Windscreen cost

[aandy]

If anyone has recently had a windscreen replaced on a X250 Ducato, I should be interested to know what it cost. My insurance has a limit of £600 for screen replacement (over the term of the policy, not per claim), which I imagine would be sufficient but does seem a bit tight. An internet search was particularly unhelpful, with people claiming to have paid anything from £140 to over £1000.

[snowie]

I guess it will vary according to policy, ours done about 3 months ago before last trip cost £75.

Very pleased with it, done on our drive,

hope this helps; Snowie

[aandy]

Thanks, but I was after the overall cost rather than the policyholder excess. I'd be surprised if it were more than the £600 limit imposed by my current insurers, but in view of some of the comments I've seen online I'd prefer to be sure before deciding whether to renew with them or go elsewhere.

[Wonkybass]

X250 Hymer. 2014 windscreen chipped on the way back from Cornwall with 250 miles on the clock from new. Drat! Found a repair guy in a supermarket car park outside Southampton. Hooray! Sat in the van having a cup of tea watching him start to drill the end of the crack to stop it spreading. After a few seconds the crack shot right across the screen to the edge. Double drat!

 

Realised we were going to be driving past our dealer just before they closed for the day so dropped in for advice:-

 

1. “Use National Windscreens - a recent customer reported getting a good price”

2. “Don’t claim on your insurance. The increased premium (from any claim for whatever reason regardless of protection etc) over the folloiwing years will exceed the value of the cost after £100 excess.

 

Did exactly what they said. The total cost then was £170 I.e. £70 over the £100 excess we would have paid anyway. Standard Ducato screen. Carried out on our driveway in a hour or two. Happy with the result. We have made no claims and our insurance has gone up £10 per year since.

 

Now, if it had been an A Class (B Class Hymer) then I don’t know what it would have eventually cost but National told me (when they thought we have an A Class) that it would be £3,000! From what I have read since I think this was excessive but that was their opening offer. Standard Ducato motorhome screen is the same as for an ordinary white van. It is a commodity, not a luxury motorhome component.

 

I guess you could just phone a couple of companies and ask how much. I’d be interested to know if it has changed over the past few years.

[vindiboy]

WHAT ? only £600 for windscreen cover, I would change Insurance companies if I were you.

[aandy]

vindiboy - 2018-04-27 11:28 PM

 

WHAT ? only £600 for windscreen cover, I would change Insurance companies if I were you.

 

I was thinking of doing just that until I read Wonky's helpful answer. I, too, would rather just stump up the extra £70 than risk additional premium hikes.

[PJay]

We had ours replaced end of last year, as a stone chip previously repaired , had started to open up . Insurance covered it, Had t pay £100, excess.

Be aware that the Sundance (Well ours) came with tinted glass, which I was not aware, when ordering new one, but they did come a second time with the correct colour (Autoglass)

PJay

[plwsm2000]

I am just having my windscreen replaced in France. Total cost for a Frankia A class windscreen is 2950 euros. The glass itself is about 2200 euros incl. shipping from Germany, 6 hours labour and adhesives etc. makes up the difference.

 

I was told by the dealer that in order to preserve the water ingress warranty, you must fit a Frankia OEM windscreen as the "compatible" ones can have a 5mm tolerance and so may not be a perfect fit.

 

It is just my opinion, but I think this could be the reason why Autoglass (Carglass) do not change windscreens on ANY motorhomes in France or Spain as it is too risky if the insurance companies may insist on cheaper "compatible" glass.

 

Automotive glass Europe (National windscreens in the UK, France Pare-Brise in France) are changing my windscreen.

 

My insurance covers up to £3000 for glass repairs so it should just about cover it. You have to arrange and pay for it yourself and reclaim the money, so make sure you have enough limit on your credit card.

 

I was told the same applies for X250 coachbuilt windscreen but I guess these are more readily available. You might want to check if the glass is a Fiat OEM part (or whatever) to avoid warranty issues down the line.

 

 

[vindiboy]

aandy - 2018-04-28 10:04 AM

 

vindiboy - 2018-04-27 11:28 PM

 

WHAT ? only £600 for windscreen cover, I would change Insurance companies if I were you.

