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Old 12-24-2016, 07:28 AM   #29
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Originally Posted by rvethereyet View Post
I am new to all this. You bought a warranty from the owner of the coach you bought? Did nt know of such a practice. Please educate me. Thanks. Oh and which automotive group was it?
Yes the previous owner bought the warranty and could either cancel it for a pro rata refund or transfer it. I paid him the amount he would get for cancellation ans he transferred it to my name. The policy is with Automotive Warranty Group. It expires in 2019 so I expect to recover my original cost well before then.
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Old 12-24-2016, 01:10 PM   #30
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"Has anyone ever posted the odds? I bet the insurance company has them. It would b interesting to see em."

Having studied insurance many years ago, I can offer the following observations:

Life is fraught with danger and this includes damage to your motorhome which is the topic under discussion. At any moment, a low branch can take out the antenna, a pothole can damage a wheel, or in the case of an older diesel I owned the shaft to the oil pump can break and the engine destroyed before my wife could get off the interstate and she hard the noise, saw the gauge fall and stopped as quick as humanly possible. All these and many other problem soccur every day and eventually one or more happens to everyone.

When you purchased a motorhome you assumed these and many other risks. Risks come with any property you own. In the simplest case you just bear the risk and continue on with your life. If you are a multibillionaire and can afford to scrap your motorhome and pay damages of a million dollars or more to any party that may sue you then assuming all the risks yourself may be a great deal. It is the cheapest way to proceed because all insurance companies make money therefore they never return all the premiums that are paid in.

If, on the other hand you are like me and could not afford to have any such occurrence, you need a way to transfer some or all of these risks to others. There are companies that are set up specifically to take the risk for you. These are what the various insurance companies do on a regular basis.

Your first stop after you decided to purchase a motorhome was likely at an insurance company. Most states require liability insurance and your lender required comprehensive insurance. These two policies are nothing more that a contractual arrangement between you and some third party with deep pockets to offload some specific risks you face to them in exchange for a series of monthly/annual payments. Exactly how much payment is required for this service is determined by a person called an actuary. The actuary's job is to make sure the stream of payments from all customers is larger than the stream of payouts plus a profit.

The types of information the actuary looks at are different for each type of insurance, but basically they are a measure of the likelihood that you will make a claim that requires a payment. Some universal items are, your credit rating, the number of policies you have with the company, the age of the drivers, the length of time you have been with the company, the number of claims you have filed that required a payout, etc. The greater the risk the company perceives, the higher the rates.

In the case of a motorhome policy of any type they also look at the age of the motor home, and the value of the motorhome (Their liability is usually limited to the replacing the unit at current market value.

Now on to repair insurance. This repair insurance policy is designed to take the risk that some part of your motor home will fail. To determine the cost the actuary looks at most of the items listed above and adds two new items, the age of the motorhome and the repair history of the exact make and model. Thus an older motorhome with a higher frequency of repair record, will have a larger premium that an newer motorhome with a good repair record.

Here is where it gets sticky and where many people have a falling out with their insurance company. With the exception of our current health insurance, there is no insurance that covers normal wear and tear and normal maintenance. Thus you are always at risk for oil changes, worn out tires, and fuel. So when your furnace quits working, is a normal wearing out or did it fail. The test used by most insurance is did it happen suddenly and was it unexpected.

Tires wear out slowly and that is maintenance, but a bottle causing a blowout is an accident. Now what do you do when the tires are worn beyond safe use then the bottle happens? This is a simple situation that is easy to understand, but there are many other occurrences like the broken shaft on the diesel I suffered above. It turns out that I would have had no claim for the destroyed engine. Why?

It happened suddenly, and my wife certainly believed it was unexpected. Unfortunately, when I checked the manufacturers suggested maintenance items that shaft should have been replaced almost 20,000 miles earlier. I ran for 20,000 miles on borrowed time. Had I followed the manufacturers maintenance suggestion, the shaft would not have failed therefore I had no basis for a claim against any insurance.

So what should you do?

Step 1 - Determine how much risk you can assume. This is based on your financial position and the amount of the risk involved. Do not risk your lifestyle for a few dollars saved.
Step 2 - Determine how much risk you are WILLING to assume. Are you a nervous nelly and will worry so much you can not enjoy your motorhome or are you a free spirit that wanders through life dealing with whatever happens
Step -3 - Determine how much of the repairs you can do yourself. This is related to step 2 in that if you can do more yourself then you are less likely to worry about small problems.
Step 4 - Find a program that meets your needs and READ THE FINE PRINT.

Because of the gray line between normal maintenance items and failures, there are all types of weasel words in every one of these contracts. Some only cover the engine, transmission, and running gear (Not air brakes). Some of these only pay if you are using their proprietary oil booster. Some will send a tow truck, some require that you present the unit to their repair station. Unless you read and understand every word, you are likely to be surprised when you make a claim.

