Road assistance provider

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JackE
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Road assistance provider

Post by JackE »

I'm looking for opinions on a reliable road assistance provider for my situation. I have a pickup that I use to haul an in-bed camper while hauling an 18' boat. If I were to have a mechanical problem with the truck that required a tow to a repair facility, are there roadside assistance options that would cover hauling the truck/camper and the boat? The two main players, Good Sam and AAA don't seem to get good reviews. I would prefer to not use my auto insurance for towing as my rates would probably go up. Thanks
popoki
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Re: Road assistance provider

Post by popoki »

JackE wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2025 3:36 pm I would prefer to not use my auto insurance for towing as my rates would probably go up.
You're right about that. I got nailed for using USAA roadside assistance. And they put the same tow onto my claims history twice, then refused to remove one of them.

Make sure whoever you use does not report claims to LexisNexis. I have since used Allstate roadside assistance (they're not my auto insurer) and they did not report it to LexisNexis.

As an aside, make sure you have a battery booster (Noco, or other) so that you don't have to call roadside assistance for a jump.
rogue_economist
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Re: Road assistance provider

Post by rogue_economist »

Ounce if prevention is worth a lb of cure. Keep everything maintained, carry the tools and equipment to self help. If all that fails, towing will be a relatively minor issue.
Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they shall never sit in
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lthenderson
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Re: Road assistance provider

Post by lthenderson »

The one time I needed a tow due to a 4 foot long metal stake through my fuel tank :shock: , I just used a cell phone and called a tow truck in the town I was heading towards. It came and hauled my vehicle to the shop of my choice and gave me a lift there too. It cost me a few years of AAA membership costs but was the first time in over 4 decades of driving I've had to get a tow. I will probably continue to "self insure" by just taking my cell phone with me where ever I go.

For my college attending daughter however, I bought a AAA membership for I think around of $60 per year. They will not only tow her vehicle but also change flat tires, jump start the vehicle and deliver fuel for the cost of the fuel is necessary. I thought it good insurance since it would take me several hours and probably more than the annual fee in fuel/depreciation costs to make a round trip to where ever she was stranded to do the same things.
Topic Author
JackE
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Re: Road assistance provider

Post by JackE »

Thanks for the thoughts. I keep my truck, trailers etc. well maintained and carry tools to take care of stuff that can be done on the side of the road. I was just thinking of that one in a million chance that I would need the truck towed. Towing outfits may have an issue with a camper on the back of the truck; wouldn't want to leave the boat or the camper on the side of the road. Time to make a some calls to towing outfits to see what it would cost to get all my stuff off the road. Maybe just self-insure.
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lthenderson
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Re: Road assistance provider

Post by lthenderson »

JackE wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2025 6:21 pm Thanks for the thoughts. I keep my truck, trailers etc. well maintained and carry tools to take care of stuff that can be done on the side of the road. I was just thinking of that one in a million chance that I would need the truck towed. Towing outfits may have an issue with a camper on the back of the truck; wouldn't want to leave the boat or the camper on the side of the road. Time to make a some calls to towing outfits to see what it would cost to get all my stuff off the road. Maybe just self-insure.
Perhaps investing in a trailer hitch lock to immobilize your trailer until you get back from the tow is an option. I've also seen people install wheel chock locks. That would eliminate to worry about finding someone who can tow both your vehicle and trailer at once which I imagine might be tough if not dangerous.

https://www.bulletproofhitches.com/prod ... upler-lock

https://1st-in-padlocks.com/products/tc ... -chock-loc
Padlin
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Re: Road assistance provider

Post by Padlin »

I used Good Sam when I had campers, they had better provision to haul both the vehicle and the camper as opposed to getting stuck leaving the camper on the side of the road, no idea if this is still the case as I got rid of my last one during Covid. I only needed them once and that was in New England not far from a town, they showed up in about 30 minutes, at 4 am, in the rain.
Regards | Bob
bombcar
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Re: Road assistance provider

Post by bombcar »

AAA premium/RV can help with the trailer situation, but you may want to really work out "worst case scenario cost" because it may be lower than you think, depending on your travel plans.

For example, most towing companies can send out the flatbed for about as much as the regular picker, and attaching a trailer to the flatbed is just a matter of adapters.

Even a full semi-sized tow vehicle for a large military vehicle was only $400 or so. It may be better to just "self-insure" and know the tow contacts in various areas you travel through.
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warner25
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Re: Road assistance provider

Post by warner25 »

lthenderson wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2025 4:36 pm ...just used a cell phone and called a tow truck in the town I was heading towards... will probably continue to "self insure" by just taking my cell phone with me where ever I go.

