Breakdown!

[MrLynn]

On the "Great 4th" thread,

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...tml#post448972

I mentioned that we were off Saturday for a trip to the Pennsylvania Wilds. So after one false start (forgot to turn off a dehumidifier that I was concerned about), we headed out again, west on Route 20, avoiding the Mass Pike because of reported backups from holiday traffic. But suddenly, as we finally got some open road in Charlton (Rt 20 is stoplight city) I noticed a puff of blue smoke in my mirror, then the engine started chugging, and the image of a wrench appeared in my 2013 Ford Expedition display. Never saw that before, but not a good sign, I thought. Fortunately, I spotted a vacant business driveway, so pulled in and stopped.

Opening the hood, I was treated to gush of hot red fluid—coolant? I wondered, but there had been no sign of overheating. Then I touched it and knew it was transmission fluid, and the blue smoke was from a major leak hitting the exhaust pipe. Indeed, there was a nice trail of fluid off the road and into the driveway.

So there we were, about 30 miles from home, and dead in the water—well, on the road. I called AAA, but while they would tow my Expedition, they would not tow my trailer. Then I remembered a card that came with my Foremost RV insurance policy, advertising "towing and roadside assistance." The card said, “Tow vehicles are covered, too!” So I called the number, and after long periods on hold and going through layers of claim reps, I got to someone in Roadside Assistance. But he told me that since my tow vehicle was not insured with Foremost, it was not covered. And since my trailer was not damaged, it was not covered, either!

Well, I argued with him about that, quoting the card; after checking with supervisors, he finally came back and said they would tow the trailer home, but only up to the limit specified in my policy, which turns out to be $100 (no, I had never looked). Then he got a quote from someone, and said the tow would cost $243.25, and he would need a $143.25 credit-card payment. So I gave him the number and he set about trying to find a towing service from his list.

Now we had both TV and trailer covered, I thought. But time in the hot afternoon whiled away. No sign of AAA and no word from the Foremost guy. In the meantime, a good Samaritan named Ronnie, in a pickup, towing a utility trailer, pulled up and commiserated. He also told us that here was a local guy who ran a transportation and towing service, and gave us the name of the company. I called and got a woman who said they could tow our trailer to their yard (actually their home yard), and we could pick it up later.

Then, without any notice, the AAA truck showed up. I disconnected the trailer from the Expedition, and my wife rode home with the flatbed driver. Meanwhile, the Foremost agent said he finally found a company who would tow the trailer back to Framingham. The company was in Wendell, some distance away, and would be three hours getting to me. So I called the local business back, and when they showed up, a chatty guy named Bruce said he’d tow the trailer home for $400.

It was either that, or have my wife wife drive back out to pick me up, rent a truck the next day, and go out to pick up the trailer. I said OK, and off we went, Bruce and his girlfriend telling me stories about their long-distance adventures moving heavy construction equipment. It was entertaining enough to make up for the long, hot hours of uncertainty and trying to deal with an insurance company that clearly had no experience or interest in roadside assistance.

I had the Expedition towed back to the garage that had just flushed and changed all the transmission and transfer-case fluids, figuring they probably screwed up. Of course, they’re closed until Thursday. The Escape now sits on the side of our driveway, looking abandoned. We thought of renting a truck and heading out again—but no, enough was enough. We unpacked.

This all leads to the question: What’s the best way to get roadside assistance for both the tow vehicle and the trailer? I was told that AAA does offer RV assistance, so is that a good option? Or maybe Good Sam? Back when we got our Casita, I found that Good Sam did not write insurance in Massachusetts, so I went with Foremost. But now I see you can get roadside assistance from them without having their insurance.

Are there other options? We were actually fortunate at being so close to home—imagine how much worse it could have been hundreds of miles away!

[Apologies for the overlong post.]

[Rossue]

Like all insurance the details are a function of fine print and zip code. Have been with AAA for 26 years and no one can beat their rates or claims experience in our zip code. For towing things changed a few years ago. Now the towing coverage caps at $500/incident with a yearly cap with RV Plus coverage. Premier adds a little extra that didn't seem to be worth it.

You're gonna find in the find print and blogs elsewhere that some will tow you to the nearest service facility- which might not be the one you want.

Sorry this happened; hope you get the root cause fixed without too much hassle & expense.

[HABBERDABBER]

Having fun is a lot of work.....and hassle, effort, worries and cost.

And so it goes.

Sorry for your mishap.

[ghosthunter]

I had AAA Rv which covered trailer and truck. Never needed it for both.

The few times I called it took hours for a truck to show. If you are not blocking the road you get pushed down the list. They won’t tow you off pavement. And only 150 miles or nearest shop.

I have coverage on my auto and trailer insurance up to 500.00 tow each.

Still I might re up AAA for our up coming trip.

[Rockhead]

I have Good Sams for roadside assistance and towing. Had to use them 4 time n never had to wait more than 30 mins. But heard others say they took hrs or didnt show up

[Civilguy]

We maintained AAA RV towing coverage for a year or two. After they significantly lowered their coverage, we dropped the policy and joined the ranks of the self-insured.

