Roadside assistance

[2015Leisure]

Who has the best roadside assistance, I don’t carry a spare tire on my RV, if I blow a tire and need a new tire . Etc

 

[Mike DZ]

"Best" depends on your definition - if cost is not a factor - Coach Net.

If you read the page, you will see lots of "unlimiteds" - cost is $249 a year.

24/7 Protect

Get help from the best in RV roadside assistance services with plans that include your RV and all other personal vehicles.

coach-net.com

 

[WinnieView1]

We haven't used ours in 20 years but the DW insists on having AAA Plus RV.

 

[Ron_S]

I've been wondering the same as OP. Seems for most roadside assistance coverage they'll only mount your spare. What happens if you have none? Will they repair/plug your tire? Will they take your wheel to get it repaired/replaced then return to mount it?
I'd like to know what to expect so I can have realistic expectations. Seems like truckers have this risk all the time and for them - down-time is $$$$$.

 

[Kajtek1]

In Uganda?
In USA MB is offering free assistance for qualifying owners.
Qualifications change over the time and location, but lately I needed tow for my Sprinter and MB USA paid the bill, that I estimated at $400, even in my 2 years ownership I never had the van to dealer.
Still trying to figure it out.
AAA will have hard time to deal with tall/long van towing and when you have RV build on Sprinter chassis, your choices for qualified towing are very limited.
Than for flat tire you call tire shop with mobile service. That's how truckers do it, but your chances that remote tire shop will have Sprinter size tire are slim.

 

[avanti]

"Best" depends on your definition - if cost is not a factor - Coach Net.

If you read the page, you will see lots of "unlimiteds" - cost is $249 a year.

24/7 Protect

Get help from the best in RV roadside assistance services with plans that include your RV and all other personal vehicles.

coach-net.com

CoachNet is actually $159.00/year after the first year. Bizarrely, they charge more for the first year. I think they get most of their customers by having upfitters offer a "free" first year, and the higher price makes them look valuable. After that they advertise $169 renewal, but will always give you $10 off if you ask. Really. Plus, for that, they cover all your vehicles for your whole family, so you can s***can AAA.

I agree they are objectively the best. I have tried them all.
AAA is a nightmare for RVers. There is a recent thread on that topic.

The MB towing is all well and good, but (a) it only applies while you have an in-effect MB warranty, (b) they will only take you to an MB dealer, and (c) they will only pay if you let them do the work.

 

[GaryJ]

If you think you may ever need a tow for MB repairs read the fine print. Towing to the nearest repair facility (read: Likely no Sprinter experience) or to the nearest “authorized repair facility” is vastly different. The nearest “authorized repair facility” usually comes down to towing to an MB Sprinter dealer where a proper diagnosis can be done.

 

[avanti]

If you think you may ever need a tow for MB repairs read the fine print. Towing to the nearest repair facility (read: Likely no Sprinter experience) or to the nearest “authorized repair facility” is vastly different. The nearest “authorized repair facility” usually comes down to towing to an MB Sprinter dealer where a proper diagnosis can be done.

Actually, the reputable providers generally don't say either of those things. The usually say "qualified repair facility'. Although it is true that this is somewhat short of a guarantee that you will end up at a dealer, as a practical matter this is almost always what will happen. You might say that "qualified" is a matter of opinion, but it really isn't. If you end up some place that can't fix your problem, they will have to tow you to someplace that can. They very much want to avoid this, for several obvious reasons. This wording is the only thing that makes sense. If you are half-way up the AlCan highway, and there is a trusted local garage that is fully-equipped to replace your busted wheel sensor, it makes no sense to promise a tow to the Sprinter dealer in Fairbanks. What you get from a quality operation like CoachNet is a call center that knows where to send you.
]

 

[cbaarch]

For DIY if physically able.
if you are concerned about a flat tire, spending money on a TPMS like the often mentioned TST-507; making sure you have steel valves; will save you from that slow leak. Then getting something like a Viair compressor to blow it up to get you to a tire repair shop is likely about the same price as a good Road side Assistance. But you need to be able to do DIY kind of fixes.
and if you are concerned about being in the middle of nowhere and needing a long distance tow, another idea is getting spare parts on hand so you can get the tow truck driver to drop the driveshaft to tow you if it will not fit on his flat bed when he shows up. the tools and bolts needed for dropping the driveshaft I found with a google search. If you want to go that route I have the details.

 

[geds]

For DIY if physically able.
if you are concerned about a flat tire, spending money on a TPMS like the often mentioned TST-507; making sure you have steel valves; will save you from that slow leak. Then getting something like a Viair compressor to blow it up to get you to a tire repair shop is likely about the same price as a good Road side Assistance. But you need to be able to do DIY kind of fixes.
and if you are concerned about being in the middle of nowhere and needing a long distance tow, another idea is getting spare parts on hand so you can get the tow truck driver to drop the driveshaft to tow you if it will not fit on his flat bed when he shows up. the tools and bolts needed for dropping the driveshaft I found with a google search. If you want to go that route I have the details.

All that is well and good for many things, but it won't help you fix "stupid" mistakes like the time I put gasoline in my diesel tank. We were on the maiden voyage with our new LTV and stopped at a BP station. I didn't pay close enough attention to their green handles are gasoline and their black handles are diesel - just the opposite of most everybody else.... Thank goodness for the LTV Roadside assistance! And Good Sam's insurance covered the entire bill (less my deductible) because it met their definition of an "accident" - an "unintended, instantaneous event" ..... they weren't happy about it and may have changed their policy definitions because of it, but they did cover it!

To prevent that ever happening again, I implemented two changes in the process: 1) Never go to a BP station. 2) Sniff the nozzle before inserting into the fill opening.

 

[adsaxs]

I would agree with Mike DZ. Coach-Net would also be my recommendation. No limits on towing, no limits on mileage, etc.