With my heavy travel schedule in the Vanagon, I've used AAA twice for 200
and 300 mile tows (had to pay the difference on that longer one), wife had
wheel-chair-bound daughter in 100 degree florida sun and they bought gas, ,
gave her a boost with a dead battery once, sent a locksmith when her stupid
mini-van decided to lock us out with the key inside while we were on
vacation, etc. I may not keep it for the rest of my life, the six years or
so I have had AAA has been well worth it for the peace of mine not to
mention about breaking even on the money. Having a pickup at home (which I
did until a few months ago) never helped in any of those situations as much
as a free tow. That pickup ain't free, either.

Jim

On Sun, Jul 19, 2015 at 2:11 PM John Rodgers <jrodgers113@gmail.com> wrote:

> I do carry AAA for the towing service. with TWO vanagons on the road, I
> have managed fours tows a year for the past few years. Made it well worth
> having. Mostly within 25 miles but I did have one long tow of  90 miles.
> I'm keeping that service.
>
> John
> On Jul 19, 2015 1:41 PM, "Dave Mcneely" <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:
>
> > The same reasoning is why I don't carry full coverage insurance on
> > automobiles.  I have had a few scrapes that I had to pay out of pocket
> for,
> > even including when I was not at fault (hit and run in parking lot on the
> > camper last fall for example).  One disadvantage of self insuring for
> > collision is that when the other fellow is at fault but disputes (and his
> > insurance disputes) the liability, if onoe has full coverage, one has
> > representation, also.  That once made a difference for me, when another
> > driver's insurance company  tried to stiff me on the amount they owed me
> > for my totaled vehicle.  My insurance company stepped up and recovered
> the
> > full amount for me.  But, that was a long time ago, I owed the bank for
> > that car (something I would never do, now, of course), and the bank
> > required full coverage.
> >
> > However, I do carry AAA club membership for peace of mind.  If I am in
> > Behind the Mountain, Arizona at 1:00 in the morning, I can call AAA for
> > help.  Not so much the local service provider, for whom I probably cannot
> > get a phone number, or who will not answer the phone, or who will tell me
> > he'll try to get someone out in a day or two.
> >
> > YMMV
> >
> > mcneely
> >
> > ---- PSD <psdooley@VERIZON.NET> wrote:
> > > That's called self-insurance. Some would call it gambling, others would
> > call
> > > it good sense.
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> Behalf
> > Of
> > > Angus Gordon
> > > Sent: Sunday, July 19, 2015 11:41 AM
> > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > > Subject: Re: Insurance
> > >
> > > Just to provide some needed balance to this discussion of one of the
> > list's
> > > sacred cows - I have never used AAA or any other form of towing
> > insurance.
> > > Which is not to say you shouldn't, only to point out there is an
> > > alternative. AAA is not an investment, it's a form of insurance. Your
> > tool
> > > box is an investment, insurance can be the parts stashed under your
> back
> > > seat.
> > >
> > > For many, AAA supplies a sense of security, with a tow truck just a
> phone
> > > call away. I just want to point out that same driver is available to me
> > any
> > > time day or night, with just a phone call and a credit card.
> > > The number of years of AAA premiums I have saved? Over forty.
> > > The number of tows needed in that time? One (about fifty bucks).
> > > You do the math.
> > >
> > > Angus
> >
> > --
> > David McNeely
> >
>