You couldn't make it up, disaster trip 2024

[chaser]

Have I missed it? Is the van fixed and home!

No.

 

[Lenny HB]

Same here, I'm thinking they would have some power over the local garage to get it in but who knows and hopefully we'll never find out.

Hopefully they would take it straight to a Fiat Professional dealer.

 

[Northernraider]

No.

I know you like to keep your word Charlie but not at the expense of the savings. I'd just have it recovered now and sort it here

 

[Figaro]

Have I missed it? Is the van fixed and home!

Keep up at the back

Chasers home but van still in France at the garage

 

[MichaelT]

Hopefully they would take it straight to a Fiat Professional dealer.

That's what I meant but if they are busy it may just sit in their yard.

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[Sleeveless]

Camped out overnight on the forecourt of a Renault dealership in Epinal , changing my own EGR valve after recovery agent told us no garages could look at it for "at least 3 weeks" , luckily I had code reader and a few tools onboard.

 

[Flairy]

The nice man in Belguim made our breakdown most bearable him and his wife treated us like family, he was the owner of 9 large breakdowntrucks Scania etc and all his staff were on holiday,his wife drove the second truck with the large flashing arrow to move vehicles over,he wouldn’t allow our dog in his cab for the recovery to his garage so she stayed in the motorhome ,which is hers anyway.it was a it difficult for sue getting up into the cab with her summer dress but otherwise all went well ,thankyou saga and thankyou Belguim breakdown man and his wife.

 

[Figaro]

Hopefully they would take it straight to a Fiat Professional dealer.

Is that a good thing ?

 

[chaser]

I know you like to keep your word Charlie but not at the expense of the savings. I'd just have it recovered now and sort it here

If it's done there now for around 5 grand LV are going to pay my lads air fare to fetch it back so saving 2 grand in lorries to fetch it back plus hopefully it will be done and not want doing when it gets home.
Works out pretty much the same.

 

[Wanders from Glos]

This experience and others is even making me nervous about going abroad again. Imagine this with 4 dogs and no house to be returned too

It will probably be five dogs time you get back

On a serious note, I saw something about the Foreign Office changing its advice on travelling to Morocco due to the fighting in the Middle East and the risk of terrorist attack. Don’t know if it’s true but thought I should flag it up to you.

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[Flairy]

Is that a good thing ?

I’ve only had good experience with Fiat Commercial

 

[chaser]

Julie had a message, apparently the van is done.

 

[Lenny HB]

Is that a good thing ?

Better than the alternative.

 

[Northernraider]

It will probably be five dogs time you get back

On a serious note, I saw something about the Foreign Office changing its advice on travelling to Morocco due to the fighting in the Middle East and the risk of terrorist attack. Don’t know if it’s true but thought I should flag it up to you.

There will be no more dogs that is a definite. Blu will hopefully calm down over the next year ( she is 1 year old today ) but she is a handful, loveable but a bloody handful and she makes it very hard work to walk 4, so definitely no more. Besides if she lives to be 10-15 ill be in my sixties. That's enough for now.

Hadn't seen that about morroco but I never see or hear the news as its never good.

But there's a risk of terror attacks anywhere at anytime really so it wouldn't put me off.

I want my bumper painted lol

 

[Northernraider]

I’ve only had good experience with Fiat CommercialView attachment 958472

That's an n&b in the background

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[tezza-alli]

Reading this with interest as we broke down in France last Sunday with our Iveco based van which is still in France waiting to be brought home in about 15 working days.

I'm certain its the flexplate between the engine and torque converter, both certainly buggered(horrendous noise), hoping 8zf is ok!
I've now been told that the part is a Reactive recall and Iveco only do this if it breaks Apparently some flexplates had the shims spot welded at the factory which caused a weakness in the metal, they now supply them as separate parts!

I'd missed the post on Fun that advised of this possible fault and Steve Greenhalgh said he had told me but I obviously hadn't listened!
I had prepared the van well for the trip and would have been a fairly easy check if I'd known to inspect!

Insured with NFU and breakdown with RAC Arrival.

My advise to others is be very careful how you describe what happened to the breakdown and insurance companies, one wrong word and they'll try to get out of paying. It became a living nightmare!!
Fortunately the French recovery company Garage Vin Depannage got things sorted for us.

Also make sure the phones are fully charged at all times as you will be reliant on them, lost count of how many calls we had to make!

Looking forward to getting it back home but not looking forward to the bill. Our roads are too small for an Arctic with the motorhome on top so it will have to be taken to a commercial yard

Its made me question whether I ever want to go abroad again.

 

[Northernraider]

Better than the alternative.

Personally I want a wee back street garage with a knowledgeable get things done mechanic that's willing to fit second hand parts lol.

5 grand for a gearbox would have me greetin lol.
Especially as there's probably hundreds of not thousands of workvans in breakers yards with perfectly good ones.

 

[Red Sonja]

See the other thread about LV not insuring motorhome anymore

Breakdown Insurance is separate. I have LV European cover on our Van and car and also personal cover for the two of us. Just got my renewal in today. £288.

