We are doing a 14 hour drive this summer to a pretty remote location for a rafting trip. Then leaving my husband to dirtbike with some friends and doing the drive back alone with child. The truck will be pretty loaded with raft, frame, coolers etc.
The last time we did a similar but less remote trip the newly installed transmission crapped out and it was rough.
We have a 2 yo truck now so in way better shape.
Should I get AAA so I’m not worried about a problem?
The area is remote but I’m renting a sat phone for the trip. I also am paying a service to drive the truck 10 hours while we are rafting from the top of the river to where we are finishing- not sure how another driver qualifies if I have coverage.
So, what are your experiences with AAA? Worth it for long trips?
I’m a big AAA fan. My girls are now driving between Arizona and CA and they have it. It’s cheap, easy, and we’ve always had good experiences both on service times and the service itself. AAA also offer a lot of other services that are helpful including car registrations, etc.
Check with your vehicle warranty if it still in place (2 yo truck should still be covered and include towing and roadside assistance). If that’s not an option, check with your auto insurance company as well. I had AAA for my kids going to college then found that Gieco has roadside assistance and towing that can be added to the policy cheaper than what AAA costs. You can also select vehicle by vehicle on you auto policy - not sure on AAA but thought it was by driver. Also if I recall the basic AAA coverage will only pay for towing up to a certain distance then charge you per mile outside of that range. If you are going to a remote area that could add up.
i’m a 10yr member because i forgot to renew mine and it had lapsed for too many months. but not including that lapse i’m probably a 30yr member. yes i have towing, etc., on my car policy, but i don’t like to use my car policy unless i realllly need to. plus, you get a lot of good AAA discounts.
You can call for a tow without AAA so it is really just insuring against the cost. With a 2 year old car you probably won’t need it. I drive a 15 year old car and have it.
Check with your vehicle warranty if it still in place (2 yo truck should still be covered and include towing and roadside assistance). If that’s not an option, check with your auto insurance company as well. I had AAA for my kids going to college then found that Gieco has roadside assistance and towing that can be added to the policy cheaper than what AAA costs. You can also select vehicle by vehicle on you auto policy - not sure on AAA but thought it was by driver. Also if I recall the basic AAA coverage will only pay for towing up to a certain distance then charge you per mile outside of that range. If you are going to a remote area that could add up.
The cost may vary by which regional AAA organization you sign up with. In Canada each regional CAA sets their own prices and discounts, I’m not sure if the AAA federation members also do that, but prices may vary regionally.
If you’re towing a trailer check that that is covered. Also, if you’re going off the beaten path make sure to check that dirt or gravel roads are covered.
Funny this came up today, as I just got my new card in the mail. It says I’m a 25+ year member, so it goes way back for me. Used to just be a few bucks, but now I have the premium service(which tows 100 miles) RV tow, and my wife also as a member. So about $175 instead of the 30 something I used to have for basic.
But like Dan said, until you need it. I can think of at least 10 times I have used it, probably more. And if you drive an RV, then definitely get it, those tow bills are a bitch in the middle of no where. But I have used the lock out service, ran out of gas once, had the tire on the RV changed a couple times, and just normal towing many, many times…
And I have probably gotten at least 1/2 the fees back from discounts at hotels, rental cars, and a few other discounts I have taken advantage of over the years.
I used to have AAA…maybe for about 10 years… but the rates kept going up. Learned from my car insurance agent that I already had pretty much the same coverage with them included in my policy…State Farm. I’d check with your insurance carrier first before committing to AAA.
She will, if she doesn’t sign up for it. And she won’t need it, if she does sign up for it.
Also, from folks’ that say their insurance covers roadside assistance, you should check whether your insurance company treats that as a claim against you, and then recoups their costs in higher rates back to you. Not that they’ll tell you directly of course.
My experience with AAA in remote areas is it’s unreliable. I wasn’t even able to be connected to emergency roadside service in rural Wyoming. I was transferred around endlessly and the only ppl I ever spoke to were in corporate who transferred me to a recording which led to nothing. Unreliable.
I’ve always owned and driven older cars, so it’s a back-stop if I ever do run into problems on the road. I know that I can get service or a tow to where ever I want for no additional charge.
If you bundle it together with some other services - such as their Out Of Country Medical Travel Insurance - It makes even more sense. You can save substantially on both services.
Yes - it seems like a a waste of money, but when things go wrong, car breaks down at a bad time or for Canadians having to go to the hospital when in the U.S. - it can all be VERY expensive, particularly the latter! My wife had to go to an Emergency Room with a broken arm she received in a crash in a bike race in the U.S. a few years ago. Total costs came to over $5000!! Our CAA Coverage ended up reimbursing us for all of that!
