Testing out Nationwide breakdown cover

[Feltwell]

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 ?

Yes, we need to get back to the campsite we were on, we’ve got stuff left there like bikes. Main problem is my daughters clothes - they’re all in a tent on our pitch - although she can stay in the van she likes the privacy and getting away from 2 little brothers!

 

[Feltwell]

Garage have just said, can’t get the radiator in time to fit today but will do it Sat morning. No problem to stay here tonight. So it looks like we have an exotic evening on a Swiss industrial estate lined up!

 

[Nanniemate]

Photos please of the views

 

[Badknee]

Glad to hear somethings happening

 

[Grianan]

It’s moving in the right direction. A train ride into Lucerne sounds like a good option.

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[Feltwell]

Photos please of the views

Just for you:-

More galling though is that I’m paying for a site with this view:-

 

[Feltwell]

Radiator was a bit mullered, to give it the technical term:-

It’s the left side that went (as you face the front of the van)

 

[denisejoe]

Looks mullered

 

[Stonemags76]

Would be handy if you contacted Nationwide on your return with your review of the service from the AA, as they have only just changed to AA, & have been having some problems. I think there was another thread on here, about misinformation from the AA, & it was resolved I think. Nationwide need to know it’s not going well so far!

 

[Nanniemate]

Radiator was a bit mullered, to give it the technical term:-

View attachment 649401

It’s the left side that went (as you face the front of the van)

View attachment 649404

Uou definitely killed it but your parked safe and you will enjoy the site even more when you get there

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[Feltwell]

Uou definitely killed it but your parked safe and you will enjoy the site even more when you get there

Yes, tomorrow afternoon with any luck! We’d already had 2 nights there, the radiator went during a day trip out to Mount Titlis (stop sniggering at the back Carruthers!)

We’ll get another 2 nights before we have to leave on Monday

 

[Feltwell]

Would be handy if you contacted Nationwide on your return with your review of the service from the AA, as they have only just changed to AA, & have been having some problems. I think there was another thread on here, about misinformation from the AA, & it was resolved I think. Nationwide need to know it’s not going well so far!

Yes, I’m going to. In fairness the AA staff have been good, there’s just not enough of them. Having said that at 6am this morning the phone was answered instantly.

The other point is that if I and Mrs F did not speak any German then we would have struggled a lot more.

 

[Figaro]

Garage have just said, can’t get the radiator in time to fit today but will do it Sat morning. No problem to stay here tonight. So it looks like we have an exotic evening on a Swiss industrial estate lined up!

There's worse places it could have happened.
Lucerne is a beautiful city, I can recommend seeing the Lion of Lucerne and a dinner cruise on the lake

 

[Feltwell]

We’re all tired and hot tonight, but we have a full tank of water and can have a shower, yippee!

Tomorrow we have to hand the van over at 7am so we will head into Lucerne then - wasn’t planning on going there but as everyone says it’s so nice we may as well, beats sitting around the garage!

 

[Just smiffy]

Looks like the radiator was on its way and that’s why it overheated, or did the burst cause all the damage…?

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[Feltwell]

It didn’t overheat - but - the van had been working very hard going up some Swiss passes, 2nd or even 1st gear for quite long periods pulling hard so it did get hotter than usual. That puts more pressure on the system, which has finished off an already ailing and corroded radiator I think.

The van has only done 42k but it is a 2006 model - 16 years is plenty for a rad to corrode in. I think where it’s gone is where it’s not sheltered by the aircon’s condenser.

It’s hard to see much of the rad when it’s insitu, especially as mine has aircon. Hence it’s easy to not see their true condition.

 

[stevewagner]

We’re all tired and hot tonight, but we have a full tank of water and can have a shower, yippee!

Tomorrow we have to hand the van over at 7am so we will head into Lucerne then - wasn’t planning on going there but as everyone says it’s so nice we may as well, beats sitting around the garage!

If you get time I recommend a trip up Mount Pilatus using the cog railway.

 

[Feltwell]

Won’t be enough time alas, but thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Nanniemate]

Has your radiator arrived

 

[Feltwell]

Yes! It’s in the van now, had a test drive and all is OK. However - 2 weeks ago a UK garage replaced a CV joint, as the ABS toothed ring was broken.

Putting it in the recovery truck yesterday the driver noticed the CV boot had come off - so I asked the garage here to fix it back on, thinking it would be 5 minutes and a new clamp.

