Testing out Nationwide breakdown cover

[Feltwell]

I’m in Switzerland at the moment. At the end of a very nice day 3000m up a mountain, we came back down to the valley and drive the van to the local supermarket to restock.

Hang on, what’s that puddle? Oh Christ it’s coolant, quick look under the bonnet, header tank empty and it looks like the radiator has blown.

The AA have just taken over the Nationwide cover. First impression not good - over an hour in a queue before they answered the initial call, glad I was parked somewhere safe! Then 15 minutes after finally getting through and spending half an hour answering the questions, I get a call back - “ Sorry, not covered as you’re over 3.5t”. “Oh yes I am covered, weight limit does not apply to MH” says I, and after another 15 minutes on hold they agree.

Sat here waiting for the breakdown truck now, and thanking that it’s Thursday and not Friday - more chance of getting it fixed tomorrow. Hoping to get recovered to a garage where we can stay outside overnight and they fix it in the morning, but we shall see.

 

[TinaLes]

Good Luck, hope you get it fixed reasonably quickly, parts are available AND at reasonable Cost.
Keep us posted on how it turns out.
LES

 

[denisejoe]

I would think you'd be better off staying put in the supermarket carpark tonight and then getting taken to a garage tomorrow. Don't think there's likely to be any garages open at this time of night!

 

[Feltwell]

Thanks. 90 minutes so far and no truck, patience is a virtue, but when was it ever fun being virtuous…..

 

[Feltwell]

I’m not in a supermarket car park, I’m in 2 metered kerbside spaces on a high street! Hoping we can get dropped off outside a suitable closed garage tonight, or maybe back to recovery firms yard. We shall see!

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[denisejoe]

I’m not in a supermarket car park, I’m in 2 metered kerbside spaces on a high street! Hoping we can get dropped off outside a suitable closed garage tonight, or maybe back to recovery firms yard. We shall see!

Sorry when you said you'd gone down to restock I'd assumed a supermarket car park! Sounds expensive!

 

[Feltwell]

Depends on how efficient Swiss yellow perils are! I bought an hour when we first pulled up, before I’d realised the problem. Let’s hope they are understanding or just don’t call by!

 

[Feltwell]

I’m counting my blessings though - we’re perfectly safe, we have food and drink from the supermarket, my 3 kids are being very good and patient and if push comes to shove we’ll just sleep here.

We all really want a shower though, after a very hot day here - not enough water in the tank to risk it though, we shall stay sticky and smelly!

 

[denisejoe]

Glad the kids are being good for you.

 

[Grianan]

Hope you get sorted very quickly. I have to say, having moved to Nationwide Flexplus about the time of the move to the AA I’m reconsidering … too many people having issues.

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[EuroTrotters]

I hope you get sorted.

our insurance renewal is up soon . Thinking of adding breakdown into ours

 

[Nanniemate]

I’m counting my blessings though - we’re perfectly safe, we have food and drink from the supermarket, my 3 kids are being very good and patient and if push comes to shove we’ll just sleep here.

We all really want a shower though, after a very hot day here - not enough water in the tank to risk it though, we shall stay sticky and smelly!

Are you close enough to walk to supermarket and pick up bottled water can get 5 ltrs for little cash. Also guarantee as soon as who ever goes the breakdown service will arrive .hope its not too long for you

 

[Feltwell]

Hobson’s choice for me now! It should be a simple enough fix, it’s possibly just a hose but from what I can see it looks like it’s the radiator.

The van has been getting quite warm going up some of these mountain passes, never enough to overheat but enough to put more pressure and strain than usual on the cooling system.

 

[Feltwell]

We’re well stocked up, made sure of that before the supermarket closed at 8! Lots of bottled water just in case

 

[Googlebot]

It will have blown on the right hand side at the bottom if it’s a Fiat. Common problem.

The plus side is they are easily available and it’s an easy job to do.

Fingers crossed they sort it quick for you.

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[Feltwell]

Still no sign of truck at 11:30 last night, rang AA and although the lady there was very helpful, she couldn’t get through to their Swiss agent! So I said that we would sleep here, tell them to get here for about 7am.

Come this morning, I get a call from the Swiss agent saying that they will be with us by 8:30. So we shall see what today brings! At least now potential garages they can take us to should be open.

 

[carolyn]

Good luck today, I hope you and the family are soon on your way again.

 

[ShiftZZ]

Hope you get sorted. AA and Nationwide refused to recover my van, cist me £660 to bring the van from Doncaster to Willenhall..

