Don't break your 'A' Class windscreen in France or Spain

Dave and Ginny

Dave and Ginny

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Joined
Jan 31, 2013
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MH
Hymer Starline 680
Exp
Since 2011, previously a tugger
Official from Autoglass and Carglass in France and Spain (and maybe elsewhere) that they no longer will repair or replace Hymer windscreens. Whether this extends to other A Class motorhomes I don't know but suspect it may well do.

My insurer Comfort (Aviva) have confirmed this only yesterday but tell me I can source a dealer and have it repaired myself and then claim back up to the value of £3000. That's easier said than done whilst sitting on an Aire somewhere in France.

Just raising the topic for discussion and seeing how those of us with an A Class might deal with this.

Cheers
Dave
 
Ive broken two screens in 12 years and about 100,000 miles. Both times they ve been chips and easily allowed me to get home.

In the event of a serious breakage I wouldnt expect to have a problem finding someone to do something about it. There are a lot of A classes in France and Spain.

Jon
 
shawn&emma said:
As per @Norfolk Nomad post I'd be going back to comfort and carglass and give them a further shove. When you took the insurance out that is what they offered you then.
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Comforts cover is repair or replacement up to 3k at home and in Europe. They're repairers are (or were) Autoglass and Carglass with whom the problem now exists. Apparently it was news to the insures as well, including Safeguard. I was just told yesterday that they will still honour the £3000 max but that I will need to sort out my own dealer to get it done.
 
President of our motorhome club has just had his A class windscreen replaced here. I can ask by whom if anyone is interested . I know it cost towards €3000
 
spitfire said:
President of our motorhome club has just had his A class windscreen replaced here. I can ask by whom if anyone is interested . I know it cost towards €3000
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Please, I'd be interested

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£3,000 sounds a lot of money, but, Lyn my wife was driving our camper to the NEC in February, and I was driving the Van Bitz exhibition unit

When we arrived at the NEC Lyn said the she had heard a crack and that there was a chip in the windscreen.

Cut a long story out £9,000 final bill to our insurers. As the camper is American we had to supply the info, and one quote to obtain the screen, to Autoglass was £6,000

Autoglass rejected this quote and sourced it from another American dealer “cheaper”

Perhaps there is too much profiteering taking place, and the under writers are starting to scrutinse quotes and claims, making the window companies less inclined to offer the service

Having said that, I contacted our insurers to say that the £9,000 was based on a quote which had been rejected as a screen had been sourced “ much cheaper” so I would expect to see that saving reflected in a reduction on the £9,000 and to say the attitude was indifferent would be an understatement
 
eddievanbitz said:
Perhaps there is too much profiteering taking place, and the under writers are starting to scrutinse quotes and claims, making the window companies less inclined to offer the service
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I think you've hit the nail on the head there!
 
Don't really see a big problem, with today's laminated screens they may be cracked but more often than not still serviceable until return to UK.
 
Prices do seem to vary. I just had my Rapido A class screen replaced by National Windscreens, it was a genuine Rapido one and they told me the invoice to my insurers was around the £1300 mark. Seems reasonable to me.

Just as a matter of interest, National Windscreens have had some very bad reviews and I was concerned they could do the job. However, they were very efficient and two guys at the Thetford depot did a great job within half an hour. They made it look easy.

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We were horrified when we discovered a few years ago that if the windscreen on our older model Autostar Arial a-class motorhome got broken, the entire vehicle would literally be a write off by the insurance company as there absolutely no more windscreens of that specific size /shape in existence anywhere.

It's a potentially fatal Achilles Heel of lots of older A class motorhomes that I suspect most owners or buyers never give a moments thought to.

We sold the vehicle and now have instead a coachbuilt MH on a bog standard Fiat Ducato chassis cab Base.
Servicing is easy and cheap as access to engine compartment is unrestricted, spares and replacement screens easily and cheaply and plentifully available all over Europe. Phew.
 
