After over two years of looking for our 5th wheel we have purchased a new Montana High Country 381th which we will pick up this Friday. I have strongly considered purchasing an extended service plan (some would call it an extended warranty). I have looked at 3 options and would be interested in getting information on some of these plans.
The dealer we purchased the RV from provides a lifetime warranty from a group called Warranty Forever. As long as the RV is inspected by a licensed shop annually it covers repairs or replacement of many items on the RV. The dealer tells me up front that it doesn’t cover everything but they offer an expanded protection for a cost of $3,261 for 5 years. I have requested information about the coverage.
I have also received a quote from Good Sam ESP with a guaranteed rate for up to 6 years.
The plan I am really considering is Wholesale Warranties Viking Protection EXE 7 year plan. Items not covered are Awning Material, frame, structural damage, adjustments, bedding, bumpers, carpet, satellite and telephone wiring, countertops, flooring, doors, and furniture. Other items not covered are normal insurance covered items, corrosion, deterioration, and rust.
I know some don’t believe in protection plans and I am not one to always buy them. I have purchased plans such as Ford ESP for my truck and one for my last Honda Goldwing. I will say I almost didn’t purchase it for the Goldwing as those bikes are know for running without problems. I did have a claim to replace a switch on the Goldwing. It more than paid for the cost of the plan, so that one worked out. Haven’t had to use it on the truck as it is only a year old and covered by the MFG original warranty. The truck and RV can be fairly complex and after reading about some of the problems people have experienced with RV’s the piece of mind might be worth it.
So if you have had any experience with the mentioned plans please let me know. If there are any other plans to consider I would appreciate that information too.
Howard likes and recommends Wholesale Warranties (we'll probably go with them on our next RV). We have a Route 66 plan on our current RV and their service has been good. A lot of reading over time on a number of forums indicates Good Sam has a poor reputation for honoring contracts and providing customer service.
Rob
Barbaraok said
11:07 AM Nov 5, 2019
We put 15% of the purchase price into an account, add to it each month, pay for maintenance, new tires & batteries, replaced things BEFORE they break and other repairs. 14 yrs and counting, that account is always in the black.
Being able to replace BEFORE breaking, when wear or another similar part broke is important!
LarryW21 said
07:52 PM Nov 6, 2019
Who’s life? Your life? Dealer’s life? RVs expected life? Then we can start with the RV exceptions.
RonC said
10:01 AM Nov 7, 2019
I had an extended warranty and found that I seldom exceeded the annual $500 deductible. It cost me more just to have the insurance. I canceled the insurance and now we self insure. But if a “surprise” $1,500 bill will overwhelm you then self insurance might not be for you.
arcaguy said
04:28 PM Nov 7, 2019
I guess this all boils down to your tolerance and ability to absorb bad news. I just called today to check on the cost for a warranty for the running gear for a new super C coach. The cost was about $3,253 for 7 years or about $464.71 per year or $40 per month. This is about 1/6 of the replacement cost of a new engine for the coach. I my case I think I'm going to pass, as any issues with a new engine will likely show up while the engine is still in the manufacturer's warranty period. It is nearly the price of a new rebuilt transmission. I don't know what a new rear end costs but I'm thinking it's probably about the same as a transmission. The point being that the failure rate of those three components is small and personally I'm willing to take that risk to save $3,200. I also have the capability of paying for a new engine out of pocket if necessary. If I weren't, maybe things would be different. As with all extended warranties you're betting that something will break and the warranty company is betting that it won't. The way that the warranty companies make money is that they know what the average failure rate is and price accordingly. You, on the other hand, don't want to be that person that is 3 standard deviations away from the average. Your money, your comfort level. Just my dos centavos.
NWescapee said
10:27 AM Nov 8, 2019
We are on our second extended warranty, with about 2 years left on the current policy and both have more than paid for themselves. I absolutely hate dealing with the companies, our current plan is through Cornerstone and I honestly cannot recommend them. Our last 2 claims should have been covered but they found minor technicalities and refused to pay. However, over 6.5 years we would have paid far more in repairs compared to the cost of the warranty. We bought out DRV Mobile Suites when it was 2 years old, so it wasn't brand new and we the fridge circuit board go out before we even got it home to pack it and sell the house.
