Community Forums

reubenray · 12-20-2016, 08:40 AM

I have never purchased any type of extended warranties for any new vehicles I have bought. In a year or so I plan on either getting a used or new DP. I am very concerned about getting something used. Every car I have bought used ended up being a costly mistake. So I am thinking a warranty on an used DP may calm my concerns.

Are there any reasonable priced, but good warranties for used DP's out there?

Stiltner · 12-20-2016, 09:01 AM

I purchased one with my new coach at the recommendation of others. Unlike a car that is a total rip off, RV's are another story. Most any work that needs to be done is costly. Using it a few times over a 6-8 year time frame will pay for itself. Cornerstone is my warranty company with a 200 deductible per occurrence. Good Sam is another that seems to be popular.

TonyMac · 12-20-2016, 09:06 AM

I bought an 8 year-old DP with 15,000 miles on it, that's less than 2,000 miles per year. It had been neglected, but showed no sign of other abuse. It was hidden by the previous owners who didn't feel like making the payments, and repossessed by the bank, who then consigned it to an RV Dealer who did very little other than list it for sale. With this neglect I negotiated a really great deal at 57% of asking (and 50% of book), and paid for a 5-year bumper to bumper warranty. I'm pretty handy, but I feel a lot more comfortable knowing that if the turbo blows on the way home, I'm covered. I had the electrical transfer switch replaced under warranty, everything else I fix myself; like when the pocket door got stuck in the closed position and trapped my wife in the back, or when my wife opened the washer door when the washer didn't want her to, or when the shore power cord started to delaminate, or when the generator would not start from the cockpit, etc. I paid like $5,000 for the warranty, and have used it once, but it's like having a parachute and an ejection seat -- you hope you never need the warranty, but it'll be nice to have when you need it, and, with my history in RVs, you likely will need it. These things are fragile.

gemert · 12-20-2016, 09:14 AM

When we bought our 11 year old Beaver, our first DP, we bought a policy by "Interstate" the provider is INDS of Florida 1-800-942-0400. It cost 6K for a 4 year bumper to bumper with 500 deductible. So far it has paid out about 6K with a year + to go. I feel that it was a good investment and beyond what it has actually cost, it has provided peace of mind that would not have been there. It is not perfect, like any other insurance it will try to find a way to not pay but not "vigorously" if you know what I mean. Bottom line is that I am happy after almost 3 years and I recommend it. Good luck!

vito.a · 12-20-2016, 01:31 PM

Extended warranties are really just an insurance policy. Having said that, we extended the warranty on our Windsor and had good experience with it. I priced a warranty for our Executive, but the prices so far are too high. So, I guess my answer is it depends.

LarryW21 · 12-20-2016, 02:44 PM

It may calm your nerves but extended warranties generally only put money in the pocket of the insurer. Negotiate a warranty after the dealer says....that's my lowest number.

znt1186 · 12-20-2016, 02:56 PM

We bought a ten year old diesel coach with 15k miles on it and purchased Good Sam Extended Service Plan for the first two years. After I got a solid baseline on the maintenance and performance end of things in the coach, I decided not to renew it. The extended warranties are quite expensive, the GS plan was around $1200/year, but it was year to year. They are at best a roll of the dice. If you have a serious issue you win. If not, you lose. A gamble either way.

Ludmilla · 12-20-2016, 05:35 PM

I purchased one through the RV dealer we purchased the coach from. It has more than paid for itself and they have given me no problems with paying for everything they were supposed to. When this one expires, I will get another one through FMCA. I did a comparison of the different options and theirs seemed the best to me.

APhotoWizard · 12-20-2016, 06:41 PM

Having sold vehicle warranties I have a little insight in this area.

Consider for the moment, the poison of the company that offers the maintenance policy. They are in business of selling insurance to make money. They do not generally have repair facilities, they pay others to do the work and they hold the winning cards. They will in all cases charge more money in premiums than they pay out. If they do not, they will go out of business. For this reason, they are betting that you never have any problem they must pay for under the contract.

Now consider your position if you purchase one of these contracts. You give money to the insurance company betting you will have a major problem and get payouts more than the cost of the premiums. Not a great bet in my opinion even if the company is on the up and up.

There are several reasons to purchase a policy.

