Hi Dave,
I am buying this coach with 36,000 miles on it. I want to purchase a warranty product that will cover all of the important things on the coach for a period of 5 years. I have been looking at lots of companies online. I am trying to determine who I should talk to about such coverage. I am new to coaching, so I do not know what companies I should speak to. Any advice would be appreciated. —Brooke, 2009 42-ft. Fleetwood Revolution, ISL Cummins 400HP
Hi Brooke,
First, let me welcome you to the wonderful world of RVing, and especially to RVtravel.com! I find it interesting that your first venture into the RV world is with one of the largest motorized units available in the 42’ Fleetwood Revolution diesel pusher. But good for you!
Since the RV market exploded a few years ago, there has been what I call a tidal wave of companies that have flooded the market with products and services claiming to be RV specialists. Most of these companies have been in the residential, industrial, or automotive markets and see the great potential in the RV market without the track record. Just because something works on your house or commercial building doesn’t mean it will work on your RV.
Same thing for extended warranties, service contracts, and insurance. In my opinion, the three most important components to consider when looking for an extended warranty company or policy is what is covered, who can do the work, and how do you know the company will be in business for the long haul?
What does it cover
There are many different policies available starting with the basics that covers just a specific list of items and can sometimes be customized for budget purposes. Some policies offer just coach coverage and not the powertrain. Since you have the 400HP Cummins diesel pusher, I assume it is on a Freightliner Custom Chassis. Typically, that chassis had a 5-year/100,000-mile warranty, so it is out of warranty by more than 10 years. Therefore, an extended warranty that covers the drivetrain would be worth looking at.
An exclusionary coverage plan is more comprehensive and designed for owners that use their rigs more often and have more high-line amenities like your Revolution. However, it does come with a higher price tag, so it depends on your level of comfort in the budget.
Extended warranties are designed to cover mechanical and electrical breakdowns in an RV. However, they do not cover maintenance items such as water leaks, delamination, and material degradation such as fiberglass sidewall fading, awning fabric, decals, and roof material. It is still important to do regular maintenance such as cleaning and conditioning the roof and sidewall material, and checking and resealing all joints and openings on the roof. Make sure you get a detailed list of what is and what is not covered by the companies you are researching.
Who can do the repairs
Most extended warranty companies are simply brokers using a third party insurance firm. Some have specific dealers or service centers that you must take the unit to for repairs. Sometimes this could be hundreds of miles away. Look at the companies that allow any licensed dealer or service center to work on your rig, especially if you will be traveling around the country.
The reputation of the company or broker
As stated earlier, most extended warranty companies or providers are simply brokers for third party insurance companies. It is important to do your research. Check the reviews at the Better Business Bureau or online forums. I have personally worked with Coach-Net for over 25 years, and not only have they been in the RV industry for that period of time, their technical support and agents are Certified RV Technicians. Plus, they have more than 800 networked service locations across the country to get you taken care of fast, and will work with any qualified service location.
Another company that I have been watching and researching is Wholesale Warranties that many RV Clubs have endorsed and which advertises with RVtravel.com. They have an excellent rating with the Better Business Bureau. They only use A-rated insurance companies that are financially stable to reduce the risk of a company going out of business and leaving you hanging. They recommend using A.M. Best to research the insurance companies to determine the A ratings. You can find more information about the two companies here:
I am sure there are other companies that have good coverage, so let’s see what our readers have found about these companies and others.
You might also enjoy this from Dave
Who offers the best RV warranty?
Dear Dave,
Which company offers the best warranty for a bumper-pull travel trailer? —Tony, 2021 Jayco White Hawk 27RB
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and the author of the “RV Handbook.”
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Another thing to consider is what their requirements are for keeping the warranty in force. Many/most will require regular maintenance, but the 2 big questions are who has to do that maintenance, and how do you prove it was done. (An issue if you want to do the maintenance yourself. )
Good point & its called keeping detailed records & receipts of anything you do!
Snoopy
With the recent article showing that 1 in 6 RV’s are in the shop for extended periods of time and that many shops won’t work on YOUR RV unless you purchased it from them, another consideration when looking at extended warranties is whether they will cover a mobile service.
I’ve had to use mobile services on site a number of times due to the above issues. My warranty company covered the cost of repairs, but the mobile service charge was an out-of-pocket expense.
I’m wondering what kind of quality coverage he can get with his rig 15 years old?
Snoopy
I did a lot of research and came up with this:
These are not true warranties but they are service contracts.
Exclusionary is the most succinct and less arguable type of contact.
Good Sam offered the best exclusionary contract at a very reasonable price.
I didn’t purchase one, preferring to pay my way as things progressed. Probably a 50/50 proposition in hind sight.
How about the option of creating a repair acct with money you would have spent on an expensive contract? Plus you can add to it periodically. You’ll have peace of mind, convenience and security.
The ISL mated with the Allison 3000MH transmission is a very robust powertrain. A 2009 would have a DPF but not a DEF system reducing emissions complexity. If well maintained this can be a 1M mile drivetrain. A 2009 is also not going to be loaded with many of the electronics that can plague RV owners with newer units.
I’m in the “self funding” camp, but it is a very personal decision. I do all my own maintenance and repairs. On my 2013 Newmar Mountain Aire, which I’ve owned for 5 years, I have had < $500 total in parts that would have been covered under a warranty. A couple of air leveling valves and a plastic DEF hose connector. Maintenance is key.
I am my own extended warranty. Bought a 2020 Montana 5th wheel new and have had a few minor and one major repair (fridge fire). I fixed some myself and the DC fridge conversion was done by JC Refrigeration. Still worked out much cheaper for me in the long run, but if you are not a real handy person I have two pieces of advice. 1) Don’t buy an RV! 2) Get an extended warranty.
Thank you, Dave! We were similar to Brooke, buying a 2016 43′ American Revolution as our first RV. We had rented RVs, spent several weekends and a vacation with DW’s parents in their RV, and read everything that I could find about RVs before we bought. Coach-Net sold us our extended service contract on the ’16. They were not offering extended service contracts when we contacted them this summer, but planned to offer them again in the near future. My understanding was that they were searching for a new vendor to actually execute the contracts.
I just spoke with a Coach-Net rep (11:15 AM EDT, 11/30/2023) and she did not know if Coach-Net is planning to offer extended service contracts in the future, but confirmed that they are not selling them at this time. 🙁
Thanks, Neal. I’ve passed your info along to Dave Solberg. Take care. 😀 –Diane
I have a request in to my Coach-Net contact to clarify. I’ll post what I find out. It still shows the Service Agreement on the website. However, they have been recently purchased by Blue Compass so there might be some changes?
I see that, Dave. Also, I was able to download an extended service brochure. However, when I chose the “Request A Quote” option, my only choices were “Hazard Protection (Tire & Wheel),” and “Roadside Assistance.” We have both of those, but no extended service contract yet. We priced contracts with Wholesale Warranties this summer (days before our manufacturer warranty expired) of various durations and mileage ceilings and almost fainted from sticker-shock. I may request a quote from Good Sam.
Just got confirmation from my Coach-Net contact. They are not selling the Service Contracts directly from the site, rather through their dealer network. They were bought by Blue Compass and it makes sense not to compete with the individual dealers.
They’re all great until you make a claim. Just canceled my good Sam. The most condescending person I have ever spoken to