 

I was thinking of doing just that until I read Wonky's helpful answer. I, too, would rather just stump up the extra £70 than risk additional premium hikes.

Well my Insurance [ Comfort ] gives me £3000, per glass claim cover PER CLAIM so I guess I could get 2 or three windscreens a year if needed, buy cheap pay twice has always been my mantra, My premium this renewal was £400 with full European breakdown cover for a 7.5 Metre lowline Fiat Chausson, seems cheap enough to me? £75 excess on glass claims.[ except repairs ]

[Robinhood]

aandy - 2018-04-28 10:04 AM

.......

 

I was thinking of doing just that until I read Wonky's helpful answer. I, too, would rather just stump up the extra £70 than risk additional premium hikes.

 

... I had my (standard) Ducato Windscreen replaced in November last year (it was also repaired for a, separate, chip a couple of years before).

 

In neither case have I seen any discernible increase in premium (the last renewal being in January, two months after the replacement).

 

The issue of windscreen replacement cost/cover in this case is not necessarily the price you can get it done by shopping around yourself, but the price the insurer's preferred repairer invoices them at!

[aandy]

Robinhood - 2018-04-28 11:15 AM

 

aandy - 2018-04-28 10:04 AM

.......

 

I was thinking of doing just that until I read Wonky's helpful answer. I, too, would rather just stump up the extra £70 than risk additional premium hikes.

 

... I had my (standard) Ducato Windscreen replaced in November last year (it was also repaired for a, separate, chip a couple of years before).

 

In neither case have I seen any discernible increase in premium (the last renewal being in January, two months after the replacement).

 

The issue of windscreen replacement cost/cover in this case is not necessarily the price you can get it done by shopping around yourself, but the price the insurer's preferred repairer invoices them at!

 

I had always understood that a windscreen claim would not affect future premiums, but the contrasting experiences highlighted here suggest that that depends on the insurer.

 

Vindiboy, I'm currently with LV, so not exactly cheap. Looking through the small print there is one other clause I'm slightly uncomfortable with, so will probably be changing to Comfort.

[Robinhood]

aandy - 2018-04-28 12:08 PM

 

I had always understood that a windscreen claim would not affect future premiums, but the contrasting experiences highlighted here suggest that that depends on the insurer.

 

 

...I think the contractual commitment, where one exists, is generally that it won't affect your NCD, which is subtly different (and rather less of a financial protection - though it helps if you then plan to shop around).

 

My policy is silent on the matter of both NCD, and Premium for glass claims, but my experience is that it hasn't affected either (this time).

[PJay]

Robinhood - 2018-04-28 12:22 PM

 

aandy - 2018-04-28 12:08 PM

 

I had always understood that a windscreen claim would not affect future premiums, but the contrasting experiences highlighted here suggest that that depends on the insurer.

 

 

...I think the contractual commitment, where one exists, is generally that it won't affect your NCD, which is subtly different (and rather less of a financial protection - though it helps if you then plan to shop around).

 

My policy is silent on the matter of both NCD, and Premium for glass claims, but my experience is that it hasn't affected either (this time).

 

 

 

Likewise. Did not affect this years premium

PJay

[Guest pelmetman]

aandy - 2018-04-27 2:04 PM

 

If anyone has recently had a windscreen replaced on a X250 Ducato, I should be interested to know what it cost. My insurance has a limit of £600 for screen replacement (over the term of the policy, not per claim), which I imagine would be sufficient but does seem a bit tight. An internet search was particularly unhelpful, with people claiming to have paid anything from £140 to over £1000.

 

Well as I guide I seem to recall going half & half for a replacement cracked screen on my work van, and a replacement screen on my de'laminating screen due to age on our camper ;-) .......

 

£300 for the two is the bill lodge in my memory ;-) ..........

 

Along with friends who have A classes who have paid more than a grand 8-) ...........

 

 

[vindiboy]

There seems to be a miss conception about no claims discounts, The Insurance companies can increase your PREMIUMS after a claim, your no claims discount may not change or be reduced BUT the discounts applied WILL be on the higher Premiums , so you may pay more anyway,

 

EG. you have 60% no claims- discount 60% of £200 equals X

60% no claims- discount 60% of £250 equals X Y so you pay more ?

