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5 RV Warranty Questions To Ask Before You Buy

Published on August 9th, 2021 by Camper Report

Women standing next to an RV asks technician about RV warranty items.

Sponsored by Wholesale Warranties

5 RV Warranty Questions To Ask Before You Buy

By the time most RV buyers have purchased or are ready to purchase their first RV, new or used, they have done a lot of homework. There is no shortage of informative videos, RV forums, and product reviews to draw from. RVers spend countless hours looking at RV floorplans trying to find just the right one. Suffice to say, when they walk into a dealership or arrive at a prospective self-sellers home, they feel ready. Where most folks fall short is researching their RV warranty options beforehand.

This is particularly relevant to those buying an RV at a dealership. You can bet they will offer an RV warranty, and truthfully…we all want one. Sitting in that finance office, just moments away from getting the keys to your RV, you aren’t likely to balk at whatever they offer you, nor will you take the time to find out the various nuances about how their RV warranty works and what it does or does not cover. In the excitement of finally driving off into the sunset, you may not even be aware that you have options outside of that dealer—or you have options if you aren’t buying from a dealer at all.

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Knowledge is power, and a bit of education before picking up your unit will allow you to make a more confident decision in where, when, and which warranty to purchase. Here’s some information to consider as you begin to shop for an RV warranty. We’ll look at the top 5 RV warranty questions you should ask before you buy either an RV or a warranty.

RV Warranty Questions Every Buyer Should Ask

1. Who is the RV Warranty Seller and Administrator, and what are their reputations?

There’s a lot to learn when it comes to RV warranty contracts, but one of the most overlooked is the many “who’s” involved! Many buyers don’t fully understand that the RV warranty they purchase, whether from an online broker or their RV dealer, is not actually administered by that seller. In fact, claims will be handled by the administrator of your policy, listed in the fine print of your contract. Check out the administrator: what are their hours? Do you they specialize in RV? What is their online reputation like? These are important questions to ask before committing to a contract.

Additionally, the reputation of your seller matters just as much as the administrator. That’s who you would turn to if things went awry with your claim, right? What kind of reputation does your RV protection seller have for not only handling straightforward claims, but fighting for you the customer? They should be fighting to get you back on the road, not fighting to keep from paying for a repair.

2. What does the RV warranty cover and not cover? 

Before you spend thousands of dollars on an RV warranty, take the time to read the information on the coverage. Believe it or not, a quality coverage company wants you to know not only what they do cover, but more importantly…what they don’t cover.

Tip – Get it in writing

In every case, ask to see a full copy of any proposed RV warranty contract before you sign anything. A great way to handle this is to insist the salesman provide you a copy as you head home to think about the RVs you have just looked at. Don’t wait until you have narrowed the field down to one and are heading in to buy. Instead on that first pass when you are still more or less “just looking” ask for a copy of the RV warranty you know they are going to try to sell you. Do this at every dealership.

You can also arm yourself with knowledge before you even leave the house by getting a free quote from a trusted RV warranty provider like Wholesale Warranties.

Tip – Find some examples

You can try and compare some examples of problems and how each RV warranty provider would handle them. A quick visit to iRV2.com and you’ll find all the examples you need as folks post issues like, my steps won’t retract, my roof has a leak, or my awning doesn’t work. Don’t be afraid to pose these questions to a potential warranty provider, either by reviewing their contract, checking their FAQ’s, or even reaching out to them directly. 

3. Does the level of coverage match who you are as an RVer? 

An RV warranty is in some ways similar to RV insurance. You may be super handy and don’t want to sweat the small stuff by filing a warranty claim every time something small goes wrong by doing it yourself. Conversely, you may not trust your socket wrench skills on the $200,000 beauty you just brought home, and would prefer to have very in-depth RV warranty coverage.

Are quotes personalized to you?

There is no one-size-fits-all RVer, so coverage shouldn’t be built the same way for everyone. A company like Wholesale Warranties matches RVers up with the level of coverage, deductible, and term that best suits their RV lifestyle and desired level of risk. Whether working with a dealer or alternate provider, know that you have options, and work with someone willing to educate you on them.

4. What does customer service look like after you buy?

It’s generally not hard to figure out how well a dealer treats their customers. Between Facebook pages, Google Reviews, and even sites like Yelp…a business can’t hide from their reputation. More than ever, RV dealers are swamped with all the business they can handle.

Dealing with a lengthy warranty claim and going to bat on your behalf takes time they don’t have, or may choose not to have if they don’t have the staff or the skill. You’ll often find the dealer defers to the warranty company, and the warranty company defers to the dealer…leaving you smack in the middle.

Wholesale Warranties is the only company with an internal claims and customer advocacy staff to ensure claims are paid fairly, and to help walk customers through the process in whatever way they need.

5. Are there added benefits?

Finally, you’ll want to ask, does the proposed RV warranty coverage come with any additional perks often needed while traveling, like roadside assistance, tire and wheel coverage, or technical assistance? These small perks add up.

For example, for owners of a large motorhome, roadside assistance or tire and wheel coverage are particularly important. If you are towing a small travel trailer and have a spare tire and a jack, you may be more interested in technical assistance. Ask your RV warranty provider how they support your travels, even beyond the coverage itself.

Wholesale Warranties is the premier provider of RV Extended Service Contracts, commonly referred to as RV Extended Warranties. They specialize in selling established and fully-insured service contracts for the RV community, and have solidified their role as RV warranty experts in this expanding industry. Get a free RV warranty quote today.

4 thoughts on “5 RV Warranty Questions To Ask Before You Buy”

  1. In my experience with the warranty,if you break down right next to a service center ,your warranty may say that this place is not in their network, hence I have to wait or drive,if I can, to another place. I would consider a warranty if I could it it fixed at the closest place an be covered no matter what. This kind of policy is non exiting.

    Reply
  2. Read the contract. All of it. They aren’t long and they aren’t hard to understand. If there is something you don’t understand be careful of getting “clarification” from the seller. Any answer to any question is worthless. Only the contract matters. Last time I shopped the companies in my short list had the exact same contract.

    Ask if there are riders. Some examples are:
    1. Full time.
    2. Consequential damage.
    3 Tire and wheel

    Reply
  3. #1 Question must be Who can do warranty work. We’ve experienced, on 3 RVs that the only one who will do warranty work is the dealer where you bought it. Exceptions are, like camping world where if bought at camping world, any CW will do the work. Some others required us to justify the need, pay up front and get reimbursed for less than the repair cost.

    Reply

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