myself. It wasn't a tow - it was a roadside repair (due to the dreaded air dryer problem we've been talking about on the Forum). But I definitely wouldn't take a trip without it.
Just renewed - $129.50/yr for the Premier membership.