Broke down on Continent AGAIN

[Tim2]

I CANNOT BELIEVE IT

After last years gearbox failure I thought new gearbox and new caravan plus checking everything would mean no problems this year.

WRONG.

Heading north on A1 from Rome last week only 50 miles into journey car began to misfire on LPG and petrol and finally gave up the ghost. Towed off motorway to garage. After sitting on pavement all day garage announced at 7.00pm that electrical problem and needed part. Red Pennant took van and us to campsite in mountains near Orvietto a hairy drive and then without consulting us dispatched VW Passat 2L TDI from Stuttgart 12 hours away so that could get one with towbar. I was worried that not powerful enough as our car is VX Monterey 4x4 and caravan Bailey Senator 1500K Arizona plus Zodiac boat engine awning etc. Finally convinced by CClub that car was okay although well down on suspension. No stabiliser use straightliner and no bracke on VW and although had checked van noseweight no technical info with car as all in German!! Nearly lost control in snake as soon as reached autostrada. Had to stop and repack van. Better but travelled on Saturday when no HGVs passing. Kept to 80kmh and arrived safely at Lake Isea last Sunday. Here until Sat 24 August and then travelling up to Dunkerque not looking forward to journey with no stabiliser and left'hnd drive car through St Gotthard Tunnel I hate tunnels. also now joined by 120 K son for journey home. Dreading too the HGVs hooting and cutting me up as I proceed at a safe speed.

any advice on

stability of van

good routes to Dunkerque with not too many gradients or tunnels

OUr car is being repatriated to UK home as the CClub RED Pennant are not confident about having part sent out

Completely open mind on routes

ALL advice very welcome

Tim

 

[Lutz]

Sorry to hear of your troubles, but I have an awful feeling that to add to it all, you may even be driving illegally if the VW is German registered (which I presume it is). The reason is that third party coverage on your caravan is normally through the insurance on the Monterey (all other coverage will, of course, remain through the caravan's own insurance). But as the caravan is now hitched up to the Passat and not the Monterey, I imagine that third party insurance via the Monterey will no longer apply. Insurance on German registered vehicles DOES NOT cover towed trailers/caravans. This would leave the caravan insured against theft etc. but uninsured for third party liability, which would be a serious offence. For your sake, I hope that I am proved wrong and your caravan insurance covers third party risks if it is not hitched up to the Monterey.

 

[giovanni_5060838]

I am pretty sure the new passat is upto

the job. have you pumped up the tyre pressures?

I am assuming you are at lake iseo?

Relly you have two options. the one you

do not like or heading over to lake garda and

picking up the A22 to the brenner pass.

Your snaking could be due to the tyre pressure/ lousy

worn inside lanes of the over used A1 near rome.

Given that the A22 will add a few 100 miles to your

journey, and there are gradiants too, i would stick

with the route through switzerland.

maybe leaving in the afternoon so you get to do the 150

odd miles of switzerland after 8pm.

 

[Tim2]

Thanks for the all the advice and encouragement Lutz and Giovanni - I knew I could count on help from this site. Thanks for the advice on caravan insurance Lutz I'll certainly check that out with Red Pennant. I would hope that the Europcar insurance does cover this as the car was specifically sent from Stuttgart as that was the only place where Europcar had towbar equipped vehicles. I've already queried with europcar about my wife driving the car as they said that no extra paperwork had to completed to include her on the paperwork - not the case in the UK and some other countries where I've hired cars.

I have argued at length with Red Pennant regarding the size of the car. They assure me and the car handbook in German says that the car has a towing capacity of 1800 Kg and that the noseweight is 85Kg. I had not thought of checking the 85% ratio will do that when I get back to the car.

I refused to drive the VW at first but RP talked to the CC tech section and they argued that it is up to the job although near the top of its limit. They did say that they could bring a UK 4x4 over from the UK but that would not have arrived near Rome until Friday just past. I had to be near Bergamo last Monday to collect my son from the airport at Bergamo and so took the risk and towed 350 miles up to Lake Iseo on SaturdaySunday when less HGVs on road. With the help of a German lorry driver at Services I discovered how to use Electronic stabilisation programme and kept to a steady 50mph. I did get into a nasty snake before this and had to stop and reload the van at first services. After reloading car towed fine. My wife helps me keep a good position on the road from my unusual driving position with left, right, okay as necessary!!

I am planning to drive home on Friday-Saturday- Sunday next via Brenner motorway and Austria as that looks easier than twisting motorways and tunnels of Switzerland. I dislike St Gotthard Tunnel at the best of times and certainly don't fancy it in a left hand drive car with no stabiliser.

Red Pennant say that I can have a larger tow car once out of Italy as Europcar refuse to send their larger cars which they classify as luxury into Italy!!

Further comments on cars, route, stability would be much appreciated.

