Community Forums

RevSM100 · 03-20-2017, 07:13 PM

We have a Progressive insurance policy with a roadside assistance rider. From other threads it appears that many people purchase another plan-usually CoachNet or Good Sam. Should we do the same? What do those plans provide that the Progressive roadside assistance plan does not? We are starting our full timing in May so having a good roadside assistance plan will be important. Your input would be appreciated. Thanks.

bailer6334 · 03-20-2017, 08:01 PM

Read your RV policy and see if it covers towing. If not get one of the two you mentioned.

wingnut60 · 03-20-2017, 08:15 PM

Even it the Progressive allows towing, they usually don't have anyone who understands that a tow vehicle + a trailer/fiver is involved, you end up getting a service guy with a standard tow truck that won't come near to handling both at same time.
Check with them and see what they say they will/can send to you when in need.
Good Sam and Coach-Net understand the towing situation and they also usually have a GPS program that spots your smartphone to know about where you are. Not to say you won't have a glitch with the above 2 services, but they usually know how to handle multiple rig towins.
I have had my Suites/450 towed three time--first time trans was out, service sent a tow truck for the truck and a 1 ton for the trailer; second time, both units towed together; third time, both units placed on a flatbed at same time (this was in Canada).
Maybe if you have a Ford, you need a lot of towing....Good Sam knows what they are doing.

twogypsies · 03-20-2017, 08:47 PM

Long story but I'll shorten it.... we thought instead of taking the 40' MH to Alaska we'd buy a small 5th wheel & truck and sell it when done. We did and left Arizona going through Death Valley. The engine blew on the truck. We called our insurance roadside and two flat beds from Lone Pine, CA arrived - one for our truck and one for the RV. They towed us to a RV park and set the 5th wheel in place while they installed a new engine in the truck. We couldn't have asked for better service in Death Valley of all places. Our Progressive insurance policy plan worked just fine.

By the way, after repairs we drove back to Arizona, re-packed our 40' motorhome and took off with no further incidents. We should have done that in the first place. While we were gone both the truck and 5th wheel sold on consignment. It worked out well.

All roadside policies use the same tow companies. All you have to do is tell them exactly what you have & they'll send the proper truck. The tow company from Lone Pine said he makes regular trips into Death Valley - 75 miles away.

pgordemer · 03-20-2017, 08:57 PM

Actually I can comment on this from experience. I have a pickup truck brake fire while towing my trailer to the campground. I call progressive RV for a roadside trip. They asked me if I need 1 or 2 tow trucks. I said I wasn't sure. 40 minutes later, a tow truck showed up and we chatted about the problem. He knew all the repair places in the area and towed my truck over to a place that would repair my brakes in a a few hours. Then while I was waited he called for another truck and they towed my trailer to the campground (which was about another hour away) and backed it into the site I had reserved.

So for me - no complaints.

Not sure if this matters, but this was in New Jersey.

guardrail53 · 03-20-2017, 11:04 PM

I have Progressive RV Roadside Assistance on my full coverage RV policy! And I have used their towing 1 time! Sent the right size wrecker, towed me to a repair facility, no complaints, no cost to me! Cost for the coverage, 16 dls. a year!
So, the same as the rest that have answered, who also have their RV coverage!

As to wingnut60, why, if you do not have Progressive RV Insurance, would you speculate on their coverage? Read what the other posters who have it have said, Good Sam? Really? Glad you have had good luck with them! What was the cost per year?

I have had Progressive RV insurance on the last 2 MH's, both class A, and they understand RV's very well, ask all the right questions, when i called, and were very good about calling back, checking to make sure we were taken care of and safe!
Plus, after renewal this year, my policy went down 100 dls. a year ( a speeding ticket dropped off ) also my vanishing deductible also dropped from 500 dls. to 375 dls.
I shop around for insurance, and they have had the best rate's, for the best coverage, bar none! I have had their RV insurance for 3 years now!

So to answer the OP's question, you do not need to double insure, Progressive RV insurance is all you need! Rail!

wildtoad · 03-21-2017, 01:28 AM

You don't need anyone else. I had to use their service once and they did a good job. In many if not most areas every company uses the same local providers.

When we bought our new mh we did not get Progressives' RSS as it comes included from Ford.

Steve N Sal · 03-21-2017, 02:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RevSM100

We have a Progressive insurance policy with a roadside assistance rider. From other threads it appears that many people purchase another plan-usually CoachNet or Good Sam. Should we do the same? What do those plans provide that the Progressive roadside assistance plan does not? We are starting our full timing in May so having a good roadside assistance plan will be important. Your input would be appreciated. Thanks.

