Trouble in France.

G

Glenowen

Joined
Mar 31, 2022
Posts
11
Likes collected
70
Funster No
87,775
MH
Elddis Evolution 115
Can anyone provide sound advice, please?

We are motorhoming on Ile de Re at the moment and I have had an accident - not in the vehicle - where I have broken my arm, which is now in plaster. The insurance company are refusing to repatriate the vehicle to the UK on the grounds that my wife is entered on the policy as a driver, although she has never driven it - we only acquied it last year - and is extremely reluctant to do so now, for the first time, in France.

Does anyone know roughly how much it would cost to repatriate a small MH from Western France to Northern England? And recommend a particular company?

Our only other feasible solution is to find a storage site on Ile de Re, fly home to England and then for me to return to Ile de Re, in 5 or 6 weeks, when my injury has healed and plaster cast removed to retrieve the MH. My initial online search for a storage site on the Ile has drawn a blank, so any recommendations or advice would be very much appreciated.
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
DDJC said:
Understand your dilemma. Mrs DDJC, although an extremely good driver (M25 3 hours a day) won't try driving the bus onto the tunnel, and hates traffic jams in the bus.

However, I would strongly side with those that say give it a go, but would offer some advice.
  • Be the best backseat driver/co pilot/navigator you can be. Keep talking. When she turns into a road, remind her to, "drive in the ditch". When at a roundabout, tell her when it is clear to enter. Call out the speed limit regularly. Point out hazards. Sure you will pee her off, but it works.
  • Give the maximum amount of notice of a junction that you need to take.
  • If she needs to overtake, you check the mirrors as well.
  • Use peage, and you get out and stick your card in, so she doesn't have to. Peage roads are like silk to drive on, compared with D or N, and rarely busy
  • Take it in very short stints. Pull into an aire de repos. Get out, rest, cup of tea, then proceed.
  • Do a max of three hours a day. Stop somewhere in the Tours, Amien and Le Mans triangle, then again between Rouen and Amiens (assuming you are going to Calais)
  • Tell her how well she is doing.
  • Wherever you are now, do some slow maneuvering round the site so she gets to grips with how it handles

Have to say that within ten miles, she will likely feel confident enough to do more than you or she expects.

I do wish you the best of luck.
Click to expand...
Can you be myco pilot 🤣
 
Upvote 0
Landy Andy said:
Id drive It home. Broken arm or not. Even if manual and it’s your left arm there are two drivers so assistance is available.
Click to expand...
If you did, you'd very likely invalidate your insurance, which you MAY live to regret if things went wrong.
When my wrist was in plaster I was told I couldn't under any circumstances drive my car as it wouldn't be insured while I was in plaster. And actually the same was said when I'd had wrist surgery, even though I wasn't in plaster. While I needed the strapping I wasn't allowed to drive. (About a fortnight if I remember right.)
 
Upvote 0
Some years ago I either drove the MH to France on hols or no hols. Had a super time and with our new pvc I drive it all the time. As has been said it's so much easier to drive in France and the autoroutes are a doddle if a bit boring.
Good luck.
Sue
 
Upvote 0
My other half is on my policy but she has never driven the van although she drives her car almost daily, As a precaution this year I paid for her to go on a half day course driving the van and she loved it, at the weekend as the course was round the Macclesfield area and no motorways we went to Southport (All motorway from me) and she was fine. Must admit we are into our fifth week touring France Germany etc and she hasn't drove yet over here but she would be OK if there was a problem. So as many have said let her have a go, she will be fine after an hour or so.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
Is there no one who could fly out and help drive it back?
 
Upvote 0
As others have said from the insurance companies point of view your wife is in perfect health as regards driving has a license and is already on the insurance. If you drive having already said you aren't fit to drive and have an accident I would be very surprised if they paid out. I think it's either the storage or find a friend to drive it or see if your wife will give it a try
 
Upvote 0
I would encourage your wife to drive. I drove our motorhome through France last year and I actually found it a much better experience than driving in the UK. Toll roads are soooo much quieter than our motorways. I found myself resting my arm on the rests and generally enjoying driving. Good luck 🍀
 
Upvote 0
andykim said:
Can you be myco pilot 🤣
Click to expand...

Confession time.

I am a terrible co pilot. I doze off within a couple of miles. What I was describing there was how Mrs DDJC co pilots me!!

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
On a serious note which insurance are you claiming off? Vehicle or holiday? Also, for instance, does your wife have her driving glasses? Cough cough.
 
Upvote 0
Glenowen said:
Can anyone provide sound advice, please?

We are motorhoming on Ile de Re at the moment and I have had an accident - not in the vehicle - where I have broken my arm, which is now in plaster. The insurance company are refusing to repatriate the vehicle to the UK on the grounds that my wife is entered on the policy as a driver, although she has never driven it - we only acquied it last year - and is extremely reluctant to do so now, for the first time, in France.

Does anyone know roughly how much it would cost to repatriate a small MH from Western France to Northern England? And recommend a particular company?

