It’s incredibly common for new RVers to wonder if an extended RV warranty is worth it. When we first purchased our brand-new Grand Design Momentum 328M in 2017, we were asked if we wanted to purchase an extended warranty.
Ultimately, we opted for the expensive upfront warranty to have peace of mind knowing we’d be covered if something happened. But we still weren’t sure if a warranty was worth it or not.
After full-timing in our fifth wheel for a year and a half we did a pretty substantial amount of repairs to our RV with our extended warranty.
Considering that, we felt it would be the perfect time to reflect on our extended RV warranty experience thus far. This post will cover the basics of an RV warranty. Including what an extended RV warranty costs, what it covers, and if we think an extended RV warranty is worth it or not.
Why have an extended RV warranty
We wish we could say RVing is perfect all the time. But the reality is things break, accidents happen, and repairs are needed. That’s where RV warranties come can be a tremendous help.
Most manufacturers offer a warranty on their trailers, fifth wheels, or RVs but it’s often for a short period of time, and sometimes has limitations. Grand Design had a great 1-year warranty and quickly fixed or reimbursed us for the issues and repairs we had.
The weird thing is, we didn’t start to have a lot of big issues until after our 1-year warranty expired. I think most RVers can relate to having issues well beyond the manufacturer warranty expiration, which is the main reason you would want an extended RV warranty.
It provides you with peace of mind and financial support if and when big items need to be repaired unexpectedly. Which let’s face it – will happen. We love knowing if something happens on our rig we don’t have a large unexpected bill on our hands. It’s a security net for our budget and lifestyle as full-time RVers.
Extended RV warranty coverage
No two warranties are the same. For that reason, it is hard to say exactly what is covered as every plan will offer different coverage and exceptions. We are sharing our exact coverage, which is the platinum extended warranty with USA Travel Care.
If you’re looking at a different warranty plan, like Wholesale Warranties, or any other warranty company, then you’ll have something to compare it to. With our plan, the following items are covered for up to 84 months or 7 years.
- Water Heater
- Fresh Water System
- Waste System (both black and grey)
- Air Conditioning
- Range and Oven
- L.P. Gas/Propane System
- Heating System (including furnace and fireplace)
- Refrigerator and Freezer
- Frame
- Brake System
- Suspension System
- Interior/Exterior (excludes fabric covering on awnings or weather damage)
- Audio/Video Entertainment
- Seals and Gaskets
- Tax / Fluids / Lubricants
- Wear and Tear (when a component fails to perform the function it was originally designed to)
Also included in the warranty is;
- Towing expense. They will reimburse us up to $300.
- Trip interruption. They will pay for food and lodging for up to 3 days.
- Food spoilage. They will give us money toward purchasing more food if our refrigerator fails and we lose our food.
- Fuel/L.P. gas replacement. This is in the event one of our tanks fails and needs to be drained.
- Guaranteed part-replacement. If a part fails for a 2nd time during the term of the agreement all repairs are paid by them.
- Emergency roadside assistance
What’s not included in the extended RV Warranty
The coverage seems extensive but you should be REALLY careful to read the fine print. We’ve had multiple items denied because it was not covered because of the way it broke, or what stopped working. Below are a few of the common items not included in an extended RV warranty.
- Any non-emergency items on the RV that included towing (meaning if we could safely still drive it we should).
- Any damage incurred from lack of maintenance, routine checkups, or negligence.
- Any damage incurred while under the use of any narcotics or intoxicants.
- Tire Repair (unless you buy the tire warranty – which we did).
- Pre-existing conditions.
- Damage caused by overloading the vehicle.
- Broken items outside of their clauses.
There is no guarantee your warranty plan will approve or fix all things that go wrong with your RV. If you’re a good saver, it may be best just to set aside cash and have a hefty reserve or savings account for future issues rather than paying for a plan with a company that may or may not fix the issues that arise.
Cost of an extended RV warranty
Are you wondering how much an RV warranty costs? We purchased both the USA Travel Care Platinum Extended Warranty and the Tire and Wheel Warranty from USA Care when we bought our RV brand new from the dealer. Since tires were not included in the platinum extended warranty, we made the additional purchase and you’ll see below, why we’re glad we did.
| Cost of USA Travel Care Platinum Extended Warranty | $3,632.50 |
| Cost of USA Travel Care Tire & Wheel Extended Warranty | $424.94 |
| TOTAL COST FOR WARRANTIES COMBINED | $4,057.44 |
If that seems like a high upfront cost to you, it’s because it is. This is definitely one of the more expensive warranties on the market. But you get what you pay for. Just take a look at the repairs we’ve done thus far (in our first year and a half as full-timers).
