Motorhome recovery from Santander to UK following breakdown, any recommendations

[MaidinDevon]

Hi
Unfortunately, the clutch went, and the breakdown service won't recover to the UK. They insist on knowing how much the cost of repair is in Spain, before considering which is most cost effective.
The garage have said they want 10 hours labour, paid upfront, to take out the gearbox, before being able to quote for a repair.
Kath would have to pay this herself, with no guarantee that it can be fixed
Kath came home in my van, leaving hers there, because she has a family emergency to deal with as well.
It has been an awful experience.
Can anyone recommend a recovery firm, or an idea of what it would cost, to being the van back, on a truck.
If she has to pay loads with no guarantee of su cess, better to pay to get it home to a trustworthy garage.
The van is 2001 Swift Kontiki, 7m, 3.5 ton.

Thanks

Karen

 

[Nanniemate]

Completely bonkers to have it brought back, better looking for recommendations for garages/mechanics in that area.

There are other considerations in play which helped to add to the challenges.

If you or anyone ones a reliable trustworthy garage in santander that will guarantee the work suggestions I'm sure would be welcomed.

 

[Sneds]

Perhaps ring the tourist office.
Someone there may be able to ask about for recommendations.
In the office, at the shop or down the pub?

 

[Brains]

Get if fixed locally !

Even if you have to take a Ryan Air flight out to trawl through the local garages for a few days.

 

[Onemanandhisdog]

Maybe start another thread for garage recommendations.
You could have it done 3 or 4 times for the cost of transporting it back and you would still have to pay a UK garage after transportation.
Is there a Spanish equivalent of Yodeli?

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[Dorwyn]

Hiya,
Trouble is, we are back in the UK now, and unable to communicate with the garages.

Are you paying storage? It must be worth shopping around on t'internet. Even if just to get a quote.

 

[Bailey 15]

This doesn’t help now but for info :
Comfort ins will get van back to uk for you, however it could take 2wks to arrange everthing in a busy period so we were advised to stay with van and get it repaired in Salamanca and we were put up in 4* hotel for four days all covered by comfort

Hope you get it sorted soon

 

[Red Sonja]

I am sure a firm called Crouch were recommended a while back. I will see if I have their details

I wouldn't use crouch. They quoted me £11,750 plus vat to take our van from Granada to Dartford.

 

[L' Hobo]

This doesn’t help now but for info :
Comfort ins will get van back to uk for you, however it could take 2wks to arrange everthing in a busy period so we were advised to stay with van and get it repaired in Salamanca and we were put up in 4* hotel for four days all covered by comfort

Hope you get it sorted soon

I did ask for the name of the overseas assistance insurance company that had refused repatriation but, so far, nothing.

Presumably, no overseas assistance was in force?

 

[Red Sonja]

Hi

We broke down in Malaga last year and our van was towed to Granada. We didn't know if the breakdown cover would repatriate vehicle. The best quote I got to repatriate our 7 mtr Hymer from Granada to Dartford was with a Company in Warrington. They quoted £4590.

Contact details are.
Julie White
+447881013325
+34952937656

our breakdown cover eventually came through and when I asked for all the costs to he broken down. The recovery cost £5237. They recovered as it would have taken a garage too long to look at. Garage in Granada quoted a month for diagnosis. Our return crossing was booked for 3 weeks later.

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[Dutch 68]

Crouch second to none

Try on time they work for a number of the large reparation companies

And often have space to fill

Ontime Autmotive | Car Transport | Car Shipping Worldwide

www.ontime-auto.com

This is a cheap and cheerful booking site

Vehicle Transporter - Shiply

Join over one million people who saved money with Shiply on transporting their cars. Free quotes from rated car transporters.

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Shiply, no thank you…..

 

[HKF]

This might be a bonkers idea and not workable but could you get a trusted mechanic to go out to it and fix it? Just trying to think of a solution

 

[A-Mech]

Clutch job 4 hours max Clutch Kit £150 so max £650 for repair ...

In an ideal world maybe?

