Extended Warranties

 

This posting is more a rant than anything.  Since there is a lull in our traveling adventures I thought it a good time to discuss this issue.

I have never been a big fan of extended warranties and rarely have ever purchased them.  For our fifth wheel I had a different thought process and went ahead with the purchase.  I have experience with RV’s and was concerned how an RV would hold up using it on a full time basis for a number of years.  Because of this we decided to purchase the extended warranty that Jayco was offering.  We purchased the “platinum” package which included the following:

Mechanical warranty - includes all the working items in the rig.

Paint and fabric protection – a coating was applied to the exterior of the rig and stain protection was applied to the carpet and furniture inside the rig.  With that application we get protection from stains and such for the warranty.

Tire and wheel protection – this gives us coverage on the trailer tires and wheels from road hazards and covers the truck as well.

Roadside assistance – provides for towing to a repair facility, fuel, lockout, etc.

The dealer did explain the package to us but we now learn was a little vague in that explanation and did not tell us some things.  We did receive a booklet that fully explains the coverage which brings up some of the issues that we are having.

First, let me start with the roadside assistance.  Prior to buying the fifth wheel we had AAA roadside assistance for 25 years.  I had not been aware that the AAA coverage we had did not cover the RV and that you had to add that coverage which was very costly as we had a family membership.  Instead I purchased coverage from Good Sam that covered both the RV and our vehicles.  When we purchased the fifth wheel I learned that Jayco gave us membership in Coach-Net (similar to Good Sam) and that our extended warranty had roadside assistance included.  I can remember telling the sales person that this feature would save me money as I would cancel my Good Sam roadside assistance and he agreed.  Well, not so fast!  About six months into our adventure, before our Coach-Net membership expired, I read in the extended warranty handbook that the roadside assistance applied to the RV at any time but only to the truck when it was towing the rig.  This meant that if I needed assistance while driving around town I would not be covered.  I called the carrier to clarify this and was told that the rig must be connected to the truck for the truck to be covered.  So I now had to make sure we had proper coverage when our Coach-Net membership expired and chose to go back to Good Sam at $100 per year.

Next issue is the tire and wheel protection.  You may remember my post regarding a tire on our rig shredding while we were driving in Florida.  I filed a claim with our extended warranty and told them I did not know what caused the tire to blow out.  I did not remember anything on the road.  WRONG ANSWER! CLAIM DENIED!   Per the policy I had to prove a road hazard (such as pot hole, debris, etc.).  I was furious as this is one of the reasons why I am against extended warranties, they make it so difficult to file a claim.  I contacted the dealership who sold us the policy to vent my frustration and was told the sales person would check on the matter.  He requested all my documentation so he could follow up with the carrier.  He told me that in the future I should contact him first before filing a claim so he could “help me” with my story to the carrier.  He was able to get us reimbursement but only as a “customer goodwill” gesture and not an actual approval of the claim.

Last issue, paint protection.  I noticed that the front fiberglass cap our rig was showing signs of oxidization.  I looked in our coverage booklet and it states that front and end caps are not covered.  I contacted the carrier to verify this and was told to file a claim, which I did.  Of course it was denied.  This one I did not repair it but rather have been working the issue with cleaners and wax and have improved the situation a little.  While I was talking to our Jayco dealer on the tire issue I mentioned the front cap issue and he was surprised to hear that it was not covered.  Sure, now you know!  He contacted the carrier who covers this issue and was told that they plan to include this in their coverage and to make it retroactive, however he could not provide me with anything, in writing, to confirm this.  We will see.  Also, while talking to him about this paint protection I mentioned that I like how the trailer stays clean and shiny because of the coating applied and that our graphics are covered under the policy as this is a big issue with RV’s as they get older.  He immediately says, “You do know the graphics are not covered, just the fiberglass walls?”.  I told him he had to be kidding me as I specifically remember telling him that the coverage for the graphics was a big reason why I decided to go forward with this option.  We had a “discussion” for a few minutes but I know, at this point, nothing was going to come of it and we still have coverage on many other things as part of the policy, but again I was misled.

I have not filed a mechanical claim yet as the original warranty just expired.  He assured me that those types of claims are easy, especially if you go to a Jayco dealer as they will the claim for us.  We will see!

Nashville, TN

 

My blog is going to be somewhat sporadic over the next couple of months as we are sticking around the Nashville/Knoxville area until early January.  Presently we are just outside Nashville visiting with friends.  Our friends moved here last year and my buddy has not had the time to set up his woodworking shop since the move.  All his stuff was still in boxes.  He finally had some time and asked me to help him out with building out his shop in an attached garage at their new house.  In return he helped me put suspension air bags on our truck, which is the next part of my story.

I have been going back on forth on the issue of putting air bags on the truck suspension.  With these on you inflate them to help the load when towing the trailer.  As we have a one ton truck the suspension is really sturdy to begin with so I was not sure if the need was there and did not want to incur the cost.  Recently I was talking with two other RV’ers and both of them told me how it smoothed out the ride when you get a “washboard” type road.  When you get these little bumps on a highway they get exaggerated when towing the trailer and you bounce up and down.  With that information and learning that their was a rebate on the air bags I was looking it, I went ahead with the purchase. 

