Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

whiteshadow · Joined: 24 Jan 2011 Posts: 78

Hi,

I couldn't find anything on this when I did a search of the forum, but it must have come up?!

I'm soon going on a bit of a drive with my 1947 Singer Roadster, and panicked when I realised that my RAC membership only did local recovery. I contacted RAC and they want stupid money to upgrade.

Contacted Green Flag, but they wouldn't insure because the car didn't appear on their drop down menus!!!

Would go with the AA, but I had heard that they don't use local garages (so take longer), and insist on sending a van first even though it is definite that you need a tow truck!??!

I don't mind paying a few quid more, I just want to get a tow home if there is a major mechanical fault......It's pretty sure they won't be able to get the spares - I just don't want to be mucked about!

Any experiences good/bad (especially on the major two)

Richard H · Joined: 03 Apr 2009 Posts: 2150 Location: Lincolnshire, UK

I'm with the RAC - Roadside assistance for any vehicle I'm travelling in. It's UK wide and costs about £40 a year, they try and fix the car by the roadside and if they can't it's a tow home or to an 'approved' garage, whichever is closer. I've had to call them out about three times I think and twice they've managed to fix the car on the roadside.

Brian M · Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2011 8:49 pm Post subject:

Strange this comes up today, I just checked to get quotes for recovery for the Amazon and Safari from anywhere on my trip to Sweden next week.

Some would not even quote for European cover for a 40 year old car, others would for the car only but not the caravan. the RAC wanted £187 for 14 days cover.

Then I remembered that a few years ago my Insurance Company made a big thing about offering Europe wide recovery at no extra charge, so I called them and was told that it was still part of my policy, and covered recovery of the caravan as well as the car.

I am with RH Classic Insurance, but a quick scan through the insurance adverts in the magazines shows that this offer is available from several companies.
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Brian
1970 Volvo Amazon and 1978 Safari 15-4 Caravan
Classic Safari Forum: www.classicsafaris.co.uk

smiffy220 · Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2011 9:03 pm Post subject:

RH Classics is owned by Equity Red Star (who I work for). ERS also own a breakdown arm for Autonational, so it is not unlikely that you will have breakdown cover included if you insure with RH.
As for cost comparison, I need to look into this too. I'm with the AA, they cover me and my wife for any car we are in. We have home start included for free, relay and roadside assistance. I pay circa £150 a year for this, but have never had any problems with them so reluctant to change, but cost wise I could do with finding something cheaper!
_________________
Born to rally, forced to work!

1980 Opel Manta 2.0 SR Berlinetta
1934 Morris Cowley Four (my late fathers)

whiteshadow · Joined: 24 Jan 2011 Posts: 78

After poncing about on the internet reading reviews (discounting the nutters etc) I finally came to a decision and pressed the 'Pay' button.

It really is as bad as buying insurance now!.....Next car Insurance renewal I'll make sure its on my policy. I wouldn't mind, but I was only trying to make sure I was ok for a trip from Colchester to Northampton!

Anyway I went with AutoNational for the following reasons:-

1) £56 - They seem pretty big, and I vaguely remember seeing the logo about

2) They amazingly had my car on their drop down menu -- Means they can never say they didn't know it was a classic/really old etc!!

3) They use local garages (and apparently pay them better than most, so the garages like them...or so I read!)

4) I didn't want RAC type guys turning up -Apparently paid commission on how many cars they get going, so they are reluctant to get a local garage to the scene - who may be nearer/quicker

5) But would have stayed with RAC under a new policy on top of the one I've already got. But as they seem to be into pressure selling, I didn't want to find out they felt my policies were illegal (coz it was saving money) when I was stranded on a B road at 7pm on a Friday.

6) I didn't want to wait an hour for a guy to turn in an AA van to turn up to confirm that the car is snapped in two, to then order a tow truck sereval hours later (this is apparently what AA do....they don't believe it needs a tow truck untill they send a man in a little van first....or so I've heard/read!)

Time will tell if I have made the right choice. And if I do breakdown, I'm sure the Wife will give me some feedback.

Keep this post going.......I might need it in a years time!

P3steve · Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 9:33 am Post subject:

Quote, I didn't want to wait an hour for a guy to turn in an AA van to turn up to confirm that the car is snapped in two, to then order a tow truck sereval hours later (this is apparently what AA do....they don't believe it needs a tow truck untill they send a man in a little van first....or so I've heard/read!)

Was hit by another car last year which turned my AA driving instructors ford focus on its side and bent the front axle under the car dispite telling AA recovery part of the company I worked for that the car was written off they still sent a van out to see if it could be fixed at the road side (took two hours to arrive) and it took six hours total before the recovery truck turned up, I had to go to hospital and had to leave my wife and her sister at the road side to wait for the truck to arrive as it turned out I got back from the hospital before it got there. have since left the AA. As an instructor the contract states that if an AA instructors car is unroadworthy they will have a replacement with me within 24 hours - twice both last year and a few weeks ago when I had another breakdown they took 48 hours to supply a replacment, So they dont even look after there own it seems.
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If the world didn't suck we'd all fall off

smiffy220 · Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 10:19 am Post subject:

I've used the AA few times since I took my cover out with them about 20 years ago. If it's something I know is pretty terminal, like a head gasket gone or I had a wheel bearing go in my wifes car, they have listened on the phone and sent a recovery truck straight away. Actually, when the wheel bearing went on my wifes car, they did send a van, but their vans now have a built in trailer front wheel drag system that they can utilise, so the vans can tow your car home. Never had a problem with them, but they are expensive.
Dave
_________________
Born to rally, forced to work!

