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Old 06-23-2022, 08:43 AM   #1
JohnMD
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Default AAA vs. Good Sam vs. Others?

Hi all,

I am looking to add roadside assistance coverage for our Trailmanor. I am looking at the different plans at AAA and Good Sam and my mind is beginning to fog over. I guess my main desires would be to have someone available to assist with changing a tire on the highway if needed and to tow the Trailmanor somewhere if something happened preventing me from towing it.

Does anyone have experience or insight as to which is better? It looks like Good Sam is cheaper, but I am not sure if their service is as good as AAA. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

John
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Old 06-23-2022, 09:13 AM   #2
MrGallegos
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnMD View Post
Hi all,

I am looking to add roadside assistance coverage for our Trailmanor. I am looking at the different plans at AAA and Good Sam and my mind is beginning to fog over. I guess my main desires would be to have someone available to assist with changing a tire on the highway if needed and to tow the Trailmanor somewhere if something happened preventing me from towing it.

Does anyone have experience or insight as to which is better? It looks like Good Sam is cheaper, but I am not sure if their service is as good as AAA. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

John
I only have AAA for my cars, but I can see that Good Sam does not have limit on mileage, they tow to the nearest service center, where as AAA has 100 mile limit.
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Old 06-23-2022, 11:30 AM   #3
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I had Good Sam for years, and had numerous experiences with them that ranged from terrible to horrible.

My first complaint is that Good Sam does not own its own service vehicles. Instead, it contracts with the local Greasy Gus garage to provide road service on an as-available basis. If Gus isn't available, maybe for hours, you wait - maybe for hours. No one calls to keep you up to speed.

Second complaint. If you need to be towed, and you tell the dispatcher that you need to be towed and why -- they don't send a tow truck. Instead, they have what they call something like a Roadside Service Vehicle. This is a privately-owned passenger vehicle, driven by the owner, which has small stash of the owner's tools in the trunk. The owner may or may not be a mechanic of any kind, but his trip is not optional - and it is expensive. On one trip, I lost a wheel bearing. I called, described the problem, and asked for flatbed truck, since the TM was obviously not going anywhere on its own. They sent out an RSV. A pleasant but completely unskilled guy spent more than an hour tapping things with a Phillps screwdriver and a monkey wrench, accomplishing nothing. He finally gave up, said I needed a flatbed (duh!), and insisted that I fork over $200 on a credit card for his trip. But by that time it was 5 PM, and Greasy Gus was closed. We had to leave the TM beside the road and spend the night in a gritty hotel. The flatbed, promised by 10AM the next day, showed up after lunch.

Third thing. The dispatchers seem unable to pass my location to the service driver. At my first road side problem, I told the dispatcher "I am on westbound I-80 in Coralviile, Iowa. I am at Exit 240, parked at the top of the westbound exit ramp." I thought this was pretty clear, but when the service vehicle showed up, two hours later, the driver told me that the dispatcher had sent him to the wrong exit, and he just happened to spot me on his way home. The same thing happened another time in Louisiana. I told the dispatcher that I was on westbound I-55, a mile west of the intersection with I-12. The dispatcher had him running up and down I-12 to find me.

These stories go on and on. In 20-plus years of TMing, I have probably called Good Sam four or five times. Not one of the experiences was good, or even adequate. Maybe now that Marcus owns Good Sam, it is better.

I finally gave up, and switched to AAA. I have made only two service calls since the switch, and each was a very good experience service-wise. Exactly what they promised, prompt arrival in a AAA-owned vehicle, driven by a knowledgeable guy. AAA does have an oddity that you need to be aware of. AAA divides the country into "Chapters". For example, I live in Maine, so I am in the Northern New England Chapter. AAA service is good anywhere, but the different chapters have somewhat different benefit details. The good news is that if you call for service in a chapter that has a smaller benefit than yours (for example, if your chapter offers free towing for 100 miles, but your breakdown happens in a chapter where they offer 50 miles), you can pay the difference on the spot, and your home chapter will send you the difference when you send them the invoice. No difference in the service, just a different allowance. And when you are broken down beside the road, and that red and white truck pulls up, you really don't care.

No, I am not affiliated with AAA in any way. But before I signed up, the AAA agent in my town in Maine sat down with me for an hour, explaining the chapter organization and the different coverage details and the reimbursement policy. I understood it, signed up, and have been happy with what I got.

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Old 06-23-2022, 11:57 AM   #4
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To tag on to Bills's comments. I use AAA and the last time I called one of the first things they asked is if I'm in a safe place. I was, and after explaining my situation they confirmed my cell number and checked they could text me updates on when the service truck would show. I hope no one ever needs a tow/service truck, but get what you pay for.
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Old 06-23-2022, 05:42 PM   #5
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Not used Good Sam... YET. (although I am a member). My experience ranges from Gdistin ivetoo bad.

I called AAA for a flat tire, in North Salt Lake. (Hey, I pay $70 a yar, and I didn't have to get dirty...Don't judge.) And the guy that came out was driving his own car, and had no distinctive uniform to let me know he was from AAA. I got a text telling me who was coming and when. He arrived, asked me if I had a good spare and the tools, yes and he went to work. 10 min later I was on the road. No EXACTLY the same service I have received from AAA in the past... But I wont complain.
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Old 06-25-2022, 07:20 AM   #6
JohnMD
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Thanks for the responses. Though more expensive, it sounds like upgrading my AAA to include the Trailmanor is probably the best option.

John
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Old 06-25-2022, 09:35 AM   #7
Shane826
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For about the same price as AAA Plus with the RV rider you can get Coach Net. They specialize in RV roadside and it also covers your regular vehicles, motorcycles, etc. If you’re interested, call Wilkins RV (800-724-2105) and ask to speak to someone in finance. They sell Coach Net cheaper than Coach Net does.

www.coach-net.com

I had the AAA setup and the only time I ever called for assistance when towing they jerked me around and then finally said they had nobody to tow the camper. They were great for cars.
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Old 07-09-2022, 10:54 AM   #8
KEngen
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AAA! I’ve been a member for 40+ years and used their services countless times. Always reliable and great.
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