Breakdown cover for new car & caravan
We have just purchased a brand new tow car which came with breakdown insurance which they insist that we must use to keep the warranty in order, however, what would happen if the caravan was on the back? Prior to receiving our new car we were members of May Day Green Flag. Has anyone experienced a breakdown with the caravan in tow on a new vehicle? Hope I never have a problem but feel I need to be covered for any eventuality.
Comments
-
Any breakdown cover should provide a tow for the caravan if the car needs recovering on a flatbed. It will not provide cover in respect of a caravan breakdown (brake failure, puncture etc)
I have breakdown cover that comes with the car for 3 years, but I also have the Red Pennant in case of difficulty with the van. I know this is a cost option, but it gives me peace of mind. I am past the age where I want to change a wheel at the roadside.
Paul
0 -
Breakdown with caravan on the back may not be such a problem but do you really want to be taken all the way to the midlands from John O'Groats when you could be taken to a caravan site whilst a part is obtained and the car then taken for repair? Or what happens when the caravan is sited and you break down 30 miles away and the new car needs to go back to the dealer?
I had a problem recently whilst solo. It was about 11am and a front coil spring snapped. Mayday service recovered me home and then two days later when my garage could fit me in for new front coil springs and shock absorbers picked the car up amd took it to the garage,
When the car was new we had cover with either the AA or RAC, cannot remember which. Took out Mayday straight away.
0 -
My car is just out of the 3 year warranty that included Landrovers breakdown, but from new I also had Mayday Greenflag. So in effect I had a choice of two services for the car and one service for a caravan breakdown as Landrover would only recover to nearest dealership.
My choice was belt and braces cover for any eventuality in the UK, as for Europe I chose Red Pennant although again Landrover would recover us to the nearest dealership, but I could imagine they would not be happy with a caravan pitched in front of their showroom.
0 -
Who told you that using a different breakdown company would invalidate a new car warranty?
total rubbish! You don't even need to use a main dealer for servicing to keep the warranty any more.
Use Mayday, I have RAC on my new car but as that doesn't cover our caravan because it's too long, I have to have Mayday as well, which suits me anyway.
1 -
We have the caravan insured with Safeguard based in Leeds, part of Swinton I believe. We have taken out the option to extend caravan breakdown and recovery through th AA. it cost an extra £65 but does include long vehicle recovery which the manufactures ( VW )recovery doesn't.
Overall costs more attractive than CC.
1 -
I also have Safeguard cover for the caravan (including AA recovery for van) but as said the warranty recovery for the car is with Volvo. The recovery for Volvo is also part of the servicing with Volvo, so if even after the first 3 years I have it serviced by the main dealer they give me recovery as well for another year.
0 -
Belt & Braces for me manufacturer, Mayday and Red Pennent on the basis one must come up trumps. A manufacturers breakdown service is limited to taking the car/caravan to a suitable repairer. Regards having to use the manufacturers breakdown service if you breakdown on many motorways abroad the police will arrange a breakdown operator to come to you. Similarily if you are unfortunate to breakdown in a section of roadworks in the UK e.g. M3 where a free breakdown service is provided the situation is similar. I can`t see that the dealer can make the statement regarding use of breakdown and warranty, unless I have the wrong end of the stick.
0 -
My Audi Q7 broke down while returning from Rome to Edinburgh. The suspension collapsed and required replacement; not a good advert for a car which was only 14 months old.
As the part was not available anywhere in Europe I contacted Audi to arrange for the car and caravan to be transported home. Great, no problem they said we will arrange another ferry booking and take care of everything for you, just you relax and do not worry.
When I advised that I was towing a caravan, again they said do not worry all these things are covered. Phoned home to tell my wife not to worry, I would be home a few days later (the family fly rather than going by car).
When advising Audi about the caravan specifications, they informed me that they would only take the caravan if it was less than 7.5 m, I advised that it was 8m in length. The agent advised that I should just leave it somewhere and collect later; I said tongue in cheek that I would cut off 0.5 m from its length to which she replied that would be helpful.
Next call was to Red Pennant who are fantastic - the moral of this story get breakdown cover from agencies who understand and provide bespoke services for caravanners
Dr Ellis
1 -
Does any member know where you can buy breakdown/recovery for caravan only as we have already got cover for our Yeti through Skoda Assistance. Tried, Mayday, but I would have to purchase car cover again!!
