AAA Premier Membership Card - Not What It Seems

[Chili Palmer]

When we bought our boat and insured it with AAA along with our other vehicles it was suggested that we upgrade from our Emergency Roadside Assistance Card to their Premier Emergency Roadside Assistance card as it will give us towing up to 200 miles in case of a breakdown on the road with our boat in tow. I figured it was cheap insurance, I'd hate to be stuck between Parker and Coachella and have to pay for a tow over 3 miles.

(This is a long story - if you want to know about the card go to the last 2 paragraphs)

A few weeks ago we had to use it. I pulled into the Safeway in Parker around 7:00pm and one of the wheels on my boat trailer locked up as I neared the parking spot. It wouldn't go forward or backward. I looked all over to see why it was locked up and tried to disconnect the brake line, but I didn't have a wrench that would fit in the tight confines of the trailer tongue. And no way was I going to leave it in the parking lot overnight. I decided to put my AAA card to use.

I called and when I told them it was my boat trailer that needed to be towed I was told that they will tow the trailer, but without the boat on it. What? I told them that if the boat wasn't on the trailer I wouldn't need a tow. I'd just leave the trailer in the parking lot overnight, but that isn't the case. They then told me that if I used a AAA towing service I could get reimbursed for the towing expenses if I turned in the reimbursement form. I asked for a couple of towing outfits in the area and was given Parker Towing and Steve Auto Repair in Havasu.

Parker Towing was in doing a job in Chula Vista and the flatbed wouldn't be back until the next day, so I called Steve's. The driver said he'd be out in half and hour. 45 minutes he calls and asks where I'm at and I tell him that I'm in the middle of the parking lot by the Taco Bell. He said there's no Taco Bell nearby, that's when I asked him if he was in Havasu. He said he was, I told him I was in Parker, then he tells me that it'll be $3 a mile from the shop that I will be responsible for and asks how big of a boat I've got. I tell him it's 22', but overall with the trailer tongue and the outdrive it's probably closer to 25-26 feet overall. He said that as long as he can get the wheels on the flatbed he's good.

He shows up an hour later, now it's 10:30pm, he looks and measures it out and says he can do it and calcs how far it is to my house and comes to 240 miles and says it's $4 a mile plus the $3 a mile from the shop at 30 miles, plus a $75 loading fee equals $1175. I said let's do it.

As he loads it up on the trailer, he's barely got the back wheels on I notice that the brake caliper has broken and wedged itself against the inside of the rim. I told him that I'll pay him for his work plus the $90 show up fee let's just pull the rim off and remove the broken caliper. He says that he can do that, but when the caliper broke, it might have tweaked the axle or cracked it, but it's up to me. It's almost midnight, I'm not going to chance it.

We pulled out of Parker at 12:30 when I got a call from the driver that he's going to snooze for a few hours as he's been going since 6am that day. I told him when he gets about 10 miles from my home give me a call. We pulled into the driveway at 3:00am after a stop at Chiriaco for a soda and candy bar.

I get at call at 5:30 that he's in Pomona (I'm in San Dimas). He get there at 5:50 and unloads the boat - as the boat's coming off the trailer we pulled the wheel and brake caliper pieces off and put the wheel back on. I gave him a nice tip, thanked him and sent him on his way. I got the brake fixed and the axle checked out - it was fine, but not a gamble i wanted to take.

I filled out the form from AAA and got a check for $475 out of $1175 - It turns out they will only tow the car or truck 200 miles the motorhome/camper/boat/RV is only 100 miles plus the set-up fee and they won't tow the trailer with anything on it - just the trailer itself. I went online and looked at the fine print and there it is.

If you do have this card and need to use it, be prepared to have to pay up front and not be totally reimbursed. Is it worth it - if I wasn't towing and the truck broke down, yes. But don't sell it as I have 200 miles of towing and not tell me the stipulations.

 

[Wakebrdr94]

I had the premiere and had to use I several years ago. I was with a buddy and lost a wheel on his boat trailer. We were in Indio going to HB. When I called they told me they or the boat (never mentioned I had to be just the trailer) that they would cover the first $500 dollars of towing, after that we had to pay. Luckily it covered it, but I was a little apprehensive as well after that. I still have that service as I've had to have the truck towed once

 

[77charger]

ive heard from others that if you are towing something your screwed basically.

