Thinking of getting AAA....

NickMaul

NickMaul

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2009
Location
Norfolk, VA
Howdy NC4x4,

It is wheeling season again and while we can prep our jeeps all day and through the night for a nice club ride out of the state, anything can happen and now getting back home on a Sunday could be a mission impossible. I have come close to that situation one time doing a return trip in my XJ with a critically messed up trac bar from Harlan. Not ideal but I pushed through the drive at slow speeds.

I am not in a position to get a tow rig and trailer just yet. Anyone that has wheeled with me knows I won't flog my rig in the woods. My main concern is engine issues since that is the only original mechanical part left on my jeep that hasn't been refurbished or replaced. My cherokee has 210,000 so it is well into its high miles.

I am looking at the AAA Premier at $116. Most towing miles (200 in a single tow and 100 seperate) of course and at $116 that is the equivalent of a tow distance out of my garage to the end of my driveway :flipoff2:. I am not looking for a tow ride all the way back to my house but somewhere I can work on my jeep or rent a car and get home for work on Monday.

Is there anything I need to be aware of before thinking of getting a membership?

TIA :usa:
 
If you end up ever getting a tow rig, they don't cover a F350 SRW without the RV package.

If you run out of diesel, they won't bring you a 5 gallon can of it like they do with gas. If you have a diesel, they won't jump start your vehicle.


No other experience than that.

When I was using it years ago when I lived with my parents, they wouldn't tow it to a random place so I could work on it. I had to tow it to a shop or my house. It may have changed since then but not sure.

My parents have it and use it for everything, even changing a tire. They will come do that for you if you don't mind waiting.
 
I have AAA RV package so they will tow my RV home when needed..

I usually dont use AAA for being out of fuel, battery jumps etc.. my wife has used it when she was locked out of her car..

but I have used it to tow the Beast from URE home and also used to have tires swamped when on the side of the road with a flat and have had no real issues.. the downfall to any of these services is sometimes you have to wait for HRS before they can get a tow truck drive to you
 
I'd suggest looking into other services. We had Road America for awhile, paid as an add-on w/ our phone bill or something, only $3 a month. Unlike AAA they didn't restrict where you could tow to, or how many tows in a year - just a 100 mile limit. Guy told me once you could have them tow across the country free but you could only go 100 miles a day, lol.

Point is there are lots of other services.
 
You know that I like having it ;)
 
They towed my diesel f250 when I spit out a belt on I40. I've bought parts cars and had them tow out of a field and deliver to my house. It's worth the $100+ for me to not have to go help my wife unlock her car. For the peace of mind to know that someone will change a tire when the kids are in the van and it's raining...

Heck I even got a broke down Gladiator (saw on side of road and left a note in the window asking to buy it) towed to a friend's house once.
 
AV8 said:
Yeah, I just learned that a few weeks ago. Talk about being pissed.
Click to expand...


Yep. I bought it and asked them specifically if my SRW F350 was covered. They said as long as it wasn't a dually it was covered. This was October. March I call for help and they said they changed their policy Jan1, just 4 months after I bought annual coverage. They would t issue me a refund so I called my CC company and let them handle it.

Needs to say, I was extremely pissed at the time.
 
frankenyoter said:
That's fawked up. You should have had your services honored.
Click to expand...
Thats why the fine print always says something like, "terms of contract may change at any time".
 
I have coverage through State Farm. My diesel 98 Chevy blew the radiator up once and they came and towed me. The lady was even going to send out a lowboy to get it because it is lifted with bigger tires, until I convinced her that 2" of lift and 33s would fit on a big rollback.
 
frankenyoter said:
That's fawked up. You should have had your services honored.
Click to expand...


Yep.

I also got fawked when my truck ran out of diesel on the interstate (fuel gauge quit working during the trip). AAA won't deliver diesel but they will deliver gas. Doesn't matter if it's a Jetta, the new Nissan pickup, or a Super Duty, they won't deliver diesel to you. Gas, they will do it all day long but they just won't do diesel.

I got tired of dealing with them and vowed to never use them again. I just keep like $300 cash in each vehicle for emergencies and I've been good so far.

