Safeguard recovery today (1 Viewer)

slobadoberbob

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Pull out at 04.40 heading for Malvern.. loaded + trailer.. pulled off the drive drove out on to the main road and said to SWMBO aka Sue.. does not feel right.. having to put a fair bit of right hand bias on the wheel (Power steering) ... for those that do not know this is an Ford E350 Winnebago Aspect B class.... I drive a couple miles until I can pull in (no where on the A21 near where I was) .. when stopped you could smell it.. plus as I applied the brakes the RV wanted to dive to the right. Seized brake... OK RV been sitting since I got back from France end June... so we turn around and head back up the A21 or is it down? by the time I go to a half mile from the house I had bright sparks flying out... so we are now at a standstill... limped on to the drive and 10 buckets of water later.. said to SWMBO that the hose would be better... the steam has subsided and the hub is getting cooler.

So I grab the Safeguard AA card from the window screen holder... call the 0800 number and call it in. that was 05.20 .. told an hour... at 06.15 lady from AA calls... I advise her the only local company (25 miles further down the A21) id Mick Goulds Recover ... has a fleet of American wreckers and low loaders plus is a main Renault dealer (Truck) ..

Got another call from the AA advising me the AA have called them.. but they cannot roll until 8 a.m when the drivers come in. I will get a call from Mick Goulds.

Remember this is a 5.5 ton RV OK it is 23'9" and 9'11" on the wing mirrors (which fold in).. so it is then 8'2" wide.....

Sue has been unloading the fridge / freezer and all the things we had packed for Malvern... looks like a quite weekend at home... wonder how long it will take them to source a new calliper as it is bound to need a replacement with all that heat.. OK for brake pads, carry them in stock (front and rears).

So far it does what it says on the tin...Safeguard.

I will add to the post as we progress. Know how bad our road is... it is going to be interesting getting the low loader in... may have to crawl to the industrial estate half mile down the road.

Bob ... p.s sorry to all our friends that we are not able to attend Malvern now.:Sad:
 
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tonka

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Bad news !!!
Both on the breakdown and missing Malvern, hope you get sorted soon...

Ref Safeguard, some people always look to shop around and save a few quid ( i am a big fan of that ) but out of all the cash spend on the motorhome I have always found the safeguard policy with breakdown cover to be good value..
We have had to call the breakdown service twice over the years, Once in Spain and once in Germany, each time we got sorted very quickly....
 
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Snowbird

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Its not necicarily the calliper that's at fault Bob. A common fault is the flexi pipe collapsing, allowing the fluid through but not allowing it to return. The Americans make there flexi pipes up from two pieces of rubber,one inside the other. What happens is they delaminate and you cant see it from the outside. Have had the problem several times with RVs.

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Ambilkate

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So sorry you wont be there Bob, was looking forward to seeing you and I had arranged to get a ukelele for you being as you wasn't bringing yours lol you and sue will be missed
Kate x
 
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slobadoberbob

slobadoberbob

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I will mention that to them

Its not necicarily the calliper that's at fault Bob. A common fault is the flexi pipe collapsing, allowing the fluid through but not allowing it to return. The Americans make there flexi pipes up from two pieces of rubber,one inside the other. What happens is they delaminate and you cant see it from the outside. Have had the problem several times with RVs.

Thank you for that information.. I will mention it to them. Fortunatly the owner of Mick Gould Recovery ownes a Winnebago (from new) and he is an American car nut.. his recovery fleet which last time I counted had 11 American wreckers.. Peterbilts, Kens and a Western star.. a couple Fodens for the load loaders.. he has some serious size equipment.

They just called 07.35 and the a lowl-oader is rolling...my neighbours are going to love this.. the road totally blocked.

Have suggested to them about the pipes and they will check and sort it out.. they have worked on my RV since I have owned it other than one service by Star Spangled Spanner in Lincoln after the Peterborough mud bath.

It is a pain as the RV is up for sale on ebay and auto trader... and we were thinking about running to the South of France early September... but I know they will have it looked at today and parts ordered.. so may be sometime next week I may get the baby back.

Bob
 
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Sorry to hear about the problem but better to get it sorted before a prospective buyer shows up. :thumb:

Similar thing happened to my Ducato. Drove a couple of miles to have my tyres changed earlier this year, when I got there noticed black oily streaks coming from the centre of one of the rear wheels, touched the wheel and burned my hand!

The oily streak was grease melting from the wheel bearing.

Caliper had seized, new caliper and 2 new discs (changed both sides) - expensive but as we were leaving for France and Spain a few days later I was very happy - thinking it could have been a breakdown on the way
:thumb:

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slobadoberbob

slobadoberbob

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loaded and on it's way

went at 9.29.. just a few minutes over 4 hours from the call to the safeguard number... allowing for the fact the recovery company did not open until 7.30 and they had to get a truck out here ...25 miles... good job it is insured under safeguard.. otherwise £360 tow in... they sent the right truck and it was loaded with great care...even taking the metal wheel hubs off to save the strop damaging them.. Professional as always.. Mick Goulds or Flimwell in Sussex on the A21... Main Renault truck dealer and has a massive workshop ..owns an RV and know what they are doing.

Unhappy I am missing Malvern.. happy my baby is in good hands and hopefully back soon... As we have not sold it, we will I suspect take it to France and Spain in September...

Before it went Sue unloaded the Fridge and Freezer .. boy there some food to find homes for.

