Remote Area Roadside Assistance/Towing

Thanks for the reply. That is what I found too.
I think Club 4x4 "new" roadside assistance is limited to sealed roads.

Club 4x4 is really Hollard insurance of South Africa, also operate as Apia too. I prefer to avoid them if possible.

I'm with Club4x4 and have been for ages.

No, they do not limit you to 'sealed' roads. It's the full recovery depending on what you select - $1500 recovery costs (that's probably realistically limiting you to sealed stuff), $15,000 recovery or $30,000 recovery options.

I've found their rates competitive for what they offer. Have heard different for trailers/ vans though - but I don't use one.

As for steering clear - I'll let you know shortly! Had to make a claim for a theft of my 4WD early December. Had to wait three weeks for them to acknowledge it as a 'write off' so to speak (I guess that's fair enough, it could have been found) but that was ten days ago. It's with an 'assessor' now - so hoping to get my money from it shortly.

Will see - hopefully by the end of the week

Club 4x4 new policy "Roadside Plus" indicates coverage (to a very generous distance of 150km) if accessible by 2wd. Quote j) We cannot provide assistance under this benefit to vehicles not accessible by
a two-wheel drive recovery vehicles. Unquote.

Anyway they are to contact me to give a quote on insurance and I'll ask.

As far as I can see from there website 'Roadside Plus' is a separate product akin to motoring club roadside assistance and different to the off-road recovery offered with their comprehensive insurance, the website is still showing this as a policy feature. That said, when I had a quick look last year their policies were about 12% of the insured amount, about 4x what NRMA (IAG) were offering me, approximately $2400 for a $20,000 policy. Probably because they include claims such as glass and hail damage in your claim history not just at fault collisions. A possible solution is to take out a second policy shortly before you leave, buy the extra recovery cover, pay by the month and cancel when you return, still cheap if you need a $10K recovery.

Thanks guys.

Another good suggestion

Please don't consider that 'take it out and cancel it later'.... it is exactly this kind of dishonesty that jacks up the prices for everyone else who is honest with them. The rest of the paying community isn't here to cover your risk thanks. A very jack and selfish suggestion and thing to do if taken up.

Do it a couple of times, and guess what? You stuff it for everyone else as they either raise prices, or take the benefit away. Already seen with idiots doing water crossings then claiming the whole car because they're dunces - then everyone was up in arms when Club4x4 decided to introduce an additional $2000 excess for stupid water crossing attempts (not genuine, regular ones - not sure how they decide).

As for prices - it always depends on the person. Club4x4 was cheaper than NRMA and AAMI for me, but more expensive than GIO and Suncorp. As for asking for a history - they changed that a year or two ago to actually be positive. On NRMA and AAMI, for example (GIO too I think) - they asked for claims in the past three years (like Club4x4 - not 5 years as it used to be) and left it at that. Club and Suncorp both allowed me to at least state one (I've had two unfortunately) was a 'excess payable/ not at fault' claim (vehicle theft) and another was 'excess payable/ no fault identified' (car hit in carpark at shops). I think this probably brought my payment down.

Then there's excess variations, pay by month... etc.

End of the day - Club4x4 is pretty much the only one offering what you want. The 'road side' service is for basic stuff (where most insurers subcontract out to NRMA for example). If you're stuck (even with a dead battery only, or run out of fuel) on a 4x4 track - so long as you're legally there - then that's under the recovery payments.

I think it's a good system. Will just take a few to ruin it.

No one is trying to rip anyone off - you can cancel a policy at any time as the insurance companies can - nothing dishonest about it.

We are not talking about "crash" insurance but recovery insurance for breakdowns or getting stuck - is different to normal crash insurance - have a crash in a remote location it is the insurance companies problem - have a breakdown and its the owners problem.

As far as I know Club 4x4 is the only company that offers remote, 4wd access for breakdown/ recoveries. Now I would never insure my car with Club 4x4 but I might consider their recovery insurance even though it is expensive.

