RAC Arival Breadown Cover

[johnandrew70]

Hi all
Has anyone taken out RAC Arival Breakdown cover??
I have breakdown insurance on the car included with the car insurance but as i understand it it does not include recovery of the caravan in the event of a breakdown so i have been looking at Arival from the RAC, Has anyone been in the situation where the tow car has broken down, What happens to the caravan??
RAC Arival claims to take you and your caravan to your campsite (if on route) then if your car has not been fixed pick you up after your holiday and bring you home dropping your caravan into your storage site if needs be and dropping your car to a local garage.
It just sounds to good to be true what do you think?? Its about £8 a month with caravan club discount.

John

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi john, think you will find it's affiliated to the C&CC not the Caravan Club as theirs is Mayday from green flag, on the face of it it does seem too good to be true not sure about the RAC cover but the green flag one is just as it states, like a can of Ronseal. at £96 a year it is dearer than Mayday but similar cover so it should be ok. you asked how they recover the van!! well thats simple every tow truck has a 50mm ball on the back so they tow it behind, unless of course the vans broke then IT goes on the flat bed and you follow the truck.

 

[johnandrew70]

hi john, think you will find it's affiliated to the C&CC not the Caravan Club as theirs is Mayday from green flag, on the face of it it does seem too good to be true not sure about the RAC cover but the green flag one is just as it states, like a can of Ronseal. at £96 a year it is dearer than Mayday but similar cover so it should be ok. you asked how they recover the van!! well thats simple every tow truck has a 50mm ball on the back so they tow it behind, unless of course the vans broke then IT goes on the flat bed and you follow the truck.

Hi Colin
When i said what happens to the van, i meant what happens if you dont have "mayday" or "Arival" but have the ordinary RAC or AA cover with no mention of the Caravan on the policy.
Do they just leave the van by the side of the road?? are they really that heartless in that situation??
Yes i meant caravan and camping club

.

John

 

[brian_c]

Hi John. I was an alternating member of both the RAC and AA For many years. By alternating member I used to swap every few years to whoever was the cheapest for the same cover at my renewal date.
When I wanted caravan cover, of the two the RAC Did appear to get the better reviews but caravan cover was dependant on being a member of Camping and Caravan Club.
Following advice from members of this forum who had actual experience of using their service and because I am a Caravan Club member I opted for the Green Flag MAYDAY cover.
Now thankfully I have no first hand experience of how good or bad their cover is but from speaking to other caravanners who have, on sites I do believe that I have done the right thing.
Furthermore I still have their top cover for family membership and the annual fee is considerably cheaper.
My thoughts on your question regarding what would the AA or RAC do in the event you did not have caravan cover in the event of a breakdown:- I suspect they would help you out but at quite a large financial premium.
good luck with whatever you choose to do.
best regards Brian

 

[Surfer]

The question to ask is if on your way home and you break down with the caravan, will they take the caravan to the storage depot, yourselves home and the car to the garage? Didn't Ariva have an issue with length of caravan?

 

[johnandrew70]

The question to ask is if on your way home and you break down with the caravan, will they take the caravan to the storage depot, yourselves home and the car to the garage? Didn't Ariva have an issue with length of caravan?

No restriction on lengh of caravan, and they will recover the caravan back to storage and the car to dealer/garage of choice which is 5 minutes walk from home and where i work

so would help myself to a courtesy car hahaha.
I have done a search online and there seems to be mixed feelings with both Mayday and Arrival, i think its one of those things where a lot of the times people only write about the negatives and not the positives, i have been there myself having a rant about something but hardly ever praise.
In any case i only have c&cc membership so have to go with RAC its got to be better than no cover for the caravan at all.

John

 

[SteveW77]

Hi all
Has anyone taken out RAC Arival Breakdown cover??
I have breakdown insurance on the car included with the car insurance but as i understand it it does not include recovery of the caravan in the event of a breakdown so i have been looking at Arival from the RAC, Has anyone been in the situation where the tow car has broken down, What happens to the caravan??
RAC Arival claims to take you and your caravan to your campsite (if on route) then if your car has not been fixed pick you up after your holiday and bring you home dropping your caravan into your storage site if needs be and dropping your car to a local garage.
It just sounds to good to be true what do you think?? Its about £8 a month with caravan club discount.

