4th Emergency Service

The prices vary quite a lot but which one do you use? I'm with the AA and I'm wondering how other services would handle the following:-
I had a broken gear lever on a Sunday morning, it seemed at the time that the only solution was to have the van recovered to Danbury but they wouldn't do it immediately, as there would nobody to 'receive' the van at Danbury. I had to go back at 8am on the Monday morning to see the van onto a flat bed recovery truck (they wouldn't do it without me there) so that the recovery truck could arrive during working hours. After a lot of discussion and common sense from 2nd AA man, I was recovered to home and Danbury posted a replacement gear lever for me to fit but it could all have been very different!
I have needed the AA very little apart from this and have been very satisfied for myself.
However, I am also the 2nd insured driver for a disabled friend who has a car via the motability scheme. It broke down and despite her being disabled, her AA didn't arrive for 4 hours and although he got the car going, he didn't find the real fault which was a loose earth strap on the battery, which I found the next day when the fault reappeared!

We use Britannia Rescue. I get a small discount through Unison trade union. We are covered for standard (roadside) rescue and have also taken their personal cover which means both me and my wife are covered in any vehicle we are travelling in, driver or passenger.
I have used them on 3 occassions, and i can not sing their praises highly enough.
On a camping trip to cornwall our turbo went on our very full people carrier. We managed to limp to a garage who could get a new turbo shipped down over night, but we were still 20/30 miles away from the campsite. Britannia picked us up within an hour, along with all of our tents/belongings and took us to the campsite, leaving the car at the garage to be fixed.
On 2 occassions i have needed them while riding a motorcycle, once when i very suddenly developed spinning vision on a motorway (very scarey, and i'm not sure how i didnt die). Britannia collected the bike from the hardshoulder after i had been taken home in an ambulance. Another time they arranged for me and my scooter to be collected and taken to a home town garage after developing an electrical fault, to which they arrived in 30 minutes during the morning rushhour.
I cant testify to their ability to get you going again, as they appear to use local recovery people to come to your aid, but for getting you home they are spot on.

RAC all the way. Been a member since 1984 and they've never let me down. In fact since owning my T2 they've been more than helpful

Malcolm Eales wrote:

The prices vary quite a lot but which one do you use? I'm with the AA and I'm wondering how other services would handle the following:-
I had a broken gear lever on a Sunday morning, it seemed at the time that the only solution was to have the van recovered to Danbury but they wouldn't do it immediately, as there would nobody to 'receive' the van at Danbury. I had to go back at 8am on the Monday morning to see the van onto a flat bed recovery truck (they wouldn't do it without me there) so that the recovery truck could arrive during working hours. After a lot of discussion and common sense from 2nd AA man, I was recovered to home and Danbury posted a replacement gear lever for me to fit but it could all have been very different!
I have needed the AA very little apart from this and have been very satisfied for myself.
However, I am also the 2nd insured driver for a disabled friend who has a car via the motability scheme. It broke down and despite her being disabled, her AA didn't arrive for 4 hours and although he got the car going, he didn't find the real fault which was a loose earth strap on the battery, which I found the next day when the fault reappeared!

Tim, is this the dreaded bent gearstick glitch of Danburys? I wonder whether I should order a spare now!!

Sounds like it is. I'm rather hoping the snapping gearstick is common to later Danbury supplied vehicles. It would be interesting to get a snapshot of model years that have been affected by this problem. It'd also be useful to know how many Danbury have replaced f.o.c as this seems to be a technique issue.

Have heard of this happening before but have not had a problem with this yet, but how easy is it to replace a broken Gear Lever

I know there are bolts at the bottom of the shaft which connect it to the floor, if those bolts are removed does the old lever just lift out? Does the replacement just slot back in?

We are in the AA (not used their services yet), but i dont think that they would be able to access a replacement unless this happens if you are in and around the Bristol area.

Are the parts available from other suppliers other than Danbury?

Dave

I haven't looked into how the stick is replaced but new ones are certainly available from varying suppliers for about £20.

TimV wrote:

I haven't looked into how the stick is replaced but new ones are certainly available from varying suppliers for about £20.

Well I have a long trip abroad planned - so I will need to take a spare due to the metal fatigue causd by Danbury's bending of the orginal LHD one in a vice!! I would luv to know how easy they are to replace, and whether the JK ones will fit

Well why don't you fit a new one anyway and do a how-to with photos so we can all see how it's done? That way you won't worry about it happening in an inconvenient location.

TimV wrote:

Well why don't you fit a new one anyway and do a how-to with photos so we can all see how it's done? That way you won't worry about it happening in an inconvenient location.

If this is a mechanical problem with the gear lever, does anyone understand what the problem really is? Is it only happpening on RHD due to Danbury bending the lever? If so maybe Jason of Danbury would like to comment on this and suggest a resolution to this problem as it may be caused by the alteration of the lever.

When my RHD gear stick broke, it was immediately above where the spring retaining cup is welded to the stick, the break showed considerable granulation of the metal. I'm not a metallurgist but I was apprenticed as an instrument engineer and I suspect that the welding of the spring cup to the stick used excessive heat and that this weaked it near the weld. Did they all break at the same place? It is easy to replace and I did it alone, although a 3rd hand to hold the stick in place against the spring pressure whilst replacing the 2 bolts would be a great help. A sweet gear change can be obtained by trial and error of slackening the 2 bolts and moving the spring housing around in its slotted holes.

Malcolm Eales wrote:

When my RHD gear stick broke, it was immediately above where the spring retaining cup is welded to the stick, the break showed considerable granulation of the metal. I'm not a metallurgist but I was apprenticed as an instrument engineer and I suspect that the welding of the spring cup to the stick used excessive heat and that this weaked it near the weld. Did they all break at the same place? It is easy to replace and I did it alone, although a 3rd hand to hold the stick in place against the spring pressure whilst replacing the 2 bolts would be a great help. A sweet gear change can be obtained by trial and error of slackening the 2 bolts and moving the spring housing around in its slotted holes.

where did u buy the replacement stick from? Thanks

Danbury sent it to me foc as van was still under warranty