1- If you are not handy with repairs - Motorhomes have all the problems of a home and a truck. Old motorhomes that have not been well maintained have all the same problems as old trucks and old home that have not had proper maintenance. If you purchase one of these and do not do repairs yourself you really need someone else to take the risk of failure so purchase a contract.

2 - If you worry excessively. Motorhomes that are broken are a large source of anxiety. If this bothers you then you probably need to purchase a contract.

3 - If you need the unit fixed quickly, you need a contract. Even small failures such as a leaky sewer valve, you can fix, but it will take some time because you may not have the proper tools and certainly do not have a spare valve laying around your house.

4 - Your financial condition is such that you can not support a multi-thousand dollar repair at a moments notice. Motorhomes can be working great one minute and dead in the water the next with no warning. If you are tight on cash, then a contract can smooth out the financial bumps in the road.

With all that said, it is much better to start with a device that does not have excessive problems. There are several ways to identify these units. 1 - Look a clean unit. An owner that takes care of the appearance is more likely to take care of other matters. 2 - Look for a unit with a full set of maintenance records and manuals. These are hard to find, but if you were to get one of my units you will get a both as part of the deal along with a completely working unit. 3 - Have the person selling the unit show you the operation of every system. If there are indicator lights, stove eyes, horn, etc that do not work on the first try, you can bet there are hidden problems that have not been addressed as well. These three items will likely get you a reasonable body. Take the unit to a shop you trust to evaluate the chassis and get an estimate to completely refurbish the rubber parts and service the rig. This will give you an idea of the condition of the running gear.

Finally, reserve between 10% and 20% of the cost of the rig for immediate upgrades and repairs. After all this effort there will be things you want to change once you get the unit and use it a few days.

I did all this and selected a unit. Over the first year, I still had to replace the exhaust manifold, all the sound system, the furnace, and the wiper system. There was no problem the next year. Then this year the injector pump needed a replacement and the rear airbags cracked. This is a 2001 unit and I am still very happy with my unit. I expect to spend about $2000 per year on maintenance every year hence.

Some may say that a newer unit will have fewer problems, but I was in Alaska where a new rig with less than 10,000 miles needs a new engine block so even new units are not immune to major problems.

I hope this gives you some idea about why you might want a service contact (Or Not) and how to look for a used rig. These comments are based on my personal experiences only and others surely have different opinions.

reubenray · 12-20-2016, 07:31 PM

I don't know if this makes any difference or not, but we decided that we would not get anything more than 5 years old.

mtofell · 12-20-2016, 08:37 PM

I'm not an owner yet but am thinking along the same lines as the OP for sure. Great info so far and thanks for all those sharing.

Like most people I'm afraid of the catastrophic failure in a DP. A blown head gasket, tranny, or some other part. I don't even know for sure but isn't an engine rebuild well north of 20K? How about a tranny - I've got to think at least 10K. Anyway, with pretty much all my insurance I've always taken the highest deductible I can get but haven't heard of much over a few hundred dollars with RV service plans/warranties.

Sandy Swede · 12-21-2016, 06:50 AM

I purchased a 4-yr service contract through CoachNet including the consequential damages clause for $6,000. The deductible is $200. CoachNet Roadside & Towing is included in this price. This was for an 04 Newmar Dutch Star with 64k miles purchased in August 2016. Of course, what you pay for your coach must be factored.

A class A MH, especially a DP, is a complex system comprised of many expensive components which can, and many times will, fail. The question you must answer is, "Can I write a check for an engine rebuild or, say, a trans failure? Don't get me wrong, it was not easy to fork over $6k upfront, but I sleep easier now and would actually consider it a "win" if I never have to use the coverage.

Best of luck on your new coach.

BTW, great post, APhotoWizard!

radams · 12-21-2016, 07:58 AM

Suggest checking out a company named Wholesale Warranties. They sell exclusionary policies which are much easier to understand. Understanding the policy is the key for being satisfied with it. A lot of the heartache you read about is from unrealistic expectations generally due to a lack of doing one's homework. These policies will do what they say they will do but you need to know what that is and what's required of you.

Gary RVRoamer · 12-21-2016, 10:03 AM

Given that you seem quite nervous about any vehicle purchase, an extended warranty may be worth the cost for your peace of mind. However, Aphotowizard gave good advice, so consider it well. And read the service contract carefully - it will not pay for everything, and it is often surprising how the claims adjuster interprets what seems like very innocuous statements about coverage exceptions.