I will tomorrow post my experience with Good Sams Roadside assistance (not good). But to get the wheel started. I was in Little Rock, (Bryant, Benton area on I-30) Needed a Motorhome tech to assist with an issue as I was broke down. Good Sams was going to send someone from Conway, Ark. 3 hours away (Conway, Ark.). Does that make since as I was in the largest city in Arkansas and they had no one to call close by ??? I found thru several calls a tech who talked to Mot (Risch). He stayed close by the phone. I have grown to appreciate MOT. I am going to cancel my Good Sams Roadside Assistance as they were not helpful at all. I found Don Godsey with Duck's Garage (Commercial Truck Repair) 501-778-2886//1511 Airlane Drive, Benton, Ark 72015. He was very knowledgable
of motorhome systems. Now my complaint is if I found this guy where was Good Sam's Road Service. They refused to tow my motorhome 7 miles to Duck's Garage; as you only get one opportunity. Mine was that they were going to send someone 3 hrs away and I would have to pay his bill and when I found that out I cancelled the call. I was in the middle of traffic and they wanted me to wait three hours. What a joke. DAN
I switched over to Coach Net for the same reasons. On two separate occasions we were stranded on the side of the road and Good Sam people couldn't find anyone "close". I remembered a truck stop a few miles back, called and they sent a mechanic in less than a half hour. Good Sam people spent more time explaining what they wouldn't cover than they did in helping us. Happened twice within six months. We've used Coach-Net twice and were pleased with their assistance and expertise. Keith Risch is the "go-to" person at MOT in an emergency.
SOB Experience yesterday, Saturday I see a near new Dutch Star in a nearby shopping center, Later that evening still there, Sunday AM still there, Monday afternoon still there. I stop and find that he is broke down with a split heater hose and has been waiting since Saturday for a service truck. They never came. I tried to look, hose in frame rail; street side leaking bad, can't reach it as I can't get under low MH. Ask guy to use his jacks, says he cant, if he lest air from airbags to raise with jacks then he cant be towed. I try to explain how to use his aux air connection to air up, he can't understand what I am saying. I go thru rear hatch and see that I can pinch off Heater hose at pump and at return to radiator, ask him for vice grips, he says he is not sure that will work that he will wait.
I wish him well and depart.
Should be a law against some folks having a motorhome.
Gary B
I canceled good Sam too and use Coach Net. The issue is what GS will pay and the lack of people willing to work for that fee not that there is nobody around.
OK today will be gettin some satisfaction by calling GS and cancelling my roadside assist and telling them where the sun does not shine and I hope to get someone high up on the chain to do so. If you have this service and really need help they may be useless. I paid for their service since 08 and never used until yesterday and they are a joke. Thought they gave me piece of mine if I needed assist on the road. They seem to be running a numbers game. Help if you can but no need to be in a hurry about it. Coachnet here I come. Dan
Just don't expect Coach Net to be 100%, or you will have another awakening.
The guys at MOT are top notch. Keith Risch and Mike Rogers will do everything they can for you on the phone- just wish we could beam them to us sometimes...... ;)
I have Coach Net- only used a couple of times, but have been pleased with the response.
A side note- while in Little Rock, go eat at the Flying Fish- great food, near the Clinton Presidential Library.
Talked to the supervisor at roadside asst GS. Got no where so transferred to customer services and they are emailing a claim form and now appears will pay for my tow. //We will see. Some service they have. We still need a list. Michele is this something that would help everyone and do we have one and can add to it. Need a way to get to the list. DAN
We have Coach Net and our air dryer went kaput last August on I-10 between Houston and San Antonio (yes, should have understood dryer maintenance better, and also carried a bypass kit - but that's been covered on other posts). Called Coach Net, and they couldn't find anyone to help me until the next day. Then I called my local (heavy truck repair) shop and they found someone to do road service for me, and they came within two hours.
I wish Coach Net could have helped me better, but understood after I tried myself that it was no easy task at that particular time. Coach Net did reimburse me for the road service travel expense, however - which was about $500. I was happy with their resolution. Have no experience with Good Sam.
I have coach net and my previous experience with them is not good. Broke down in Jacksonville, Illinois. coach net wanted to send tow from Springfield,il 3 hours away. And tow me to walmart and leave me there until Monday when they would send another tow to take me to the Cummins shop in Bloomington,Il. Totally unacceptable. Sheriff deputy called for local tow that dropped us in the parking lot of Byer International;
By the way Byers Int'l is certified allison, complete machine shop and certified Cat, Int'l, and Cummins techs. Is one of the few stops that can totally rebuild allison transmission, would use them again.
Ted: Thanks for the info. I took my tow and came on home last night arriving about 12 oclock. Left the coach in Little Rock for the repair. Some kind electrical issue I think. Motor just suttered and shut down. No power to gear pad or crank but had outside lights and gauges. No assist from boost and would not try to turn over the engine (all dead no power). Duck's Garage will maybe get to it late today or tomorrow as they are backed up with work. DAN
Dan:
My coach stuttered and died on the Natchez Trace in May. I got it started with the check engine light and limped to the next rest area- changed fuel filters. Started, but same issue, not much power, etc. Got worse as I drove so finally I had Karen call Cummins Coach Care in Cincinnati ( we were in Indiana at that point) and told them we were coming in. Wasn't sure we would make it, but we did.
