What Is The Best RV Extended Warranty Plan?

by anonymous

I am buying a new travel trailer and would like to buy a five year extended warranty plan but the dealership one is way to high knowing they mark it up twice as much but wondering if anyone know's of a good company to buy one through?

ANSWER First let me congratulate you on your new Travel Trailer, I hope you have many years of enjoyment camping with it. When you say new, I am going to assume you mean brand new. If that is the case you do not need to purchase an extended warranty right away, as long as your trailer is covered by the RV Manufacturer’s new RV warranty. Extended warranties are designed to cover RVs that are no longer covered by the Manufacturer’s Warranty. Having an extended warranty on a new RV is pointless. When you are getting close to the Manufacturer’s Warranty expiring is the time to start shopping for an Extended RV Warranty.


The only time that you would want to cover a new RV with an extended warranty is if the RV you are buying is an orphan RV. An orphan RV is a brand new RV manufactured by a company that has gone out of business, so there is no new RV warranty provided. Please take a look at the answers to these questions to get more information on whether your RV would be considered an orphan. Is The RV Dealer Responsible For Warranty When The Manufacturer Goes Bankrupt? and What RV Manufacturers Are Out Of Business?

Even if your new RV is an orphan, other items in your RV such as the TVs, Stove, Microwave, Fridge, Air Conditioners, etc. will be covered by the manufacturer's warranty for those products.
In other words if you had a Sharp Microwave and it broke, it would be covered by Sharp under their new appliance warranty. The house portion of your trailer would not be covered, such as cabinets, roof, walls, etc.

You also need to be aware that extended warranties do not cover all the items that a new RV warranty does. So when you are shopping around for an extended warranty you need to review all of the information on what is and what is not covered by the extended RV Warranty.

My own personal recommendation for an RV Extended Warranty is the Good Sam Extended Service Plan. The Good Sam Extended Service Plan is reasonably priced and provided by the Good Sam Club, who has been helping RVers for years.

Important Update: Due to all of the comments I have received on this topic. Including several comments with misleading information on RV Extended Service Plans. I have decided to list the reasons why I recommend the Good Sam Extended Service Plan.

* Covers parts and labor
* Charges deductible per occurrence (versus per item)
* Transferable (without fees)
* Duration of coverage controlled by the customer
* Customized Plans with Deductible Options
* Freedom to Choose RV Repair Center
* Regulated by insurance industry
* Travel Expenses Covered
* Backed by the Good Sam Club the world's largest RV owner's community

Over 1,500,000 successful roadside rescues—Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service

I hope that I have been able to answer your questions and I wish you the best of luck with your new RV. If any of our visitors would like to add their comments they can do so by clicking the add comments link near the bottom of this page.

Happy RVing

RVing Al

Comments for What Is The Best RV Extended Warranty Plan?

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Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Good Sam's Towing Service was good investment
by: Farmer Dan

If you have an RV make sure you have good Towing is a must... to be honest Good Sam's Towing Service saved me $1600 had no issue with Towing Service it payed for itself as long was under 100 miles they got the RV to Ford Dealer I asked.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Interstate Warranty
by: James Lucky

I can tell you NOT to use Interstate Extended warranty sold by Fun Town RV. My 2016 fifth wheel was put in the shop for a refrigerator not working on July 19th. I received a receipt with my concern the same day. Due to all repair shops taking 6-8 weeks for repairs, it was not looked at until September 1. The warranty expired August 8th. Interstate denied the claim due to United RV not submitting the diagnosis prior to the warranty expiring. Their stance is the unit should have been diagnosed immediately and they should have been contacted. They admit fridge was not working prior to the warranty expiring, but due to them not being contacted...they denied the claim.
Rating
star 		Cornerstone is the absolute worst. Not sure who is best.
by: Happy Traveller

It hurts to give them one star. They will go out of their way to BS you and crawl out of claims. By the time they pick a claim apart and apply the deductible, you will owe them more money. In my case, even after they finally agreed to pay (in Writing!), they never did. Don't waste your money on Cornerstone. They pay 30% commission to their dealers so that is why they are promoted by dealers.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Good Sam Isn't what is used to be
by: Anonymous

I hear a lot of raving about Good Sam Extended Service Plans. I just bought a 2016 Thor Outlaw 37RB from a local dealer, and I was shocked that Good Sam was the most expensive option - even higher than the Dealer's option. Here are my results

Good Sam quote was $4264/yr ($100 deductible, exclusionary policy)
Dealer quote (National RV Care) at $3143/yr ($100 deductible, inclusionary policy)

Wholesale Warranty $1816/yr ($200 deductible, exclusionary policy)

America’s RV quote $1323/yr ($100 deductible, exclusionary policy)

I compared plan details and coverages are identical or extremely close to identical. Now all but Good Sam are 4 or 5-year policies where you pay either upfront or over 18 or 24 months, whereas Good Sam is a no-contract "Pay as you go." but that hardly makes up for the high cost.
Rating
starstar 		Beware of Auto Renew
by: Anonymous

The Good Sam ESPs auto renew. We did not realize that is auto renewed. Traded in our RV in 2018, and got billed 2 years in a row after that. Contacted Good Sam, and sent proof of trade in and they were only willing to refund 1 year.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Older Motor Home
by: Anonymous

I just received a quote from Wholesale Warranties for an extended service contract on a 2002 Class A Motor Home, so it apparently is not true that they won't cover over 15 years old. Good Sam definitely will NOT cover over 15 years old. Just FYI.
Rating
star 		Way over priced
by: Jeffrey

I have a 2014 Winnebago Forza 38R with 41000 miles. I am shopping for a new extended warranty as mine is currently expiring in March. I am currently with Wholesale Warranty. All are based on a $100.00 deductible They quoted me $8000 for a 4 year Diamond policy best you can get. Americas RV warranty for their top of the line (Complete) Four years $6908. Open Road for 5 years $7869.00 not sure on the deductible GOOD SAM for 1 year $12934. Seriously? I called them and I was told that is the correct rate. FOR ONE YEAR. To be fair if you go to a $500 deductible it is $4849 per YEAR. PER YEAR. I had a Good Sam Policy on my prior RV and they were a royal pain, they are off the charts in their pricing, I will more then likely renew with Wholesale as I had a very good experience with them when I needed them. I was comparing prices
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		You ARE the problem
by: Anonymous

All you people complaining about Good Sam and other extended warranties need to pay attention. In most cases, they are not the problem...YOU are. These are not warranties, they are vehicle service contracts. You sign a contract stating that you have read and understand what is in it. None of them are going to cover the roof, the walls, the cabinets, the floors, or anything other than mechanical and electrical components.

If you want a good one, review the coverage offered to you by the selling dealer. Make sure you understand what is covered and what is not. If a salesman tells you EVERYTHING is covered he's lying...make him SHOW you that in the contract. I guarantee you the contract does NOT say that. But, Holiday World sells a contract that REQUIRES you to return to their shop if you are within 100 miles of any of their locations, this is non-negotiable with them. If you break down 50 miles away, you must take it to them. I'd recommend not buying that contract. Some will allow a 1 time service call of $75 - $100 dollars for a mobile tech to come out and diagnose the problem. It will only pay once per repair, but that's a great benefit. You MUST have prior authorization, this applies to ALL vehicle service contracts. You cannot pay to have it done, call them after the fact and say I want to be reimbursed, and expect them to do so. The 90 days to submit for payment is AFTER the claim has been authorized.

