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Extended Warranties

Yahoo Message Number: 9075
Hi, Just bought an '04 Magna 42' Chalet. What do you all think about buying extended warranties -- worth it???? I haven't bought the warranty yet. $4800!

Re: Extended Warranties

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 9081
Glen:

Ask for a copy to take with you before you sign. Read it!

I got 'pushed' into the puchase of one for a new 1999 Diesel Bounder 36. It excluded all 'normal wear' parts like seals, bearings, hoses, ETC, The big catch was it also excluded any failures related to the failure of a excluded (or not covered) part.

The only good thing about the contract was it could be transfered. The folks that purchased my Bounder seemed pleased that it had extended 'coverage'. Ya right!

The contracts may not all be like the one I purchased.

Jim Cook

2002 Intrigue #11446

Re: Extended Warranties

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 9084
From: "Glen Gieg" glen@...>

Quote
Hi, Just bought an '04 Magna 42' Chalet. What do you all think
about buying extended warranties -- worth it???? I haven't bought the warranty yet. $4800!

First of all, it's probably not actually an "extended warranty." In other words, probably not an extension of your coach's factory warranty. It's probably a service contract which covers many things on your coach, but, perhaps more importantly, excludes many things. Only by reading every word of the contract will you know what it includes/excludes. And, if you're not familiar with mechanical and electrical systems, you may not actually understand the coverage. Just read the tales of woe in "Motorhome" and "Trailer Life" magazine to see what I mean!
As for whether it'll pay off ... the odds are that it'll pay off. But for the company, not you. Sort've like the few winners in a casino whooping it up, while the losers ... the vast majority ... sit silently. After all, if the odds favored you, the contracts wouldn't/couldn't be sold, eh?
That said, if you do decide you want one ... be aware that the selling price is greatly negotiable. From what I've heard, some folks have been able to buy those contracts at an extreme discount from the asking price, which indicates that the dealership pays a pittance for 'em.
Also be aware that many of the contract companies have gone out of business, leaving the RVer with a worthless piece of paper in hand. Only good for one thing .

Dick (& Geri) Campagna
'98 36' Intrigue #10571
Mfd: 11/97

(at Clerbrook Golf/RV Resort, Clermont, FL)

Re: Extended Warranties

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 9085
When I bought my Magna 2000, I got an extended warrantee for about $3,700. It excluded the engine, transmission (have their own warrantee) and other items.

So far, everything that has gone seriously wrong has been outside the coverage of the "warrantee".

Things that turned out not to be covered: - broken transmission cooler (~$2K) - leak in the hydrolic system (~$1K) - other smaller things (totalling maybe $1.5K)
I have decided to not replace my unit until the factory warrantee is valid for a period of at least 3 years (and maybe 30K miles). Since I am not retired, there wasn't enough usage in the first year to discover all the first-day problems.

The good news is that all the items covered under the extended warrantee have never broken down :-).
Next time, I'll probably put the money in the bank and use it to fix the unit after the (improved) factory warrantee is exhausted.

Hopefully, this summer my Cat engine will finally be broken in, currently it has just 16K miles...

Quote from: Glen Gieg

Re: Extended Warranties

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 9091

Thanks, Dick.

I appreciate your input, which, by the way, is kind of what I was thinking about such contracts.

Glen

Re: Extended Warranties

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 9111
Yes, I like the coach a lot. It handles very well on the road.
Things will break down. Low usage probably contributes to some of the issues (like the hydrolic leak).

Quote from: Glen Gieg