BCAA Service On FSR/Back Country Roads

[Lastcar]

Hello All,

I didn't fight the battle hard enough and we ended up with a new Explorer vs a F150. In the end it made more sense for the whole family.

Not an ideal back road vehicle and the potential for getting in a pickle is there. Ford road side assistance but terms state they wont deal with FSR or back country roads.

For those who don't want to read the long version... Any experience with BCAA service calls on the back roads? Worth the dough to get you out of a pickle?

And the long version...

Odds are I'd be within 3-18 or 3-19 and I guess no surprise, pretty much have cell coverage for most of the exploring I have done so far. If not I can message someone via my InReach to send help and provide the exact spot.

I use the Explorer and a utility trailer when I need the equivalent of a box. I have the green light to put game in the hatch which has a ton of room as long as I dress it well and wrap it in plastic. I am sure there will be a blood incident at some point...but hey, that is why I wanted a truck. ;-)

The clearance isn't great and the tires are terrible for about anything other than driving to the rink. I will address the tire issue this fall I suspect before the roads get greasy. The 4 wheel drive while all fancy vs simple 4 lo & 4 high seems to be fine as well. You turn a dial to pick the terrain you are on...but to be honest I have pretty much come to the conclusion which is 4 high and lo. What the third option does is beyond me still.

Anyways...while it comes with roadside assistance from Ford it states in the terms that they will not cover any service calls off main paved roads. While I am sure it boils down to what the service guy who comes to bail you out submits in his report. But I'd hate to have to cross that bridge if and when it comes.

So any experience with BCAA service calls on the back roads? I actually need to rent a few cars over the year so I'd end up with about two thirds of the cost back in year one anyways. So the money is not as much an issue as am I actually going to get what I need if I need it? *knock on wood*

[huntingtime]

Thanks for asking this questions Ive been quite curious myself. I bought BCAA last year after my truck broke but have not had to use it. Im in the same boat with the areas as well as InReach. Looking forward to the responses.

[albravo2]

Not being a smartass, but have you tried calling BCAA to ask?

[d6dan]

Not being a smartass, but have you tried calling BCAA to ask?

x2 Call them and you will get your answer.

[adriaticum]

Interesting and timely topic.
I think the best thing to do is to call them and ask.
http://www.bcaa.com/-/media/BCAA/files/brochures/BCAAMembershipTermsConditions.pdf
Here is a small paragraph:
"Vehicles willfully driven into an area or on roads that are poorly maintained and cannot be travelled in a tow
truck at normal (e.g. 50-60 km) speeds (i.e. vacant lot, open fields, beaches, impassable private or
recreational roads, forest service roads, yards, mud or snow filled driveways and construction sites). The
final assessment of road conditions will be made at the location of disablement by the service provider."


Perhaps you may be able to negotiate with them.
Ultimately $$$ always helps.

[Lastcar]

Calling them was not much help...they just repeats what you can read on their terms of service. Which I had read before calling them and posting here. With a little extra fluff added in. Which I can't blame them, what is "Joe" in the call center going to say?

Basically its up to the operator if he wants to travel the road and do the job is what it boils down to. Seems to be a "your milage may vary" situation.

Hence asking for any experiences others have had. I am going to go for it anyways, like I say with some other savings I'll get it it'll pretty much pay for its self this year.

Maybe things will go bad and I'll plow the Yuppie Wagon into the ditch this weekend and I can come back and answer my own question. ;-)

Of course I'll have to pay and $23 for a call in the first 48 hours of membership. Which is still a heck of a deal. You can sign up once you are in the pickle and they only charge you an extra $23. Guess it is a loss leader for them. They then assume you see the value and will renew the following years.

[caddisguy]

I have had BCAA for about three years now. Thankfully I have never had to use it. Though at $100 bucks a year, I'll need a nice long tow to break even. I've heard of people getting towed from FSR's, but I certainly wouldn't count on it. Have a backup plan... here's one:

A J Towing
101-45635 McIntosh Dr, Chilliwack,
604-701-3185


24 Hour Service, RV & 5th Wheel Towing, Extreme 4X4 Recovery, Secure Locked Storage, Unlocks-Boosting, Auto Clubs, Unwanted Car Removal, Impound Services, ajtowing@uniserve.com

[300win]

The tow truck company(they should phone BCAA),(before you go phone towing companies in the area your hunting to find out details $$$$) will charge you regular rate on FSR roads and when on paved roads your BCAA coverage begins. (make sure you have enough km's to cover you back to civilization)...!!!

