RV Extended Warranty expert and our founder and CEO, Jeff Shelton, went live on Facebook this month to answer some frequently asked questions about RV extended service contracts.

As an RV-owner and previous full-timer himself, Jeff gave first-hand insight into warranty questions that come up while planning for and being on the road in a motorhome.

We’ve taken some key messages from the live stream and published them here so you can continue to educate yourself when it comes to policies, making a claim, and beyond.

Q: Where can I take my RV for repairs? Do you have a specific network?

A: Our company sells direct to consumer, cutting out the middleman in the process. This allows us to offer our customers the ability to take their RVs anywhere in the United States or Canada for repairs.

Our goal in this business is to make sure you don’t run into any issues when you do take your rig into a mechanic, no matter where your travels take you.

Some programs will have a specific network you’re allowed to take your home-on-wheels to, structuring the program so it’s only a convenient claims process if you’re taking the RV directly back to the dealership for repairs.

This is something you’ll need to look for when reviewing the contract. Make sure you can take your rig anywhere in the U.S. or Canada, and make sure they pay via corporate credit card for a seamless process, ensuring you’re not stuck paying out of pocket for repairs. Because let’s face it, that’s why you get warranties in the first place, right? So you don’t have to foot the repair bill.

Q: Why do I need an RV inspection before my warranty goes into place and what does it entail?

A: We don’t do inspections on every RV, but we do them on most. If you’re outside of your manufacturer’s warranty we’ll hire a third party inspector to examine the RV top to bottom and make sure everything is in working condition.

Having a neutral third party come out is an added win-win benefit for you as the consumer, and for us as an extended warranty company. Not only can we determine any preexisting conditions, but you as an RV potential buyer may catch some items that need to be serviced prior to engaging in the large investment.

The vehicles that have pre-existing conditions can still acquire a warranty, however, they do need to get the necessary repairs done before we can cover the faulty part.

We do this because it allows us to get better rates for you. Additionally, it ensures a claim won’t be incorrectly denied under a pre-existing condition circumstance.

Q: Does this policy start now or when my manufacturer’s warranty expires? Should I wait to buy it or buy it now even though I have the one year manufacturer’s warranty?

A: Up to half of our business is with the RVers who have just purchased a new rig due to the lower price point in conjunction with a new vehicle. Traditionally, RVs are covered by a 1-year manufacturers warranty. On our end, we’ll give you a 7-year policy, which is an additional six years after the factory warranty expires. We’ll also give you our very best rates, as the warranty companies take your manufacturer coverage into account when determining risk and pricing.

You can wait until the policy is expired, or about to expire, to get the extended warranty – however that will still only cover an additional 6 years. So you’re not getting any additional length on the policy by waiting until the factory warranty expires and the price will also increase significantly.

Q: How are claims paid? Is it reimbursement or do you pay the repair facility directly?

A: We pay the mechanic directly via corporate credit card for all covered claims, so there are no out of pocket expenses beyond the deductible. The biggest challenge we see that can hinder getting things done promptly is a lack of a pre-authorization. Not only does it slow the process, but it’s grounds for a claim being denied.

Pre-authorization is important on our end so the claim can be properly adjusted before payout to the mechanic. Learn more about the claims process here.

Q: How do I know you’re the real thing? I’ve read a lot about companies not paying out.

A: Our reputation is everything in this business. Ensuring our customers get the support they need when they need it is what sets us apart.

We have knowledgeable staff walking you through the policy even before you buy, and a specialized claims manager to go to bat for you when the unexpected happens. We’re also backed by an insurance company, meaning your claims will still be paid out no matter the state of our company.

With our top-level program, we cover most everything including wear and tear items. We also carry simple policies that only cover the big-ticket items such as engine and powertrain type items for customers who choose to take on a little more risk.

We strive for transparency, and will always educate customers on what is and is not covered by a policy before they buy.

Q: What happens if the vehicle is under factory warranty, but the factory waits to repair the vehicle until it’s no longer under factory warranty. Would the parts be covered under my extended service contract?

A: If you hold your warranty under our program, and the factory did not pay out a claim that was filed when the RV was still under the manufacturer’s warranty, we will take care of the situation with our in-house claims department and ensure the claim is paid by the responsible party. In this case – the manufacturer.

That is one of the largest benefits of holding your warranty under our program. We get involved when needed and handle these types of situations so you don’t have to.

Q: What is the claims process?

A: To make a claim, you can go to any repair facility in the U.S. or Canada with a Tax ID number, and they’ll diagnose the vehicle. That’s a normal part of getting a repair, warranty or not. Once they come back with an estimate they’ll make the phone call to your warranty provider. If the breakdown is covered by the policy, the claims adjustor will issue a pre-authorization number. That number guarantees the warranty will pay the claim.

On our end, we keep updated stats on typical turnaround times for getting approval and how many claims they actually adjust on that very first phone call. 90% of claims we deal with get adjusted on that very first phone call, and the average wait time is under a minute – so we turn these around quickly to get you back on the road.

Q: Do you have any additional levels of coverage?

A: We do have a few other areas you might want to look into getting additional coverage, the first being roadside assistance. This is essential for emergency breakdowns where you need to safely get your vehicle to a repair facility. Without roadside assistance, this can be both difficult and very expensive.

This program also has key & lockout services and battery boosts – covering all of the emergency situations you’ll run into.

The other big gap is tire and wheel protection. It’s actually pretty expensive if you have a blow out because, in addition to paying for the tire itself, you might have to hire someone to come and change out the tire.

If you have a class A – you won’t be able to change it yourself for the most part. Additionally, there can be rim damage with a tire blowout, which can run your costs up quickly. Tire and wheel protection will cover these costs, and get you back on the road.

Q: How does the deductible work? If I have several items that I need to have fixed, do I have to pay the deductible on all of them?

A: You want to look at your specific policy because sometimes they’ll offer deductibles on a per repair basis. The programs that we offer are one deductible per trip or visit.

What a lot of people do is wait until three or four minor things go wrong and then get them fixed at one time to save money, specifically for repairs that won’t render their motorhome inoperable.

Q: Why do I need an extended warranty for my RV in the first place?

A: You are allowed to drive without a warranty on your RV. However, in this industry, I couldn’t imagine having something so expensive that breaks down so regularly and not having some type of coverage on that investment.

The main reason you’re going to go into a repair facility is not because of an accident – it’s because there was some type of failure on the vehicle.

The cost of getting this coverage has gone down dramatically, and it’s an extra layer of protection on something that may have extremely expensive repairs. Moreover, it provides consistency in your budget and lifestyle.

Q: Do you pay for parts and labor or just one or the other? Last time I took my RV in, the labor alone was $150/hour. Do you have a limit on that?

A: The policies we offer are full retail parts and labor. What we’re finding here in California is that it’s more expensive for repairs, and we take the area standard into consideration and adjust accordingly. If the customer is being told that the facility won’t cover full retail – that’s when we’d recommend calling us so we can sort out the underlying issue and get the claim paid in full.

We had a great time chatting with the Wholesale Warranties community during this stream, and we can’t wait until the next one! Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for future event dates!

Miss the broadcast? Watch the full video here.

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