You may never need a VSC, but if your a/c goes out you'll probably be glad you bought it. Quit blaming the "warranty companies" for your failure to understand what you purchased. Take responsibility for yourself, the VSC administrator is not your mother or father.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Good Sam
by: bill

I bought a '06 Fleetwood 39v with Cat 330 three yrs ago. I rolled in the 3 yr warranty with the purchase price. About $4800. I flew to Vegas to pick up the RV- it has wheelchair lift built-in, plus some other handicap equipment. It's the reason I bought it. Camping World walked me through it and said everything was in good shape.

On the way back to Michigan the generator stopped working as well as the A/C in the rear. When I took the RV to Cummins, they deemed the generator as "toast"- cracks in the intake allowed dust & dirt into the engine and it lost compression. It would stop as soon as the load was put on it. The Coach batteries they said were "new" they were not, two were swollen and wouldn't hold a charge. The rear A/C was also toast.

Good Sam declared the issues as "pre-existing" and no doubt they were. So I went back to the Vegas RV dealer and they went to work on the Extended warranty side CW & Good Sam are the same company. Long story short- They replaced everything on my extended plan. Plus they gave me $2000 to take care of the batteries.

Last fall I had a major engine problem that took me beyond the $25k limit of the warranty. I had to pony up about $4k (the bill was $14k)

So, my initial investment of $4800 - the $2000 they reimbursed me, came to $2800 that paid for $25,000 of repairs. It's obvious the original owner did not take care of anything on this and because it was in visual great condition with low miles (46k) I bought it. Now it's in better mechanical condition and I service it regularly. I bought a new Good Sam Policy - which now costs $2400/yr But it has paid out about $6k in repairs this summer. Stuff that has gone bad because it's 13 yrs old. Say what you want about Good Sam and Camping World- I know there are horror stories about them. But CW stood behind their sale and Good Sam has paid the maximum the contract stated without problems. There were some denials to the number of hours to fix the full-side slide-out ($4k covered by Good Sam) but overall, I'm glad I had 'em when I needed them.

Good luck whatever you purchase and take care of it. They say "Boats are holes in the water to throw money in!" RVs are "potholes in the road to fill with money" they are expensive. But I can take two members of my family who are in wheelchairs to places we could not see otherwise. Life's short- spend the kids' inheritance and live it up!

Best to all, see you on the road. Or in the shop :)

bill
Good Sam Extended Service Plan is mechanical breakdown insurance for your RV, 5th Wheel, Trailer, and Tow Vehicle! FREE Quote
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		stay away from EXTRARIDE!!!!!!!
by: michael zeller

bought the extraride platinum plan from my dealer in 2012 when I bought my 5th wheel. what a rip off. have had to fight with them on every claim and they still refused to pay anything on over half the claims I filed.

mine was a 7 yr plan and expires in June 2019. just took my 5th wheel in this morning to have the shower bottom replaced. Thank GOD I purchased the good sam gold plan 2 years ago. I first had camping world send the claim to extraride, they only agreed to pay 3 hrs labor of the 8.5 required and would not pay the $200 for the pan the floor was sitting in.

I asked my camping world rep to run it thru good sam and they will pay all except for my deductible. I will NEVER give a positive rating to extraride!!!!!!!!!!

Good Sam Extended Service Plan is mechanical breakdown insurance for your RV, 5th Wheel, Trailer, and Tow Vehicle! FREE Quote
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Lost Without It
by: Linda Garrett

When I purchased my first pre-owned RV, my uncle, who is an RV repairman, advised me to buy a Good Sam Extended Service Plan before picking up the unit. I was so glad I did. The plan saved me thousands when the roof, slide-out, air conditioner, & inverter had to be replaced/repaired.

Upon purchasing my second pre-owned RV, I again bought the GS Extended Service Plan, which has again more than paid for itself. On one of the repairs to a new wheel bearing, I didn’t even know until later that it was covered by my service plan, & therefore, I didn’t obtain a pre-approval. GS paid for it anyway after I submitted my receipt & an explanation of why I didn’t request approval.

On my most recent repair, which was a replacement of my radio/backup camera system, the repair facility tried to charge more than the industry-standard hours for repair but provided no explanation for the extra time. After I contacted GS, a nice gentleman from GS called the repair facility for further documentation so that GS could pick up extra expense.

So I’ve been very happy with the Good Sam Service Plan, which has $250 deductible.

Good Sam Extended Service Plan is mechanical breakdown insurance for your RV, 5th Wheel, Trailer, and Tow Vehicle! FREE Quote
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Not so fast
by: Anonymous

I have to disagree with your evaluation. I had a problem with my RV and had to take it to the closest repair service because Good Sam couldn't get an authorized Mercedes dealer to me. After 10 days of dealing with the repairing garage, and having to return to the garage for a second time, I finally pulled out to finish my trip. Half way to my destination, the RV broke down again. This time I was near a Mercedes dealer. who inspected the engine and told me they had never seen anything as bad as the situation with my engine. It was obvious the previous garage had made some serious errors. I immediately called Good Sam and told them to stop payment to the garage because they had almost destroyed the engine. I was told that they couldn't stop payment and furthermore they wouldn't pay for the second repair because they had paid for it once. $5000 later, I was able to return home. Now, I decided to sell the RV and when my annual plan expired I went month-to-month for my coverage, explaining that I was planning to sell the RV. I had the RV checked over by Mercedes and paid another huge fee to get it ready to sell. The plan paid nothing. When I sold it a month later, I was told I would have to pay a $50 cancellation fee. Since I was on a monthly plan, I refused to pay the $50. I'd say this plan has cost me a lot more than any possible benefit.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Completely Confused
by: 29

I have been researching the purchase of a 5th wheel for quite some time now. I started reading customer reviews about many of the major players in this industry and it scared the hell out of me. I’m going to drop what I consider a large chunk of money, on what most would consider to be a luxury, and I find out that most of the manufacturers produce products that require a lot of mechanical work for something that is BRAND NEW!! So now I start thinking I should buy used, get a new mattress and buy a service plan.

Now, after reading this information, I’m realizing that even this industry is full of grief and tons of dishonesty!! What a plan doesn’t cover should not be in fine print, it should be in LARGE PRINT so potential buyers know what the hell they are buying.

So now I am completely confused! I really want to go see our country and I wanted to use an RV to do it. But now it seems like it might be too costly, way too much stress, and ultimately not that much fun if you have to fight with large companies over fixing their product.

Can anyone supply me with even a glimmer of hope here?
Rating
starstarstar 		The fine print is misleading
by: Ed

Goodsam needs to be more transparent about their extended warranty. Under exclusions of what's not covered it's "Freight". Which means "Shipment of parts". You have to pay to have every part shipped to the dealer, in addition to the deductible. When I had service done, not a single part was in stock and each was shipped separately. Something to consider when buying and/or using the Goodsam Extended warranty
Rating
star 		Good Sam ESP is the worst
by: Robert

They talk a good story bu when it comes to standing up to pay forget it. All you will get is a form letter denying to pay the service. They take your money by not saying they automatically renew your policy then after 2 years of paying and not knowing you have service until you get a delinquency email..you pay up to protect your credit and the first claim you submit they deny. All they want is your money
Rating
starstarstarstar 		Never Good Sam.
by: Bill Zackular

My Manufacturer's warranty expires soon and I found this site in a search for reviews for RV extended warranties. I am glad that you are happy with the Good Sam warranty. I, however, will never give 1 cent to any organization affiliated with God Sam or Camping World. I have had 4 RVs -a travel trailer and 3 motorhomes. I have never had anything but a horrible experience in any and all of my dealings with Good Sam or Camping World.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Good Sam and Marcus Lamonis
by: Walleye

I ran on to this site looking for advice on an extended warranty for my 2017 A class. Warranty runs out soon. This is my 5th RV since 2001. My first one, a Traillite B+, was the best. Over 45,000 miles in two years in nearly every state and NO PROBLEMS! It was not the best equipped but except for a caulking failure over the slide out it was a pleasure to own. Then we wanted a real bedroom and more space to tow a car. Bigger is never better, really!