300

[atvone]

I have used BCAA on a FSR. Broke down Between Quesnel and William Lake. We hitched a ride into Quesnel and came back out the next day with the tow truck. We were about 45kms out. Mind you the road we were on was a "two Lane" FSR and was fairly well maintained. We asked the Tow truck driver what the cost would have been if we didn't have BCAA and he said about $250. This was about 10-12 years ago.

[Gateholio]

I'd find the bcaa contractor in the areas you are going to and call them.

[d6dan]

I've been a member for 18yrs and never had one glitch with them. A+ service. They know my situation and have it on file. That said I haven't broke down on a lonely dusty road yet.

[Rhyno]

The tow truck company(they should phone BCAA),(before you go phone towing companies in the area your hunting to find out details $$$$) will charge you regular rate on FSR roads and when on paved roads your BCAA coverage begins. (make sure you have enough km's to cover you back to civilization)...!!!

300

This is correct info. 4x4 quit on me last year when I was out grouse hunting with my daughter, got stuck on a hill,had to get a tow. All FSR km came out of pocket the bcaa covered the rest.

[Derp]

I've been towed by BCAA from an FSR in Goldbridge to the nearest shop in Lillooett. That was 5 years ago. Without BCAA it would've cost me $450.

[eastkoot]

They won't go off the beaten path but I must say, if you break down on the highway A++ service. And remember the plan you have may be limited KM's..Rest is out of pocket..

[Aheny]

Working in the oil and gas industry, I've called both Ford and Chrysler roadside and had them pull me out on the most remote iceroads you can imagine. Just give vague directions and once the tow company is on the job they will call you. Sometimes they're grumpy but when confronted with "Do you want the tow or not?" they've yet to say no.

[Kami]

I'd get better tires on rims. Store them for hunting season. I'd put a winch mount bumper on it and a winch. I'd carry a jack all, a spot and a GPS. Maybe a 1 pair of tire chains. If you can't get out of most any half-sane situation boy, you must have been crazy to go in there.

Now this does not address the BCAA question. I have BCAA for my wife so she can get help if needed anywhere she goes, when I am not around. I don't bother with it. I do what I mentioned above, except run decent tires on my truck year round. Some 10 plies. I have my cell and some good contacts in the local area. My spot is pre-programmed for a message to my wife that reads :"I will be late. Not an emergency but call my buddie Joe to come to where I am".

You have a smart phone? You can post on here that you are stuck with your co-ordinates with a time and distress call. Someone here from this area would come out there for gas money I'm sure, to help out a fellow hunter in 3-18 or 3-19. A tow? Well a newer reliable vehicle with low KM, well maintained? I'd take my chances and skip BCAA. Depends on your bush experience I guess.

[Drillbit]

What's InReach? Is that like Onstar, but for fords? Onstar only works where there is cell coverage, which is good to know. I dunno about region 3, but there's rarely cell service where I go.

Get some 10 plys, P tires suck.

A buddy of mine is a long time BCAA member. He has some deal that gets him 6 tows a year.

He has a 86 chevy, 454 and 44" tires. Drove it out to Quesnel Lake from Nazko, cost him big $$ in gas. Ended breaking the rag joint in the steering shaft moving out of the way for a guy at Quesnel Lake resort (didn't start it and cranked the wheel too hard rolling it down a hill). 40km of FSR with a pretty steep single lane hill going down to the lake. No cell service, but we keyed up the BCTel repeater with the VHF radio and called BCAA. They showed up a few hours later, a towtruck out of WL, and towed him all the way home.
He still laughs and says the cost of gas to drive it back would've been more than his yearly fee. This was about 8 years ago.

[huntingtime]

Inreach is a satellite communicator. Much like spot messenger except you have two way communication. And you can text or email whoever you want whatever you want.

[NMO]

Hope I can provide some insight..
Last weekend I was BB hunting with some friends Northwest of Campbell River, we were camped out at Brewster Lake. 50-60km up the FSR (which had been freshly graded, better than half the paved roads in Ontario..) Wiring short in the back of the engine, affecting the ignition coil fuse. Limped it back to camp swapping fuses, and BCAA picked it up. Got hit with a $142 for off road towing, sucks, but it beats paying full pop back to Campbell River. I was told on the phone they will get your vehicle on any road in BC, but you will be charged accordingly.

