RV Extended Warranty – Our Experience
RV Extended Warranty events are never fun, and unfortunately we had two events occur in the same month. We had a number of non-critical component failures on the RV over the last several months. By non-critical, we mean various things on the RV that broke but that we could manage to live without for a short time or find a work-around. We had delayed getting those things fixed until we could be near a service center and also be stationary long enough to work through the warranty process. We decided the best time and place to get these repairs done was while we were in Las Vegas helping family with some issues.
While we were traveling from Florida to Las Vegas, we noticed what we considered tire damage on the front tires of our motorhome, and tire issues are never something we want to delay getting resolved. We ended up pausing our westward trip in Texas to have the tires replaced, and you can see more about the tire issues in this video.
Let’s back up a little and explain what kind of warranty plans we have. We purchased a pre-owned motorhome from a private seller, and both a RV extended warranty and a tire protection plan were included with the purchase price (we only had to pay $50 to transfer them). The RV extended warranty is with CornerStone, and the tire protection plan is with Tire Shield (we have no affiliation with either company and do not represent them in any official or unofficial capacity). The tire protection plan provides replacement cost coverage for damages caused by road hazards, and the RV warranty is an exclusionary warranty (see the resources below for what that means).
Tire failure while going down the road can be catastrophic, so when we saw the beginnings of tread separation, we knew we needed to stop our travels to get the tires replaced. We believed the separation had been caused by the terrible road conditions in Louisiana and eastern Texas. Our tires were only 60% into the manufacturers’ life expectancy, Scott had always been sure to keep them protected from UV damage, and he does a visual inspection at every stop while on a road trip. The tread depth was good, and there were no other signs of normal wear or weathering. Tread separation can be caused by poor road conditions like pot holes and also can be caused by manufacturers’ defects. Unfortunately for us, the tire protection plan company stated the tread separation was more likely a manufacturer’s defect and not caused by road hazard conditions, and they did not cover the replacement cost. UPDATE ON FINAL OUTCOME: After getting this news, we submitted a claim to the tire manufacturer, and after they called the tire repair shop to confirm their assessment of the tires, the manufacturer approved a refund for us of 40% of the cost of the tires. We were lucky that the tire shop was an official dealer for the manufacturer AND that the owner remembered us to provide the manufacturer with his assessment. Lesson learned: Coordinate with all potential sources of reimbursement during the repair event to give yourself the best chance of recouping repair / replacement expenses.
After replacing the tires, we continued our trip and arrived at the service center in Las Vegas to get the RV warranty work done. When getting service work done that you expect the warranty company to cover, it’s extremely important to understand and follow their process. We were very diligent in following the warranty claim process, and we’re happy to report that the RV warranty company did cover at least a portion of the cost for each item that needed to be repaired.
Be sure to check with your warranty company to understand their specific process, but in general you can expect these key steps. First, the issues must be evaluated and a proposed repair plan must be made by a service center / technician that’s recognized and approved by the warranty company. Then the warranty company will review the proposed repair plan and may request to have the issues confirmed by an inspector of their choice. After reviewing the plan and receiving the inspection report, the warranty company will advise the repair center what will be covered. There may be a gap in what the service center is going to charge for the repair and what the warranty company will pay for the repair. At this point, parts can be ordered and the work can be scheduled. Once the work is complete, you will have to cover any deductible and also any gap between the service center charges and the warranty coverage.
As an example, here’s how the costs broke down in our RV service / warranty event. Our event involved two broken Maxxfans, one slide Firefly switch, and one slide motor. The total cost quoted by National Indoor RV Service Center was $3,232. Our CornerStone warranty authorized $2,598 (there were line item differences in the cost of replacement parts and the allowable duration of labor). Total out of pocket for this event was $884 ($250 deductible + $634 above authorized amount).
RV Extended Warranty – Where to go for more information
The RV extended warranty topic is complex and has been covered by a number of expert resources. Do you want to learn more about this topic? We pulled together these resources to help you find what you need to know about getting an RV extended warranty:
Article by Escapees explaining both RV insurance and RV warranties
High-level overview of RV warranties by The Wandering RV
Extensive and detailed article covering all aspects of RV warranties from RV Love
Detailed cost example and case study from Roads Less Traveled
Pros and cons, key features, and getting the most out of your warranty from RV Dreams
Share your experiences with or ask questions about RV warranties in the comments below.
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