Breakdown UK/abroad etc

alann
alann Forum Participant Posts: 9
edited January 2017 in Club Products & Services #1

Hi

I have EU/UK breakdown cover for my car via the manufacturer, it comes with the car when it is serviced and is with the RAC. 

I have personal holiday insurance with a high street bank and they add in EU/UK car breakdown cover again the RAC and

my car insurance company add in breakdown cover for free...however

In order to have the the caravan insured UK/abroad e.g. for repair/recovery I have to take out separate insurance

So I have 3 covers for the car but need to pay an extra £200 for the caravan.

I wondered is there a way or a one stop shop to cover all my needs, UK and abroad as even the club require 2 policies.

Comments

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,581 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #2

    A caravan only policy would help a lot of people although I think you can add a caravan to an RAC cover so I would ring them. Check out the size limits though.

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,829 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #3

    Alan, Ask your two existing breakdown insurers for your car if you can add on caravan breakdown insurance at cost

    Failing that take out a freestanding breakdown insurance for the caravan independent of the existing ones for the car. Eurobreakdown.com offers that sort of policy via Allianz and no doubt Google will tell you of others.

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,859 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #4

    As Wildwood says check to see if you can get the caravan added to the policy for which, no doubt, there would be an addition fee. However I would also check all the small print of the policies to actually check what you are covered for. Some breakdown policies have a size limit. Also what happens to the car and caravan if you or one of your party are taken ill  will the unit be repatriated in those circumstances. Its these sorts of worries that make a lot of us take out Red Pennant.

    David

  • commeyras
    commeyras Club Member Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #5

    I am like you.  My cover, which came with the car, runs out in a few weeks.  I am going to take out the ADAC cover which will give all you need at a very reasonable cost.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,599 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #6

    ADAC is  indeed excellent and will, so I believe, cover your caravan when not attached to the car although I've not seen this in their actual wording. It seems to be implied

    We faced this problem last year. Now solved. UK breakdown covered by banks agreement with LV=. This includes Abroad for both car and 'van, even when detached. If Accidental Damage occured to'van then Saga Insurance would cover in UK and Abroad AND repatriate 'van, something CC caravan insurance doesn't do (repatriation that is).

     

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,599 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #7

    One thing to remember about ADAC cover iiis that if you wish to leave at renewal date then you must give them 3 months notice othrwise you'll be stuck with paying for another year.

  • commeyras
    commeyras Club Member Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #8

    ADAC covers the individual not the car.  Dianne is our 'expert' on this; if you look at her 'Joys of European Caravanning' it's all there. (Sorry can't do the link!)

  • alann
    alann Forum Participant Posts: 9
    edited January 2017 #9

    Thank you for your ideas and thoughts, that has given me some investigations to do and will look up Dianne link in the 'Joys' link, thanks to all

     

    Alan

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,138 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #10

     

    http://www.joysofeuropeancaravanning.co.uk

  • DianneT
    DianneT Forum Participant Posts: 521
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    edited January 2017 #11

    Thanks Tinwheeler  alann I can give you all the details for joining but it is listed on the ADAC Page on my website link.

    We have been with ADAC for over 10 years now used them 3 times once in the UK.  Price is same for all at two Levels Plus Single Person €84 or Partner Plus €109 for a year.  I can send you the details in English of all the cover if you email me dvt1402@{hotmail.co.uk with your address.

    Any more info please ask will be pleased to help.

    DianneT 

     

  • commeyras
    commeyras Club Member Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #12

    Timwheeler.  How do you do the link?

  • alann
    alann Forum Participant Posts: 9
    edited January 2017 #13

     Hi Dianne

    Thank you, I looked on their website but it said residence had to be in Germany, which threw me a bit!I will email you with my details, thank you

    Alan

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,829 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #14

    Hi Alan, so if you sign up with ADAC you will then have four U.K. Breakdown insurances all in force at once? Belt and braces ! 

  • commeyras
    commeyras Club Member Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #15

    Alan.  Not sure that is right.  The book which Dianne will send says that 'anyone can take out ADAC Plus membership' which is what you would have to take out.  There is no mention of residency - unless you have seen it somewhere?

  • DougS
    DougS Forum Participant Posts: 327
    edited January 2017 #16

    Another option?

    We have Ford European breakdown cover ("free" with the service) and we'd use this if it were only a car breakdown. Cover is supposedly provided when towing but I suspect that is for the car and towing the caravan to a safe place, not breakdown of caravan?)

    I'd use this if we were away for the day or as a backup to...

    Our main cover package via Safeguard. This is a European caravan insurance AND bolt on, CARAVAN based breakdown policy (£65 via AA) which also covers the outfit.

    I have never been able to sort out the "away for the day" or "caravan not attached to car"  conundrum (I would appreciate any member having feedback on this aspect!)  despite verbal assurances that companies "wouldn't see us stuck"

    No policy wording is written in caravan friendly terms IMHO.

    So the package we have feels right and comes at a reasonable total cost for us.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,599 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #17

    Hi DougS.

    I emailed LV= about cover for caravan if detached from car and car suffering breakdown which needed repatriation either in the UK or abroad. They emailed back saying they would bring the caravan back as well in those circumstances.

  • DianneT
    DianneT Forum Participant Posts: 521
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    edited January 2017 #18

    No you do not have to reside in Germany there are thousands of UK Members.  To be honest it is the only Breakdown Cover you need covering all of Europe and the UK. There is limited cover worldwide too incl. USA.  ADAC is the 2nd largest Breakdown Organisation in the World AAA of the USA being the largest.

    DianneT

     

  • DougS
    DougS Forum Participant Posts: 327
    edited January 2017 #19

    That info sounds positive for LV= as an option.

    Thanks for posting.

    Did they confirm that they cover caravan breakdowns?

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,599 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #20

    Yes, Doug they did. We get it as part of the bank account we have.

  • ivydene
    ivydene Forum Participant Posts: 6
    edited January 2017 #21

    Whatever you do, do not get cover for your van with Allianz. i was covered by them when travelling abroad, and when we broke down it took 6 weeks to get the car and caravan back to England. They arranged for a hire car to get us home including our dog, but failed to tell us you are unable to take a hire car back across the Channel. When i found this out i contacted Allianz and was told, 'That's OK' said the help desk, 'you can leave the car in France and return home as a foot passenger'. 'What about the dog'. 'That's OK i took my dog on the Calais Dover ferry last week as a foot passenger' my response is unprintable, but we were left to our own devices and i had to illegally drive the car back into England. So steer clear of this company. As a post script, i got in touch with the insurance ombudsman, and received a payment from Allianz. 

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,829 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2017 #22

    It sounds as though you had a bad time, but  I think you have to insure  with Red Pennant  to have much hope of  a hire car sent out to you from UK., and that's not entirely certain.

     We ourselves have had to leave car and caravan near the Med and come home by train after a breakdown, and on another occasion fly home urgently when mother was taken to hospital - but we were without a dog. But I hear of a lot of dog owners who give little thought to how they will get their dog back to UK when things go wrong. Your case might be a warning to others. 

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