John

|I have full cover with RAC Arrival, icludung full european cover.

Like the avert used to say, "It does what it says on the can"
I have had the misfortune to call them out three times in the last three year, every time I have been abroad and they have been brilliant.
I am glad I stayed with them and did not join the rush to join ADAC, not that there is anything wrong with them as far as I know, I just prefer to stay with what I know and trust.

Steve

 

[Abbey540]

Another thing to consider here is the fact that you are covered for generic breakdowns when you're NOT towing which are more likely to happen.
I have RAC Arrival and I've had to call them out for alternator/battery problems in the past. The guy who came out gave my car a pretty thorough going over, including a diagnostic test. He then replaced the battery.

I understand that Green Flag's policy is more like 'If you've broken down - we'll tow you to a garage to get it fixed' regardless of what the issue is.

Luckily, I've never had to use the 'Arrival' aspect of the cover but from the few times I've called them out, they've been very good.

I would recommend them.

 

[johnandrew70]

Thanks all for your input in this matter going to take out RAC just hope and pray i never have to use it

John

 

[Surfer]

BTW does the RAC Arrival cover the caravan in the event if the caravan gets a flat tyre or is damaged and needs to be loaded onto a flat bed for recovery if there is no issue with the car? I am not sure if Mayday offer this service.
If on holiday and you are out and about with the car and the car breaks down and cannot be fixed, will they recover the car plus as the caravan was not attached to the car at time on breakdown and is on a site some distance away. What happens if you wish to stay on at the site for the remainder of your holiday. Will they then come at a later date to recover both car and caravan? Again I am not sure if Mayday cover this also as I asked this on the CC site and never had a respoinse?

 

[johnandrew70]

BTW does the RAC Arrival cover the caravan in the event if the caravan gets a flat tyre or is damaged and needs to be loaded onto a flat bed for recovery if there is no issue with the car? I am not sure if Mayday offer this service.
If on holiday and you are out and about with the car and the car breaks down and cannot be fixed, will they recover the car plus as the caravan was not attached to the car at time on breakdown and is on a site some distance away. What happens if you wish to stay on at the site for the remainder of your holiday. Will they then come at a later date to recover both car and caravan? Again I am not sure if Mayday cover this also as I asked this on the CC site and never had a respoinse?

http://www.rac.co.uk/pdfs/affinity/arrival-im-tcs.aspx

Have a read Surfer, see what you think. let me know saves me having to read it then

John

 

[johnandrew70]

We know just how inconvenient a breakdown while towing your caravan, trailer tent or trailer can be, so we have teamed up with RAC to provide caravan breakdown cover that is tailored to your needs. Arrival provides Club members with unique benefits so that you can rest assured that you have breakdown cover that will cover you when you need it.
Unique benefits for caravans, trailer tents and trailers include:

• Caravan breakdown recovery on any UK campsite.
• Cover for large units over 7.6 metres (25ft) in length or 2.3 metres ( 7 ft 6 in) in width.
• If your caravan cannot be towed and requires recovery on a flatbed truck, RAC will recover it at no additional charge.
• ‘Arrival Return’ so if you suffer a car or caravan breakdown on the way to a campsite and RAC can’t repair you at the roadside or at a local garage within a reasonable amount of time, they will take you, your car and caravan to the site and back home again, and your caravan to a second location of your choice, if your car can’t be repaired locally while you are on holiday.
• A ‘Re-Unite’ service so if you are away from your campsite when your car breaks down, RAC will take you back to the site within a 75 mile radius to collect your caravan before getting you home.
• Optional European caravan breakdown cover with no supplements (for cars or caravans)
• Personal breakdown cover, so you will be covered as a driver or passenger in any vehicle, whether you are towing or not†.