Now on our 5th RV, 2017, we have replaced the windshield 3 times, entry door, furnace 3 times, power step twice, all shower faucet twice, and the list just goes on and on. When talking to Marcus Lamonis about how inept and corrupt Camping World and Good Sam Club is he said sue us. I contacted a local tv station who does reporting on consumer fraud. I had an endless list of complaints to present to the Camping World store manager who tried to avoid me. When I had the tv personality host on the phone they changed their tune. My entire list of issues was addressed. Parts were shipped to my house. What I could not remedy Camping World paid my personal RV tech to do.

Last summer we were stranded on the interstate in central Illinois. We were "gifted" with Coach Net Road Side service on the purchase of our last two RV's. This past summer was the first time I needed help. Coach Net could not find us on google maps to send helo. We found a service 3 miles away. Coach Net refused to pay since we dispatched our own help. They did finally pay the towing bill in three installments only because I spent hours on the phone challenging why a professional roadside service could not find two state highways in Illinois we were between.

Find a good local service for help. Forget Good Sam and Coach Net like Services.
Rating
starstarstar 		Good Sam??????
by: Anonymous

Have been researching this for a while. If you go to the internet and search "Good Sam RV Warranty Reviews" you will be horrified at the majority of unfavorable comments. That being said let's move on.

If you check with reputable RV repair centers around the country and ask them what Extended warranty is #1 on their approved repairs list, you will get a real-time idea who the recommendable players are in the industry. Always choose a company that pays claims with "their" credit card, not yours. I am leaning towards Xtraride or Wholesale Warranties myself, but haven't finished my research yet.

This should be more than a hit and miss purchase, but all companies deny claims. Let's face it, you own a moving home and things will go wrong. Not everything will be covered. Read the contract of the plan you choose so there are no surprises. The plans you purchase at the time of sale on new unit are overpriced, so if you have money to pay up front, you will pay less and have a better choice.

I like them because you at least of some peace of mind when it comes to big-ticket items that are covered for the owner's duration. I personally have come out ahead of every extended warranty I have purchased throughout life. Just saying......
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Extended Warranty
by: Leefeller Guy

After reading the nightmares on Extended Warranty comments, I will save my money and pay for any repairs out of pocket. Insurance companies are in it for the profit, not the service?
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Good Sam is no good
by: Anonymous

I have a 2013 Fifth that they insured for me. I had forgotten about the policy and just had an axle replaced do to a manufacturer issue that caused me 3 tires. I just got the renewal letter and called them to see about submitting a reimbursement form. They told me there is nothing they can do since I did not call before the maintenance was done. I mentioned that the policy stated I have 90 days to submit a claim and they said it does not matter. So don't waste your money on them, they are not customer friendly at all once they have your money.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Any good reviews here?
by: Anonymous

I'm looking at the comments and am wondering if there any positive reviews here. Just saying.
Rating
starstarstarstar 		Warranty Ripoff
by: Anonymous

Save your money..these scam artists say theres a $50 deductible, but dont cover any exterior, glass, cabinets and who knows what...why pay when they dont ?
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Big No on XTra ride
by: Anonymous

I have had two claims and both were a huge battle. One ended up getting paid only after getting an independent inspector to confirm the problem.
Second was not completely paid. Rep only could say read the terms of the contract for exclusions.
Very disappointed with this company.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Read the very fine print
by: Anonymous

The Good Sam Policy extended warranty will not cover many things that you think they will and those that MAY be covered will be nit picked to death. Very misleading and depending on who at the clais center that you speak with they may or may not actually cover your loss. We have had them for 4 years and are actively looking for an alternative. Very disappointing and misleading. Marcus strikes again !
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Warranty
by: Anonymous

I own a 2001 Fleetwood
Storm .It has 27000 miles,but to old to cover by GOOD SAM'S !! ARE THERE ANYONE THAT COVERS OLDER ONES LIKE MY ??
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Extended Service Agreement
by: Jay F

Interesting comments. There are many references to Extended Warranties. The coverage I purchased with our new motor home is titled Extended Service Agreement; backed by a AAA rated insurance company. It is an Exclusionary policy meaning everything is covered unless it is specifically listed as not covered. With references to Extended Warranty and Extended Service Agreement, are we talking about two different products? Anyway, after much research, we opted for a 7 year 100,000 mile Extended Service Agreement with a $100 deductible. We paid $4,181 for it. It's transferable, can be prorated and cancelled for a $50 fee. The quote I got from Good Sam was $7,254 with a $250 deductible. The cost is slightly more if you pay on their installment plan. And this policy is for one year less than I purchased. I never purchase Extended Warranties. But when spending this much money on something where so much can and does break or go wrong, it seems prudent to have one. I did choose to finance this with the purchase. Our loan interest rate is 4% and this year I've gotten a 12% return on our investments so I'll keep our money in play. Should our investment return fall below 4% for any length of time, then I might apply $4,000 to the loan principle and move on. Our coach is still new and under factory warranty. When/if it comes time to collect on this policy, do I expect a mix of both frustration and satisfaction? Yes.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Extended warranty
by: Anonymous

Good Sam Extended Service Plan. After 4 years I submitted a claim for just over $1000. after a $250. deductible I received a check for $92. 4 our of 5 items were denied. Now I received a renewal notice and the plan has practically tripled in cost. Needless to say I will not be renewing with Good Sam Extended Service plans.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		A newbie
by: Louis

I am buying a 30 ft New RV to live in Full Time.
I understand that No manufacturers warranty will cover me.

Is there an extended warranty (5 or more years) that will offer full coverage?
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Extended warranty on an older RV
by: Anonymous

Can anyone suggest a company that will cover a 2001 Class A motorhome? Good Sam and Wholesale Warranty will cover only 2002 and newer.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		IM so confused
by: DK721

Im about to pick up my new coach on Saturday and this page really makes me worry about my hopes of choosing an extended warranty, the dealer is offering a plan from EasyCare....? what to do...what to do????
Rating
starstarstar 		Good Sam very expensive
by: Jorja

We are almost done a 4 year extended warranty bought in Canada for a used diesel pusher. I just checked out the price for new extended warranty from Good Sam and almost had a heart attack! The cost for one year was almost $2500, US I'm guessing, although it didn't say. Our last warranty was right around $5000. Canadian for 4 years with a $200 deductible. I haven't checked what the cost would be to renew yet because I was hoping to buy a shorter term, not another 4 years. So the cost of Good Sam for one year was more than twice what we paid for two years before, actually 3 years if you convert the $, and had a $1000. deductible. We had very good coverage and more than got our money's worth. We have Good Sam Club and Roadside, thinking about dumping it all. We've only used the roadside once, although they were good to deal with on that.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Asking about coach-net extended warranty plan
by: Bill

