Lesson learned re trailer breakdown cover (UK)

[chrisbitz]

I get breakdown cover free with my Admiral car insurance, and to be safe, I called them to check that my boat trailer was covered. The lady on the end of the phone said yes, as long as it's under 23feet long.

A while later, the wheel went wobbly on my boat trailer, and we pulled over immediately and called breakdown.

Unfortunately, it turned out at 11:30 PM that the trailer was covered if the car broke down, but if the trailer breaks down, it's chargeable.

The cost worked out at about £90 callout, and £1.50 per mile each way. totalling about £177!

As a side note, my maximum wheel distance on the trailer was 7'5" and the maximum their car trailers can handle was 7'3", so the first flatbed that came, had to go away, and another one sent. We finally got home at 06:30. :-(

After a few days mulling it over, I realised that I wasn't being unfair in thinking that I did specifically call the insurance company to check that the trailer was covered and was told "yes".. and not "yes, but..."

So I called Admiral complaints line, and explained everything, and the lady couldn't have been nicer - she went away to listen to my original phone call, and said that she had no problem refunding my full £177! RESULT!

Also I've managed to buy some offset wheels for the trailer, to reduce the width from 7'5" to 7'2". so now it should fit on normal flatbed trailers.

Finally, does anyone know a breakdown service that DOES cover trailer breakdowns fully?

 

[skipper681]

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[ProDave]

I think Green Flag is the only one that covers a trailer breakdown.

Years ago when I bothered insuring my caravan, and bothered being a member of the caravan club, I had the Caravan Club's Mayday breakdown insurance through Green Flag. They made a big thing about the fact it would cover an actual breakdown of the caravan where most others will only tow the trailer if your car breaks down.

I'm currently with the RAC (because it's effectively free, bought each year with Tesco clubcard vouchers) and I know that doesn't cover a breakdown of the trailer. If that happened to me, I would borrow a friends flatbed trailer and winch my boat trailer onto that to get it home.

Good point about checking the weel width. I'll measure mine tomorrow.

 

[timmeo]

I've never had any problems with the AA and trailers. On the first occasion I was towing a keel on a flat bed trailer which had a blowout (I foolishly didn't have a spare). The trailer was recovered and taken the 200 miles home. Second time I had a wheel bearing go on a RIB trailer. This too was recovered and eventually (after a lot of faff) ended up back at home.

The caravan club also offer a package through Green flag which covers trailers, but as mentioned, I've never had any issues with the AA.

 

[LittleSister]

I had a boat trailer breakdown when I was collecting it following purchase. I rang the AA and a contractor arrived with a breakdown truck. He wanted me to sign something to say I'd pay for it, but I refused, mistakenly thinking that the trailer was covered by my AA membership (I later checked and found it wasn't). He wasn't very happy, but loaded up the trailer on the truck anyway, and we went in convoy to my home. I never heard any more about it.

 

[winsbury]

I fell foul of this myself - extensive thread here:

http://wayfarer.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1273&hilit=rac#p7575

 

[Chalker]

The AA picked up our trailer when. Wheel fll off.

Classic, wheel came past us, bounced across the motorway, the central barrier and the other 3 lanes!!!

 

[SteveTibbetts]

The AA picked up our trailer when. Wheel fll off.

Classic, wheel came past us, bounced across the motorway, the central barrier and the other 3 lanes!!!

That's not 'classic', That's very scary

 

[prv]

So I called Admiral complaints line, and explained everything, and the lady couldn't have been nicer - she went away to listen to my original phone call, and said that she had no problem refunding my full £177! RESULT!

I'm with Admiral. That's very good to hear. Normally you assume that if some numpty in the callcentre tells you something incorrect, you have no real comeback unless you're in the habit of recording calls yourself.

Pete

 

[seumask]

Beaware of ofsetting the wheels and the effect that it may have on the trailer wheel bearings if you havent changed the bearings to go with the change in offset

 

[Hadenough]

I'm currently with the RAC (because it's effectively free, bought each year with Tesco clubcard vouchers) and I know that doesn't cover a breakdown of the trailer. If that happened to me, I would borrow a friends flatbed trailer and winch my boat trailer onto that to get it home

Interesting that because I do the same with the Tesco club card vouchers and RAC. When I phoned to check before towing an Ebay bargain RIB home I was told that the trailer was covered! Luckily I didn't need them!

