Beware Mayday shortcomings!

Posted on 21/02/2019 15:45 by AliJez

I've just been looking into this and called Britannia Rescue, which provides our car breakdown cover (through LV=, our car insurer). Apparently caravan breakdown cover is included already, provided: -

1/ The caravan is no longer than 8m including the tow bar/A-frame

2/ The breakdown is more and 1/4 mile from your home.

Works for us!

Policy details are at...

https://www.lv.com/-/insurance/media/gi/breakdown-insurance/pdfs/public-risk-combined-web-document-april-18.pdf?la=en

Posted on 22/02/2019 09:19 by Surfer

The shipping length of our caravan is 8.14m so for 14cm Britannia will not supply cover.  They would not budge!

Posted on 12/02/2019 09:41 by Surfer

We have the highest level of cover excluding personal Cover.  I think the CMC have a duty of care to highlight this to all members that have Mayday cover and used a storage compound for their caravans.  Our policy states the following;

Your cover includes;

Cover anywhere in the UK, including your doorstep along with transport of your vehicle to the repairer of your choice within a 10 miles of your recovery destination, if we can’t easily fix the problem on the spot.

However as our caravan is kept in storage our “recovery destination” is the caravan storage depot.  Therefore once the caravan has been dropped off they will then take the vehicle to the garage which is within 10 miles.  A concern is that the vehicle would be full of our personal belongings plus our pets and we would have to find our own way back from the garage or rely on the goodwill of the recovery driver. 

If it is after hours for the garage like a Sunday, Bank holiday or late in the evening, the issue is compounded as the garage will be closed.  The chances of getting a taxi home with all our belongings and pets would be remote.  Who would want to leave their vehicle parked up on a street with all their belongings and perhaps pets until the next day when the garage opens?  This has insurance implications especially if the vehicle has keyless entry.

The alternative is to change the “recovery destination” to your residence and for many this is not practical if there is no room for you to store any caravan.  In addition most insurance policies for caravans only allow for it to be parked outside the residence for 48 hours if the caravan is normally kept in storage. 

Again if it is after hours for the garage your vehicle may be left out in the street near the garage with you hoping that the recovery driver has been able to push the keys through a letter box at the garage.  This would also have insurance implications especially if the vehicle has keyless entry.

Final alternative is for the garage to be the recovery destination and leave the car and caravan there and again this has insurance implications.   Again an issue if it is after hours.  At least you may then be taken home but probably relying on the goodwill of the driver.

All the above were confirmed to me by a Mayday representative who phoned me to discuss the matter.  Although I asked on more than one occasion regarding the issue if it is a Sunday, Bank holiday or after hours the representative evaded the question or did not understand the question.

It looks like we will need to start shopping around for a more flexible breakdown company and one that will ensure that we are taken home after the caravan has been dropped off at the storage compound and that the car is kept safe until it can be delivered to the garage when the garage is open for business   I am now wondering if Red Pennant have similar restrictions?

Posted on 08/04/2019 16:35 by ClubMember434DDA9FD2

I am in the process of searching for an appropriate recovery service which would recover the caravan to a CC storage facility before then taking the car to my home.  Interested in the comments about Mayday cover and the restrictions imposed.  I currently have RAC Arrival cover available through the Camping and Caravan Club, but would not recommend it if, as in "Surfer's" case and mine, the caravan is stored away from home.  With RAC Arrival they will take the caravan and car to different destinations, but there is a 75 mile limit for the caravan.  That could prove awkward if you are touring more than 75 miles from home, or storage, and need recovery. In my situation I store at Lady Margaret's Park, Chirk but live near Southampton, a distance of 220 miles.  I do this for convenience because a). no where to keep caravan at home and b). I spend most of my time caravanning in North Wales therefore it saves towing distance.  When I took out the policy I was told on the phone by the customer service agent that the policy covered my situation and the caravan would be recovered to wherever I wanted. Since found in the terms and conditions small print that the 75 mile restriction applies, therefore policy miss-sold.  RAC will not admit liability saying I should have read T&Cs earlier. But having been told on phone (call recorded) that policy met my needs I should have been able to trust that information without having to resort to reading T&Cs in case a mistake had been made!  Still battling with RAC about that issue.