Good Sams Extended Warranties

[SharpPI]

We ordered our first Motor Home yesterday and have to make a decision on extended warranties. Camping World offers Good Sam's Polices.

To say that I am confused is an understatement. I am not sure what I need, what is junk and what is just pure profit for the dealer.

So I am thinking I need:
- Mechanical Breakdown (72 mths - 75,000 miles) $3795
- Tire Protection (84 mths) $915
- GAP (72 mths) $995
- Roadside Assistance (48 mths) $540

Any guidance or suggestions us welcome.

[Imotay]

I would also give Wholesale Warrenties a call. They were cheaper than Good Sam

[RedLdr1]

Alec,

Extended Warranties are a type of insurance so you need to look at what you are comfortable with having...or not having. In our case this is what we bought:

Mechanical Breakdown:

Since we have a Ford E-450 chassis I bought Ford's Premium Extended Service Plan. $100 Deductible, 7 Years / 75,000 miles term. Purchased from my local Ford dealer and good at any Ford dealership in the US and Canada. Cost: ~$3,600. Financed through Ford Credit at 0.0% for 24 months. Note: This only covers the Ford chassis, not the entire motor home.

Tire Protection: No way on that one for me... Tires should be replaced every 5 years or so anyway, regardless of their mileage. On motor homes tires generally "age out", not "wear out". I can buy a new set of Michelin LTX's for around that cost through FMCA. More on FMCA later...

GAP Insurance: GAP is only needed if you are "upside down" financially on your RV. If you owe more than what the unit is valued at, for insurance purposes, in the event of a total loss you should consider GAP. We don't owe more than ours is worth so I don't carry GAP.

Roadside Assistance: You'll have Coach Net for free for the first year. My Ford ESP contract adds Roadside Assistance as well... Once again ESP only covers the Ford chassis, not "house" issues.

Also consider joining the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) as you can get some really good coverage options through them at excellent prices. Their FMCAssist Medical Emergency and Travel Assistance Program is included with your annual dues of $40 a year. The equivalent Good Sams policy was around $150 a year just for it...

Check around! And remember the devil is in the detail so make sure you are comparing "apples to apples" as coverage, and sneaky exemptions, do vary widely!

[grumpy0374]

You have over $6000 in "extended" warranty!!!
Take the same money, put it in the bank for the same amount of time, and draw off what you need for a repair.
Unless you blow out all your appliances, and all your tires, you'll be ahead of the game.
Don't count leaks or delamination as I don't think any "extended" warranty will cover that.
Grumpy

[BLK-9]

Don't you have a warranty with your new purchase, plus CoachNet? Why do you need to "give" your money to an insurance entity who will not fix an item that is currently under manufacturers warrant? I would wait until your manufacture warranty expires and then consider your needs.


Mike
2016 Force HD

[zimmnc]

We have purchased Protective Platinum with each of our coaches. Peace of mind plus sh-- happens. Add to that I am not a mechanic I feel it is the way to go.

[ldale]

Our Progressive accident insurance on our motorhome covers towing. Once a disabled vehicle is towed in, repairs USUALLY cost less than what you're paying for an extended warranty.

[poppytoymaker]

Purchased my Forester a year and a half ago and purchased Wholesale Warranty one year ago. AC went out last month on trip to Keys. Factory warranty one year. I'm sure glad I took WW $2000.00 cheaper than Good Sam including tire blowout, for 7 years. AC $993.00, my out of pocket $100 deductible. Already got almost a third of my money back. I was never a big fan of extended warranties because I always felt if a car gives you no trouble for the first year it's not going to give you any problems as long as you keep it well maintained. A MH on the other hand to me is an unknown quantity. Make your own decision but I believe the longer you wait and the older the vehicle gets, the more expensive the policy

[db7512]

You may want to check out coach-net for the extended warranty which includes road side. I shopped around with several companies to include good sam. Take your time and read the contracts.

[txredfish]

Like others have said put the money in the bank and draw on it as needed. I have owned an RV since 1997. I guess I have been lucky, but so far my repairs have not come close to the amount of the cost of extended warranty. The extended warranty companies are in business to make money. But not my money. I will take my chances which are on the rv owner's side.