 

[S2Jimlad]

I have an RAC policy through camping and caravanning club and my trailer is definitely covered. I had a lengthy discussion with them before I took it out! Not badly priced either but I suppose when you add on the C&CC membership fee...............

 

[Hadenough]

I have an RAC policy through camping and caravanning club and my trailer is definitely covered. I had a lengthy discussion with them before I took it out!..

But the point is that "discussions", usually with a help desk, don't seem to agree with their actual terms and conditions and apparently not with what the guy at the sharp end thinks. Reckon I'll get email confirmation next time and carry a printout with me. Hey! isn't that what we used to do before the Internet

 

[Jim@sea]

Trailer Breakdown

I get breakdown cover free with my Admiral car insurance, and to be safe, I called them to check that my boat trailer was covered. The lady on the end of the phone said yes, as long as it's under 23feet long.
Finally, does anyone know a breakdown service that DOES cover trailer breakdowns fully?

I also called Admiral and the Breakdown Service that I use.
They both said 23ft. My trailer is 22' 6" providing I push in the 3ft extending rods which extend past the rudder and I fix the Trailer Board to.

But thats not the real problem. Trailers can usually be fixed at the roadside, its usually a tyre or a wheel bearing. (I always carry a wheel bearing kit)
The real problem is if your car breaks down. The breakdown service said that they will only tow the trailer 10 miles. Their priority is the car. So your boat, which could be worth more than your car is towed to any location of your choice, providing it is with 10 miles, is then left (abandoned is a better word) while they deal with your car.
Say you then had the boat stolen, can you imagain the conversation with the insurance company "You left it where ?" My boat insurance company has allready asked where the boat is parked when not in use. Being left at a Motorway services would to me mean that you have invalidated your insurance.
PS. I did work for the RAC although I was doing Insurance work for AVIVA.

Aparrently with the RAC after 10 miles its £2 a mile.

 

[Lakesailor]

A spare hub with bearings already fitted is probably less than £20. You need a spare wheel anyway.
Provided you check your bearings before each trip (quick jack-up and check wheel wobble and check noise when spinning) you should never have problems, but with a spare hub only a torn-off stub axle should leave you at the mercy of recovery charges.

 

[mlines]

I am with Brittania Rescue and they recover trailers ok.

They will recover you to either a trailer depot or your destination.

They will not really attempt a roadside repair (too dangerous for the agent)

 

[Hadenough]

A spare hub with bearings already fitted is probably less than £20. You need a spare wheel anyway.
Provided you check your bearings before each trip (quick jack-up and check wheel wobble and check noise when spinning) you should never have problems, but with a spare hub only a torn-off stub axle should leave you at the mercy of recovery charges.

Agreed and I do all of that. In fact I have had my bearing kit tin (unused happily) for years. The main reason I want recovery is in the event of accident damage, perish the thought

 

[BAtoo]

I'm with the AA. Had two trailer breakdowns over the last 5 yrs & both been covered including trailer recovery to home or to destination (both my choice) - "Gold Memebership" (ie I pay a lot... )

 

[chrisbitz]

Beaware of ofsetting the wheels and the effect that it may have on the trailer wheel bearings if you havent changed the bearings to go with the change in offset

Could you be more specific? I'm aware that offset will change loadings by an amount, but I'm not aware of any offset wheel bearings, or different flavour wheel bearings?

My assumption is that the wheelbearings for a particular hub are the same whether it's a 3ton suspension unit or a 500kg unit, and they're all fairly over-rated for their workload?

Can you get different rated wheelbearings?

 

[Lakesailor]

The water dunking will trash the bearings long before any slight extra loading from a change of offset. Usually trailers using offset wheels use an extended stub axle which prevents the inner rim touching the suspension arm or trailer chassis. This increases the load on bearings, by design.