Hello, I'm a newbie on this forum and I'm in the process of purchasing a 2015 28' Thor with 11,000 miles. The warranties the dealer is pushing, have multiple negative reviews. Can any of you recommend an RV warranty and a Tire/Wheel warranty? Thank You!
Most RV warranties are not worth the paper they are written on due to the "exclusions" in the fine print. It's awful. RV forums are FULL of horror stories from people that paid thousands of dollars for ma warranty and then couldn't get hardly anything covered when there was a problem. Personally, I'd save the $2500 and use it to fix the things that pop up. You'll be money ahead in most cases, because even if you have a warranty there is a deductible to pay for each repair as well.
I am a strong believer in the “Me, Myself & I Extended Warranty Company.” Take the money you would pay for the best extended warranty you could buy and put it into a conservative investment account to be drawn down ONLY for RV repairs. I’m betting that 10 years down the road, you’ll still have a nice nest egg investment.
Thanks EZ , TJ, and Gronk...that's exactly how I'm leaning. Based on all I've read on line (and in the "fine print" on one warranty) and also due to the low mileage of the motor home (10,800) I'm going to pass on the warranty. By the way, the warranty that was being encouraged by the dealer is a "North Star" Warranty and is $3,800 for three years, $4,200 for 5 years. Again, Thank you for reinforcing what I was feeling!
Put the $4200 in the bank and keep it available for RV repairs ONLY. This way if something does pop up and need replacing or repaired, it won't be a big deal for your budget.
Motorhome coverage can get pricy but is also available for much less for "coach only". That way the components are covered and the cost is much less. We sell service contracts at my company. They are kind of like insurance, rates and based on LOSS RATIOS. Sure dealers make some money selling them but nobody works for free. The selling price can always be negotiated as well. Most dealers will take a sale for less than nothing.
Getting an approval ahead of the repair is a huge help in dealing with all of the companies.
Let me know if we can help.
Thank you,
Ken
I see a lot of people asking about whether or not to purchase a “Extended Warranty” on their Travel Trailer or Motorhome. I would also apply this to your next car or truck purchase. As a former Service Manager at a New Car Dealership for over 25 years, I thought I would give you some insight to...
I read your link. Just a couple things that are different from auto and RV. Car dealers sometimes sell "service contract" or "pre-paid" service that is only good at their dealership. It is their own plan and falls under a sort of self insured type plan. The bet is that some will not come back or forget they bought the coverage. In the RV and Marine business, I am sure that some dealers have this type of plan but aftermarket company plans are good all over. Main this is to know what you bought.
One large key (as you mentioned), is to get a pre-approval BEFORE repairs are done. Always ask permission, not forgiveness.
I have not seen an RV manufacturer offer a factory expended plan. Most dealers use aftermarket. Like anything, there are good solid companies and some not so good. Most will have some comments easily found in a Google search.
The advantage of service plans is to avoid writing a check for a major repair. If the unit is financed, a few dollars a month is easier that a big check. Like any insurance, we all hope to not use them but the additional security can be helpful for some.
Thank you,
Ken
When we had our Newmar we did purchase a Cornerstone extended service contract. My thinking was there was just so many things that could go wrong on a 43' all electric DP and I wanted close to full coverage after the 1 year manufacturer warranty expired. Never used the ESP. Newmar covered a couple things well after my initial warranty expired.
The only benefit to me after spending money on a five year ESP and only using it for three years was the fact when I sold my coach I could sell it as "includes warranty". The new owners simply had to pay a $50 transfer fee and get almost 2 years of coverage.
On our new 5th wheel we didn't even consider an extended plan.
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