Red Penant breakdown cover - its a joke

Morning all

I have forwarded this on to the Red Pennant manager and will post their reply as soon as I receive it.

Hazel

Morning all

I have forwarded this on to the Red Pennant manager and will post their reply as soon as I receive it.

Hazel

 

Many thanks Hazel, I did report myown  post on Monday evening and have been waiting for a reply. 

Hi everyone who has been following this thread. I have yet again spoken with the RP team (Icalled them) got fed up waiting.

The trailer is NOT covered if it breaks down, the scooter on the trailer is also NOT covered. The club are splitting hairs with their conditions. If it was a micro car, mini car, quadbike then it would be covered but again not the trailer transporting it.

A car and caravan combination is covered if the caravan had a problem with a wheel bearing they would come out and fix it or recover it but not so a trailer.

I have spoken at great lengths trying to get across the point that if the trailer breaks down while it is towed then it is part of the combination but to no avail, I asked could I take out an add on cover for the trailer but NO they won't do that either.

Yet again I was patronized with we are "The Caravan Club " and we are a touring club. What is a motorhome if not a tourer. 

So when our Membership is due renewal in May we will have to think very hard if we will be renewing it, (for the CL's) if the club will not act for its members to secure a service that a member is asking for then I will take my money and go elsewhere. I would encourage other members who are not satisfied with the pathetic level of service they get from the club to do the same.

Tammyg, your circumstances are not exactly unique. There are plenty of motorhomes who tow a car or a bike so the people at CC insurance should be including this in their negotiations with the insurers. Somebody has let this slip through the net.

When I spoke to them today it became clear that they haven't really put a lot of thought into Motorhomes towing anything. The cover they provide covers you if the motorhome breaks down good. If the microcar.minicar/quad bike breaks down while you are driving IT, they will recover IT back to the campsite where your trailer is then its up to you to get it loaded onto the trailer (how if its broken down?) and tow it either to a garage for repair (at your cost) or you tow it back home to the UK. It would appear that a motorbike /scooter is NOT covered if it breaks down while you are driving it as it doesn't come under 'Secondary Vehicle' So you will pay the same rate as a car on a trailer but you have no cover for it should the bike break down or the trailer. When I questiined this I was told' Secondary vehicle' isn't a motorised bike, I said' well ours is'

A car they will repatriate but a Motorised bike they won't if the trailer breaks down, despite the fact that you could drive a car back. 

I'm so frustrated with it all.

Thanks for coming back. This is a very disappointing response from our club. We have similar reservations about our caravan insurance and like you were patronised when I pointed out the discrepancy in premiums being quoted. For reasons I won't bore you with we had no time to change insurers but will definitely be renewing elsewhere this year.

I really do not think the insurance side is acting in the best interest of all members and are relying on a club mentality and inertia for continued business.

We also only stay for CLs now and the odd convenient club site.

I'm afraid I am feeling very let down by the Club at the moment, it doesn't seem to value its members. I hope this thread has been of use to other members who tow with a M/H just to show that we are second class members. Like you time is pressing on and I'm not sure we have time to do anymore searching, will have to decide whether we will go with RP and hope we don't have a problem or not to take the bike at all.

Tammy, I downloaded some documents from DianneT's website about ADAC a while ago. It's a 75% well translated document of cover and specifically mentions Breakdown and Accident as being covered. M/H's are covered up to 3.2metres in height and 7.5 tons weight. Under "section 3 - What vehicles are Protected?"  it specifically states "cars and motorcycles including guided trailers".

Suggest you look on Dianne's website and download a copy and give ADAC a ring.

 .... will have to decide whether we will go with RP and  ....

When was the last time your motorhome let you down? Is it regularly serviced? I too found RP expensive for what I wanted out of it ie roadside assistance in the event of a breakdown, I didn't want the health cover, but it's all sold as one package of holiday insurance. I've been to France a few times towing a caravan with no cover at all, but I'd had the car for years & knew it back to front & was very confident it'd do the couple of thousand miles there & back without a hiccup. 

 .... will have to decide whether we will go with RP and  ....

When was the last time your motorhome let you down? Is it regularly serviced? I too found RP expensive for what I wanted out of it ie roadside assistance in the event of a breakdown, I didn't want the health cover, but it's all sold as one package of holiday insurance. I've been to France a few times towing a caravan with no cover at all, but I'd had the car for years & knew it back to front & was very confident it'd do the couple of thousand miles there & back without a hiccup. 

As it happens twice last year, once in Belgium and once just South of the Tyne tunnel. Neither were serious but we did miss the ferry going out. 

Its not that part of the RP that is an issue its the fact that they don't cover the scooter or the trailer, unless its the motorhome that breaks down.

We actually want the personal medical cover as I can't be bothered dealing with two differant insurance companies if anything goes wrong. We have no medical issues but am not going to tempt fate.

The  M/H is 3  1/2 years old, the bike 20 mths and the trailer is just 15 mths, we do not wish to go away for 11 weeks to Southern Spain  having paid £50.000 + for an outfit and not have cover, we are prepared to pay for RP but I do expect to get equivalent cover to a car/caravan combination that is paying the same amount of money, I don't think that is unreasonable. I've said it before the Club have not thought the cover through.

Tammy, I downloaded some documents from DianneT's website about ADAC a while ago. It's a 75% well translated document of cover and specifically mentions Breakdown and Accident as being covered. M/H's are covered up to 3.2metres in height and 7.5 tons weight. Under "section 3 - What vehicles are Protected?"  it specifically states "cars and motorcycles including guided trailers".

Suggest you look on Dianne's website and download a copy and give ADAC a ring.

WN, I've had a look, but it would appear that even if they would cover the trailer in its own right, I don't think we have the time to get the paperwork through for this trip. However we will be looking around before we take another overseas  trip.