Which recovery service?

black caviar
black caviar Forum Participant Posts: 242

hello am new on here , i was wondering which recovery service most members find the best ? I was with rac arrival( when i had a large motorhome) but sacked them when they gave a shocking service  they didnt take my direct debit payment for the year , sent
me membership cards , then on the morning my vehicle  broke down as i was rushing to see my terminally ill father in hospital told me i was no longer a member ! ,the guys telephone manner was shocking and they were at fault :(, i then joined the AA but now
i have a caravan id like a breakdown service that covers car and caravan , preferabley not rac any ideas??

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Comments

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited January 2016 #2

    Mayday is the Club's breakdown service covers car and/or caravan in UK

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,860 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #3

    For caravanners and motorhomers one of the most important things is to make sure the service you are paying for will recover the size of vehicle. The service offfered by both Clubs will do this. But if you don't want to be involved with the RAC best to stay away from the C&CC offer!!! As CY has said the Caravan Club Mayday service will cover you and its run by Green Flag.

    David

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,666 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #4

    We have always been really pleased with Mayday cover through the Club.  Certainly as a caravanner it gives complete peace of mind, in my view.  We like the double cover option and the fact that with our specific policy, we are covered in any car as a driver
    or passenger.

    David 

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited January 2016 #5

    We use Mayday and have been pleased with their service on both the occasions that it was needed.

  • AndyNYorks
    AndyNYorks Forum Participant Posts: 144
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    edited January 2016 #6

    In my opipnion the CC Mayday service is by far the best for caravanners. I have had to use them a number of times over the years and they have always been very prompt and efficient. The double journey cover is invaluable as you don't lose your holiday if
    you break down on your way there. On one occasion (before mobile phones) in the early hours of the morning, by the time I had walked back from the nearest telephone box the truck was pulling up behind the car. He then proceeded to take me home, kept the car
    overnight at his garage and then took it to my choice of repairer the following morning. That's what I call service.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited January 2016 #7

     .... On one occasion (before mobile phones)  .....

    It's hard to remember such a time ...... Laughing

  • Tirril
    Tirril Forum Participant Posts: 439
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    edited January 2016 #8

    Green Flag has the advantage of not only making the orignal recovery when you break down but also taking you home at the end of your trip if it has not been possible to repair your vehicle. Additionally you can have a second vehicle covered at reduced cost making it the best in my opinion.

  • Mitsi Fendt
    Mitsi Fendt Forum Participant Posts: 484
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    edited January 2016 #9

    Mayday. It works both with and without caravan.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2016 #10

    Mayday , for us ,it does what it says on the tin (usually)

  • ADP1963
    ADP1963 Forum Participant Posts: 1,280
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    edited January 2016 #11

    Molly I bet you could fix your breakdown yourself,that's why you can't remember. Besides do Merc's breakdown?.  

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited January 2016 #12

    Molly I bet you could fix your breakdown yourself,that's why you can't remember. Besides do Merc's breakdown?.  

    Most of the time I can find my way round under a bonnet ..... and so far my Merc's only broken down once and it was still under warrenty at the time. Wink

    but it's got an intermittant fault at the moment Frown

  • ADP1963
    ADP1963 Forum Participant Posts: 1,280
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    edited January 2016 #13

    Molly I bet you could fix your breakdown yourself,that's why you can't remember. Besides do Merc's breakdown?.  

    Most of the time I can find my way round under a bonnet ..... and so far my Merc's only broken down once and it was still under warrenty at the time. Wink

    but it's got an intermittant fault at the moment Frown

    Write your comments here...Best of luck, I bet you will fix it!.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited January 2016 #14

     ........Best of luck, I bet you will fix it!.

    It'll get it fixed .... not sure yet by who though Innocent

  • black caviar
    black caviar Forum Participant Posts: 242
    edited January 2016 #15

    Thankyou for your replies it looks like it will be mayday (might i ask are mayday and green flag the same and do i join through the cclub? Cheers black caviar

  • Firedragon
    Firedragon Forum Participant Posts: 509
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    edited January 2016 #16

    Click on Insurance in the banner at the top of this page then click on UK Breakdown & recovery in the list on the next page. We certainly wouldn't insure with anyone else Laughing

    Alison

  • AndyNYorks
    AndyNYorks Forum Participant Posts: 144
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    edited January 2016 #17

    A point to note: If you have more than one vehicle it can be cheaper to go for personal cover which also covers you if you are in someone elses vehicle rather than just two named vehicles. Check the costs before selecting the type of cover you need.

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,581 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #18

    Mayday gives the most comprehensive cover available at a very competitive price. The RAC do a similar policy through the C&CC but at a higher cost and you would not want them anyway. 

