Warranty After Market Recommendation

[RICKBETTY]

My warranty on my 2015 Lounge AI just expired 4 days ago. I have 14,000 miles on it.. Does anyone have any recommendations and experience on aftermarket warranties. Also the cost .
Thanks

[Alex AVI]

This is my 1st RV so no personal experience with RV extended warranties, though lots with regular car warranties. However, I know they are apples & oranges to compare auto vs. rv. After taking delivery, I inquired at Good Sam Extended Service Plans. I was quoted around $3,000 for the 7 yr Gold plan $500 deductible (that's 7yr from in-service date of a brand new rv). I thought that was a bit high for a high deductible plan. I think they all price structure differently for existing and low mileage units, just not sure how and if duration still starts from in-service date or contract date. Usually leaks & seals included when buying it while unit is brand new. If after normal warranty expires, they consider mileage, which at 14,000 is well below their max threshold. But either way, I am pretty sure the prices get adjusted accordingly.

Getting a free on-line estimate from Good Sam is a good start point. Quick & easy to compare their plans too. StarRV is another big company offering it, as they offer other warranties (they are really just insurance policies) for toys like atv, boats, jetskies, classic cars, etc. I kinda wished MB and/or Airstream offered their own. I have always had least headaches with those extended warranties direct from manufacturer like Ford, Chrylser, GM, BMW & MB. But have also had good luck with a couple 3rd party ones MANY years ago on my wife's Mitsubishi and older BMW. Both required some big repairs that got promptly paid making the extended warranty worth the expense. Just do not remember the company. As with all extended warranties, YMMV.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by RICKBETTY

My warranty on my 2015 Lounge AI just expired 4 days ago. I have 14,000 miles on it.. Does anyone have any recommendations and experience on aftermarket warranties. Also the cost .

Thanks

I'd recommend you skip after market warranties - basically an insurance product that makes a lot of money for the insurer and gives you marginal benefits. In my view self-insuring is the only way to go for vehicle repairs. Better to just put the money in a separate saving account if you need some piece of mind and can't handle potential repair cost from your cash flow.

[ROBERT CROSS]

An assumption, you are referring to the Mercedes warranty on the coach itself and not the Airstream portion?
In my Limited 40 year dealer experience the only "extended" warranty worth the paper it's written on is the one offered by the vehicle manufacturer.
BUT everyone's requirements are different, no one answer applies to everyone.
If you're Comfort level remains intact after spending X number of dollars for the perceived benefit then go for it.

My personal opinion, stay away from the high deductible offerings from the aftermarket. Inquire at Mercedes to see what they offer for the powertrain. Save the dollars you would spend for an all-inclusive policy and use that to repair and maintain the RV items that may or may not require attention.

Stream Happy 👍

Bob
🇱🇷

[InterBlog]

I agree that extended warranties are generally not worth it, BUT, if you identify one that you think IS worth considering, make sure you read the fine print, especially regarding wait times. Make sure that the stated wait times for warranty work are acceptable to you.

Repair facilities often do warranty work last, behind cash-paying customers, which is why (for instance) a Holiday World (authorized Dometic servicer) quoted me about 10 weeks to service a Dometic fridge that was still under manufacturer's original warranty.

Ten weeks is an entire summer! If I have to wait that long, I'm losing so much rig usage capacity that I have to factor that into the effective cost. Which in that example meant that the transaction would have been flatly ridiculous - we simply ate the cost of the still-under-warranty fridge and bought a new and hopefully better fridge (a Vitrifrigo).

If the wait time is that bad on OEM warranties, what's it going to be like on aftermarket warranties? That is the question I would ask, if I were you. The answer should be contractually binding.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

Repair facilities often do warranty work last, behind cash-paying customers, which is why (for instance) a Holiday World (authorized Dometic servicer) quoted me about 10 weeks to service a Dometic fridge that was still under manufacturer's original warranty.

Ten weeks is an entire summer! If I have to wait that long, I'm losing so much rig usage capacity that I have to factor that into the effective cost. Which in that example meant that the transaction would have been flatly ridiculous - we simply ate the cost of the still-under-warranty fridge and bought a new and hopefully better fridge (a Vitrifrigo).

INTERBLOG - I had no idea warranty work was relegated to end of the line. I used to think it was other way. I agree, just ridiculous to wait 10wks. I would've done same as you & buy a better fridge.

I too am investigating the "extended warranty" (insurance) options as OP is. In fact, waiting for my local MB dealer that has separate Sprinter truck division to call me with their offerings on just the MB chassis part. I have had so much good experience with the manufacturer exclusionary extended warranties so that is my 1st preference. I feel the manufacturer offerings are as close to a real warranty with exclusionaries being as close to bumper-2-bumper coverage. If MB has one reasonably priced, I am willing to get it even without an extended warranty for the house. Reason for this is I feel I am more capable of fixing the house systems, than the chassis systems.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Alex AVI

INTERBLOG - I had no idea warranty work was relegated to end of the line. I used to think it was other way. I agree, just ridiculous to wait 10wks. I would've done same as you & buy a better fridge.

I too am investigating the "extended warranty" (insurance) options as OP is. In fact, waiting for my local MB dealer that has separate Sprinter truck division to call me with their offerings on just the MB chassis part. I have had so much good experience with the manufacturer exclusionary extended warranties so that is my 1st preference. I feel the manufacturer offerings are as close to a real warranty with exclusionaries being as close to bumper-2-bumper coverage. If MB has one reasonably priced, I am willing to get it even without an extended warranty for the house. Reason for this is I feel I am more capable of fixing the house systems, than the chassis systems.

^
X2
👍

Exactly....most everything on the chassis/powertrain is M/B exclusive and their plan is most likely your best option. (the 5yr plan on the DW's GLK has been well worth it)
If your the least bit DIY around the house you can lern the AS stuff. 😏

Bob
🇱🇷

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

^
X2
👍

Exactly....most everything on the chassis/powertrain is M/B exclusive and their plan is most likely your best option. (the 5yr plan on the DW's GLK has been well worth it)
If your the least bit DIY around the house you can lern the AS stuff. 😏

Bob
🇱🇷

Good to hear BOB. Same here, had MB extended warranty on my older S class (now expired) but was well worth what I paid. Towards end, 1 mo. before expiring, MB spent more than double my initial $ outlay to fix leaks & seals, almost a rebuild. Even though this is my 1st rv, but given what I know about our AI, info available from the good folks here and also the fact that I am not shy about digging into the 'house' once out of warranty, I will prefer to not get more warranty on the 'house' portion.

UPDATE on MB Chassis Extended Warranty (Exclusionary/Bumper-2-Bumper) - Quote from largest MB dealer in Las Vegas with their own Sprinter division - to extend from 3yr/36,000 :
1. To 5yr, 100,000 = $2,375
2. To 6yr, 150,000 = $3,450
3. To 7yr, 170,000 = $4,525

I have to re-request quotes for their best Exclusionary offering from Star RV, Good Sam, etc. to be able to compare how they fare when entire rv is covered vs. just the MB chassis/powertrain. At 1st glance, those MB dealer prices seem steep for Sprinter chassis only. But my experience has been prices can vary widely and it pays to shop around.

[RICKBETTY]

thanks for your response. I did call local Sprinter dealer, and unfortunately. my warranty just expired and an extended warranty from MB can't be purchased once OEM warranty expires....