Recovery and Breakdown cover

[bigal]

We shall be stopping in the UK this year and changing our recovery/breakdown cover. We have a Lowline 6.5mtr 3.5tonne vehicle. Can anyone recommend a good recovery/breakdown company from experience? :-D B-)

[dshague]

camping and caravan club if member

http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/breakdownrecovery/

[mel wood]

The recommendation already given is fine.

 

Alternatively, if you are a Caravan Club member you could take it out with them. They use Green Flag. We have also included our daughter's car as our daughter lives with us. We feel that it offers very good value for money. We changed to it from CCC RAC Arrival a few years ago as the price was better.

 

Whenever our daughter or ourselves have had to use Green Flag we have been exceptionally pleased with the response - superb. GF afterwards sends a prepaid card askling for feedback.

 

We consider that the special price the Clubs offer to members for Breakdown assistance/recovery is just one of many reasons for Club membership.

[mel wood]

The recommendation already given is fine.

 

Alternatively, if you are a Caravan Club member you could take it out with them. They use Green Flag. We have also included our daughter's car as our daughter lives with us. We feel that it offers very good value for money. We changed to it from CCC RAC Arrival a few years ago as the price was better.

 

Whenever our daughter or ourselves have had to use Green Flag we have been exceptionally pleased with the response - superb. GF afterwards sends a prepaid card askling for feedback.

 

We consider that the special price the Clubs offer to members for Breakdown assistance/recovery is just one of many reasons for Club membership.

[mel wood]

Sorry for the double post! I didn't think the connection was made so I clicked again!

[Timetraveller]

We use the Co-op & always been pleased with their service; can't remember who they use for breakdown but on the occassion we needed to it we have had excellent service. So my advice is get as few quotes before deciding. Hope this helps. :->

[Paul-]

I'm in the Caravan Club & I've used their "May Day" breakdown service, I found them to be excellent,

 

they get my vote...... :-D

 

Paul

[bigal]

Thanks for all the advice it is much appreciated. We are members of both CC Club and the Caravan Club and have been considering Green Flag but I just wanted to "feel the water" so to speak. I shall certainly look around before deciding. B-)

[Derek Uzzell]

It's likely that the least expensive way to obtain motorhome breakdown insurance is for that option to be integrated into one's normal motorcaravan insurance policy (eg. Comfort Insurance).

 

Otherwise, it's essential that you confirm that the terms and conditions of a breakdown insurance policy don't exclude your motorhome on the basis of its size, weight, engine-capacity, etc. I believe the CC and CCC policies should be OK, but others may not be. For example, note the foot-note on the following web-page:

 

http://www.motoringassist.com/home

[mel wood]

Derek Uzzell - 2011-01-12 9:33 AM

 

it's essential that you confirm that the terms and conditions of a breakdown insurance policy don't exclude your motorhome on the basis of its size, weight, engine-capacity, etc. I believe the CC and CCC policies should be OK, but others may not be

 

The recovery services used by CC and CCC indeed DO NOT have weight or size limitations for motorhomes.

[bigal]

Thank you all for your advice. We are currently with the RAC on a Personal, European, Roadside Recovery basis but were put off by having to wait two hours for someone to attend to fit the spare wheel on Durham Services after a tyre valve failure in early November. We were on the way to Scotland at the time and the delay caused us problems that we would rather have not had. I have checked Green Flag and it does seem very resonably priced but of course we would be dropping the EU cover this year so perhaps a little more research is necessary. I shall also check out Comfort Insurance, thanks for that. B-)

[Derek Uzzell]

Just for the record, Comfort Insurance's breakdown services are via the RAC.

 

I've no real complaints about the RAC-related assistance I received when both of my Hobby's rear-wheel tyre valves failed in France a couple of years ago.

[Wingpete]

Brittania Rescue for me. No weight restrictions !

[How Much]

Derek Uzzell - 2011-01-12 6:51 PM

 

Just for the record, Comfort Insurance's breakdown services are via the RAC.

 

I've no real complaints about the RAC-related assistance I received when both of my Hobby's rear-wheel tyre valves failed in France a couple of years ago.

Ive just today spoken to Comfort about Motorhome insurance. As ive already got AA breakdown cover, i asked about their accident cover and what happens if i have one.

The bloke told me 'it was a grey area' with them, and i should contact the AA to get 'rescued'. The AA are breakdown-only, so id be stuffed if i had a prang!

Im glad i asked about this, as im certainly not paying a premium to Comfort, with their 'grey areas' concerning accident recovering.