We are first time RVers. Does anyone have experience with coach-net extended warranty plans?
Rating
star 		Don't purchase GOOD Sam's extended warranty
by: Anonymous

We have an RV 2007 Tiffin Phaeton with 31508 miles that had a mechanical failure, caterpillar 7 engine. Had compression loss, had to replace 2 fuel injectors and take head off to ground values. GOOD SAM'S did not want to cover it after taking to 4 different reps every day for 5 weeks, said it could have been a carbon build up after the head mechanic at the caterpillar repair shop argued with them that it was a mechanical failure of the engine. Do not pay for a Good Sam's warranty just put your money back in another account and save it, you will never get your money back otherwise!
Rating
star 		Will not pay
by: Rick P

We have a 2006 Allegro Bus. We have had Good Sam Extended coverage for 4 years. I have paid them a tremendous amount of money and have had only a couple of claims. Now my refrigerator has gone out and they will not replace the entire unit. They will only pay for the cool pack. The rv shop doing the work AND Thetford rep said and I quote "replacing the Cooling Unit may, and I stress MAY, run for a short time but will soon stop cooling again. Basically, when the cabinet gets wet, it looses it's insulation quality and the Cooling Unit will have to run itself to death in order to try to cool the interior of the refrigerator". So, Good Sam will pay $1800 for a new Cooling Unit and if I want to replace the entire unit I have to pay the remaining $4200. So why have I been paying Good Sam all these years? I don't know if there is anyone any better but I can assure you, Good Sam will get no more of my money!
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Good Sam Extended Warranty
by: Anonymous

GOOD SAM EXTENDED WARRANTY CLAIM DENIAL - I bought the extended warranty, $1,000 deductible, for a 2000 Bounder diesel we bought two years ago, and had the warranty for two years. In Nov last year, returning from a 2000 mile trip, we had and intermittent "check engine" light accompanied by the engine "derating" slowing us to about 50 mph. We limped the remaining 250 miles home and took it to our Cummins engine dealer. I called Good Sam and notified them of the problem and told them it was in the shop. The issues began when Good Sam was wanting the technician to call Good Sam and explain to them what they were doing following each troubleshooting step, and would not accept the information from me. The Cummins shop rep explained to me that they really couldn't justify pulling a technician off a job and sitting on the phone on hold to explain his actions to a claims rep. Cummins kept me posted of the progress, and didn't do anything without my prior approval. We ended up with three dyno runs, replaced two turbo induction hoses, crank speed sensor, and the final bigee, the turbocharger, which had an intermittently sticking waste gate. The net result was a 100hp to the ground increase in power, and it now runs like a scalded ape, better than it ever has since we bought it. The bottom line was just under $4,000, which included the new turbocharger. I submitted this to Good Sam, and because the warranty did not cover the 3" induction hoses, and didn't consider the turbo as as an "internally lubricated part", the $1,200 turbo was disallowed. The sticky wastegate is non-lubricated, integral part of the turbo, which is lubricated, and is not available separately. My net recovery from Good Sam Warranty was $ZERO, thank you Good Sam. I called and told them I wouldn't renew when this term expired a couple of weeks ago, but still got a friendly phone reminder today that my warranty had expired. Based on my experience, I feel the Good Sam Extended Warranty is a waste of money, and wouldn't recommend it.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Warranty comparison
by: DJ

I purchased a used 2015 class a Winnebago earlier this year. I looked into numerous warranties before choosing one.

I was shocked to see that the Good Sam extended service plan was so outrageously priced. They quoted me the unbelievable price of $18,000 for a five year plan. If you paid yearly it would be $3700 a year.

To make a long story short, after researching many companies I opted for the United States Warranty Co. out of Ohio. I chose their Eagle Guardian plan, the most comprensive one they carry. An 8 year plan cost me less than one year of a Good Sam plan.

Unfortunately, I have already needed to use the plan, I am thankful to say they covered the costs as outlined in my contract. They paid the repairman directly, no problems.

I would highly recommend this company.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		AGWS/Compass
by: Anonymous

Stay away from American Guardian Group of Companies/Compass. It has been months since my slide needed repair. The company will not respond to phone calls, won't send a letter of explanation of items they tell the shop they won't pay for, won't provide a basis of their labor time to the shop and will not provide a return phone call to the shop. One call to them was curt and rude. Was not allowed to talk directly with the person handling the claim. I had eight other rv's over the years, and three different warranty companies, with minor to major claims. All with out problems. This AGWS is just horrible in my opinion.
Rating
star 		Not Good
by: Anonymous

We bought X'tra ride through our dealer and paid about 7000.00 for 7 years. Never again with this company. We had a break down and waited 8 hours while they negotiated a towing fee.

Finally got towed and we called to get authorization to fix our motorhome. My husband got them on the phone and then handed it to the mechanic. We heard the mechanic ask if this was authorized to fix and the lady told him yes.
Anyways we ate the bill because he did not receive a claim number. 900.00 dollars later we got screwed.

We will never go through this company again they have too many excuses. We will be buying a new motorhome next year but will not buy X'tra Ride. After sitting 8 hours on the Interstate and told an ok to fix our rig that is awful! papaya
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		camping world repair
by: greg

Camping World repair facilities in longmont colorado are the worst I have had to deal with, Stores and sales dept are ok. Had new 2013 heartland rv in for repairs from purchase date to when we traded for a new motorhome. Had minor repairs in for months that never were fixed, Finally fixed items by myself or other repair facilities. Was lied to several times as to status of repair and repairs made. Requests for warranty made to heartland were delayed and answers from heartland were delayed by camping world. Heartland generally made warranty decisions within 2 days or less but cw denied reciept of ok for several weeks
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Good Sam not accepted
by: GRB

We are currently having an issue with our diesel pusher motorhome. The problem is engine related and as it is a Cummins engine we are at Rocky Mountain Cummins in Las Vegas. A preliminary check is indicating that there is a major problem and will be more costly than my deductible. I incicated that I would be using my Good Sam extended warranty. The service adviser told us that they would not accept Good Sam extended warranty. There reasoning was that from there experience, when Good Sam gave approval for repair they in turn paid Cummins significantly less than originally agreed to.

I have had other extended warranties and they actually provide a credit card number to the repair facility right on the spot so the repair shop is paid the agreed amount.

I will be dealing with Good Sam to see how they will handle this situation for us.

Will update on this.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		GOOD SAM'S EXTENDED WARRANTY
by: CK

All I have to say is GOOD SAM'S EXTENDED WARRANTY SUCK!!!!
Their policy is to ONLY repair and not to replace...so I had a Dometic Refrigerator go out in my Coach...went to repair place they got the OK to replace some parts said it was fixed after a day in the shop...got down the road and guess what it wasn't fixed...had to turn around and go back pay a other deductible for them to replace other parts...another 2 days in the shop...left again and guess what..still not cooling..had to go back Good Sam's made us pay another deductible (1500.00 at this point + some of the parts they wouldn't cover)

spent another two days at shop talking to Dometic and waiting on replacement parts...left the shop again but this time we got a little further down the road before we found out the fridge still wasn't working...and no it was not the repair shop because they were doing everything Dometic and Good Sam's told them to do...I refused to pay another deductible told them enough with the replacing...time for a new refrigerator because between what we were out and the cost of parts and labor we had already put in between 4 and 5K at this point...they refused...we told them to take their policy and stick it where the sun don't shine and we put in a new refrigerator...Good Sam's Extended Warranty SUCKS!!!

