Are extended warranties worth it?

[Dave and Lynn]

On your last purchase, did you buy the extended warranty? Did you not buy the extended warranty and wished you had?

I have searched through here and read some of the discussions but we are still trying to decide if we want to purchase it. For our unit, it would be 2499. This would go into effect after the first year. So we would have a total of 6 years 'bumper to bumper' plus roadside assistance and allowances for lodging and loss of property etc... If we do not make a claim during the 5 years, we get our money back.

My husband is very handy, but with so many different systems that could go wrong, he can't know how to fix everything. Believe me, if something can go wrong, it will for me, :D

Please take a minute to let us know what you think. We also have a different posting asking about a product they put on the exterior of the unit and warranty that.

Thanks,
Lynn

[Festus2]

As you pointed out, there are varying opinions which have already been expressed about extended warranties. If you did a survey of the members, I would guess that the majority would say "no".
I am not sure about your existing roadside service plan (AAA or ????) but many plans already have those features included. In addition, most of the appliances and some other fixtures have a 2 year warranty on them already.
You could purchase the insurance, and then proceed to get any "small" stuff repaired (which your husband couldn't do or does not want to tackle) and pay for those things yourself. If, during the course of 5 years, you end up spending say $750 on repairs, then you can submit a claim to get all of your money refunded by the insurance company since you have not billed them for any repairs.
A word of caution about extended warranties ---READ THE FINE PRINT!!! They have many exclusions --- many! Get a copy of the fine print stuff and take it home and go through it. You might be surprised to find what IS NOT COVERED!!
You should also ensure that the insurance company will be in business 4-5 years from now. There have been cases where they end up bankrupt or in some other financial mess and you are left out in the cold.

But, if an extended warranty gives you peace of mind ---- and you can afford it --- what can I say?

[Dave and Lynn]

Festus2, Thanks for the good advice. This particular warranty would cover exactly what the manufacturer's warranty does. So a total of 6 years bumper to bumper. We don't have an existing roadside assistance plan.

I am going to get a complete contract instead of just the flyer to read over. Thanks for chiming in here, there are so many sides of this issue that we may just not think about.

Thanks,
Lynn

[mrxlh]

Firm believer in them if you are going to keep the Rv for the term of the policy. I purchased one on my first RV and got every penny back. Purchased one on my Raptor as well. Call it cheap piece of mind.

[JRTJH]

Festus2, Thanks for the good advice. This particular warranty would cover exactly what the manufacturer's warranty does. So a total of 6 years bumper to bumper. We don't have an existing roadside assistance plan.

I am going to get a complete contract instead of just the flyer to read over. Thanks for chiming in here, there are so many sides of this issue that we may just not think about.

Thanks,
Lynn

Read the complete policy. I've not heard of any extended warranty that covers an RV "bumper to bumper" If the one you're looking at does, please let us all know. The "usual" extended warranty has so many exclusions, that virtually nothing is covered after you pay the deductible.

Would be very curious about this policy, keep us posted.

[Mosnowman]

As a newbie I purchased th extended warranty. I never buy them with anything I buy, but this is my first RV and I shelled out $1,280 for it. I have 6 years with the extended warranty. If I was retired and had talent to fix things probably not, but it's peace of mind for me......

[jq1031]

If you include the warranty price into your finance contract it's only a few $ a month. If you pay cash it's out of pocket! SO HERE IS THE REALISM! If you're short on cash & OK with payments, get the extended warranty. If you got cash to pay for the down the road repairs, forget the warrenty because you most likely don't need it!!

[Jim W]

No, I do not buy extended warranties. These are profit makers for the seller and the warranty companies. By the time you need the service, if you ever do they are not in the area. An you need to take the trailer or what ever you purchase the warranty for back to them to be fix.
Example: You are camping in BC and you live in Maine. The on board water pump fails. You call the warranty company, this must be done first before any work can be done. They inform you that you must take this to a US service center in Washington state and pay a $150 deductible. Will you?
Jim W.

[Johnnyfry]

Generally I avoid these offers because,as Jim pointed out, they are big $$ makers for the company.

That said, I had to cave on the 5er because my other half wanted to do it. Her reasoning was if I kick off she will have the added security of a warranty. I couldn't really argue the point but I put the odds of collecting anything substantial right up there with Powerball.

I can, and generally do, fix most things myself and collecting on that after the face, even if I gave my labor for free, is nil.

John

[Outbackmel]

You play Powerball? Drop out immediately and save your money...increases MY odds of not having to share when I win :D The difference between Keystone and Prevost is a "Powerball" win !! Ohhhh Yeaaaahhhh, I feel it coming on, soon, real soon....:)

[Smitty]

I did buy one for mine. Sure would have liked that option of 100 percent back if I didn't use it. That sounds like peace of mind for about 1 percent that you would loose on a savings account. I really like that refund clause. I had one on my last RV too but never had to use it. In fact when I traded it in on this one, I should have had a partial refund for an early out but never applied for it.

[The Sod Father]

I bought an extended warranty on my last trailer and financed it. I never used it and that was the impetus to my deciding NOT to buy one with this trailer. If you are not very risk adverse, I would suggest taking the lump sum, place it in a money market fund and leave it there. If you need the money for a major repair, then you have it on hand. Just note that the extended warranty will not cover things like leaks or problems that are the result of a leak. And honestly, leaks are a major cause of problems in a trailer. That and normal wear and tear. Which is also a warranty exclusion.