I am in the position that I could just walk away and keep paying for my unit till my broken motorhome is paid off, and I can make many repairs myself. For these reasons I do not find these service contracts worth their price. I do have a road side assistance contract. This gives me someone to call when I have a problem on the road and I am not faced with the risk of finding an open tire dealer on the 4th of July (My roadside service did! Yea!) I also have a medical emergency contract that will transport my wife and my motorhome from Canada should I be taken to the hospital. This is a lot of piece of mind for a few bucks.

Your choices will clearly be different, but your experiences will likely be much better if you READ and understand ALL the fine print in the contract BEFORE you sign on the dotted line.

Hopefully you can see that not all insurance is a waste. You are paying the company to take your risks. In this case you can choose to take all, none, or only a part.

I hope this helps shed some light on the subject.

Disclaimer: I not not work for or with any insurance company. I only sold service contracts for a short while many years ago.
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Old 12-24-2016, 01:52 PM   #31
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Best explanation I have ever read on the subject. Thanks for the write up.
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Old 12-25-2016, 06:09 AM   #32
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Extended Warranties

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Originally Posted by adamfolger View Post
Best explanation I have ever read on the subject. Thanks for the write up.
Agree, thanks for your post.
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Old 12-25-2016, 09:22 AM   #33
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I am new to RV's so I know very little on warranties.

I assume (we know what that means) components of the NEW RV's have warranties. Microwave, electronics, workmanship of the carpentry, engine, transmission, etc.

I assume the engine has a 50K warranty or something as well as the transmission.

Am I thinking wrong? Why pay for an extended contract on NEW RV's that is covered for at least the 1st year on some components or more for others?

On buying new, I wait. On used, I buy the extended warranty.

just thinking out loud.....
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Old 12-25-2016, 11:22 AM   #34
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Originally Posted by FireEater View Post
I am new to RV's so I know very little on warranties.

I assume (we know what that means) components of the NEW RV's have warranties. Microwave, electronics, workmanship of the carpentry, engine, transmission, etc.

I assume the engine has a 50K warranty or something as well as the transmission.

Am I thinking wrong? Why pay for an extended contract on NEW RV's that is covered for at least the 1st year on some components or more for others?

On buying new, I wait. On used, I buy the extended warranty.

just thinking out loud.....
What type of warranty does Freightliner have and what does it cover? It will most likely be a 99% chance what I get will be on a Freightliner chassis. My biggest concern is something will break down with the engine, transmission, brakes, etc. I am not concerned about warranties on the contents of the motorhome itself. I could most likely repair most of them myself or easily get someone else to. It is the mechanical things that I know nothing about.

Just for the record I do have and plan on having a roadside plan from CoachNet with whatever I get.
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Old 12-25-2016, 01:46 PM   #35
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Dear forum administrator,

I nominate APhotoWizard's post (#30) for imortalization as a "Stickey."

This post should be read by anyone considering buying Extended Warranties (Service Contracts) or insurance of any kind. Hopefully, this would save a lot of wasted electrons every time this topic arises.

APhotoWizard

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Old 12-25-2016, 02:06 PM   #36
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If you're a DIY type person you probably are better off without insurance, it can be expensive to cover stuff that really matters.
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Old 12-25-2016, 08:20 PM   #37
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Originally Posted by reubenray View Post
What type of warranty does Freightliner have and what does it cover? It will most likely be a 99% chance what I get will be on a Freightliner chassis. My biggest concern is something will break down with the engine, transmission, brakes, etc. I am not concerned about warranties on the contents of the motorhome itself. I could most likely repair most of them myself or easily get someone else to. It is the mechanical things that I know nothing about.

Just for the record I do have and plan on having a roadside plan from CoachNet with whatever I get.
I am not a New York Lawyer but best I can deduct is 100K or 5 years for the basic coverage.

Coverage

Products Warranted

This Warranty applies to new electronic diesel Engines sold by Cummins Inc., hereafter "Cummins", and delivered to the first user on or after August 1, 2005, that are used in recreational vehicle* applications in the United States** or Canada.

Base Engine Warranty

The Base Engine Warranty covers any failures of the Engine which result, under normal use and service, from a defect in material or factory workmanship (Warrantable Failure). This Coverage begins with the sale of the Engine by Cummins and ends five years or 100,000 miles (160,935 kilometers), whichever occurs first, after the date of delivery of the Engine to the first user.
Engine aftertreatment components included in the Cummins Critical Parts List (CPL) and marked with a Cummins part number are covered under Base Engine Warranty.

Coverage for the ISB AD Engine begins with the sale of the Engine by Cummins and ends three years or 75,000 miles (120,700 kilometers), whichever occurs first, after the date of delivery of the Engine to the first user.

Cummins Responsibilities

During The Base Engine Warranty

Cummins will pay for all parts and labor needed to repair the damage to the Engine resulting from a Warrantable Failure.

Cummins will pay for the lubricating oil, antifreeze, filter elements, belts, hoses and other maintenance items that are not reusable due to the Warrantable Failure.

Cummins will pay for reasonable labor costs for Engine removal and reinstallation when necessary to repair a Warrantable Failure.

