Emergency Roadside Assistance

RV Travel and Emergency Roadside Assistance – Do You Really Need It?

Emergency Roadside Assistance for RV Travel

Remember that old saying about death and taxes? Well, if you travel with your RV long enough, you will break down somewhere along the way.

It’s not a matter of if, but when your RV camping trip will be interrupted by a mechanical problem. How well you are prepared will make all the difference between a minor inconvenience and a major problem. The several times we were stranded on the side of the road we utilized our emergency roadside service to get help.

I highly recommend that you do what we did and purchase an emergency roadside assistance plan. Choose one that specializes in emergency roadside assistance for RVs.

Most emergency roadside assistance providers for RVers will have a nationwide network of service providers ready to come to your rescue. It doesn’t matter whether you just ran out of gas, need a flat tire changed on the RV, or have a mechanical problem with your vehicle.

You simply call your emergency RV roadside assistance provider, tell them about where you are along with a description of the problem, and they will find someone to take care of you. The service people they send out can even help you find someplace to stay if your repairs are delayed for any reason.

With a good emergency roadside assistance service, the towing for your vehicle and RV are covered by your annual subscription, no matter how many times you have to use it. You will have to pay for the cost to repair your vehicle, the cost of gasoline delivered if you run out of fuel, or a new tire. The charges for the trip to get you, deliver fuel, install a new battery, or change a tire are all services paid for by your service provider. This is one service we don’t travel without. I recommend that you do the same. We used Good Sam Emergency Roadside Assistance for years and have no complaints about the service we received.

On the other hand, you can always carry plenty of tools and do the repairs yourself on the spot. Be sure to carry extra tires, batteries, fuel, several heavy-duty jacks, and lots of spare parts because you’re going to need them. Oh, you’ll probably need a generator to run your compressor, or welding rig if you aren’t carrying acetylene bottles with you. And don’t forget the flares so you don’t get run over.

My point is for you to decide whether you are RV’ing or towing a mobile full-service repair shop. I advise carrying a sensible selection of tools and buy an emergency roadside assistance plan.

If you don’t have a cell phone, think about getting one. You don’t have to pay monthly fees for cell phone service. Simply purchase one with a few hours of prepaid service. When you break down in the middle of the Mojave desert, you don’t want to be hoping that some stranger will happen along willing to spend the time to get you out of your bind.

Next Chapter – Winter Camping in an RV