AAA insurance

1-tonmudder

1-tonmudder

Doin my part to stir the pot.
Joined
Apr 17, 2005
Location
Greeneville TN
Lets hear the horror stories.I know this has been talked about in the past.
 
I'm included on my wife's plan. I've already used it twice, unlock and a tow. 200 mile tow coverage and my favorite campsite was 198 miles away.
 
They got me when they decided F350’s need RV coverage but neglected to tell me. Left me stranded when my water pump went out.


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Yep and this applies to single wheel as well. So if you drive an F350 or a 3500 truck you have to up the coverage or de-badge the truck, even is it’s just a single rear wheel.

With that said I have it, and have used it and it’s worth it. Very comforting knowing we have it.
 
I run the good Sam's coverage so they will get the camper off the road too. We have used it for lockout and tire change no issues so far.
 
I have AAA RV plus coverage and they towed my huge RV home from ure at no cost. Used them many times to change tires on the RV also. It has paid for itself a few times already

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I've had it for 15 years and have had no complaints. Daily driving the Jeep for a few years I used it A LOT. They even towed my '97 and '02 F-250 power strokes the few times they left me stranded.
 
My parents have had it for 20 + years, used it a few times over that period of time. I finally convinced them to drop it this year after I bought a wrecker and a roll back, it'll probably cost me more to tow them in but they're my parents and if any one is gonna tow them it should be their son. And it won't cost them a dime, the tow or the repair.
 
Ive been putting off getting it but with a trip to Fl starting on Sat for a week and then one day home before a trip back to Norfolk Va for at least two days I felt like now was a good time.Tonya got the prem plus w Rv and trailer,plus added her for like $200 total.We'll see what happens,hopefully nothing.My trucks are getting some miles and age on em and the lucks not gonna hold out forever.
 
How much does a regular tow cost? How often have you needed to be towed? How far will the AAA plan tow you?

I had it for about a year. Used it once. I could have called my dad or a buddy with a trailer and got it home faster. In 20 years of driving, I've needed a tow 3 times. First was 200 miles away and cost $400, 2nd was 25 miles away and cost about $80, and 3rd was 6 miles away and was "free" because I had AAA, but had cost me about $50 for that year.

20*$50=$1000, and that $50/month plan had limited towing mileage and limited number of tows per year, etc. For me it has worked out better not having AAA. If you have Dead batteries often, or get locked out often, it may make more sense.
 
jeepinmatt said:
How much does a regular tow cost? How often have you needed to be towed? How far will the AAA plan tow you?

I had it for about a year. Used it once. I could have called my dad or a buddy with a trailer and got it home faster. In 20 years of driving, I've needed a tow 3 times. First was 200 miles away and cost $400, 2nd was 25 miles away and cost about $80, and 3rd was 6 miles away and was "free" because I had AAA, but had cost me about $50 for that year.

20*$50=$1000, and that $50/month plan had limited towing mileage and limited number of tows per year, etc. For me it has worked out better not having AAA. If you have Dead batteries often, or get locked out often, it may make more sense.
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Two summers ago my truck took took a dump in Lexington ky w a 18 foot trailer.A four door dually and trailer was gonna cost me $1500 to get it all home.AAA would have covered 2/3 or more of that


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I got a plan right after college when I broke down on 40 toward the TN line, where there are no exits for about 30 miles. Hitch hiked back about 20 miles to a pay phone to call my dad. Haven't needed a tow in the 8 years since, but like any insurance...I keep it 'just in case'.
 
There were lots of times I wished I'd had it earlier in my driving years. I have used it once in the ~6 years I've had it, but it's always been nice to know it's there, considering until recently I drove cheap, used vehicles exclusively. I forget about the $125-150 or whatever the annual price for Premium is after a month. The one time I used it was recently. Was driving my freshly motor-rebuilt trooper to Uwharrie and made it to the other side of Charlotte when the clutch hydro line blew. I could have started in low range, shift to high range and rpm match shifted my way the 40 miles back home, but it would have taken forever and wouldn't have been the safest drive with the kiddo with me. The tow truck ride turned into a fun little adventure for him. Not as fun as a day in the woods, but fun nonetheless.
 
jeepinmatt said:
How much does a regular tow cost? How often have you needed to be towed? How far will the AAA plan tow you?

