Good Sam Club - RV Insurance - Towing Programs Etc Etc?

[Morgan7600]

Not sure if this would be a good string to post this inquiry but I have some questions.&nbsp; Some of you may have read my posts before and I have interacted with lots of great folks here on Bob's site.&nbsp; <br>If you know me, you know that I'm planning my escape in early 2014 so I'm still not one of you as yet.<br>I have been however very busy gathering research anywhere I can find it and somewhere I must have begun a Good Sam's membership app.&nbsp; Today I received not only the request for $$$ &amp; to complete the app but also a blank extended warranty app for RV's.&nbsp; <br>Just wondering, does anyone buy these things?&nbsp; Also, is the Good Sam organization worth the $$$?<br>Also, I've spent a lot of time on HitchHitch.com and there is so much great stuff there.&nbsp; One other thing I'm not sure about is a towing program for RV's?&nbsp; I will probably have a fiver and have Auto Club towing so I guess in that instance, got it covered.&nbsp; If I did pick up a used C Class, I'm wondering if they have special towing programs different then what I use for my pickup?&nbsp; Any info greatly appreciated.&nbsp; Morgan

 

[Zil]

good sam has been around for a long time and has lots of members. get the basic membership with magazine for about $20 per year. lots of discounts and you also get to find out about the insurances. good sam is a lot like aarp. Lots of free information and they sell all kinds of insurances. Also check out www.technomadia.com

 

[Morgan7600]

Thanks Zil,&nbsp; That's great information.&nbsp; And Technomadia.com is a good link addition to my collection for RV links for future use.&nbsp; <br>Since I'm hopelessly addicted to the Internet, that will be a very important one...&nbsp; Morgan

 

[mockturtle]

I've had Good Sam Emergency Road Service for 18 years and have been very well served the few times I've had to use it.&nbsp; It covers my toad, too.&nbsp; I don't have their vehicle insurance.

 

[Morgan7600]

Your Toad?&nbsp; I got to learn this RV Speak!&nbsp; <br>Anyways, thanks for the post.&nbsp; I kinda' thought they were the standard in the industry but nothing like getting the word from the voice of experience!<br><br>I've had Auto Club card and auto insurance forever but now they are looking way too expensive.<br>This is for my 2005 F-250 and I did get a great quote through Sam's from AARP Hartford.<br>I guess if I get my fiver as planned, I'll just need to do a package for both vehicles and of course, let them know I'm a full timer...&nbsp; Can't wait!<br><br>On the insurance front, I'm wondering how my current policy could be so very much higher in cost.<br>I guess I need to lay out my policy next to the quotes I'm getting and compare since auto insurance policies can contain lots of extra stuff as well as the minimum required by law.

 

[wagoneer]

AAA would not tow my E350 I will try Sam's.

 

[Morgan7600]

Agreed,&nbsp; Auto Club is definitely out for me too.&nbsp; M

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Toad=Towed Vehicle (usually pulled behind an RV for better mileage around town without breaking camp)

 

[my_vantasy]

AAA has RV coverage as well as auto. Our motorhomes have been towed with this additional coverage (at an additional annual charge) . We are still just weekenders, so this works for our needs.

I know someone with a truck camper on her pickup. AAA will not tow her without the RV coverage if the camper is on the truck.

Good Sam is so well known that I will definitely check it out when I can finally fulltime.

 

[rvwandering]

&nbsp;Our motorhome insurance with Foremost includes roadside service. We've been towed twice and had a new starter battery delivered to our campsite. Great service each time so I don't think it's necessary to go with another provider like AAA or Good Sam.

 

[Morgan7600]

Hey T&amp;K :::&nbsp; wasup!'&nbsp; I'll have to check them out.&nbsp; Never heard of 'em...&nbsp; M

 

[rvwandering]

&nbsp;Hi Morgan - this doesn't really belong on this post but I know that you've been concerned about parking lot stays and boondocking. I made a map with a lot of the places where we have successfully stayed. It's posted in the boondocking section but in case you haven't seen it - <a rel="nofollow" href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msi...389082,-98.173828&amp;spn=36.057821,64.248047" target="_blank">https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msi...389082,-98.173828&amp;spn=36.057821,64.248047</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; No Walmarts because there are just so many of them and just a small percentage do not allow overnight stays.

