Too Scared Of Breaking Down!

HKF

HKF

LIFE MEMBER
Joined
Jul 18, 2021
Posts
3,209
Likes collected
6,071
Location
The Charente, France
Funster No
82,778
MH
Benimar Europe 740
Exp
Since August 2021
After two recent very bad experiences of breaking down in France in our car, I now find that I'm putting off taking our MoHo out, as I'm too worried about breaking down in it. We bought it last year and have only been out twice in it. Since then, for various reasons, it's sat where it is. I guess I'm hoping to hear that breakdowns are rare or easily fixable but without being mechanically minded I worry that we will, once again, be at the mercy of French garages (who, in our experience, have no hurry in fixing anything and like to charge for storage while waiting for parts!).

Can anyone put my mind at rest before the MoHo goes on the market, please?
 
Take out a good breakdown cover, which should cover most of the costs. A well maintained vehicle should rarely breakdown.
We travelled through Europe with my parents a few years ago. Their motorhome broke down in the Italian Dolomites. Phoned AA. Breakdown truck arrived took them to local garage. Prop shaft had snapped. No parts available. AA booked them in a local hotel for the night. Drove them to airport at Innsbruck, flew them to East Midlands where a hire car was waiting, they drove home. Cost to them £60.
Motorhome arrived home two weeks later.
S*** happens but when it does there is always away round it and usually some one will help.
Enjoy what you have, you're a long time dead and worrying wont help.
 
Last edited:
As it's fairly new to you just tour in the U.K. first to find out if it has problems?

Breakdown insurance is fine but in any country it'll only be as good as the garage to which they take it.
 
Spriddler said:
Tour in the U.K. first to find out if it has problems?

Breakdown insurance is fine but in any country it'll only be as good as the garage to which they take it.
Click to expand...
He appears to be already in France, so don't know how it works over there but must be similar insurance.

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Had motorhomes since 2000, 7 in total so far.

3 breakdowns in all that time and all abroad.

1.. Spain, fuse blew everytime i touched the brakes and engine cut out. Breakdown cover via Safeguard and local garage came out and found a wire had rubbed through. Sorted with a few hours..

2.. Germany. Fuel leak from the filter. Again Safeguard. Huge towtruck took us to local ADAC center and re-seated the fuel filter. So much for paying for a full service at a UK garage before leaving.

3.. Spain. Stoped for a tea break and van failed to start. No power. Found the issue myself, Negative connection had popped off the starter battery as it was only a clip on.

Your just as likely to breakdown in the UK, take proper breakdown cover and go enjoy... (y)(y)
 
Like other posts i would suggest getting good breakdown cover, we broke down in Portugal a couple of years ago and it took10 days for them to get the parts. After the initial shock It was great, our breakdown company gave us a hire car put us up in a five star hotel and even gave us an allowance for eating out. It was just like have a city break within our touring holiday of 60days. Enjoy your trips sit back and relax.
 
I think hopefully you've had your 3 lots of bad luck. How old are your motorhome and car? Do you have them regularly serviced. I know it's tempting fate but we haven't had a breakdown for 10 years plus and do quite a few miles here and abroad.
 
We broke down in France 6 years ago when a rear wheel bearing collapsed.
We had breakdown cover, and the local recovery truck was with us in under an hour of phoning our breakdown help-line.
They transported us and our MH to the nearest garage and they said that it would be at least 2 weeks to get the parts which would have been a nightmare with finding accommodation and Yvette would have to fly back for work commitments.
The garage was really good and convinced our breakdown insurers that the cheapest option for them was to repatriate us which our breakdown insurers agreed to, and we were back home with our MH on our driveway within 24 hours of breaking down on the side of the road just north of Tours.

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1984 vw T25 owned for 10 years , one breakdown that needed recovery , burst water pipe.
Keep on top of maintenance and you should be ok .
As others have said , get breakdown and recovery cover.
 
Unfortunately breakdowns happen to any vehicle anywhere. If it's a worry the only cure is to sell everything automotive and stuck to walking. You may then trip and damage your body and need the NHS.
 
When I get my van / car MOTed I get it comprehensively serviced...more than my wallet would like!! but this means they often pick up issues that might present on the road...

Cheers James
 
We have broken down I think three times in 19 years in the MH. One was a screeching from off side front. GEM found a stone between a pad and disc. Fixed at the roadside. Second time was in Tesco carpark when starting the engine caused dipped beam to go out. Resetting ECU fixed it if I remember correctly. Last time was a puncture on a French autoroute. They only allow the designated agent to attend. Cost a king's ransom to have the van recovered and wheel changed but breakdown refunded all but £50.
 
Breakdowns happen but I'm not going to sell the car and van and walk everywhere!

Get good breakdown cover and crack on. Otherwise what's the point?

Only ever broken down twice. Puncture forced me to change the wheel (I always carry a spare). Second time I had to call out breakdown and they put my van on a trailer and drove me home. The chap was a nice guy and gave me advise about what was wrong with it.
 
I can only think of 2 breakdowns in 37 years driving. One was my Nova GTE fuel pump failing and the other when the cam belt snapped on my escort van.

I've had a couple of exhausts dropping off but don't class them as breakdowns.
 
Part of your problem, I would imagine, is the lack of use.

Vehicles do not like to sit still for months, they need to be used on a fairly regular basis for, at least, 40kms!
This allows the air and fluids to circulate, rust to be rubbed off the discs and linkages to be exercised.