 

[Feltwell]

It will have blown on the right hand side at the bottom if it’s a Fiat. Common problem.

The plus side is they are easily available and it’s an easy job to do.

Fingers crossed they sort it quick for you.

Looks like top left actually - may just be a hose, but it looks more like the rad to me.

Bad news is, recovery turned up, just a mechanic in a van - who has just confirmed what I’d already told them, it needs recovering.

They can’t give me a time for a recovery truck, and the weekend could be a problem with getting a repair done today. Ohh joy!

 

[Just smiffy]

Be prepared to wait it out until a fix for the middle of next week….

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[Nanniemate]

That's a bugger seems they always have to send a fitter first before he recovery is authorised

 

[chaser]

The aa are not coming out very well today are they ,this is the second thread this morning.

 

[maison]

Two years ago my daughter, together with her family, were on a two centre (villa hire) holiday in Italy. On the day they were due to move their car dashboard showed a fault so they rang the AA.

Like the OP they took ages to answer and when they did promised to ring back with a solution. They rang back to say that, because of the warning lights illuminated on the dashboard, the car was unsafe to drive and would have to be recovered.

Three hours later nothing had happened. My daughter and family had had to leave their accommodation and were stuck there. After five hours the breakdown truck arrived to recover their car and informed them that it would take at least five days to obtain the part and repair it.

The AA said they should wait where they were and they would arrange a hire car, the recovery vehicle left with their car.

One hour later, by now six hours from their initial call, the AA rang back to say that they couldn’t locate a suitable replacement vehicle for them and they should stay where they were until the next day. Having informed them, yet again, that they were stuck on the roadside with no water and in 80° heat my son-in-law rang a car hire company at the nearest airport who agreed to deliver a car to them.

Hiring a taxi to get them to the nearest village they found a restaurant where they could be fed and watered while they waited.

Finally, some eight hours after their initial breakdown they received their hire car.

Six days later their own car was returned, still with the original fault. They decided that they had no choice but to drive it home and the AA informed them that, as they were driving it with a known fault, they would not be covered if it broke down again On their way home.

They got home OK and their local garage diagnosed a failed sensor as the only fault.

It took them over two months to persuade the AA to cover their car hire and taxi costs. Not great service!

 

[chaser]

The aa are not coming out very well today are they ,this is the second thread this morning.

Well seeing how the aa are well the dearest they are now off my list.

 

[Dutch 68]

On the end of the day, when you are abroad you are in the hands of local companies, the AA can’t even get it right in the UK on lots of occasions let alone if abroad, when they are effectively just a call centre trying to get hold of foreign private companies, if they and you have a lucky day, then all is good, but if said contractor has decided no more today and enjoys a nice meal with his family, then you are stuck.

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[chaser]

Looks like top left actually - may just be a hose, but it looks more like the rad to me.

Bad news is, recovery turned up, just a mechanic in a van - who has just confirmed what I’d already told them, it needs recovering.

They can’t give me a time for a recovery truck, and the weekend could be a problem with getting a repair done today. Ohh joy!

Any news of a truck?

 

[Feltwell]

So, they got me a recovery truck at 11:00 - a flatbed but not big enough to carry the MH, but it was fine on the spectacle lift being towed behind, though mountain hairpins were a bit interesting!

Truck could only take 2 in the cab, - there’s 5 of us - phoned AA and decided it was easier to just order a taxi ourselves and claim it back, which they agreed to.

So I’m now sat in a Fiat Professional truck garage, hoping that after Mittagspause (lunch break) they can fix it this afternoon. At least with Mrs F getting there an hour ahead of me in the taxi, she was able to speak to them - as no one had warned them we were coming - and get them to put an order on for a radiator.

So best case it’s sorted this afternoon, worst case is its Monday. Again it could be worse, looks like we can stay here for the weekend if need be and there is a train station a few minutes walk away with direct links to Lucerne - plus we’ve a petrol station with a shop next door.

Dealers seem friendly and helpful so fingers crossed for this afternoon…..

 

[Grianan]

Glad you’re seeing the positives and keeping everything crossed for a quick fix this afternoon.

Mittagpause. What a wonderful word!

 

[Swifter]

Good luck . I have a feeling you will be back on the road later today . Have you somewhere planned to stop if the vehicle is fixed soon ?

 

[Feltwell]

Don’t ever move your van on a German, Austrian or (some) Swiss sites during Mittagspause - an offence punishable by many hard stares and headshakes from your fellow campers!

Literally “midday pause”, it is a time for peace and total quiet - children included - that most Germans rigidly observe

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