 

[user 423]

<span id="post_message_1278833209">

Toad=Towed Vehicle (usually pulled behind an RV for better mileage around town without breaking camp)

<br><br>One of the original VW-based dune buggy variations was called a Tow'd back in the '70's. I think it was because it was 'towed' out to the desert to play in the sand:<br><br><img rel="lightbox" src="http://www.showrods.com/images/meyers_towd/towd_big" class="bbc_img"><br></span>

 

[Salida Scarlett]

I've had both AAA auto insurance for years and years...&nbsp;and the road service as well. Loved it, and the company was reasonable and didn't overburden me with tons of paper work. However, since moving, and acquiring the Motor Home, I found they won't insure Motor Homes. So, desperate to get the RV insured I went with Progressive, and I can't even begin to tell you the mountain of paperwork they've subjected me to! I had to get TWO entire separate policies, with separate accts, user names, passwords, at the start, and with different payment schedules. What happened was that when these 2 payment schedules hit my bank one of them was not allowed, causing Progressive to cancel that policy for non payment. Then, they had the audacity to charge me an extra rate on creating a new policy for that vehicle, because they claimed I had caused the policy to lapse due to non payment. It was totally nuts. I get some&nbsp;new cockamammy email from them every few days. I feel like I'm being surveilled&nbsp;....or&nbsp; held&nbsp;hostage to this sadistic company. And I'm going to change as soon as I can, and check out Good Sam and maybe some others.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

<p>Like Morgan, I too am still at the planning and dreaming stage, and gathering information.</p><p>A few things I've picked up:</p><p>It appears that AAA, rather than being one national organization, is actually a linked group of different state groups. Here in NY, I can find no mention of an RV towing option anywhere on ther web site. I've seen some posts on some of the mainstream RV forums that suggests that not all state groups choose to offer this.</p><p>Good Sam is not the only game in town. There is a group down in Texas called Escapees that offer many services to full-time RV'ers. Their website lists three different insurance companies that specialize in writing policies for RVs, especially for full-timers. (More about that later.)</p><p>They also list an organization called CoachNet for providing 24 hour help including towing.</p><p>If you go to the RV.net forums, you will find a couple of forums devoted to Good Sam Road Service and Good Sam Insurance. They appear to be filled 50-50 with people moaning about how terrible the service was when they had a problem, and happy people describing how wonderful the service was when they had a problem.</p><p>The reality, of course, is that all of these services - AAA, Good Sam, CoachNet, etc. - are dependent on signing up towing companies all over the country that are willing to work with them and accept their reimbursement rates. Probably a lot easier to do in some parts of the country than it is in others.</p><p>Plus, unlike AAA, the RV people need to sign up towing compaies with BIG tow rigs. A tow truck with a big old Winnebago or converted Bus on the hook is the legal equivalent of a tractor-trailer, and the tow truck driver of such a rig needs a Class One license.</p><p>Back to insurance. Many RVs are owned by people who use them infrequently and let them sit most of the year. (I must pass a dozen such rigs every day on my way to work.) I gather that many insurance companies write their base insurance with that assumption in mind. Tell them that you are travleing and living in your RV full time, and their rates go way, way up, IF they will even insure you at all.</p><p>Don't tell them that you're full timing, and you get into an accident, and they discover that you ARE, that gives them grounds to deny your claim and cancell your policy.</p><p>So going with a company that specializes in insuring full timers is probably a good idea.</p><p>BTW, in addition to being called a "toad", a small car you pull behind your motorhome is also sometimes called a "dinghy", which the RV world apparently got from the boaters, just as they got the phrase "hooked up to shore power" to desribe being plugged into electricity at a campground.<br><br>Hope these rambling thoughts help.<br>Regards<br>John</p>

 

[Morgan7600]

