TheSamba.com :: View topic - Scam Alert AAA Norther California offers no Plus RV coverage

Wed Apr 18, 2012 12:19 pm

dubbified wrote:
Primary difference with RV is it covers moped, trailers and additional items with the RV, covering storage of the trailer when the RV is separated for fixing.. (which is what I want) its also 160 for the year.

Just as a note, I JUST checked the AAA web site, and while the RV package does cover trailers, it doesn't cover all trailers. It didn't mention a car trailer, which is what I use to haul our VW powered rail buggy to the woods. They do list ATV, but I'm not paying for RV coverage just to have to argue the semantics of my buggy being an ATV on the side of the interstate.

Our westy doesn't have a stove anyway, so I don't need RV coverage, but it would be awesome to know that if I have trouble while towing the buggy, SOMETHING will be done with the trailer.

Wed Apr 18, 2012 12:29 pm

> if AAA sold you the "premier" coverage and had your license and registration on file as the vehilce covered

I said the same thing, AAA said they do not reference my vehicle in their AAA towing coverage.. Im covered in any vehicle I drive. They do not list my vehicles.

Yes I know some tow truck drivers in Cali do not enforce the RV rule. But AAA NorCal uses the rule, and refused to refund the 112.10

I will be using my Premier Plus RV New Mexico to get reimbursed.

In Cali there is officially NO PLUS RV available, so any Tow Truck driver that chooses to enforce the RV rule, will win.

Premier does not cover RV's in Cali.. I HAVE cali Premier, and AAA refused to ignore the RV rule.

I explained to the AAA office that I have no toilet and no shower, and no holding tanks. They said it does not matter, my Westy is an RV under Cali law because of the bed and stove.

AAA Cali will tell you Premier will cover an RV tow up to the first $300. What they dont tell you is a 68 mile tow costs $412.10.. so essentially with Premier AAA California, you get a free 49.5 mile tow, as that would cost $300

Wed Apr 18, 2012 12:51 pm

Thanks for the insight Jon. I'll be calling our agent shortly, to get thier take on this.
My Westy currently has no kitchen.. so maybe that slides in under the alleged rule...or interpretation, thereof. (But at the time of the coverage purchase, it DID have a kitchen)

I'll ask for something in writing, either way. And if they say "yes, its covered." I'll carry a copy in in my glove box.

Allowing a tow truck driver to make the decision at the scene is not accpetable to me.. and I'll just bag on the coverage if there's any risk of that happening on the road...

Its not like Premier is cheap, ya know?

Wed Apr 18, 2012 1:16 pm

Hopefully the California sky isn't really falling and one guy getting reamed by a greedy tow operator won't mean we all will get reamed when our day of needing a tow comes. If an AAA agent said that a Westy is an RV "under Cali law" I would insist on them citing the exact law so I could check for myself.

Mark

Jon_slider wrote: .........
Yes I know some tow truck drivers in Cali do not enforce the RV rule. But AAA NorCal uses the rule, and refused to refund the 112.10

..................
I explained to the AAA office that I have no toilet and no shower, and no holding tanks. They said it does not matter, my Westy is an RV under Cali law because of the bed and stove.
...................

Wed Apr 18, 2012 1:33 pm

Jon, did the tow driver inform you before hand that your van wouldn't be covered under your policy?

Wed Apr 18, 2012 1:40 pm

when I was about to tow my rebuilt chassis down for a engine breakin, last min inspection the driver said.. Oh, I cannot pull your van out, if I hook a chain to it, its 90 bux. If I have to turn it around, another 90 bux.

I said AT&T insurance for towing does not state there is any issue, and typically you'd pull it out in Neutral, hookup to the rear, so the drive wheels werent on the ground, I'm not sure what the issue is here.

As he was asking for cash, Kindly, I said, can you show me your paperwork that defines what you're saying so I can understand what you're sayin?

He swore some unmentionables, and buzzed off. tisk tisk.. No scammin me on that bs.

The next guy came along and had 0 issue, hooked up, backed up to the rear and towed it while on front wheels.. introduced him to a fresh Jackson.. he was pretty cool with it. :roll:

Either way it pays off, you got someone out to ya, despite the $$ paid out. Hopefully it works out for ya!

Wed Apr 18, 2012 4:41 pm

Funny story,
So my trailers, both Featherlite fifth wheels, one for race cars the other for horses are covered by the same RV specific coverage as they and the dually pull rig need special tow vehicles if they need to be towed. Also, with livestock, the emergency vehicle must show up within one hour of your call.
I needed assistance with the race trailer on my way to Watkins Glen once, called, the tow truck showed up and I immediately got attitude...where are the horses, the driver asked? My reply, there are over 700 of them inside, wanna see? I popped the rear and showed him a GT1 Camaro that also breaths fire. One picture of him in the drivers seat for his kids and we were on our way.
I left tickets for him at the raceway and gained a friend for life...plus preferred status at his towing depot :!:

A picture is worth far more than a thousand words...tickets to a race, priceless.

