Print

[Grandadrob]

Currently going through insurance renewal for the 1 and 2. Just wanted to add a word of warning re breakdown.
A couple of companies have offered me breakdown cover because unlike RH it is not included. The have quoted me around £30 per vehicle, per year. I have said that I get personal cover through my Bank account via the AA. They have said that the AA will not recover vehicles over 15 years of age. Got me thinking... Checked with the AA, they said they will recover vehicles of any age, subject to the usual weight and size limits.. so beware. 

[Dentman]

A timely warning Grandadrob, so they are LYING just to get your business under false pretences? 
You didn't take this at face value but checked it for yourself.
Such cynicism in one so young!!

[geoff]

Also be aware that :

Breakdown recovery won't be covered for a puncture if no spare wheel carried on the vehicle meaning you'll be charged - fact !
Does the spare have to be in good road order ie not flat - probably.

RH are good they even recover on policy from the first day which is ideal when buying a new vehicle and driving it home, I found this out once when doing just.

Happy hunting 

[Dentman]

Good point geoff, many trundle about locally leaving their  a big Land Rover spare at home.
But does this mean modern vehicles without a spare supplied aren't covered either 

[w3526602]

Hi,

Britannia arranged recovery of my 109" S2TD estate, complete with caravan. Misfuel!

I had to pay for an hours labour, while the mechanic chatted to his mate's. A 12 volt SU fuel pump takes a long time to empty a full tank. Then I had to pay for disposal of the "mis-fuel"b at £0.60p per litre.

It would have been cheaper to phone for a taxi to take me to nearest Halfords, to buy a syphon hose, and three Jerry cans, plus a 5 litre fuel can, and fill it at garage on the way back. If the taxi driver had got snotty about carrying diesel, I would drain the tank, then phone recovery to bring me a gallon of diesel.

The recovery driver insisted that Britannia would not pay him to take me home (about 50 miles)

The engine was a TD, and still running not too badly on a 50/50 mix.

602

[MWAD7]

Breakdown recovery won't be covered for a puncture if no spare wheel carried on the vehicle meaning you'll be charged - fact !

...only if the vehicle was supplied with a spare wheel as standard. Did all Series vehicles come with one from new?

It’s possibly a pedantic point - and maybe irrelevant to Series, but my Caterham and Westfield kit cars were not fitted or specified with a spare wheel (it was an option, but my Caterham was originally built for a road-going race series).

Last time I checked the wording, the no-spare-as-fitted-by-factory situation was recognised and acknowledged.

[Dentman]

I'm indebted to my learned fiend MWAD7  You've cleared that up nicely 

[Wittsend]

Some cars are only supplied with a tin of foam and a compressor 
Cheaper and saves space (allegedly).
And some have the (silly) skinny space saver wheel.
Limited to 50 mph, but you'll see loads of them overtaking you at 70 or 80 mph 

What happens if you can't get the tin of foam to work you call your breakdown rescue service.

My 2 modern cars (Fords) are like this - so I bought proper alloys which fit in the boot space and only takes up slightly more space 

When I'm out and about in the Land Rovers, in Norfolk, the spare(s) stays at home.
I can phone home for help (bring the spare and jack) which will be faster than waiting for the breakdown truck.



 

[geoff]

...only if the vehicle was supplied with a spare wheel as standard.

This must be their get out clause, I can say from experience ( circa £140 around 15 years ago ) that not having a spare will dent your wallet.

I've no experience, wallet related or otherwise of other scenarios 

[Peter Holden]

We bought a secondhand Fiat Qubo with alloy wheels, it came with a can of foam and perversely a jack, wheelbrace locking wheel nut socket and a set of wheelbolts for a steel wheel. First job was a visit to the local scrapyard for a sparewheel carrier and the correct size stell wheel and tyre.  All the required mountings were there fo fit the carrier.

I have aphobia about noy having a spare wheel, we once had a puncture on the Thelwall viaduct (M6 Cheshire), the tyre was shredded so a can of gunk would have been no use.  Fortunately that vehicle had a spare wheel..

Peter

[w3526602]

Hi,

As you will b e aware from previous sagas, I lost the ignition key for my Jimny ... £70 plus £20 to have it cut  (your main dealer can tell you the key number from the chassis number).

I had to get a non-runner to the main dealer (4 miles away).

Eventually I asked Barbara if Britannia  would back-date Home Start.

"We've already got Home-start!" she topld me.

"Eh? When did that happen. When I suggested it, you said we didn't need it".

Whatever, she phoned Britannia, and a huge recovery truck arrived ... thinking they were coming to get a LWB Landie

Another £20 to "marry" the car to the new key. Not much change out of £100.

Some cars will cost you £600 to replace a lost key. Some cars have been insurance write-offs because of a lost key. Be warned. I don't know what key insurance costs.

Does recovery include "lost keys"?

602

[MWAD7]

Just perusing the AA cover provided by my Lloyd’s current account...

Exclusions.

Spare wheels “d. Failure to carry a serviceable spare: Any additional charges resulting from Your failure to carry a legal and serviceable spare wheel or tyre, except where this is not provided as manufacturers’ standard equipment. The AA will endeavour to arrange on your behalf, but will not pay for, assistance of a third party”

As far as I can tell there are no clear exclusions in relation to keys - other than they won’t pay for replacements and related charges. Your main vehicle insurance may cover this aspect....?

[w3526602]

Hi,

I lost the keys to my Jimny. The main dealers were able to find the key "number", obtain a blank, and have it cut to the right "shape" ... but I had to present the car to the dealer's premises, sdo the car and key could be formally introduced.

The dealers were only four miles away, but I had no means of getting it there.

I cursed Barbara for refusing to pay for Britannia's HOME START.

"But we've got Home Start!", she smuggly informed me. I got her to phone for a recovery truck. A huge vehicle arrived ... they thought it was for my 109" Landy.

Whatever, Yorky took the Zuke away, FOC.

The main dealers phoned a couple of hours later, said my car was ready for collection.

Replacing that lost key cost me the best part of £200, but I understand that I got off lightly. In some cases, a lost key can make the car an "economic write off".

6023

[mrutty]

Spare wheels are not being fitted/supplied to help meet emission targets (I kid you not). They have even now started to not even weld in the spare wheel tub so you can't add a spare later. Oddly as well they don't change the boot shape so you now have a backend with 6" of dead space that you can't use!

[w3526602]

Hi,

I've never seen one, not even a picture, but I have read mention of "Winter Wheels". I think their primary function is to prevent the theft of the wheels and tyres. Does anybody have a piccy?

Perhaps cars should carry such a device? It would be safer than leaving SWMBO and the kids perched on a side-winder while you roll the punctured tyre to the nearest (and open) garage.

602

Thinks -  all cars should have the same size tyres, so garages (and yellow taxis) will only need to keep one spare wheel available.