Read the fine print on the Progressive policy as far as the towing goes. We don't have Progressive but the fine print on our policy says they will only tow up to a certain weight category. Well the motorhome is way above that weight category. In discussing this with our agent they said, that doesn't really mean anything, they will tow your motorhome. To have a better feeling of the situation we purchase a policy from CoachNet to be sure to be covered in case of a towing situation. I'd rather be safe then sorry. JMHO

oatmeal · 03-21-2017, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guardrail53

So to answer the OP's question, you do not need to double insure, Progressive RV insurance is all you need! Rail!

My Progressive roadside assistance rider on my motorhome insurance covers only the motorhome, and the toad only while being towed.

CoachNet and Good Sam cover all vehicles in the household. So I had to get a separate roadside assistance rider on the toad's insurance policy to cover it.

RevSM100 · 03-21-2017, 05:15 PM

Thanks everyone for your replies. They were helpful. I'll be double checking but it sounds like Progressive's coverage gets good reviews from one who have used it so we probably will trust them as we get started.

fisher99 · 03-21-2017, 05:28 PM

Do any of you who have Progressive know what their policy is for when you need a new tire installed on a rim (not just swap the spare for the flat tire)? Last year I lost a tire while on a trip and needed a replacement tire. In addition to the cost of the tire (which I expected to pay for), Good Sam charged me $120.00 for roadside dismount of the bad tire and mounting of the new tire.

oatmeal · 03-22-2017, 09:33 AM

This is from Good Sam's member benefit brochure:

A service technician will replace a flat tire with your inflated spare, or we’ll tow your vehicle to the nearest professional service center. On occasion and whenever possible, we will make arrangements for the Member to purchase a tire(s) for delivery to the disablement scene. In these cases Good Sam Roadside Assistance will pay for delivery of tire only, member is responsible for all additional costs including cost of tire(s), mounting, balancing, other parts or labor, tax and any other fees.

That's why you were charged for labor for your new tire. On GS's "compare plans" web page, it says: "Flat Tire Repair Service / RV Tire Delivery." That forward slash is the equivalent of "or," which isn't exactly crystal clear.

But your question got me to thinking, and I'll have to dig up my Progressive policy. The website says:

Roadside Assistance provides towing to the nearest qualified repair facility and pays for necessary labor at the time and place of disablement when the RV is disabled due to any of the following:

Mechanical or electrical breakdown
Battery failure
Insufficient supply of fuel, oil, water or other fluids
Flat tire
Lockout, or lost or stolen keys. (We dispatch a qualified service provider; you only pay for the cost of the keys.)
Entrapment in snow, mud, water or sand within 100 feet of the roadway

This coverage extends to trailers and vehicles being towed by a motor home and vehicles towing travel trailers, even if the tow vehicle is insured with another insurance company.

But that's just a summary; the policy (like the Good Sam example above) is what will detail the actual coverages.

oatmeal · 03-22-2017, 05:53 PM

I found my policy, and a couple of interesting tidbits.

With regard to toad coverage, the policy states:

"Covered disabled vehicle" means:

c. any motor vehicle that is customarily towed by a covered vehicle for which this coverage has been purchased, that sustains a covered emergency while such covered vehicle is parked and being used as your residence.

When I was shopping a month ago, I was told by an agent as well as a Progressive phone rep that the toad wasn't covered. But today, an online chat Progressive rep said the toad was covered, citing the above, saying the "such covered vehicle is parked" refers to the motorhome.

Then I called a Progressive phone rep and he said the toad wasn't covered, but I pointed him to this language, and he put me on hold for a minute and came back and changed his mind and said the toad was covered.

He said he was going to submit something that would bring it to someone's attention that this needs to be clarified to the reps.

I asked if there would be hassles getting service for the toad, given the confusion, and he said the towing dispatch people should know it's covered (um, the actual Progressive people didn't...), I should have a copy of my policy handy on my phone to refer to (no smartphone, but I would keep a printout of that section in the car), and if all else fails, I can file for reimbursement.

Also, both the online and phone reps said towing is covered to the nearest qualified repair facility, or to any place of my choosing within 15 miles. The latter part is not in my policy.

I also noticed that roadside labor is limited to 60 minutes.

Now, with respect to a flat tire, the plan will cover putting on my existing spare, but does not include "tire repair" and does not have any provision for bringing a tire to me, like Good Sam and CoachNet do. My only option with Progressive roadside assistance in that situation is to be towed.

fisher99 · 03-23-2017, 10:47 AM

Interesting research. Thanks Oatmeal.

I should also mention something else interesting about Good Sam: When the GS agent told me that he would have to charge my credit card for the tire and roadside dismount/mount, I thought I would be smart and told him to just send a flatbed to haul the trailer to the nearest town and drop it at the tire shop. The agent replied that they would only load a trailer onto a flatbed if all tires were functional. Now there's no way that they couldn't load a TT with 3 out of 4 tires aired up, but that's how they closed that loophole and require you to purchase the roadside dismount/mount.