I’ve heard that Good Sam offers a better deal, but I think I’m done with the lot of them. A trailer is a luxury, no sense making it any more expensive trying to cover every little thing.

[Iowa Dave]

I’ve been in a few disabled vehicle or flat tire on a trailer
situations in the past. Never had “rescue” insurance. Figured that I could get out of my predicament with some serious thinking, repair on site or getting some kind of help from a passing Good Samaritan. So far it’s worked out.

Those camping trips are supposed to be an adventure and they almost always are, sometimes not of the enjoyable kind at the time. But usually a retellable tale evolves with the solution. Tiny in Georgia, the repair garage in Loa, Utah, two guys in a Case bulldozer shop in Geyserville, California, and a college kid ranger in the Black Hills,all good memories of helpful Americans.

Cash money in my pocket, a healthy credit card and a good toolbox are all part of a good traveling emergency package.
Iowa Dave

[marant]

Had the fuel pump die on our F 150 while towing in New Mexico a year or so ago. USAA paid to tow both truck and trailer. They towed the Ford to the dealer, took the trailer to an RV park. Took 6 days for the repair.

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by marant

Had the fuel pump die on our F 150 while towing in New Mexico a year or so ago. USAA paid to tow both truck and trailer. They towed the Ford to the dealer, took the trailer to an RV park. Took 6 days for the repair.

Alas, not eligible for USAA.

[Mike G]

Seems like the most practical coverage would be the AAA rv add-on, since you have the AAA for the truck already.



However, if ghosthunter is correct about them not towing off-pavement, personally that takes much of the draw away from AAA IMO since I envision some boondocking on forest roads and such. Considering what AAA charges annually and the overall likelihood of needing a tow, there's much in favor of Iowa Dave's methodology.

[WillyB]

We were heading to Iowa on 6/22 for a long weekend trip but an 1/8th mile from the house our 2016 52k Mile F150 IWE Actuator decided it was done.

If you’ve never had one fail they make an awful sound. The kind that tells you to stop NOW..

Since it was half connected in 2-Wheel drive I hade to drive it back home about 6 miles to get turned smoothly around in 4-Wheel drive but made it back without issue.

Disappointed but happy it happened so close to home.

Things happen when you least expect it..

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by Mike G

Seems like the most practical coverage would be the AAA rv add-on, since you have the AAA for the truck already.



However, if ghosthunter is correct about them not towing off-pavement, personally that takes much of the draw away from AAA IMO since I envision some boondocking on forest roads and such. Considering what AAA charges annually and the overall likelihood of needing a tow, there's much in favor of Iowa Dave's methodology.

Make sure you fully understand the benefits of the chapter of AAA that you live in. Each "chapter" can have different rules. If you have problems outside your local area they are suppose to follow your area benefits, but you may need to do some arguing to get them to do something different than their local rules.

I switched to Good Sam after our local AAA reduced trailer towing to 75 miles. Lots of places I visit out west require longer tows.

[jxoco]

I too had my automatic transmission overheat, not when towing the escape but when I had a camper on the box of the truck.
The solution, aside from just slowing down, was to never put the transmission, or let the transmission, go into overdrive mode.
I let it cool down for about 2 hours then drove to the nearest service station and poured enough trans fluid into it to top the level up and continued on home.
Some time later, the next year I think, I had my local shop install an extra transmission cooler.
But I didn’t change back to driving like everything was fine. I take it easy.

[ghosthunter]

Originally Posted by Mike G

Seems like the most practical coverage would be the AAA rv add-on, since you have the AAA for the truck already.



However, if ghosthunter is correct about them not towing off-pavement, personally that takes much of the draw away from AAA IMO since I envision some boondocking on forest roads and such. Considering what AAA charges annually and the overall likelihood of needing a tow, there's much in favor of Iowa Dave's methodology.

I hunt, I hunt a lot. I am on forest gravel roads a lot. Twice I have needed a tow while covered by AAA. With Rv coverage.
Both times I was refused service and slept in my truck over night on a gravel rd.
They would not tow me unless I was on pavement.

[Ian and Sue]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

On the "Great 4th" thread,

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...tml#post448972

I mentioned that we were off Saturday for a trip to the Pennsylvania Wilds. So after one false start (forgot to turn off a dehumidifier that I was concerned about), we headed out again, west on Route 20, avoiding the Mass Pike because of reported backups from holiday traffic. But suddenly, as we finally got some open road in Charlton (Rt 20 is stoplight city) I noticed a puff of blue smoke in my mirror, then the engine started chugging, and the image of a wrench appeared in my 2013 Ford Expedition display. Never saw that before, but not a good sign, I thought. Fortunately, I spotted a vacant business driveway, so pulled in and stopped.

Opening the hood, I was treated to gush of hot red fluid—coolant? I wondered, but there had been no sign of overheating. Then I touched it and knew it was transmission fluid, and the blue smoke was from a major leak hitting the exhaust pipe. Indeed, there was a nice trail of fluid off the road and into the driveway.

