Always Ask the locals.

[campervanista]

Whilst enjoying our trip in Southern Germany last summer in our 12 reg Fiat based MH, a light came up on the panel indicating trouble with the oily bits. We pulled over and made the call (2.30pm)and were told we would be called back in a half hour by the Touring Club Suisse as we were near the border and heading that way.

We proceeded to Waldshut , an agreeable small town on the Rhine just inside Germany and not far away, with an agreeable campsite and Stellplatz. At the site we mentioned our plight and the kind lady mentioned that there was a Fiat main agent at the town of Tiengen some 3 kms distant, she also gave us a map and marked how to get there on it.

Not having heard from the TCS we went on to Tiengen and in no time at all the van was up on the ramp after the usual diagnostic plug in. Needless to say the establishment was modern, clean and efficient as one would expect in Germany, and the staff could not have been more friendly. The dianosis was a faulty sensor and a replacement was ordered for delivery the next day by 10am..

We went back to the Stellplatz and checked if our mobile was still working. All seemed well with this device!

At some time after 6 pm it rang and it was the TCS suggesting we cross the Rhine and proceed to somewhere in Switz. 100+ kms distant the next day. The TCS operator was very helpful and efficient etc. and when I mildly asked as to the delay she said they had only just received the fax from the UK.

Good job we were not lying injured by the side of the road Eh? FAX?? surely not in 2013.

:-( So were were on our way the next day by 11am and all tickety boo on the dash.

 

On our eventual return to the UK we contacted the breakdown service provider who blamed it all on the TCS. We will not disclose the identity of said provider but for all the good it did we may just as well have rang Alcoholics Anonymous!

By the way, under no circumstance call Fiat International Breakdown. The recorded message in Portuguese (or was it Greek) soon exhausted the credit on our mobile.

 

Sorry this post is rather long. If you have been, thanks for reading it.... As the late John Ebden used to say on Radio 4 at the end of his delightful programmes(If you have been - thanks for listening!

Cheers to all,

Ron.