[Guest Tracker]

Timetraveller - 2011-01-11 4:03 PM

We use the Co-op & always been pleased with their service; can't remember who they use for breakdown but on the occassion we needed to it we have had excellent service. So my advice is get as few quotes before deciding. Hope this helps. :->

 

At least when they send you a car you can get all your clobber into the back of a genuine Co-op hearse!

 

We have RAC Arrival via the CCC because we have more than one car but similar cover is available via most specialist Motorhome insurers if cover is needed solely for a Motorhome - shop around.

[Brian Kirby]

How Much??????? - 2011-01-15 6:52 PM

Derek Uzzell - 2011-01-12 6:51 PM Just for the record, Comfort Insurance's breakdown services are via the RAC. I've no real complaints about the RAC-related assistance I received when both of my Hobby's rear-wheel tyre valves failed in France a couple of years ago.

Ive just today spoken to Comfort about Motorhome insurance. As ive already got AA breakdown cover, i asked about their accident cover and what happens if i have one. The bloke told me 'it was a grey area' with them, and i should contact the AA to get 'rescued'. The AA are breakdown-only, so id be stuffed if i had a prang! Im glad i asked about this, as im certainly not paying a premium to Comfort, with their 'grey areas' concerning accident recovering.

This would only be true if you took Comfort insurance without the breakdown/recovery package (Comfort Advantage/Advantage Plus), while remaining a member of the AA for breakdown cover. 

If you took Comfort Advantage, or Advantage Plus, which includes the RAC breakdown/recovery scheme, following an accident in UK your vehicle would be recovered to an agreed repairer, and following an accident abroad it would be taken to a repairer or, if beyond repair at the time, repatriated, together with additional benefits such as car hire etc as deemed necessary.  This is all clear from the policy booklet, and there is no need for confusion if the conditions are carefully read.

[Ina]

Brian Kirby - 2011-01-15 7:35 PM

If you took Comfort Advantage, or Advantage Plus, which includes the RAC breakdown/recovery scheme, following an accident in UK your vehicle would be recovered to an agreed repairer, and following an accident abroad it would be taken to a repairer or, if beyond repair at the time, repatriated, together with additional benefits such as car hire etc as deemed necessary.  This is all clear from the policy booklet, and there is no need for confusion if the conditions are carefully read.

Interestingly at the moment we are trying to resolve a situation relating to the RAC transporting our vehicle to a garage. Our policy booklet (from Comfort Insurance) states they will transport it to a "nearby" garage, yet the RAC is adamant that they will not transport to a garage over 10 miles away (the rear nearside leafspring went with a bang and is now in 2 pieces!).

 

The van has to go to a commercial garage as it is above the magic 3.5 tonnes, and that is about 14 miles away. Nowhere in our policy booklet is there a definition of what exactly "nearby" is, so we are still trying to resolve the matter, and nothing will happen until tomorrow obviously.

 

Unfortunately we are only now discovering that that bit is not 100% clear, you think you cover everything when you take out insurance/breakdown, then find out there is something which is not clear.

 

Lesson learnt: go through everything with a fine tooth-comb in every detail.

 

Ina.

[Brian Kirby]

The insurance booklet contains all the conditions of your contract, which is with Aviva, through Comfort, and the breakdown/recovery element is merely sub-contracted to RAC.

RAC may not like the written conditions but, unless you can find an exclusion somewhere on distance to a garage (I can't), I think RAC have to deliver, or Aviva/Comfort (I assume you contacted RAC via the Comfort M C Assist helpline?) have to come up with an alternative carrier to deliver your van to a competent repairer (that is to say a repairer who is equipped to carry out the repair to your vehicle in a safe and workmanlike manner).

It is implicit in issuing insurance/recovery for motorhomes (and this is a motorhome specific policy), that repairs cannot be carried out by car repairers, as they have neither the workshop headroom, nor the hoists, to safely accommodate larger vehicles.  Any old Tom, Dick, or Harry, just will not do, and would not (IMO) fulfil their contractual obligations under the breakdown package. 

That your van is rated over 3.5 tonnes is really neither here nor there; vans with MAMs of 3.5 tonnes can also be much too large for regular car/light van workshops. 

Comfort issues the insurance, and is bound by its conditions to deliver, so I'd contact them and ask them to sort it out.  I do not see how travelling 14 miles in lieu of their (unstated, so contractually irrelevant) 10 miles limit, can be claimed to be "excessive, unreasonable, or impracticable".  Suppose you broke down in the Highlands of Scotland?  The nearest suitably equipped repairer could be many times 14 miles distant.  Someone at RAC has their knickers round their neck!

