HELP - Need a car transporter or LWB Frontera for hire?

[Teen]

Hi everyone,

So I'm currently broken down in North Italy with my car, my fuel pump has apparently gone and the local Opel garage want to charge a fortune of 3000euros to fix it. I've looked at many options, and my question here is - does anyone have a self drive car transporter which my Dad in Kent could hire to come and rescue me? We've looked into trailers but his little car couldn't tow mine, and also we've looked into typical car hire companies and they will not allow towing. He's been an experienced JCB and Lorry driver all his life. Alternatively we need to find a LWB 4x4 to hire like mine which can handle my car on a hired trailer...

Any help would be appreciated..

Tina

[BadBoy]

I assume you have spoken to the AA or RAC?
Even though you may not be a current member they may still help you if you join.

Worth a shot, and will be much cheaper. Might take a few days to get you home though.

[MG Autos (Mark)]

There are company's out there like this one http://transporterhire.co.uk/?gclid=CNT ... tAodC24AuQ that will rent you a transporter but they are quite expensive and you have the issue that most transporters can only take a load of around 1.5 tons which won't be of any use for the Fronty.
The other problem is that most trailer company's wont let you take the trailer out of the UK so that in itself may be an issue.

You could try a transport broker such as http://www.shiply.com/ and see what quotes you get ? There are a lot firms that transport across Europe so you may get lucky and find someone wants a return load ?

[Retro Pedro]

Been a few years since I've addressed driving overseas insurance, but how do you stand with your own insurance company? Did you take out additional continental cover - what used to be termed 'green card'.
That said, I remember having a conversation with a European breakdown recovery agent for the Fronty and he quoted me that if the cost of the recovery was more than the value of the car, they would write it off rather than pay for the recovery.
As your dad tried Trident trailers in Maidstone. They used to have both a Land Rover 90 and Discovery to hire out with their car trailers. Both have a combined towing capacity of 3.5 tonne which suffice for your needs. As Mark said, whether they will let them go abroad is another matter. Even if they do, time you've paid for the channel crossing, fuel and toll roads the costs will stack.
There is another option but don't tell them that I said so.

[snapper]

Source a replacement pump, put it in the post. Buy some spanners locally. Fix car, drive home....

[RatCav]

Not as easy as that snapper :

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=53476&p=574865#p574865

[FronteraGirl]

Couldn't the car just be towed with another 4x4 or is towing illegal in different countries?

[Teen]

Thanks for all of your comments

Not sure about getting towed by another 4x4, as it's a 13 hour drive at speed limit as it is, much longer at whatever the lower towing speed is here from Italy and through France to get back to Kent. To top it off, I now have a broken wrist from a snowboarding accident! So would be a bit tough on me to do the tow combo. True the costs of my dad coming all the way out here will stack, and yes have come across the problem of international hire - Seymour Hire for example have a 4x4 + trailer, but not covered abroad. Will keep searching though thanks for the recommendations.

I had euro cover when I came out to Italy in Dec, but when my policy renewed in Jan little to my knowledge my euro cover didn't as my car was then more than 10 years old and they don't cover cars more than 10 years old. I argued this out with them as wasn't told but they just said there is nothing they can do now anyway as the car is too old. And unfortunately I only found this out after I called after it had broken down. And their recovery company Call Assist wanted to charge £2500 to repatriate me home! I just assumed non-member AA or RAC would be about the same?

Will look into those transporter companies thanks everyone - I was told of a company called Eclipse just yesterday, they're based in Canterbury so have sent them an email.

Also been on the case trying to find a second hand pump with help and advice from other members on here, as well as Vauxhall Canterbury helping, but not found a second hand one. But through Mark's advice have found a company who can send a new one (BBA Reman) but at a cost of £1600 + vat and shipping though. Also Diesel Bob is waiting to hear back from Bosch to help me, but potentially at a lower cost. Update after the easter weekend though...

Really appreciate everyone's input

[snapper]

What are the rules in respect to an 'A' bar? You would after all be recovering the vehicle so it may be allowed. As for the drive back, do it in nice easy stages and call it a holiday!

Bit like getting recovered from top end of Denmark in a dead LWB FFR Rover by a Fallingbostel REME L/R back in the day. To say it was a slow trip home would be an understatment! It took em 3 days just to get there once the w/e duty recovery bod remembered late monday that there was recovery still to do somewhere up north (I broke it on the Sat morning having just dropped some kit off to a adventure training yacht).

[Teen]

Not sure on A-Bar rules, but would have to source a 4x4 to hire abroad still?

Sounds like that was a mission home, but at least you could just hit the water on your yacht meanwhile

[snapper]

No, they legged it off to Norway. Having dropped off the rations and me swapping with the driver who was going to skipper the next leg of the trip (I had skippered the yacht on the last two legs to get it there), the plan was for me to drive back to Neinburg in the rover. I got about 3 miles out of the port to discover that the noise the other guy had reported was in fact the engine giving up, what with steam, smoke, nasty crunchy noises etc I finally killed it doing that last couple of miles to the Danish equivilant of a schnelli (Schnellimbiss). I mean, back then if yer gonna brake down in a military vehicle you did have a duty to do it with a mediocre of style and comfort. Fally recovery werent exactly known for a quick effective response at the best of times.

[Teen]

Really lol. what a crazy adventure it seems

So after some spreadsheet calcs, I might end up dumping my car here in Italy and see if Opel want to take it for parts.. because even if I fly home and ship my stuff, then buy a cheap run around for £1000 or less for 2 months and sell it on before my plans to go to Australia, I potentially end up with the same amount of money in my pocket as I would with the hastle of spending my money on a £1600 pump + labour and road tax and MOT costs going into excess of £2000 then just selling it anyway. Will be gutting to leave it but need to be realistic..

Looking on the DVLA site on what the procedure is for leaving a car abroad but can't find anything...

[FronteraGirl]

Pity there isn't an Italian Owners branch of this forum poor old Fronty, but hopefully you'll get back home safe and sound and as you say, won't be any worse off for the experience!