DonB Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 We have been travelling into Europe for quite a few years, several of them recently insured for breakdown recovery with Saga. I have just gone to renew our policy and discovered that as I am seven point four metres long, I am not insured. Their dimensions for European insurance is seven metres long and three metres high, so anybody with an overcab bed will not be covered. When I enquired from Saga today I was told over seven metres long, you are an HGV, and we do not insure them! I may be the only person who did not realise this, So now I have to look for other breakdown insurance. Any ideas? PS They will still insure the motorhome but not breakdown. (Title edited - Keithl) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 i have been isured with saga for a few years now (thpugh not this year...) and we had a 7.4m van back then... i found this... n Cover is available for a car, three wheeler or van up to 3,500kg when loaded that has been privately registered in the United Kingdom. None of these must be more than 7m (22.7ft) in length, 3m (9.8ft) in height and 2.25m (7.4 ft) in width. in the 'normal' breakdown cover document, however there is a completely separate insurance document for Motorhomes and i cant see any such restrictions there... give then another cal, tell them its not a 'van' but a 'motor caravan'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 Are you planning to stay with Saga for motor insurance and have a breakdown/recovery policy with a different provider, or do you want to go for a different motor insurance provider that will also offer breakdown/recovery cover? (You could try Comfort Insurance as your motorhome’s 7.4m length would not be a problem.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonB Posted April 7, 2020 Author Share Posted April 7, 2020 Thank you gentlemen. I am open to any combination of insurance and breakdown cover as my cover with Saga runs out in a couple of weeks. Any suggestion welcome. Polite please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 As BB says above, the Car Insurance policy has an optional breakdown cover with the dimension restrictions you set out. Download here: https://www.saga.co.uk/contentlibrary/saga/insurance/policy-booklets/motor-products/breakdown-cover/pdfs/csbmt3869sba-pb-319.pdf?la=en The Motorhome Insurance policy, however, has (only) an optional breakdown cover specific to motorhomes. This cover has no documented dimension/weight restrictions. Download here: https://www.saga.co.uk/contentlibrary/saga/insurance/policy-booklets/motor-products/breakdown-cover/pdfs/csbmt3870sba-mh-pb-319.pdf?la=en If you are indeed taking out motorhome insurance, the optional breakdown cover offered should be that in the, motorhome specific, second booklet, which would appear to cover your requirements. I suspect you have been talking to someone at Saga that is less than clued up. If your cover is satisfactory in all other concerns, then I'd 'phone them again and get the situation clarified. (It is very clear in the print!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidmac Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 Hi my Rapido is 7.4m long and 2.9m high and has a plated weight of 4000kg. I am insured through Comfort with Aviva. I am 73 ,son 43 and son in law 50 are named drivers. Cost is circa £ 340 breakdown another £74 including europe , cover is 1 hour roadside, if not fixed, tow to garage or transported to home . I think there is a size limit but it is quite high. Regards David There is a bit more to the breakdown cover that you would need to check to see if it’s suitable for you what I have written is just an outline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 The vehicle size limits for Comfort Insurance motorhome breakdown policies appear to be 12 metres long and 2.55 metres wide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebishbus Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 My current Saga Motorhome breakdown assistance pamphlet states this on page 6, under :- Saga Breakdown Assistance Policy ONLY, General conditions applicable to all of the policy. :- Under '2 Vehicle specifications'. we have clarified the maximum vehicle size as.:- 7m (23') in length,3m (9'10") in height and 2.55m (8'4") in width. Brian B. ps It seems that the size restriction applies if you have only breakdown cover with them ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sydney1 Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 I've always got my insurance and breakdown cover to avoid this risk. Comfort have been consistently the most competitive and best overall value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonB Posted April 8, 2020 Author Share Posted April 8, 2020 Once again, thank you all. I have been on the phone to Saga most of the morning. Very helpful lady who took the problem to her manager and then we got the underwriters involved. This went on for a long time. The result is I am covered and the person I spoke to yesterday did not know what he was doing. They are now considering re-writing some of their information to make it more clear, and they are putting it in writing to me. RESULT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 I notice the breakdown recovery terms seem to limit recovery within the UK to 10 miles to a repairer of your choice. This seems potentially unreasonably restrictive to me. Is there always a suitable repairer within 10 miles of any point in the UK? I would imagine parts of the Scottish highlands would be well over 10 miles from any repairer, let alone "one of your choice". I could find no explanation of what happens if the repairer (chosen or not) is more than 10 miles distant. Seems to need a good deal of clarification. Apologies if I've missed the relevant clause(s). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 I'm not sure if you have bought Breakdown Recovery separate from the vehicle insurance. I would interpret that the specialist "motorhome" breakdown recovery (without the dimension/weight restrictions) was available only as an addition to motorhome vehicle insurance purchased from Saga. OTOH, the breakdown policy more oriented to cars, with the quoted restrictions, would appear to be available as a standalone purchase, free of any tie to a vehicle policy from Saga. It might be that you have purchased standalone, and that they are now prepared to extend and clarify that standalone purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 Brian Kirby - 2020-04-08 1:16 PM Apologies if I've missed the relevant clause(s). In the text I'm reading the 10 mile limit you describe applies only to "home call" incidents. For more general breakdown, the following applies: We will arrange for roadside assistance and, if necessary, transportation of the insured vehicle and insured persons to your choice of the following in the United Kingdom: - your home; or - your original intended destination; or - a suitable repairer of your choice within 10 miles of the insured incident, your home or your original intended destination. ....which, in letter, if not in spirit, could still be a little awkward, but nowhere near as much as your interpretation. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 Hi Bob. This is from the Motorhome Assistance document you linked, page 7: "Section 1, Roadside assistance. We cover the following Following an insured incident occurring at least 1/4 mile from either your home or the place where the insured vehicle is usually kept, we will arrange for roadside assistance and, if necessary, transportation of the insured vehicle and insured persons to either: a single destination of your choice in the United Kingdom within 10 miles of the insured incident; or a suitable repairer of your choice in the United Kingdom within 10 miles of the insured incident. If we recover the insured vehicle to a garage, we will reimburse you for taxi costs to continue the journey to a single destination within 20 miles. Assistance will be provided until we or our service provider consider that the insured vehicle cannot be repaired at the roadside. We will also, if necessary, relay up to three telephone messages to advise of unforeseen travel delays. We do not cover the following Any insured incident occurring within 1/4 mile of either your home or the place where the insured vehicle is usually kept. Any extra costs if the insured vehicle cannot be repaired at the roadside and/or has been transported to the location of your choice. Any extra costs where transportation of the insured vehicle exceeds ten miles." Similar limitations on cover then follow on pages 9, 11 & 12 under Sections 3, 5 and 6. This does seem a bit contradictory, but the home call section you quoted applies only to breakdowns occurring within 1/4 mile of home (or where the motorhome is usually kept), so where the breakdown is very close to home. It's the incidents that arise further afield that seem to me less well provided for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 No, Brian. I believe the roadside assistance wording is subsequently overridden by the "National Recovery" section which I quoted, but I've added the preamble below: Following an insured incident occurring at least 1/4 mile from either your home or the place where the insured vehicle is usually kept, we or our service provider will decide whether the insured vehicle can be repaired at the roadside by the end of the working day or whether it will need to be recovered. We will arrange for roadside assistance and, if necessary, transportation of the insured vehicle and insured persons to your choice of the following in the United Kingdom: - your home; or - your original intended destination; or - a suitable repairer of your choice within 10 miles of the insured incident, your home or your original intended destination. We will also, if necessary, relay up to three telephone messages to advise of unforeseen travel delays. i.e. the roadside assistance bit (including the 10 mile transport) is only if the vehicle can be repaired same day. If it can't, it will be recovered to the nominated one of three choices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 Robinhood - 2020-04-08 6:01 PM No, Brian. I believe the roadside assistance wording is subsequently overridden by the "National Recovery" section which I quoted, but I've added the preamble below: Following an insured incident occurring at least 1/4 mile from either your home or the place where the insured vehicle is usually kept, we or our service provider will decide whether the insured vehicle can be repaired at the roadside by the end of the working day or whether it will need to be recovered. We will arrange for roadside assistance and, if necessary, transportation of the insured vehicle and insured persons to your choice of the following in the United Kingdom: - your home; or - your original intended destination; or - a suitable repairer of your choice within 10 miles of the insured incident, your home or your original intended destination. We will also, if necessary, relay up to three telephone messages to advise of unforeseen travel delays. i.e. the roadside assistance bit (including the 10 mile transport) is only if the vehicle can be repaired same day. If it can't, it will be recovered to the nominated one of three choices. Sorry, yes, you're right. I was reading each section as a separate condition whereas, because the motorhome insurance includes all sections (except foreign travel) as standard, the National Recovery section "trumps" the preceding sections with more or less blanket cover. I didn't get it until I read the car cover booklet, and realised what they were doing. Durrrrrrrrr! I've been indoors too long, honest! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 Shouldn't worry, Brian. I don't think the question of recovery is going to worry many people into the middle-future. :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail Posted April 9, 2020 Share Posted April 9, 2020 Hi, i are these comments based on this year's renewal, i believe they've changed to the RAC this year My friend had his home converted 7.5 ton daf lorry recovered by saga in Spain couple of years back when clutch packed up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted April 9, 2020 Share Posted April 9, 2020 Robinhood - 2020-04-08 6:53 PM Shouldn't worry, Brian. I don't think the question of recovery is going to worry many people into the middle-future. :-S How true, how very true! :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevec176 Posted April 9, 2020 Share Posted April 9, 2020 Just been shopping and there was a motorhome in the car park, wonder where they were going / been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aandy Posted April 9, 2020 Share Posted April 9, 2020 stevec176 - 2020-04-09 2:18 PM Just been shopping and there was a motorhome in the car park, wonder where they were going / been. When mine has been standing for a month or so I've used it to go shopping just to give it a run. Perhaps they were doing the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Steve, just because you see a motorhome in a supermarket carpark, why do you assume they have been away? We use ours to do the big shop as we don't own a car! and have had looks of disapproval Then use the scooter for bits and bobs during remainder of the month and also get looks of disapproval being two up, people just assume we are joy riding! No offence taken but please don't just assume! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidmac Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Hi, perhaps they were waiting for a breakdown truck, that is what this thread is about Regards David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevec176 Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Brian Kirby - 2020-04-09 10:36 AM Robinhood - 2020-04-08 6:53 PM Shouldn't worry, Brian. I don't think the question of recovery is going to worry many people into the middle-future. :-S Sorry, wasn't being critical, I was sort of pointing out that people were still using their vans and so would still need breakdown cover. I have also thought of using my van to go to the supermarket but wasn't sure how it would be seen. How true, how very true! :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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