[Vince and Charlette]

Don't just read an extended warranty -- read it, compare it with others and understand it thoroughly even if it takes you all day. There are many little nuances that will cause expenses to come out of your pocket. Here are just a few:
1. If Camping World is Good Sam's preferred go-to dealer, heed this Forum. They generally have a very bad reputation;
2. Deductibles may only apply if you have repairs done at the purchasing dealer. In this case, it may be CW, whether or not they sold it to you, regardless of how far away it is;
3. Many tire warranties only apply to hitting an item in the road! Ordinary flats, rubs, valve stem failures, tire rot, damage to the MH or adjacent tire (on dual rear wheels), etc. are often not covered. In many cases, the repair station will need to hold the tire for five days to allow an inspector to view the damage. (Yes, there are tire inspection companies all over the US whose job is to inspect damaged tires on behalf of warrantee companies.) On my 2015 GT, I've had four flats with tire insurance...only one was covered!
4. Roadside assistance is only that. It often does not include any towing and certainly doesn't cover vehicle repair parts or tire purchase. We have AAA Deluxe roadside assistance on our automobiles and were please to find out it automatically covers our MH too.
5. Here is one of the biggies: The warrantee company normally sets their own arbitrary standard for how many hours a repair should take. I recently had a problem where the dealer and warrantee company disagreed on the hours needed to make the repair. Dealer said it took twice as long as the warrantee company. So a $75 part cost me $300+ out of pocket for labor and the warrantee company only paid $200+.
6. There are reported cases where an item, such as a refrigerator was still under the manufacturer's warrantee. In that case, you may be directed to contact the manufacturer.

Remember, the warrantee company makes money by denying claims not by paying them.

These are just a few things to consider. Others on this Forum will certainly have varying views. But, the bottom line is: know what you're buying.

Putting an equivalent amount of money in a bank just might be a better idea.

[cruisinhwy66]

We've had Good Sam's warranty ever since the factory warranty ran out, 5 years now, haven't had a claim or a problem with our Sabre 5th wheel that was covered, just minor fix-it yourself stuff. Now we looking at renewing, thinking would we had been smarter to put that money aside, now almost $2000 W/$200 co-pay, in the bank.
Question is, what's comfortable for you and affordability, ours was comfort, now after 5 yrs. and no claims, well it's a hard decision to continue, labor cost is CRAZY, but parts aren't that expensive thanks to competition, Ebay & Amazon.
I say purchase warranty for a year or two if possible, see how it goes, then re-think your decision afterwards because life happens and thinking matures. Good Sam's will be there should you choose security.

cruisin

[camaraderie]

1. I bought the PLATINUM GS Roadside Assistance AFTER the FREE Coach Net roadside assistance ran out. Both services are similar. I like that GS platinum gives you the assistance and tow...but also provides REAL TIME technical support if you have a problem ...while camping. It also covers ALL your other vehicles whether you are camping or not. For us that is two scooters a car and the RV for about $120 a year. Worth it IMO

2. We did NOT buy anyones extended warranty because MUCH of the stuff they cover is already covered by the mfr. ....like the 3 YEAR Ford warranty on the engine/chassis. ALSO because there is ZERO coverage from ANYONE I could find on the "house" itself...sidewalls, frame, roof, fiberglass, windows etc.
We've saved lot of money by not buying...probably more than any covered repair...and 100% more than all the NON covered stuff.
3. Tires...ditto...not worth it or likely if you keep them aligned (free initially) and properly inflated. Not THAT expensive if you have ROAD SERVICE and someone take care of getting you to a place to get a new one mounted.

In the end...it is what YOU are comfortable with...but know exactly what you are getting and WHO you are getting it from...a lot of fly by nite warranty firms out there. I think GS is honorable...but not worth it IMO.
Have a great time with your new rig!

[Flybob]

If you to decide to get an extended warranty, read the contract carefully. The one my dealer was pushing required an annual ( by purchase anniversary) inspection . Inspection was $300-400 and included as gotcha ( plus the cost of time and materials for any repairs needed. Miss one inspection and you no longer had coverage. Also some warranties have lots of escape clauses. Remember that many of the appliances and equipment on an RV are covered under the manufacturers warranty.

[SEAYALL]

Originally Posted by SharpPI

We ordered our first Motor Home yesterday and have to make a decision on extended warranties. Camping World offers Good Sam's Polices.

To say that I am confused is an understatement. I am not sure what I need, what is junk and what is just pure profit for the dealer.

