RV'er here

[Tyrone]

Hey all - Not sure if this would be the place for this topic but have a question regarding roadside assistance plans like Coachnet, Good Sam AAA etc. Do you guys directly deal with them or are you dispatched by another source ( I see a lot of NSD mentioned) and take payment from them? 

Any particular roadside coverage out there that  "motivates" ( getting paid, haggling, etc) you more to pick up the phone and get out of bed on a Sunday morning over another?

Trying to find a roadside assistance provider and trying to get an answer on the RV forums  is worse than a " what is the best oil to use" question so I figured common sense is perpetrating on your turf and  asking the guys who actually do it. 

I know every situation is different and here is my rig if that help in suggesting a provider.

1986 holiday rambler on the old GM P32 chassis, 175" wheelbase and 130" ass hanging from rear axle. 14k loaded, 4500 # front axle. She is a low rider compared to the newer units @ 11 feet high. I see many operators refuse to tow class A's worrying about windows popping out - can this be solved with a hold harmless/ liability waiver of sorts ? I fully realize the flexing and twisting that could go on in lifting these things and have no issues signing a waiver - besides these older aluminum frame (not the chassis frame) and siding models take the tweaking much better than the new model POS's . I have had this thing twisted like a pretzel going up and down some of these N GA and NC mountain access roads with no issues.

Any insight or tips from the pros would be greatly appreciated!

 

 

 

Edited September 16 by Tyrone

[EdsTowing]

Personally I couldn't recommend any of the motor clubs that handle these type of jobs. I have been doing this for 40 years and towed a lot of coaches...and pretty much didn't enjoy any of them as well...LoL Honestly, if I gut a call for a coach like yours, I probably wouldn't take it as a cash call. 35 & 40 year old coaches in the North East are rusted badly and there are more negatives then positive experiences. Jack systems stuck or inoperative...low clearances and big over hangs (counter productive when the front is lifted). Not picking on yours particularly but more in general.  But anyway, clubs like Good Sam & AAA RV used to be decent in years past. But then they got in to the habit of wanting to pay vendors a couple hundred bucks to move these big coaches and it isn't worth the "juice" or liability. Now in recent years where a LD wrecker is $200 grand and a heavy is $500-1 million+....who could be bothered? The problem though is you as a customer feels that they paid "good money" for a service and get disappointed when reality sets in...and I can appreciate that. But in my area, guys are going to get 250-350hr to move something like this. Clubs like AAA are literally like 30% 0f the retail number and their business plan just doesn't work anymore.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide. I would have some sort of reserve funds set aside in case if an issue arises because like everything...money talks...and it's the only language that wrecker companies understand...

[Tyrone]

Thanks for that info - I have been reading a lot on different forum boards and found some old archives on tow411 in trying to get some insight into your world to understand what you guys have to deal with on towing class A's and what I could do to make things go smoother ( like removing my own driveshaft ) . Being an aircraft mechanic for 30 years I understand weight and balance, loading and equipment so I did learn quite a bit about your 12,16 and 24 ton rigs, bus bars, wheel lifts and forks and Landolls... some of those rigs are porn to say the least. Armed with that I crawled under my rig and made sure my frame was clear of hoses, brackets etc up by the radiator support where most fork them- and I do not have any funky fiberglass junk hanging down to worry about getting smashed by the stinger.  After going thru 10 pages of just class A tows I can see why 90% of you guys hate RVs, no two are alike and labor of pulling parts, and liability ! I also will now make a conscious effort to always back my shit in a parking spot or make sure the front of the coach is clear.
AAA today is a joke - they only cover up to $500 per disablement be it a tow or winch - Think that would barely cover you guys showing up in a heavy ?

Coachnet is capped @ $1000.0 per call

Good Sam is the best of them and covers $1500.00 AND they will let you take it anywhere up to 100 miles of your choice or unlimited to the nearest service shop.  

I saw that NSD is one of the more upvoted motor club in your polls - are they better at paying you guys closer to what your rates are and do you know if Good Sam uses them?

 

 If I had a break down and reached out to the actual driver and explain my rig, weight numbers, a clean and easy access fork point, ( no jacks BTW and SE rig so no rust on frame)  and have no issues signing any waivers - would that increase my chances of someone taking the job ? 

And yes we always travel with a couple grand cash just for shit like this
Thanks again guys for what you do and it's appreciated !

[EdsTowing]

Tyrone you brought up a good point about those "capped" numbers but there is another angle here. They still look to get the service covered under their "Perceived Value" of the call. So for example...Coach Net is trying to find a vender to go out after 5:00 or on a weekend for their bullshit $100hr rate and can't get anyone to accept the call. They tell you that they can't find a provider in the area you are in but are still searching. I see people sitting on the side of the interstate for hours...and god help you if you are in an area they deem "safe"...it may be a day or more. You may not understand because you are thinking you have this $1000 coverage but that's not what they are offering to the provider. Once they exhausted a 100 or 200 mile radius, they look for not contracted venders like myself. Then I give a price for the job...say it's $750 for example...they will say that they will try to get that authorized and call back. Majority of the time they don't. Sometimes they will call back & try to negotiate it down...we don't negotiate. And some times they will accept the bid out of desperation because you have been broken down for 8 hours... The bottom line, many times if they gave their regular provider a better offer, they very well may take the job. But they feel that the guy should do it for the contract rate. Many times towers take these BS rates for low priority work or back hauls. The irony of life dictates that you never need help during those times...  Nobody WANTS to work for 75..50...or 30% of their retail rates and they certainly don't want to do it after hours where their overhead & labor cost increases. 

 

I am not contracted with any of the clubs anymore so I can't speak first hand on NSD or any of them for that matter. They call us, we do some work for them...when it's after hours or weekends, I hit them pretty hard because 1) I don't like customers that don't give me any priority work, 2) I know by that time they have exhausted all of the cheaper guys in a fairly large area and 3) because I can.

[mooresbp]

I tell people that they are better off to save the money they would pay the motor clubs and just put it in your rainy day fund. (But you do have to put it away where you won't spend it!!!) Then when you need help, ask law enforcement for a referral. (Not necessarily the next in rotation, but who they would call to tow there own vehicle!) by the way if you are broken down on the side of a highway, it is an emergency!