Extended Warranties

My friend and I are in the process of purchasing a 2008 PC 2350!  Yeah!  However, we are wondering if anyone purchased an extended warranty?  Our dealer is offering an extended warranty by Phoenix American for $1682 for 4 years/60K or 5 year/60K for $1775.  All the way up to 7 years 80K for $2944.  We don't know if the company is any good e.g. there are many exclusions, and the dealer said we had to purchase this contract at the time of sale.  What can anyone tell us about the necessity for an extended coverage contract, whether another company like camping world is better or whether the warranties provided by Phoenix Cruiser itself are good enough, e.g. 3 years, 5 years, 1 year for chassis, powertrain, and interior living area.  Is it necessary to buy a warranty right away? 
One potential problem we noticed with the extended warranty company Phoenix American provides is that the vehicle cannot be modified beyond dealer specs.  We are thinking of improving the suspension system at some point like Ron suggested.  Does that qualify as a basis for exclusion of extended warranty coverage?  Anyone know anything about these issues?
On a brighter note, we are planning a trip to Yellowstone, Glacier and Yosemite this summer!  We want to be squared away with all this newbie stuff.  Your help and comments are greatly appreciated.

Warranties are profitable for the companies that sell them. Note that Clark Howard, a consumer advocate, says to stay away from them, http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/2005/12/20/.

An RV consists of a chassis and the coach. The chassis is a tried and true commercial vehicle. The coach is a structure that holds furnishings, appliances, and electrical and water systems. If you follow the operating procedures, do the scheduled maintenance, and actaully use the RV routinely, you should get years of service with few problems. Disuse, misuse, and lack of maintenence are the enemies of reliability and availability.

Put the warranty money in a savings account. If you don't use it, it's all yours at the end of the warranty period.

I have mixed emotions about extended warranties.  I never buy them on large appliances, but wouldn't buy a laptop without one.  I bought one on a brand new 1995 Honda Del Sol for 4 years and never collected a dollar, but that was a Honda.  I just bought a 2006 PC 2551 with 3,500 miles and just bought a minimum coverage ($500 deductible) policy from Good Sam for $300 just to cover any catastrophic failure, since my unit is clearly out of warranty.  As has been referenced in your other response, they obviously make money for the insurance company.  I would say buy one only if you would be VERY unhappy if something failed that wasn't covered and you had to lay out the bucks on it.

On your comment about visiting the national parks out west, I have a couple of comments.  First, I hope you're planning to tow a car, as you are severely limited on how large a vehicle you can drive on Going to the Sun Road in Glacier. Also, I would not go to Glacier without visiting Waterton Park, the partner park to Glacier in Canada.  You will, of course, now need passports to enter Canada and vaccination papers for any pets on board.  There is a very nice campground in the middle of Waterton  Township and you can visit the Prince of Wales for a nice meal if you want.  Also, not too far north of Waterton is "Head smashed in buffalo jump", a world heritage landmark, and the restored Mountie fort at Fort McLeod.  A three hour drive north of Waterton takes you to Mt. Kidd RV Park on the Kananaskis Parkway, my vote for the best campground I've ever visited.  Check their website for reservations, as they are VERY popular.  The Kananaskis Country is as beautiful as Banff and Lake Louise, but without the tourists.  Enjoy your trip.

jlooney,

Is the 2008 PC brand new or used?  If brand new, you have a 1 year Phoenix USA warranty, and 3 year Ford chassis warranty.  I consider that to be enough.

If it is used and has under 25,000 miles, I don't see the need for an extended warranty.

I personally would not buy an extended warranty regardless of miles driven, but I am mechanically capable to make most repairs.  That an my PC is stored in doors, which keeps things in better mechanical condition.