Repatriation of motor home

[jarcadia]

This is a hypothetical question, has anyone any knowledge of repatriating a m/h from an european country if the sole driver takes ill?

 

[Lenny HB]

It comes under your insurance rather than breakdown, insurance company will pay for recovery.
If you read your policy it will be stated in there.

 

[MisterB]

Funster Number 162 !!!!! WOW !

my answer would be the same as Lenny HB !

 

[David and Sally]

Funster Number 162 !!!!! WOW !

my answer would be the same as Lenny HB !

Just over two posts a year.

 

[StillGoing]

This is a hypothetical question, has anyone any knowledge of repatriating a m/h from an european country if the sole driver takes ill?

Just make sure only one driver is named on the policy.

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[jarcadia]

We have checked with LV, we have breakdown cover but they will not recover the m/h if the driver is incapacitated!

Yes we were in at the beginning, don’t post much but read everyday!

 

[Spriddler]

We have checked with LV, we have breakdown cover but they will not recover the m/h if the driver is incapacitated!

Yes we were in at the beginning, don’t post much but read everyday!

It would be necessary to claim under travel insurance as it wouldn't be a vehicle (mechanical) breakdown.

 

[jarcadia]

Have checked with Staysure, they will repatriate the persons not the vehicle!

 

[Reallyretired]

I had to pay a bit extra on the premium when I took swmbo off the insuranc for this reason, so I assume it is covered (comfort)

 

[WESTY66]

Id just fly my cousin Paul Wesbus out to wherever to drive it back for me, and I’d do the same for him

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[Tonks]

When I took my van abroad and I was the sole person travelling in it, I made sure that my upgraded breakdown cover for the trip included repatriation of my vehicle if I was unable to drive it back due to injury or illness. (AA) I specifically asked that question, and for clarity about the parameters, after a friend had to leave his van in Austria and return to the UK with his wife and family due to a family emergency, and he then had to fly back out weeks later to retrieve it.

I also have a trusted family member insured on the van as a 'named driver' permanently, as in some cases it may be easier for them to drive it than to have to arrange for my cover to handle it.

 

[Brains]

I looked into this eventuality.

IF there are two named drivers on the insurance document, then the insurance company may or may not fly the sick person back.

The vehicle will however have to be driven back by the other named driver, even if they are not on the trip.
(It would be your problem to get the driver there and back)

This potentially also means if the other named driver is on the trip, they will not be able to stay with the sick person, if they can not be moved in the motorhome.

If only a single driver is named on the insurance document, AND the company is responsible for recovery, then they should be responsible to get the vehicle back.
They may either lift the vehicle back as there is a European wide network to do this, or, for long distance they may fly a driver out.
Either way, delivery time can often be 2-3 weeks.

(A mate was flown down to southern Italy to pick a motorhome off the ferry from Cyprus and drive it to Scotland, he was not paid enough by the insurance company for his actual time, so when they offered him other jobs he declined)

Both me and my sister have motorhomes, both over 3.5t, we are both the only named drivers.
We have a verbal agreement that should this ever need doing, then one of us will fly out to the other and drive the motorhome home.

Frankly I'd rather pay my sisters flight and a day rate than leave a very valuable item in the hands of a chain of low loaders across Europe, or in the hands of a contract driver who's sole task is to drive as fast as possible and for as long as possible so he can get to the next job.

I'd suggest you find a friend or relative, ideally one with experience of driving a large vehicle (or a caravan) across Europe, and come to an arrangement.
If they are also the sole driver, then it could be mutually advantageous.

 

[Tea Bag]

Hi
The CMC ? Have the Red Pennant insurance scheme. From a mate who needed/used it, it is second to non. We took it out when c/vanning in europe, good fortune.health and equipment meant we never had to use it.
Tea Bag

 

[jarcadia]

Thank you all for the information & advice, we’ll keep you updated on our search!

 

[PaddyM]

Might it no be an idea to set up a buddy system on Funsters ?

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[Tea Bag]

Might it no be an idea to set up a buddy system on Funsters ?

Hi PaddyM.
There are Funsters who rally to a call,cannot remember names but locations France-Spain- Portugal...UK. With Vehicle Contacts in their areas,if not mucking in themselves.
The only thing i can think of here in Portugal,you have to have/be a certificated recover outfit and NO TOWING i am led to believe here in Portugal. ( Just on the edges of getting that info...) When our Ducato broke down the idea of getting a length of old tipper ram,fixing towball and towing eye fixings and pulling her back met with a BIG NO...and a Lecture on " Local customs do not apply here."
Tea Bag.
PS. Funster in Poland ?

 

[Brains]

Hi PaddyM.
There are Funsters who rally to a call,cannot remember names but locations France-Spain- Portugal...UK. With Vehicle Contacts in their areas,if not mucking in themselves.
The only thing i can think of here in Portugal,you have to have/be a certificated recover outfit and NO TOWING i am led to believe here in Portugal. ( Just on the edges of getting that info...) When our Ducato broke down the idea of getting a length of old tipper ram,fixing towball and towing eye fixings and pulling her back met with a BIG NO...and a Lecture on " Local customs do not apply here."
Tea Bag.
PS. Funster in Poland ?

We are talking about broken down people, not broken down vehicles.

If the driver is incapacitated for a lengthy period
(even a broken arm or leg, or a minor operation would stop you driving for a several months)

The driver and co-pilot can fly home.
But how does the vehicle get home ?

Seeing the comments above, the best option is for a person you can trust, with experience of trans european larger vehicle driving, flies out and drives home.

