Is There a Cover Up?

towing 1

On our last DVD trip we travelled straight up the centre of Australia to Alice Springs, then kept on going to Darwin before turning around and hanging a left to Outback Queensland. A trip like that is considered by many vanners to be the trip of a lifetime and I know a lot of us make the pilgrimage at least once every couple of years – I know I certainly do!

However, what we may be doing is failing to recognise the huge distances involved, temperature changes and the effect these factors may have on our RV’s and tow vehicles.

I’ve got to admit that despite towing tens of thousands of kilometres per year I’d forgotten to check that my roadside assistance package was the same as when I started to pay for it more than 25 years ago. I’d assumed that I was covered for extensive towing, hire car assistance, accommodation and having my rig towed back to my home, no matter where I broke down, as long as I was more than 100km from my place of residence.

So it came as quite a shock to discover that there is now a capped amount applied to the top cover roadside assistance.

I shared in the dismay of a close friend who broke down outside Darwin and had to have his tow vehicle and van transported back to NSW. He was told there was a cap of $3,000 applied. Meaning he had to foot the rest of the bill! He ended up paying upwards of $7,000 to get himself, his van and rig home safely – his trip was ruined.

Of course, I’m not saying that roadside assistance isn’t worth paying for, but I am saying everyone needs to examine their policies carefully, to make sure that they’re covered in an emergency. It’s devastating to think that you could spend months saving and budgeting for your dream trip, only to break down and have to spend your precious travel dollars getting yourself back home.

Before hitting the road, every caravanner should be examining their policies with a fine tooth comb, to ensure they don’t get hit with a crippling bill. Be sure to pay particular attention to what they’ll cover in worst case scenarios.

Have you been caught out? What do you think about this issue? Email me [email protected]