I have tow insurance through my regular insurance on my OT vehicles but I have three vehicles insured through Grundy so no tow service. I'm planning an around the country tour for next summer in my '34 and will probably tow a small trailer or a teardrop behind. I'll have some tools and maybe a few spares but there's always the possibility that I can't fix something on the side of the road. I'll have my NSRA Fellows Pages with me as well as a laptop so I can post a "HELP" thread on here if needed but am concerned that I might have a breakdown in a bad spot and want to get towed out of there in a hurry. I am thinking I'll get AAA premium so I won't have to leave my trailer on the side of the road but wondering if there are other hot rod specific services out there.
A few years ago I was towing a '68 Camaro on my roll back trailer when the alternator went out on my PU truck. Called AARP (Allstate) for a tow & they contacted a tow company. I called them & asked for a wheel lift wrecker. The driver said he could tow both but only the PU was covered. Said I'd pay the difference. He got a call to assist with a "lock out" so I agreed for him to stop on the way. Lady went in the bowling alley & locked keys in car w/parking lights on. His jumper was dead, so said he could use mine. Got the lady going, towed to my house, no additional charge since I bailed him out. Still have AARP & Grundy, though I think U can get road service thru them. AARP & cell phone replaces all the tools & spare parts on the road.
I travel all over the place, in cars I shouldn't be driving, with no tow insurance. I guess I'm either really brave, or an idiot. But it's kind of fun to be a little bit self reliant, in the modern age.
Triple A with RV coverage. Had a flat on my 5th wheel trailer and was repaired and on the road in an hour. Couldn't have done it faster myself!
I agree 100%! To add to that, I couldn't tell you how many times I've stopped to help a broken down car. Blows me away how many people will wait an hour or longer to have a tow truck driver change a flat tire for them. I do have AAA tow but have only used it as a last resort.
I used AAA for a tow in Maryland a couple of years ago when I had a blow out on 2 year old tires on our motorhome.. We also had tow insurance on the motorhome with State Farm. We contacted both, AAA could get there first! They towed me ten miles to a Goodyear dealer, of course they were closed by that time, so we camped out in their parking lot till morning and got two new tires! While we were parked on the curve and close to a bridge on the interstate with heavy traffic and a narrow shoulder with the blow out, a State Farm “ safety patrol” stopped to help us with better safety lights, but had to leave to go to another problem. I protested, that I as a State Farm customer needed him there, but he left anyway. The tow was free, the China made tires are junk, State Farm left me in bad shape, Goodyear was fantastic, AAA came through in a pinch. Learned a lot that day! PS: I didn’t buy the China made tires, they were on the motorhome when I bought it, I didn’t check them, only found out they were made in China, after I bought the RV. The brand new tires were a factor in choosing that coach. Bones
Ditto on that, AAA-RV plus, its nice to know that for that small amount of money per year, peace of mind for unforeseen emergency's !
I haven't had tow insurance but it would have paid for it's self a year ago when I had a breakdown that I couldn't fix on the side of he road with my dualie while pulling my 25 foot Bayliner. My son called a tow company for me (Action Towing of Yakima wa) and they sent out an extended cab Peterbuilt roll back that hauled the dualie and towed the boat behind it with a ball on the wheel lift. Now that I get older I am a lot less interested in attempting to do repairs on a road trip and being towed somewhere is sounding a lot more interesting. Hopefully I never get so broke down physically that I can't change my own flat tire while on the road unless I do get a tow rig or RV with tires so heavy it isn't viable for me to do.
I've had the AAA towing option for almost 40 years. Pulled me out of a jam more times than I can remember. If you're gonna be traveling the entire country in your '34, it'd be ridiculous not to have it! Make sure you get the option that will cover your trailer too. Even $200 a year, or whatever they charge would be a very small price to pay for peace of mind on a 3000-4000 mile road trip!
Hey C, We have car insurance with Allstate since 1968. It is hard to move to another company with the longevity discount. That is for car insurance and damages. State Farm was almost twice as much, but, AAA insurance is only for towing services. The lowest is less than 10 miles and is not worth it. Unless of course, your car repair shop or dealer is within 10 miles of where you break down. We just got the 100 miles top rated insurance plan and that covers flat bed and regular hook trucks. We always ask for a flat bed as it seems safer and more secure. The coverage is for any type of towing. There has never been a charge for any towing with AAA. We have been with them since 2004. We have used it one time and that in itself paid for the yearly cost. The tow trucks are all over the place in So Cal. We have seen them outside of So Cal, too. A phone call will clarify all questions. Since you have to become an AAA member, there is also the valuable DMV services that does not require a visit to hell. Check them out as they also provide battery service anywhere. Jnaki
I will do a very thorough inspection of the car and perform maintenance before the trip but you know shit happens. Like I said, a tow would be last resort as I will have tools and spares. However, there may be times that roadside repairs are not the safest or desirable option. Although I will try to keep to back roads and small towns I may have to travel through some areas where there is no shoulder to pull over on or a high crime area that is not safe to either work on the car or leave it if I have to go get parts. I've done many roadside repairs over the years but these days with so many distracted drivers I'd prefer to do any repairs off the highway and in a parking lot somewhere. Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll figure something out and hopefully not have to use it!
I used to think "tow insurance " was a "gold chainer" thing, but after I took a dispatch that had a 90mi+ commute, I learned the value of AAA "premier" tow insurance with my first "event"!! I now, especially that I'm in my mid 70s & retired, consider it mandatory, if only for the piece of mind that it brings with it!! Not a commercial for it, only my personal opinion.
HSF a lot of folks in my age bracket have bad knees like I do, bad backs, bad hips, you name it. I'll gladly give up an hour to not be crawling around on my hands and knees dragging a spare tire down and out from under a trailer, not to mention all the bending needed to get the damn thing installed. Plus, I'll still be able to move when I get to where I am going with the trailer.
bought AAA for the first time this year, figured with 200000 miles on my work truck it might pay. Within 3 months my fuel pump went 50 miles from home, a week later my key broke inside the ignition lock. Both times I was towed home to where I could fix it with no problem.
I have Hagerty Insurance with a nice tow program, just sayin, this insurance company has been awesome for me. Grundy does a nice job as well. Good luck on your choice
The Jalopy Journal