Whilst there may several thousand active members on this forum, most with the relevant experience, how many would be prepared to be given a one way ticket to, say Greece, and then to drive a someones pride and joy, be that a 25 year old Hymer or a 6 month old £300,000 Morello, 3,000 miles across Europe over the space of a week.

Would I do it for someone I know?
Where I can also guarantee all the (quite extensive) costs would be covered,
plus a reasonable day rate for my time, then yes, I'd do it.

However for some random person, the answer is 'maybe' as it becomes a 'Job' not a 'favour'.

But I can very definitely see the need for a service to be set up, and this is the perfect place to do it as lots of people with the right experience and also being (semi) retired, have the time and skills to do it.

 

[Shrimp]

Think the above would be a good idea in principle but not sure if it would actually work in real life.

 

[DBK]

If paying yourself this company has been discussed and recommended on here:

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Costs quoted were around £2K but obviously size of vehicle and distance to be recovered will alter this.

Appropriate insurance will cover repatriation of vehicle and driver seperately if necessary. We have Red Pennant and it even covers the dog which might otherwise be a significant complication.

 

[jumartoo]

We (someone on FUN) once started a list of willing people, both in the UK and abroad. It eventually was taken down by Jim because of arguments and the logistics.

In Spain, us with Spanish driving licences, can't drive another country's registered vehicle (except in some circumstances, i.e. the owner being in the vehicle with them) so driving a vehicle from here back to the UK would be difficult if the owner was already repatriated.

FUN, as already stated, has a great network, and if someone can help they are only too willing to do so.

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[chesterfield hooligan]

To be honest £2000 sounds cheap as the are shipping car's back from Malaga for £1500 on multi car transporters.

 

[Lenny HB]

We have checked with LV, we have breakdown cover but they will not recover the m/h if the driver is incapacitated!

It would be necessary to claim under travel insurance as it wouldn't be a vehicle (mechanical) breakdown.

As I said eairler it is the vehicle insurance that covers you in this case not the breakdown of travel insurance.

I really don't understand why people don't read their policies.

 

[John Barrett]

Not a MH but...I went down with Wet AMD in April 2022 whilst caravanning in Spain. Nationwide BS in the shape of the AA shipped my Mazda CX5 and caravan from Spain as part of the monthly deal. They also flew us home and paid for the dogs to be shipped as well, but that was only after a bun fight!
Fantastic value and service.

 

[jarcadia]

Just to clarify, we are insured with LV with European breakdown cover added. I did read the policy and when I could not find the answer to my question i phoned them. The answer came back as…. if motorhome suffered a breakdown then recovery was an option but if driver was incapacitated and motorhome undamaged then recovery was not covered.
We would be very interested to have name of company that does cover this scenario.

 

[Lenny HB]

Just to clarify, we are insured with LV with European breakdown cover added. I did read the policy and when I could not find the answer to my question i phoned them. The answer came back as…. if motorhome suffered a breakdown then recovery was an option but if driver was incapacitated and motorhome undamaged then recovery was not covered.
We would be very interested to have name of company that does cover this scenario.

As I said it's not the breakdown cover but the vehicle insurance that covers this situation.

Read Comfort or NFU's policies

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[Brains]

As I said it's not the breakdown cover but the vehicle insurance that covers this situation.

Read Comfort or NFU's policies

Therefore the answer is to get vehicle insurance and recovery that covers broken down vehicle and broken down driver all from the same company.

Comfort ?

 

[meanders]

Is'nt it a sad reflection of our insurance companies that we even need these conversations. As for reading every word of the thousands in every policy and assisted paperwork, isn't it why we pay for "Fully Comprehensive" insurance? The companies definition of those words are a million miles away from the dictionary definition, and I would suggest implies mis-selling.

 

[jarcadia]

Update
Red Pennant will cover our scenario under Motoring or the combined Motoring and Personal Cover

 

[VXman]

We are talking about broken down people, not broken down vehicles.

If the driver is incapacitated for a lengthy period
(even a broken arm or leg, or a minor operation would stop you driving for a several months)

The driver and co-pilot can fly home.
But how does the vehicle get home ?

For me it feels like it's Travel insurance that should cover this (but probably doesn't - I cannot see it in my Aviva/Nationwide insurance policy, even if you die!).

I mean - it is not a vehicle breakdown (breakdown insurance) and it is not a vehicle accident (Vehicle insurance)

However, it must affect car drivers on road trips too.

 

[Brains]

For me it feels like it's Travel insurance that should cover this (but probably doesn't).

I mean - it is not a vehicle breakdown (breakdown insurance) and it is not a vehicle accident (Vehicle insurance)

However, it must affect car drivers on road trips too.

True, but putting a car on the back of a series of recovery vehicles is not a problem.

The trans-European vehicle recovery chain is completely geared up for this.
They even have 'Consolidators' who collect half a dozen cars going from say Spain to Germany and then put them all on a car transporter and have one driver take them the whole way.

You can not do the same thing with motorhomes, they are too big.
Therefore the best way to get them back from the far end of Europe to the UK is to fly a driver out.

Hence, if a second driver is named on the insurance, it's YOUR problem to get the driver to the van to drive it back.
(Which can lead to a number of issues, as the second driver may be the partner of the person being flown back for medical reasons)

If there is no second named driver, then we enter the realms of whose responsibility is it to repatriate the vehicle.
This is where you need to read your insurance document very carefully.

Hence: I already have a verbal arrangement with my sister.
She is not named on my insurance, but I'd fly her out for her to mine drive back.
And I'd do the same for her motorhome.

It's much easier to set up an arrangement in advance over a pint, rather than a panic phone call from Spain.
We should all find our personal 'Drive me home Buddy'

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