Our only other feasible solution is to find a storage site on Ile de Re, fly home to England and then for me to return to Ile de Re, in 5 or 6 weeks, when my injury has healed and plaster cast removed to retrieve the MH. My initial online search for a storage site on the Ile has drawn a blank, so any recommendations or advice would be very much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately people don’t realise when they are applying for insurance and automatically put spouse as a named driver. Unless the Spouse intends to drive the vehicle don’t put their name on the policy, and it costs more.
 
Upvote 0
Landy Andy said:
Id drive It home. Broken arm or not. Even if manual and it’s your left arm there are two drivers so assistance is available.
Click to expand...
Dodgy - if you were to have an accident you’re insurance wouldn’t cover you as they’d argue that you couldn’t be in full control of the vehicle.
 
Upvote 0
Landy Andy said:
Id drive It home. Broken arm or not. Even if manual and it’s your left arm there are two drivers so assistance is available.
Click to expand...
Not legal so no insurance cover.

yodeli said:
So you already said to your insurance that your wife was with you I presume.
If so, is it not a lesson to learn for those who have their wife as a driver on their policy? I bet that they would have taken tbe van, had they thought you were alone!
Click to expand...
No, they'd have turned up, discovered his wife was there and refused to take it and billed him for the privilege of an aborted recovery.

Stealaway said:
Can you not possibly drive - even with a broken arm?
Click to expand...
Not legal.

Stealaway said:
Lot's of Invalids drive with various faulty limbs drive every day.
Some even installing a very commy steering wheel knob to help.
Click to expand...
Yes but they will have had to prove they were safe to do so.
 
Upvote 0
dawsey said:
There’s an English owned campsite 2hr from il de re in Airvault. He offers low cost storage.
Click to expand...
The insurance company won't likely cover the MH when unattended for more than 48 hours so unless they agreed it would be very risky.
 
Upvote 0
We had a problem many years ago, hubby was unable to drive (2ns degree sunburn) and I had to drive our 7.23m MH back from Millau even though I was also not totally fit (severe sunburn), I hadn't driven it at all and never driven abroad but I just took my time and did it gradually over 5 days, no problem at all and quickly got used to it. Didn't use toll roads but free motorways when available.
 
Upvote 0
Minxy said:
Not legal so no insurance cover.


Not legal.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't know if legal or not but would be interested in seeing any specific case law / legislation supporting these statement.
I suspect each case would be different depending on type of break , medical advice and insurance company accepting the risk.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
Minxy said:
Not legal so no insurance cover.


No, they'd have turned up, discovered his wife was there and refused to take it and billed him for the privilege of an aborted recovery.


Not legal.


Yes but they will have had to prove they were safe to do so.
Click to expand...
Well.... This is where I would have used the plane or train. You can't put a MoHo in a plane but the wife yes. And it would have cost much less than all this hassle. She could also have been "in Brittany, waiting for her dear husband after having spent some time with friends in the area, hence she could not drive the MoHo". Indeed, there are ways to have what you deserve when you pay for a recovery, but may be it's just me being French .... If really anxious, just the missus in a plane straight back home , end of story... no?
 
Upvote 0
Howard B said:
I wouldn't know if legal or not but would be interested in seeing any specific case law / legislation supporting these statement.
I suspect each case would be different depending on type of break , medical advice and insurance company accepting the risk.
Click to expand...
I think having phoned the insurance company and said you were unfit to drive if you had an accident because your wife didn't want to drive it would be pretty difficult to say actually I was fine!
 
Upvote 0
Howard B said:
I wouldn't know if legal or not but would be interested in seeing any specific case law / legislation supporting these statement.
I suspect each case would be different depending on type of break , medical advice and insurance company accepting the risk.
Click to expand...
When I fractured my shoulder last year I was told if I drive I would invalidate my insurance!
 
Upvote 0
yodeli said:
Well.... This is where I would have used the plane or train. You can't put a MoHo in a plane but the wife yes. And it would have cost much less than all this hassle. She could also have been "in Brittany, waiting for her dear husband after having spent some time with friends in the area, hence she could not drive the MoHo". Indeed, there are ways to have what you deserve when you pay for a recovery, but may be it's just me being French .... If really anxious, just the missus in a plane straight back home , end of story... no?
Click to expand...
I think you'd have to know before they asked the question how many people there were or if she was present. I think once the op had asked the question whether they would recover the vehicle and the two of them it was too late
 
Upvote 1
The Wino said:
I think you'd have to know before they asked the question how many people there were or if she was present. I think once the op had asked the question whether they would recover the vehicle and the two of them it was too late
Click to expand...
Yes deffo! This is why I said in my first post on this thread that it was a lesson to learn for the future. Of course for the OP it's too late

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
Is there a genuine reason she can’t drive it ?

ie clutch too heavy, can’t reach the pedals etc, or is it just confidence ?

If so, maybe a gentle try out on a deserted road or supermarket car park, with you alongside ? I’d wager that confidence would come quick. Then a bit of a practise up and down quiet roads.

Once confidence is there, take the autoroutes (wide, straight) stick to 90 kph and sit behind a truck. No roundabouts lights odd road rules or junctions, just a straight run to the port with you navigating and paying the tolls. Once she gets the hang of slowly sliding through the toll booth she’d be fine.
 
Upvote 0

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top