Finding the best RV roadside assistance service can be a daunting task.
As an RV enthusiast who has spent countless hours on the road, I understand the importance of having reliable assistance at your disposal.
The reality is, no matter how well you maintain your vehicle, the unexpected can always happen.
Whether it’s a flat tire, an engine failure, or you simply find yourself stuck, having the right support can make all the difference.
Over the years, I’ve tested numerous roadside assistance programs to see how they fare in real-world RVing scenarios.
Among them, Good Sam Roadside Assistance stands out as the best overall due to its comprehensive coverage, including emergency services and towing tailored specifically for motorhomes and 5th wheels.
This service offers peace of mind, knowing that help is just a phone call away, making it an indispensable resource for any RV traveler.
Based on my experience, the top roadside assistance options are:
- Good Sam Roadside Assistance: Best Overall for comprehensive coverage and emergency services.
- The American Automobile Association: Great for families with multiple vehicles, offering versatile roadside assistance membership options.
- Allstate Insurance: Ideal for those who prefer bundled insurance and roadside assistance for peace of mind.
- The Better World Club: Environmentally friendly option with excellent towing insurance and service.
- The Paragon Motor Club: Offers extensive coverage suitable for high-end RVs and motorhomes.
- Progressive Insurance Company: A good choice for those looking for affordability without sacrificing quality service.
1. Good Sam roadside assistance
The Good Sam roadside assistance program is essentially a comprehensive towing service.
Policyholders who breakdown in an unfortunate location with a Good Sam policy will be towed to the nearest RV station or repair service.
Surprisingly they have no distance limits stated in the policies they offer. This makes them a great option if you are going to be traveling somewhere far-flung, or you will be boondocking (Dry Camping) away from an RV park.
Good Sam typically doesn’t assess additional fees and they often provide discount options. Just bear in mind that they don’t offer any legal fee reimbursements.
In their menu of services they also offer substantial vehicle and family coverage plans as well as things like:
Good Sam doesn’t have a lot of limitations and they have worked hard to cultivate a reputation for providing excellent customer service.
Their operators also tend to be well informed on local RV services. They are well worth considering if you are planning a long trip away from home.
2. The American Automobile Association
More commonly known as AAA or “Triple-A” the American Automobile Association is essentially an automobile club that specializes in providing a wide range of roadside assistance programs.
This includes local short-term coverage as well as travel coverage plans.It’s worth bearing in mind that they offer various levels of coverage. Their standard plan will only tow a broken-down RV up to 3 miles.
This can be an issue if you are planning to dry camping away from the comforts of civilization.
While relatively inexpensive this level of coverage is really only for times when you are traveling from one RV park to the next.
On the other end of the spectrum is their “AAA Plus” plan, which will tow your vehicle or RV up to 100 miles.
AAA’s menu of services also includes things like free gasoline delivery or delivering a brand new battery.
It’s also worth noting that AAA also has many affiliate programs. Their members enjoy numerous discounts on things like hotels and vehicle rentals as well as potential discount services in AAA-affiliated repair shops.
Their coverage is available for RV’s tow vehicles, and cars. This makes them a great option for covering a motorhome while you are on the road.
Then you can set it up as a “Home Base.” At that point, you can take out another level of AAA coverage for a tow vehicle, or a discounted rental car.
In general, AAA coverage is more affordable than similar programs offered by insurance providers. All the other perks and discounts they offer through their affiliates are hard to ignore.
As a well-established roadside coverage company, you will find their services and discount programs are widely available throughout the United States and much of Canada.
3. Allstate Insurance
Travelers and families with Allstate Insurance policies can easily add to their coverage or employ their “Good Hands” policy with its “Pay Per Use” features for RV travels. This includes things like:
Their Allstate Motor Club also provides roadside assistance, which includes trip iteration, as well as trip interruption coverage.
Like some other roadside assistance programs Allstate also offers a modest number of retail discounts.
It’s also worth noting that these services can be accessed without you necessarily having to purchase an Allstate auto insurance plan. Instead, they can simply charge you a nominal membership fee.
Allstate is a great option to consider if you are renting an RV through a peer to peer service like Outdoorsy or RVshare.
It’s a very affordable way to get short-term coverage without having to make a long-term investment just to take a single RV vacation.
4. The Better World Club
The Better World Club is known for offering a wide range of coverage including things like bicycles and other modes of “Green” transportation. They even go so far as to offer environment-friendly travel tips and online tools.
This includes things like free bicycle route mapping tools, car rental discounts, motel discounts, and eco-friendly lodging options.
Their basic services including all manner of roadside emergencies, which even includes things like rescuing a stranded or stuck vehicle.
They will tow a member’s vehicle up to 5 miles with their standard package. However, their upgraded “Premium” membership extends that distance to 100 miles.