Garage in Spain will never see you again, so will stripe you, I suspect?

Repatriation by UK company, non starter as too expensive.

Bringing UK mechanic over on flight, hotel, parts and daily rate, could be an option?

My thoughts could be depending on how far from santander you are, fly mate over, go to enterprise and hire 3.5t transit with tow bar. Buy a tow pole and fill hire van up with motorhome internals, tyre, tools, clothes etc. Cleanse MH of water, grey tanks and tow to port. Run engine for battery, lights and power steering and maybe run at night??

Once at port, refill MH with gear, off hire van at santander and get dragged on ferry for repair in pompey? Or call AA /RAC for recovery back to your garage.

Bite the bullet and get local garage to drop engine mount on left, remove left wheel, hub and drive shaft. Pull out box and replace clutch kit. I've never done it, but I would put a penny on not having to take engine out of van?

It's about options and deciding what is practical and suits you best.

Good luck

 

[Onemanandhisdog]

I'm not sure why people have the opinion every Spanish mechanic is useless or out to get them. I broke down on a Spanish motorway 2 weeks ago to the day, was taken to a garage who were able to sort the issue quickly and needing no parts, mechanic spoke to the office - no charge. I gave them 20 euros for biscuits or beer.

UK vets rip my off every time I walk through the door, Spanish vets save me (in comparison) loads of money.

I think research in to finding a good garage or reliable mobile mechanic would be far simpler than flying people out, decanting contents, illegally towing only to find you can't tow a vehicle on to a ferry (as far as I know, stand to be corrected).

There are hundreds of thousands of vehicles driving around in Spain and they don't all come to England to be repaired!!!

 

[MisterB]

British Garage S.L.​

Website
Directions

​

Save
Call
5.08 Google reviews
Vehicle tuning service in Santander, Spain

Address: C. Fernando VI, 14, 39008 Santander, Cantabria, Spain


Hours:
Open ⋅ Closes 5 pm

Maundy Thursday might affect these hours

Phone: +34 679 31 65 68

Province: Cantabria



could this help? might be worth your friend asking them? they are in Santander - which is where i thought you said the van had broken down? its got good reviews from UK 'people' - if they cant fix it, they may be able to recommend someone who can?

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[HKF]

could this help? might be worth your friend asking them? they are in Santander - which is where i thought you said the van had broken down? its got good reviews from UK 'people' - if they cant fix it, they may be able to recommend someone who can?

Never go on reviews. Reviews can be bought very easily. I'm not saying every company does that but they are a very unreliable way to tell whether or not a company is good, bad or indifferent. Just so you know.

 

[MisterB]

Never go on reviews. Reviews can be bought very easily. I'm not saying every company does that but they are a very unreliable way to tell whether or not a company is good, bad or indifferent. Just so you know.

well, could you tell if they were bad by the bad reviews ..... ?

 

[HKF]

well, could you tell if they were bad by the bad reviews ..... ?

It's up to you what you make of reviews. I'm just saying, reviews can easily and cheaply be bought.

This is just one example, of many https://buyreviewz.com/

Do what you want with the information.

 

[zac]

It's up to you what you make of reviews. I'm just saying, reviews can easily and cheaply be bought.

This is just one example, of many https://buyreviewz.com/

Do what you want with the information.

While this is indeed true i don't see any other way of finding out if a garage etc is good or bad without knowing someone that has had work done there, you just need to read the reviews and discard the ones that sound to good to be true but even then its going to be difficult especially with AI becoming so good now.

 

[DandJ]

Never go SOLELY on reviews. Reviews can be bought very easily. I'm not saying every company does that but they are a very unreliable way to tell whether or not a company is good, bad or indifferent. Just so you know.

Perhaps.....the OPs friend is a bit stuck so has to be a little flexible in the approach.

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[DandJ]

Weird, my reply looks totally out of context now that some pots have been deleted...heyho

 

[gus-lopez]

I'm not sure why people have the opinion every Spanish mechanic is useless or out to get them.