Moral of the story....these people are coming to help you out.
Hook them up, tip them, buy them coffee, whatever.
The bill will be a lot lower if you are cool.

If you've been fleeced, chances are you were not cool.

FYI, AAA uses a flat rate reimbursement for the tow truck and driver.
I was told something like $9 per tow and 29 cents a mile.
Um, you know what a Jerr-Dan costs and eats in diesel fuel?
That ain't coverin it :!:

Wed Apr 18, 2012 6:11 pm

So Jon do you think in your case this is a judgment call by the tow driver to declare your van a "RV"? And once this ball gets rolling AAA does not want to fight for you to pay out some $$.

I guess if I even go to AAA and get in writing that my van is not a RV and the tow driver can use this loop hole to make more money?

I will try and find out how much AAA pays out here in So. Cal.

What a pain in the a##. Hope you can get it all worked out.

Wed Apr 18, 2012 7:13 pm

Another viewpoint? I dialed the number on my AAA Premium card and tried to get a RV position for No Cal. from the woman who answered. She said that I would have 200 miles of towing on my '86 Westfalia at no cost. Also said if I was ever locked out from this "RV" of mine there would be a $300 limit for a locksmith to gain entry or repair the steering lock/ ignition. (!?) Guess a Winnabago won't open w/ a Slim Jim. She invited me to read the policy limits on their website.

I like to share this AAA Tidbit:
Premium towing has some not well-known Trip Interruption Coverage thru a subsidiary insurance company. If you are far from home (100+ miles, I believe) and a medical emergency, or mechanical breakdown has you temporarily stranded, save your lodging, and meal, and rental receipts. Also you will need to supply a doctor's note/bill, or an invoice from the shop who repaired your vehicle. File a claim when you get back home. They pay up to $1000. Sure took out the sting of being stuck in Idaho waiting for a clogged radiator to be replaced. We fortunately found and rented a Kia Sedona van w/stow & go seats and continued to Glacier N.P. while the Weekender was fixed. No showers at this park, but we did fine w/ a tarp over the hatch and a solar shower. Don't camp there near a dumpster. Because of bears, their garbage trucks came every day before 6AM to empty them. Early Reville! :-I

Wed Apr 18, 2012 7:18 pm

does AAA consider a westy to be RV

Wed Apr 18, 2012 8:41 pm

> So Jon do you think in your case this is a judgment call by the tow driver

No.
I spoke to the tow company today and asked for the California Law. They said it was a California AAA notice to towing companies that as of 8/17/11, RV towing reimbursement would be limited to the first $300.

see the AAA website for the Premier Towing Benefits which says:
"$300 RV Towing Reimbursement — Get $300 covered towards the tow of your RV."

> I guess if I even go to AAA and get in writing that my van is not a RV

No.
Under California's rules, a Westy is an RV.
See page 13 of this handbook
http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.dmv.ca.gov/...ElFj0Phnlw

Basically, AAA California has decided to stop offering Premier Plus RV, you cannot buy it in the state.

And the way the towing company bill their time, $300 is a 50 mile tow. Premier covers that, but not 200 free RV miles.

Attacking the definition of RV is not the problem, the issue is AAA California not offering Plus RV. Other states do offer Plus RV, and since AAA is national, a tow driver must honor out of state Premier Plus RV for the full 200 miles.

> She said that I would have 200 miles of towing on my '86 Westfalia at no cost

thats great, I hope it works, get it in writing, explain the vehicle is an RV and that I was told coverage is limited to $300, and miles dont apply..

or call a tow company, explain you have an RV and ask how many miles they will tow you with AAA Premier.. you might learn as I did..

> Premium towing has some not well-known Trip Interruption Coverage thru a subsidiary insurance company. If you are far from home (100+ miles, I believe) and a medical emergency, or mechanical breakdown has you temporarily stranded, save your lodging, and meal, and rental receipts. Also you will need to supply a doctor's note/bill, or an invoice from the shop who repaired your vehicle. File a claim when you get back home. They pay up to $1000.

Beautiful! Thank you.

Wed Apr 18, 2012 9:13 pm

Wow. How absurd... and on a side note, I'm in the wrong business! Cripes; that tow company charges more per hour than my local VW dealer! :o

AAA is a national entity; you'd think all services/memberships would be the same in all states.

rubbachicken wrote: does AAA consider a westy to be RV

Just sent an email to AAA AZ to find out their official stance on the issue. My Westy is registered/titled as a van, not as an RV. AAA AZ, however, lists "camper van" in their Plus RV plan (which I just now noticed) but does not provide any details as to what a camper van entails. I'll post up their reply once I get it.

