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Is RV roadside assistance on your mind? Most RVers look forward to visiting new locations and getting away from the daily grind to enjoy a vacation or weekend escape. Reservations for campsite destinations and lists of what to bring take precedence over some of the more monotonous tasks like repairs and preventative maintenance.
But RVing has risks, so you need to ensure you have coverage for unplanned breakdowns. Let’s look at the ins and outs of RV roadside assistance plans for camping in 2022.
What Is RV Roadside Assistance?
Unlike recreational vehicle insurance, RV roadside assistance helps stranded RVers when their campers break down.
Does your motorhome need a jump start? Did you run out of fuel and need some delivered? Need help changing a tire, or did you lock the keys in your vehicle? Or is your RV stuck on the side of the road, needing a tow to the nearest mechanic?
Roadside assistance plans commonly include these and many other services. You can get help whenever the unexpected occurs. But how do you know what coverage you’ll need?
What Are the Benefits of RV Roadside Assistance Plans?
Many of the plans we researched include roadside services like fuel delivery, lockout assistance, and battery boosts. Many RVers love the tow service to a repair facility, but each plan has a different number of miles included in the tow.
Other standard services include tire changes and connection to an RV technician. Several plans also offer concierge services, helping you find mechanics and professionals specializing in particular skills needed to get your rig back on the road.
Additionally, premier plans may even provide trip interruption payments and global emergency services if needed.
All of these plans offer options for basic coverage, along with more comprehensive packages. A few RV roadside assistance plans even include discounts on repair work or purchase of equipment like batteries and tires. And each covers provisions you don’t always find as a part of your vehicle insurance coverage.
Pro Tip: Don’t get stuck on the side of the road without spare tires! Use these RV Spare Tire Mounts That Are Easy to Install.
What’s the Difference Between RV Roadside Assistance and RV Insurance?
RV insurance plans vary, with some including coverage of personal belongings and others providing total replacement value. But the main feature of insurance is to repair or replace motorhomes or trailers due to an accident.
And like auto coverage, RV insurance can provide collision, bodily injury, and uninsured motorist coverage. But it does not normally offer payment for locksmith services, battery boosts, or concierge connections.
The best RV roadside assistance plans will fill in the gaps that RV insurance does not cover. These offerings can keep your camping trip on schedule with necessary repairs within your budget, from towing your rig to a repair shop to changing a tire.
Best RV Roadside Assistance Plans for 2022
The following are four of the best RV roadside assistance companies. Each has different plan levels to meet your specific needs. Select one based on your needs and fill any gaps in your insurance coverage. Below we’ve listed the best RV roadside assistance plans from the top four providers.
Coach-Net RV Technical & Roadside Assistance
At $249 per year, Coach-Net has the most expensive and comprehensive RV roadside assistance available. Its services include unlimited battery boosts, tire assistance, fuel delivery, locksmith help, towing, and mobile mechanic visits.
They differ based on the type of recreational vehicle: motorized or towable. And with all of that service, you also get discounts on tire and RV equipment, camping, and hotels.
Coach-Net also has trip-interruption services, paying up to $2,000 for car, food, and lodging needed due to a collision more than 100 miles from home.
FMCA Roadside Rescue
Like Coach-Net, Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) breaks roadside assistance down into two different plans. Coverage for towable RVs costs $129 and $159 a year for motorized ones.
Services include towing to the nearest repair shop, fuel delivery, lockout assistance, tire changes, mobile RV help, concierge service, and trip interruption up to $1,500. You can also get battery boosts and tech assistance to diagnose DIY fixes.
Additionally, FMCA is renowned for its tire discount program, which can save you hundreds of dollars on new tire replacements.
Good Sam RV Roadside Assistance
Good Sam has several tiered roadside assistance programs which cover RVs and automobiles.
From $65 to $120, you can receive lost-key and lockout service, towing to the nearest available repair shop, fuel delivery, battery boost assistance, and trip interruption payments of up to $150 per day when your rig is disabled 100 miles or more away from home.
You also get RV mobile mechanics, and you can add on pet transportation. Each plan has its benefits, so select the one with coverage for your specific needs.
Keep in Mind: There are pros and cons to every roadside assistance program. Know both sides of the Good Sam story by checking out these Top 5 Regrets of Buying a Good Sam Membership.
AAA RV Roadside Assistance
Many think of AAA as a trip planning service, but they also offer three RV roadside assistance plans. At $59 per year, you receive minimal services like locksmith help, fuel delivery, and 5 miles of free towing.
You can amend this basic stop-gap coverage with their middle and top plans. This can add up to 150 miles of free towing with an additional $70 for RV towing and higher reimbursement amounts for locksmith assistance and windshield replacement.
AAA also provides several discounts on batteries, repairs, lodging, and even movie tickets.
Are RV Roadside Assistance Plans Worth It?
As you can see from our top four performers, RV roadside assistance plans can vary greatly. Some only cover small inconveniences that your vehicle insurance will not. However, a couple of policies provide excellent services that could keep your camping trip on target, even after a setback.
Look at the details of each plan to see what services you may make use of before purchasing. Then hit the road with confidence that any surprises along the way will not detour your trip.
This is based on painful personal experience. AAA has a $500 limit on towing (which won’t touch to cost of towing an RV. It doesn’t even cover the flatbed cost of towing a disabled travel trailer 20 miles.) and limited to no access to RV-capable towing companies and repair shops. Even for a simple car towing, they are hopeless if you are out in the rural parts of, say, North Dakota or southern Iowa (bad personal experience in both cases). I don’t recommend AAA for RV roadside assistance and don’t expect anything except for a long wait or “you’re on your own, send us a reimbursement request” for car roadside assistance.