I think it varies by region. When I renewed my AAA coverage this year, there was no mention of a $500 cap on the tow.
Roadside Coverage
- Thread starter traveler1980
- Start date
When I used my AAA coverage, Ken Frey was still in business and I explained that his shop was the only one qualified to work on my GMC. I sent them to the website to confirm and there were no questions about the tow destination.
I have heard of other users mentioning the $500 cap (maybe other regions?), but when I renewed a couple of days ago, it just said 100 miles per tow included with the RV Plus. RV Premier says up to 200 mile tow.
I'm sure the formatting on this will be wonky, but I'm cutting and pasting the info. from the Colorado page (they've got it in an iFrame that won't let me take a screen shot)...
Choose the Membership Plan That's Right for You
$130| AAA Member Benefits | Basic | Plus | Premier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual membership dues (1st Member Primary) | $79.50 |
| Annual membership dues adding coverage for motorcycles and/or RV’s (1st Member Primary) | $195 |
| Towing to a destination of your choice *** Vehicles must be safely accessible from a normally maintained road. | Covered mileage: Up to 7 miles per member, per tow. | Covered mileage: Up to 100 miles per member, per tow. Same-day-as-join service available for additional fee | Covered mileage: Up to 100 miles per member, per tow. One tow may be extended to a total of 200 miles. Same-day-as-join service available for additional fee |
| 1Bicycle Assistance: Transportation for you and your disabled bicycle in Colorado. Same covered mileage as towing. | |||
| Emergency fuel and delivery | Fuel delivered at current retail prices. | FREE fuel and FREE delivery | FREE fuel and FREE delivery |
| Auto Locksmith Service: If car keys are lost or damaged. *** | Up to $50 in coverage or reimbursement. | Up to $100 in coverage or reimbursement. | Up to $100 in coverage or reimbursement. |
| Home Locksmith Service: If you are locked out of your home. *** | Up to $100 in coverage or reimbursement. The call does not count as one of the four allowed service events. | ||
| Extricating/Winching: If your vehicle becomes stuck, an attempt may be made to extricate or winch it out. *** | Includes services by a second truck and operator for one (1) hour. | Includes services by a second truck and operator for two (2) hours. | |
| Free One-Day Rental: If your car breaks down. | Call and AAA will arrange this free one-day car rental with Hertz for you. | ||
| Mechanical Adjustment: An attempt may be made to make your vehicle operational. | |||
| 2Jump Start and Battery Service: Battery jump start available in all areas. In many areas, AAA also offers battery testing, delivery and installation. | |||
| Flat Tire Change | |||
| Roadside Electric Vehicle Charging | |||
| Travel Services and Benefits | Full service Travel Agency, exclusive member discounts and benefits, free maps and TourBooks, Hertz Gold Plus rewards and more. | Full service Travel Agency, exclusive member discounts and benefits, free maps and TourBooks, Trip Interruption benefit, Hertz Gold Plus rewards and more. | Enhanced Services:
|
| Each Additional (Associate) † | $42 | $85 | $85 |
AAA membership pricing is updated annually. At renewal, members may receive discounts on membership dues based on the value of products purchased and service usage.
† Associate memberships are available for anyone residing in the Primary member’s household and dependent children who are away at school as a student. Associates must have the same membership level as the Primary member.
* Each member is entitled to four service events per membership year. See eligible vehicles details in the Roadside Assistance section of the Benefit Guide for information concerning the types of vehicles covered within the Basic, Plus, Plus RV/Motorcycle, Premier and Premier RV/Motorcycle membership levels. ** Additional benefit details are in the Roadside Assistance and Travel Services sections of the Membership Benefits Guide. Vehicles must be safely accessible from a normally maintained road. Plus and Premier members will be charged an additional fee for immediate Roadside Assistance service (same day as join/upgrade service). RV’s are not eligible for same day as join/upgrade service, a 24-hour wait period for service applies. *** Additional costs beyond this coverage will be the responsibility of the member and will be payable at time of service. **** Available when the member’s car is inoperable in conjunction with a breakdown (non-collision) and tow through AAA.
1Service provided to member whose bicycle is inoperable or disabled and is near a normally travelled paved roadway in Colorado, that can be safely reached.