[Ina]

Brian

 

Thank you for your detailed response, it sounds like you have the same edition of the policy booklet as we have.

 

Yes, we contacted the RAC via Comfort M C Assist Helpline, were on the phone for nearly an hour, when the RAC repeatedly told us that there was a 10 mile limit. Any distance over that, yes, they would take us at a cost of between £150-£250. Repeatedly Roger asked where exactly in the booklet this was, on what page etc, but it seemed he was reading a different edition, as there was nothing on page 16 (which he claimed contained this clause).

 

We later went on Comfort's website and downloaded the policy booklet from there. Very interesting, the date on the back cover is 09/2009, whereas ours is 03/2010. In their version of 09/2009 it does actually state a limit of 10 miles, but as there is a more recent version, ie 03/2010 sitting in front of me, which does NOT contain this 10 mile limit, then surely that is the basis of our contract with them?

 

Yes, we then contacted Comfort after getting nowhere with the RAC, they could not help as it was Saturday, so we had to send an email to them with all the facts FOA their underwriters, which we have done. We should get an answer on Monday.

 

I entirely agree with everything you say about it being a motorhome specific policy, therefore having to be taken to a specific dealer. In our case we have to take it to a Mercedes commercial garage, as Mercedes are paying a percentage of the repair as a goodwill gesture. A distance of about 14 miles is hardly excessive.

 

We have also wondered what would happen if you break down on a motorway, more than 10 miles from the nearest exit, let alone from the nearest garage? Or if you live in the middle of Wales or Scotland, again, more than 10 miles from the nearest garage which could accommodate a motorhome? Would you have to pay an £150-£250 in those cases too?

 

We hope they come up trumps tomorrow, but it has left us with doubts on the viability of this breakdown cover.

 

Ina.

[Brian Kirby]

Comfort should really have all three current versions up, with guidance on which will apply.  That would be the 09/09, the one you and I are on, 03/10, and the latest one, from 01/11.  My understanding is that which version governs in each individual case depends on when the insurance was taken out/renewed.  Up to 03/10 it will be the 09/09, post 03/10 up to 01/11 it will be the 03/10, and post 01/11 it will be the 01/11 version. 

So, while not sparklingly clear, it does seem RAC are singing from the wrong hymn-sheet in your case.  Either RAC are on the wrong version, or someone changed the wording and forgot to tell RAC, in which case that someone needs to step into the breech!  Whichever, it really should not affect the service you receive.

In retrospect, "to a nearby garage" is unacceptably vague.  My expectation would be that to provide reasonable service, which is what I assume this is supposed to be about, the term should be interpreted to mean a suitable garage.  So, not much point taking my Transit based van to a Mercedes garage just because it happens to be the nearest (especially if it only deals with cars).  If that is true, it would be equally perverse to take a 3.5 tonne Transit based motorhome to a non-commercial (vehicle) Ford garage, as they would very probably be unable to repair it: the (implied) objective of the recovery service is surely to get the vehicle repaired and back on the road.  Otherwise, they could recover to any old "garage" and just leave it parked there as a forecourt ornament! 

However, even working from the 09/09 version as on Comfort's website, it would seem the "Recovery" conditions should apply.  These state:

"If we cannot get your vehicle repaired locally within a reasonable time, we will take the vehicle and up to 8 people to your home or a single address anywhere else."

So, Simple Simon says, if the nearest capable garage is 14 miles distant, that is where the vehicle can be repaired, and it is a single address "anywhere else" ("anywhere else" being, according to their own definition, anywhere that is not your home).  The only exception I can see, is if the spring went within 1/4 mile of your home address, but only under the 09/09 conditions. 

Under my/your conditions there seem to be two possibilities.  Either (p16, first bullet point) it goes to a nearby garage..............where you can arrange for repairs to be made.  (If not a garage that is suitably equipped, or not one authorised for the marque, it would not be a garage where you can arrange for repairs to be made so, IMO, it would not fulfil the obligation.)  The alternative (still p16, third bullet point) is the "onward transportation for......your vehicle.......to the destination of the driver's choice, in one non-stop journey".  Under these conditions (03/10) there is no distinction between "Breakdown", "Recovery", or "At Home", so the conditions appear to apply wherever the vehicle breaks down (as long as it is not in a ditch, bog, etc!  :-)).

[Ina]

Brian

 

I was not aware that there is now also an 01/11 version, where did you see that? Comfort also don't seem to know about that, as, when Roger told them that our version was 03/2010 he was told that that is the most recent version ??!!??