 

[primetime]

I had an issue kind of like this a few months ago. Flat tire on boat trailer. Pulled into one of the gas stations off of 95 in Havasu. Called aaa and after 1.5 hours they called back saying not covered (I have premier and Rv/motorcycle which covers boats)4Long story shirt after 3 hours got it resolved with me giving the tow truck driver 20$ and telling him it was my truck with the flat. I would have changed it myself but my bar did not fit on the lugs(my screw up) be careful with aaa when out of state

 

[wedge45]

I've heard of the bad ones .... but I had a good one....

about 3 yrs back I pulled the family on the 5er adventure for my 50th birthday.... long story short, my alternator took a shit on the 15 about 100 miles north of Pocatello, Idaho... dead would not move, called AAA, it was 6:00pm on a Saturday night and we were stuck in a rest area off the 15, they sent 2 trucks, a flatbed for the f-350, and a dually pick up to pull the 5er, they put my wife and kids in the dually and they rode down to Pocatello, I rode with the flatbed, to the Ford dealer and dropped my truck, they pulled the 5er to the Red Lion Inn and AAA paid for the room for 2 nights, and Ford Extended warranty covered the damaged Alternator, I had to pay for 2 new battery's... overall it could have been worse, but turned out for the better.... WEDGE

BTW... Knock on wood

 

[72Hondo]

Interesting. While I was in CA I had the R/V motorcycle deal. We'll going over the grapevine one day something let loose and shorted the fuseable link to the fuel pump on the truck. I was just about at the peak on the side of the rode with an 18ft jet in tow. Thank god it wasn't on the down hill. Lost power everything!!

Called triple A and they said they would be an hour or so. Beers on the side of the freeway, FTW!! Anyway they showed up loaded the dually on the flat bed and towed the boat. We went all the way back to Burbank, 25-45 miles??? Didn't charge me a dime.

 

[RitcheyRch]

This came up on here once before and I thought the other person was able to get their trailer and tow vehicle towed at the same time. Makes no sense that you would have the tow service for a trailer but cant have anything on the trailer.

Read post 15

http://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/showthread.php?107976-Towing-services&highlight=premier

 

[TPC]

In addition to the Premier upgrade isn't their even one more level by adding RV trailer coverage at extra cost?

I thought, but don't hold me to it works like this:

Basic towing
Premier (Xtra cost)
Premier with the RV/Trailer/MC add on (more cost)

 

[grumpy88]

My friends motor home broke down in Cal city . Rear axle broke to be exact . Triple a told him good luck we don't contract with anybody in that area . A really helpful cop located a low boy out of Bakersfield but he had to pay portal to portal . 1200 dollars later but they did reimburse him .

My neighbor has good Sam road side and it has never failed him . He has been towed with his fifth a couple times no problem

 

[pronstar]

Someone else posted a similar story about AAA and boats/trailers.

Makes no sense to pay for coverage for the .001% of the time that you're towing your boat trailer without a boat on it.

 

[obnoxious001]

You can add RV to any level of membership.. here is their chart

http://www.calif.aaa.com/home/membership/become-a-member/benefit-comparison.html

 

[Paul65k]

In addition to the Premier upgrade isn't their even one more level by adding RV trailer coverage at extra cost?

I thought, but don't hold me to it works like this:

Basic towing
Premier (Xtra cost)
Premier with the RV/Trailer/MC add on (more cost)

Yup that's the way it works. We have Premier with RV/Motorcycle on our AAA membership which is based in CA. I called AZ AAA and you can't get both RV and Motorcycle in AZ it's either/or here. Wife still has her License in CA so we'll stay with the CA membership as long as we can.

 

[Chili Palmer]

Also, if you're in Az and you're a Cali resident, you have to let them know, otherwise you just spent all that time on hold for nothing, as you'll have to call the Arizona based AAA Emergency Roadside Service.

 

[Sun burners]

I think Sea Tow covers the boat in this instance???

 

[Brian]

So i guess I'm reading mixed things here about AAA. Some say your boat trailer, with a boat on it should be covered, and others are saying they don't. So witch one is it? And the plus membership doesn't cover anything your towing, it has to be the RV coverage?