We also had the ESP plan on the truck, our engine failed while we were still under the original manufacturer's warranty. We finally used the extended warranty 4 months before it expired when the fuel system needed to be replaced, 11K in cost, all covered except for the taxes on the rental car that we had.
Our current thinking is that on these very complex RVs, so many things can go wrong and it gives us some peace knowing that we're not likely to get hit with a huge, unexpected expense due to repairs. Yes, we have money in savings, but I still don't like big $$$ surprises.
Bill and Linda said
11:36 AM Nov 8, 2019
Jon:
Many threads on this topic and it comes down to the ability to self-insure and how much hassle and delay, if you travel a lot, you're willing to endure.
Ruth & Dale said it well as the hassle and denial on technicalities. Then there is the possibility of having to wait someplace on an "adjuster" to get the work approved (which we are not willing to do.)
On a motorhome type RV perhaps on the drive train it it is worth it "depending" on your situation as if the drivetrain fails you're not moving anyway. Barb is correct about a rainy day fund for big motorhome items if one can afford it. But for the other items, especially a 5th wheel, not so much in our view.
In now 13 years dealing with the RV situation (5th wheel) it would not have benefited us even if we were willing to wait on an adjuster.
If you are reasonably "handy" and can fit things yourself and also can learn how to fix most RV issues, then certainly not recommenced. If you don't know which end of a screwdriver to pickup then your decision may be different. "It depends" but for us, nope.
Safe travels,
Bill
Barbaraok said
02:24 PM Nov 8, 2019
It also comes down to the rig you choose. "Entry" level rigs are more likely to break down when being used for full timing. So it is something to consider when purchasing a rig. If "entry" level, then it might be that extended service contract (which is what they are) is a good idea - - it is all about knowing what you are purchasing, the history of the manufacturer, the known problems, etc.
NWescapee said
11:40 AM Nov 9, 2019
I will have to "agree to disagree" with Barb on this, I don't consider a DRV Mobile Suites an entry level unit. Our primary problems have been the Lippert components (hydraulic and suspension systems) and the Dometic fridge.
Dale is pretty handy, has replaced things that wore out such as the shocks, water pump, repairing leaks in the hydraulic system, repairing the convection oven, etc. But replacing axles or the cooling unit on the fridge was not something he felt he could do on his own.
NWescapee said
12:05 PM Nov 9, 2019
One more note on this and then I'll shut up
We've started shopping for our next home on wheels knowing that we want something smaller in the next 1-2 years after Dale retires and we don't need work space for both of us and storage space for his work tools and materials. If we were buying new today I would definitely have an extended warranty.
The qualify of the RV Manufacturers has gone downhill so much. As we've been shopping I've joined various Facebook groups / user forums related to specific brands and it's absolutely mind boggling to read the horror stories some owners are going through on brand new rigs that either didn't have a thorough PDI or a dealer who knew how to correctly fix all the manufacturer problems. We toured brand new RVs that I could find major problems with just sitting on the dealers lot, and I'm not talking about just cosmetic problems, example - slides not aligned, obvious problems even for a non-mechanical person such as myself.
Barbaraok said
01:11 PM Nov 9, 2019
Ruth, I wasn't referring to you guys. I was speaking in general that if one is going to go full-time not to get an entry level RV because they are really for weekenders, not for continuous use. And ALL manufacturers can have problems, as you unfortunately found out. One of the reasons we bought a 3 year old motorhome was because we wanted someone else to have done the "quality control" that original purchasers get to do because manufacturers don't have anyone doing it in their facilities. This might be more for DPs as people who buy those don't tend to abuse them, so their gently used rigs can be very, very good buys.
NWescapee said
04:33 PM Nov 11, 2019
Barb - no problem. I do think the current RV Manufacturing process is producing less quality and more problematic rigs these days which needs to be considered both when purchasing a rig as well as deciding if you want to purchase a warranty.
We were hoping that buying a 2 year old unit high end unit would have meant that quality control was completed. It's ironic that the 2 failures that occurred before Dale even got the 5th wheel back to Seattle for us to back it and move (hydraulic and fridge) have continued to plague us for 6.5 years.
After over two years of looking for our 5th wheel we have purchased a new Montana High Country 381th which we will pick up this Friday. I have strongly considered purchasing an extended service plan (some would call it an extended warranty). I have looked at 3 options and would be interested in getting information on some of these plans.