They got me in and after about 90 minutes they said they found the problem- it was shorts in the wiring harness going to the main fuel pump. A few hours of labor to cut out the bad wires, splice in new, test, etc, it ran great. The best part was I got out of a Cummins shop for under $600 using my Cummins Power Club membership.
Hopefully it will be something simple like that for you Dan. I think a short in the wiring was the cause of issues for John Haygarth's adventure from Quartzite this year. Electrical stuff drives me nuts ( a very short drive).
Ted
Conway is 47 miles from Benton..shouldn't be 3 hours unless they meant it would be 2 hrs having a man available.. in case this makes any difference.
Dub: you are correct but he wasn't ready to come right away. DAN
Your right about a list of vendors being helpful Dan.. I started such a list on a truckers forum and load board I have been a member of for 10 years... It didn't catch on and didn't get the participation needed to make it the tool it could be... simply list city and state.. vendor and maybe a "brief"comment on experience had.
Here is something in the meantime that might help. It's a list of places with the reviews.
RV Service Reviews (http://www.rvservicereviews.com/)
Keith
Keith: TKU for the reviews list but does anyone know how to get a list going for breakdown service. Until you breakdown this may not be of interest to you but once you can not move in heavy traffic it will get your attention quickly. I only know a couple but if you are in the area you may wish to know more???DAN
Rv Angie's List, that what we need..!! ;D
Do we have a moderator who will keep the list if everyone post an entry? With all the people on this forum we should have quite a list from many states. DAN
Well everyone has bad days and some service lacks at times but I cannot say anything bad about G Sam yet!
During our fiasco last feb (3 tows) and I did not call G Sam for one as the Cummins shop did all the calling and used their usual guys- Alternate Towing in Phx. I put in a claim 2 months later for the most expensive tow $1150 ( after filling in the claim form which is actually very basic). Good Sam came thru in 3 weeks time with a chq for $1050.00 for me. Now that is what I call above and beyond service! would any of the others do that?? I do not know but it gives me heart that someone is listening!! This episode was completely opposite to the wording in the agreements of all companies--You must call them for tow-- and I did not but still got paid out.
So G Sam so far is fine by me.
JohnH
My 2 call have been frustrating at best when dealing with Good SAMs towing.
First was less than a mile off the 820 loop in Ft. Worth, 1:00PM. Was in the Avalanche and had a heater hose fitting fail. The dispatch finally found a tow truck, after 35 minutes, that had to come from 25 miles west. An hour later the dispatch called, as the driver had an accident. I cancelled the tow, hitchhiked to and from an auto parts store for parts.
This month we had a new fuel solenoid bracket break off. We had no cell service and drove to the next exit in the Jeep. Again GS could not find help. Two hours after 2 calls with the tow company they admitted I was 8000# over their capacity. I had clearly given all the info asked, and stated our length and weight. By then I found the nearest Cummins location, gotten their hauler's name, and ordered the parts. First call 10:14. Tow arrived 2:20, and we were on the service yard by 3:30. Still a long time on the interstate shoulder, just out side Fairfax VA.
I admit that I did not find the broken part till after I had misinstalled my spare multipart fuel filter. A simple piece of bailing wire could have gotten us going again.
But the Cummins shop in Mannassas VA was great.
Lasts week Industrial Power in Ft. Worth was great.
Just an added comment on waiting times. When the Cummins shop in Avondale PHX called their regular tow guy we had to wait 5+ hours for it as traffic and distance to us was factor. Now this was NOT called by G Sam so not their problem but even when a large Diesel shop calls for a tow even they (Me) have to wait sometimes. They first called the Freightliner shop in Tucson but they could not handle us as they were too busy, hence the tow from PhX. We listened to the Coyotes etc while waiting till 10.30pm on a nice warm night in the Desert!!
JohnH
Dan,
RVServiceReviews is the best option and, like rvparkreviews, is dedicated to that one knowledge base. The more people use and contribute to it, the more valuable it becomes.
If, as your topic title states, you want guaranteed Foretravel-specific "who will work on a Foretravel", that recommendation would need to come from Foretravel.
As others have noted, such lists are work to manage because they are constantly in flux. On a forum, the Moderators job is to keep the forum running smoothly, not add features. I actually had Steve remove my moderating capability for a while because I was spending too much time dealing all that comes with being a moderator here (and we are all volunteers). Now, if
you want to volunteer to design, build, and maintain such a list and the coding behind it, I wholeheartedly encourage it! :)
Michele: Thank You. I have no site knowledge so RVservicereviews it is. I will add my effort there. Seemed like a good idea, but you are correct it would take a lot of time. I appreciate all the work you have already put into this forum. You and Steve are amazing. DAN
I wasn't thinking of a list that would require moderating... Thinking more of just a continued post similar to "what did you do to your coach today".. Just a thought.. breakdowns in far away places are a way of life for my business.. I use google..
Dan,
We have used Coach Net in the past. Received good service from them on our 03 Country Coach and 04 U320. Purchased a new one year contract when we purchased the IH 45. On the Foretravel site they have a list of recommended service centers for owners to consider.
Reese