Sponsored by Coach-Net
Is There Really A Good RV Tire Program?
Travel season is upon us and RV trip planning is a must. Where will you go? What adventures will you have? Are you picturing it yet? Along with the fun stuff, you unfortunately must also plan for the not-so-fun stuff, like an RV tire blowout.
One moment you are cruising down the road, passing under the shadows of the moss-strewn trees, bubbling with anticipation of what you’ll do first after settling into your campsite. Suddenly, “What was that?”!
The explosion is loud enough to be heard over the rumbling of the debris and potholes under your wheels. Panic immediately sets in as you realize you just had an RV tire blowout – talk about scary! You manage to slow down and safely pull to the side of the road, but your nerves are shot. You are now stressed and stranded, trying to remember what kind of tire protection you have.
Don’t be surprised by RV tire costs
You definitely did not plan to blow an RV tire, but despite your meticulous tire care maintenance, it happens. Now it’s time to deal with the problem. You don’t have a spare, and even if you did, there’s no way you could mount the RV tire all by yourself. Even if you could, it is extremely dangerous and not recommended.
Numbers start to spiral through your head like an old cash register. The digits keep flipping, going higher and higher, as the register dings with every expense you imagine. If you haven’t allowed financially for this unforeseen hurdle, then your vacation budget is going to take a major hit. Months of planning and budgeting thrown out the window because of an unexpected RV tire blowout.
RV Tire and Wheel Protection Plan
One of the best items you can purchase along with your new RV is a tire and wheel protection plan. RV tires can be one of the biggest expenses for RVers. They go through a lot of wear and tear and when it’s time to replace them, they can be very expensive.
When you have an RV tire blowout or a flat on the road, the industry-standard tire & wheel programs tend to deal with these on a reimbursement basis. It’s left up to the RVer, already stressed and shaken on the side of the road, to figure out how to deal with it.
This type of reimbursement program is an old and unacceptable way of handling a tire blowout. If a Class A motorhome blows a front-drive tire, for example, the owner may experience some or all of these setbacks when using a standard reimbursement program.
- Locating a tire can be difficult. Class A tires typically aren’t available at the local tire shop.
- Getting towed instead of a roadside tire replacement. Some providers only offer towing to a nearby service provider that may or may not be able to change the tire because they aren’t equipped to change an RV tire of that size.
- Finding an alternative source to deliver the new specialty tire to you AND be able to change it on the side of the road, provided you are in an area where you can have the tire mounted to the rim and changed on the side of the road.
- Having to pay up front for ALL of these services, in hopes of a timely reimbursement without hassle.
Even success is a failure
If you are fortunate enough to achieve a successful roadside tire replacement with little or no hassle, you now have to jump through the hoops in hopes of recovering all of those lost vacation funds. The RVer must now:
- Contact your tire and wheel protection program.
- Complete their claim form(s) – hopefully you kept all of your receipts.
- Submit form(s) and receipts for reimbursement.
- Wait, while they evaluate the details and your event to determine if you even qualify for reimbursement.
- IF your claim is approved, you receive your reimbursement check but this could take several weeks.
Coach-Net has a better RV tire solution
Those at Coach-Net knew there had to be a better RV tire solution. Coach-Net has been the premier provider of 24/7 RV technical and roadside assistance since 1987. Their mission is to create a carefree RVing experience so members can focus on making memories with their friends and family.
In order to truly accomplish this mission, Coach-Net believes that if you want to really understand what RVers go through on a daily basis and be able to truly empathize with RVers, you have to experience it for yourself.
For this reason, Coach-Net proudly owns not just one, but two RVs – a motorized and a towable unit, both available for their employees to go camping with family and friends, at no cost. Anyone can look at beautiful pictures, and read countless instructional manuals, but nothing can ever replace the feeling of driving a big RV down a curving mountain roadway. It makes Coach-Net employees more knowledgeable in their jobs and it inherently makes them more compassionate to their member’s struggles.
So, being RVers themselves and having experienced the exhausting, complicated, and stressful process of a tire and wheel reimbursement, they knew there had to be a simpler and better way. Therefore, based on this first-hand knowledge, they developed a much more all-encompassing program: Hazard Protect.
Coach-Net Hazard Protect – Created by real RVers, for RVers
The biggest difference between Coach-Net’s program and other industry-standard programs is that Hazard Protect is sign and drive coverage versus reimbursement based.
So, what does that mean? It’s simple. If you experience a blowout on your RV due to a road hazard, instead of a very long process, you only need to complete the following steps with Hazard Protect:
- Call Coach-Net!
- Sign for services rendered.
