LV-Brittania break down cover

[headlight]

WHAT A JOKE !
Today on the M4 on my way back home from my trip I had a blow out 40 minutes from my storage site.
I rang LV-Brittania and they sent a recovery truck.
2 hours later the truck arrived and I was told my motorhome was to big and heavy and that they would have to send for a bigger truck.
Bearing in mind that I had given LV-Brittania the specifics of my motorhome when I took out the cover, 3,400kgs and 5.9m long.
The bigger truck arrived and took me to the next motorway services to change my wheel.
They unloaded me in the car park, jacked the van up then informed me that they didn't have a big enough socket to fit my wheel nuts.
They then said they would have to reload me and take me back to their depot to change the wheel.
Took me to the depot and changed my wheel and I was able to continue.
Time taken from initial phone call to the wheel being changed 7 hours.
I am not impressed.

 

[Barchetta47]

Sorry to hear of your bad experience.

My breakdown with LV/Britannia in Spain was the polar experience. However when I reported the incident I went to great pains to point out the size and weight of the MH.

When we had a puncture in Luxembourg I suffered from the same thing as you, what no wheel brace! In the end a Bulgarian lorry driver with me assisting changed the wheel . Lesson learned I always carry a wheel brace of the correct size for the wheel nuts, I think it’s standard practice that breakdown companies expect this to be available.

 

[Baggydave]

WHAT A JOKE !
Today on the M4 on my way back home from my trip I had a blow out 40 minutes from my storage site.
I rang LV-Brittania and they sent a recovery truck.
2 hours later the truck arrived and I was told my motorhome was to big and heavy and that they would have to send for a bigger truck.
Bearing in mind that I had given LV-Brittania the specifics of my motorhome when I took out the cover, 3,400kgs and 5.9m long.
The bigger truck arrived and took me to the next motorway services to change my wheel.
They unloaded me in the car park, jacked the van up then informed me that they didn't have a big enough socket to fit my wheel nuts.
They then said they would have to reload me and take me back to their depot to change the wheel.
Took me to the depot and changed my wheel and I was able to continue.
Time taken from initial phone call to the wheel being changed 7 hours.
I am not impressed.

What a palaver.

Firstly I don’t understand why they didn’t change the wheel on the motorway. I assume you had a spare?
Secondly, surely you have a suitable socket for your own wheel nuts aboard? If not why not? It’s a very basic requirement & usually comes with a simple jack as part of the van.

3.5t is hardly a big motorhome surely any breakdown truck should be able to deal with you?

 

[headlight]

Sorry to hear of your bad experience.

My breakdown with LV/Britannia in Spain was the polar experience. However when I reported the incident I went to great pains to point out the size and weight of the MH.

When we had a puncture in Luxembourg I suffered from the same thing as you, what no wheel brace! In the end a Bulgarian lorry driver with me assisting changed the wheel . Lesson learned I always carry a wheel brace of the correct size for the wheel nuts, I think it’s standard practice that breakdown companies expect this to be available.

I did remind them when I rang that it was a motorhome and 3,400kgs, 5.9m long, 2.22m wide and 3.1m high so the recovery truck needed to be able to cope with that size and weight.
I had a wheel brace in the van which fitted my wheel nuts but they could only undo 3 of the 5 and didn't have a tube they could use as an extension to get more leverage.

 

[headlight]

What a palaver.

Firstly I don’t understand why they didn’t change the wheel on the motorway. I assume you had a spare?
Secondly, surely you have a suitable socket for your own wheel nuts aboard? If not why not? It’s a very basic requirement & usually comes with a simple jack as part of the van.

3.5t is hardly a big motorhome surely any breakdown truck should be able to deal with you?

Yes I had a spare.
They said it was to dangerous to change the wheel on the hard shoulder hence taking me to next services.
Yes I had a wheel brace that fitted but they weren't able to undo all the nuts with it and didn't have a tube they could put on my brace as an extension.

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[Baggydave]

Yes I had a spare.
They said it was to dangerous to change the wheel on the hard shoulder hence taking me to next services.
Yes I had a wheel brace that fitted but they weren't able to undo all the nuts with it and didn't have a tube they could put on my brace as an extension.

Far more dangerous to leave you sitting on the motorway for hours I’d have thought! Given the right jack it’s a 10min job.

 

[headlight]

It was on the offside with lorries hurtling past so I don't blame them for saying it was to dangerous.
However I do blame them for sending out a truck that was to small then sending a bigger truck without a socket that would fit or an extension tube for them to be able to use my wheel brace.

 

[denisejoe]

Britannia don't own the breakdown trucks. They just use local breakdown companies and generally send the nearest one to where you are calling from.

 

[headlight]

Britannia don't own the breakdown trucks. They just use local breakdown companies and generally send the nearest one to where you are calling from.

Yes I know but Britannia sold me a policy to recover my motorhome, the size and weight of which they knew.
They have then employed a local company to recover my van that were how shall we put this "disappointing" in their service.
Britannia should pay more attention when employing these firms that they can actually provide the service that Britannia has sold to its customer.

 

[Figaro]

Time taken from initial phone call to the wheel being changed 7 hours.
I am not impressed.

At least you could put the kettle on

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[headlight]

At least you could put the kettle on

I bloody couldn't.
It was only a 90 minute drive back so I'd dumped the fresh water.
I normally carry an emergency 2 litres just in case for that trip but forgot.
Schoolboy error

 

[headlight]

Anyway in the next day or 2 I will be asking for tyre recommendations lol

 

[David and Sally]

It was on the offside with lorries hurtling past so I don't blame them for saying it was to dangerous.
However I do blame them for sending out a truck that was to small then sending a bigger truck without a socket that would fit or an extension tube for them to be able to use my wheel brace.

Don’t the highways people usually shut off a lane just for that?

 

[headlight]

Don’t the highways people usually shut off a lane just for that?

I'm in Wales lol

 

[headlight]

UPDATE
Yesterday I telephoned LV-Brittania and complained about the recovery experience I had on Monday.
Today I've received an apology and offer of a £50 goodwill payment

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[PeterCarole29]

WHAT A JOKE !
Today on the M4 on my way back home from my trip I had a blow out 40 minutes from my storage site.
I rang LV-Brittania and they sent a recovery truck.
2 hours later the truck arrived and I was told my motorhome was to big and heavy and that they would have to send for a bigger truck.
Bearing in mind that I had given LV-Brittania the specifics of my motorhome when I took out the cover, 3,400kgs and 5.9m long.
The bigger truck arrived and took me to the next motorway services to change my wheel.
They unloaded me in the car park, jacked the van up then informed me that they didn't have a big enough socket to fit my wheel nuts.
They then said they would have to reload me and take me back to their depot to change the wheel.
Took me to the depot and changed my wheel and I was able to continue.
Time taken from initial phone call to the wheel being changed 7 hours.
I am not impressed.

I think you can take from this you will probably now carry your own socket and bar

 

[nabsim]

I have only had to use them once about 4 years ago for a rear blowout on the A14. Arrived fairly quickly and changed the wheel without problems. The guy was maybe twice my size and needed a 6foot scaffold tube on his long extension bar to undo the wheel bolts, they had been well over tightened previously or grown on, no way I would have been able to undo them

 

[headlight]

I think you can take from this you will probably now carry your own socket and bar

I've got my own wheel brace but there was no way I was changing an offside wheel on the side of the motorway with lorries hurtling past inches away.
That's what I've paid breakdown recovery for.