2Battery Service is available along the Front Range and also by appointment.
When you join AAA, you receive a membership card valid for one year. It entitles you to benefits even if you're not in your own vehicle, so carry it with you at all times!
As a AAA member for lots of years, including having the coach hooked up twice, none of these companies own any rolling stock. They have let out contracts to local concerns to do this for them. In the case of a passcar, this is simple and typically successful. In the case of a coach, and a very different kind of coach at that, they have to hunt and see what they can find. To move a TZE with front drive issues, a 4500# wheel lift will work. These are fortunately getting more common. A conventional towbar will rip the front bumper off. (A lot like using the OE jack in the front.) Two good options that you should suggest to the person on the other end of the phone are:
A- A Landol. This is a flat bed with a winch that can kneel to load the coach and it will not be likely to do any additional damage when operated by a skilled person. (This can be the start of a 2 beer story in my case.)
B- A long bed roll back. To safely carry a 26' coach, this has to be about a 20' long load bed. Again, it will require a skilled operator.
Most Low-Boys won't do. The entry ramp requires more ground clearance than a TZE has available.
If you are in a situation that this is required, do not be afraid to discuss the situation with the operator. If he is resistant, be sure to watch carefully before he does much of anything.
With very little exception, try to get the rear suspension to maximum height before the they to move the coach. If you have the system valved off. Be aware that most of the road service truck have compressed air onboard that can be used in this case.
Another service of AAA is maps and triptiks. Years ago, we let them plan a passcar road trip and it was not a bad plan, but it was junk at the end of the third day. I have used their on-line planing, but only rarely as even old Street Atlas has more features, but it is good for a rough start. The maps and guide books are a whole other thing. Because I am somewhat (OK seriously) paranoid and at one time had a name tag that said "Navigator" under my name, I developed some habits that have served me well. I always have all the paper charts for anyplace I expect we might go. So, at the beginning of season or before and extended excursion, I will order up the charts (maps) and guide books for all the areas we expect to transit. Example, next spring I will be ordering up the books and charts to cover Michigan to Louisiana. That will cover enough that I probably won't need to replace them for the fall international in Tennessee. We do always carry a spiral bound street atlas too. While the close detail of those is poor, it may be the best you can get without wire. We have found that while wire (internet access) has improved remarkably in the last decade, it is still very easy to find yourself somewhere that there is none.
If someone has other experience that people may benefit from, please share it with the community.
Matt
A- A Landol. This is a flat bed with a winch that can kneel to load the coach and it will not be likely to do any additional damage when operated by a skilled person. (This can be the start of a 2 beer story in my case.)
B- A long bed roll back. To safely carry a 26' coach, this has to be about a 20' long load bed. Again, it will require a skilled operator.
Most Low-Boys won't do. The entry ramp requires more ground clearance than a TZE has available.
If you are in a situation that this is required, do not be afraid to discuss the situation with the operator. If he is resistant, be sure to watch carefully before he does much of anything.
With very little exception, try to get the rear suspension to maximum height before the they to move the coach. If you have the system valved off. Be aware that most of the road service truck have compressed air onboard that can be used in this case.
Another service of AAA is maps and triptiks. Years ago, we let them plan a passcar road trip and it was not a bad plan, but it was junk at the end of the third day. I have used their on-line planing, but only rarely as even old Street Atlas has more features, but it is good for a rough start. The maps and guide books are a whole other thing. Because I am somewhat (OK seriously) paranoid and at one time had a name tag that said "Navigator" under my name, I developed some habits that have served me well. I always have all the paper charts for anyplace I expect we might go. So, at the beginning of season or before and extended excursion, I will order up the charts (maps) and guide books for all the areas we expect to transit. Example, next spring I will be ordering up the books and charts to cover Michigan to Louisiana. That will cover enough that I probably won't need to replace them for the fall international in Tennessee. We do always carry a spiral bound street atlas too. While the close detail of those is poor, it may be the best you can get without wire. We have found that while wire (internet access) has improved remarkably in the last decade, it is still very easy to find yourself somewhere that there is none.
If someone has other experience that people may benefit from, please share it with the community.