They are like our Politicians just after your money and don't care about you!!! All the time we spent in the shop and turning around and going back fighting with them o. The phone didn't matter to them...they just don'the care...but the do care when it comes time to collect your money!!!

Don't buy Good Sam's Extended Warranty!!!
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Cornerstone
by: Anonymous

We have Cornerstone. Had a slide go out to the tune of $3,000.00. They did send out an inspector to approve the repairs. Everything went well and they paid promptly including 3 hotel nights and meals.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		would not recommend Good Sams
by: Anonymous

We purchased this insurance for our motorhome in 2015 if you like nightmares go for it. We have had nothing but back talk, side talk and non payments for claims. the fine print and terms of the insurance makes it very hard for you to get them to accept a claim. Buyer beware
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Good Sam Extended Warranty Not Good
by: Anonymous

I had a 5 year 100,000 mile extended warranty on my RV. The plan had a long list of things that were covered under the warranty. When I tried to get coverage for some parts that after 70000 miles had worn down and were not working properly, the repair was disallowed. They quoted the small print that said normal wear and tear was not covered. So even though the parts were on the list and were within the time and mileage limits, the repair was ruled normal wear and tear and not allowed. In my view, they could choose to rule that any repair was normal wear and tear and disallow it. I think this is fraud and will never buy another warranty that includes provisions permitting such disallowances.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Do Not Buy SAL warranties
by: Anonymous

The advertised warranty transfer provisions are a scam. It states; ( If you choose to sell your vehicle privately, any unused coverage/service is transferable to the purchaser, increasing the resale value of your investment.) This is a bunch of bull , if you have an RV chances are your private buyer will be in the US because of the bigger market. SAL will not transfer to any Americans unless they have a residence in the Canada . Further if you take your motor home to the US for more than 180 days in a year the warranty is void,. They have more clauses to get out of their obligations than you can imagine. DO NOT BUY SAL WARRANTIES.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Dr. Ken refund
by: T

Dr. Ken,

I hope you have received your warranty refund. If not it is most likely being held up by the dealer, not the XtraRide warranty company.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Beware Good Sam Extended Service Plan
by: Anonymous

I just had to pay $3700 out of pocket for a generator replacement for my Roadtrek Adventurous RS! Cause of failure was internal to the generator - i.e., a part vibrated loose, chaffed the internal wiring harness causing an arc which in turn fried a few internal generator components. Good Sam says that because wiring was involved, they will cover NONE of the repair charges which were almost as much as the cost of a new generator itself (they stated that I should have read the fine print more carefully where it states wiring exclusion and not have filed a claim). I appealed and took the position that the wiring issue was within the generator itself - not wiring running to/from the generator - i.e., the generator was somewhat like a 'black box' that is not a normal serviceable item except for routine oil/filter changes. It was like I was talking to the wall - 'Sorry Charlie, no help but we do appreciate your business'!

Bottom-line: if they don't want to cover your repairs, they can find a way via 'the small print'. Stay away from them!
Rating
star 		Xtra Ride Run Around
by: DrKen

We owned a fifth wheel for three years. An Xtra Ride extended warranty was purchased with no claims made during ownership. When we traded for a new/larger unit, the dealer assured us Xtra Ride would make a balance refund on the seven year warranty.

We purchased a new Xtra Ride warranty and promptly commenced a claim for refund on the old warranty. The run-around we got from Xtra Ride was incredible. We repeatedly had to submit forms. If they did not like how something was worded, we had to provide them a different piece of paperwork. It is too complex to fully explain. Suffice it to say that after nearly four months, we still have not received our refund. Never again!
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Canadian cant buy Good Sam?
by: Don

Just tried to get a quote for RV warranty with Good Sam and an online operator said its not available unless you have a US address when I live in Canada? I plan to tour the States but will not have an address.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Extended warranties
by: Jim

My wife & I have been RVing for almost 7 years now. I'm getting ready to purchase my third 5th wheel. The first one I bought used. Never had any warranty on it. The one I'm in now I bought new with an extended warranty with Cornerstone for 5 years after the years factory warranty ran out. During this time I have had both drive rails on the large slide replaced, both leaf springs replaced, seals around all 3 slides, 2 gray water valves & cables, refrigerater, water heater, A/C all replaced not to mention at least 2 service calls on the A/C for a faulty freeze sensor. This was done all over the nation. I've paid my 50 deductible each time. All the work was completed in a reasonable time. They also set me up in a hotel for 3 nights plus meals while my slide was being repaired. I have not had to call them one time. The mobile RV repair & Dealers have done all the communication with them. But I have learned if your going to be in this lifestyle your going to have problems. I guess warranty companies are like RV's you don't know when your going to get a bad one.
Rating
starstarstarstar 		Problems with Thor on new units.
by: Jim

I have had 2 Thor products. An A.C.E. and now a Windsport 43J Bunkhouse. We had problems with both units but Thor was more than ready to help us get them fixed. The problems came from the dealers end.

I highly recommend getting to know some of the service people at the Thor Service Center in Elkhart. They are very good at getting things rolling in the best direction.

I am with in 1 month of running out of me factory warranty and am looking for the best extended warranty I can find. I am still a little confused on which, if any in the article, is the best.
Thanks,

Jim Windsport owner.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Portfolio rv insurance
by: Anonymous

I would stay away from portfolio insurance, I had wholesale warranties for my rv and they use Portfolio. I bolt broke in the rear end of my coach which did $5200.00 in damages and my claim was denied because broken bolts are excluded.
Xafter paying $4800.00 for the insurance and find this out I canceled my policy and am waiting to get a refund of 3700.00.
for now on I will take my chances and hope for the best.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Camping World
by: Big Horn

Camping World is the most overpriced retailer I have ever shopped, but the quality of their labor is very good even though it went up $20.00 this year.

They installed some Dometic window awnings on our old travel trailer for $1100.00. I just purchased the exact same awnings for $540.00 for our 5th wheel on line and installed them myself in 3 hours.

A Camping World warranty on products is not an extended plan but a one time replacement.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Extended
by: Big Horn

When we bought our 5th wheel the dealer wanted $7000.00 for a 5 year extended plan. We are Good Sam members and like the extended plan they offer as for the same plan it is $650.00 a year for 5 years. This is good as most of us do not keep an RV for five years so the most anyone would be out is a 1 year payment.

I have heard that the Good Sam plan will sometimes use remanufactured parts, it this true?
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Cornerstone
by: Upset Consumer

Just turned down on $600+ claim from them (Cornerstone)because the slider did not work correctly. The reason the slider did not work correctly was the key pad (which they paid for $86 + 1/2 hour labor) sheared a pin thus causing damage. After speaking with a representative I was told to review the fine print in the addendum clause which excludes them from paying if any bolts break. I am taking this further as a consumer, as I would have paid the $200 deductible gladly and spoke very highly of them. But, no more. I will do everything I can to get my $$$ back, including BBB / State Attorney General / ABC, NBC, CBS, RV Consumer, and the dealer I purchased this from. After all, I paid $3500 for this and they can weasel out of anything by informing the consumer to read the fine print.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Thanks for Great Input
by: Sophie's Mom

Hi Al -

Thanks so much for all your valuable input. Again, Love your website and info.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Warranty Broker
by: Sophie's Mom

Just got off the phone with a Extended Warranty Broker and they are quoting Portfolio Ins. Any input on that one? Thanks!