I had it for about a year. Used it once. I could have called my dad or a buddy with a trailer and got it home faster. In 20 years of driving, I've needed a tow 3 times. First was 200 miles away and cost $400, 2nd was 25 miles away and cost about $80, and 3rd was 6 miles away and was "free" because I had AAA, but had cost me about $50 for that year.

20*$50=$1000, and that $50/month plan had limited towing mileage and limited number of tows per year, etc. For me it has worked out better not having AAA. If you have Dead batteries often, or get locked out often, it may make more sense.
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What you're talking about is the comparison of paying for 3rd party insurance vs "self-insuring".
Statistically, self-insuring is always a better deal - on average - but the reality is that costs aren't incurred on the average, they are incurred on an actual event basis. maybe you get lucky, maybe you don't.
For me, since I have been driving I have needed a pay tow w/ no other option exactly 1 time. There have been a few others when it would have ben really nice but instead I used a buddy w/ a truck or a friend who had AAA. So I would definitely come out ahead.

But the real problem with the "self insuring" plan is that it requires you to actually have access to the full cash amount when needed. E.g. you really should be putting the "not-spent on AAA money" saved aside for when the time comes. Few people really do that.

IMO what you're paying for w/ AAA (as w/ most insurance) is convenience and peace of mind. Which is not invaluable.

For those who qualify, doesn't USAA automatically include something akin to AAA?
(damn I wish I could get USAA)
 
RatLabGuy said:
But the real problem with the "self insuring" plan is that it requires you to actually have access to the full cash amount when needed. E.g. you really should be putting the "not-spent on AAA money" saved aside for when the time comes. Few people really do that.
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Who cares, you have tons of extra money for hookers and blow, and those people have connections with repo men, who will tow you back home for free!
 
jeepinmatt said:
How much does a regular tow cost? How often have you needed to be towed? How far will the AAA plan tow you?

I had it for about a year. Used it once. I could have called my dad or a buddy with a trailer and got it home faster. In 20 years of driving, I've needed a tow 3 times. First was 200 miles away and cost $400, 2nd was 25 miles away and cost about $80, and 3rd was 6 miles away and was "free" because I had AAA, but had cost me about $50 for that year.

20*$50=$1000, and that $50/month plan had limited towing mileage and limited number of tows per year, etc. For me it has worked out better not having AAA. If you have Dead batteries often, or get locked out often, it may make more sense.
Click to expand...
1-tonmudder said:
Two summers ago my truck took took a dump in Lexington ky w a 18 foot trailer.A four door dually and trailer was gonna cost me $1500 to get it all home.AAA would have covered 2/3 or more of that


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I have more time now to explain a lil better.My truck (01 F350CC dually) quit on me on int 75 in Lexington ky w a mostly empty 18 foot enclosed trailer.I was able to get it off the interstate and in to a lowes parking lot.I was less than 10 miles from my destination and it was after 9pm.I called all the local tow places I could find on my phone.Some didn't answer,some said they couldn't haul a truck that big and the one that did answer and could haul it wanted $500 to haul my truck to my destination and then come back for the trailer.Less than 20 miles round trip per.We spent the night in the lowes parking lot.I called the guy who does my haulin when I need something done I cant do or don't have time to do at 4 a.m. he was gonna have to get another truck to bring w him,on the rollback, to pull my trailer back with.So I was paying him loaded both ways.It was gonna about be $1500.I had a land aul lined up but it was gonna be two days before he could get there.

A buddy of mine left work and came to get us.He had two OBS F250 Ps's and hauled one with the other one on a 10 ton dual tandem pintle hook trailer.He pulled my F350 on that trailer all the way back from lex.Theres no way I would have tried it.I was 223 miles from home and w AAA you get one 200 miles tow a year and up to 3 100 mile tows per year.I don't typically get towed,Im more of a lay in the parking lot and fix it kinda guy but some things you cant fix that way.
 
200 miles per tow will get you most of the way home most of the time. You can always get them to tow you most of the way and have a buddy lined up by the time you get there.

I’d bet for a couple bucks the driver would take you the rest of the way if he had the time.

It’s insurance you may not use often or at all. But it’s nice to have. We used it twice in the 4 years me and my wife been together. And once was only from the house to the body shop after I let my wife’s car roll out of the garage (that’s long $6,000 story).
Before we met she’d used it 4-5 times.
I have some friends I could call or could post on here for help, my wife and kids however do not need to be waiting around while I coordinate with 3 possible friends and hope they got the time or someone from here can come. The comfort in knowing we have it and my wife is taken care of is worth it. Sometimes I’m out of town for work or 2 hours away, so when she locks the keys, has a flat tire or dead battery she is covered if I can’t be there.
Now granted she could still be waiting on a AAA driver a while, but it’s still worth it for us.
 
