Frequently Asked Questions
This list is compiled from 50+ questions asked by live attendees of our recent interview of Ed Thor, Manager of RV Services for SafeRide Motor Club. SafeRide is the servicing company for Escapees Roadside Assistance.
- Marketing materials state “any time, almost anywhere.” What does “almost anywhere” mean?
SafeRide does not offer coverage in Mexico. We know that many of our members enjoy traveling across borders, so we want to ensure we are representing coverage accurately. However, if you have an incident while traveling in Mexico, and are able to get your vehicle or rig across the border, SafeRide can typically help you from there.
- So then, does Escapees Roadside Assistance cover Canada?
Yes, ERA covers Canada, Alaska and the rest of the US.
- How does Escapees Roadside Assistance/SafeRide match up against competitors such as Good Sam, AAA, Coach-Net, etc?
If you were to create a spreadsheet of all the benefits offered by each of these companies, you would see that most, including SafeRide, offer the same services. The difference is in the quality of the services and service providers. We thoroughly vet each of our service providers, researching their liability insurance, what equipment they have available, and more to ensure they are reliably equipped to assist with our members’ needs. We offer more flexibility in our services, which you will find described in more detail below. We also do not cap the number of claims an individual may file per year. Members will not be dropped from coverage for using our roadside assistance services. Finally, we cover a wider variety of vehicles, and extend coverage to vehicles owned by dependents of the primary policyholder.
- I have a heavy duty truck that pulls my 5th wheel trailer. Are HDTs covered through Escapees Roadside Assistance?
Your listed RV is covered, as well as your passenger vehicles and motorcycles. This applies to HDTs, medium-duty trucks, motorized RVs, bumper pull trailers and 5th wheel trailers.
If your HDT also has sleeping quarters, it will need an additional policy. Per SafeRide’s guidelines, a vehicle with sleeping quarters is considered an RV; only one RV may be covered per policy.
- How do I file a claim? Once a claim is filed, is there a procedure for follow-up?
To start a claim, call SafeRide (phone number will be on your membership information). Once the claim has been opened and a service provider is en route, you’ll receive an automated follow-up call from SafeRide. This call is to confirm that the provider has arrived, or contacted you directly to confirm an arrival window.
- You say there is no cap on claims made per year. How do you keep members from abusing this?
Rarely do we have to reach out to a member about excessive uses or abuse of the program. When those situations do occur, it is because SafeRide has provided assistance with the same issue numerous times over a short period. Repetitive jump starts or flat tire replacements, for example, in a matter of a few months indicate there is a more significant service issue that has gone unaddressed by the owner. In these situations, we reach out to the policyholder to encourage them to get the issue addressed before a more serious problem occurs.
- Is there a limit to the number of miles you will tow my vehicle or RV?
We will tow the disabled vehicle/RV to the nearest qualified repair. If your tow vehicle is disabled and you’re pulling your RV; your RV will be towed to safety. If we tow you to a facility of SafeRide’s choosing and later find they cannot accommodate your needs, we will tow you to the next qualified repair center who can, also at no additional charge.
- What happens if I break down on a Friday afternoon?
If you have an unfortunate incident on a Friday or holiday, for example, and cannot be seen until Monday, we will tow you to an RV park near the qualified repair center. On Monday, we will pick you up and tow you to the repair center at no additional cost.
- How do you handle warranty services on RVs such as Airstreams?
When we know we’re dealing with a warranty issue, we will make every effort to get your RV to an authorized repair center in order to preserve your warranty.
- Who is eligible for trip interruption assistance?
To utilize trip interruption, you must be at least 200 miles from home. Trip interruption benefits are not applicable for full-time RVers.
- I see that winching is limited to 100 feet off a maintained road. Why?
The phrase “maintained road” can be misleading. At SafeRide, “maintained road” means an asphalt, concrete or grated road. This includes “improved” BLM roads, campground roads and driveways, and other similarly constructed roadways. This does not include areas that are truly off-road, such as remote BLM parking, pastures, beaches, etc. The reason for the limit on distance is safety of the tow truck and driver. Many cables used for winching are approximately 125 ft in length, several feet of which are used for safely connecting the truck to the disabled vehicle. The truck has to be on sturdy ground in order to safely pull the rig or vehicle, so the 100’ limit is to ensure that the driver and tow truck are able to do their job safely, which also results in the disabled vehicle or RV likely sustaining little to no additional damage.
- What do I do if I have complications with the service provider? For example, they refuse to use the correct tow vehicle for my rig, won't tow it the distance needed without additional fees, or otherwise leave me dissatisfied with the service?
Call our claims center immediately. Though we do our best to vet our approved service providers, we cannot be there every time they deliver service. We need you to be our eyes and ears- if you are not getting the quality of service we promise, let us know ASAP and we will either address it with the service provider or find a new one for you. To expedite this, please have the phone number handy from which you placed the initial request. Though we can search records by name, it is more efficient to use unique phone numbers.
- Do I need a second policy for my heavy duty truck?
It depends. This situation rarely comes up, but if your HDT has sleeping quarters, it qualifies as an RV per our policies. As such, it will need a roadside assistance policy of it's own in addition to the one covering your 5th wheel. However, if your HDT does NOT have sleeping quarters, it is still a vehicle and therefore covered under your 5th wheel's policy.