Larrynwin said:
Don't really see a big problem, with today's laminated screens they may be cracked but more often than not still serviceable until return to UK.
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I thought that the OP said in a thread last night that there was a hole through the screen
 
Dave and Ginny said:
Please, I'd be interested
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He has replied ! His was done at a Renault garage so not a dealer and not a Renault either ! I didn't think to ask if it is indeed correct that Car glass etc don't replace here but have done so now ! It was around € 2700
 
gus-lopez said:
I thought that the OP said in a thread last night that there was a hole through the screen
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Can't find mention of that , but if limited and away from central vision I still see no problem in continuing .
 
I don't know whether current discussions of broken windscreens arise from posts on a Hymer Facebook group, where someone (maybe even a member of this forum?) is reporting that they are currently in Spain and unable to get their Hymer windscreen replaced. The pictures which they have posted, show their windscreen to be totally smashed, and definitely not driveable.
Here is what they posted on 16th Nov:

'I cannot believe that we are stuck in Spain as Car Glass & Auto glass now refuse to work on Hymer motorhomes in Spain AND France! We have a smashed windscreen and have been told it is illegal to drive in Spain with this damage. We are caught up in the middle of our Insurance company & underwriter as neither knew of this withdrawal of repair to Hymer only! (Surely this is discrimination!) We are into our second week now of waiting for a resolution. Anyone else had this problem? Apparently it only applies to Hymers in France & Spain whose insurers use auto glass & car glass. Feeling very frustrated!'

They have received quite a lot of advice from members of the group, and I note that, having contacted Allianz, their latest post runs as follows:

' Bottom line we should have it replaced very soon now! Another call came in from a very unhappy Autoglass! They also had picked up from social media our complaints! Wait for this ......This is from Kerwin at Autoglass Head office ..... Anyone with a motorhome should phone their insurance BEFORE they leave the UK to see what countries they will be covered in should they have glass damage! He then went on to tell me that NO MOTORHOME is covered by Carglass in Spain or France. I asked whether Allianz or any Insurance company knew of this and he really did not want to clearly answer! Hopefully this situation we are in will highlight a big error so others will not have to go through what we have. And hopefully Allianz will take note of the bigger picture and take steps to put something in place to stop a repeat of this ridiculous situation!'

Clearly, this person has had a great deal of hassle. Maybe, they've been unlucky, but it's an experience worth sharing. Luckily, it appears that they are on an extended trip. If they were just an two or three weeks' holiday, it could have been disastrous.

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@bellabee you are quite correct and that is where the post originates from. That particular unfortunate Hymer owner has had quite a run around from Safeguard (Alianz) but it does look like some progress is finally being made. Both Safeguard and Comfort use Autoglass/Carglass.

@adonisito had quite a reasonable (I hope he thinks so) experience though, we all know to expect some delays and difficulties with A Class windscreens, particularly if we have older models. Unfortunately, Kim in the Hymer Owners Group has had a very bad experience but is hopefully almost sorted!
 
The Nomad said:
We were horrified when we discovered a few years ago that if the windscreen on our older model Autostar Arial a-class motorhome got broken, the entire vehicle would literally be a write off by the insurance company as there absolutely no more windscreens of that specific size /shape in existence anywhere.
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Autoglass commercial division claim they can get a custom made screen to fit any vehicle.
 
Norfolk Nomad said:
Autoglass need to update their website. http://www.autoglassspecials.co.uk/index.php?id=caravan-motorhome-glass
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To be fair, in the above link autoglass say:-

Our dedicated team of specialist technicians can repair or replace glass and plastics on any vehicle when and where you need it, even in MOST areas of Europe!
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As most insurance companies seem to use autoglass/carglas, my thoughts are that before venturing to France and Spain one should contact their insurance company and ask them specifically what course of action they should take in the unlikely event of requiring a new windscreen, including obtaining relevant Tel numbers etc

Pete
 
I suppose the question to ask is why are the glass replacement companies now refusing to deal with Hymers?

No margin?
Poor payments?
Poor supply?

Is it just Hymer range or does it cover other Hymer Group A Class vehicles?

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