Another Insurance Thread European cover

[TeamBandS]

Anyone got suggestions for EU cover? Was with ADAC, now looking at Comfort with their recovery plan. Getting bogged down in the policy wording with other companies .....

"will repatriate the MH if it can not be repaired before the end of your holiday" If booked for 90 days in Spain and crash/breakdown happens in first month does this mean that I have to give them 2 month to repair???

Any advice / experiences / words of wisdom appreciated...

 

[zac]

Be careful with comfort as they only allow you 5k to get you back which would not of been enough for my motorhome and trailer when i broke down last year in Portugal. They estimated it would of cost around 8k, you may be ok though depending on your motorhome size and circumstances. I believe the CAMC recovery is good although i have not used them.

 

[TeamBandS]

Thanks for the warning! 6.2 mt and sub 3500kg should help??

Anyone know ball park figures for MH recovery back to the UK? Saw somewhere that there was a price per km plus ferries but being looking at so many sites can not remember where I saw it.

 

[Simon Meadwell]

We have Nationwide account. It covers you not the vehicle .

 

[zac]

Thanks for the warning! 6.2 mt and sub 3500kg should help??

Anyone know ball park figures for MH recovery back to the UK? Saw somewhere that there was a price per km plus ferries but being looking at so many sites can not remember where I saw it.

I would say you would have no issues given the size and weight of your motorhome, ours is 8.5m for the motorhome (5t) and 4m for the trailer.

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[DelMar]

“Nationwide flex plus account” is one option, as mentioned above, or Caravan and Motorhome club “Red Pennant“ overseas insurance another. This one is specifically for MH’s and caravans. I always used them until I reached an age, where they categorised me as too old and doddery and whacked the price up overnight when I suddenly reached a particular age.

 

[denisejoe]

We're with Comfort. When we broke down they wouldn't repatriate the MH but paid for us to go into hotel for few days until garage said it would be at least 3 weeks so paid for us to fly home. We were supposed to be away for 4 months but the breakdown happened about 6 weeks into the holiday. Actually took them 7 weeks to sort out the MH then paid for Joe to fly back but I had to pay for myself! We then carried on with our holiday for another 6 weeks.

 

[TeamBandS]

That sounds fair enough. Where happy with the repair? Comfort told me that the insurance is backed by Aviva and they guarantee the repair???

My fear with an EU garage repair is that you have very little come back - hardly likely to transport the MH back out to argue if it was their fault....

 

[Hirsch]

We have Nationwide account. It covers you not the vehicle .

I have started to look at that account. I think MH/vehicle has to be under 8 metres including anything being towed.

 

[denisejoe]

That sounds fair enough. Where happy with the repair? Comfort told me that the insurance is backed by Aviva and they guarantee the repair???

My fear with an EU garage repair is that you have very little come back - hardly likely to transport the MH back out to argue if it was their fault....

Ended up with a new engine! Was very expensive, would probably have been cheaper back in UK.

With hindsight had we realised what was going to happen we would have moved our tunnel date back to a few days later and said we were on our way home and then they would have repatriated us and the MH!

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[TeamBandS]

I like the way you think - if you have not booked a return trip then perhaps you could arrange it to suit the breakdown? (or is that cheating?)

 

[Minxy]

We were with Comfort but they hiked their prices up a lot due to a change in underwriter so are now with A-Plan, we could've taken out recovery with them but as we still have the Fiat one until April didn't bother so will look to get a stand alone policy then ... assuming we ever get to go anywhere!

We might even go for a packaged bank account if that works out best as we'll also need travel insurance too so combining them both, even paying a bit extra for 60 days away, is likely to be cheaper than 2 separate policies.

 

[TeamBandS]

Thought I would provide some info on the quotes I have had so far.

2015 Hymer Exsis i 504, 2.3, manual, no extra security, LHD 5-6k miles /yr, 8 yr no claims, parked on drive in Shrewsbury. All quotes covered A class windscreen with £60-75 excess. EU cover for single trip of 90 days except A Flux.

Adrian Flux --- £429 + £95 Breakdown / Recovery, 60 days abroad per trip max.

A Plan ------- £517 + £54 Had to send to their specialist office coz of LHD!

AiB ------ £431 inc Breakdown.

Comfort ----- £378 + £65 T&Cs extensive!

NFU ----- £375 + No MH breakdown cover available

MH Protect --- £580 inc Breakdown.

I currently have NFU + ADAC (just expired) NFU branch super friendly and helpful over past 10 years and I would stay with them if I could find separate Breakdown with recovery to UK as an option. I have read the small print from several of the above and questioned the sales staff. Small print seems to leave a lot of "get outs" and staff knowledge has been very limited! A couple of sets of wording that I find worrying are:

"... if MH can not be fixed before your return date" If you are at the start of a 90 trip they could make you wait over 2 months for the MH to be fixed???

".... if you are within 20(?) miles of your destination we will arrange transport there" Great, so you are now on your site pitch with no MH!!!!

Sorry, bit longer than I planned - hope it might help some others.

Finally, any recommendations for a good breakdown/recovery stand alone policy?

 

[denisejoe]

they will also take you to a main dealership in our case Fiat professional

 

[Petehvan]

I can only comment on my own experience of a breakdown we had in early March last year. We had the Salamander belt break 50 miles from Dieppe, on contacting Comfort they arranged for the van to be picked up and taken to a garage for to give an estimate for repair. A taxi took us to a car hire depot to pick up a car which we had to drive to Calais and swop it for a Uk registered car to get us home(they would fly me back to France when the repair was completed) We were put up in a hotel as it was to late to drive home. I received a quote from the garage for the repair, it was €900 for parts plus labour, I refused to accept and requested that my van was returned to the Uk. This was done in 2 weeks. The van was repaired for £329.00 at my usual garage.

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[TeamBandS]

Thanks for this Petehvan, Can you confirm that Comfort gave you the choice of repatriation of the MH or having the repairs done? Like you, I suspect that I could get the repairs done for less money back home and have some comeback on the garage should something go wrong with the work they had done.

 

[Speve]

TeamBandS give LV= a try we got ours there this year very reasonable including UK & EU Britannia breakdown.

 

[Petehvan]

Hi TeamBands. There was no problem with Comfort about having the van repatriated, provided the cost of the repair was over a certain figure, I believe this was £900.

 

[TeamBandS]

Thanks both,

The £900 limit would seem reasonable, shame they do not mention it in their T&Cs - will question them tomorrow.

Did try LV but they could not recognise Hymer as a make, since been told that they can if I call it a Fiat, then a Hymer MH! I will try them tomorrow.

Thanks again, it would be great if Fun could somehow make such info a site resorse but guess there may be legal issues?

 

[TeamBandS]

Latest from LV...

They only list the MH by the chassis - So my Hymer is a Fiat MH(!!) on the policy. However, the quote system was very straight forward and with the Recovery add on, I can delay it and they will charge pro rata for the remaining policy period.

Price for 12 month inc up to 180 day in EU was £233 with full EU breakdown at £110. Only very slight down side was windscreen excess at £95 but total cost unlimited. This is £100 less than the next lowest which was Comfort.....

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