Green Flag/RAC/AA

[Lorraine_5040934]

We have been members of the RAC for well over thirty years and have found them to be very good. Years ago the head gasket went while on the M4 and they towed our car home with the caravan.

We obviously didn't get away for the planned week-end but at least we wern't stranded on the hard shoulder.

Last week-end, our 1 year old caravan and Powrtouch motor mover decided to breakdown as we were trying to get the caravan out the garden, the battery died as we kept trying to get the automatic motor mover off the tyres, it had locked on and wouldn't realease so we couldn't move the caravan! We didn't know at the time that we could turn bolts etc (neither of us are very mechanically minded anyway) and there was no way of contacting Powrtouch at 2am! (We were off to Devon for a part-seasonal pitch and thought we would travel while the roads were quiet). The RAC charged us for coming out as the caravan wasn't attached to the car (and no we didn't have the option of reversing it and hooking up because of a high kerb). So we are wondering whether we should change our membership and join Green Flag? As caravan club members we cannot join RAC Arrival unless we also pay out and join The Caravan and Camping Club. Green Flag seem very competitive and the AA quote is expensive although they insist the caravan is covered but I can't find anything in writing to confirm this. Any feedback on which one is the best? Incidentally, Powrtouch came straight out to our caravan once it was sited in Devon and sorted out the motor mover on the caravan site within hours, so they are very efficient when a problem occurs.

 

[VIP640]

I had a similar problem with my powrtouch mover a week ago and I am still waiting for them to come and fix it...

 

[Steve L]

Hi Lorraine.

Green Flag is predominately a franchise system which deploys local garage service vehicles to you where ever you are broken down. I guess there would be a small charge for an identical repair situation to yours. But because you are dealing with a local garage service, they usually are more ameanable to doing some "out of the box" thinking and work.

We have green flag cover on a commercial van for business use and I must say they are very good indeed and genuinely try to fix your problem rather than just tow you to a garage.

Fortunately for us, I am an engineer by trade and I usually manage most repairs. I even replaced a boat trailer wheel bearing on sedgmoor services while AA&RAC men watched taking bets on which service I would choose. I won the bet though .

One thing I would suggest is that when enquiring, you should ask the questions in a senario style and get answers in writing, for example:-

Would you cover my caravan if it or it's propulsion mover brokedown while not attatched to the car?

Answer. Yes we would but a charge from the garage operative might apply if it is apparatus that they can carry out repair work upon.

At least by doing that you will clearly know what the boundries of cover are. The breakdown services do like to have an open book to tow away so that they don't get involved in loss of holiday suits. There are some ungratefull people out there.

I once being the good samaratain towed a guy out of a dangerous piece of road to the safety of the garage in the next town. But in the process he ran over my tow rope which in turn cracked his bumper skirt. He then tried to say I should pay for it as it was my rope and not the fact that he being the tow'd car, should of been ensuring the rope stayed tight.

So now I don't stop unless I can realy see someone is stranded.

Once bitten and all that.

Steve L.

 

[Martin24]

I have stuck with green flag for the last 6 years. AA and RAC too expensive and RAC have a 26ft max on the caravan too! Looked at what ccc offered which was also more expensive than green flag and as provided by RAC had the 26ft rule again. One year i had the RAC and they got called once and by jacking the car wrongly damaged the car floor! AA were always okay, i did it through work but too expensive without the fleet discount scheme. Last easter green flag brought us back from a rally when the head gasket went and couldn't of had better service. we did wait over the hour on that occasion but were safe in motorway services and it was the garages fault for initially sending the wrong vehicle for the job, within 7 days we got our

 

[SteveW77]

RAC arrival provided by the C & CC does not have any lenght restrictions at all.

Steve W

 

[Jo-AnneFairway5402010]

i was with the green flag mayday under the cc but they wanted

 

[Martin24]

RAC arrival provided by the C & CC does not have any lenght restrictions at all.

Steve W

well when I phoned for quote in 2009 they said they did!!

 

[woodsieboy]

We have been Green Flag for many years now, only once have they been later than they promised, most of the times we have called them, we have not had the caravan on the back. We pay for Homestart and breakdown and recovery and that covers both of us in any vehicle, and also covers the caravan for 2 way journeys. We didn't find RAC or AA offered the cover that was best for our needs at a reasonable price.