We decided to stop at a friends place in Currumbin Valley at the back of the gold coast, they have a beautiful piece of Australia. The drive way is long, up hill and we just fit with the ability to park and turn at the top but its tight.
We had spent a lovely first night with them and as we where leaving the next day Pete decided to check water and oil. This is when disaster struck. There was a large amount of black stuff coming from the water reserve. Now i am not going to get to technical cos lets face it i didn't even now what a water reserve was!! but the up shot is we needed to use our RACV total Care for help.
They sent a service car being from the RACQ and they where there in about an hour (which i thought was good since it was about a 30 min drive to get to us) The nice guy confirmed we where a four letter word and would need to be towed. :o
Back on the phone to Total Care, then asked if we where fine for the night and we said that yes we could stay where we were (as it was already 4pm). they asked us to call back in the morning when we got up and where ready for a tow.
Thinking the worst i asked what if the motor has blowed up and the lovely lady assured me that if our car cant be fixed they would ensure that we all, car, van, Pete and I as well as out little dog would be returned to our home address in Victoria.
This was a load of my mind as i was imagining the worst, as i do.
The next day they organised a tow truck to pick us, the car and the van up (not an easy recovery due to the driveway) deliver us to a caravan park in Tweed Heads, the car to be taken to the Holden Dealership and a hire car for us until we know more!!!
As it turns our the oil pump had failed which means that 20 old hoses and other bits and bobs need to be replace, this will take about a week, we rang total care with an update, they where great within an hour then got back to us, we where booked into our C/P for another week and Car hire extended. All this was paid directly for by RACV, we have not been one cent out of pocket other than the repair cost to our car.
Now if this is not the best service and a reason to have total care i don't know what is!!!
I believe they ALL give that cover. RACQ do too.
and anybody that tours. With or without a van would be a fool NOT to have it.
Cheap insurance has nothing on it.
Even a decrepit old rig. can't be left on side of road.
This gets you back to base.
The RACV do some great work. A few years ago we were camped out in the bush by ourselves with our camper trailer in Terrick Terrick National Park VIC. We had a flat battery. We had one bar of phone reception to ring them. A guy from Serpentine came & jump started our car. Not only that but he left the jump starter with us just in case we needed it when we packed up camp the next day (he had two of them). He simply told us to drop it off at the general store at nearby Dingie. Service over & above we reckon! We have Total Care too.
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Cheers Keith & Judy
Don't take life too seriously, it never ends well.
Trip Reports posted on feathersandphotos.com.au Go to Forums then Trip Reports.
Yep, agree with that totally.
Had very much the same thing happen to us in Nth Qld.
RACQ Ultimate Care did the same thing for us.
They even got a new customer as our friends. Who were travelling with us.
Saw what RACQ did for us and joined up.
As they say, Don't Leave Home without it
Yes most of the state bodies now provide the good service. We had our big tug and van tow in WA courtesy of NRMA 10 years ago. They arranged the tow from Morowa to Perth.
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PeterD Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top Retired radio and electronics technician. NSW Central Coast.
Aren't they brilliant, we had to use our RACQ ultimate once when the alternator died outside Rockhampton. We were towed to a van park of our choice paid for by RACQ and a taxi provided to pick up our Prado when repaired. Pays for itself, very cheap insurance and great customer service.