Hi Sophie's Mom: I just visited the Portfolio Insurance Website and again nothing about the extended warranty coverage for an RV, just a lot more information on profits that the dealers will make on selling the plan. Hope this helps.

Happy RVing,

RVing Al
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		CornerStone RV Extended Service??
by: Sophie's Mom

We are complete RV newbies. We bought a new Winnebago ERA (B-Class) 6 months ago. The dealer is pushing CornerStone RV Extended Service.

We have 1 year to purchase the warranty as a new RV. Does anyone have any input on how good this company is? It is 7yr/75K miles.

I thought we might trust Good Sam, but there are too many negative comments. Question for Al - do you get anything from Good Sam for recommending them.

You seem very strong on them and I would love to be able to trust the input.

Thanks.

This is a great website.

Comments From RVing Al: Hi Sophie's mom. Good Sam is indeed one of our affiliates, in other words if a Good Sam product is sold through our website we do get a small commission.

That being said; I believe strongly in their products and have used them personally with all of my RV's over the years and yes it is my personal opinion that the Good Sam Extended Service Plan is the best extended service plan out there as you get the most bang for your buck.

As you can see by the comments in this section, some people like the Good Sam plan and some do not. Now as far as the CornerStone RV Extended Service Plan that the dealership is offering you. I cannot give you my opinion of their coverage compared to Good Sam as I went to their website to find out what they covered and their was no information on their coverage, just information on how profitable it is for the dealerships to sell the plan.

If anyone has any information on the prices and what CornerStone covers, they should feel free to leave a comment on this page with the information, so that you can make a comparison of the two plans.

Rest assured that I would not recommend items on this website unless I believed in them and not because I get a small commission for their sale. If my answer to this question was just a pure sales pitch, there would be no comments allowed; but, I value other RVers opinions and I also call them out when they try to give false information. I hope that this has answered your question.

Happy RVing

RVing Al
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		extended warranties
by: Bobcee

I have an esp plan with Good Sam and not particulary happy,I had a microwave in my motor home go out and they wanted me to take microwave to an approved appliance repair shop to get an estimate on what it would cost to repair.The closest shop was 90 miles away one way when I refused the said they would pay 290.00 toward a new one and I pay the rest. At least they paid something. I am up for renewal and am shopping to see what is available. They advertise 100% satisfaction. Whose satisfaction theirs obviously
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Good Sam Extended
by: Anonymous

I am not a fan. My generator went nearly 8 weeks ago and I am still waiting for them to approve a replacement. I'm on vacation and have had to spend most of it in my sons driveway.

I was supposed to leave for home two weeks ago but I am still waiting. I call to find out what they've decided and am told the adjuster is away from his desk or something and no decision is made, they don't know when it will be made and they have to answer the phones first and do claim work after.

At this point I'm going to buy a generator so I can get home and either try to get reimbursed or sue them. They already approved it two weeks ago but I wanted to change repair facilities and now can't get the new approval even though they approved changing repair facilities.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Two-cents for XtraRide
by: Bruce

This is just my two-cents in support of XtraRide coverage. My Coleman-Mach air conditioner had just gone out of the manufacturers warranty, and the first time I needed it, it didn't work. Luckily, the wife remembered that for the first time in our lives we had bought an extended warranty. Called XtraRide to find out what they meant in the paperwork by "authorized repair facility" (my first thought was here we go, we're in California and I have to go to Buffalo, NY). To my surprise, if it is a real live business willing to work with XtraRide, they are "authorized" (including a mobile repair company).

We were wintering not far from Indio, so I stopped by Benlo RV II. They found that the compressor had developed a leak on the high-side, called XtraRide with the particulars, ordered a NEW upper unit, took my $50 deductible, got paid by credit card over the phone for the balance, and I was on my way.

The only downside was that I had to take the trailer to them...once, so they could confirm what I had already found, and, again, when the new one came in about a week later. Anyway, when it was all said and done, the lady who took care of everything for Benlo said that XtraRide was the best extended warranty company with which she had ever worked.

We're in the process of buying a new fifth-wheel from Camping World, and the Good Sam extended warranty, but am on the fence when it comes to choosing between their plan and XtraRide's.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		To buy or not to buy!
by: Confused

I am planning buying a 26 ft RV and it comes with a MFG 2yr warranty. The dealer is offering the extended warranty, but is pushing it based on benefits. Example being, food spoilage, propane replacement etc.

I also understand it does not cover typical maintenance items, however does these maintenance issues require a service center or can i do them myself and still not void the warranty?

So as you can see, i am confused not only from the sales person, but also for the numerous conflicting comments listed here.

If someone can offer a viable reason to or not to buy the warranty NOW, please let me know!

Thank you in advance!
JM Bush
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Good Sam Extended Warranty
by: Anonymous

We're a Life Time Member of Good Sam's and the Extended Warranty didn't help us. We paid a $1,035./yr. and we placed one claim, were denied, and two weeks later "cancelled". They said a Manager would contact me in 24-48 hrs and still haven't been contacted. Very ticked off!!!!
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		RV Warranty Depends
by: Anonymous

We bought an SAL extended warranty to cover our travel trailer beyond the one year manufacturers warranty and we have been very pleased with it. On three occasions we telephoned them with advice and they walked us through checks over the telephone and it turned out to be minor issues that did not need a repair. (A fuse in our truck, a fuse in the trailer, something stuck in our slide out.)

We also had a company try to cheat us by charging us over $4000 to fix bent axles with warranty on their work, and SAL company found us a place a few miles away that would the job for less AND warranty their work. SAL also covered all the costs except the new tires.

So far what they have paid out dollarwise is only about half of the total warranty but when you consider curtailing a vacation because you think you have to take your trailer in for a repair and then someone really expert talks you through a check and it turns out to be just a fuse, how much is that worth?

I am happy with the service we have been given to date. The key is to carefully read your contract and understand exactly what they will and will not cover. During our axle repair incident, if i had not understood the warranty did not cover new tires, I would have been very upset that only half the entire cost of the repairs was covered because they don't cover tires.

Read the contract carefully. Never take the word of the dealership and then decide based on what the contract says. I usually turn down extended warranties but in this case I am happy I didn't.

And I bought the Good Sam roadside assistance warranty in 2012 because I heard it was better than CAA while in the USA and HATED it. When I called for help after we blew a tire, I had to navigate a merry go round of "push 1 if it's this, push two if its that" got hung up on twice by the computer, ended up on hold, spoke to a human for ten seconds who informed I had pushed the wrong number and he put me back on the merry-go-round.

After thirty minutes of this computer merry go round garbage, I gave up and called CAA. I got a human being to talk to, and the tow truck was there in twenty-two minutes.
Good Sam?
Bah!
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		No doubt
by: Frank P

No doubt in my mind, Good Sam has the best program
Rating
starstarstarstar 		when to purchase?
by: denise

if you buy a used RV and the dealership ups the extended warranty 100%- 200%, when can you purchase the warranty and from whom?

Note From RVing Al: You can purchase an RV Extended Warranty Plan as soon as the used RV is in your name. As I state in my answer above I recommend Good Sam Extended Service Plan. For more information on the reasons why I recommend them read my full answer in the article above.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Do not use US WARRANTY SERVICE
by: disgusted

Horrible experience with US Warranty Service. Sold to us by the dealer who insisted it would cover everything. Paid top dollar, then found out most repairs won't be covered.