I'm also hearing Good Sam will cover your boat trailer with a boat on it? No questions or hassle?

 

[Mandelon]

I had Good Sam for awhile when we towed a boat or Jeep behind our truck and overcab camper rig. I read through the specs and it said they would bring two trucks to tow you if needed. I never had to use it, but didn't want to be stranded.

 

[Ziggy]

I think Vessel Assist gets you some over the road trailer towing too.

 

[Forensic]

We have both, AAA Premier with RV/Trailer and Good Sam. I keep AAA for more than the roadside assistance. DMV access is enough for me to keep it then throw in travel, passport help, etc..

I remembered the earlier thread about the trailer and really grilled the gal on the phone when upgrading my membership. She told me the reason you get push back on trailers is the call center has a hard time grasping the loaded trailer clause. The term loaded trailer was intended for horses and that my trailer and boat are considered one and and covered. That's the line I'm taking if I ever need service out on rice road so I hope it's true.

We also have an older 18' trailer, the wife likes to call it vintage. Anyway, Good Sam has some great benefits I never knew about until we bought our trailer. Definitely under advertised as far as I can tell.

 

[DaytonaBabe]

Yep -- I had a bearing issue on the Daytona trailer this past December. AAA (Arizona) wouldn't help at all, whatsoever, so I dropped them and went with Good Sam. You shoulda heard the Good Sam guy laughing when I explained the story and told him AAA wasn't willing to help me with the boat trailer as long as there was a boat on it.

My thread: http://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/showthread.php?107976-Towing-services

 

[koenig]

We have a AAA like service but its called BCAA. It covers me in both Canada and U.S. According to them it covers boat trailers, asked because I was trailering from here to California. I'm also insured if a passenger in a car and it breaks down.

 

[Andy B.]

I have insurance thru farmers with towing coverage. I broke down a few( may 5-7 yrs) years ago and they put my boat and trailer on the flat bed and towed my bronco behind. Everything was covered I just paid the 50.00 deductible then got reimbursed for it. What's the point of AAA if they won't tow your trailer with a boat on it??????

 

[DaytonaBabe]

We have a AAA like service but its called BCAA. It covers me in both Canada and U.S. According to them it covers boat trailers, asked because I was trailering from here to California. I'm also insured if a passenger in a car and it breaks down.

Don't they call it BC Eh Eh in your neck of the woods, eh?

 

[koenig]

Don't they call it BC Eh Eh in your neck of the woods, eh?

Yep, except me I talk American. Its either the Canadian subsidiary of AAA or a Canadian rip off.

 

[TPC]

I was just on the phone with AA Premier member service.
You have to have the RV/Motorcycle add on to your Premier Service and they will tow boat on trailer, motorcycles/Rzr/Atv on trailer, they will tow your 5th wheel and main tow vehicle,, they tow it all.

You have 3 memberships types:

1: Basic AAA towing membership
2: Premier membership
3: Premier with RV/motorcycle/boat membership

 

[RitcheyRch]

Excellent news and thanks for calling to get this issue resolved. I have AAA Premier with RV so I am good. :tbi

I was just on the phone with AA Premier member service.
You have to have the RV/Motorcycle add on to your Premier Service and they will tow boat on trailer, motorcycles/Rzr/Atv on trailer, they will tow your 5th wheel and main tow vehicle,, they tow it all.

You have 3 memberships types:

1: Basic AAA towing membership
2: Premier membership
3: Premier with RV/motorcycle/boat membership

 

[Parker Dreamin]

Will AAA provide this in writing?

I was just on the phone with AA Premier member service.
You have to have the RV/Motorcycle add on to your Premier Service and they will tow boat on trailer, motorcycles/Rzr/Atv on trailer, they will tow your 5th wheel and main tow vehicle,, they tow it all.

You have 3 memberships types:

1: Basic AAA towing membership
2: Premier membership
3: Premier with RV/motorcycle/boat membership

 

[Dettom]

Chili, I have a story very similar to yours, only I was in Henderson NV when my trailer wheel bearing went south. I have the same coverage and they left me on my own. Took me all day to round up a tow. The guy had it fixed for me the next morning. AAA wouldn't cover any of it because I ended up getting a guy who wasn't part of their system. I told them that's because they wouldn't show up. AAA is worthless except for registering my vehicles, so I won't have stand in line with all the mopes at the DMV.

