Extended warranties, who buys these?

[Rustymayes]

I just bought a 2022 Newmar 4081 and of course it comes with the standard warranties. I went with Good Sam insurance through National General for casualty insurance and I have a Platinum roadside assistance plan from Good Sam but now I am being hounded to buy their extended warranty that covers just about everything one could imagine. I never buy extended warranties and have never regretted it either. I am considering it on this coach though since it is a very complicated machine with incredibly expensive mechanicals at risk. I am wondering if many of you have the same feelings about extended warranties on these coaches. I boated for the last thirty years in new and some very used boats and never employed a warranty. The money I saved on not buying warranties bought a lot of fuel and upgrades.

 

[Rich W.]

The warranty I was offered was around $10,000, probably more or less legit, but so far it would have only covered one air conditioner, less whatever decuctible (don’t recall the details) and while I don’t remember the milage/time to expiration I’m already over 60k miles 2 years later (bought it with 17k). So it depends on how long the warranty covers the vehcile, what the milage limitations are vs how much driving you think you’ll do, what your deductible will be, and how much trouble it is to get things covered.

I felt the warranty was a waste and passed. It might work for you. What does it cost, how long does it last, how many miles, what is the deductible, and how much will you drive, are the questions. Answering those, I’d try to guess what covered items might actually fail during your warranty period (but after their own warranty expires), and what those items would cost vs what your out of pocket cost would be for the same items, and compare that to the deductible plus the cost of the warranty.

For me it was just expensive insurance and at this point I’m prepared and willing to be self insured. So far my warranty would have “saved” me $1800 less the deductible, so I’d still be at least $8200 in the red. Since I do my own maintenance and go a bit overboard with it, I expect the drivetrain and chassis components to outlast any warranty. I didn’t expect a six year old air conditioner to fail but I’m not really surprised either. Bottom line is I felt it was over-priced and unnecessary.

These are all things you are probably already considering so I’m not sure any of this helps, but it represents this side of the argument. The peace of mind might be worth it to you, and the cost might be palatable, especially if you break it down to a cost per month.

 

[Rich W.]

As an aside, Sacramento Truck Center (the local Freightliner dealer) has been great to deal and they have a new separate RV service facility. Also when the time comes, East Bay Tire across the street is a Michelin dealer and they participate in the FMCA tire discount program. La Mesa RV in Davis is a good general RV repair shop.

 

[Rustymayes]

I think the one I am being offered for the new unit is a five year plan for about $4800 or $100 a month. That seems quite inexpensive in comparison but other than a tire or two I would not expect major systems to up and die with in the factory warranty period. I think the time to really look hard at a plan will be after the five year period.
Thanks for the input Rich

 

[Rich W.]

At $4800 for a new DS (3 times the cost of my used VT) I’d consider it more seriously than the deal I was offered.

Part of the reason I rejected the idea was that guy selling the warranty at the dealership was rather abrasive and and unpleasant (to put it in family-friendly terms) and dealing with him (trying to get him to understand what “no” means) was the only negative aspect of the entire experience. The rest was over-the-top positive.

As stated above, for me so far it‘s proven to be unnecessary, but as far as insurance goes, $100/month for a legit warranty that covers a rig like that seems more worth the cost.

 

[AbdRahim]

$4800-$10,000? I would invest the money and pay fir anything that broke after the manufacturer warranty ran out.

 

[Moose]

At $4800 for a new DS (3 times the cost of my used VT) I’d consider it more seriously than the deal I was offered.

Part of the reason I rejected the idea was that guy selling the warranty at the dealership was rather abrasive and and unpleasant (to put it in family-friendly terms) and dealing with him (trying to get him to understand what “no” means) was the only negative aspect of the entire experience. The rest was over-the-top positive.

As stated above, for me so far it‘s proven to be unnecessary, but as far as insurance goes, $100/month for a legit warranty that covers a rig like that seems more worth the cost.

$100/mo x 60 months (5 years) = $6000, so whats the difference? Other than paying future dollar vs. present dollar, I don't see one. Not trying to be dmart, just sayin'.

 

[gordo2050]

I just bought a 2019 Sportscoach 635rb. Dealer is pushing the Good Sam ESP, but he sorta stepped on his manhood with his pushiness. As the transaction went on, I couldn't get a price, just a payment. The wife got upset because I was ANGRY. I HATE FINANCE GUYS. Ended up walking out. I may not have my new RV, but we will see. I have found several other providers at less than half the price. It looks like good coverage.
Normally, I would not get a plan, but I'm not getting any younger, and all the new tech stuff scares the fire out of me. If the rig was new, I would wait, but not knowing the history of the unit, I think it is a wise move.

 

[FL-JOE]

The only extended warranty I purchased was when we took delivery of our new Newmar 4369. It was a Cornerstone ESP that covered everything except the engine and drivetrain. I figured the engine and drivetrain were covered several years out with Cummins/Freightliner factory warranties. If I recall correctly that Cornerstone ESP was less than $4,000 for five years. It was a great selling point when we sold the coach after 3 years because the new buyers could take it over.

On all of our other cheaper RVs I never felt the need for extended warranties.

 

[Joe Hogan]

If you look at the economics of these plans the actual amount going to the company offering the plan is maybe 10-20% of the premiums. The rest is commission and operating costs. In order for the Company to make any money, they can’t payout much $$.
Typical salesman/ dealer cut is generally north of 50% Of the commission .

No, Extended Warranties Are Usually Not Worth It

So why do so many people keep buying them?

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