Samaritans for motorhomers

[Wingpete]

Been seeing instances on forums where motorhomers have been unable to drive home from wherever, due to a variety of reasons, such as illness or injury.

It is also apparent that not all travelling companions have the ability to take over the driving.

Now I note that some of the recovery firms or insurers decline to recover the vehicle to its home base.

All of which must be more than a bit disconcerting for those wishing to explore their motorhome freedoms, and may not be in their first flush of youthfullness.

My thoughts are, are there sufficient Samaritans on this board to make a voluntary recovery corps, to assist those who due to circumstances beyond their control, become stranded with their motorhome.

Naturally, whoever volunteers must be qualified to drive whichever vehicle is in mind, and make sure that appropriate insurance is in place.

Most insurers give cover for other drivers, but third party only, but on a one off basis for a given situation, cover can be gained at a relatively small fee. Cheaper than having a major recovery agent do the work.

Motorhomers like myself, fully retired, with HGV and much experience of UK & Continental driving, may be ideal candidates if needed.

All that is hereafter required is acceptability of the principle and a means of registering those available.

What do you think ?

[Dave Newell]

An interesting and noble idea Pete. There might be a few problems putting it into practice though. For a start the samaritan will have to travel out to wherever the stranded motorhome is and while I accept that as a retired person you won't be overly concerned about man hours expended in travelling there is still the issue of travel costs. For example if a fellow motorhomer was taken ill in Spain and unable to drive their motorhome home who pays for the samaritan to get out to Spain to help?

 

I'm not trying to put the idea down, I truly think it is a good idea but I can see stumbling points ;-) .

 

D.

[J9withdogs]

I think it's a wonderful idea, Peter!

 

I will offer my services as a base-camp co-ordinator as it would probably be me that needs rescueing! (lol)

[donna miller]

What you would need to do to make it easier to work the scheme, would be for people in various parts of the country to register their interest, then for instance if someone is in trouble in say Bolton :D I'm sure a semi retired businessman or the like, would be able to help out by driving the motorhome back to the persons home, it would then be up to the ill or incapacitated m/homer to ensure the expenses of the helper were paid. (Train , coach fare or petrol costs)

Likewise in Wales, or Scotland etc, in fact anywhere that help is offered.

[michele]

Brilliant selfless idea Pete BUT am I missing something don't all the inssurance companies pay for this ? If not them surely its cheaper for the good people to swop insurance then say pay for a flight to ?????its got to be cheaper . Good idea not meaning to be a grump about it .

 

 

[Guest Tracker]

If anyone needs any help of any sort when they are in the Pembroke area I have the time, the inclination, and just a little experience and will be happy to assist if I can.

[Tony Jones]

If anyone needs any help of any sort when they are in the Pembroke area

 

Essex likewise, but isn't there going to be a communication problem?

Unless we all start posting phone numbers, which is probably a bad idea, the stranded person will have no way of accessing the Samaritan service unless they've got a laptop with them, and the convenient Samaritan is online at the right time.

Only other way would be to take up Janine's offer of "base-camp co-ordinator" and interpret it VERY generously - expecting her to be a kind of mini-AA call centre! (And just to be clear Janine, that's Automobile Assoc, not the other one)

I want this to happen, but I can see difficulties.

 

Tony

[Mel B]

michele - 2007-12-04 11:24 AM

 

Brilliant selfless idea Pete BUT am I missing something don't all the inssurance companies pay for this ? If not them surely its cheaper for the good people to swop insurance then say pay for a flight to ?????its got to be cheaper . Good idea not meaning to be a grump about it .

 

 

I've split this in to mainland UK and Europe for ease, the following is my understanding of the situation:

 

Europe:

- If you have personal health insurance cover for when abroad, the company will re-patriate your vehicle for you if the driver is incapacitated and the other members of the party are unable to drive the vehicle home.

- If you have continental vehicle breakdown cover they will recover your vehicle if it breaks down and cannot be repaired.

 

UK:

- If you have vehicle breakdown recovery for your vehicle they will usually recover it to your home and/or a place where it can be repaired, either near where it broke down, or at your home, it depends on the exact policy you have as to what you get.

- The problem inthe UK is that people don't normally have 'personal UK travel insurance' and that is what I would expect to be called upon to have your vehicle driven home when the main driver is incapacitated. That's where the problem lies. Does this type of UK personal travel insurance exist? If so, would it be prohibitively expensive?

 

 

[Tony Jones]

Mel B - 2007-12-04 7:35 PM

 

Does this ... insurance exist? If so, would it be prohibitively expensive?

 

 

Clue to your second question is in the first.

Is insurance expensive?

Do cats like milk?

Is the Pope a Catholic?

[Brian Kirby]

Mel

At least the schemes operated by the RAC have a clause that provides for a relief driver, where the only driver is genuinely unable to drive through accident/illness. 

I think this idea may have been  sparked by musings on Motorhome Matters, over whether the presence of a named driver on the vehicle insurance might invalidate the relief driver clause.  I.e. there is another driver present, so why send a relief driver?

We did just that as a sort of safety valve, "just in case"; although Carole would not wish to drive our LHD motorhome for any distance, and definately doesn't wish to drive it abroad!

The answer was that it is preferable not to add named drivers to the insurance in this way.  There is then just one driver who can legally drive the vehicle so, if s/he goes kaput, there is minimal chance of any wrangling over whether the relief driver should be supplied.

[Wingpete]

I introduced the subject after reading, as Brian has, the issues raised on forums about other drivers and recovery difficulties therin.

If someone has not been able to get the appropriate cover, for whatever reason, and is really stuck, then a "round robin" type telephone tree could be put into operation, via these forums we so frequently access.

Janine has offered to the the base person (how base ? she will determine no doubt) and offers from Essex and Pembroke are starters.

Continental journies can be expernsive when travelling first class, but if the "vicitim" has some resources, like cash, then that person would be better off than paying for commercial recovery. And not all recovery firms give such cover incidently. Read the small print for exclusions.

UK rescuers could trabvel to the stranded vehicle by the old tried and tested hitch hiking, like delivery drivers, showing an appropriate ID plate, like the MMM one for pitch reserving.

OK, It is only an idea but potentialy worth exploring by a company in our line of interest, say for instance "Brownhills". Now, don't all scream, as Brownhills do have countrywide outlets, they could be ideal.

If anyone needs assistance in the area of London & Kent, my email is here for communication. Provided I am at home ! :$ :$