RV Maintenance Service Agreements

[BadDogPSD]

Another thing to consider is whether the plan is inclusionary or exclusionary. Inclusionary plans specify what is covered. Anything not listed is not covered. Exclusionary plans list what's NOT covered. If it's not listed, it should be covered.
Also, they will offer the 'Cadillac' plans first, with all the bells & whistles including concierge services. If you don't need or want these 'extras', you should be able to save some $$$.

[akadeadeye]

Originally Posted by TAGAXLE

Thanks to you both. There are several others like Xtra Mile. Any comments or POC for this company?

We have Xtra Mile and have been very pleased with them. I believe we paid $3,800 for 7 years of coverage, or 100,000 miles on our coach which at the time was 8 months old. It is in the shop now requiring $3,100 in repairs for several items and Xtra Mile has approved and will pay all but $100 of that (deductible). Other claims we have had total about $900 and we have had no issues at all. We're glad we have them. It has paid for itself and we still have two years left.

Don

[Ramets]

Originally Posted by TAGAXLE

This thread just keeps getting better. Thanks for the information. I pulled up the website Free Wheeling very informative. I am still working with wholesale and these people, of course, are not forthcoming with all of the information found here so far. This in itself is deterring me from purchasing it. Please keep it coming on the info. Good stuff for us all to know.


Tagaxle

Something for you to consider is that your coach is 7yrs. old. If you bought it used, and didn't recieve any maint. records from the previous owner, you have no way of knowing how well it was taken care of. Some people say set aside a certain amount each month to cover any problems. I wasn't willing to take the chance that something could go wrong before I had built up a cash reserve. In our case 5mos. after purchasing our coach I needed to replace the ball joints. It was over $2000. I only paid my $100 ded. And since that time a front wheel bearing went bad, the fridge died, and I needed a new heat pump. Each time it was only $100. By the way, when I told them I wanted a residential fridge, they said no problem. I paid a little over $4000 for a 4yr. plan with XtraRide. It's more than paid for itself, and I have more than a 1 1/2yrs. to go on the policy. And when there's only 6mos. left on it, I'll be taking it somewhere to have the coach part checked out, and then I'll take it to Cummins for engine and trans.. I'll get everything fixed or replaced before the plan runs out.

[copythat]

So XtraRide is a good, affordable option? Does it offer consequential damage coverage? I just purchased a 2009 Monaco Dynasty and would like a solid plan. I just thought Good Sam was a bit pricey at $2400 a year with a $500 deductible. The dealer offered another plan for $5800 for four years with a $500 deductible but I have yet to see the fine print.

[KarenS144]

I've been reading through the info I received from Wholesale Warranties and when clicking through some links to read the "fine print", I ran across this statement under the What Is Not Covered section:

1. Any items not listed or included under the “What Is Covered” section of the specific plan You selected on the front of this Agreement. Incidental or consequential damages or loss caused by breakdown of components (or otherwise) including property damage, personal injury, inconvenience, loss of Vehicle use, damage to a covered part by a non-covered part and damage to a non-covered part by a covered part.

So according to this, Steve at WW is full of "it" and pretty much lied to me when he said the radiator would be covered if the hose blew and damaged the radiator and engine.

Are there any extended warranty plans that offer consequential damage coverage?

[copythat]

KarenS144, if you locate a plan that includes consequential damage coverage, could you please let me know? I just started researching for a plan and have not yet heard back from the brokers.

[Gary RVRoamer]

Some policies are "inclusive" and others "exclusive". Inclusive means only the items listed in the policy are included in the coverage. Exclusive means that everything is covered except what is specifically listed in the policy as excluded. Often a broker sells both types, so make sure you know which it is. And double-check the fine print to verify what the sales guy says.

Consequential damage is normally not included because it increases the premium costs substantially, but I'm told there are such policies. Consequential damage is a failure of a covered part that was caused by a non-covered part. The simplest example of that is a leaky radiator hose (not covered) causing the engine to overheat and seize up.

[puttin]

TAGAXLE,

I'd save my money in an "rv fund" instead. If you really need to use it then you won't need to have the repairs authorized in advance. Be aware that these warrantee companies insist you keep maint records to assure they will pay if something happens. Maint is great and I do most of it myself, but I like to decide- I don't need someone else deciding for me.

[JFXG]

TAG.....
1) you'd have to contribute monthly into your RV Fund for a long time to cover a $6000 transmission or a $20K engine. If you have the wherewithall to self-fund that's fine, but this old argument holds no water mathematically.

2) I've filed five claims on my service contract since we started fulltiming (2.7 yrs), and no one, at any time, has asked to see a single maintenance record.

3) If you deal with any kind of established repair facility, they do all the communicating with the SC people. In most of my claims the service center was paid directly by credit card from the contract administrator, usually that same day. In one case where that was not the case, my SC company had a system established for reimbursement, and I received a check in the mail three days later. The check had been cut and was postmarked the same day as the service.

I know there are horror stories out there, but most of them are avoidable if you do your homework and buy a good contract from a reputable company, know what they'll pay for and what they won't.

[KarenS144]

I emailed Steve at WW and gave him the radiator hose issue, quoted the "fine print" and asked him to explain why or why not the radiator would be covered and this was his reply:

You are correct this warranty does not cover consequential damage. The radiator hose scenario is this; if the water pump freezes or the radiator fails causing the radiator hose to break, the radiator hose would be replaced even though it is not a covered item. The repair would not be complete without replacing the hose. A radiator hose failing by itself is not going to cause problems to the radiator. Your engine would slowly get hotter and you would have to pull over and turn the engine off. No warranty company would pay for that since the radiator hose is a wear and tear type item. No damage would occur unless you continued to drive for miles with the engine overheating. No warranty company, with or without consequential damage, would pay for that repair due to continued operating of the engine while in an overheated condition. They would deny the repair on the basis of owner negligence. We have never run into consequential damage scenarios with this warranty due to the extensive list of items that are covered.

