Part 1: What RV mechanics really think about RV extended warranties
You’ll often hear conflicting stories about extended warranty plans. Some consumers hate them, some won’t travel without them. I recently sat down and interviewed Staci from Wholesale Warranties to talk about them.
In this episode, I share the experience from the repair center’s view. At California RV Specialists, we are fans of extended service contracts, and have seen from experience these contracts assist in taking the financial burden when things go “bump in the night.” As long as the point of failure is covered under your service plan, we are paid within a few hours of your leaving with your repaired RV.
5-part series on RV extended warranties
- Part 1: What RV mechanics really think about RV extended warranties
- Part 2: Wholesale Warranties | Plan offerings (more on those here)
- Part 3: Can I get an RV extended service plan on a used RV?
- Part 4: Coverage for trip interruptions and food spoilage
- Part 5: What are the top RV extended warranty claims?
Make sure you check out our website, California RV Specialists, and their YouTube channel for more helpful information, and see our published articles on RVtravel.com and other social media pages.
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Our (excellent I might add) fully licensed and insured mobile RV tech doesn’t think very highly of extended warranties, especially for smaller items. He proved his point 6 years ago. Our water pump failed within a couple months and we were about 120miles RT from the nearest participating dealer. He would accept the warranty but pointed out the warranty provider would not compensate him for the time he spent on the phone getting approval, and I would be responsible for that tab. We went for it and it took the better part of an hour for him to get approval. I got his point. He was stuck for that time at our RV site. In the end, we saved about $30 versus just paying for the bill outright.
Extended warranties have so many exclusions built into them to keep you from being able to collect I have never subscribed to one. The warranty is designed to protect them not you. You may have a legitimate situation that you thought would be covered but unless you are a lawyer or have a close relative who is one your claim will be denied. It’s like I was telling DW the other day about the paperwork you get with a prescription, it’s written to protect the pharmaceutical company not you of the possible side effects. Many times she refuses to take the med because of the possible side effects.
Like anything, you have to research it thoroughly and decide what’s right for you. We did get a 7 year extended warranty on our TT and used it about 3 times for relatively minor problems. I almost cancelled it a couple of times to get a partial refund. Then we had a major slide failure that shorted out wiring in the underbelly. The slide motor had to be replaced, and part of the underbelly removed to replace burnt wiring. That expense alone exceeded the cost of the warranty.
If an Extended Warranty is a main consideration in purchasing or using your RV, don’t buy or use it. Anyone selling you an Extended Warranty receives a hefty commission and that’s their concern and not your wellbeing. Being prepared to fix minor problems yourself or knowing reputable repair shops for major repairs will be your best warranty.
This video was a complete waste of time as all it amounted to was a big plug for one specific warranty company. Where are the expected comments by numerous RV mechanics ?
I own a mobile RV repair service. We accept all the extended service plans (warranty). I have no problems with then, they cover what they say they will. It boils down to an inclusion plan or exclusion plan. Some plans cover all, some or none of the service call fees. Some may want to adjust the price on what we request for parts, most don’t. For small repairs these plans may not help much, but for larger they do.
I have found that if a mobile rv service does not accept an Extended Service Plan, then they are not familiar with how they work, or don’t accept credit cards, because that is how we get paid, and usually within 24 hours
Emergency on a Sunday morning when the warranty company doesn’t answer the phone on Sunday and you need to be somewhere that is a two-day drive away within two days. No time to wait for them to get to work on Monday and then hem and haw about the situation. Too bad if it cost over $500 and you get the work done they won’t even cover the $500 emergency repair limit. Maybe not this warranty company but the one I have and thank goodness it expires in a few months…NOT getting renewed.