Breakdown cover at a great price
Buy your breakdown cover now and you’ll save 25% off standard RAC prices for your first year of cover, as well as a £15 Camping and Caravanning Club gift voucher, which can be used against a UK Club Site or Carefree holiday or towards your next Club membership renewal. You’ll also save 15% off standard RAC prices every year you renew your breakdown cover.

 

[SteveW77]

BTW does the RAC Arrival cover the caravan in the event if the caravan gets a flat tyre or is damaged and needs to be loaded onto a flatbed for recovery if there is no issue with the car? I am not sure if Mayday offer this service.
If on holiday and you are out and about with the car and the car breaks down and cannot be fixed, will they recover the car plus as the caravan was not attached to the car at time on breakdown and is on a site some distance away. What happens if you wish to stay on at the site for the remainder of your holiday. Will they then come at a later date to recover both car and caravan? Again I am not sure if Mayday cover this also as I asked this on the CC site and never had a respoinse?

The answer to your questions is yes, I had a tyre on a brand new caravan explode on a German motorway last year They recovered the van to a tyre depot in the nearest large town, I followed in the car.
The time before, I had a turbo failure and they recovered the car on a flat bed and hooked the van on the back, took me to my chosen campsite and then took the car to the nearest dealer some 30 miles away from the campsite. They picked me up by taxi and took me to a car hire centre where they hired a car for me until my own car was repaired. This took ten days after which they collected me from the hire place and took me to collect my car. They phoned me every day to keep me updated and they continued to phone every day until I landed back at Dover when they transferred me to RAC uk.
Absolutely brilliant service, worth every penny and more.

Steve W

 

[johnandrew70]

BTW does the RAC Arrival cover the caravan in the event if the caravan gets a flat tyre or is damaged and needs to be loaded onto a flatbed for recovery if there is no issue with the car? I am not sure if Mayday offer this service.
If on holiday and you are out and about with the car and the car breaks down and cannot be fixed, will they recover the car plus as the caravan was not attached to the car at time on breakdown and is on a site some distance away. What happens if you wish to stay on at the site for the remainder of your holiday. Will they then come at a later date to recover both car and caravan? Again I am not sure if Mayday cover this also as I asked this on the CC site and never had a respoinse?

The answer to your questions is yes, I had a tyre on a brand new caravan explode on a German motorway last year They recovered the van to a tyre depot in the nearest large town, I followed in the car.
The time before, I had a turbo failure and they recovered the car on a flat bed and hooked the van on the back, took me to my chosen campsite and then took the car to the nearest dealer some 30 miles away from the campsite. They picked me up by taxi and took me to a car hire centre where they hired a car for me until my own car was repaired. This took ten days after which they collected me from the hire place and took me to collect my car. They phoned me every day to keep me updated and they continued to phone every day until I landed back at Dover when they transferred me to RAC uk.
Absolutely brilliant service, worth every penny and more.

Steve W

Thanks for that Steve I feel better knowing its money well spent.

John

 

[kasey]

Hi all, I would just like to warn you of breakdown cover with rac arival through c&cc.I was returning from norwich to the north-east towing my caravan when the tow-car started to make gearbox noise as i got near to the A1.I decieded to try and get home.About 8 miles before boroughbridge a bearing in the gearbox must have gone alltogether as there was thick smoke and burning oil smell comeing from gearbox.I phoned the rac when a van turned up after 50 mins.by which time the gearbox had time to cool down.He asked if i could make it to the services at boroughbridge,which we did.When parked up the mechanic could not do anything so phoned his boss.The mechanic told me i could not be rescued as i was still able to travel under my own power,i replied saying i stopped to so no more serious damage could be done.The mechanic replied that he would follow me up the motorway for a few miles just to make shure.As we were talking the heat of the gearbox melted a rubber hose so lost all my coolant.I then managed to get rescued which then resulted in my new caravan being wrecked,but thats another story.Be aware.

 

[SteveW77]

Hi Kasey.