Turns out the CV boot had been too heavily distorted - so they put a new one on yesterday, which is a pain of a job as the hub and driveshaft all has to come apart. Then today, on the test drive, it came off again!

So there are currently about 4 lads under the van trying to sort that out…..

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[rod_vw]

Yes! It’s in the van now, had a test drive and all is OK. However - 2 weeks ago a UK garage replaced a CV joint, as the ABS toothed ring was broken.

Putting it in the recovery truck yesterday the driver noticed the CV boot had come off - so I asked the garage here to fix it back on, thinking it would be 5 minutes and a new clamp.

Turns out the CV boot had been too heavily distorted - so they put a new one on yesterday, which is a pain of a job as the hub and driveshaft all has to come apart. Then today, on the test drive, it came off again!

So there are currently about 4 lads under the van trying to sort that out…..

Wrong joint, wrong boot or incorrectly fitted, in normal circumstances those boots should never come adrift without either splitting through age or being physically damaged by a foreign object.

 

[haganap]

Having been motorhoming for many years with my kids. I can't remember all the places I've been and seen. But boy, I remember the time we broke down with a smashed windscreen. And i remember well when my wheel fell off and my AA experience was similar to yours.

 

[RowleyBirkinQC]

Having been motorhoming for many years with my kids. I can't remember all the places I've been and seen. But boy, I remember the time we broke down with a smashed windscreen. And i remember well when my wheel fell off and my AA experience was similar to yours.

Your wheel fell off?

 

[Feltwell]

I’m back on the road!

Very noticeable on the way back, the final part of the journey is climbing over 1000m in just a few miles, it’s 2nd gear and pulling hard at about 25mph for most of the way. Anyway, when first arriving and before the problems, the coolant gauge went well above its normal place on this climb - not into the red but close to it. Driving back just now and the needle barely moved about it’s normal place - new radiator clearly working a lot better than the old one, no corroded fins!

 

[Feltwell]

Swiss truck garage were great - recovery truck could only take 2 people, so Mrs F and 2 of the kids went ahead in a taxi and got there an hour ahead of us. They got a radiator ordered straight away, by the time I arrived my family were in a meeting room, coffee and cold water freely available, Wi-Fi code given to the kids!

When it became clear that we’d need to stay overnight, they got the van to a point where it could be driven just outside their workshop door, made sure we could fill up with water - we had a very quiet night, we all got a decent sleep.

Despite spending about 4 hours in total on the CV boot, they didn’t charge me for this - they couldn’t get a new one so had to refit the old one, they weren’t 100% sure it would stay on so didn’t charge me. They were right, it has come off again, it’ll wait till I’m home now and the UK garage that fitted it just 2 weeks ago can change it for a genuine Fiat one FOC! It’ll be fine until then.

It was a very large truck garage, about 12 ramps and pits - the guys working on the van were really good, very friendly & conscientious. Great service, though at Swiss prices I’ve still got a big hole in the credit card!

So, holiday is back on track, everyone feels a lot better. Can’t complain too much, I’ve had this van for 9 years, it’s 16 years old now and this is the first time it’s let us down.

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[carolyn]

That‘s great news, I think we’ve all been thinking of you especially with three children to keep occupied. I remember when our power steering went in France on our car and the replacement car for our estate car was a Ford Ka with only 4 belted seats for our family of 5. Thank goodness the site had a pool. Bikes were no use as one of our sons was in a wheelchair at the time!

 

[Googlebot]

Bit of a pain it’s cost you dear, but for service like that, worth every penny and you can enjoy the holiday now.

 

[Grianan]

Make the most of the rest of your holiday. It has certainly been eventful!

 

[Nanniemate]

Good to know there is good service out there

 

[Feltwell]

Lucerne yesterday morning was very pleasant, and did give us one of the more surreal - but good - moments.

You know when you hear a tune but can’t quite place it? Well, we were listening to an Oompah band performing in a square, they were very good. But what is that tune? Then it suddenly twigged - a slowed down version of “Sweet child of mine” by Guns’n’Roses, Oompah style!!

It was a bit like the cover done by “Taken by Trees”, if anyone remembers that - in pace if not in style.



Doesn’t beat my favourite “Guns’n’Roses done in a completely different style” song though!



They are Swiss as well, funnily enough!

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