Tim

 

[giovanni_5060838]

Thanks for the all the advice and encouragement Lutz and Giovanni - I knew I could count on help from this site. Thanks for the advice on caravan insurance Lutz I'll certainly check that out with Red Pennant. I would hope that the Europcar insurance does cover this as the car was specifically sent from Stuttgart as that was the only place where Europcar had towbar equipped vehicles. I've already queried with europcar about my wife driving the car as they said that no extra paperwork had to completed to include her on the paperwork - not the case in the UK and some other countries where I've hired cars.

I have argued at length with Red Pennant regarding the size of the car. They assure me and the car handbook in German says that the car has a towing capacity of 1800 Kg and that the noseweight is 85Kg. I had not thought of checking the 85% ratio will do that when I get back to the car.

I refused to drive the VW at first but RP talked to the CC tech section and they argued that it is up to the job although near the top of its limit. They did say that they could bring a UK 4x4 over from the UK but that would not have arrived near Rome until Friday just past. I had to be near Bergamo last Monday to collect my son from the airport at Bergamo and so took the risk and towed 350 miles up to Lake Iseo on SaturdaySunday when less HGVs on road. With the help of a German lorry driver at Services I discovered how to use Electronic stabilisation programme and kept to a steady 50mph. I did get into a nasty snake before this and had to stop and reload the van at first services. After reloading car towed fine. My wife helps me keep a good position on the road from my unusual driving position with left, right, okay as necessary!!

I am planning to drive home on Friday-Saturday- Sunday next via Brenner motorway and Austria as that looks easier than twisting motorways and tunnels of Switzerland. I dislike St Gotthard Tunnel at the best of times and certainly don't fancy it in a left hand drive car with no stabiliser.

Red Pennant say that I can have a larger tow car once out of Italy as Europcar refuse to send their larger cars which they classify as luxury into Italy!!

Further comments on cars, route, stability would be much appreciated.

Tim

good luck, but more important enjoy your holiday, note

pick up an austrian viglette,i think you have to get a

7 day pass at 7 or 8 euros [forgot already and had one just

over 3 weeks ago!] i believe you need one for the van as

well.

once past bolzano on the A22 any service station will sell

you 1 or is it 2.

JUST REMEMBER THE IS A LONG STEEP INCLINE, but again i am

sure you will be ok..... enjoy.

 

[Lutz]

Thanks for the all the advice and encouragement Lutz and Giovanni - I knew I could count on help from this site. Thanks for the advice on caravan insurance Lutz I'll certainly check that out with Red Pennant. I would hope that the Europcar insurance does cover this as the car was specifically sent from Stuttgart as that was the only place where Europcar had towbar equipped vehicles. I've already queried with europcar about my wife driving the car as they said that no extra paperwork had to completed to include her on the paperwork - not the case in the UK and some other countries where I've hired cars.

I have argued at length with Red Pennant regarding the size of the car. They assure me and the car handbook in German says that the car has a towing capacity of 1800 Kg and that the noseweight is 85Kg. I had not thought of checking the 85% ratio will do that when I get back to the car.

I refused to drive the VW at first but RP talked to the CC tech section and they argued that it is up to the job although near the top of its limit. They did say that they could bring a UK 4x4 over from the UK but that would not have arrived near Rome until Friday just past. I had to be near Bergamo last Monday to collect my son from the airport at Bergamo and so took the risk and towed 350 miles up to Lake Iseo on SaturdaySunday when less HGVs on road. With the help of a German lorry driver at Services I discovered how to use Electronic stabilisation programme and kept to a steady 50mph. I did get into a nasty snake before this and had to stop and reload the van at first services. After reloading car towed fine. My wife helps me keep a good position on the road from my unusual driving position with left, right, okay as necessary!!

I am planning to drive home on Friday-Saturday- Sunday next via Brenner motorway and Austria as that looks easier than twisting motorways and tunnels of Switzerland. I dislike St Gotthard Tunnel at the best of times and certainly don't fancy it in a left hand drive car with no stabiliser.

Red Pennant say that I can have a larger tow car once out of Italy as Europcar refuse to send their larger cars which they classify as luxury into Italy!!

Further comments on cars, route, stability would be much appreciated.

Tim

Glad to hear you're making progress on your way home, despite the problems.

To return to the insurance issue, in Germany, trailers have to have their own third party insurance so the towcar will not cover third party liability for the trailer, regardless of whether it has a towbar or not.

The 85% ratio recommendation only applies in the UK. On the Continent only the manufacturer's towload limit counts. Therefore, you would not be entitled to refuse a rental car simply because the 85% ratio is exceeded.

 

[Lutz]

Glad to hear you're making progress on your way home, despite the problems.

To return to the insurance issue, in Germany, trailers have to have their own third party insurance so the towcar will not cover third party liability for the trailer, regardless of whether it has a towbar or not.

The 85% ratio recommendation only applies in the UK. On the Continent only the manufacturer's towload limit counts. Therefore, you would not be entitled to refuse a rental car simply because the 85% ratio is exceeded.