Wed Apr 18, 2012 10:21 pm

Jon, still trying to understand, you have premium RV AAA?, not premium?
I have premium and when the tow guys show and something happens I call AAA and make a complaint they have more than looked into it they usually drop them, if some yokel decides to give you grief, AAA pays their mortages and bills, there is always someone willing to get AAA in their towing business, you have rights not later but right there, now I realize your stranded and there are no other towers, "he is" the only one in the area, but man, f--- that, make sure that you have that little co-pay on your insurance that says "emergency road service" thru your insurance carrier they will reinburse and it probably cost $ 6.00 a year,
It`s easy a couple of days later find out there is an alternative, but man keep a crisp one in there to tip and get what you need, especially if you have called once too many times for that "help me"

Wed Apr 18, 2012 10:26 pm

Was this additional fee disclosed up front by the tow truck driver?

Thu Apr 19, 2012 5:09 am

insyncro wrote: Funny story,
So my trailers, both Featherlite fifth wheels, one for race cars the other for horses are covered by the same RV specific coverage as they and the dually pull rig need special tow vehicles if they need to be towed.

Who do you have your tow coverage through? I'd love to find something that will take care of my 20ft open car trailer if the tow vehicle breaks down.

Thu Apr 19, 2012 5:23 am

Mr. Unpopular wrote: insyncro wrote: Funny story,
So my trailers, both Featherlite fifth wheels, one for race cars the other for horses are covered by the same RV specific coverage as they and the dually pull rig need special tow vehicles if they need to be towed.

Who do you have your tow coverage through? I'd love to find something that will take care of my 20ft open car trailer if the tow vehicle breaks down.

NY Farm Credit Bureau
They hold the loans on the dually and trailers so they rolled the coverage into the package.

FYI, any trailer using a 2 1/4" ball hitch or smaller can be towed by UHaul if you have issues on the road. They have local reps with equipment todo so.
They do not advertise, but many racers call them if they need assistance.

Thu Apr 19, 2012 5:24 am

Naturally the new trailer I'm picking up has a 2-5/16" coupler fully welded on.

Thu Apr 19, 2012 6:50 am

Okay here goes... This is from a tower that also was the supervisor for the towing departments for 2 (3) companies.

AAA is a franchise to the clubs. Each region is operated by different "clubs". The first 3 numbers are your club number (007 is AAA Allied, original Hartford Motor Club). Each club can do what they want to do as long as they provide the basic service AAA corporate wants.

The driver just has to do his job. There is spy and plant calls happening all the time, by both AAA clubs and tow companies. The AAA dispatcher usually has no clue what they are sending the driver to ("it say's BluBird, that must be the color"). I have gone to a call with the wrong equipment for a Explorer right in AAA's dispatch parking lot 2 spots from their door.

Yes a Vanagon does not take what it takes to load a pusher motor home (takes about an hour to load one of them). It also costs a lot more to tow a true RV (we start at $125 and hour port to port (Ford E350 type) and go up to $200 an hour for a pusher. AAA gets to pay the big bucks for them not like a auto tow (way way less but we are not allowed to talk about true price). The problem now becomes what the member calls in is not always what the vehicle is and the call taker has no clue. Making a rule like this is a quick cover their a$$ and save them money, like what everyone else is doing in the corporate and government world.

BTW camp trailers are covered. What is not covered is car, construction, horse, etc trailers. Yes they get covered but that is "supervisor discretion".

Other clubs you have to watch their limits and coverage. The last shop I ran was the last shop to call by them cause we charged full rates not the normal heavy discount. I got many calls that were 1 to 2 hours old before we were called cause they would call EVERYONE else before us. We also got many "look in the yellow pages" calls from clubs. SOme were okay for the member while others sucked (like the one you get with your cell phone, they cover $50 only which will cover us to show up only). Most other clubs cover you to the nearest facility which as we all know may not want anything to do with a Vanagon.

As far as the big bucks towing companies make... We have way more costs than you would believe. There were months that a 4 driver (on all the time) the company barely made expenses and that was before insurance and fuel sky-rocketed. Also to find people to fill the seats of a wrecker is not easy, most do not want to work that hard or deal with the dark stuff.

Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:20 am

Thank you for your real world experience and explaination.

Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:24 am

Jon_slider wrote: > I guess if I even go to AAA and get in writing that my van is not a RV

No.
Under California's rules, a Westy is an RV.
See page 13 of this handbook
http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.dmv.ca.gov/...ElFj0Phnlw

Just to keep us all on the same page.. The link is to a "handbook".. not to California Vehicle Code.
There is some gray area here.

That handbook would not stand up in any court. Even CHP has to reference the code when writing a citation.

This comes down to interpretation of code.. similar to how the BAR ref does thier job..

I would not expect the people answering the phones at AAA to know how the AAA rule "interprests" CA Vehicle Code.. but SOMEwhere in thier bureaucratic maze they must. It would be very interessting to see "the memo" :wink:

I guess.. My "removeable" Westy kitchen cabinet project will get bumped up the punchlist. :lol:
And good thing my Westy bed looks like this:

Take THAT AAA bureaicrats! <maniacal laughter>