You just never know what you are going to get with breakdown companies. Especially in a motorhome. The AA and the RAC are just set up for cars and small vans. Anything bigger, they subcontract to a local, and they can vary from awesome to awful.
I know that ADAC have a great reputation, and I have heard more good stories about them than bad, but if you are usually in the UK I think it just adds an extra layer of complexity. However they do seem to be good if you are touring europe. I was once with a couple in Morocco in a van who had terrible problems, and I remember the service and support they got from ADAC in Germany was awesome.
Quite a few owners in the UK, myself included, use Britannia, which is also known as LV. Having had problems with size in the past, I have always checked with them that size isn't a problem, by clearly asking for confirmation on the phone - they record everything, and I have never had a problem. The last time I needed a recovery they sent out a 20 tonner! They also appear to me to have a decent control room and reasonably well trained staff.
I am also not a fan of breakdown cover that is bundled with insurance. Quite often the cover is inadequate or size restricted, and also there can be problems of communication - there is often an extra layer of people from the insurance company claims office between you and the breakdown company. All the insurance companies ever do is just do a deal with a breakdown company and take a commission off the top. However I do accept that some bundled deals are very attractive, especially for 3.5 ton vans.
I was with Saga for years, and although they got there in the end, I do remember occasions where it took a while to even identify myself as a policy holder, before they even took the details of the breakdown. With Britannia, they don't care who you are insured with, you just give them your number and away you go.
Other things to remember are that some bundle deals have age restrictions, so it is absolutely important when setting up or renewing cover that you clearly state the size and weight and age of the van, and also check how many days abroad you are allowed if that is important to you.
I know that ADAC have a great reputation, and I have heard more good stories about them than bad, but if you are usually in the UK I think it just adds an extra layer of complexity. However they do seem to be good if you are touring europe. I was once with a couple in Morocco in a van who had terrible problems, and I remember the service and support they got from ADAC in Germany was awesome.
Quite a few owners in the UK, myself included, use Britannia, which is also known as LV. Having had problems with size in the past, I have always checked with them that size isn't a problem, by clearly asking for confirmation on the phone - they record everything, and I have never had a problem. The last time I needed a recovery they sent out a 20 tonner! They also appear to me to have a decent control room and reasonably well trained staff.
I am also not a fan of breakdown cover that is bundled with insurance. Quite often the cover is inadequate or size restricted, and also there can be problems of communication - there is often an extra layer of people from the insurance company claims office between you and the breakdown company. All the insurance companies ever do is just do a deal with a breakdown company and take a commission off the top. However I do accept that some bundled deals are very attractive, especially for 3.5 ton vans.
I was with Saga for years, and although they got there in the end, I do remember occasions where it took a while to even identify myself as a policy holder, before they even took the details of the breakdown. With Britannia, they don't care who you are insured with, you just give them your number and away you go.
Other things to remember are that some bundle deals have age restrictions, so it is absolutely important when setting up or renewing cover that you clearly state the size and weight and age of the van, and also check how many days abroad you are allowed if that is important to you.
After years with Saga I decided that I could do a lot better elsewhere. I ended up insuring both my car and my van with the local NFU office, and I arranged my own breakdown cover with Britannia. The total is about £300 a year, and they haven't asked for an increase for 3 years. From what I have seen from the experiences of others, £300 a year for breakdown and insurance is about average for an old Hymer.
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