Hey John,&nbsp; That was a great post :::&nbsp; You are knowledgeable on many levels so if you do ever "shove off", (sticking with the nautical theme you correctly pointed out) you will no doubt be in good shape!<br><br>In response to some of the items in your post, oddly enough, the AAA policy for my F-2 that was formerly a pool service truck and is now retired and waiting for me to fully join it in that manifestation is expiring on the 13th. of August, 3 days from now!&nbsp; That is to say, I have in my ever so creative hands, the peremptory cancellation notice which has been a repeated sign of the times here at my house for months if not years now.<br>I usually pay it at the last moment seeing as they have been good to me and I have been an insurance &amp; towing member for 32 years.&nbsp; I did have one claim way back in the 1980's and they stepped right up so I always remembered this.&nbsp; I had left my truck at a friends condo covered parking area while we both attended some event which he opted to drive to.&nbsp; Upon our return as we pulled into the parking lot, we were greeted by a line of cars all in an inferno, my GMC truck was one of the vehicles in question and was a total loss!&nbsp; Seems some muscle head was priming his hot rod with a gas soaked rag and the carb kicked him hard!&nbsp; The fire leaped up to the underside of the carport cover and traveled both directions lapping down onto the roofs of all the neighboring automobiles.&nbsp; But I digress! <br>My policy for the year is over $1300.00 so I'm shopping.&nbsp; They apparently do not know I am working only 20 hours a week now and getting ready to let that go in a few months.&nbsp; I thought I'd go in the local office on Monday and have a sit down with them to explain the "new" circumstances.&nbsp; Not hopeful as they seem as greedy now as all the other gluttons responsible for my home value being so low! (and again I digress!)<br><br>Based on what I am reading in this thread, I should not plan to stay with Auto Club seeing as how I should be full timing soon and of course, will need the best policy available.&nbsp; I have a folder of links now for lots of things RV and all the sites except CoashNet sound familiar to me.&nbsp; I'll check them out and do appreciate you posting them.<br><br>Shifting gears, (yes, another long winded post from Morgan who we all know loves to write!&nbsp; Working on my book is one of the clandestine motivations in my need to escape!)<br><br>There has been a development in my home/property/life situation.&nbsp; Yesterday, my BK attorney &amp; I had the big meeting in downtown San Diego with the Chapter 13 Trustee to address my recent request for a full Chapter 13 discharge.&nbsp; Most of my friends here on Bob's great site know my situation and this is a biggy!&nbsp; We won!&nbsp; Apparently, only about one in every couple of years is granted.&nbsp; So my health issues carried the day...&nbsp; and my health issues are slowly killing me!&nbsp; What a horribly double edged sword that is!&nbsp; And now, dwelling as I do on the good in things and events, I am faced with a new set of circumstances to deal with.&nbsp; The elation over "winning" the case was short lived as I soon realized I still face a mortgage I can barely afford and a home I can not finish remodeling!&nbsp; The really good news is that my home value is now a more intelligible figure but the really bad news is that I am still 100K upside down!&nbsp; I don't have time to wait for idiots represented as "the powers that be" to move the market that far and in this, my conditions are relegated.&nbsp; I could try renting the home but my brother in law tells me that plan can be a real nightmare..&nbsp; or I can try to sell it on the emotional value and not the actual value according to the "market!" (it is a view property)&nbsp; Short sale no longer needed is more good news!<br><br>In keeping with my "planned" schedule, the end of the year should remain my goal for whatever happens around here.&nbsp; As I've said before, I just crave peace of mind!&nbsp; I want to work on my music and my book projects and I've had a very up close and personal meeting with stress and what it does to a man!&nbsp; It's a fact.&nbsp; Remove the stress and life moves along in a much more free and easy manner!

 

[westriver]

Had Foremost for a dozen years while pulling a travel trailer. Insurance for the trailer, including full coverage with agreed upon replacement cost, generally in the $15K range, and full road service/towing, typically ran $320 a year. Foremost is quite different than an AAA policy. They do what it takes to get your RV and tow vehicle where it needs to go, not limited to X # of miles. When I first signed on, I asked how honest it was to claim that they had no dollar amount on towing? The rep. told me they had just flat bedded a damaged fifth wheel off the Haul road (The Dalton highway from north of Fairbanks to the Arctic ocean) at a cost of $3500, it didn't cost the camper owner a penny. Since then, they paid a few hundred bucks to tow my trailer and truck into a small town, when the alternator puked. It didn't cost me a dime. Just "sign the work order, and have a nice day"

We then switched to a motorhome, and added it to out auto policy, since it was shockingly cheap, compared to a stand alone policy. For road service we went to with Coach-Net. They are reasonable, and if you surf the RV forums, they consistently are praised as an excellent company to do business with. They cover motorhomes and trailers, btw.

As for doing business with Good Sam, I would really approach it with caution, and research first. Good Sam is part of a giant RV industry mega-corp. that owns Camping World. I have a GS membership strictly to save money with discounts at some campgrounds, and if I need something at Camping World. That said, they are extremely aggressive in their marketing. If you don't have an online account with them they will FLOOD your snail-mail with enough crap to keep a campfire going for days. The only way I can even tolerate them is to go online and opt. out of every offer to contact me in any way. Even then, if Camping World harvests your address, they will then start another avalanche of junkmail. As for their insurance. I found it to be a joke. I got one quote from them, back when we had Foremost, and GS was well over double the price. IMHO, the whole company is best avoided. They are aggressive, slick marketers, their products and services at the Camping World chain are not only extremely expensive, but they leave a trail of really unhappy customers, and lots of negative reports on the RV forums. I have gotten some good deals at CW, but I have also walked out, went across the street to Wal-Mart and bought the same product for 30-50% less.