A few years back I had NRMA top level roadside assistance and I broke down in a remote valley - I had to be towed by other 4wders to the nearest "main" road where a NRMA came and collected me - they would not/could not go into the remote valley.

Taking out a policy for 'the one trip', only to cancel it and go to a cheaper option that doesn't offer recovery cover after your trip is, in my view, dishonest. Club4x4 charges more to annual customers as it includes this recovery in the policy. When was the last time you heard an insurance company just ringing up randomly and cancelling your insurance? Never. Would you be pretty pissed if it occured just before your trip that you had planned? Just the same, but on the other foot as far as I can see. I guess we will agree to disagree on the honesty side.

I am not talking about 'crash' insurance either. That's covered by everyone.

Get stuck on Big Red, due to whatever, and if you need to get recovered - Club4x4 will cover that. Get stuck in the Vic High Country on a 4WD track, and need professional Mog or similar 4wd recovery to come out - Club 4x4 will cover that. No others will. As you suggest - with the others you will need to be 'recovered' to the nearest road.

f you were in your remote valley without mates / contacts - then you could call the nearest recovery mob (wherever they may be) and get them to recover you from that valley to a gazetted road or nearest town. Again - Club4x4 will cover you for that (up to $1500 (default), $15,000 or $30,000 depending on your choice at time of taking the policy out). NRMA and the rest will require you (as yours did) to be recovered independently to the nearest 2WD gazetted road (sealed or unsealed). If, as in your case, you're fortunate to have understanding passers-by then great. But I just elect not to rely on that (only because of small kids - once they go likely follow your option).

Yes, you have to organise your own recovery (so prepare and know who's around). But the cost is covered.

Not sure why'd you'd never insure with them - I have had nothing but positive results with them so far. And they insure our vehicles for what the car is worth, plus all the modifications (and the price of them) if you so choose. Again, not many others will do all this (Shannons is one).

AFAIK, you cannot just get their 'recovery' insurance part without taking out full comprehensive cover.

Just a point of clarification concerning Club 4x4 and its relationship with Hollards.

Club 4x4 is an Authorised Rep of Hollards - an agent if you like. AFAIK it is an Aussie coy. Hollards - the underwriter - is indeed South African but it is licensed to operate in Oz and approved by APRA ie Australian law / legislation covers its services here.

APIA is part of the Suncorp Group not Hollards. Australian Seniors is a totally separate and unrelated brand which is owned by Hollards.

I have no association with Club 4x4 or Hollards and I don't promote their brands or services.

Thanks for the comments and debate guys.

In summary, it looks like Club 4x4 insurance and remote assistance is the only deal in town unless you can arrange fixes and make do's yourself or within the travelling party or organise the local 4wd club recovery guys.

They have yet to contact me but when they do I'll confirm some of the things raised here. Remote area recovery is not something I'd get every year but would continue with some level of roadside assistance in between those trips.

Thanks again.

I considered Club 4X4 at one time.
I did not like some of the conditions then, but they may be different now.
One was where they would recover you to - nearest town or nearest bitumen, from memory.
So, if you were near the west end of the Simpson, they would take you to Oodnadatta (where there are minimal workshop facilities) but NOT to Mount Dare (where there are experienced people and facilities.
Did not make sense to me and it seemed non negotiable.
Work on a few "what iffs" to see what would happen according to their conditions and what you would then do.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

NRMA Business offer a better form of road service than the standard version and is a middle ground option to consider
https://www.mynrma.com.au/business/roadside-assistance

I have found it helpful on a couple of occasions including a flatbed from Deua National Park back to my mechanic in Sydney plus a free hire car to drive my family home. An alternate option they offered me was free accommodation while my vehicle was repaired

Club 4x4 don't arrange the remote recovery, at least when I was with them they didn't. We had a talk at our 4wd club meeting from the owner explaining how remote recovery works when it was first on the market and being spruiked by Pat Callinan. The speaker said you arrange the recovery yourself, pay for it yourself and then get reimbursed by them up to your insured value once everything is complete. This meant I had to have access to $15k temporarily in the event of a disaster. It may have changed but I doubt it. I was with them for a year because the premium was quite reasonable, however, the renewal had a 50% increase when I had no claims so I didn't renew with them.