The dealer we purchased the RV from provides a lifetime warranty from a group called Warranty Forever. As long as the RV is inspected by a licensed shop annually it covers repairs or replacement of many items on the RV. The dealer tells me up front that it doesn’t cover everything but they offer an expanded protection for a cost of $3,261 for 5 years. I have requested information about the coverage.
I have also received a quote from Good Sam ESP with a guaranteed rate for up to 6 years.
The plan I am really considering is Wholesale Warranties Viking Protection EXE 7 year plan. Items not covered are Awning Material, frame, structural damage, adjustments, bedding, bumpers, carpet, satellite and telephone wiring, countertops, flooring, doors, and furniture. Other items not covered are normal insurance covered items, corrosion, deterioration, and rust.
I know some don’t believe in protection plans and I am not one to always buy them. I have purchased plans such as Ford ESP for my truck and one for my last Honda Goldwing. I will say I almost didn’t purchase it for the Goldwing as those bikes are know for running without problems. I did have a claim to replace a switch on the Goldwing. It more than paid for the cost of the plan, so that one worked out. Haven’t had to use it on the truck as it is only a year old and covered by the MFG original warranty. The truck and RV can be fairly complex and after reading about some of the problems people have experienced with RV’s the piece of mind might be worth it.
So if you have had any experience with the mentioned plans please let me know. If there are any other plans to consider I would appreciate that information too.
Thanks,
Jon
Have you read Howard's material on ESPs?: https://www.rv-dreams.com/rv-extended-warranties.html
Howard likes and recommends Wholesale Warranties (we'll probably go with them on our next RV). We have a Route 66 plan on our current RV and their service has been good. A lot of reading over time on a number of forums indicates Good Sam has a poor reputation for honoring contracts and providing customer service.
Rob
We also had the ESP plan on the truck, our engine failed while we were still under the original manufacturer's warranty. We finally used the extended warranty 4 months before it expired when the fuel system needed to be replaced, 11K in cost, all covered except for the taxes on the rental car that we had.
Our current thinking is that on these very complex RVs, so many things can go wrong and it gives us some peace knowing that we're not likely to get hit with a huge, unexpected expense due to repairs. Yes, we have money in savings, but I still don't like big $$$ surprises.
Jon:
Many threads on this topic and it comes down to the ability to self-insure and how much hassle and delay, if you travel a lot, you're willing to endure.
Ruth & Dale said it well as the hassle and denial on technicalities. Then there is the possibility of having to wait someplace on an "adjuster" to get the work approved (which we are not willing to do.)
On a motorhome type RV perhaps on the drive train it it is worth it "depending" on your situation as if the drivetrain fails you're not moving anyway. Barb is correct about a rainy day fund for big motorhome items if one can afford it. But for the other items, especially a 5th wheel, not so much in our view.
In now 13 years dealing with the RV situation (5th wheel) it would not have benefited us even if we were willing to wait on an adjuster.
If you are reasonably "handy" and can fit things yourself and also can learn how to fix most RV issues, then certainly not recommenced. If you don't know which end of a screwdriver to pickup then your decision may be different. "It depends" but for us, nope.
Safe travels,
Bill
Dale is pretty handy, has replaced things that wore out such as the shocks, water pump, repairing leaks in the hydraulic system, repairing the convection oven, etc. But replacing axles or the cooling unit on the fridge was not something he felt he could do on his own.
One more note on this and then I'll shut up
We've started shopping for our next home on wheels knowing that we want something smaller in the next 1-2 years after Dale retires and we don't need work space for both of us and storage space for his work tools and materials. If we were buying new today I would definitely have an extended warranty.
The qualify of the RV Manufacturers has gone downhill so much. As we've been shopping I've joined various Facebook groups / user forums related to specific brands and it's absolutely mind boggling to read the horror stories some owners are going through on brand new rigs that either didn't have a thorough PDI or a dealer who knew how to correctly fix all the manufacturer problems. We toured brand new RVs that I could find major problems with just sitting on the dealers lot, and I'm not talking about just cosmetic problems, example - slides not aligned, obvious problems even for a non-mechanical person such as myself.
We were hoping that buying a 2 year old unit high end unit would have meant that quality control was completed. It's ironic that the 2 failures that occurred before Dale even got the 5th wheel back to Seattle for us to back it and move (hydraulic and fridge) have continued to plague us for 6.5 years.