Matt
Interesting. I know the $500 cap in in multiple states, but maybe not all. I know aaa varies by area as I believe some states never offered 200 mile tow with their premier.
Mn/Iowa has the $500 restriction:
$500 restriction? That makes AAA RV coverage absolutely useless. If you can get through 1.5 years of RVing with no tow needed you'll be money ahead if you drop AAA. I dropped them years ago for just this reason, after sending them over $1000 and never needing a tow.
It definitely varies by region. The handbook for Premier RV in the Central Penn region says nothing about a towing cost limit. I couldn’t capture everything, but the ** next to the 200 tow only says that the tow request can’t be made during the wait period for membership.
Aaa is still the only towing insurance that will tow you were you want to go. So I do plan on keeping it, but will probably drop down a level. Just getting off of a road safely and somewhere I can work on coach.
Plus other benefits are there then just towing the coach. Locksmith can charge $100-$150 to open a door. I have a wife and 2 kids. Days od changing a tire on side of road are over for even me. Too many people getting ran into.
Last 2 tows done on gmc’s that I know of
Local were less then 100 miles and cost like $850. So even with the $500 cap you are still money ahead.
Nothing worse then being stuck in an intersection. With the police knocking.
I've been averaging 7k miles a year in my 76 gmc, never needed a tow (knock on wood). Last year was 6200 miles.
3 kids 14-18 yo and they help change tires so when they need to do it someday they will be able to I hope.
I spend my money on parts and elbow grease in the driveway trying to avoid roadside towing, so far so good.
I have bad luck. Been towed quite a few times over the 30,000+ miles.
Summer of 2020 was blocking 4th of july traffic on a freeway exit for a minor issue. Needed to get towed out of that situation asap. Minor fix but was not going to tear apart things with highway patrol waiting.
In 15 travel seasons and 70K. we have needed help on the road twice. I'm not counting the cracked wheel because AAA was really not much help there. The jack the service guy had would not get under the coach.
When we lost (really lost - never did find) a rear wheel near Hot Springs Arkansas, AAA was also no help except to line us up with a motel near a GMC dealer that had no capability to do us any good at all. What was the help there was a Black List friend that was reading what I put on the web and set me up with a transport and repair shop that had a huge roll-back and a parts coach on the lot.
The only time AAA did do us some good was when we broke a lower control are and ended up in the median near Ridgeland South Carolina. With Mary's prodding they finally located a Landol that delivered us to a shop that "could fix anything". While wait for parts, I had talked to three competent mechanics. When they detailed a little Mexican looking guy that I had only seen emptying the trash and he rolled out a welder and cutting rig, (Can you think of two things would be least likely to need to do this repair?) and I decided to put a chair out there and watch, which was good because the proprietor was going to pound the drive axle out of the knuckle, he decided that I believed that they would not be capable. (He was real right about that.) It took us a day to get the Landol back to move us to the home of another Black List friend where he and I got enough reassembled so we could limp the wounded coach home. If you ever need help getting something fixed, a farmer (retired in this case) is a real good bet. One of the tows was covered by AAA, the other by our insurance carrier.
So, I really can't speak for AAA for on the road coverage. They have served us well in the local area, but to me the most valuable thing has been the GMC Assist (aka Black's) List. I carry a printed copy when ever we travel.
Matt
When we lost (really lost - never did find) a rear wheel near Hot Springs Arkansas, AAA was also no help except to line us up with a motel near a GMC dealer that had no capability to do us any good at all. What was the help there was a Black List friend that was reading what I put on the web and set me up with a transport and repair shop that had a huge roll-back and a parts coach on the lot.
The only time AAA did do us some good was when we broke a lower control are and ended up in the median near Ridgeland South Carolina. With Mary's prodding they finally located a Landol that delivered us to a shop that "could fix anything". While wait for parts, I had talked to three competent mechanics. When they detailed a little Mexican looking guy that I had only seen emptying the trash and he rolled out a welder and cutting rig, (Can you think of two things would be least likely to need to do this repair?) and I decided to put a chair out there and watch, which was good because the proprietor was going to pound the drive axle out of the knuckle, he decided that I believed that they would not be capable. (He was real right about that.) It took us a day to get the Landol back to move us to the home of another Black List friend where he and I got enough reassembled so we could limp the wounded coach home. If you ever need help getting something fixed, a farmer (retired in this case) is a real good bet. One of the tows was covered by AAA, the other by our insurance carrier.