Prior to the purchase I read the instruction manual online and it indicated that the installation was fairly easy with no drilling involved and probably would take about 2 hours.  They were correct in that there was no drilling but their instructions were not as clear, when we actually began the install, so a lot of time was spent in trying to figure out what they meant.  It took us about 10 hours over two days to get the air bags installed  and then another 4 hours to get the air compressor and air lines installed.  It all worked well and it passed all tests with the last one being an actual tow with the trailer.  I did attach the trailer to the truck and tried the bags with the weight of the trailer and they worked fine, I just have not driven with the trailer attached.

We are here for another week or so and then move to Knoxville for a month to celebrate Thanksgiving with our entire family, my nephew, my niece and many others, so it should be fun.  After that we come back to Nashville to celebrate Christmas with our friends.

Tom Sawyer’s RV Park

 

We are now in West Memphis, Arkansas at Tom Sawyer’s RV park.  This park is one of our top 5 parks and this is our third visit.  As for amenities the park is nothing special and the town is not one you want to visit, but what the park has is amazing views of the Mississippi River and the barges going by.  You can read more about it and see some pictures from my posting last year  http://charlandrv.blogspot.com/2011/02/mississippi-river.html.

This year the river is really low but the barges are still able to get by.  Here is a picture of the view from our window.

The brown you see on the other side of the water is the river bed.  Normally that is covered by water.

In my last posting I mentioned how the park gets flooded every year and that when we were here then the river was on the rise.  Yesterday I was talking with the owner and he showed me the high water mark from the flood last year.  It was on a building up at the entrance to the park, which is some distance from the normal banks of the river.  He said it crested at 48 feet, which was a record since he has owned the park.  I then asked how they prepare for the flood and the damage after.  He said they have “seasons” at the park.  First there is winter, where they do get some overnight RV traffic.  Then there is flood, when the river rises and floods a good part of the park.  Next is recovery, this is where they put everything back and clean up.  Finally there is the money season, which is what we are currently in.  This is their peak time of year where all the spaces are generally full most nights.

To prepare for the flood they have to remove all the picnic tables, benches and take off the electrical boxes at each site.  Recovery means returning all those items plus clearing away any debris that may have stayed behind and replacing gravel on the roadways and sites.  It is amazing that they do this each year but from I understand this is an investment for the owner and not his source of income, so I guess it gives him some leeway in keeping the park open.

Tupelo, Mississippi

 

OK, I know you are saying it in your head so let’s do it, M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I. Because of that catchy song I think I could spell Mississippi before I could spell the state I lived in, California!

Quick, what is Tupelo known for?

That’s right, the birthplace of Elvis Presley.  Shame on you if you had to look at my answer.

Tupelo was a good stopping point on our way to Memphis and it had something to see.  We found a beautiful small RV park on the edge of town that has a fantastic weekly rate.  The park has lots of trees but I was amazed that we are able to position our rig in the space so that we could use our roof mounted satellite for TV.

The weather has just been perfect so far, except for one partially rainy day.  The days are fall like with hardly any humidity and the nights are cool. 

Today we visited the Elvis birthplace and museum.  It is a very nice facility that includes the home he was born in, the church his family attended, a memorial chapel and a small museum.  As Elvis was only in Tupelo for the first 13 years of his life you can imagine the museum does not have much to display.  The house is still at the original place where it was built.  They bought the land around the house to build the museum and they moved the church to the site.  It was a nice visit and I would recommend it if you are passing through here.  I would not go of my way to come visit it, unlike Graceland, which is a really cool place to see.

So, I will give you pictures so you can say you have seen it.  No admission cost on my blog!

This is the original Assembly of God church his family worshipped in.  It was moved to this site from a few blocks away.

Inside the church.

Statue of Elvis at 13.

The house where Elvis was born.  A two room “shotgun” style home.

Front room of house.

Back room of house.

Here is some trivia for you.  The Presley family only lived in this house for a few years as Vernon Presley (Elvis’s father) went to prison for forging a check and the house was foreclosed on.  They moved to a couple of other places in Tupelo before moving to Memphis in 1948, when Elvis was 13.

For his 11th birthday his mother took him to Tupelo Hardware for his birthday present.  Elvis really wanted a .22 rifle but the owner of the store cautioned the mother about such a purchase for safety concerns and recommended a guitar.  Elvis was disappointed but realized the guitar was the only thing his mother would buy or he would get nothing.  As they say, the rest is history!  The Tupelo Hardware store is still in its original location and run by the same family.

Montgomery Sightseeing

On Monday we decided to venture out into Montgomery and take in some of the sights.  As it was Columbus Day many of the buildings were closed, which was OK with us as we have grown a little of tired of museums and historical places for the time being.  Instead we took a trolley tour of the town which drove by the sights and explained the history.  Later we walked around and took some pictures. 