It is in a garage at present.
They want 10 hours labour paid up front to remove gearbox before quoting for repair.
It doesn't take 10 hours to remove a gearbox. So it would give cause for concern.
A donkey could remove the gearbox in 10 hours.

 

[Barclaybasher]

Won't help the OP but if my clutch went I would try driving anyway.
I have done this a couple of times once from Derby to Bristol.
It has to be done when the roads are quiet, using main roads or motorways as much as possible.
Start the vehicle in gear, match engine revs with gearbox when changing gear, stay well back from other traffic to avoid unnecessary gear changes. If you have to stop try and do so on a slope so you can bump start...
Might not work on my MH but I would give it a go

 

[phil1946]

I have previously posted

Oliver Thomas Transport is owned by a very good friend of mine. They deliver and collect across the UK and Europe with different trailers including low loaders. Russell is an old school gentleman and I would recommend anyone needing transport assistance to contact them.

Oliver Thomas Transport Limited​

DN14 0BT, Goole, North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
info@oliverthomastransport.com
Office: 01977 662026

Hours: Always open​

Please mention MotorHomeFun when contacting them.

 

[denisejoe]

It shouldn’t take 10 hours to change a clutch on your van gearbox out and it’s there

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[zac]

Hi
Unfortunately, the clutch went, and the breakdown service won't recover to the UK. They insist on knowing how much the cost of repair is in Spain, before considering which is most cost effective.
The garage have said they want 10 hours labour, paid upfront, to take out the gearbox, before being able to quote for a repair.
Kath would have to pay this herself, with no guarantee that it can be fixed
Kath came home in my van, leaving hers there, because she has a family emergency to deal with as well.
It has been an awful experience.
Can anyone recommend a recovery firm, or an idea of what it would cost, to being the van back, on a truck.
If she has to pay loads with no guarantee of su cess, better to pay to get it home to a trustworthy garage.
The van is 2001 Swift Kontiki, 7m, 3.5 ton.

Thanks

Karen

Out of interest who is the insurer as i think they are being very unhelpful?

 

[pelican]

That was precisely the cost of a mobile mechanic who did a friends van on our drive, their drive ain’t big enough. Arrived at 7.30am finished at 10.30am & all tidy. He said he does roughly 350 a year, him & his son. Local garage wanted £1200 inc

Have you got this mechanics contact details please?

 

[Brains]

Driving without a clutch is totally possible, but it needs an experienced driver as you have to 'listen' to the engine to put it into gear.
It does not work for urban stop/start driving though (such as getting on a ferry), or dealing with hills etc.

I drove London/Cornwall (300 miles) without a clutch in a VW.
I also did fair distance in a Landover Defender.

You just need to find a local commercial Fiat garage (not a dealer, you want a decent back street/railway arch type of place.)
If that means you fly down for a few days and hire a student who speaks English for a day or two then that will be the cheaper solution.

You can probably drive to the garage

The quote for 10hrs labour to provide a quote is excessive, but I'm assuming its 4hrs to take it apart, 1 hr on the computer to source the parts and send the quote, 1 hr for lunch and then 4 hrs to put it back together if the quote is declined. (Plus storage fees whilst they wait around)

 

[chesterfield hooligan]

You can only drive with the clutch pedal not working if there is still drive, if the drive plate or pressure plate have given up the ghost there's no drive. I've recovered plenty that still have drive sometimes having to switch the engine of at traffic lights then starting in first jurklerly then away you go.

 

[Onemanandhisdog]

It is in a garage at present.
They want 10 hours labour paid up front to remove gearbox before quoting for repair.
It doesn't take 10 hours to remove a gearbox. So it would give cause for concern.
A donkey could remove the gearbox in 10 hours.

I get that, they are either taking the P or don't want the job, but as I pointed out, not every garage/mechanic is like that.
Compared to the other suggestions is seems far more sensible to find one who does want the work and isn't taking the P!

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[jerryz]

The only sensible option is to get it fixed in Spain Budget 1000 euro max, and get on with finding a decent garage