:)
 
I don't have it myself, but have heard good things about usriders.org Aimed at horse people, but will tow anything. Good thing is, if your tow rig breaks down, they'll tow your fladbed trailer, too.

Will USRider cover me when I tow my non-horse trailer?
Our current Membership Agreement allows for the service for non-horse trailers, as long as they are not being used for commercial or business purposes.
BACK TO TOP

Does USRider cover vehicles with dual wheels?
Yes, as far as we know, USRider is the only motor plan that will service vehicles with dual wheels.
BACK TO TOP
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
I have some kinda roadside assistance plan on some credit card...but, back in the day..AAA was 80 bucks a month..I guess I used it too much because my non renewal letter said AAA due to my abuse of the gold system...they were cancelling me.
Makes sense since 3 times, I had jeep towed to Boone just for mods. (So i didnt have to go) I let 2 friends use it on 3 different occasions for real towing emergencies...and then I had the work van towed 3 times that year.

Looking back...yeah, I was an abuser.
 
i heard u r limited on tows per yr. the g friend has it. other than the wait times is pretty happy with it. from my understanding the rv pkg will tow up 250 miles and will tow my truck and trailer home. the guy i bought my last xj from was filling me in on it. he had the xj towed to my house for me thru AAA. said it was close to his renewal so didnt mind burning a tow
 
We have AAA. We've used it several times over the years, including towing my TJ home from Uwharrie before I had a tow rig and trailer. To me, it is peace of mind knowing the wife can call and get a tow if needed.
We've also booked vacations thru AAA. We shop around, sometimes AAA has the best deal for Disney, sometimes they don't.
I used to have towing coverage thru my insurance, Farm Bureau, so that is an option as well.
 
I got AAA a few years ago. My radiator had a small leak, and i commuted 90 miles one way to work. AAA was cheaper than a radiator. Still have it, have never used it. Pretty sure I read that it was unlimited tows, but only 100 miles per tow.
 
I have no experiance as a subscriber to any of the auto clubs. AAA would be my choice if I was shoping for a car club package. With most of the others your call is going to get shopped around while you sit on the road. With AAA your issue goes straight to the service provider that works that area.
 
my g friend waited 3 hrs while stuck in a yard last month. called again last week because she moved over to give the school bus room to turn and the dirt around the drive gave way, was going to b a min of 2 hrs. i finally talked her into try and driving it out.
 
We had it for a year and cancelled it. Used it once for a tow, but it would have been faster to get my truck and trailer. I've needed 4 tows in the past 15 years, so it certainly would have been cheaper to just pay for them outright. In 11 years of knowing my wife, no keys locked out and only ran out of gas once, 1/4 mile from the station I was heading too. All of our cars have jumper cables.
 
rockcity said:
Yep. I bought it and asked them specifically if my SRW F350 was covered. They said as long as it wasn't a dually it was covered. This was October. March I call for help and they said they changed their policy Jan1, just 4 months after I bought annual coverage. They would t issue me a refund so I called my CC company and let them handle it.

Needs to say, I was extremely pissed at the time.
Click to expand...
Did the change happen this year? I was never told of any restriction for a F350 when I purchased it in 2014, but when I broke down and called for a tow the lady told me they couldn't help and I should have been told I wasn't covered.
 
Does this restriction include 3/4 ton trucks or just 1-ton? I had my Ram 2500 towed in October last year when a brake caliper seized up.
 
cardudenc said:
my g friend waited 3 hrs while stuck in a yard last month. called again last week because she moved over to give the school bus room to turn and the dirt around the drive gave way, was going to b a min of 2 hrs. i finally talked her into try and driving it out.
Click to expand...
Unless things have changed since the early 90s, that's because they pay their subcontractors so little they run any of their own calls before getting around to the AAA calls. Most of the services signed up to run their calls either to fill in their dead times or because they were just starting out.
 
I've had AAA for 15 years now. They've towed both my previous PSDs multiple times without question, and my Jeep more time's than I care to admit... wow I drive junk...
 
Back
Top