1980 Opel Manta 2.0 SR Berlinetta
1934 Morris Cowley Four (my late fathers)

FrazzleTC · Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 11:14 am Post subject:

I've been looking into getting new breakdown cover, as my insurance company says I've used all of my free breakdown recovery quota for the year.
When I bought my Rover in Chelmsford, it suffered a brake problem half a mile from the seller's house, involving a pad slipping on one of the rear brakes, ruining the caliper in the process. I phoned Footman James, with whom I'd insured the car, immediately. They informed me that although my insurance cover had started, my breakdown cover could take up to a week to come into place! Shocked

Needless to say, this was hardly what I wanted to hear. Luckily, one of my mates was with me, and he had his AA relay card with him, which meant he was covered for breakdowns in any car that he was travelling. So, we called the AA, and explained the situation, and explained that it looked like recovery would the only way forward. They sent a man out with a van who arrived at 4 o' clock, and we didn't get put onto an AA lorry until nearly 8 o' clock. The AA said that the reason for them sending out the van initially, was because of the large number of people deliberately making their cars break down so that they got home for free, without paying for their petrol. The distance involved in this journey was fairly large, but we arrived in Lancashire at 2 in the morning.
My car wasn't recovered to my home by my recovery scheme until the Tuesday, so I think if you're buying a car, it's best to get some independent breakdown cover.

Ben Stephens · Joined: 25 May 2011 Posts: 4

I have had good and bad experiences with the both the AA and RAC. Sometimes they can be a long time getting to you, but, they are very good when they get there. Today, I suffered a brake failure due to a pipe breaking. The AA guy really wanted to repair it, even offering to stop at his house to use the brake flaring tool. However, we had no brake pipe. However, that is service.

I have also used the insurance company breakdown service (Peter Taylor), this was abroad as well in France. They were very good, however, took me too a garage that wanted nearly 200 Euros to source an inner tube (I ended up inflating the tyre and going to a local garage where we repaired the tubes that were punctured!)

The difference is, the AA are over 100 pounds, the Peter Taylor breakdown cover is I think about 35 pounds for upto 6 break downs a year.

I would say, the AA and the RAC will try and get you on the road again, and the staff who turn up do seem very knowledgeable, but as mentioned before they will send a van first.

Kindest Regards

Ben

Penman · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4850 Location: Swindon, Wilts.

Hi Standardsteve
I am also an instructor and have just packed in my AA cover and taken out the breakdown cover with Barry Grainger who arer also my schoolcar insurers.
They were by far the lowest quoter for the school car and their Breakdown cover was 1/10th the price of the AA.
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Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10

Roger-hatchy · Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 2135 Location: Tiptree, Essex

AA ?

I broke down a few years ago with the Volvo at about 1600hr coming out of Yarmouth, called the AA and they were informed that my Mother, who is recorded as 'at risk and venerable' due to age an health on the AA files, was with me

The Van turned up about 1700hr, they had a good idea as to our location as we were opposite a well known Hospital.
couldn't fix it as the header tank cap had split and he didn't have a replacement, so the recovery was called out 2200 hrs the recovery turned up and again had a go at fixing it, he wanted to tape up the cap to get us home, about 22.30 hrs he loaded up onto the recovery
We got home about 0300 the next day,

The next time, with the Volvo, I was about 300 yard from home, got mother home with the wheelchair, phoned the AA.
Expecting a long wait started to load the wheelchair with the shopping to get it in the fridge, just loaded the chaor and he was there, told him the symptems.
He had the airbox off, dizzy off, back on and running in about 30 minutes from call out, times like that you can feel a fool for calling them out.

Next time was with the DLM in Maldon high street, the day of the first MOT, 2 hour to arrive.
All I can say this time was the van was handy for the tools, we even had to tell him what way to turn the spanner to undo a nut, and we had to go to the local car accessory shop for parts, new distributer and condenser (now part of the tool kit in the car)

Also last year with the DLM, up at Markham Moor on the A1, on the way to Blackpool, Induction manifold came loose, the only spanner not in my tool kit always, or was, the way,
1hr from phone to mobile, seem less as I had my breakfast while waiting.

Will have to try the company with my insures if I need recovery, hope not to.

Roger

BigJohn · Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 954 Location: Wem, Shropshire

I have RAC recovery on a family basis, 4 of us are covered for any car we are in, driver or passenger. This years renewal just arrived at £186. It was £155 on line as new new applicant. I rang up and told them I would let it run out and then apply the next day to get the online price. The operator was vey helpful and then asked if £149.68 would be better! So I renewed at that. Very Happy. Always found RAC guys to be very professional aand efficient. It has saved me a fortune over the years and meant I haven't had to drag an offsprings motor home from the other end of the country in the middle of the night a couple of times.

lowdrag · Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 1600 Location: Le Mans

I insure my cars with Locktons in London. They include breakdown cover and it was first class when i needed it - no arguments and a truck sent out in an hour while abroad. Wrong time right now, but worth giving them a call at renewal time.

whiteshadow · Joined: 24 Jan 2011 Posts: 78

My insurance broker thought that I might want to see the breakdown policy from Axa they are thrashing out. There are still issues with it, not least that the car must be less than 17yrs old...........Not great on a classic car policy.

PAUL BEAUMONT · Joined: 27 Nov 2007 Posts: 1281 Location: Barnsley S. Yorks

We have a club scheme operated by Footman James. They include Breakdown cover (Europe wide). Interesting they also use Equity Red Star for this cover. Never had to use them myself, but I am aware that several club members have and always had first class service. My premium is a good bit below £100.

Paul