0 -
When I purchased a new tow vehicle I then also renewed Mayday. I am not aware of sensible joined up alternatives. Would a separate breakdown cover on a caravan be of much use when the tow car breaks down off site? In such a scenario your car breakdown might either take you home or two the site. Where do you go from there? There is nothing wrong with the caravan and so how would a caravan breakdown policy assist.
0 -
My Caravan insurance with Safeguard has a separate breakdown cover by th AA which is an extra on the policy. This is in case you have breakdown in the Caravan whilst towing which renders the Caravan un-towable but the car isn't broken down. The cover on the car via Skoda would not cover the Caravan so you need the extra cover. I don't know how much the Mayday cover costs but it needs to be priced up against the cost of the AA cover with the Insurance policy. If Mayday is cheaper there is nothing to stop you having the Mayday as well as the Car cover you just use 1 or the other to recover which ever vehicle is disabled. I think that if you are towing at the time of your car breaking down they would recover the caravan under the car breakdown cover. Have you asked the warranty people what would happen in those circumstances?
0 -
Yes, you can buy stand alone Caravan only breakdown cover from Lifesure for £15 - or for £10 if your caravan is already insured with them. You can also opt for that caravan only cover as an add on if your caravan is insured with Saga. There may be others too.
1 -
I thought the lifesure standalone policy at £15 could be a good solution to my problem that RAC limit overall caravan length to 7 metres, and as my van is 7.2 metres would not be recovered by them.
Unfortunatley though lifesure have an exclusion on their assistance in that if the immobility of the caravan is due to the towing vehicle having broken down, they won't cover it.
So if the car breaks down rac willl take the car but not the van, and lifesure wouldn't help with the van as it was the fault of the car!
i had thought the answer might be green flag, their policy terms look good, but googling reviews comes up with lots of horrendous reviews of their service levels
0 -
I can only comment on Safeguard who confirmed, in writing, that in the U.K. They gave double journey cover and that they would recover a caravan not attached to the tow car. Also, oddly, the cover was better than if taken direct with the AA.
0 -
If you belong to C&CC, swap to RAC Arrival which has no weight or length restrictions - much like Mayday.
If you don't belong to C&CC, I think RAC will sell you Arrival with inclusive free membership of C&CC for a year.
0 -
Sounds like a shrewd move on the part of C&CC
0 -
Just got a new car with RAC cover for the car. The Mayday runs out soon so will look at the RAC option. I cannot see that using Mayday to recover the car after a breakdown could invalidate the cars warranty, although you would need then to take the car to a dealer rather than anyone else.
0 -
Thanks for the advice, got breakdown cover for the caravan only from Lifesure Group - £15 for a year! Bargain.
0 -
The belt and braces option is the best way. Whatever the car breakdown cover provided, I still bought my RAC Arrival cover (it's virtually the same as Mayday but via C&CC). Why chance it? Compared to the price of the new car, it's a spot in the ocean.
Anyone looking for a bargain can buy Arrival from the RAC now and get a year's membership of C&CC thrown in free.
0 -
As far as I can see it is not available and the question has cropped up before with no insurer found. I have the same cover with my car but need cover for the caravan as the policy covers towing to a repairer if the car breaks down but not if the fault is with the caravan and it covers up to 7m and ours is 7.2. I am afraid we need Mayday.
1 -
I have had a look at the T&Cs for this policy, as the price looked to good to be true. As far as I can see, it only covers the van if there is a fault with it. So if you are out in your car and it developed a fault requiring recovery, as there is nothing wrong with the van, you would not be able to call on this insurance to recover it. It also gives no cover for damage caused by theft or vandalism. So if either of these resulted in the van being untowable, they would not be interested in recovering it.
Mayday and the other clubs equivalent, may be expensive in comparison, but they are very comprehensive. I have inclusive recovery with my Nissan, as long as they service it. Plus Mayday for peace of mind. For me it is well worth the cost for that reason alone.
1 -
If a new car breaks down when you are off site with the caravan pitched then presumably you may want the repair doing at your original dealer or a suitable franchised dealer. Will the car insurance take you top the caravan and the car for repair? If so then when the car is repaired you may have a 40 mile taxi ride to collect the car.
If the car is un-driveable after a RTA who brings the caravan home?
0 -
John and Mary
I am still wondering how your arrangement will work in case of an emergency,or car is for whatever reason undriveable.
Now you will have to call out another third party to recover Caravan.
I had breakdown cover with my new then Kuga and would never rely on just a basic breakdown cover with a caravan on the back.Hence me joining the RAC Arrival scheme.
0