 

[Parker Dreamin]

from AAA website, see below....... so the question would be, is a boat a recreational vehicle?



Roadside Assistance for Your RV and Motorcycle, Too

Enjoy more peace of mind while vacationing in your recreational vehicle, towing your boat or ATV trailer, or while riding your motorcycle1 with our optional RV and Motorcycle Towing and RV Tire Change service. It entitles you to up to four RV or motorcycle towing or RV tire change service calls per household each membership year. It also covers your boat trailer, fifth-wheel trailer, or utility trailer carrying recreational equipment, whether you own, borrow, or rent it. The towing benefit is up to 100 driving miles.



1Motorcycles that are licensed for highway use and are not altered, constructed or customized in such a way to cause damage or create a hazard when being serviced are eligible for service under RV and motorcycle towing and RV tire change service. Certain limitations on motorcycle towing apply. Boat trailers, personal watercraft trailers and ATV trailers must be either empty or transporting recreational vehicles or equipment. Utility trailers must be carrying recreational equipment (for non-commercial use). Commercial trailers are excluded. Service does not included transportation of horses. Please see the Member Guide for details. Members who have Optional RV and Motorcycle Roadside Assistance are entitled to an additional four (4) Roadside Assistance calls or reimbursements for RV or motorcycle towing or RV tire change service per household per membership year.

 

[DaveC]

I am getting Good Sam thanks to recommendations on RDP. I looked at the fine print and the Good Sam is better for RV's that tow :thumbup:

 

[TPC]

I specifically asked them if it includes towing my boat on the trailer from Sunset Harbor home to Simi Valley, they double checked with the tow supervisor and the answer was yes.

Ya may find people or contractors across the USA interpreting it differently.

 

[Havaduner]

Another neat little tidbit about AAA.... don't let your membership lapse. Ours did, I thought it was paid, turned out it wasn't. Needed their assistance when I found out my membership expired. They gladly renewed it over the phone, and sent a guy out to me, however I wasn't allowed to go back to the Premier RV level for 90 days AFTER I renewed. Guess they've had people up their coverage over the phone, then call in for a tow/service, then call and cancel after the service was performed.

 

[C-2]

Another neat little tidbit about AAA.... don't let your membership lapse. Ours did, I thought it was paid, turned out it wasn't. Needed their assistance when I found out my membership expired. They gladly renewed it over the phone, and sent a guy out to me, however I wasn't allowed to go back to the Premier RV level for 90 days AFTER I renewed. Guess they've had people up their coverage over the phone, then call in for a tow/service, then call and cancel after the service was performed.

Yup, that issue was also discussed on this website.

FWIW, about 10 years ago, AAA put my Hallett 210 on a flatbed and towed my (then) Suburban home from Chiriaco Summit. I had Premier and the RV towing option, having learned a previous lesson about the mistaken assumption that Premier covered everything.

 

[Andy B.]

Why don't you guys just get roadside assistance on your auto policies? It's cheaper and does the same thing if not better than AAA.

 

[TPC]

Another neat little tidbit about AAA.... don't let your membership lapse. Ours did, I thought it was paid, turned out it wasn't. Needed their assistance when I found out my membership expired. They gladly renewed it over the phone, and sent a guy out to me, however I wasn't allowed to go back to the Premier RV level for 90 days AFTER I renewed. Guess they've had people up their coverage over the phone, then call in for a tow/service, then call and cancel after the service was performed.

Vessel assist gives boaters 30 days grace after the expiration date.
Hear it often on ch 16 in the San Pedro channel.

Ya only have to use the up graded service once and that one use can pay for itself over a life time.

 

[Chili Palmer]

from AAA website, see below....... so the question would be, is a boat a recreational vehicle?



Roadside Assistance for Your RV and Motorcycle, Too

Enjoy more peace of mind while vacationing in your recreational vehicle, towing your boat or ATV trailer, or while riding your motorcycle1 with our optional RV and Motorcycle Towing and RV Tire Change service. It entitles you to up to four RV or motorcycle towing or RV tire change service calls per household each membership year. It also covers your boat trailer, fifth-wheel trailer, or utility trailer carrying recreational equipment, whether you own, borrow, or rent it. The towing benefit is up to 100 driving miles.