So, I really can't speak for AAA for on the road coverage. They have served us well in the local area, but to me the most valuable thing has been the GMC Assist (aka Black's) List. I carry a printed copy when ever we travel.
Matt
"Useless" is a pretty big overstatement. First of all, if you do live in an area with this cap, it's still five hundred dollars off your tow. And while two and a half years of membership payments would cover that, there are all the other services they provide, not just on your GMC, but on ALL your other vehicles and any vehicle you happen to be riding in. Several years ago my cousin and I finished eating and came out to a vehicle with a dead battery (my car). He called AAA (his service), and they had us jumped and on our way within half an hour. I can change a tire quicky, but there are situations where I can see having someone else do it (especially if I can have friend/family stay with the car while I take care of something else during the tire change --or if the vehicle is on a really busy road). Stranded in the mountains with no fuel? They'll send someone out with enough gas to get you to the next station. It may take a couple of hours, but it's often better than trying to figure it out on your own. Can all these situations be handled without AAA? Absolutely. But it's sure a heck of a lot easier knowing you can just make a couple of phone calls and definitely much more than "useless."
Considering no one *plans on* breaking down by the side of the road, that's a pretty big gamble. Keeping your vehicle in tip top shape mitigates the need, but the whole point of *emergency road side assistance* is to be ready for the unforeseen.
It would have taken more time (which sucks), but I would have had them send another guy since that sub-contractor obviously wasn't properly equipped to handle the job. I've found that if you keep calling AAA until you get someone half-intelligent on the line (make sure you get their call back number!), they will work with you until the problem is solved.
Having or not having road side assistance; both scenarios are a gamble.
Paying for roadside service insurance is betting $300 to $400 a year that you will break down. I would also add that you're gambling that you will actually be able to extract the services you _think_ you'll get out of them successfully, and in a timely manner. Neither of those are guaranteed and seem to be hit and miss in real world experiences.
I choose not to spend $300 to $400 a year on roadside assistance. Instead, I fix everything I can in the driveway at home and hit the road. Yes I'm rolling the dice. I'm betting that I don't break down. So far I'm winning to the tune of a couple $1000. Also I choose to avoid the headache of trying to extract the services I should be owed in a timely manner, I'll just call the tow truck myself. My credit cards work just fine.
However, too each his/her own. I'll do me and you do you.
This also sounds like gambling, and not the fun kind.
Now that they've limited the tow coverage to $500, you can't win!
I guess you're talking about the money paid per year and then not used (hopefully not used), but that's how insurance works. So with the additional services AAA offers, I don't really consider it much of a gamble.
AAA RV Plus is $195, so about half that.
True. Sometimes there is more effort required from the user than most users would like to put in (trying to get what you need out of the nitwit (often) on the other end of the line can be a real PITA). Since I got my coverage to cover towing vehicles from one place to another (not necessarily for emergency assistance), I'm OK with that. Plus, if you know this going in, and are willing to "work" a little harder on the phone guiding the representative, it's usually not too much trouble to get what you need (though it may take longer than is ideal).
Unfortunately you can't "preventatively maintenance" flat tires, dead batteries, road debris, bad fuel, etc... Also, I'd rather pay the accumulated amount of insurance (with all the additional services provided) than get stuck with the "way over $1,000" towing fees that we hear about all the time.
Yep! That's what a forum is for. Getting as many options/opinions as possible from a broad variety of users and then making an educated decision!
Cheers.
As had been posted multiple times, I don't think this is true for all regions, so it's best to be extremely diligent about finding out what one's exact coverage actually is before one needs it (or signs up and pays for it in the first place)!
My steering pump blew while in Fla. Good Sam took nine hrs to get a tow truck to me and put $900 on my credit card to get to Sirum. Good Sam is Bad Sam. BTW Jeff Sirum claims that flatbed towing is un-necessary, a normal tow works fine. I now have AAAPlatinum and they do one 400 mile tow per year (and two 200 milers). If you are in Pa that would get you close to New England RV in Plaistow NH ? (I have not used him though.)
