Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing—most “included” roadside plans cap you at like 5 or 10 miles, and after that it gets pricey. I actually called my insurer to ask for specifics and ended up bumping up my coverage for a few bucks more per year. Worth reading the fine print, especially if you drive out of town a lot. It’s easy to assume you’re covered until you’re not... learned that the hard way once when my battery died 20 miles from home.
Yeah, I’ve run into that too—my policy only covered 10 miles, which is basically useless if you’re stranded halfway between cities. I always double-check the fine print now. Also, some plans won’t tow to your preferred dealer, which matters if you’ve got a specialty car. Worth asking about that before you need it.
Had the same issue with the “10 mile” limit a few years back. My van broke down on a road trip, and the tow barely got me to a random repair shop—not my usual mechanic. Ended up paying extra out of pocket just to get it home. Now I always check how far they’ll tow and where they’ll take it. Some plans are pretty stingy, honestly.
Another thing I found—some roadside plans only cover certain types of vehicles or have weird exclusions for things like trailers. With kids and all our gear, that’s a dealbreaker for me. I’d rather pay a bit more for peace of mind than get caught off guard with a useless policy. Fine print is everything... learned that the hard way.
That’s a good point about trailers—I didn’t even realize some plans exclude those. I’ve always wondered if it’s better to go with a standalone roadside plan or just tack it onto your insurance. Anyone actually compare the coverage side by side? I feel like the insurance add-ons sometimes gloss over those details, but maybe I’m just being paranoid...
I’ve actually dug into this a bit because I got burned once—my insurance roadside add-on didn’t cover my utility trailer when I broke down hauling stuff for a friend. Turns out, some standalone plans (like AAA or Good Sam) are way more specific about what’s included, especially with trailers, RVs, or even rental cars. Insurance add-ons can be cheaper, but they’re often pretty barebones.
Here’s how I usually break it down: first, check the fine print on both options. Does the plan cover just your car, or anything you’re towing? What about lockouts, fuel delivery, or trip interruption? Some insurance plans only cover “incidents” within a certain distance from home, which caught me off guard once.
I’m curious—has anyone found an insurance add-on that actually matches the standalone plans for stuff like towing distance or number of service calls? Or is it always a trade-off between price and coverage? Sometimes I wonder if the peace of mind is worth paying extra for the standalone...