So there we were, about 30 miles from home, and dead in the water—well, on the road. I called AAA, but while they would tow my Expedition, they would not tow my trailer. Then I remembered a card that came with my Foremost RV insurance policy, advertising "towing and roadside assistance." The card said, “Tow vehicles are covered, too!” So I called the number, and after long periods on hold and going through layers of claim reps, I got to someone in Roadside Assistance. But he told me that since my tow vehicle was not insured with Foremost, it was not covered. And since my trailer was not damaged, it was not covered, either!

Well, I argued with him about that, quoting the card; after checking with supervisors, he finally came back and said they would tow the trailer home, but only up to the limit specified in my policy, which turns out to be $100 (no, I had never looked). Then he got a quote from someone, and said the tow would cost $243.25, and he would need a $143.25 credit-card payment. So I gave him the number and he set about trying to find a towing service from his list.

Now we had both TV and trailer covered, I thought. But time in the hot afternoon whiled away. No sign of AAA and no word from the Foremost guy. In the meantime, a good Samaritan named Ronnie, in a pickup, towing a utility trailer, pulled up and commiserated. He also told us that here was a local guy who ran a transportation and towing service, and gave us the name of the company. I called and got a woman who said they could tow our trailer to their yard (actually their home yard), and we could pick it up later.

Then, without any notice, the AAA truck showed up. I disconnected the trailer from the Expedition, and my wife rode home with the flatbed driver. Meanwhile, the Foremost agent said he finally found a company who would tow the trailer back to Framingham. The company was in Wendell, some distance away, and would be three hours getting to me. So I called the local business back, and when they showed up, a chatty guy named Bruce said he’d tow the trailer home for $400.

It was either that, or have my wife wife drive back out to pick me up, rent a truck the next day, and go out to pick up the trailer. I said OK, and off we went, Bruce and his girlfriend telling me stories about their long-distance adventures moving heavy construction equipment. It was entertaining enough to make up for the long, hot hours of uncertainty and trying to deal with an insurance company that clearly had no experience or interest in roadside assistance.

I had the Expedition towed back to the garage that had just flushed and changed all the transmission and transfer-case fluids, figuring they probably screwed up. Of course, they’re closed until Thursday. The Escape now sits on the side of our driveway, looking abandoned. We thought of renting a truck and heading out again—but no, enough was enough. We unpacked.

This all leads to the question: What’s the best way to get roadside assistance for both the tow vehicle and the trailer? I was told that AAA does offer RV assistance, so is that a good option? Or maybe Good Sam? Back when we got our Casita, I found that Good Sam did not write insurance in Massachusetts, so I went with Foremost. But now I see you can get roadside assistance from them without having their insurance.

Are there other options? We were actually fortunate at being so close to home—imagine how much worse it could have been hundreds of miles away!

[Apologies for the overlong post.]

I have good sam roadside assistance and have used them both for stupid me locking myself out of my vehicle...my much less stupid wife doing the same thing on her car. And a truck breakdown with my camper. So far everything has been covered and while it can take a while to get someone out they always have. You will get a lot of other sales crap from them but the service has been worth it so far.

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by jxoco

I too had my automatic transmission overheat, not when towing the escape but when I had a camper on the box of the truck.
The solution, aside from just slowing down, was to never put the transmission, or let the transmission, go into overdrive mode.
I let it cool down for about 2 hours then drove to the nearest service station and poured enough trans fluid into it to top the level up and continued on home.
Some time later, the next year I think, I had my local shop install an extra transmission cooler.
But I didn’t change back to driving like everything was fine. I take it easy.

According to the mechanic at the shop I use, the connection to the transmission cooler broke. He says there are two woven-aluminum hoses, and when he pulled them off, they were pretty fragile. Ford sells new ones as a kit, which the shop has now installed. Hope to have the Expy back today.

[Brian B-P]

In addition to the "chapter" variations in AAA/CAA (American Automobile Association / Canadian Automobile Association) coverage, RV towing under their coverage will normally be by a contracted service, and there can be issues with the local contractor that can make it difficult to get the service to which the customer is entitled. Of course any roadside assistance will delivered by contractors, and can have the same issues; the difference is that you may be accustomed to AAA/CAA-owned trucks delivering regular service for cars... but that fleet won't likely tow your trailer.

[Mike G]

I had the local U-Haul shop install a cooler on my '96 Windstar transmission when it was fairly new. In 2008 the cooler hose failed and the tranny got toasted by the loss of fluid. Win some, lose some.

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by Mike G

I had the local U-Haul shop install a cooler on my '96 Windstar transmission when it was fairly new. In 2008 the cooler hose failed and the tranny got toasted by the loss of fluid. Win some, lose some.

Got the Expedition back today. Shop replaced both cooler lines (about 5' of custom-fitted tubing with flexible ends; one failed at fitting to radiator). Took 9 quarts of transmission fluid to refill, so about 4 quarts remaining when I pulled off the road. Transmission seems to be OK. Fingers crossed.