So I am thinking I need:
- Mechanical Breakdown (72 mths - 75,000 miles) $3795
- Tire Protection (84 mths) $915
- GAP (72 mths) $995
- Roadside Assistance (48 mths) $540

Any guidance or suggestions us welcome.

Well I had goodsams on a motor home, few years later sold it, they gave me back all I had invested , but I never needed it. If your motor home is new, I would not buy anything til it's a year old. When manufactures warranty is done. An then you'll know more about your rig, an your own situation.

[Tireman9]

Read the exceptions. Major components may be covered but none of the connections.
i.e. generator but no wires or switches.
With tires I doubt there is 100% coverage for any reason. For 1/3 the cost you can get a good TPMS and prevent failures in the first place.

[ldale]

Good read on extended warranties:
<info@jrconsumer.com> wrote: RV Extended Warranty Update: Another one bites the dust…

We’ve been advised via a reader that Safe Harbor, an Extended RV Warranty Company based in Beaver Creek, Ohio has ceased operations. For obvious reasons, this is never good news for current policy holders. If you are in this group, we may have some good news for you.
Despite a large industry that seems to pride itself on miserable factory warranties (i.e. One Year Bumper-to-Bumper is not uncommon for a $300,000+ Motorhome), the Extended RV Warranty arena seems to be filled with predatory and unsavory characters.
Providers pop up, promise the world, reap the rewards (your money) and then disappear without notice, leaving policyholders with a very expensive piece of paper that may or may not have any value. Believe it or not, in most cases this is not a scam. Usually it’s an example of someone sensing a real need in the market (and there is a real need in this one), cobbling together a website with promises of low priced RV Warranty policies and signing up customers left and right. But then reality sets in, usually in the form of a widespread defective component.
We could fill pages with examples but a few that come to mind would be the refrigerators from a few years ago that were known for bursting in to a lively flame that could quickly consume an entire RV. Many of these $300 fridges resulted in insurance claims in the tens of thousands of dollars. Lawsuits flew in all directions with that one.
More recently, there was also a widely used electric awning (many manufacturers buy components from a single supplier) that was known for chewing itself to pieces when retracted. It would extend okay, but retracting it resulted in sounds not unlike a garbage disposal attempting to devour a spoon. Imagine the looks you’d get driving down the highway with your fully extended awning flapping away, providing shade for the car in the next lane. And then imagine the look on your own face when you called your Extended Warranty provider to file a claim and realized they weren’t answering the phone anymore. Your $1,500 claim alone wouldn’t sink a provider, obviously, but when the awning manufacturer that made your awning was responsible for supplying awnings for 80% of the RVs currently on the road? It’s not unknown for a supplier to realize they’re doomed and throw in the towel. Result: Insurance providers finding themselves on the hook for hundreds or thousands of claims X $1,500 each.
It’s been almost a year now since we began recommending WholesaleWarranties.com to those readers considering an extended RV warranty, and based on the positive feedback we’ve received, we will continue to do so in 2016. As an independent researcher we rarely recommend one company over another, preferring instead to present our findings in an unbiased manner and let the customer come to their own conclusions. Unfortunately, with so many questionable companies operating in the extended warranty universe, as well as sketchy RV dealers pushing overpriced and inadequate policies on unsuspecting buyers, we felt a recommendation may be appreciated –and we were right.
One year later we’ve heard enough good feedback to feel the decision was justified. It’s worth noting that we did not take this endorsement lightly, researching many extended warranty companies for months before settling on the folks at WW. Our decision was based not only on current and past policy holder feedback but also our own experiences with the company in question. During the writing of our most recent update to our Extended RV Warranty Guide we found ourselves turning to WholesaleWarranties.com more and more for input and comments on the RV insurance industry, finding them very knowledgeable and always happy to answer our many questions. We like the people at Good Sam, too, finding them trustworthy and competent, but customer feedback implied their prices are often higher than average. They’re still worth a look, though.
As a wholesaler representing many insurance companies (as opposed to working with only one provider as most RV dealers do), WholesaleWarranties.com is able to put together a package to meet almost any budget from a wide range of underwriters. This is significant and worth repeating: Representing many underwriters, WholesaleWarranties.com has no obligation to push one policy. Whereas the typical RV dealer pushes one policy, chosen not for its value to the buyer (you), but based on the commission or profit it can generate for the dealer.
In many states legislation has now been passed limiting RV dealers to no more than 100% profit on the Extended Warranties they offer to their customers. 100%!!! Kind of makes you wonder how much profit they were historically heaping on before a law was enacted to limit them to a mere 100%. Assuming a $1,000 policy is offered, simple math implies only $500 of this goes toward your policy –in those states with this law in place. In states without this legislation? The sky is still the limit.
To add insult to injury, many policyholders realized after the fact that their dealer provided a policy that was in fact purchased from WholesaleWarranties.com. Had they known they could just purchase their policy directly, they could either have saved a significant amount (50% in many cases), or plumped for a more extensive policy –without additional expense. For those in the market for an Extended RV Warranty –and this should include anyone in the market for an RV- a free quote from WholesaleWarranties.com is recommended. Keep in mind we’re not suggesting buying exclusively from WW, we’re suggesting you include them in your research. At the very least, taking a copy of their quote to your dealer will provide an excellent way to gauge the true value of your dealer’s offer.
Tip of the day: Mention “RVReviews.net” when you request your quote from WW and they’ll provide an additional discount.
For those of you finding yourself with a policy from a defunct insurance provider, read your policy closely and see if you can determine the underwriter (this is who provided the policy to your insurance company (i.e. Safe Harbor). You should be able to contact the underwriter directly, explain your predicament, and set-up uninterrupted coverage with another provider with their assistance. Many states require that a provider must transfer their existing policies to another provider before soaping the windows and pulling the phone lines from the wall. Unfortunately, the customer is rarely notified of this change or given contact info. We know of many customers who were under the impression their policy was now useless, when actually it had been transferred to another company and was still valid -they just weren't aware of it.
That’s it for today, folks. Not a fun subject this week, I know, but if a handful of readers discover their policies are still valid, it will great news for them.
Remember to check those tire pressures before hitting the road and always do your homework before buying.
Happy Travels,
John D. Toffler
Editor
RVReviews.net