Cummins will pay reasonable costs for towing a vehicle disabled by a Warrantable Failure to the nearest authorized repair location when necessary to make the repair for the first year from the date of delivery of the Engine to the first user. In lieu of towing expenses, Cummins will pay reasonable costs for mechanics to travel to and from the location of the vehicle, including meals, mileage and lodging, when the repair is performed at the site of the failure.

The above is off a web page from Freightliner.....

http://freightliner.cummins.com/rv-warranty
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Old 12-26-2016, 05:02 AM   #38
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The key part that I noticed in the FL warranty was it was only good for the "first user". I guess the warranty is not transferable.
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Old 12-26-2016, 05:28 AM   #39
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I was faced with same question when we bought our current rig when it was 6 years old. I generally don't do EW's and I am handy and had fixed most of anything that broke on my previous RV's.

However, this was the most complex coach we had ever had. The prior owner had done the maintenance and it was in excellent condition. I am not getting any younger and realized some things might be more than I could do.

What really helped with the decision was the willingness of the dealer to negotiate on the price of the warranty. It was less than $4K for a 4 year, $200 deductible EW from Cornerstone. It was easy to determine from the policy what was not covered. So we bought it. I knew it was a roll of the dice. In our case we did well since it has easily paid out more than what we paid for it in the first 3 years of ownership. It expires in April and we will not renew since I know at this point the price for continued coverage will increase dramatically.

So, as aleady noted, it depends on many factors.
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Old 12-26-2016, 08:44 AM   #40
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Thanks and observation

Sandy Swede -Thanks for the complement. I am ok with that.


My take on the Freightliner warranty shown here is two fold. The first has already been mentioned - it is not transferable, but more important for the first user are the weasel words that I promised in every warranty which reads:

"The Base Engine Warranty covers any failures of the Engine which result, under normal use and service, from a defect in material or factory workmanship (Warrantable Failure)."

What this says is that they get to decide what is a "Warrantable Failure". You may not agree with their determination, but their determination is what matters. So if you fail to document every oil change, and ever other type of service to the unit or you have service performed at a "non-approved" location or use non-approved materials or supplies, you may be deemed to have caused the problem therefore no payment. In any event, incidental charges (Towing, storage, etc) are not covered in most cases.

With reliable companies (I consider Freightliner and Cummings in this category) they will try to work with the owner to resolve the dispute, but ultimately they do not want to pay for someone else's negligence. If they had a few bad parts sneak into the production line that ultimately fail, they will likely make the repairs as indicated without any complaint, but if your failure can be attributed to non-recommended oil, lengthly maintenance intervals, etc, they will not be so generous.

The best way to keep the warranty in force is to do what you should do to get the longest life from your purchase anyway. Perform all recommend service on time with recommended products and have the service performed by acceptable vendors. Have any repairs done at the dealer or approved other location and keep careful records.

Records need to show date, location, name of vendor, list of materials including brands, and description of the problem being addressed. With any luck you should never need any of these, but in the event of failure, you have extemporaneously kept records that show you did everything you were supposed to and did it properly. This makes their denial of warranty claims much harder.

I now raise my glass in toast:"May you never need to make a warranty claim, and if you do, may it be resolved to your complete satisfaction."
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Old 12-26-2016, 11:12 AM   #41
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FYI, just found Spartan Warranty:

BEST IN CLASS TRANSFERRABLE WARRANTY:

Every Spartan chassis comes with a best in class 3 years / 50,000 miles transferable warranty with no deductibles. Our chassis also boasts an industry first lifetime warranty on the frame as well as a Cummins 5 years / 100,000 miles warranty and an Allison 5 years / 200,000 miles warranty.

Spartan Chassie Limited Warranty:

The Spartan Chassis limited chassis warranty covers repair or replacement, at the sole discretion of Spartan Chassis, Inc., of any part of a new Spartan chassis (except the engine and transmission) in which a defect in materials or workmanship appears under normal use, where maintenance has been performed as stated in the operation & maintenance manual.
The engine and transmission are not covered by the Spartan limited warranty, but they are covered by warranties issued from their manufacturers. The owner should check the original component manufacturers' warranties regarding coverage.

The original limited warranty for RV chassis is in effect for a period of 36 months from the first end-users date of purchase. Please contact Spartan Chassis to determine the warrantable period for a specific chassis or to obtain a copy of the actual warranty document.

More info to ponder. LOL
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Old 12-28-2016, 10:42 PM   #42
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Warranty for used diesel pusher

I just purchase an extended warranty through Good Sam. Wholesale warranty would only do a coach only coverage because my coach is over 70,000 miles. It seems pricey compared to some of the prices listed here. It is $179/month with a $1000 deductible. We have had some repairs come up that made me decide to get the warranty for the piece of mind. The coach broke down 400 miles into a 2100 mile cross country trip. I am hoping to pick it up 2nd week of January and continue the drive. Hopefully having it will ward off any bad juju.
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