Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:02:03 -0700
Reply-To: Tom Buese <tombuese@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Tom Buese <tombuese@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Death Valley
In-Reply-To: <826391.87875.qm@web51515.mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
YMMV w/ AAA etc. depending on the driver/tow co./AAA dispatcher, etc.
but I have never had to quibble w/ any of them on these issues & in
fact I have learned how to use the system from the drivers themselves!
The drivers/Tow Cos. get paid by AAA so, they want to help you get
around the system & allow you to use AAA to pay the Tow Cos. as much
as they can get?
At first we had one AAA card for the whole family, but eventually AAA
said that they could only tow a car if the cardholder was w/ the
vehicle. So I got cards for all family members at about $20/yr. each
extra. That gave us 16 vehicle responses a year between us! Never
used that many but did have my daughter one year use 8 including 4 in
one day & it cost moi an extra $135 for the 4 extra tow jobs! At
that point, I had a dad/daughter talk about using the card, &
eventually she solved the issue by buying a newer car!
I know that AAA will not come & get any of my non operational buses &
tow them to a shop, so if I need to have that done, I have to have
the bus look like it runs, but suddenly broke down in the driveway or
something similar! Actually, when I needed to get my 65 westy from
our old house to our new, I had to pay to have it towed, but that was
only $35.
The other advantage of Cos. like AAA is that you can delete/not buy
the towing option in your auto insurance policy, which is usually
about $25/yr/vehicle, & when you do need a tow job, gas, jump start,
or are locked out, you simply cal the AAA 800 number, they figure out
the nearest tow co., etc. & get you what you need, w/ only your
signature. W/ your insurance tow options, you have to find a tow co.
yourself, pay them, & then get reimbursed by your insurance co?
FWIW,
Tom B.-looking for a truck & a tow job?
......................
My last "adventure" of this ilk raised this question. There was a
shop about
12 miles away that supposedly worked on Vanagon's. I asked them to
call the
shop and ask them if they worked on Vanagon's with TIICO engines in
them. My
insurance co. called me back in 10 minutes and asked me where I
WANTED my
van towed as their shop did not know anything about this combination.
The
shop I wanted it towed was about 75 miles and that's where it was
towed and
my policy paid. I was impressed that the ins. co. actually listened
to what
I was telling them, and that they checked it out.
..............
> I have had the Plus membership for many years...used it on a few
> occasions, both near and far, and have never been questioned as to
> where I want the vehicle delivered. Perhaps the fine print of the
> contract is not the same as it is practiced in the real world....or
> read by the duty driver.
> ................................
>
> I keep seeing this about AAA, and I am aware of their "Plus"
> membership
> which allows towing UP TO 100 miles, but that is the very reason I
> dropped
> AAA years ago. As stated to me by AAA, they would tow me 100 miles
> IF the
> only "qualified" repair shop were 100 miles away. If there happens
> to one 5
> miles away, that's where they're taking me unless I pay the
> difference. I
> think Good Sam's policy is the same, however Good Sam has never
> refused to
> take me where I wanted to go-which is home, and both times it was
> within
> 100 miles, last time was about 85 miles though.
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