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Stuggling with EU breakdown cover for 20 year old Cruiser

Chris

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Personally I'm not bothered. If I was on my own, I'd do the whole trip come what may without breakdown cover. But when you're towing and got the family on board, really you should have some sort of cover.

If I can't fix it at the side of the road then I doubt the bloke in the van can. Really it's the flat bed back to Blightly that I am after. The other handy service is couriering of parts to your location. Other than that I don't need much else.

There's little that can stop and 80 and many 'work arounds' that can get you going But if a fuel pump goes, or a con rod comes through the side of the block you are pretty well screwed. I've done everything I can to ensure trouble free motoring (now I've but some actual bearings in the front diff) and I've had 9000 miles around Morocco and the Baltic but there's always that niggle.

Who have you used for this cover? I don't have an overseas address so I can't claim cover from inside the EU bit. I've tried the AA/RAC who we're with and they wanted one of my kidneys. You may have had cover but not claimed. So who knows how good it was? But finding some in the first place is the issue. Some are quoting but not all cover a trailer and repatriation is only available to the value of the car. Now, that won't take into account that it's a home on wheels. Oh, Landcruiser, 1997, yeah about £1320 mate, sorry. You know the drill.

Whatcha got guys?
 
ADAC said if it can't be fixed we send it home for you . They send the AA out if you break down in the UK and it costs less than 100 euro a year .
As for the trailer i think your insured rather than your vehicle , i don't recall even being asked what i drove the first time i used them ?
 
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:text-+1: ADAC, just call Adnan, phone number 00 49 40 23919302. Just don't do it from a mobile. All as Shayne said. Plus they give you loads of maps if you tell them you're going on a trip. All in German of course but useful all the same.
 
Hmm, OK I'll give that a go. I need to read up a bit first though rather than ring some random chap first. I'd understood that the whole ADAC thing had changed a while back and wasn't any use if you were a UK resident. But if you say so.. FBNSS said the same thing.
 
Adnan was very helpful, I didnt think to ask any questions and i had bad reception.
 
AA cover my truck fine in Europe but I'll probably change to ADAC next renewal as the cover seems to be better value
 
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They cover you (not the vehicle) anywhere in Europe (not the EU but the geographical area) if you're intending travelling outside that zone that may be a stumbling block but Adnan is a top bloke, friendly, speaks good English and is very helpful, so he'll be able to answer any questions you may have.
 
I had AA multi trip EU breakdown cover for 6 years, and had to claim once when the spot welds on the Discovery's timing gear failed and took the cam belt out on the autoroute at high speed; this resulted in repatriation the following day. The AA were brilliant, the local garage that has the contract for the section of autoroute that you broke down on have to recover you off of the autoroute, but once back at the garage I was able to get the AA to pay their bill and for the garage to move the car to a campsite. Next day it was repatriated to the UK, as we were only 4hrs from Calais (returning from the Alps).

What surprised me was that the annual cover continued even though I'd claimed. I transferred it to the 80 and was back in France the next afternoon on route to the Pyrenees. Needless to say my 80 didn't need any assistance during its foreign travels. However another 80 that was with me in the Pyrenees did need repatriating following transfer gearbox failure (not unheard of these days).

When at Bad Kissingen in 2010 I did sign up for the ADAC, had a good chat with them and it all seemed viable, but all correspondence that was sent to my home address was in German, so I didn't follow it through. That may be different now that I work with a number of German colleagues.

A friend had cause to use his EU breakdown cover when his Discovery 1 power steering pump failed in France, the car was recovered to a local garage but no one would work on it. He tried a few garages and no one was interested in fixing it. He took the hire vehicle from the EU breakdown cover, completed his trip and then took the hire vehicle back to the UK, collected a new power steering pump, belt and tools; returned to the garage in France fixed his car himself and drove it home! It maybe luck of the drawer as to whether the garage is helpful or just want to park your car in the scrap yard round the back.

Re repatriation, I had no issues with the value rule when I claimed.

Another option could be the camping and caravan club, or something along those lines. Their members are often towing, or driving old motorhomes, they have member EU breakdown schemes that may look more favourably on an old 80 towing a camp trailer.

I'm out of touch now having not needed EU cover for one of my trucks in the past few years, out of interest what did the AA quote?
 
I had the devils own job persuading the RAC to repatriate my 80 in 2009, after losing a wheel in France on my way back from Morocco, they didn't want to do it as it was over 15yrs old, apparently so I was told it's all to do with the market value of the vehicle, I now have breakdown cover through Adrian Flux and have been assured they will repatriate my 80.
 
As I said guys it's not that I can't find cover, it's just that I don't want to pay a ridiculous amount for a two week trip. The AA or RAC whoever it is we're with will do it but they want £200 extra for that level of cover. Some places won't touch an older car regardless. Some others offer cover but I just wonder how far they will honour the service if ever called upon. ADAC sound good and reliable but what does it cost? What does Flux charge you then Chas?
 
I'm a member of ADAC, not had to use their services but I hear from others good things.
 
Can't remember the exact cost Chris but given it covers you in any car the cost is reasonable.
 
I have bought ADAC cover for last 4-5 years, but not needed to make a claim

I have an email address I use to arrange renewal I will pass it on
 
Thinking i might get something for my 300 odd quid AA cover i phoned saying i just got home and my steering is all over the place . Your home so sod off was the reply .

As it happens i had not long took out ADAC cover for the Romania trip and as i never expected to ever use them i called just to test thier response , which was -

"do not drive not safe we send AA to you so it can be recovered to a garage"

The AA arrived in a van and asked me to follow him to a garage :lol: obviously i declined his "assistance" and instead phoned ADAC again to tell them not to pay the AA anything because i will fix it myself :icon-rolleyes:
 
Does anyone know if there will be any problems with ADAC, being a German company (I presume) after BREXIT?
 
I don't think anyone can accurately predict that Chas but the impression i formed of ADAC even before Brexit was recognised as a possibility was that their focus is on keeping the traffic moving on all those brand new pristine motorways in the extended fatherland .
So i would guess the price will go up is all , i mean why not use Brexit as an excuse to profit as many have .
 
Just renewed with Footman James 12 months Classic car cover for £61.20 (Axa policy by the looks of it)

if it can't be fixed within 1 hour they take it to a local garage, if it can't be fixed before planned return date cover includes transport costs to get you, your passengers, and your vehicle home. Also cover delivery of replacement parts, emergency car hire up to £70 per day/£750 in total, emergency B&B£40 per person for 5 days (£50 per day in UK up to £350)
 
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I use ADAC, I'm based in France though but I don't think it matters. They have english speakers (and very good english speakers I might add) on both customer services and claims lines, you just have to ask (Sprechen Sie Englisch?). Cost is/was 99 euros for you, 119 for you plus partner for a year of Europe-wide cover. Called them once from a ditch in the lower Pyrenees and they had someone out inside an hour. Can't complain.
 
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