Take it for a run locally, park up for a coffee and enjoy the countryside 12months a year (a M/H not just for Xmas summer!) :LOL:
 
I started our van up the other day, first time it's run since November. It stands 5 or 6 months a year usually, don't even run the AC (another myth IMO)
Had it from new in 2014. Everything peugeot still works as new, in fact we still think of it as being new 😁
 
I can understand your concern about breaking down,particularly if you’ve had bad experiences with it in the past. I,too,am a bit of a worrier at times, so I try to put it into perspective:

When you go on a motorhome forum you read lots about problems problems problems!!! There is some good news,but nobody comes on here just to say they toured in France for six weeks and didn’t break down once!!!!!! That’s because it’s the norm……………very very few people actually break down.

Have your van serviced regularly,and don’t do it just before you use it as Sid’s law says that the garage will mess something up. Get used to doing basic checks…oil,water, tyres,fluid levels. Check condition of belts and hoses. Use it regularly……go for a 45 minute drive every 3 weeks when youre not using it.

Look around you….do you see lots of broken down motorhomes……I can’t remember the last time I saw one it was so long ago.

Get into the habit of enjoying it!! (y)(y)(y):LOL:;););):ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

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I had a break down in France a couple of weeks ago, the van has air brakes on the rear and an airline had broken and the rear brakes locked on, unfortunately the recovery guy did further damage whilst trying to free them off so I could be towed, I was recovered to a Mercedes garage, where it took them over a week to diagnose, get parts and repair, the breakdown insurance booked me into a hotel and paid the first £500 of the bill, because of the length of time it took Merc, I ended up paying for an extra couple of days, the breakdown insurance through Comfort was the best £65 i ever spent.
 
tribalbrit said:
Take out a good breakdown cover, which should cover most of the costs. A well maintained vehicle should rarely breakdown.
We travelled through Europe with my parents a few years ago. Their motorhome broke down in the Italian Dolomites. Phoned AA. Breakdown truck arrived took them to local garage. Prop shaft had snapped. No parts available. AA booked them in a local hotel for the night. Drove them to airport at Innsbruck, flew them to East Midlands where a hire car was waiting, they drove home. Cost to them £60.
Motorhome arrived home two weeks later.
S*** happens but when it does there is always away round it and usually some one will help.
Enjoy what you have, you're a long time dead and worrying wont help.
Click to expand...

I live in France, so the AA isn't an option :( I know things happen and, before these recent breakdowns, it wouldn't have bothered me but it's really knocked my confidence.
 
Spriddler said:
As it's fairly new to you just tour in the U.K. first to find out if it has problems?

Breakdown insurance is fine but in any country it'll only be as good as the garage to which they take it.
Click to expand...

I live in France and the two trips we took were only an hour away but even that has me worried now. I'm normally a fighter who can get through problems but this has really bothered me.
 
I think your problems could be linked to your vehicle assurance and what cover you have.
Some assurances are better than others and we have found none bank* assurances seem to deal with breakdowns a lot better.

We are with MAAF and have found them a lot more efficient than Pacifica for example.
 
Do you have an equivalent national breakdown service available? If so all you can really do is “pay up” for the best available cover and cross your fingers!

I’m 5 years into MoHo ownership and haven’t broken down yet (touch wood), I’ve had a couple of Habitation issues but those were solved by the hive mind on here within a couple of hours.
I’m many many years in car ownership and have used my breakdown cover extensively….and on that logic I should sell my cars and use the MoHo instead 😂

There’s no easy answer to nerves other than to just give it a go

Regards

Jim

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Thank you to everyone who has answered so far. I should've said that I live in France, so the AA isn't an option. We have top level cover with Allianz and they did get us a hotel and a hire car to get home but it's the experiences with the garages that's shaken me.
Podney said:
Look around you….do you see lots of broken down motorhomes……I can’t remember the last time I saw one it was so long ago.
Click to expand...

This is a good point and one I hadn't thought of! Thank you.

Thank you to everyone who's replied. I think I've forgotten the feeling of freedom and fun that I used to have in the MoHo and now just see it as a liability and a source of stress. It's such a shame, as we had dreams of touring Europe. Now, I don't even want to take it off the drive :cry:
 
HKF said:
After two recent very bad experiences of breaking down in France in our car, I now find that I'm putting off taking our MoHo out, as I'm too worried about breaking down in it. We bought it last year and have only been out twice in it. Since then, for various reasons, it's sat where it is. I guess I'm hoping to hear that breakdowns are rare or easily fixable but without being mechanically minded I worry that we will, once again, be at the mercy of French garages (who, in our experience, have no hurry in fixing anything and like to charge for storage while waiting for parts!).

Can anyone put my mind at rest before the MoHo goes on the market, please?
Click to expand...
Had one breakdown in 17 years of motorhoming.. and that was a roadside repair.. Had a couple of cases where we have had to sort of limp home but thats it
And we have covered 20+ countries ( I think its 25 but cannot be sure )
 
Happy Jim said:
Do you have an equivalent national breakdown service available? If so all you can really do is “pay up” for the best available cover and cross your fingers!
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, there is no national breakdown service in France. We already have the best insurance available with Allianz, which includes breakdown, but it's the garages that cause the problems.....taking forever to do anything and charging storage in the meantime. It's so stressful. In the UK, I was blissfully happy knowing that the AA would be available when I needed them but in France it's a very different story.
 
Landy Andy said:
The less you use it the more the chances of you breaking down when you do use it.

Use it or lose it.
Click to expand...
Or you could say, every component has a finite life and the more you use it the closer to the end of it's life it gets 😉

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