1Motorcycles that are licensed for highway use and are not altered, constructed or customized in such a way to cause damage or create a hazard when being serviced are eligible for service under RV and motorcycle towing and RV tire change service. Certain limitations on motorcycle towing apply. Boat trailers, personal watercraft trailers and ATV trailers must be either empty or transporting recreational vehicles or equipment. Utility trailers must be carrying recreational equipment (for non-commercial use). Commercial trailers are excluded. Service does not included transportation of horses. Please see the Member Guide for details. Members who have Optional RV and Motorcycle Roadside Assistance are entitled to an additional four (4) Roadside Assistance calls or reimbursements for RV or motorcycle towing or RV tire change service per household per membership year.

A boat trailer is either empty or carrying a recreational vehicle (boat) on it at all times. This doesn't make sense.

 

[pronstar]

Why don't you guys just get roadside assistance on your auto policies? It's cheaper and does the same thing if not better than AAA.

$17 per year thru USAA for me :thumbsup

 

[koenig]

I got mine specifically because of towing and being a long distance from home. Without trailer, my Mercedes had roadside assistance with the car. They changed the free roadside assistance for the life of the Mercedes a little. Now the car needs to be dealer serviced every 2 years and if it was purchased after 2011 from a non authorized Mercedes dealer you have to purchase it.

 

[boatsntoys]

I have AAA premier plus RV. I use every available tow through the year

Drunk in a bar and I call them. Flat bed takes me and my car home.

A few years back I was gong to bullhead. At 1am I was way to sleepy to continue driving. I was in Barstow and called AAA and they loaded my Yukon on a flatbed , hooked the boat on the back and they towed me all the way to bullhead while I slept in the Yukon. Got some nice ZZZ and saved $75 in fuel.
Of course I had to pull the coil wire to make sure it would t start

They let you sit in your car on the flatbed as long as you wear your seat belt

 

[Andy B.]

I have AAA premier plus RV. I use every available tow through the year

Drunk in a bar and I call them. Flat bed takes me and my car home.

A few years back I was gong to bullhead. At 1am I was way to sleepy to continue driving. I was in Barstow and called AAA and they loaded my Yukon on a flatbed , hooked the boat on the back and they towed me all the way to bullhead while I slept in the Yukon. Got some nice ZZZ and saved $75 in fuel.
Of course I had to pull the coil wire to make sure it would t start

They let you sit in your car on the flatbed as long as you wear your seat belt

Now that's thinking outside the box! i like it!:thumbup:

 

[coolchange]

I have AAA premier plus RV. I use every available tow through the year

Drunk in a bar and I call them. Flat bed takes me and my car home.

A few years back I was gong to bullhead. At 1am I was way to sleepy to continue driving. I was in Barstow and called AAA and they loaded my Yukon on a flatbed , hooked the boat on the back and they towed me all the way to bullhead while I slept in the Yukon. Got some nice ZZZ and saved $75 in fuel.
Of course I had to pull the coil wire to make sure it would t start

They let you sit in your car on the flatbed as long as you wear your seat belt

ha ha pretty good! Buddy was on his way to Viva and stopped in Baker. CHP saw him and told him if he saw him on the road he would impound "that piece of shit". Buddy said its totally legal, reg"ed as a 23 Dodge. Cop said "Tell the judge about it". So he thought about it, then called AAA and had them tow him to the Nevada line!

 

[Chili Palmer]

I just called Good Sam and their Platinum + RV coverage is only $159 a year at the introductory rate and you can purchase up to 3 years at the intro rate, subsequent years are $179. That's cheaper than my AAA Premier RV membership and I don't have to pay for each person in my family. They will give you unlimited towing to the next service center or 100 miles - if you breakdown in Chiriaco and want to be towed to San Bernardino you're covered, but it you want to be towed to Long Beach, you pay after 100 miles. They will tow any vehicle you have registered in your name, even boats on trailers, not just RVs. When my AAA membership expires I'm going with Good Sam.

 

[Parker Dreamin]

I called Good Sam too, if you dont have an RV their Auto Plat + covers all the above, less the RV and is $79 annual.