Some good thoughts there Peter.
Thanks

Quite true. 1st thing would be to talk with someone better qualified then see if a tow or fix is the go.

Thanks.

Peter.
That axle break, was it as a result of lose wheel bearing on the hub? Just seems to be in the area of flex in line with inner bearing and subsequent planar fluctuation. Just curious!

The axle was faulty. The replacement was supplied for no charge by the same person who supplied the original (ever reliable Paul Nott of East Coast OKA Spares and Repairs). I paid the postage.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

Peter n Margaret
That should have read LOOSE, above.
The reason I asked, is it seems to be a progressive creep of fracture, ie, small granular surface progressing toward the centre from a perimeter line and then the final break of larger crystalline structure near centre of axle, ie, the chew off. I have removed a few axles and ones which broke like that had operated near the inner bearing and the flex induced the failure. Hard to see exactly any definite production faults at the break in the picture though it may be present.
I used to have special magnetic tools I made, battery operated coil on rod, to find, capture and remove the bits when axles broke and unwound, mostly through applied torque. Lucky your clean break would not leave large bits in there. Crown wheels, pinions bearings and side bearings don't really like metal bits through them.

By coincidence, our travel companion on that trip is a metalurgist.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

Just wondering how you removed the inner part of the broken axle , Peter ?
Did you manage a "weld" or what ?

Cheers
Jim

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

Ahh ..... love your work Peter !! Hope you had heavy duty washing up detergent.

Cheers
Jim

Peter
Originally I blew up the pic to see the break, now with your close up shot it, to me clearly shows the fracture progressed from outer surface toward centre, culminating in the centre area then being torsionally torn apart. The off cnetre black spot is where it finally gave up. Because it is located at/near the area where either a bent housing or loose wheel bearing could be present it indicated to me one or the other. If it was a poor axle material it more likely would have spiral broken as many I removed had done. Most don't square fracture without some background reason. Does that wheel have a slight negative camber instead of parallel planes to other wheel? It only takes a bit and over time it creates the localized radial stress and failure. There may be other factors apart from bad axle! It doesn't look like a faulty axle to me otherwise the time to failure would be relatively short.

I had to use pointy bars to free the spiral broken axle pieces wedged in housing and 24v Coil wrapped on steel rod to use as a withdrawing tool. Big heavy axles inner half very difficult to get out.

Might pay to take out a Patent on such an original piece of equipment Peter.
Dave.

The failure time was quite short. The replacement axle has done a lot more work than that one and nothing else has changed. It seemed to me that the fatigue started at a marked point on the surface (top right), but I am no metalurgist.
This was a heavy duty axle upgrade from 32mm standard to 35mm. The supplier (who also supplied the axle assembly complete) had never seen a 35mm failure before.

And the salad tongs were quickly returned to normal duties. :)
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

Peter N Margaret.
That is good all is well and reliable again. Just posing possibilities from earlier events I had been involved with. 35mm is fairly rugged, never the less I still like the taste of Hypoid 90 on a salad. You get a bit tired of the same dressing after a while.

.
Peter,
Roz always carried one of those tools for our Simpson crossings. Now I know why!

But did she pay the extra to get the special plastic dipped ends for better grip on the oily axle, or did she land you with the budget version?
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome.

.
Oh, definitely 'Grippy Tippy' ones Pete. My Roz is no Dumb Blonde!
Although she does have a pink hi-lift jack!

A small group of us did the Anne Beadell some years ago. While it is a remote trip we passed a number of solo travellers going the other way and also of course the defence guys pulled us up to compare us against the permits.

The remote areas seem to have people on them even if you have a wait a couple of days. Some temp repairs could be accomplished by more skilled passerbys I suppose though I wouldn't risk the family on that assumption.