I had AAA years ago. Worth it when I had it. I should get it now, because if my junk errr jeep broke down I'd rather have to fix it there (maybe in bfe, with nobody to bring me parts) or call for a tow (or buddies, wife's zj has no hitch). Plus it'd be good for the wife for her peace of mind. But it did save my buddy a crap ton of money on a RV tow. He bought one and needed it towed because the trans was shot. $150 or something like and got a $600-800 for that cost, plus still had two more tows left for the year. Insurance doesn't keep it from happening but it's there when you need it. Also saved a number of my customers untold amounts when stuff has grenaded. (I refuse to tow much more than 4000# (not counting 16' dual axle trailer) with my xj & trailer and it better not be far or fast)
 
The good thing about AAA.
They Tow company has to take you where you want to go.
Our Honda Odyssey puked the transmission 30 miles this side of Sevierville, TN.
They asked me what I wanted to do .... "Take me home" .... they did.
We did have to may for the extra milage, but well worth it.

The bad thing ..... use it too much and they drop you.
With 2 teenage daughters who wouldn't take care of their cars, we learned that the hard way.

We now have Good Sams. Sucks. Better than nothing tho!

Matt
 
I have AAA and had to use it when my engine bit the dust. The tow truck driver ended up charging me for the entire tow from north wilkesborro to kernsville but we filled a claim with AAA and got our money back. The tow truck drivers argument was I had "over size tires". He made me sign a liability waiver because AAA doesn't cover over size tires there for I had to pay. But since my tires are still stock on some vehicles AAA doesn't considered them over sized.

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Keith Odom said:
The tow truck drivers argument was I had "over size tires". He made me sign a liability waiver because AAA doesn't cover over size tires there for I had to pay. But since my tires are still stock on some vehicles AAA doesn't considered them over sized.
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That's weird, my driver couldn't have cared less. She was more interested in what it was and what sort of trip we were on. I wonder what the biggest stock size tire is? Humvees roll on 36-37's and there are a few trucks on 35's stock.
 
paulevans76 said:
That's weird, my driver couldn't have cared less. She was more interested in what it was and what sort of trip we were on. I wonder what the biggest stock size tire is? Humvees roll on 36-37's and there are a few trucks on 35's stock.
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I honestly think he was trying to make a quick buck off of a college kid that broke down. I know he was from a company that has a contract with AAA and not one of the strictly AAA trucks. I know i filled a claim and AAA reimbursed me and gave a inconvience payment on top of it. I forget how much exactly it was.

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Read this posting and got a little bent out of shape. We spent the last two weeks of October in Michigan. We travelled up the east side, up through the U.P., and back down the other side. I went to AAA before the trip and took my registration for the F350 in and explained what I was doing and driving. I signed up for the Premier Plan thinking that I was covered. Ha! I just called about the RV plan. $40 more. That covers the dually (with empty bed) and a 5th wheel. I told the rep that I don't have a 5th wheel but a bumper pull. No coverage for the bumper pull trailer!???? Someone just shoot me now. At least I'm covered now for the trip to Michigan!!!
 
thebrotherinlaw said:
Read this posting and got a little bent out of shape. We spent the last two weeks of October in Michigan. We travelled up the east side, up through the U.P., and back down the other side. I went to AAA before the trip and took my registration for the F350 in and explained what I was doing and driving. I signed up for the Premier Plan thinking that I was covered. Ha! I just called about the RV plan. $40 more. That covers the dually (with empty bed) and a 5th wheel. I told the rep that I don't have a 5th wheel but a bumper pull. No coverage for the bumper pull trailer!???? Someone just shoot me now. At least I'm covered now for the trip to Michigan!!!
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Wow I didn’t know about a bumper pull not being covered! Is there anywhere that plainly lists what is covered and what isn’t? I haven’t been able to find anything and I’m not in the mood to get burned again. I’m in WV with the F350 and brought a trailer with me.


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@AV8 I called and got this info from the AAA rep here in Asheville. I paid the new $40 RV upcharge and then she told me the details. I think they just make this crap up as they go along. I can't believe they would cover the truck if I was pulling a 5th wheel but not if I was towing a bumper pull. It makes no sense.
 
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