Anyone own a towing car?

[Orta]

Hi all,

Basically for those who don't know the wife and I had a once in a lifetime trip motoring around Europe. We took in Paris, Monaco, Venice, vienna, Munich and Berlin before returning home. 

Unfortunately 3 days into the trip the 206 broke down near Lempdes in France (about half the way down the country just west from Lyon). We had RAC European assistance who provided a hire car and we completed our holiday.

Essentially I've killed the turbo. And for the pleasure of fixing it the frogs want to charge me €1500. Now the RAC are refusing to bring the car home (worst customer service every btw I can't stress it enough to avoid RAC like the plague) on some technicality or another from the very small print from their policy. Now I am contesting this but all the while the 206 is still in france.

They've quoted me £959 for me to pay them to bring it home. Now by my calculations it's a 1400-1500 round trip. Midweek euro tunnel prices are £38 each way. Hiring a car transporter trailer for two days is about £100... All I'm lacking is a towing vehicle to get my car home in under £500. 

All the places u can rent a towing car from have 200 mile usage limits (what bloody use that is I don't know). So it's aong shot and really my only way of getting the car home in an affordable manner. Does anyone have a car capable of towing mine home? The 206 weighs about 1100-1200kg. 

I'm willing to part with say £100-200 to borrow it and would injure it fully comp and leave my Rallye/my dad's car as security whilst I'm away in it. I'll be rolling with my dad. Failing that if someone for £200-300 (saving me insuring it) would like a long road trip with me that'd be fine as well. 

It's a big ask and I don't expect anyone to come back to me. If anyone has any other suggestions on getting the car home I'm all ears!

Thanks all.

[Toms306]

Is it worth it? Couldn't you sell it for spares/repairs in France and buy another? Just seems a lot of time and money for a car that will need more money spent on it when it gets back as well.

[Niall]

Its quite a well known thing that european cover will not bring your car home unless its worth a few grand plus. Its not worth it for them!

[Redordead89]

I have a 95k 307 sw110 Hdi 2.0 (65 mpg on Mway in cruise) with a witter towbar but I'm in Glasgow, can't do road trip but do have a second car to use!
307's away getting new matrix and belt and pump kit and I'll have it back by The end of the week!

[cully]

maybe PM jonny999101 as he went through this getting his estate back when that broke down in europe

[tigerstyle]

Find somewhere cheaper to fix it there?
Find a local expat (or expat website) that can help?

[cully]

could always try a quote on shiply you never no your luck

[bigcheez2k3]

Hire a beavertail? Pretty sure that's what Jonny did.

Still pissed I passed on that 'adventure'

[Orta]

Is it worth it?  Couldn't you sell it for spares/repairs in France and buy another?  Just seems a lot of time and money for a car that will need more money spent on it when it gets back as well.

Issue is id only get scrap value for it France side and it has £150 worth of new tyres, £100 worth of spare fuel, clothes, my £300 tent, my £200 roofbox etc.

---

Its quite a well known thing that european cover will not bring your car home unless its worth a few grand plus. Its not worth it for them!

This is incorrect. 1 part of the repatriation decision is Apparently the value of the car has to be more than the cost of bringing it home £959, but less than the value of the repairs £1500.

So if the car were worth a good few 000 it would have to be one hell of a repair bill for them to ever consider bringing it back.

My car is worth in this tiny "goldie locks" zone but they dispute this of course.

---

Find somewhere cheaper to fix it there?
Find a local expat (or expat website) that can help?

They will not release the car to anyone other than me or authorized transporter.

Plus this was the cheapest quote of 3 they got. Its a £100 fix back here, buy a second hand turbo off eBay and I can fit it myself!!

---

Hire a beavertail? Pretty sure that's what Jonny did.

Still pissed I passed on that 'adventure'

They always have mileage limits, or so expensive I might as well pay them to recover

---

could always try a quote on shiply you never no your luck

Never Hesrd of that but will try now

[Redordead89]

How much is a flight to France with a turbo and small tool kit in your hand luggage?

[Orta]

How much is a flight to France with a turbo and small tool kit in your hand luggage?

Haha good thinking. Would need the old man's help.

Just had a quote off shiply for £669!! So waiting for a few more quotes to come in but happy days.

cully I owe u a beer at the next meet ;-)

[cully]

good effort
phone the vendor up before committing they have a review system on there like ebays read up on the vendor

now you wait for the car to turn up you dont go anywhere

[Dum-Dum]

You can borrow my ranger mate. I don't have a passport so you'll have to come and get it. Do you want it now or do you want to wait till the weekend?

I don't have a suitable trailer but you can hire them. I'd have to check the braked towing weight but it's pretty huge. 1.8 tonne unlaiden IIRC Also make sure the trailer brakes work cos the ranger brakes aren't amazing (although it is stopping 2 tonnes on discs the size of a 306 HDi's)

---

Oh and this is who/what jonny used

http://www.abacusvanhire.co.uk/vans/car-transporter/


he got it back in just 24 hours

[Redordead89]

How much is a flight to France with a turbo and small tool kit in your hand luggage?

Haha good thinking. Would need the old man's help.

Just had a quote off shiply for £669!! So waiting for a few more quotes to come in but happy days.

cully I owe u a beer at the next meet ;-)

Send your old man on the plane lo

[306carter]

Put an add on Shiply for it?

[Seb_Ryan]

Funny enough we had someone go to spain for a similar thing last week and im pretty sure its just the flat 45 per day rate.. Although it may be more than the standard 200 quid deposit. But im in south wales

[Toms306]

good effort
phone the vendor up before committing they have a review system on there like ebays read up on the vendor

now you wait for the car to turn up you dont go anywhere

Shiply take a nice lump for themselves as well, you may get it cheaper going direct. I've got a few cards from car transporters in different areas now lol, they always say don't get ripped off by shiply/anyvan.

[mr_fish]

Isn't yours the 1.4HDi, turbo is on front the engine. Pop over with a suitcase full of tools and a spare. bolt on and drive home.

[tigerstyle]

Just for the record, you won't be allowed loads of hand tools in hand luggage. Have to go in the hold.

[Ruan]

Or bang a turbo in the hand luggage and buy tools out there.

Supermarkets over there have bloody Facom in the tools aisle!

Still cheaper than towing it back. If I had the time, I'd go out on a trip with a turbo and replace it and help drive back or whatever, but I don't think I've the time to do it sadly...

[bashbarnard]

I know someone who lives paris way thats fluent in french if you need help translating?

[adam b]

Do you have a towing licence?

[vtec power gt]

How about block off the oil feed to the turbo and just drive with the boost hose off might be a bit slow going once you get back to the UK ring the RAC and say you have broken down again
They really are crap the RAC boss at work broke down in France they arranged a free hire car to take him to the port to come home and then billed him for it he's still fighting it now a year on

[chylledapps]

get yourself something like this and you can have Patti the HDI to get it back http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/1...filiateWin

[Dum-Dum]

Has anyone heard from Orta? He hasn't been online in almost a day and a half.

[stampy_54]

I have access to a trailer more than capable of fitting the 206 on and am willing to go and collect if you can provide me with collection/ delivery details I will get a price together for you

[Orta]

Hi all. Sorry left my phone at work over a day off. Thanks everyone here, especially chris for his ranger offer, but I've managed to sort. Guy on Shipley is doing it for £400, and I can't get it myself for much less than that when I'm in with fuel, crossings etc and at least this way I don't have to take any time off work. Thanks again everyone you've gotten me out of a right jam!!

[bashbarnard]

Glad to see its sorted man.

[Dum-Dum]

Great news buddy.