RV insurance vs roadside assistance: key differences

Owning an RV provides the freedom to explore, but it also requires proper protection and support on and off the road. When you experience a breakdown in your home on wheels, it’ll leave you without more than transportation, you’ll need to figure out where to stay, how to cook, and how to get back on the road in a reasonable period of time.

That all requires special consideration. That’s why understanding the differences between RV insurance and RV roadside assistance is crucial for ensuring a safe and fun-filled road trip.

Let’s discover some of the key differences between the two:

Coverage Scope

These are the key differences between the things that regular RV insurance will cover versus a specific RV roadside assistance plan:

RV Roadside Assistance: Roadside Assistance focuses more on providing immediate help for roadside emergencies encountered on the road. This can include services like towing, battery jump-starts or replacements, flat tire changes, fuel delivery, and lockout assistance.

Financial Protection

Protecting your wallet while RVing is a vital step to ensure your savings don’t get cooked and scrambled. By understanding the right balance between RV insurance and RV roadside assistance, you can create a cushion for most situations.

RV Insurance: Insurance plans will provide financial reimbursement for repairs or replacements of your RV in case of covered incidents such as accidents. It helps to mitigate the cost of major repairs or replacing your RV if it’s totaled.

RV Roadside Assistance: Doesn’t provide financial reimbursement for repairs or replacement, but instead focuses on immediate services to get your RV back on the road. Some roadside assistance plans, such as Roadtrippers Roadside Assistance, offer benefits along with the services, such as reimbursements for costs like emergency lodging, transportation, and even food spoilage if your RV is out of commission on a trip.

Liability Coverage

When driving a weighty thing like an RV over the road, you want to make sure you’re well covered for inadvertent damage you might do to others. Liability is a legal requirement for motor vehicles and it takes an outsized importance when driving a larger camper.

Here’s what to consider liability-wise between RV insurance and RV roadside assistance:

RV Insurance: Includes liability coverage, which protects you from legal claims if you are the one responsible for causing injury or property damage with your RV. It can cover legal fees, medical expenses, and damages awarded in a lawsuit.

RV Roadside Assistance: Does not include liability coverage. Roadside assistance is solely for providing support during roadside emergencies and doesn’t address legal claims or damages resulting from an incident or accident involving your RV.

Cost and Premiums

Costs usually differ greatly between RV insurance and RV roadside assistance. That’s because RV insurance is covering over a large asset and (usually) high liability protections, resulting in higher cost.

These are the main cost differences between the two:

RV Insurance: RV insurance involves paying regular premiums based on the value of the RV you have, your driving history, and the coverage options that you choose. Premiums can vary quite significantly depending on these and other factors.

RV Roadside Assistance: Typically involves an annual or monthly fee for the service plan. The cost is usually lower than insurance premiums due to less risk compared to what each covers and is based on the roadside assistance level and plan you choose. Many times, the cost of the annual roadside assistance membership is less than the out-of-pocket expenses you would incur for one service without coverage. 

While both RV insurance and RV roadside assistance are essential for all RV owners, they serve very different purposes. RV insurance offers comprehensive financial protection and liability coverage, while RV roadside assistance provides immediate help for roadside emergencies. By knowing the differences between the two, you’ll ensure you have the right protection for the right time and the right situation.

Roadtrippers Roadside Assistance is an option we built that offers several different types of packages so you can customize a roadside plan to fit your needs. Discover the right plan for you here.

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