Does your Tow Car weigh over 2 Tonn.

[Notmyvan]

In the well known Consumer Magazine there is an article about a motorist with a 4X4 who broke down one night, They were in the AA and when the tow truck turned up it was unsuitable to tow their 4X4. At 3 am the AA rang to say they could not send anyone out that night. They had to catch a taxi home. The AA said it would be the next day for collection. Two days later it still had not been collected It cost the motorist over £200 to have the car removed by a private garage.

Having worked for the RAC I believe that many of the breakdown vehicles that can put cars on the back are based on 3500 kilo vehicles where the unladen weight is 1500 kilos and will carry up to 2000 kilos (2 tonn) bringing the 3500 kilo maximum. So in fact if your car weighs over 2 tonn you have a problem as to put your car on the back of a breakdown truck it will have to be an HGV, probably a 7.5 tonn vehicle, OK if you break down in Manchester or London where the Breakdown Depots have a HGV Operating Centre , but regional depots wont have any HGV, OK they may have a towing vehicle with a twin axle car trailer but they can only tow 3500 kilos and if the trailer weighs 1200 kilos then the weight of the car on the trailer can only be 2300 kilos. So again if you have a 4X4 which weighs over 2300 kilos it cant be collected.

Perhaps a well known Caravan Magazine can find out if Green Flag/Mayday have more HGV Breakdown Vehicles.

 

[RogerL]

In the well known Consumer Magazine there is an article about a motorist with a 4X4 who broke down one night, They were in the AA and when the tow truck turned up it was unsuitable to tow their 4X4. At 3 am the AA rang to say they could not send anyone out that night. They had to catch a taxi home. The AA said it would be the next day for collection. Two days later it still had not been collected It cost the motorist over £200 to have the car removed by a private garage.

Having worked for the RAC I believe that many of the breakdown vehicles that can put cars on the back are based on 3500 kilo vehicles where the unladen weight is 1500 kilos and will carry up to 2000 kilos (2 tonn) bringing the 3500 kilo maximum. So in fact if your car weighs over 2 tonn you have a problem as to put your car on the back of a breakdown truck it will have to be an HGV, probably a 7.5 tonn vehicle, OK if you break down in Manchester or London where the Breakdown Depots have a HGV Operating Centre , but regional depots wont have any HGV, OK they may have a towing vehicle with a twin axle car trailer but they can only tow 3500 kilos and if the trailer weighs 1200 kilos then the weight of the car on the trailer can only be 2300 kilos. So again if you have a 4X4 which weighs over 2300 kilos it cant be collected.

Perhaps a well known Caravan Magazine can find out if Green Flag/Mayday have more HGV Breakdown Vehicles.

My Touareg is well over 2 tonnes unladen.

Green Flag and Mayday use contractors with appropriate vehicles to supplement their branded vans.

I've had 3 recoveries by Mayday/Green Flag - in all 3 cases they used a 7.5 tonne flatbed and towed the caravan behind.

I have more theoretical worries about the recovery service not understanding that my automatic with full-time 4wd can't be towed with any tyres on the ground - but Green Flag have always listened to me and sent appropriate vehicles.

 

[Hutch]

I went with Mayday for exactly this problem, My Santa Fe is supposedly 1985 kg kerb weight, plus everything else but Max is 2500 kg. So definitely needs a 7.5 tonne truck. Towing a 1645 kg caravan.

PcF asked for topics recently for an article, this would make a good one.

 

[Buckman]

In the well known Consumer Magazine there is an article about a motorist with a 4X4 who broke down one night, They were in the AA and when the tow truck turned up it was unsuitable to tow their 4X4. At 3 am the AA rang to say they could not send anyone out that night. They had to catch a taxi home. The AA said it would be the next day for collection. Two days later it still had not been collected It cost the motorist over £200 to have the car removed by a private garage.

Having worked for the RAC I believe that many of the breakdown vehicles that can put cars on the back are based on 3500 kilo vehicles where the unladen weight is 1500 kilos and will carry up to 2000 kilos (2 tonn) bringing the 3500 kilo maximum. So in fact if your car weighs over 2 tonn you have a problem as to put your car on the back of a breakdown truck it will have to be an HGV, probably a 7.5 tonn vehicle, OK if you break down in Manchester or London where the Breakdown Depots have a HGV Operating Centre , but regional depots wont have any HGV, OK they may have a towing vehicle with a twin axle car trailer but they can only tow 3500 kilos and if the trailer weighs 1200 kilos then the weight of the car on the trailer can only be 2300 kilos. So again if you have a 4X4 which weighs over 2300 kilos it cant be collected.

Perhaps a well known Caravan Magazine can find out if Green Flag/Mayday have more HGV Breakdown Vehicles.

Our vehicle which is permanent 4x4 weighs over 2200kg and the caravan is 2000kg and recently we needed recovery. No issue as car loaded onto low bed and caravan hooked up behind. Caravan take to storage location and car dropped off at home and collected the next day to take to Jeep dealership. All done by Mayday.

 

[Dustydog]

Same here for the.last numerous number of years. Green Flag Mayday also means you can continue your holiday and have the caravan towed home later

 

[Hutch]

Same here for the.last numerous number of years. Green Flag Mayday also means you can continue your holiday and have the caravan towed home later

That's is why I have been for the for many years,and I used them for solo recovery in Europe.

 

[RogerL]

That's is why I have been for the for many years,and I used them for solo recovery in Europe.

Mayday (Green Flag) is half my reason for being a CC member - the other half is access to CLs.

 

[Beachball]

Over the years we have been with Green Flag and RAC Arrival breakdown cover we had one recovery one of our cars had a head gasket and lucky for us our next door neighbour at a site help us out he towed my caravan home for me
Our car was drop off at a local garage for repair .with Green flag.

 

[Raywood]

We use Mayday but have never had to be recovered so have not met the problem.