AAA

augie

augie

Adventurist
I was thinking of joining AAA. I've never belonged before. While looking over the services, I saw this :

Stuck Vehicle Service - Remove your vehicle from a ditch or mud, as long as it can be safely reached from a normally traveled road.

I wonder what they consider a normally traveled road ? LOL I bet it is a little different than what some of us aroudn here would call a normal road.
 
augie said:
I was thinking of joining AAA. I've never belonged before. While looking over the services, I saw this :

Stuck Vehicle Service - Remove your vehicle from a ditch or mud, as long as it can be safely reached from a normally traveled road.

I wonder what they consider a normally traveled road ? LOL I bet it is a little different than what some of us aroudn here would call a normal road.
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A lot of that kind of stuff is left up to the individual tow truck driver. They actually get a lot of discretion as to what they will do. I have had some go above and beyond to help out
 
I drove for an AAA contract station in San Diego many years ago...I did what ever I could do safely. Once in a while I would actually go back to the station and get my Jeep with a winch.
 
I've been an AAA member for about 10 years. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it. I've used it maybe 2 times in 10 years, but those 2 times were lifesavers, where if I'd had to pay for the tow oit of pocket, it easily woulda been $400 each time, so the membership is worth it for me.
 
I got into AAA primarily for the DMV services. A large amount of things can be done there (vehicle transfers, registration, etc.) and I am typically in and out in less than 10 minutes. Given how much I buy/sell vehicles, it has probably given me an extra year worth of available time by not having to wait at DMV. Oh and they also have this road side assistance thing going on too. :p

I have used them to tow a couple vehicles and the wife used them before regarding running out of gas. If you're traveling on the roads, it's nice to be able to get a tow to a local town and not cost $$$ out of pocket. Had a friend who's truck broke down and the 104 mile tow to his place (this was a classic truck, so no dealers to take it to) and it cost him almost $800. He bought AAA after that.
 
Well worth every penny for all of the above reasons. Try it for a year if you don't like it walkaway from it, not like a multi year car loan or anything. Just like most everything in life just risk management. Not having to deal with DMV is PRICELESS IMHO!! BTW if you thought it was bad before now that everyone gets a license you are in for a real treat.
 
Been a member for over 40 years (piggybacked on my mum's account as a kid). Great services: DMV, travel agent, maps, and the roadside assistance.
 
Maps = Free
I also would get their Triptik - since they had current construction zones and even some speed trap areas (like HWY 19 in WV going from I-77 to I-79)
I paid the extra for the tow where ever you want when I had my FJ40, since I never knew how "it felt" that day....

I am no longer a member since my insurance company has road side for pennies a month and my 80 and Taco had been more reliable than the PO left my poor 40.
 
Stuart said:
Been a member for over 40 years (piggybacked on my mum's account as a kid). Great services: DMV, travel agent, maps, and the roadside assistance.
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Same here, I am only 33

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mtnbike28 said:
I am no longer a member since my insurance company has road side for pennies a month and my 80 and Taco had been more reliable than the PO left my poor 40.
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I've never had AAA, though the small amount I pay on my vehicle insurance for towing insurance has sure been a good deal. I've mostly had to pay the tow bill, but they pay me back when I take it in to the office. Once, the tow driver said he could bill them directly. I totally stopped trying to fix stuff out in the middle of nowhere or on the side of the road after getting towing insurance. Never again! I have zero hesitation to call for a tow now.
 
Funny this came up today. My 80 wouldn't start when we left a grocery store tonight, no lights, or anything.... worst part, I had no tools with me. I bought a pair of pliers and luckily it was a loose connection on my military style clamp. - Just made me think of the thread!
 
I'm also a member of AAA but I only have the basic membership. It'd be much more worth it to get the premium membership with the 100mi tow with where we all go. I've piggy backed a tow before from Tehachapi all the way back to Torrance and the truck driver was more than willing to do it. He was the one who actually recommended it.
 
We have several customers that have AAA who use it to move their vehicles from their home to the shop for work. Very nice trucks... they just are afraid to drive them in some cases or are too busy to come to the shop during normal working hours. It seems like a pretty sweet deal for as often as I see some use the service and considering that traffic can be brutal in the Washington, DC Metro area.
 
My personal experiences with them have been less than ideal.
We had one guy who had the premium towing who busted an axle in GWNF down near Shoe Creek. Basically they would come only to the edge of the Forest where the county road ended and the Forest Road began. Except for the sign, you couldn't tell a difference in the road. That same episode also involved the AAA folks (we were talking to the dispatcher, not the driver) had a great deal of difficulty finding a numbered road without a street name and in that part of the world, names may change multiple times in a few miles.
In the DC area, poor weather puts a load on the system that can put wait times for a jump or gas in the multiple hours -- or even next day -- response.
But the guy who lives across the street can call them for a jump and to sell him a battery and wait less than 45 minutes.
Go figure.
 
No sure how this works for AAA, but I have State Farm road side assistance. 2 weeks ago my daughter broke down on the PA turn pike just outside of Philly. It was ~8pm on a Tuesday, with no weather. They said one hour. She waited and then I called, they said they could not get anyone to respond. She waited 3.5 hours. I got there with my trailer before they showed up. i live 4 hrs away. Luckily I started down a soon as she called me. I think State Farm and AAA may have contracted rates and the towing companies decided it was not worth their time to go get my daughter. State Police showed up as i was pulling out. They told me i was not allowed to pick up a car on the turn pike...
 
42 year member here piggybacked on my wife's membership when we got married 31 years ago!. Plus membership. Did that after a friend broke down with a fuel pump issue in Death Valley. We did have to get him to a paved road as they would not come out onto the dirt road a few miles, so we strapped him to pavement. They got him towed, put him up at a motel and paid for the food with the level he had. I went home after that and upgraded from basic to plus and have considered premium for the extra tow mileage. I personally had a radiator crack on me at the top of the grapevine in SoCal. Towed down to Santa Clarita and didn't cost me a dime. Well worth it IMHO.

x2 on the DMV services and maps.
 
I've had AAA since '87. My parents give it as Christmas presents to all the kids and spouses. Used it a couple times for benefit. Plus member here as well. Several jump starts and lock outs. All have been normal wait times.

Two tows that I can remember. One was a blown tranny off of the interstate. About 150 miles from home. AAA paid the first 100 if I remember. Can't remember what the bill ended up being for the difference.

Second tow was from home to a repair shop. AAA for some reason at that time wouldn't tow from my house for a breakdown. I told him it wasn't an issue and hung up. So I limped the truck down to my in laws (1/4 mile-rural area) and left it beside the highway. Called them and arranged to tow without issue. I sat inside the house and waited on the truck to show up.

Ticket discounts are good through them. We have always booked through them for Disney. Also most hotels offer AAA discounts.

Overall all good experiences with them. Hope this helps.
 
I guess when I buy my new truck in a few weeks, I'll have to sign up. Sounds like a good deal.
 
Don't know what type of truck you're getting but a lot of new vehicles come with some type of road assistance as part of purchase you might check it out. BTW I'd still get the AAA
 
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