5. The Paragon Motor Club
Paragon Motor Club offers two distinct levels of emergency assistance for their customers.
They come into effect anytime your vehicle runs out of gas, will not start, needs a tire change, or you are accidentally locked out.
Paragon Motor Club’s “Classic Roadside Membership” plan will tow your car up to 100 miles.
It also includes a wide range of other roadside assistance. However, you will likely be charged an additional fee for any extra services.
If your RV or vehicle is stolen within 100 miles of your home, the company will reimburse you for any emergency transportation costs you incur. Unfortunately, they don’t offer any sort of affiliate or retail discounts.
Paragon Motor Club’s referral program allows any of their member to easily add another person as a member without additional cost.
This is related to the fact that their membership program is for the individual and is designed to cover multiple vehicles under one membership.
In fact, the vehicle in question doesn’t necessarily have to be owned by you. It could be a rental or even loaned by a friend.
6. Progressive Insurance Company
Progressive insurance is popular throughout the United States. However, their coverage is no extended to Canada. They have varying levels of coverage with options you can personalize to your needs.
Progressive’s RV coverage will tow you to the nearest repair facility if your travel trailer or motorhome is disabled within 100 feet of a publicly accessible road.
Their roadside assistance includes things like fuel delivery, as well as mechanical breakdowns, flat tires, blown-out tires, accidentally lockout and a dead battery replacement service.
They also offer coverage up to a specified amount, for lost personal items inside your travel trailer, fifth wheel, or motorhome.
It also extends to electronic devices and things like smartphones and camera equipment.
Their coverage options also include features like vacation liability. Essentially if someone is injured in or around the RV you will have liability coverage up to $10,000. If you like, the liability leverage can be upgraded to $500,000 for a very small fee.
Is RV Rental Insurance The Same As Roadside Assistance?
For some travel enthusiasts, it’s easier to rent an RV from a dealership or a rental agency than it is to sink a lot of money into a major investment.
Many of these organizations offer or even require you to take out an additional insurance policy to hedge their bets.
Many will even include additional options for upgraded roadside assistance plans.
In a situation like this, it’s a good idea to have as much protection as possible. Especially if you are new to driving a motorhome or towing a travel trailer.
In the case of a rental agency, you also have no way of knowing just how much wear, tear and abuse the RV might have endured in the hands of the previous renter.
In the case of an RV rented through a peer to peer organization like Outdoorsy or RVshare, the current owner might already have their own roadside assistance program already in place.
It’s a good idea to ask them if they have one in place. If you are having a hard time choosing one over another it would be a good idea to prioritize the one that comes with a roadside assistance package at the price.
If a peer to peer RV rental doesn’t have any sort of roadside assistance program, you might be able to purchase a temporary policy.
The small amount of money will pay for itself in the peace of mind, as well as minimized time sitting at the side of the road should the unforeseen happen.
Does Roadside Assistance Coverage Impact Standard RV Insurance?
Most of the time, roadside assistance does affect insurance premiums. However, there are some insurance providers like Allstate and Progressive where you can roll one type of coverage into another with only a minimal impact on your monthly premiums.
Some insurance providers also offer a variety of other incentive programs, some with short-term windows of opportunity. So, it wouldn’t hurt to double-check with your agent to see if there are some roadside assistance packages worth considering for an upcoming RV vacation.
Can Someone Else Drive The RV Without Coverage?
Technically they can drive it, however, with some policies, the coverage may not apply. There are some policies that cover the vehicle, others like Paragon Motor Club apply the coverage to the individual.
If you aren’t sure, you should call your agent or double-check the policy to make sure you are compliant.
rv roadside assistance comparison
There are a few that stand head and shoulders above the competition. The one that is right for you might vary depending on your current insurance providers as well as whether you are renting, or you own the RV that needs coverage.
AAA has been the standard-bearer for North American Travelers for decades. It’s hard to look past their affiliate and discount programs.
If you do have a problem when you are on the road and your RV needs to spend time in a repair shop, chances are you can find a AAA hotel and rental vehicle at a discount.
At the very least it could help you salvage something of your originally intended vacation.
Good Sam is also worthy of consideration if you are going to be boondocking or camping off the grid.
The fact that they will tow you to a service provider without additional costs and fees is a very nice touch when you need it.
Paragon Motor Club might be your preferred option is you have multiple drivers or you need to cover multiple vehicles.
Placing membership status on the individual is a great way to make sure your motorhome carried the same kind of coverage that you want for your tow flat vehicle.
Just keep in mind that their overlap likely doesn’t work in concert with your auto insurance policy.
Paragon Motor Club is also a great option for RV rentals and peer to peer services. It’s very affordable, and it spares you having to make a single large policy investment if you only want to take one or two RV vacations in a given year.