For my college attending daughter however, I bought a AAA membership...
I waffled on this for a few years, because it does seem like something that should be easily self-insurable, but my wife and I decided on a AAA membership a few years ago. It does make things a bit easier in a stressful situation to have a single number to call.

On that note, I'll point out for the OP that AAA mostly just coordinates for what I'd call "the actual providers" that show up. So whether you call AAA or a local towing company for yourself, you're probably getting the same local towing company. So keep that in mind when reading the reviews about AAA service. Sometimes I have seen somebody show up in a truck and uniform with AAA livery, but only in a big metro area.
enad
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Re: Road assistance provider

Post by enad »

Used AAA for a long time, never had an issue. The thing about reviews is people who have an issue tend to leave a review more than folks who have not had an issue.
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windaar
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Re: Road assistance provider

Post by windaar »

AAA has always been great for me and I like that all drivers in my family have a card. If there's a problem on the road you just call the number and someone comes right out. If you feel you are are in an unsafe situation they alert the troopers or police with your location.
Nobody knows nothing.
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yankees60
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Re: Road assistance provider

Post by yankees60 »

warner25 wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2025 1:11 pm
lthenderson wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2025 4:36 pm ...just used a cell phone and called a tow truck in the town I was heading towards... will probably continue to "self insure" by just taking my cell phone with me where ever I go.

For my college attending daughter however, I bought a AAA membership...
I waffled on this for a few years, because it does seem like something that should be easily self-insurable, but my wife and I decided on a AAA membership a few years ago. It does make things a bit easier in a stressful situation to have a single number to call.

On that note, I'll point out for the OP that AAA mostly just coordinates for what I'd call "the actual providers" that show up. So whether you call AAA or a local towing company for yourself, you're probably getting the same local towing company. So keep that in mind when reading the reviews about AAA service. Sometimes I have seen somebody show up in a truck and uniform with AAA livery, but only in a big metro area.
Is my bias warranted?

If you have a towing company that has plenty of business then you will not be an AAA towing company. Therefore, you'll get a subpar towing company. Then, on top of that, I'm assuming AAA pays the towing company less than those who pay the towing company directly. Therefore, if they get a call from you via AAA or me who is going to pay them more ... which one are they going to take care first?
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
bombcar
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Re: Road assistance provider

Post by bombcar »

yankees60 wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2025 5:56 pm Is my bias warranted?

If you have a towing company that has plenty of business then you will not be an AAA towing company. Therefore, you'll get a subpar towing company. Then, on top of that, I'm assuming AAA pays the towing company less than those who pay the towing company directly. Therefore, if they get a call from you via AAA or me who is going to pay them more ... which one are they going to take care first?
Totally depends on the locality and how busy places are and what's available. Sometimes the AAA towing company is the biggest/best in the area, and service is great. Sometimes it's the ONLY truck in the area, and service is also fine. Sometimes it's an individual operator and still great, and he even bends the rules for you because it's "no additional cost to him", like back when they were 7 miles but since he had to come from past the house, he'd drag it back all the way.

For generic breakdowns/flats AAA will usually be fine, but if you're off the road on a snowy/icy day, you might be waiting hours or even days (after 2 hours when you call back ask for a unattended tow and leave the keys hidden in the car!).

AAA does pay a small amount for a given tow, but they also pay a flat fee per year to the company, which is why they do it.
GAAP
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Re: Road assistance provider

Post by GAAP »

I've seen good reviews for Better World Club over the years, haven't used them myself.

A web search for "roadside assistance comparison" will give you a whole bunch of stuff to wade through.
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yankees60
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Re: Road assistance provider

Post by yankees60 »

Today Howard Clark has something on the matter. Full of information.

https://clark.com/insurance/car-insuran ... Newsletter

Why You Should Never Use Roadside Assistance
Written by Ruthe Hall | February 7th, 2025
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Doom&Gloom
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Re: Road assistance provider

Post by Doom&Gloom »

yankees60 wrote: Fri Feb 07, 2025 1:46 pm Today Howard Clark has something on the matter. Full of information.

https://clark.com/insurance/car-insuran ... Newsletter

Why You Should Never Use Roadside Assistance
Written by Ruthe Hall | February 7th, 2025
What a misleading title they put on that article!
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