[poppytoymaker]

Great article and I totally agree. My first claim was a great experience. My A/C went 3 weeks ago and it was paid for except $100 co-pay no questions asked. remember read whats not covered not whats covered. As far as tire coverage goes it only pays for a tire if it's blown during travel, not for normal wear or rot or flats.

[bruane]

Originally Posted by txredfish

Like others have said put the money in the bank and draw on it as needed. I have owned an RV since 1997. I guess I have been lucky, but so far my repairs have not come close to the amount of the cost of extended warranty. The extended warranty companies are in business to make money. But not my money. I will take my chances which are on the rv owner's side.

As Consumers Reports says about any Extended Warranty "Not reccomended". If you want Roadside assistance get the AAA package withRV coverage. Otherwise put the money in the bank and draw on it as needed.
There are many stories on this blog about failed warranty companies where there is a 100% loss, or at best significant disputes to get anything covered. If the RV runs OK in it first year with minimum problems then thats the way it will be for 5 years. If its a lemon at the end of year one get rid of it or get a warranty so it becomes their cost not yours.

[pmsherman]

I was very happy with my extended service contract when, at around 57,000 miles, the emergency brake on my Georgetown fell apart internally and Ford stated that it wasn't covered by their 60k drive train warranty. I was surprised that a component located at the rear of the transmission with the driveshaft coming out of it wasn't part of the drive train.

I could understand it not being covered if the brake pads wore out or the drum they press against was burned by driving with the emergency brake on but the entire unit disassembled itself inside the sealed case. The dealer who repaired it said that either a bearing failed or the large nut that holds the entire unit together inside the case just fell off, obviously a manufacturing problem. It was impossible to tell from the broken parts which happened first. I just figured that Ford took advantage of a wear exception in their warranty to avoid paying for the $2400 repair.

This was much better than what happened with the same company a couple of years earlier when the rear support bracket for the microwave failed. In this case, they refused to pay for the repair but told me that if FR hadn't done such a good job of attaching the front of the unit to the cabinet and the microwave had completely fallen out and broken, they would have paid for a replacement!

I also ran into a repair where the company allowed an hour for the repair when the dealer took an hour to figure out what was wrong and three hours to fix it. The dealer said that the repair would take only an hour on an F350 truck where you could easily get to the parts but on an RV, it took a lot longer to do the repair because the parts were so hard to get to.
As ldale says, read your contract very very carefully. I'll add, don't be surprised if a repair isn't covered where a replacement of the broken item would be covered.

Phil