14 Comments
Don
3 years agoUnfortunately we found out that the Good Sam Roadside Assistance isn’t GOOD. In a state where there should be quite a few services GS should have connections, we found ourselves with a blow out on a Winnebego and hour out from AUSTIN!! They tell you “help is on the way” at the end of your call, but 4 hours later they still hadn’t come and when we called they said they had contacted THREE services and none could come help. Wow three calls they made in FOUR hours… they were working hard for our ELITE membership – members for over 20 years. We had to make a call to find some help and it didn’t take us 4 hours to find it. We had to pay for it… so much for the ELITE membership!
Jeanne Simpson
2 years agoApparently, you actually use Good Sam’s Roadside Assistance. We had 3 lockouts and 1 tow this year (we had to pay for part) and got cancelled for over use.
Nathan
2 years agoI had a similar experience with good Sam. Been a paying elite member for years. In one year ending July 2021 we had some trouble with my truck battery and need a local jump a couple of times and had one lockout. They cancelled my coverage for over use. No prior use of roadside assistance since 2016. I agree Good Sam is not GOOD and should be avoided.
Peter Kaker
2 years agoNot sure how much research went into this article…but in March 2021 we purchased a Progressive RV Insurance Plan because of the included and much-touted “roadside assistance plan”. During our extensive travels we’ve suffered two flat tires on the RV, both requests for help from Progressive were disastrous.
I have since found out that Progressive subcontracts this roadside assistance out to another company, AGERO. I shared my concerns with Agero Customer Service on a phone call but was told that there was no guarantee that anything would be done. After numerous attempts to share my unhappiness directly with Progressive, I was finally able to file a complaint and was told that I’d recive a call back within 24 hours. No one has ever called back. I’m moving my business to AAA!
Jesse
2 years ago4-21-2022 don’t use AAA I just received a email today stating that after my renewal they would not pay more than $500 for any roadside service or tow bills. So I’m paying $296 a year today because have them cover up to $500. No thanks I ask them to prorate my year since I paid in full for the whole year they said no and refused to give me amy of my money back. Also at the bottom of my email it says that should I use my paid for service and it cost more than $500 before my renewal I would have to pay then file some paper work requesting a reimbursement. To be clear after renewal it’s $500 max per service use no exceptions
Teresa Driscoll
2 years agoI agree. I think this article is misleading and little research if any was done. AAA is a horrible roadside assistance program for RV’s. On the two occasions we needed to use it we were failed. We ended up paying $350 out of pocket for a tow when they said they didn’t cover flat tires for our type of truck even though they said it was covered when we signed up for it. The second time they couldn’t find a large enough tow truck for our rig. What good is that when you are stranded on the side of a highway?
Dae
2 years agoAGERO is a “shister” organization; skilled at “implied” contract interpretation that limit or negate any responsibility in assisting RVers in need.
Their complaint resolution is even part of AGERO. A less than one star on yelp !
Any company, Progressive , Triple E, EasyCare etc. that subcontracts their roadside assistance benefits to them should be avoided.
Jesse
2 years agoSo is AAA, they set a $500 max coverage on a rv road side service. I’m not sure a tow truck driver would even look at my 32′ class a for $500. Why pay $296 a year for $500 per call coverage when you aren’t like to need them more than once every few years. No thank YOU AAA.
Logan
2 years agoYou forgot Coach-Net!
HR Teel
2 years agoI called Coach-Net for a travel trailer. They told me they would not tow the travel trailer unless there was a mechanical failure on it. So, if my truck had problems I would have to leave the travel trailer on the side of the road and they would not pay for towing on either. That sounds pretty anal to even offer the policy or the person I spoke with shouldn’t be answering questions. They were a big “NOT A CHANCE” with me.
LYLE JAMES
2 years agoI had the same rude awakening with my AAA Premier coverage about the $500 limit per call. My hitch embedded itself in a driveway and I need an “extraction.” After four hours, a very large two truck showed up for my 22 ft. C-class Lazy Daze. He took 15 minutes to extract me and the charge was $800, of which I had to pay, on the spot, the $300 over the AAA limit. The notion that the policy offers 100 miles of free towing is a complete farce. If the towing charge just to show up is $800. I would be paying for every single mile I was towed.
James link
2 years agoWe are basically for this yeAr traveling from Michigan to flordia stay
In our trailer in a camp ground any using truck to travel in flordia looking for best choice of company
Sylvester
2 years agoI have the premier policy. Had a blow out out of state. Supposedly will tow up to two hundred miles. The tow company said they were told to tow me two blocks to a used tire shop. A new tire dealer was only a few blocks away, but I wound up paying the difference. Don’t think I’ll be renewing with GS.
Teresa Driscoll
2 years agoWe canceled AAA after the 2nd time they failed us. They could not provide a big rig tow truck. Not ok. First time they refused to change a flat tire on our truck. Said that our truck wasn’t on their list yet when we signed up they said it was.