 

[Lenny HB]

5 grand for a gearbox would have me greetin lol.

That would only be the deposit on a modern gearbox.

Personally I want a wee back street garage with a knowledgeable get things done mechanic that's willing to fit second hand parts lol.

Trouble is they haven't got the equipment to handle all the modern electronics.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Julie had a message, apparently the van is done.

Good news. Do you now have a final cost for the repair?

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[chaser]

Good news. Do you now have a final cost for the repair?

Not yet but I have another question now , what is the best way of paying up to 5 grand euros bill in France?

 

[Northernraider]

That would only be the deposit on a modern gearbox.

Trouble is they haven't got the equipment to handle all the modern electronics.

Aye with a new van you want a garage with all the bells and whistles. Hopefully warranty covers most of it.

But with older motors like mine and Charlie's where second hand parts are usually available then big garages are a nightmare as they want to fit new parts.

So much for the world being greener and recycling etc.

 

[Northernraider]

Not yet but I have another question now , what is the best way of paying up to 5 grand euros bill in France?

Slowly



Lol

 

[chaser]

Reading this with interest as we broke down in France last Sunday with our Iveco based van which is still in France waiting to be brought home in about 15 working days.

I'm certain its the flexplate between the engine and torque converter, both certainly buggered(horrendous noise), hoping 8zf is ok!
I've now been told that the part is a Reactive recall and Iveco only do this if it breaks Apparently some flexplates had the shims spot welded at the factory which caused a weakness in the metal, they now supply them as separate parts!

I'd missed the post on Fun that advised of this possible fault and Steve Greenhalgh said he had told me but I obviously hadn't listened!
I had prepared the van well for the trip and would have been a fairly easy check if I'd known to inspect!

Insured with NFU and breakdown with RAC Arrival.

My advise to others is be very careful how you describe what happened to the breakdown and insurance companies, one wrong word and they'll try to get out of paying. It became a living nightmare!!
Fortunately the French recovery company Garage Vin Depannage got things sorted for us.

Also make sure the phones are fully charged at all times as you will be reliant on them, lost count of how many calls we had to make!

Looking forward to getting it back home but not looking forward to the bill. Our roads are too small for an Arctic with the motorhome on top so it will have to be taken to a commercial yard

Its made me question whether I ever want to go abroad again.

That is very interesting reading, as I have said LV never tried to get out of anything , no questions about services or anything just kept doing stuff for us, I still, when I think back can not believe the quality of their care.
They must have been dealing with hundreds of others and yet every time we contacted them they knew what was happening with our van.

 

[Lenny HB]

Slowly



Lol

Revolut, you can it like a bank account to make transfers, only 1000 before charges on the free account but unlimited on the paying accounts just upgrade to a paying one for a month then downgrade.

For a small amount like 5k hard to beat their exchange rates.

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[tezza-alli]

That would only be the deposit on a modern gearbox.

Trouble is they haven't got the equipment to handle all the modern electronics.

Some good small workshops will have the knowledge but there equipment won't read the faults correctly like the dealer systems and I'm sure the manufacturers make it impossible for others to get accurate info from the vehicle as I've found in the past.

 

[tezza-alli]

That is very interesting reading, as I have said LV never tried to get out of anything , no questions about services or anything just kept doing stuff for us, I still, when I think back can not believe the quality of their care.
They must have been dealing with hundreds of others and yet every time we contacted them they knew what was happening with our van.

I had to change our breakdown from SAGA this year as they no longer do just breakdown. I tried LV but I think they didn't cover our size and weight. Caravan club went up to 6.5ton but ours is gross 6.7. So that's why i went with camping and caravan Club.
It all seems to be going well now fortunately.

 

[chaser]

Revolut, you can it like a bank account to make transfers, only 1000 before charges on the free account but unlimited on the paying accounts just upgrade to a paying one for a month then downgrade.

For a small amount like 5k hard to beat their exchange rates.

Just been having a bit of a Google around and apparently I can pay it directly out of my Lloyds account, if the bill is 4600 euros it will be £4000 , sounds good to me.

 

[Langtoftlad]

what is the best way of paying up to 5 grand euros bill in France?

Have you got a bank account or credit/debit card that converts £ to € for no fee, no commission & base exchange rate?
I just saved myself £300 on a £5k bill by using this option rather than using the retailer's exchange rate.

If not, I'd quickly set up something like a Chase bank account [not a typo], can all be done online.
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/compare-best-bank-accounts/#chase

Paying by a credit card also gives you protection should you need it [if the work hasn't been done properly]

 

[tezza-alli]

Aye with a new van you want a garage with all the bells and whistles. Hopefully warranty covers most of it.

But with older motors like mine and Charlie's where second hand parts are usually available then big garages are a nightmare as they want to fit new parts.

So much for the world being greener and recycling etc.

Far too much tech on new vans. can't beat something older that you can diagnose yourself.

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