Good Sam or AAA road service?

[ghosthunter]

I have used AAA in the past , wait times were long.

Trying to decide if Good Sam might be better. They have a special going now.

Anyone have experience?

[Rossue]

How long in the past did you use AAA for towing? Things changed about two years ago. From AAA of SoCAL; "Plus RV and Premier RV towing, extrication and tire service is limited to $500 per eligible service call and $1,000 per household per membership year."

The one upside to this change is you can you whoever you want to- pay them and get re-imbursed, May have been this way before as well, yet now there is no doubt as it is a dollar figure vs. mileage. Each has its pros & cons- best not to have the basic coverage however when towing an RV.

[ghosthunter]

I had AAA the past 4 years. I had the Premium Rv membership.

We waited three hours broke down along the road in town for a tow truck.

Another time we were locked out on the road and waited three hours and eventually gained access ourselves.

[Rockhead]

We have good sams. We’ve only had to use them once when our battery died on us and we had to wait 20 mins for someone to arrive and jump us off.

[Fender]

Good sam left us hanging in Florida once. It was a Sunday and we had a flat on our Class A. They said they couldn't get anyone on a Sunday but would call us the next day. Never heard from them again.
I eventually found a mobile repair guy who told me that most tow truck drivers won't even take calls from Good Sam. They apparently have a history of quoting a price for a job then beating them down after the work is done.
Have been on CAA (Canadian version of AAA) and have been happy with the service.

[John in Santa Cruz]

my experience is, virtually all tow companies hate the 'road service' companies as the payments are so low they barely break even. this includes AAA.

thankfully, over the years, most of my tow calls have been from the driveway at home to a shop in town, usually 5-10 minutes away. and I'm OK with waiting most of the day. This is from when I drove 20-25 year old Volvos and Mercedes, hah hah.

[cpaharley2008]

In the past AAA would not support travel trailers in Pennsylvania, so we switched to Good Sam. Fortunately have not had to use them.......yet!!

[Vermilye]

AAA makes its towing rules by chapter. When the Central NY region limited trailer towing to 100 miles, I switched to Good Sam. While 100 miles is fine for NY, out west it could be a problem.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

In the past AAA would not support travel trailers in Pessnsylvania, so we switched to Good Sam. Fortunately have not had to use them.......yet!!

Hi: cpaharley2008... They're all great till you have to use them... then not so much!!!
escape artist N;S. of Lake Erie

[dlakeman]

I use my insurance company (GEICO) for roadside assistance. Far cheaper than AAA or Good Sam. I've never used GEICO for an RV problem, however assistance for a car problem was handled immediately. Additionally, not a roadside problem but a homeowner insurance claim was also handled immediately. I'd never use anyone else.

[dcgrout]

Another interesting feature with Geico, is they also have very inexpensive mechanical breakdown coverage for new vehicles out to 100K or 7 years with a $250 deductible. I have used it several times and been very satisfied. It adds about $20 per 6 month premium cycle, vs the several thousand dollars an extended warranty would have cost through the dealer. And as I understand it, if your vehicle still has factory warranty in effect, they will add the coverage to your car, even if you bought it used. I am not a Geico employee, but a very long term satisfied customer.

[kiekhaefer]

I am self insured with respect to the AAA services. I put my effort into maintenance so I don’t need those services as often.

[hugh]

I'm "self insured" for towing: On the rare occasion I've needed a tow, I've just called a tow truck and paid for it myself.



I would have paid much more over the years maintaining AAA or another membership just for towing

[Ian and Sue]

Originally Posted by ghosthunter

I have used AAA in the past , wait times were long.

Trying to decide if Good Sam might be better. They have a special going now.

Anyone have experience?

I have had good experiences with Good Sam. They got my broken down truck to a garage and the trailer home. They jump started my truck in a campground. They helped my wife get her keys from the inside of our locked car. Never a charge....mostly a short wait(you are at the mercy of location and tow availability no matter who you use). The service calls and checks up on you to make sure everything is progressing. Well worth the price. The only thing you don't get is AAA maps!

[cpaharley2008]

You need to find out if they will send 2 tow trucks, one for trailer and one for the tug.

[Ian and Sue]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

You need to find out if they will send 2 tow trucks, one for trailer and one for the tug.

Good Sam does.