Community Forums

tomv · 08-07-2011, 09:31 AM

I bought a new 2010Fleetwood Terra 34 B on a Workhorse chassis last August and am now at a decision point on buying an extended warranty. I have priced out two plans.

The first one is from Good Sam. It is a 3 year plan with a 500 deductible and I think it id for 36,000 miles which will not come into play given the miles I drive a year. It is called their Gold Plan. The cost for 3 years is 1,895 for the three years.

The second plan is one recommended by Lazy Days in Tampa where I recently had some warranty work done. It is with a company called Corner Stone. This plan is 5 year 60K plan with a 250 deductible. Looking at both plans the seem to be very similar. This one is $2,252. for the 5 year period.

My questions:
1) should I buy an extended warranty?
2) If so which one? The cornerstone seem like a much better deal

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

RickO · 08-07-2011, 09:50 AM

This is always a very personal question. If you use the search feature you'll find days of reading on the topic.

IMHO... extended wtys are insurance, not really warranties. Four years ago as complete rookies we bought a 7 year policy with EasyCare because we wanted peace of mind. We've been very happy with our decision and with how Easy Care has handled all of our claims.

Some argue against extended wtys by saying that the "companies are in business to make money" or that they are "profit makers for the dealers". These arguments don't make sense to me.

As for which one to buy, really do search on the Good Sam offering because I seem to remember reading about a lot of unhappy customers here on the forum. Using the search function will also lead you to a large broker many have used and seem to be happy with. A good way to test the prices you've been quoted.

Best of luck...

Rick

wildtoad · 08-07-2011, 10:22 AM

It's a craps shoot. They are indeed profit makers for the dealer as they get a big commision when they sell them to you and the insurance companies have done a good job of evaluating the profit and loss from these types of policies and do quite well. However, it boils down to what Rick said about peace of mind. Do you feel comfortable about covering any potential major issues? I'm prepared to cover them. Some folks are not.

deandec · 08-07-2011, 11:33 AM

The insurance company plans to make money on most of the policies and loose money on fewer policies thereby earning a profit.

So, the odds are in your favor if you go without the coverage, but the pain could be extreme if you have a problem. So, as said before a highly personal decision.

Be sure to have the gasket and seals type of coverage so damage due to lack of lubrication because of a gasket or seal failure is covered.

We recovered our premium plus a few hundred dollars on a 4 year policy, but my purchase reasoning was based on the potential expensive drive train repairs that could occur on a 7 year old rig.

Bug512 · 08-07-2011, 12:16 PM

Personally I do not like them... Take the 2 grand and put it in the bank.

All that milage sounds impressive. What do you think most people drive their motorhomes a year? I bet you will hear 5,000 miles from most.

So the insurance / warrantee companies might as well say they are good for 100,000 miles.

Will most of the repairs cost under $500 ? If so this extended warrantee will do nothing for you. Lets say the repair is $1,000, well you still have to pay the $500 deductible plus what ever the premium was.

How many miles are on the motorhome now? I see that is is a 2010. What are the chances of something catastrophic happening? That is really the only time the extended warrantee will pick anything up.

Again my opinion.

Cat320 · 08-07-2011, 12:27 PM

If you get one, be sure it is transferable if you sell your RV and you can cash it out if the new owner doesn't want it.

njs42 · 08-07-2011, 12:27 PM

We added an extended warranty when we bought new---seven years. My how time flys---we are past warranty now flying solo. Ultimately we are glad we did---but it did dawn on me that our chasis and engine were already covered by a three year (maybe more to lazy to look) by the manufacturer---so maybe we had dual coverage. Most of the stuff in the RV has some warranty so I guess just look at those and determine the terms before you conclude a decision.

RUFINIT · 08-08-2011, 07:26 PM

As others have said, it is a personal decision. Piece of mind and possible financial benefit to some.

One factor to consider is that when you do have a breakdown, especially a costly one, the extended warranty plan requires you to contact them before any repair is done. And in some cases they require an inspection before any work can be done. This tends to delay your trip and become very frustrating, from what I have read. So I find the inconveniences that it may cause make them not for me.

Again a personal choice.