They would never deal in writing only over the phone, gave different answers each time, and it took 6 months before we could pry a written response out of them. Totally worthless.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		extended warranty
by: Pat

Does anyone have experience with MBA Direct extended motor home warranties? Appreciate your input. Thanks.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		There are good ones out there
by: Anonymous

I work for a company that sells XtraRide warranties. Our customer's claims are paid with a corporate credit card from XtraRide, not out of our customer's pocket while they wait for repayment. They offer several terms, all with unlimited mileage since we all know some of us drive a lot and some not at all. There are several per incident, not per part deductible options and the coverage is amazing. They take care of their customers and thank goodness or my phone would be blowing up. I've been with the company almost a year now and have not had one customer complaint. In fact Protective Administrators (the company backing the XtraRide product) only has 7 complaints on their record with BBB for the last 59 years. If anyone wants to give us a chance, I'd love to know we are there to represent you and your warranty needs.

Jenny
916-378-4729
Rating
starstarstar 		What manufacturer's warranty
by: Mervyn

Recently purchased a Tuscany XTE and to my dismay I have discovered that trying to get a repair under warranty is almost impossible. The dealer submits pre-authorisation, questions are asked, images are requested and in one case, the auto-transfer switch was not working, I have procured the required part from Progressive Dynamics and fitted it myself. I haven't heard from Camping World yet to discover if Thor has agreed the repair. So in my experience I have to assume that Thor warranty will not change so I've decided to purchase an extended policy from Easycare covering 72 months or 66,000 miles for $4650. Peace of mind at a price.

Let's hope that legislation is introduced so that the consumer is protected from negligent manufacturers and we have something more than the lemon law to protect us. At least the car manufacturers have listened, hopefully the RV manufacturers will too
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Safe Harbor Bumper to Bumper??
by: Anonymous

Hi guys thanks for the info so far. Wondering about the Safe Harbor Rv Protection plan that Couch's is trying to sell me. Forest River factory warranty is 1 year. They are trying to sell me a 5 year bumper to bumper , with 100 dollar deductible. Thoughts???? Appreciate any feedback.
Rating
starstarstarstar 		Sean does not have a clue!
by: Dr. G

Apparently, Sean is the one who does not have a clue and he sounds like a dealer with little knowledge of the industry. Also, Mr. Anonymous (who sounds like Sean) states that there are warranties in Canada that cover "everything". This is an incorrect statement. There are no extended warranty plans that cover everything, either in Canada or in the USA.

Manufacturer's typically provide the standard 1 or 2 year warranty on their product. After that, you are on your own unless you purchase the extended warranty. These plans will NOT cover everything and will NOT cover structural problems.

Waiting for a year (or two - until the manufacturer's warranty expires) to buy an extended warranty will just increase the price, as no company will let you pay the same for a trailer that has been used (maybe abused) for a year or two, obviously.

Yes, the dealers add a signficant mark-up. Unfortunately, many companies in Canada provide services through the dealers only, leaving the customers at their mercy.

Al, if you know any decent company in Canada that provides services directly to the RV owners, please let us know.

Thanks.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Extended Warranty info
by: Anonymous

I have purchased an extended warranty for 6 years which start to be in effect AFTER the 1st year of the manufacturer runs out. I didn't pay for "ghost" years, so all in all, i'll be protected for 7 years in total.

One guy mentions that the price of the warranty should be under 15% of the price of the travel trailer, well after dealing $7,000 off the travel trailer and dealing 35% off the extended warranty price, I come at 7.5% of the price of the travel trailer for the extended warranty.

This warranty DOES cover EVERYTHING that is originally covered in the first year of the manufacturers' warranty. YES AL, THEY DO EXIST at least here in Canada! ;-) It covers everything from heating to A/C to water functions to even the little tv remote control!!! It is also transferable! The only thing to pay is $100 PER VISIT and not per item and labour is of course also included.

Not sure how things work in the states but in Canada it is NORMAL to have an extended warranty that will cover complety everything from bumper to bumper...i've also had one for 7 years on my old Town & Country and was thankful to have it too as i have over 15k $$$ worth of warranty work done over those 7 years!

Do your research and of course DEAL your price!!! DEAL the price of the trailer, DEAL in the options & DEAL your extended warranty! Everything is marked up, NEVER price the listed price; EVER! :)

Note From RVing Al: Thanks for the information. Can you tell us the name of the company that provides this extended service plan in Canada, so I can find out if they offer similar coverage in the US.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Warranty Purchase
by: Anonymous

I think Sean is in the F&I Dept. of some RV dealership. A few months warranty by the manufacturer on a new RV--come on!! They wouldn't stay in business very long. The norm in the RV industry is 1 year and 15,000. miles. Some of the better RV company warranties on new RVs go out two years.

I have been RVing and reading (and am a Good Sam Lifetime member) Motorhome and Trailer Life for over 40 years. In all those years I have learned that there is no "perfect" warranty company--just read the RV Action Line letters of complaints in each magazine to learn which manufacturers DON'T care about repeat business or what their customers tell other RVers about the lack of quality and concern for the buyers of their products.

I have spoken to owners of Good Sam's warranty (very costly compared to some of the other better policies) and were told that Good Sam refuses approval on most of the items they tried to get warranty service on. I used to have Western General (which I was told was purchased by Protective Life) and was very happy with their covered items (including 13 fogged windows!). I don't know how they are under the Protective Life Insurance banner.

I do know that Good Sam, Trailer Life, Motorhome, Camping World; Poliseek Insurance (formerly AON Recreation Insurance/Alexander & Alexander) and Thousand Trails are all "controlled" by the same corporate entity. You do not get the same consumer care that you did when they were individually owned.

Personally I have used Good Sam's Towing Service and have found them to be very good. Good luck in researching an extended service warranty. I even called Camping Connection in Florida for a recommendation and they recommended a company that someone on this forum wrote badly about! Who do you trust--you trust your own research and they good luck.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Extended Warranty
by: Kevin

I agree with Michael about Camping World. I bought extended warranties on a couple of camping chairs. They were only $40.00 each and the warranty was $10. 1/4 the cost. They broke in a year. My wife and I stood in camping world for 1 hour while the cashier was on the phone with the warranty company to have the chairs replaced.

Then I had to purchase new warranties again. My time was worth more than $40.00 an hour. I was considering a Good Sams extended warranty for my 2010 Wildcat, but I think I will rethink the purchase. Thanks
Rating
star 		Good Sam Rip Off.
by: Michael

Be very carefull. Good sam has teamed up with Camping World. Camping Worlds CEO is not big on customer service, so Good Sam will soon be hard to deal with.

I have a 02 Jeep Liberty in the Jeep dealership, I have a Good Sam warranty on our Motorhome and Jeep.

They advertise a no hassle, no loophole warranty and are denying our claim because the size of tires on our jeep are the 2nd size the owner manual recommends, not the ones the vin number show originally came on it.

I have been 17 days without my Jeep and my last contact end Fri with the Good Sam rep telling me nothing will happen till Monday because everyone is at the Good Sam Rally. "And how does this make me feel?"...
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		More on RV Shield....
by: Anonymous

RV Shield

351 so. 175 st Omaha, NE 68118
...National Programs has been providing insurance backed ShieldWarranties products and services to the new and used automotive market since 1975....
http://www.shieldwarranties.com
402-505-8448
402-505-8636 fax

I'm out $1600 and a friend of my is owed $3000, so I'm feeling a little better. Of course the RV place we bought from went out of banktrupt too!