Here is the list of what is covered under Engine & Cooling/Heating:

ENGINE - Gasoline: All internal lubricated parts: Bearings, pistons, piston pins and rings, valves, valve springs, valve spring retainers, timing chain or timing belt tensioners and rocker arms. Timing gear, oil pump, valve guides, followers, valve seats, rocker shafts, push rods, valve lifters, connecting rods, crankshaft and main bearings, camshaft, cam bearings and rocker bushings. Other parts: Water pump, engine mounts, engine cushions, exhaust manifold, intake manifold, front cover, harmonic balancers, vacuum pump, flywheel (flexplate), flywheel ring gear, pulleys and eccentric shaft; seals and gaskets. Engine block, cylinder head(s), cylinder barrels, oil pan and valve covers only if the damage results from the failure of an internal lubricated part. Diesel Engine: All of the above parts plus fuel heater, fuel injection pump and fuel injectors. Turbo Charger: All internal lubricated parts contained within the turbo charger housing, and the turbo charger housing only if the damage results from the failure of an internal lubricated part.

ENGINE COOLING/HEATING - Water pump including: Impeller shaft, bearings and bushings. Radiator, heater core, thermostat, fan, fan clutch, fan motor, controller module, coolant recovery unit, fan shroud, electric block heater; seals and gaskets.

How do those lists of covered items look?

[puttin]

Originally Posted by JFXG

TAG.....
1) you'd have to contribute monthly into your RV Fund for a long time to cover a $6000 transmission or a $20K engine. If you have the wherewithall to self-fund that's fine, but this old argument holds no water mathematically.

2) I've filed five claims on my service contract since we started fulltiming (2.7 yrs), and no one, at any time, has asked to see a single maintenance record.

3) If you deal with any kind of established repair facility, they do all the communicating with the SC people. In most of my claims the service center was paid directly by credit card from the contract administrator, usually that same day. In one case where that was not the case, my SC company had a system established for reimbursement, and I received a check in the mail three days later. The check had been cut and was postmarked the same day as the service.

I know there are horror stories out there, but most of them are avoidable if you do your homework and buy a good contract from a reputable company, know what they'll pay for and what they won't.

Do you know of many rigs where the engine or transmission fails? I don't and I take pretty good care of mine. Many catastrophic failures happen under the powertrain warrantee the rest of the house components I could replace if I had to....and we're talking about a motorhome here. Many of these aftermarket policies are written for towables beleive it or not. That really doesn't hold water to me. I reflect on two times when I purchased warranties from an F and I dept. and I went full term with no claims. In total that was roughly $5,000.00...again holding no water as an ownership experience. I think somewhere there's a poll of us or car owners who've purchased these agreements and either used them or not and if so, did the claims exceed the cost. I'd like to see that.

[burgiebill]

What are the company's you are using. I've got a quote from Good Sam? Other repeatable places?


I'm so old I fart dust!

[Jim2]

" 1) you'd have to contribute monthly into your RV Fund for a long time to cover a $6000 transmission or a $20K engine. If you have the wherewithall to self-fund that's fine, but this old argument holds no water mathematically. "

what holds no water is using the rare failed engine nightmare to justify spending $1000 a year upfront to cover the most likely possibility that a $500 appliance may fail sometime in the next 4 yrs. With your logic, buying a Lotto ticket is a good deal since 1 out of 175 million actually hit the jackpot.

if the majority who bought ESP's came out winners, then they would no longer be sold. the reality is the sellers make big profits because the majority of buyers don't come close to claiming any where near the cost. I currently own 3 different RV's from age 10 yr to 5 yr and havn't spent near $4000 in repairs on all 3 combined over those 10 years (excluding routine maint items).

if you prefer to pay more up front to avoid having to budget for a future $500 repair bill, then buy one. consider it an insurance policy, but not a cost saving policy for most.

[JFXG]

Originally Posted by Jim2

" ......then buy one. consider it an insurance policy, but not a cost saving policy for most.

Of course it's insurance, Jim, I've often pointed that out. That is why, incidentally, you'll never see any post of mine refer to these service contracts as "warranties". People-including dealers- seem to insist on calling them "Extended Warranties" when they are nothing of the sort. Words mean something, particularly in legal documents.

All I try to do is point out that the most common arguments against service contracts--
1) they are scams concocted by greedy companies and dealers, and you can easily pay for the repairs yourself if you just put the money in the bank; and
2) they always try to weasel out of covering your claim--

are simply not true in the preponderance of cases. Also, that you can avoid a great deal of stress and heartache down the road simply by doing your homework before you buy. Sadly, a large number of people seem to be unwilling to actually read the contract and understand what they're buying and what they are not buying. In my opinion, a huge number of the "I got screwed by my Extended Warranty..." stories that you read stem directly from this lack of diligence.

In my case, I bought a 10 y/o coach full of original appliances and devices. I considered it highly unlikely that nothing would fail in the next 4-5 years, so I wanted some coverage. The insurance (service contract) has worked well for me. The underwriter to date has paid me a fair bit more than I have paid in, and I still have over a year left. At no time have they tried to weasel on coverage or shirk on payment. There is no reason others could not have a similar experience, if they do their homework.