That’s it! Coach-Net will first ask, “Are you in a safe location?” There’s nothing more reassuring than hearing another person inquire about your safety after you’ve just escaped a frightening incident. After confirming your safety, Coach-Net will handle all of the complicated details and have your RV towed to a qualified repair facility or have a new tire brought to you and changed on the side of the road, depending on whatever is best for you and your RV.
Let Coach-Net deal with the problems
While they are working hard on your behalf, you can relax, watch TV, hang out with the kids, or play an intense round of Uno. When your tire is changed and you are ready to continue your adventure, all that is needed is one signature and you are on your way. The tire, service call, tow (if needed), and labor have already been paid for, requiring no out-of-pocket expense and no need for receipts or claims forms.
“The whole point of having tire and wheel protection is to protect RVers from unexpected expenses. Having to pay upfront just to then worry about whether you will get reimbursed on the back end after your claim has been approved is not a great solution when you and your family are stranded on the side of the freeway.“
Coach-Net
That’s what Coach-Net and their vision of carefree RVing is all about – simplicity for the customer in an extremely stressful situation and ultimately improving the RV experience!
Conclusion
Hazard Protect is the RVer’s best option to handle an RV tire blowout. Hazard Protect can be purchased through a Coach-Net Participating RV Dealership or you can request a quote here. Coach-Net dealerships offer 3 levels of protection, but all levels include the unique benefit of Sign & Drive Service.
Coverage is available for both towable and motorized units and also includes coverage for the tow vehicle even if the tow vehicle is not attached to your RV. Hazard Protect can pay for itself with just one tire blowout. For as low as $0.29/day, Coach-Net Hazard Protect will save your sanity, your wallet, and ultimately your vacation.
I’ve been waiting to hear back on a claim where we needed a new tire and were fortunate to be right across from a Ford Service center who ordered and replaced the tire for us. I have submitted an email with all the documentation which was supposedly forwarded to Claims but its been several weeks and I have been unable to get any repose as to the status of this reimbursement request. I can’t even get information on how to contact the Claims Department via email or phone.
Meanwhile our coverage expired and I have no intention of renewing if this lack of responsiveness is indicative of Coach-Net service.
I’ve only had one encountered with Coach-Net’s service and I can’t say I was pleased. Major blow out on a freeway without a shoulder and a cliff straight down on the other side in morning rush hour. ‘Are you in a safe location?’. NO. The traffic was such that if I stuck my arm out, it would have been taken off. I was scared that I was going to be hit from behind and sent down the cliff. Coach-Net informed me that they could not get any one there for at least 3 hrs. As I found out later, no one had heard of Coach-Net. As I was having my total breakdown, I asked for a cop to be sent. When he came he wanted to know what I wanted HIM to do. Attitude. I expressed my fear about going air borne and dying
, to which he replied ‘yep, could happen’. He then called the towing company that was suppose to come in 3 hrs. They were there in 15 min. Funny how that happens…. Then the RV fell off the jack. Another mess. Fortunately, I had just replaced the spare. Now the tow guy wants me to pay the bill because they had never heard of Coach-Net. I refused and he finally agreed it was their problem. 4 hours later I finally had 4 working tires. Found a hotel and a bottle of Fireball and got in out of the horrible heat. In this case, I would still be there if the cop had not arrived and made the call. Having Coach-Net meant nothing at that time. So I am wondering about this new tire program. For me…yes or no?
Do I need this tire protection in addition to my Coach-Net emergency road service coverage?? Please advise.
Thanks. Paul Lupo. F246472
I think your depiction of a tire problem with an RV is a little one-dimensional. There are many variables and most of them depend on the type of rig, the location, the actual problem, and the experience of the operator of the rig.
If the operator has never changed a tire of any kind, I’d agree that an RV tire problem is not the time to learn. However, if they have and have made a few preparations, for the average travel trailer tire or Class-B, it’s not that big of a deal. If the tire has simply picked up a nail or screw, it can be quickly and easily changed out in many cases. If it has truly “blown out”, there could be damage to the brakes, the structure of the trailer itself, and/or the wheel. This is a different matter and could involve towing. If the event happens on the side of a zero-shoulder freeway or even a country road, towing may be required. A problem with a 14″ or 15″ TT tire is one level of issue while a problem with a 22.5″ steering tire on a 32′ motorhome is a whole different world. Age, familiarity with the concepts and tools, and physical abilities are additional factors.
A tire problem can be difficult. It’s not the end of the world and a protection program like the one from Coach-Net can be a great solution, but it’s not the only one. I have changed my own flat tires on various travel trailers, I’ve dealt with total blow-outs, broken leaf springs and chunked treads. I’ve used Coach-Net on occasion and their service has been excellent. Now that I am older, have a motorhome and do not carry a spare, a service like Coach-Net may be the way to. go.