Note From RVing Al: The website link to Shield Warranties says the website is being rebuilt.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		I had the RV Shield plan for my Artic Fox...
by: Anonymous

If you don't use it you get your money back, well they went bankrupt (RV Shield). I'm told by whomever that took them over it would be another 3 years before I see the money. I'm not holding my breath!
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Service Plan on New not a bargain
by: Anonymous

Just wanted to say of course the service plan on a new RV is less cost.....because the manufacturer's warranty is applicable for the first year or 2 so if you extend for 3 years you really only get 1 or 2 years coverage. Do the analysis before jumping in or listening to some on here that don't do their homework.

Al has clue!
Rating
starstarstarstar 		Overpriced to get extended
by: J

After searching for some info on Rv warranties I cam across this string. Thought I would like to add my 2 cents for what it is worth.

I am just going to by my first travel trailer, unless an 82' tent trailer counts. To me tent trailer doesn't really count unless it's got a washroom in it. Any ways I am investigating a warranty that extents for 4 years on a 2008 trailer in B.C. Canada. this is from Aviva. As far as the owner knows it is transferrable.

I have not been a big fan of extended warranties because I am very aware that these plans have huge mark ups for the dealer. Anything I purchase new, if the dealer tries to upsell me I will negotiate the warranty price down. This will almost always work!

I have received many warranties for at least 50% less than what they originally told me. The warranty doesn't change if they agree to sell it to you for less. I also know that these extended warranties have the purchaser at their mercy. They know you will not take lagal action.

I usually walk away and take my chances. My experience is that you may have to pay to fix something, but in the end if you add up all your cost it will always be cheaper than if you purchased an extended warranty on everything.

I also realize that some things are easy to fix yourself. So please think about this when you are confronted by the salesman trying to pad his/her wallet! Negotiate, and only take the warranty on your terms and only if it is worth it.

My feeling is the extended warranty must cost less than 15% of the cost of the item and it almost always costs about 20-25%.......
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Extended warranties, YES!!!!
by: Bigfingers

Not having owned a RV (YET) means doing research before committing to spending thousands of dollars. I have read and reread all the comments
on this page and am in total agreement with Al.

We can not afford new so are looking into slightly used. Als' thinking closely parallels my own which is a plus in my mind.

Thanks for truthful and common sense adice Al.

Smiles,
Bigfingers
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		TEND TO AGREE WITH AL ON THIS ONE
by: LULU

I work at an RV dealership but I work in the service department. I deal with extended service contracts on a daily basis and I know there is not one out there that will cover everything a manufacturers warranty will. I also know what pressure is put on our finance department to sell the extended service contract and finance it in the deal because we make so much money on them.

Good Sam is a great one to deal with from my end because they pay us directly with a credit card and we don't have to wait days or weeks in some cases to get paid and the customer doesn't have to wait to get reimbursed.

Another great one that is very much similar to Good Sam is CWCare or Freedom Care. I would stay far away from Heritage because they are taking up to two years to reimburse customers. National Warranty of Florida is also one that makes us jump through hoops to get items covered.

Do your research for yourself and you will be fine. No one person has all the answers just our own personal experiences. Happy Camping!!!!
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Extended Warranties
by: Anonymous

Generally, what is the price difference between purchasing a extended warranty at time of purchase
or in our case, after 2 yrs from purchase date.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Agree with Sean
by: Anonymous

There are a lot of different warranty policies available & waiting until a manufacturer's warranty has expired on a new unit, thereby requiring an extended policy priced for a now used unit does increase the cost & shorten the term of the warranty.

It would make more sense to go ahead & pay LESS for an extended service policy the day you buy the new unit, regardless of how it is paid for. Generally speaking, manufacturer's put a 1-2 year warranty on the unit; the individual appliances are subject to their manufacturer's warranty, which is anywhere from 6months to 2 years.

Furthermore, extended warranties work differently. Some policies require that an owner pay for all work done upfront & submit reimbursement, whereas others will pay the repair center directly so the only money that ever leaves the customer's pocket is the deductible.

I would rather pay a little bit more for a policy in which I wouldn't have to wait for reimbursement. Some questions to keep in mind when researching a policy include whether the policy is cancellable (with a pro-rated refund), can it be transferred, who can work on the unit if something goes wrong, & is the policy/company rated well?

Too many warranty companies are going under these days with little/no warning to customers...leaving the customer with no warranty & no refund. Lastly & perhaps most importantly, a GOOD extended service policy WILL cover everything that a new manufacturer's warranty covers.

Comment From RVing Al: Again I must jump in here and not let mis-information be given to my visitors. You state that "a GOOD extended service policy WILL cover everything that a new manufacturer's warranty covers". There are no Extended RV Warranties or Continued Service Plans that cover everything that a RV manufacturer's new RV warranty does, they do not exist.

Even if you choose a plan that has optional premiums that you can purchase for additional coverage, they still do not cover everything a new RV warranty covers. In fact if anyone can give me the name of a company that offers an RV Extended Service Plan that covers everything a new RV Warranty does, I will be more than happy to include that information on this page after I confirm that the coverage is available.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Extended Service Plans
by: Carrie

Thank you Al - I think I'll follow your recommendations regarding the purchase of an extended warranty on our slightly used 2003 33 ft Coachmen Aurora - after paying for it outright,

(a) I dont want another HUGE outlay of dollars for repairs OR the warranty. Thanks for the advise and the link for free quote from Good Sam's Club. ...appreciate you -
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Al Doesn't Have a Clue
by: Sean

Folks I just wanted to clear things up with what Al had to say regarding Extended Warranties. First of all if you purchase a brand "New" Motor home or trailer yes you get a manufactures warranty, but only for a few months to a year.

Companies offer you a extended service contract because it makes great sense. When a motor home or trailer is considered new the cost of a contract is considerably less then if the manufactures warranty had run out. Plus the duration of the term is considerably less if you decide to buy one later.

Other things people don't consider is that the contract can also be financed into the loan just in case you are running on a tight budget and want to protect your purchase. People are more willing to pay a few dollars more a month then trying to cough up a huge expense later trying to pay the contract in full.

Yes you pay more interest but it's your choice and you don't have that choice if you decide to purchase one later. Something else I wanted to point out is to do your research. There are a lot of great companies that offer contracts but it's you who needs to be asking the questions as to what it covers, what the deductible is, and who can work on it.

I know you have done the research on purchasing the unit, It just makes sense to research the warranties too.

Comments From RVing Al: When you start off a comment with "Al Doesn't Have a Clue" I must respond. Unfortunately you have mixed many facts with a lot of fiction. Here are some facts.

Fact 1: Most RV manufacturer?s warranty their new RVs from 1 to 3 years not just "a few months".

Fact 2: Many RV Dealerships sell Extended Service Plans to increase their profits and mark them up from 100% to 200%.

Fact 3: You suggest that the new RV owner should buy the extended service plan from the dealership and include it in their RV loan and then state "Yes you pay more interest but it's your choice and you don't have that choice if you decide to purchase one later". So, you are advising new RV Buyers to add this over priced extended service plan to their RV Loan and now they are paying interest on an overpriced policy and you accuse me of not having a clue?

Sorry Sean I stick with my recommendations in the answer I gave to this question.

Happy RVing
RVing Al

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