Bob
 

normanandsue

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went at 9.29.. just a few minutes over 4 hours from the call to the safeguard number... allowing for the fact the recovery company did not open until 7.30 and they had to get a truck out here ...25 miles... good job it is insured under safeguard.. otherwise £360 tow in... they sent the right truck and it was loaded with great care...even taking the metal wheel hubs off to save the strop damaging them.. Professional as always.. Mick Goulds or Flimwell in Sussex on the A21... Main Renault truck dealer and has a massive workshop ..owns an RV and know what they are doing.

Unhappy I am missing Malvern.. happy my baby is in good hands and hopefully back soon... As we have not sold it, we will I suspect take it to France and Spain in September...

[HI]
Before it went Sue unloaded the Fridge and Freezer .. boy there some food to find homes for.
[/HI]
Bob

Bob sorry you have had such a mishap but as you say it couldn't have happened in a better place. You were going to eat all that food at Malvern, so start eating it now; it will be gone by the weekend.
As an aside aren't you glad you didn't sell it - imagine an angry buyer cursing you the day after he bought it when it broke down on his way home.

Norman
 

peter marshall

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Hi Bob
We are with Safeguard not used them for breakdown fortunately but it's good to know they are reliable, I hope your sorted soon. Pete

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slobadoberbob

slobadoberbob

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that is true

Bob sorry you have had such a mishap but as you say it couldn't have happened in a better place. You were going to eat all that food at Malvern, so start eating it now; it will be gone by the weekend.
As an aside aren't you glad you didn't sell it - imagine an angry buyer cursing you the day after he bought it when it broke down on his way home.

Norman

That is true Norman... at least it happened to me... I think it may be that it was squared wheeled since we got back from France at the end of June... But in May just before the MOT I had a full service (chassis) service which involved all wheels off and brakes etc., checked... It went to France and back OK.. alright only 350 miles round trip but with the mileage from Lincoln after the MOT it had done 600 miles .... so I suspect it is the fact it has just stood for a while.

Well at least it is now on the way to the workshops and hope later today or tomorrow we will hear about what needs to be done. Still for sale, but have amended the words on the advert declaring it is in the workshop...

While is is sold as seen, I am an honourable man and would never sell anything if I was aware of an issue..... and if that had happened to a buyer on the way home I would have covered the repair in full.

Glad it happened so near to home and not in France or Spain.

Bob
 

JJ

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That is really bad luck Bob and Sue. Let's hope it all gets sorted quickly.

I would be really miffed if only 600 miles after a full service and a few weeks of being "square wheeled" any van of mine let me down like that.

Surely it must have been caused by something other than just being parked? :Eeek:

JJ :Cool:
 
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slobadoberbob

slobadoberbob

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not being a mechanic JJ I cannot say

That is really bad luck Bob and Sue. Let's hope it all gets sorted quickly.

I would be really miffed if only 600 miles after a full service and a few weeks of being "square wheeled" any van of mine let me down like that.

Surely it must have been caused by something other than just being parked? :Eeek:

JJ :Cool:


Not being a mechanic I cannot say what may cause it.... given the RV has only done 19,500 miles does seem a bit strange. I have heard it can be caused by rust on the piston.. tearing the seal.... clearly the seal (boot so it was called was damaged)... the issue is now locating a replacement calliper. I have called those I normally deal with.. but no luck yet... the garage is using it's normal people (Who have in the past supplied a track rod arm) so they are experienced. While they have it is over the pit both front pads are being replaced and the new spare tyre I got in France is being put on the axe and the original tyre back to a spare.

Disappointed I have missed the best show or the year (my view) been going there for years and was looking forward to it. But that is not possible now.

But I was impressed with the recovery, very professional... Sue took some great video and pictures on her phone... Managed to get a good look under the RV while it was on the deck of the recovery truck.. very clean underneath. Never get a chance normally being in the wheelchair to get a look.

I will up date as soon as I have news.


Bob

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slobadoberbob

slobadoberbob

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located replacement calliper

We have located a replacement calliper from Steve and Dee Dunn .. and it is on the parcel pick up from them at 3 p.m for over night deliver to Mick Goulds in East Sussex.. then it is a case of having it all out back together...

Depending on the time we get the RV back we may still go to Malvern.


Bob
 

JJ

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Whoops... sorry Bob... I misunderstood your post... I thought you suspected the cause was that it had been "square wheeled" for some time... my mistake. :Blush:

JJ :Cool:
 
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slobadoberbob

slobadoberbob

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that is right JJ square wheeled

Whoops... sorry Bob... I misunderstood your post... I thought you suspected the cause was that it had been "square wheeled" for some time... my mistake. :Blush:

JJ :Cool:

That is right JJ squared wheeled since we got back from France... as it was all checked prior to the MOT and we came home from Lincoln and then went to France for 3 weeks.... then it stood at home.. did not even start it up.

The garage says that the piston get rust and they think it split or tore the seal and that caused the problem.... what with the recent weather anything could have happened... Even JIM lost 4 in one go ... he was doing slow speed.... only when he tried to go fast and he could not he found he had 4 of them go down on him.

Anyway the main thing is we located a replacement and there is a chance we may get to Malvern late tomorrow or early Saturday. But it all seems to point to sitting around for the time when we had serious bad weather... never will know the cause.... I know they were all OK in May... and I drove home OK and then went to France OK.. so it has to be sitting on the drive. Nothing else would fit.

Bob

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