need some help, please

[swanny]

Signed the papers today for new rig, then the sales pitch for the extended warranty plan.
I have never been one to buy any of these plans, but with the price of the parts and labor I not sure what i want to do. I know there are a lot of pro's and con's but I need to hear my fellow Moc's reason to have or not to have. I was offered a 6 year plan for $2,300 dollars. The guy told me a bill of 2 to 3 thousand dollars is not uncommon for major appliance replacement after the manufacturers 1 year coverage. So lets hear it, are they good, bad, hard to use, jump through hoops it get repairs, any info or insight would be a great help.

Thanks all, kevin

[7.3Ford]

Kevin,

I got one about a year ago. I waited until last week of Warranty. The one I got was 7 year, and started at time I signed (Expires on 9/24/2017). Many I looked at started from new, so yo lose a year. I have $50 deduct, and paid $1,297. (9/24/2010).

Haven't used it yet, did call them when I was at Willow Tree, and wasn't getting hot water. I ask if I could have someone come their to repair, and they said, that was fine, as long as the person had Business License. Problem was I still had the water heater by-pass still on, and found it the next morning.

Bottom line is I would wait and go shopping when you near the end of your first year.

[t1mrtork]

Although we may be the exception to the rule, the only thing we have had to repair or replace was the thermostat for the heat/air conditioner. We bought our 3400 new in 2004 and have just loved it. We have not had any problems so far. A combination of good workmanship and some good luck also. Any unit can have problems tho with parts that are out of keystones control. Good luck and I hope you will be as happy as us.

[dieselguy]

If you are primarily concerned with the fridge, A/C, and heater ... Dometic, Norcold, etc offer extended warranties of their own after the first year at far less then $2 grand. The dealer gets a handsome chunk of change for including a warranty in your purchase ... As mentioned earlier ... wait till the close of the first year when the factory warranty nears expiration then shop around if you decide you want an extended warranty. The line of "you'll get a better deal if you sign up now" will not necessarily be true plus the fact they are using your money during the first year that is already covered by the factory warranty. I declined my extended warranty during the final paperwork and the dealer's finance guy about had a come apart. He must have already had that money spent on something. Some on the MOC have benefited from major repairs covered by the extended warranty ... however, you never hear about all the others that never needed the coverage. It's just a coin toss.

[jackel1959]

I sent you a PM.

Jack

[sailer]

SWANNY; i have the same unit you just got rid of but I never belive in EXT Warr , I think you are better on your own ,sailer

[bncinwv]

Some want them, some do not, we have had the extended service plan (it is not a warranty) on both of our rigs. Our coverage includes the high-priced items (Onan generator, air conditioners, all televisions including the 40" big screen, fridge, satellite system, etc. etc.) It is a personal choice, but I chose to pay the $1900 up front and only have minor ($50 deductible) payouts for the next six years. The seven year plans we have seen are actually six years after the initial one year rig warranty. We have opted to purchase the plans from the local dealers (mark-up and all) simply for the reason that they have used the plan providers for years. Do you research, check the plan fully (see exactly what is covered and what is excluded) and make the appropriate choice for yourself. As stated, we have opted to have them on both Montana's for the peace of mind that we get from them. I liken it to the choice of paying for the 614's rather than keep the Marathon's. Good luck with your research and choice.
Bingo

[HOOK]

We have it. At best it is a gamble. If you need a major repair and you have it, you win. I'm comfortable with it. With the possibility of a fridge failure costing as much as $4500.00 and having paid $1500.00 for 7 yrs coverage. At just over $200.00 a yr. , it is cheap ins. IMHO. Larry

[Mudchief]

We had our frig replaced and it was not the 4 door and it was 2K. The microwave at $500.00. Sure glad we had the warranty. We paid around $1,200 for it with a $50.00 deductible.

[CORattler]

We decided not to get a service plan or extended warranty. I'm pretty handy and can do most repairs myself. Hopefully we now have all the bugs worked out after the 1st year of ownership. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Driftwoodgal]

Insurance is a product. If you buy it and don't need it then you may feel like it was a waste of money. If you don't buy it and need it then you possibly will kick yourself because you chose not to have it. I feel this applies to your Montana, truck, stick house, life, medical etc. Insurance is a peace of mind just like new tires on a vehicle vs ones that are five years old.

We bought our extended warranty plan about two weeks before our year anniversary on our factory warranty. Haven't collected on the policy but glad we have it. Was just thinking a couple weeks ago what we will do if something goes out after the plan expires. Thought we were having problems with our frig two weeks ago. First thought was when does the policy expire. Thank goodness the problem was a human error....mine of course.

[Captain Joe]

I have always purchased the extended warranty for all of my RVs and it has come in handy several times. But, $2,300 is too much. I got mine for $1,600 and included all the preferred options. Dealer has marked yours up too high. I would shop around for a better deal or negotiate with the dealer.

[seahunter]

quote:Originally posted by Captain Joe

I have always purchased the extended warranty for all of my RVs and it has come in handy several times. But, $2,300 is too much. I got mine for $1,600 and included all the preferred options. Dealer has marked yours up too high. I would shop around for a better deal or negotiate with the dealer.

Yes everything is negotiable Not sure if it was true, but our dealer supposedly gave us his cost for the service plan when we got our travel trailer. His reasoning made sense. He wanted us to have the coverage so we would have peace of mind, and be happier overall with the trailer as it was our first. He said his way to "help" with that was to sell it at his cost more as a service to his customers and not just another way to make more profit. Like I said, could have been a story, but the price seemed very good at the time, and we have trusted him for several years now and are working on our deal with him for the new Montana as well.

[richfaa]

The price from the dealer is to high. I would wait awhile and shop around. We did nor purchase ours till the 10th month of ownership. I am a firm believer in the RV service plan. The price of failed fridge can exceed the cost of the service plan. We have had 3 holding tanks replaced over the last 5 years at a cost of 1400.00.....cost to us..150.00..cost of service plan....1047.00. Like any insurance plan if you never use it you can say you wasted the $$$$$.

The way I see it, as with any insurance policy I can afford a small premium to insure against a large loss.

[CamillaMichael]

Agree with others, this coverage is "insurance." Also agree with others, amount quoted to you seems too much...wait, as suggested, and shop for a better price. However, make sure the low bid is from a reliable company...if they cannot pay their claims, no use to you!

[Waynem]

As Rich stated, it is an insurance policy. If you don't need it, fine, if you do need it and it is not there, well, money out of the pocket. However, how much is it going to cost for the repair. Many items in RV's are becoming very expensive, and especially if you throw in the labor at $100(+/-) an hour.

I think the price you were quoted is a little steep for a 5th wheel, but when you look at that price for 6 years it comes out to $383.33 a year of insurance. That is not a lot to pay for peace of mind, but as stated that price is a little high.

Also, the advice of waiting until the 10th or 11th month of the 1 year warranty is right-on. Why pay for insurance when something is already covered under warranty. Also, look at the manufacturer's warranty. Some parts may be covered for a longer period of time.

There are many pro's and con's on extended service plans (ESP). Just my 2 cents worth.

[TLightning]

If you get one be sure it is transferable and the unused part is refundable. That way you have the best of both worlds...if you sell it the new owner can get the remaining portion or, if he does not want it, you can cash it out.

[Waynem]

Oh! And make sure it is an "exclusionary" warranty. That type tells you up front everything that is "not" covered.