The items below are only what they have paid for or covered, we have completed other upgrades that were not covered under our warranty like our solar installation and putting sheet metal under our slides so blowouts don’t damage our flooring.
RV repairs that were reimbursed or paid for with our warranty
| Leaf springs | $390.52 |
| Trailer brakes (including bearings) | $1,270.80 |
| Trailer axle repair | $307.50 |
| Leaf spring equalizers | $1,077.77 |
| Window breaking | $525.94 |
| Patching hole in shower | $84.00 |
| Gas in propane line | $280.00 |
| 12 new tires | $1,465.48 |
| Total paid by warranty plans | $5,402.01 |
Below is items Grand Design actually reimbursed us for since it happened within our 1st year. We included it here because the extended warranty would have covered it if we didn’t have the manufacturer’s warranty.
| 4 leaf springs | $858.40 |
| Water leak | $2,229.01 |
| Total paid by manufacturer warranty | $3,087.41 |
| Grand total between extended and manufacturer warranties | $8,489.42 |
It’s pretty clear the initial upfront cost was more than covered by the repairs we had done in just the first year and a half alone. We have more repairs that need to be completed but are waiting to return to Florida before getting started on those, as many parts have to be ordered and we’ll have the comfort of having a home and family to stay with while they work on the RV.
Is an Extended RV Warranty worth it?
We definitely think the right extended RV warranty is worth it. It honestly comes down to the plan, what it covers, for how long, and the overall cost. Just because you have an extended RV warranty, doesn’t mean it’s worthwhile.
There are a lot of considerations to take into account and things to look for within a warranty that can either make it a great warranty plan or not. Take a look below to see some of the major considerations to look for when choosing an extended RV warranty plan.
Things to consider before buying a warranty
Below are a few things to consider before buying a warranty.
Coverage
Warranty coverage and cost vary by providers. It’s up to you to read the fine print and know your program before you buy it. We honestly didn’t know what to look for initially when we purchased this, but we were lucky enough to have purchased a worthwhile extended warranty.
We don’t want you to make the same rookie mistakes. So make sure to take the following into consideration when buying an extended RV warranty. Make sure you know exactly what it covers, and that the price of the program is worth its coverage.
Repair facilities and locations
Some warranties require you to go to an approved RV mechanic. I would advise staying away from any plan that requires you to go to a specific RV shop. It will only cause headaches and will limit your ability to use the warranty to cover a repair that is needed if you’re in a location where they don’t have an approved service provider. Our program allows us to go anywhere, which has been a lifesaver.
Approval process and filing a claim for repair
Most warranty programs require pre-approval of any work done. This is very important to know BEFORE you get a repair done. There are ways to get reimbursed. We did several times because it happened on a weekend when they were closed or honestly we didn’t know we needed pre-approval. However, you are putting your own money at risk.
They have a right not to reimburse you if the plan specifically says they require pre-approval. There is typically a phone number on your warranty that you will have the repair shop call. Your repair shop will submit the invoice, and the warranty company will either cut them a check or pay them with a card over the phone.
It’s slightly inconvenient to need pre-approval so make sure the shop you are going to is aware they will have to call the warranty company prior to completing the work. We often ask about their experience with warranty companies prior to setting our appointment for repairs, just to make sure we’re not wasting our time at a shop that won’t work with our extended warranty plan.
Is your plan transferrable if you sell your RV?
Most plans will have a specific clause about transferring the warranty to a new owner if you sell the vehicle within the warranty coverage period. This can be a nice selling feature to any potential buyers because it’s one less item they have to purchase and they still get the protection of a warranty even though they are buying used.
Our specific plan allows the warranty to be transferred for a $40 fee (in Florida) and $100 anywhere else. I would advise buying a warranty plan that is transferable if possible.
Deductible amounts
Some warranty plans require a deductible whenever a claim is filed, similar to how an insurance company has deductibles. Our platinum plan has a $0 deductible, it is advisable to make sure you know if you are responsible for paying anything when a repair is needed or not. A deductible isn’t the end of the world, just make sure you are comfortable with the amount.
The USA Travel plan is an extended RV warranty that is usually only offered when an RV is purchased new. If you’re looking to purchase a used RV and want to buy an extended RV warranty we highly recommend going with Wholesale Warranties. They are one of the most reputable warranty companies in the RV industry today.
We hope this post has given you some insight into extended RV warranties and helped you make the decision to purchase one or not. If you have had any personal experiences with RV warranties we would love to hear about it in the comments.