A very perturbing story, but what happened after?
Surely you took the matter further. You say your new car was wrecked, how exactly?
What has been the RACs response to your complaint about poor service?
As someone who gives them large chunks of money every year, I would like to know more about their failure to provide the service they claim too.

Steve W

 

[johnandrew70]

Hi all, I would just like to warn you of breakdown cover with rac arival through c&cc.I was returning from norwich to the north-east towing my caravan when the tow-car started to make gearbox noise as i got near to the A1.I decieded to try and get home.About 8 miles before boroughbridge a bearing in the gearbox must have gone alltogether as there was thick smoke and burning oil smell comeing from gearbox.I phoned the rac when a van turned up after 50 mins.by which time the gearbox had time to cool down.He asked if i could make it to the services at boroughbridge,which we did.When parked up the mechanic could not do anything so phoned his boss.The mechanic told me i could not be rescued as i was still able to travel under my own power,i replied saying i stopped to so no more serious damage could be done.The mechanic replied that he would follow me up the motorway for a few miles just to make shure.As we were talking the heat of the gearbox melted a rubber hose so lost all my coolant.I then managed to get rescued which then resulted in my new caravan being wrecked,but thats another story.Be aware.

Sorry to hear you had problems,It sounds as though you had a visit from a local recovery firm from the way you said he had to ring his boss. these are not RAC patrolmen so they basically get a call to recover you from the RAC, Have you taken this up with the RAC are they aware of your problems?
When they rescued your caravan what did they do to wreck it??

John

 

[SteveW77]

Unfortunately, I have to say that the service provided by RAC Arrival in this country, does not seem to compare very well with the service abroad.
Today my sister had recourse to call RAC Arrival when a front suspension spring broke on her Peugeot 406.
The problems started when she was put on hold for 20 minutes, not a cheap option when you are on a mobile phone. When she was connected she gave all the usual information, including the name and location of the campsite she was at.
The woman on the phone told my sister that if “Specialist equipment” ( Whatever that is) was needed she would have to pay.
I thought that’s why we all joined Arrival, so we did not have to pay when we broke down.
2 hours later, there was no sign of a recovery truck.
After yet another phone call, she was told the driver could not locate the campsite.
Eventually the truck arrived and the car was loaded on the back.
At this point the driver told my brother in law that if he went with the car to the nearest garage, he would not be able to bring him back to the campsite as he had another job to go on to and he was already late.
I have always thought that although expensive, it was worth the price to get a guaranteed professional service, it seems I may have been mistaken.
I await the RAC response to the complaint my sister will make once she returns home to use the landline, so the cost does not escalate, if and when she gets the run around while they try to wriggle out of their failure to provide an adequate response.

Steve W

 

[kasey]

Hi all,sorry for the delay due to work.I shall try to make it a little clearer.First for you steve,After it happened i phoned customer serv.which to be fair were great,they told me to put caravan in dealers and to send them the bill.I also phoned my insurance company and told them what happened,they asked if i wanted to carry on with the rac or if i wanted them to take over,which i did.It was not the car that was wrecked but the caravan.The result was the rac paid for the repair to the caravan,but still waiting for an apology for not being rescued in the first place,his words were thats the way it goes or words to that effect.For you johnandrew,First it was a rac van that came.How the caravan was wrecked was by a third party recovery truck from harrogate.He winched the car onto the truck, then hitched the caravan to the back of the truck by means of the towball being bolted to a bracket which went onto the recovery frame on the back of the truck.He then told me to put the safety cable around the bracket instead of the ball.I told him the cable was to tight and to put it around the ball,He replied put it around the bracket, so i did.In due coarse when the truck turned it must have pulled the cable and applied the brakes, he towed the caravan to the storage compound and when i unhitched it there was no handbrake working.Took caravan to dealers for repair and they phoned me to tell me the damage was plastic wheel-arch melted and part of the brake drum had snapped due to being towed with brakes on.I had to send them a summons for court to retrieve the money for excess,loss of holidays etc,which they settled out of court.Thats about it.