[Wonkybass]

An update, as unfortunately we have had another stone hit the screen yesterday and the crack is spreading. Happened once again on M27 near Southampton.

 

The National Windsxreen price to replace an x250 Ducato windscreen is now £175 + vat (so £206) compared to the £170 total on 2014. Still insisted that it needed to be handled by their specialist Coach and Bus team (or something like that!) “because it’s a Hymermobil” until I persuaded them again that it’s just an ordinary Fiat Ducato van. Being fittted next Wednesday.

[StuartO]

I had the windscreen on our A Class Hymer replaced a few years ago and the cost to the insurer was over £3,000.  I was advised by the windscreen company that this price was for a genuine Hymer screen and that cheaper alternative (Chinese) screens were not a reliable fit.  No premium rise but I think the insurer (LV) might well have woken up about the high cost of MH windscreens since then.

[aandy]

StuartO - 2018-05-17 8:14 AM

 

I had the windscreen on our A Class Hymer replaced a few years ago and the cost to the insurer was over £3,000.  I was advised by the windscreen company that this price was for a genuine Hymer screen and that cheaper alternative (Chinese) screens were not a reliable fit.  No premium rise but I think the insurer (LV) might well have woken up about the high cost of MH windscreens since then.

 

So it's your fault that LV now limit windscreen cover to £600.

 

In light of Wonky's experience the £600 limit would not be a problem for me, having a standard coachbuilt, but I've already moved to Comfort. LV's clause regarding maintenance of gas appliances is, in my view, a bit vague and open to interpretation (and therefore argument in the event of a claim), whereas the comparable clause in Aviva's policy is far more straightforward. Unlikely to become an issue, I know, but £25 extra is a small price for peace of mind.

[StuartO]

aandy - 2018-05-18 1:15 AM .... So it's your fault that LV now limit windscreen cover to £600...

 

I suppose it might possibly be; certainly insurers seem to have cottoned on that motorhome windscreen can sometimes be very expensive and the windscreen excess seems to have gone up - although I wasn't aware until this thread appeared that there was now also a ceiling on what they will pay for a windscreen replacement.

 

My A Class windscreen has been replaced twice so far (in eleven years) and after the last replacement, on the very first journey after a new screen had been fitted, I suffered a chip.  Fortunately Autoglass were able to repair that one.

 

[rooster63]

Another cost you may need to factor in is if you have a DAB radio which has an antenna stuck to the windscreen the chances are it will be damaged when the old screen is removed and may need to replaced. That happened to me and replacing it wasn't just a case of detaching a wire and peeling off the old one but replacing the whole thing and having to access the back of the radio to connect it.

[Wonkybass]

National replaced our X250 Ducato windscreen on Wednesday for £210. Happy with the result that took two guys 2 to 3 hours.

 

DAB aerial - I took my Pure Highway 400 unit and aerial off the day before the replacement. Bought 3M (likely Chinese counterfeit) 30mm discs from eBay to reattach unit afterwards. Seems ok so far but time will tell. Bought a replacement aerial from Pure for £10ish but manged to reuse the original by carefully peeling it off and storing. If it unsticks. I’m covered.

 

Talking to guy who did the job, National have a specialist team of 24 guys covering the UK for coach windows and motor homes etc. The guys in the regular car windscreen team aparantly get palpitations when they hear the word Hymer! So the specialist team do the work. It seems to be a rewarding job and staff turnover is low. They particularly enjoy some of the coach screens where no trim is provided and they have to craft and sculpt the surround themselves. Some insurers only provide £250 for motorhome windscreen repairs so the fitter finds himself having to ask the motorhome to pay the £1,200 difference for A Class replacement. Typical A Class screen being around £1,500. There is an A Class around at the moment “...beginning with V...” that is suffering a lot of expensive cracked screens “...because the opening is too tight for the glass..”.

 

So, as motorhome repairs go this was a pleasant experience dealing with professionals. From my two experiences with them I would recommend National’s specialist team.