As others have said.. 10 plys. I run a stock Ford Ranger thats surprisingly capable offroading. Fairly certain I would have already blown stock tires by now.

[250 sav]

Ford roadside assistance towed my f 350 from wansa lake to pg when the cam positioning censor went but that was in 2001

[seymourcan]

got stuck in mud hole going up to Lilly Lake a few years back got hold of bcaa they sent out their contractor from Merritt and I was covered

[The Hermit]

BCAA once sent a tow truck about 30 km up the Bull River road to extract my Bronco. The Ford dealer here in Victoria (Suburban) had just soaked me for a lot of money to replace / rebuild the front end... they f'in "forgot" to put cotter pins on the nuts that hold the tie rods in place and of course the tie rod popped off which caused me to careen 50 feet off a cliff into the raging Bull River. (Well not really as I managed to get stopped about a foot before going over the cliff). Never ever doing business with those knobs again!!

Oh yeah - BCAA was great about it... LOL

[sapper]

Dealt with this situation last year when my buddies truck slid off the FSR in 3-19 or 3-18. We tried calling BCAA and were told what you're already heard here. They'll just call the local guys and you get the BCAA deal on paved roads. What I did was, after hiking back to camp and cell coverage, posted online here and was given the names of a few possibilities in Logan Lake. We ended up getting a local guy to come out and yank us out of the ditch for $200. The $200 was not what really hurt. What hurt was losing our late afternoon hunt the day of and all hunting the next day as we dealt with the truck. My buddy that was driving learned a lot about what his vehicle was capable of and he will put that to good use in Ontario this fall. Unfortunately they're moving out there this summer.

[finngun]

yep BCAA is not willing to go any FR ,,but there are some towing truck drivers with good attitude:mrgreen:,,thanx driver in salmon arm last winter:mrgreen::-D:mrgreen: f-g

[tuner]

i got pulled out a ditch on the powerline service rd off comstock rd last fall, through BCAA, never got charged anything.this happened close to the evening,and the tow truck could'nt find me in the dark.tow truck returned next morning and got me out.through the whole process BCAA were terrific checking in by phone to see if i was fine and so forth.(i had to spend the night in the truck) . i was expecting to be charged tow truck fees for off pavement charge,but as it turned out no addiditional fees were charged.i got the premium rv package, well worth the money.

[Lastcar]

Thanks for the insight all. I'll have to sort out who the local service provider is. Assume it is Lloyd's out Logan Lake. Sounds like its up to them who they bill for the 'off road' portion. If I am going to get dinged for that portion anyways I may be just as well off to be towed to pavement and then use the Ford roadside assistance.

Also no doubt I need to do something about the tires. No chance they are made for the amount of time I spend on those roads with fishing and now hunting. My biggest fear is less there is a failure while on those roads. Rather while on the highway at 110km/h with the family on board.

[Sniperdan]

I have some insight into this subject in exactly the area you refer to. A few years ago I was pulling my large cargo trailer into Tyner Lake during a snow storm. Long story short, I got stuck, chained up and ended up blowing up my rear diff when while spinning my tires on the snow/ice one wheel grabbed. Next morning I called BCAA and they sent a tow truck out that towed me into Merritt fully covered by membership. 2 years later I just finished setting up camp at Big Lake out the Jackfish road near Chetwynd when my starter failed on my brand new truck. Again a tow truck came out and fetched me and my truck and towed me all the way into Dawson Creek. They also covered my Hotel stay for the night and meals. I have nothing but good things to say about BCAA, I highly recommend them. Hope this info helps in your decision making process.

[srupp]

Hmm 25 years as a member of bcaa..once for running out of gas..the other for a flat deck to haul my f..350 AND a 26 foot boat back to williams lake..after alternator failed..this is the premium tv package
No complaints
Steven

[Rhyla]

I have found the best thing is to have a good friend or relative with a winch and a tow bar. I would never count on any roadside assistance out in the bush. That said, as others have suggested, the best bet would be to call and ask. Even then, I'd want it in writing. Maybe email them and then you can print out their response.