    We have used Mayday twice and both times the call out was efficiently handled and the problem corrected. I know they have the odd blip but so do all the others and Mayday is I think as good as any.

  • black caviar
    black caviar Forum Participant Posts: 242
    edited January 2016 #19

    Thanks again i will opt for mayday , am covered for the car with AA but will sign up with mayday before we take the van out ( its in storage and altho we bought it in september we havent been anywhere yet and am desperate to get out in it , we havent caravanned
    before or towed , so its all a bit new and nerveracking .......... And exciting of course!

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,581 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #20

    Do not worry about towing, just take it easy until you get the hang of it. Get a good pair of towing mirrors l would suggest Milenco and use them regularly. On slow corners the caravan will cut in so take them a bit wider and watch the side in the mirror
    to get the hang of it.

    Good luck and if you need any advice there will be plenty of it on here.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2016 #21

    Depends where in South Yorks you live,Clumber Park is in easy towing distance ,one thing to look at if not done yet, is to check for space as w/ends are very popular on sites in your area 

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited January 2016 #22

    Thanks again i will opt for mayday , am covered for the car with AA but will sign up with mayday before we take the van out ( its in storage and altho we bought it in september we havent been anywhere yet and am desperate to get out in it , we havent caravanned
    before or towed , so its all a bit new and nerveracking .......... And exciting of course!

    Write your comments here...I think you've made the right choice, black caviar, in choosing Mayday. Good luck with your touring plans!

  • Greygit
    Greygit Forum Participant Posts: 167
    edited May 2016 #23

    We have just gone with Saga as their European cover is not so restrictive in the time you spend out of the UK.

  • cariadon
    cariadon Forum Participant Posts: 861
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    edited May 2016 #24

    do Mayday let the dog travel with you?

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,829 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2016 #25

    do Mayday let the dog travel with you?

    WIll a taxi driver let  a dog travel with you? It depends on the driver.

    Mayday is Green Flag. Green Flag is subbed to individual garages. Individual  garages have individual drivers. It depends on the driver. 

  • Greygit
    Greygit Forum Participant Posts: 167
    edited May 2016 #26

    When we broke down in France years ago the dogs stayed in the motorhome and we rode up front with the breakdown driver, simples.

  • cariadon
    cariadon Forum Participant Posts: 861
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    edited May 2016 #27

    thank you for the replies.

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited May 2016 #28

    Day before yesterday I had to call out Mayday Green Flag because my 13 pin electric cable wasn't working. The rescue service arrived in about half an hour to fix it.

  • Natasha2
    Natasha2 Forum Participant Posts: 306
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    edited May 2016 #29

    We had the misfortune to have to call ADAC in France last week, sadly we were very underwhelmed. 

  • DougS
    DougS Forum Participant Posts: 327
    edited May 2016 #30

    We had the misfortune to have to call ADAC in France last week, sadly we were very underwhelmed. 

    Can you please say why, so anyone interested can decide if it's important in their choice?

    I assume like all providers (?) that a local service turned up as it was outside Germany? 

  • Natasha2
    Natasha2 Forum Participant Posts: 306
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    edited May 2016 #31

    We had the misfortune to have to call ADAC in France last week, sadly we were very underwhelmed. 

    Can you please say why, so anyone interested can decide if it's important in their choice?

    I assume like all providers (?) that a local service turned up as it was outside Germany? 

    Ok this what happened.......

     We caught the caravan wheel on a tight corner which forced the motor mover onto the wheel bringing us to a sudden and complete halt, no movement back or forwards.

    We were partially blocking a busy junction but at least we got to use our new warning triangle.

    We rang ADAC to inform them of our location and that we required assistance.  Even though we gave them our exact location (from the sat nav) they couldn't locate us and seemed to think we were on a motorway.  Advised us to look for orange telephone boxes
    at the side of the road!!

    Ok our French language skills are poor but their English was severely lacking also.  Every phone call we made resulted in a different person dealing with us and only 1 person had good English.  

    As the caravan wheel was jammed a simple recovery without first releasing the mover would have resulted in the caravan being dragged along the road. ADAC gave the impression that was our problem, luckily we got assistance from the local garage who finally
    assisted the OH in releasing the mover. ADAC breakdown truck arrived at this moment but was not required.

    Maybe we were expecting too much of ADAC but we did expect them to provide some kind of roadside assistance and not simply a tow truck. The lack of good English did create a serious problem so we will no doubt return to Red Pennant next year. We do intend
    to contact Red Pennant to ask them what they would have done in the same situation.

    So a very stressful morning, from our first call to ADAC to the breakdown truck arriving was about 2 and a half hours.