How Do RV Warranty and Insurance Repairs Work?
An RV repair on an extended service contract or an insurance claim follows one path. A technician finds the cause, and the claim goes to the contract company or the insurer. After approval, the parts come in and the repair gets done. You pay the deductible and anything the coverage leaves out.
River Cities RV Service is a mobile RV repair company. Our RV warranty and insurance repairs start with a diagnosis wherever the RV is parked. That can be an RV park, a campground, a storage lot or a driveway.
Does the service contract or the insurance pay?
It depends on what went wrong. A service contract pays when a covered part breaks down on its own. Insurance pays when something damages the RV, if you carry that coverage.
The two are separate products. Published RV contracts state that the contract is not an insurance policy. Texas treats it as a vehicle service contract, whatever name the seller puts on it.
| What happened | Who usually pays |
|---|---|
| A covered part fails on its own, like an AC compressor | The service contract, after approval |
| An accident on the road or in the campground | Collision coverage on your policy |
| Hail, fire, flood, theft or vandalism | Other-than-collision coverage on your policy |
| Seepage or a slow leak at a worn seal | Often you, so read the exclusions |
Hail and accident damage often need body work as well. RV body and collision repair runs through the same insurance claim steps below.
What happens at the diagnosis?
Every claim starts with the cause. The contract company or the insurer pays for a covered cause, so the technician finds it first. The write-up names the failed part, why it failed, the parts it needs and the labor time.
Our service call covers the diagnosis and the trip within 50 miles of San Marcos. After the diagnosis, we put the quote for the repair in writing.
Read your contract on this step. Published RV contracts make you pay for the teardown or diagnosis if the failure is not covered.
Some contracts pay toward a mobile service call. Two published RV contracts cap that at $150 per covered breakdown. One pays it only when the RV sits over 50 miles from the seller or a repair shop.
How does the claim get approved?
On a service contract, the repair shop sends the diagnosis and the estimate to the contract company before work starts. That company is the administrator named in your contract. Published RV contracts deny claims for repairs done without its approval. The contract company may ask for your maintenance records or send its own inspector first.
On an insurance claim, an adjuster looks at the damage and estimates the repair. The Texas Department of Insurance says the payment is based on that estimate. If the work turns up more damage, you or the shop can ask the adjuster to raise it.
Texas law sets deadlines for insurers after you file a claim on your own policy. The state’s consumer bill of rights for auto insurance lists them:
- Within 15 days, the insurer must confirm it got your claim and start its investigation.
- Within 15 business days of getting everything it needs, it must approve or deny the claim in writing.
- It can extend that deadline up to 45 days if it tells you it needs more time and why.
- Within 5 business days of approving the claim, it must pay.
The decision belongs to the contract company or the insurer. In Texas, an insurer must explain any denial in writing.
Who pays the deductible?
You do. The Texas Department of Insurance defines the deductible as the amount of a claim you pay yourself. Its auto guide gives an example: on a $1,500 claim with a $500 deductible, the insurer pays $1,000.
Service contracts carry a deductible too. Check whether yours applies per visit or per claim. Published RV contracts have you pay it to the repair shop, plus any work the contract does not cover.
Labor can leave a gap as well. One published contract pays the shop’s posted hourly rate times the hours a national labor guide allows. If a job runs longer than the guide, ask who covers the difference.
What happens while the parts are on order?
The parts get ordered once the claim is approved. The wait depends on the part and the supplier. The state’s auto insurance guide names parts orders and newly found damage as causes of repair delays.
Both sides set rules on parts. The state’s guide says an insurer only has to pay for parts of like kind and quality. A service contract may call for used or rebuilt parts, so ask before the repair.
Protect the RV while you wait. Published RV contracts exclude damage from running a system after it fails. Shut off the failed system and keep notes of every call about the claim.
What do RV service contracts usually cover and leave out?
One published contract defines a breakdown as a part that fails from a defect in materials or workmanship. Its coach list includes the air conditioner, the refrigerator, the water heater, the furnace, the water pump and the generator.
That contract lists slide-out motors and gear packs as an option. If a slide stops halfway, check for that option before an RV slide-out repair claim goes in.
Published RV contracts leave out items like these:
- A problem that started before you bought the contract
- Damage from a collision, hail, wind, water, flood, freezing, fire or theft
- Seepage, slow leaks, seals and trim
- A failure tied to missed maintenance
- Damage a failed part does to uncovered parts, unless your coverage level includes it
- Any repair done before the approval
- Normal wear, though some contracts cover it
- A failure in the waiting period after you buy, in some contracts
What should you ask before you file a claim?
Get these answers from the contract or the policy first:
- Is the failed part on the covered list, and is the cause covered?
- Is the deductible charged per visit or per claim?
- Does the contract pay toward a mobile service call, and how much?
- Who pays for the diagnosis if the claim is denied?
- On an insurance claim, which coverage applies, and what is that deductible?
Keep your maintenance records in one file. One published contract asks for records that show the date, the mileage, the VIN and the work done. Save the receipt from every service visit, your RV annual maintenance visit included.
Check the company behind the contract as well. In Texas, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation oversees vehicle service contract providers. Its website has a provider search and a complaint form.
How does River Cities RV Service handle the claim?
We do the on-site diagnosis and the write-up, then submit it to the contract company or the insurer for approval. Once it is approved, we order the parts and make the repair. You pay your deductible, and we take care of the rest.
You can also bring the RV to our San Marcos shop. See how the work runs on our insurance and service contract repairs page. To set up the diagnosis, call or text (512) 850-7257.