 

[Chili Palmer]

I called Good Sam too, if you dont have an RV their Auto Plat + covers all the above, less the RV and is $79 annual.

Even better!

 

[boatsntoys]

Why don't you guys just get roadside assistance on your auto policies? It's cheaper and does the same thing if not better than AAA.

It has probably changed. But about 20 years ago I got the coverage through State Farm. I had a fairly expensive two and they listed it as a claim on my insurance it had a $50 deductable. That claim stuck with me for years. When I tried to change ins companies the claim came up. Really sucked. It was a long time ago

 

[Rickybobby]

I know this is an older thread but I found it as I was looking for alternatives to AAA. Like others here, I discovered the hard way that AAA will only tow a boat trailer w/o a boat on it. I asked if they were bringing a truck with a boat lift ???eek:eek In addition, if you have AAA in California, and you are broke down in Arizona, you will have to cover it and then submit for reimbursement, even if you can see California from where your broken down!!!

My question is, does anyone have feedback on the Good Sam Club Roadside Assistance (in either AZ or CA)???? Their website is smooth and well written, but so was the AAA information.

rb

https://www.goodsamroadside.com/faq/

 

[RitcheyRch]

Didnt know that

I know this is an older thread but I found it as I was looking for alternatives to AAA. Like others here, I discovered the hard way that AAA will only tow a boat trailer w/o a boat on it. I asked if they were bringing a truck with a boat lift ???eek:eek In addition, if you have AAA in California, and you are broke down in Arizona, you will have to cover it and then submit for reimbursement, even if you can see California from where your broken down!!!

My question is, does anyone have feedback on the Good Sam Club Roadside Assistance (in either AZ or CA)???? Their website is smooth and well written, but so was the AAA information.

rb

https://www.goodsamroadside.com/faq/

 

[Singleton]

Didnt know that

I think he is referring to the boat/trailer. I have broken down in Az (without a trailer) used AAA and paid nothing.

 

[3.Slow]

I have had Good Sam for a few years now, only used it once, but it was hassle free. My truck broke down at state line on our way to Vegas, towing our 38' 5th wheel. They towed the truck and trailer to the Oasis Campground in Vegas, no questions asked, never saw a bill or anything. They have a Mobile Mechanic Service which didn't go as well but that was on the mechanic service not Good Sam. But speaking of AAA, OutboardBahner had a hub go out on his way to Havasu a few weeks back, AAA sent out a full on Semi with a lowboy trailer from Parker, to haul the trailer with boat to Adrenaline. Im pretty sure he had to pay a few buck because it was 103 miles and AAA is good for 100. But they did tow the trailer with boat.

 

[lbhsbz]

That's annoying, and one of the reasons I carry a toolbox with me and spare common failure type parts for the boat, truck, and trailer plus spare fluids and a 5 gallon jug of water anytime I'm planning on going more than 100 miles or whenever I'm towing. It's a bit of a hassle and takes up space, but if something simple goes wrong and I'm not prepared, it can turn into an expensive clusterfuck that I'd rather try to avoid when traveling with the wife/kid/dogs.

 

[TPC]

I have had Good Sam for a few years now, only used it once, but it was hassle free. My truck broke down at state line on our way to Vegas, towing our 38' 5th wheel. They towed the truck and trailer to the Oasis Campground in Vegas, no questions asked, never saw a bill or anything. They have a Mobile Mechanic Service which didn't go as well but that was on the mechanic service not Good Sam. But speaking of AAA, OutboardBahner had a hub go out on his way to Havasu a few weeks back, AAA sent out a full on Semi with a lowboy trailer from Parker, to haul the trailer with boat to Adrenaline. Im pretty sure he had to pay a few buck because it was 103 miles and AAA is good for 100. But they did tow the trailer with boat.

My latest Pacific Boat trailer failure has me glad I have the AAA premier/RV.
3 trailer failures in 6 months.
I'da been in bad shape with a 12K LB, 14' tall boat if I broke down on the highway and I'm not pressing my luck any more.

Time to get back into Parker boating.
AAA Premier has been fantastic but if they won't tow with the boat on the trailer that would really suck and we'll have to have a solid backup plan or service.

I'll check into this further.