The downtown portion of Montgomery is very nicely maintained and worth a visit.  They have a policy of not tearing down the old buildings but rather rehab them and put new businesses in.  Most of the things to see in town relate to the civil rights movement.  You have the Rosa Parks museum, The Civil Rights museum, the church where Martin Luther King Jr., was pastor and the house where he lived.  They also have Old Alabamatown, which is a restored portion of the city that dates back to its founding.  The state capitol is also here along with the White House of the Confederacy.

Not sure if you can make this out but this is an old building inside of a new one. As the policy is to keep old buildings, and this was the original state supreme court, they kept the building and then built a modern structure around it.  Beyond the glass you can see the marble stairway and beyond that the front of the original building.

State Capitol

Church where King was pastor from 1954 to 1960.

Neat fountain in front of the National Civil Rights Museum.  This is stone with water running over the top and falling down the sides.  Carved into the top is a timeline of events in the civil rights movement.

The White House of the Confederacy.

This is a fountain in downtown that was placed over a natural spring.  This was where the slave auction was held on Wednesdays at noon.

We had heard about two restaurants that were a must to try out while in Montgomery.  The first is Dreamland BBQ which is famous for its ribs.  The original Dreamland is in Tuscaloosa but they now have others in the state.  I tried their ribs but was not impressed. 

The second restaurant is Chris’s Hot Dogs.  The is the oldest restaurant in Montgomery.  It was started in 1917 and is still family owned and run.  Their hot dogs have mustard, onions, sauerkraut and their own chili sauce.  Very messy, but very good.  The restaurant looks like it has been there since 1917!  Highly recommend this place.

Fire Ants!

 

This past Thursday we moved from Carabelle, Florida to Hope Hull, Alabama, which is just outside Montgomery.  The drive was uneventful but scenic as the route, via our GPS, was on state highways and county roads, so the trip took a little longer but took us through some small towns.

The park is nothing special but meets our needs.  It is basically a park for RV’ers to stop overnight as it is right off Interstate 65.  The spaces are a nice size and the weekly rate is the cheapest we have ever paid, so that is nice.  The one thing they do have here is fire ants, which, to the best of my knowledge, is my first experience with them.  In California  we had larger red ants and in Illinois we had regular black ants.  These fire ants are interesting in that they build big mounds of dirt and from the surface nothing seems unusual until you disturb the mound, then all HELL breaks loose.  The park owner warned us about them and said he tries to keep up with the mounds by pouring gasoline on them.  They are called fire ants as their bite/sting feels like a burn.  We have not had any issue with them getting into the trailer, but I had a run in with them on Saturday morning.  I was moving our outdoor mat and did not see that an ant mound had been created underneath it and when I moved the mat the ants starting coming out.  I did not notice them on the mat until I looked down and saw a bunch on my sandals and feet.  I quickly brushed them off but a few of them bit me.  It is a small sting but went away quickly and no other issues.  So now I watch where I am walking.

There is a large mound of them in the space across the road from us so I took a picture of the mound undisturbed then I moved the dirt (with a long stick) and took another picture of the ants that came out.  Hopefully you can see them'.

Before

After

If Wikipedia is to be believed these ants came to the US here in Alabama on a cargo ship that arrived in Mobile. 

Carrabelle, Florida

 

We continue our loop through the south and decided to explore the gulf coast of Florida.  We have been doing a lot of sightseeing lately and thought it might be nice to just relax near some water (like we are stressed!).  I picked out a little RV park right on the water in Carrabelle, Florida.  It is about 50 miles south of Tallahassee.  But first let me tell you about our drive here.

The drive was uneventful until we were about 30 miles from the park on a two lane state highway.  I had heard a sound but thought it was from trucks or another vehicle on the road as our vehicle was handling fine and I noticed no issues.  Further down the road I was looking out the side mirror to check traffic and noticed the car behind us weaving a little and I saw bits of rubber bouncing on the roadway.  As I saw that I noticed that one of the tires on the trailer, drivers side, was flat.  The trailer was tracking straight and the flat was not noticeable in the handling of the truck.  I then started looking for a place to pull over as the shoulder on the roadway was not sufficient to stop the truck and trailer without blocking the road.  After a couple of miles I finally found a place large enough to get fully off the road.  The trailer tire had completely shredded with only a little rubber left around the rim.  I called Good Sam roadside assistance and after some problems finding someone to come out a tow truck showed up to change our tire.  When he pulled off the tire he found the rest of the tire wrapped around the drum.  The electrical connections for the trailer brakes on that wheel had become disconnected, but other than that it did not appear there was any other damage.  After about 2 hours we were back on the road.

What is left of the tire.

At the RV park I did a closer inspection and was able to fix the electrical connections. A tire has been ordered from a local dealer. This was the first flat tire on a RV that we have owned.  Now we will be seeing how well the extended warranty plan we purchased works as it does include tire and wheel protection.

The park is nothing special except that it sits right the water.  We were not able to get one of the back in water sites but yesterday we were able to move to a site that faces the water so we do have a nice view.

Sunrise over the gulf.

The RV park from a pier they have.

Not sure if you can make it out but on each of the pilings there is a pelican perched on the top.