16 replies to this topic

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

Took my 80-year young FIL to the Californian RV Show this past weekend at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. Picked up a screw in driver’s front tire earlier in the day so a slow leak was obvious when we returned to the truck later in the afternoon. No problema, I’ll just call AAA and they’ll be right out. Shouldn’t take long, I’m right in a parking lot at their own race track...right? Wrong. I’m told it’ll be about 1-1/2 hours because the service contractor doesn’t have any trucks in our area. Whaaaaaat? I’ll save the embarrassing details about how woefully unprepared I was to change my own truck tire (that’ll be remedied by the middle of this week) but thanks to the young folks who stopped by to help out, I really appreciate it!

So to the question: considering how dismayed I am with AAA unable to help out even though I’m parked in “their house”, what are your experiences with roadside assistance? They thanked me for my 41 years of membership but that may come to an end soon.

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

We also have AAA never used the service.

You really can't tell how any insurance service

is until you need it.

Oh well gota have it.

Try to be prepared is the best thing.

Frank

[PaulT]

I used Good Sam a couple of years ago when my wife’s Nissan pickup blew a head gasket. We were in city limits & tow truck was quick to arrive and towed to mechanic.
About a month ago, my boat trailer broke an axle near the coast. Called BoatUS and they had no contract with a towing service in the area. Told me to call a towing service nearby and they would reimburse me for tow. Took photo of invoice, emailed it to them and had check for full amount within a couple of weeks.

Paul

[Foy]

We've had AAA here in North Carolina for many years. No problems with timing and delivery of services until 2015 when I called about having my pickup towed to a shop rather than risk wheel bearing damage by driving it.  I don't recall how it first came up but at some point I described the truck as a 2002 F350 single-rear-wheel diesel Crew Cab 4WD.  Same truck we'd had as my daily driver for 9 of the previous 10 years.  Agent said my membership doesn't cover me for that vehicle because "an F350 requires RV coverage". I politely informed the agent that the  2002 F350 diesel SRW is the exact same vehicle as the F250 diesel, only with spacer blocks in the rear leaf spring pack, and that I'd properly identified the truck at every junction along the way, and most importantly, my F350 is NOT a dually.  She didn't budge--RV coverage required.  With a 5,000 mile round-trip to Montana then just weeks away, I upgraded my coverage to "RV" and paid the extra charge.  And have never used the coverage.

 

Foy

[ski3pin]

We still carry AAA cards for roadside assistance. One thing to be aware of is that AAA will not go off pavement. Our learning curve on this was outside of Fallon, Nevada in Churchill County years ago. We were on a wide graded county road in a broad valley. The AAA truck would not respond as per their policy. The vast majority of county roads in many rural counties are wide graded dirt.

[craig333]

I was told AAA has a twenty five foot rule. Not too useful if you're off the pavement but I've used them a few times and had no issues. 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

Thanks for the responses, some very "enlightening". Yup, I also have their Premier/RV coverage for our 3 vehicles, 1 motorhome, and 2 utility trailers. My past experiences have always been acceptable, I was just really miffed at their poor performance over the weekend. And I found it ironic I couldn't get any help from them at their own Auto Club Speedway. Geez!

I used to have their insurance coverage bundled with auto and home, but that's another story. In general, I feel they've lost a step or two with roadside and insurance services. I still head to their office for DMV service which still seems to work OK. I want roadside service (at least for my wife and family) so I guess I'll be doing a little shopping and see what else is out there, if anything.

[Foy]

It is indeed ironic that you couldn't get better service at the speedway, but the fact is that AAA/AutoClub doesn't own the property.  AutoClub did pay dearly for the naming rights, but the track is owned by International Speedway Corporation, itself owned by the France family of NASCAR fame.

 

Foy

[larryqp]

Double check with whichever roadside assistance program you select. I have been told by a number of plans that cover autos, that once my FWC Hawk is on the truck, its considered an RV and auto plans won't cover it. I just purchased a plan through the Escapees organization for $99 a year. They will do all the usual roadside assistance stuff for the truck with the FWC on it, (one RV per policy) and any auto I drive, including rental cars. The Escapees club usually does a good job vetting companies before they offer them to the membership. 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

Foy is correct, but here’s the Catch 22. Speedway employees told me that part of the sponsorship agreement prohibits any other company from providing roadside service on the property. In my mind, Auto Club would want to make sure that they provide exceptional service “in their house”. Kinda funny, all I really needed was a jack that could lift the truck enough to get the tire off. That was the part about me being embarrassingly unprepared. I had two jacks with me that couldn’t do that, a problem which will be remedied today. Kart racing going on 100 yards from us, NASCAR experience racing going on inside the track, an RV show...but no jack available. I had to rely on kindly folks driving a FORD to help out! ‍🤦‍♂️😂

 

Rant off...

Edited by Mighty Dodge Ram, 15 October 2019 - 05:16 PM.