Bottom line: a little more nuance in this article would have been welcome.
You are absolutely correct, Thomas. There are a number of variables involved and we wish more RVer’s were as educated on what they are as you. It is one of the reasons spare tires are not provided standard with the purchase of an RV like they once were. Unfortunately, writing an article to include all of the possibilities would be longer than most would read. Thankfully, we here at Coach-Net are well versed on tire related situations and are happy to help. We’re delighted that we have been able to assist you with your needs in the past and are here if you need anything further.
That Benefits and services chart does not list “towing” anywhere. Is that billed to our auto insurance then?
The coverage specifically highlighted here does not include towing but we do offer towing with our Roadside Assistance package. The two programs are built to complement each other and can usually be purchased as a bundle.
Interested in cost to enroll.
Wonderful, John! We’d love to share the information with you. The best way to get that information is by visiting our website (https://coach-net.com/) and requesting a quote so an Advisor can reach out to you or by calling us at 877-801-0333. We look forward to visiting with you!
One of the “Key ” Phrases for coverage
is ” Road Hazard”
Meaning that you have to encounter something on the Roadway for coverage Benifits.
Kind of Deceptive when you Read the article and telling you ” Relax, we got this” kind of coverage.
Thank you for expressing your concern, Chester. Most tire related incidences are related to one of two things. Either maintenance failure or road hazard. For RVer’s who keep up with the manufacturer recommended maintenance, their #1 tire related breakdown is caused by a road hazard of some sort.
Please send more information.
Thank you for your interest, Raymond. In order to provide you with information specific to your needs we will need further information. Please visit our website (https://coach-net.com/) to request a quote and one of our Member Advisors will can reach out to you or we can be reached at 877-801-0333.
Could you send me information to me, I have a 2020 class A 44ft motorhome.
Hi Remi! We’d be happy to provide you further coverage information. The best way to do that would be visiting our website (https://coach-net.com/) and entering your specific information and one of our Member Advisors will be happy to send it over. You can also call us at 877-801-0333.
Several years ago we had a basic CoachNet Protection Plan on our RV. At that time, they did not offer tire protection. I called them and yes, they did ask if we were okay and in a safe location. We were on the 5 in California but in a remote area. They found a dealer who had the right tire, sent his crew to replace the tire and make sure there was no other damage to the vehicle that would not be safe. The crew was some distance away, and it took some time for them to reach us. CoachNet kept contacting us to make sure we were okay while we waited for the tire repair folks to arrive. I had to pay for the service call and the new tire, (remember they did not offer tire coverage at that time), but I was completely satisfied with CoachNet’s attention and responsiveness. They have a well deserved reputation for being one of, it not, the best in the business. As a 45+ year RVer, I strongly recommend CoachNet.
Thank you so much, Walt, for the kind words. We are so glad we can be there when you need us most. We wish you safe travels and lots of adventures!!
Does any of these programs cover towing from breakdowns or accident?
The tire coverage mentioned here is specific to our Hazard Protect coverage for tires however we do offer great Roadside Assistance coverage which bundles well with the Hazard Protect. Please visit our website (https://coach-net.com/) or give us a call at 877-801-0333 to review all available options.
“Due to a road hazard.” Does this mean your blowout is not covered if the blowout had nothing to do with a road hazard?
Hi Anne! There are some exclusions to the coverage such as normal wear and tear, vandalism and similar items. Most other tire-related services are caused by items in the road that have punctured or otherwise damaged the tire. The coverage is quite extensive. Especially when combined with our Roadside Assistance plan.
What exactly is “road hazard” define as. I just recently had a tire blowout coming back from a trip on the freeway. Just traveling at approximately 60 MPH towing a travel trailer when the left tire on trailer shredded. Tires were inflated to proper pressure(80 PSI), fourth year on this tire but don’t count 2020 due to covid and less than 2K miles. Would this still be covered. I was able to pull enough inside the shoulder of the freeway and did change tire safely with spare.
Great question, Gil! The coverage includes the repair or replacement, if not repairable, of tires damaged by road hazards such as debris on a public roadway. For complete coverage or specific item questions please reach out to a Coach-Net Member Advisor (877-801-0333) who can share more specific information with you.
How well does Coach Net service tire incidents for travellers in Canada?
Ray – Coach-Net provides service throughout all of the US and Canada. We have many providers that we work with to service customers in both countries.
What does unlimited run a year?
The Coach-Net Hazard Protect Pricing is unit specific. We’d be happy to provide you with a quote to meet your needs. Please feel free to visit our website to submit a quote request (https://coach-net.com/) or call one of our Member Advisors at 877-801-0333.