 

Our argument is exactly what you said: our insurance commenced on 30 April 2010, and we were sent a policy booklet dated 03/2010. In our view, even if changes are made since that issue, surely our contract with them is based on the issue in force at that time? It would be ludicrous to think that they could change the goal-posts when they felt like it, so the contract you have with them is no longer the one you thought you had.

 

The RAC were absolutely adamant they would not transport it, the only way they would go ahead is to give us " a quote" and for us to accept and proceed. They did not want to know, no amount of trying to discuss got us anywhere, all they said was either pay or get Comfort to authorise it, which we are now hoping will happen.

 

And no, it is not stuck in a bog or ditch, and certainly not on a beach either, but we sure wish we were somewhere on a beach far away right now!

 

Will keep you posted on what happens.

[How Much]

Given that it appears members here know more about Comforts obligations than they do, i am even more resloved not to touch this company with a bargepole. Its all very well having it in front of you in 'black and white', but if they refuse to acknowledge this at a time when you really dont want to start arguing the toss (ie when youve already broke down), i personally want no truck with them.

 

Interestingly, i asked what happens should i take their RAC cover option, and was told that they would unquestionably repatriate myself and the vehicle to my home or destination. But would they?? *-)

 

As for my impending renewal, i think i am going to opt for Frank Pickles Insurers. This affords the benefit of their office being relatively close to me (id never heard of them until this week!), therefore i can hopefully approach them face to face, and hammer things out in detail prior to purchase.

[silverback]

How Much??????? - 2011-01-16 6:25 PM

 

 

As for my impending renewal, i think i am going to opt for Frank Pickles Insurers. This affords the benefit of their office being relatively close to me (id never heard of them until this week!), therefore i can hopefully approach them face to face, and hammer things out in detail prior to purchase.

 

 

 

could you tell me where and who this Frank Pickles insurers is

cos im in the same area as you and could be worth investigating when its renewal time

jonathan

[enodreven]

Hi, I had a accident in Germany several years ago and I won't go into all of the details, but I was told the recovery after a Road Traffic Accident was paid for by my insurance company, and while my breakdown company may be the company that is used to recover the vehicle that decision would have to be made by my insurance company as they would be the ones picking up the tab so to speak as the recovery and repairs would all be down to them.They appear to see the words recovery after and accident to be different from Road Traffic Accident, don't ask me why it just seems like its a grey area with insurance.

Brian Kirby - 2011-01-15 7:35 PM

How Much??????? - 2011-01-15 6:52 PM

Derek Uzzell - 2011-01-12 6:51 PM Just for the record, Comfort Insurance's breakdown services are via the RAC. I've no real complaints about the RAC-related assistance I received when both of my Hobby's rear-wheel tyre valves failed in France a couple of years ago.

Ive just today spoken to Comfort about Motorhome insurance. As ive already got AA breakdown cover, i asked about their accident cover and what happens if i have one. The bloke told me 'it was a grey area' with them, and i should contact the AA to get 'rescued'. The AA are breakdown-only, so id be stuffed if i had a prang! Im glad i asked about this, as im certainly not paying a premium to Comfort, with their 'grey areas' concerning accident recovering.

This would only be true if you took Comfort insurance without the breakdown/recovery package (Comfort Advantage/Advantage Plus), while remaining a member of the AA for breakdown cover. 

If you took Comfort Advantage, or Advantage Plus, which includes the RAC breakdown/recovery scheme, following an accident in UK your vehicle would be recovered to an agreed repairer, and following an accident abroad it would be taken to a repairer or, if beyond repair at the time, repatriated, together with additional benefits such as car hire etc as deemed necessary.  This is all clear from the policy booklet, and there is no need for confusion if the conditions are carefully read.

[Brian Kirby]

Ina - 2011-01-16 5:38 PM Brian I was not aware that there is now also an 01/11 version, where did you see that? Comfort also don't seem to know about that, as, when Roger told them that our version was 03/2010 he was told that that is the most recent version ??!!?? Our argument is exactly what you said: our insurance commenced on 30 April 2010, and we were sent a policy booklet dated 03/2010. ...............

There is a 01/11 version, which clarifies cover when the vehicle is on a motor trader's premises.  However, the version of the conditions relevant to any insurance contract are those in force at the time the contract was made, meaning when the policy was taken out, or last renewed.  As you renewed in April 2010, and the new conditions only take effect from 01/11, you won't be on the (currently :-)) latest version until after you renew.  So yes, you are right, and the 03/10 conditions should be what RAC are referring to.  I expect Comfort to prevail, and RAC to concede!  Ask them for a big bunch of flowers for being such twits and causing you needless distress!  :-)