RACV TOTAL (UN)CARE - BE AWARE!

I was shocked to hear what happened to your rig Wardy, keep us informed of the outcome.
A thumbs up to the recovery crew, being prepaired to drop everything to help out is a big comitment.

I, like others have used RACV and only once had to self recover, but only to the main dirt road.
I'll also be looking into it as Top Care on trips adds a little piece of mind for me.

Here is an add RACV ran at the beginning of this month...
https://youtu.be/s9m3nek66fY
Note where they are, dirt at Eildon/ Falls Creak(NP?)/ Otway National Park.
Are they saying the policy has changed since then or this a misleading add?

I'm an RACV Total Care member and in the light of what is being discussed here I have emailed RACV for an explanation.

From the RACV web site site....
https://www.racv.com.au/content/dam/...ates-FINAL.pdf
Part of section 7 about exclusions from the pdf...
"Service will be provided on private property or on any public highway in Victoria, provided they are traficable to normal two wheel drive vehicles. This excludes areas such as open fields, beaches, creek beds, recreation ovals, bicycle paths, bicycle tracks, logging or forest service roads and roads which do not allow oncoming trafic to safely pass"

Why would a recreation oval be excluded?
That's every football/cricket oval and little athletes track I can think of.
A forest service road is open to interpretation also.
I'm thinking the roads to our annual Winter Wombat would be OK but not the track to camp although access would be easy.

Kyle, not sure if you remember, but up in the High Country at Lake Cobbler there were two wheel drive cars up in there too. Although the road into there is quite good, the passing option could be an interesting scenario, as are many dirt roads accessible by two wheel drive.

It would be interesting to know the back room story behind this change in RAC policy. I wonder if it is due to one or more of the following?

1. As 4WD vehicles become more high tech, RAC are getting called out more often to regional and remote areas. Revenue no longer covers call outs.

2. As 4WD vehicles become more high tech, local service agents are unable to repair, meaning more back to city dealer transport by RAC than ever before.

3. As 4WD vehicles become more high tech, owners are less able to make temporary repairs in the field themselves, hence higher call out costs.

4. Significantly higher 4WD ownership means many more inexperienced drivers are getting stuck in ordinary places a lot more, such as national park roads, beaches and sports grounds.

5. Increasingly city centric manufacture and marketing of 4WD vehicles as recreational, rather than work vehicles. Most 4WD vehicles are designed for car-like comfort as priority rather than off road robustness. This must be resulting in higher callout numbers for RAC. Maybe the bean counters have said enough s enough and just like car manufacturers, they are now only really interested in the city enteric majority market.

It's a big problem IMHO ...and will only get worse as ageing high tech vehicles fall out of warranty. Presumably high tech vehicles are as reliable as low tech vehicles, but when they do fail, maybe most are not able to make a bush repair or be taken to nearest small garage?.

Genuine mechanical breakdown call outs, as above, may be suffering due to the in reasingly city centric market for 4WD vehicles and a higher proportion of high tech breakdowns?.

Just a few thoughts. Interested to hear others.

PS: my puma defender broke down because engine oil over fill by the dealer resulted in oil getting into wiring harness causing complete shutdown. Under warranty so back to dealer under Land Rover assist. But in guture if not under warranty and not in an urban area, I would have been stuck for some time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chops

Kyle, not sure if you remember, but up in the High Country at Lake Cobbler there were two wheel drive cars up in there too. Although the road into there is quite good, the passing option could be an interesting scenario, as are many dirt roads accessible by two wheel drive.

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I suspect it comes down to local knowledge of the service provider.
In my case the tow operater got my number from RACV and after explaining where I was be said I won't enter the track but will come to the main dirt road intersection.
We towed it out with a Falcon for the 300mtr so the tow truck could grab it;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

This is very interesting, so thanks for sharing it. When I get home I will ask RACQ for the pdf of the actual coverage, as verbal advice obviously is worthless.
When we did The Simpson 4 years ago I was told we were covered if we needed rescue out there, which may no longer be true (if it ever was).
BTW BIG applause for Chops and Rangieman for going all that way to the rescue. Respect!

Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app

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Just checked RACQ online pdf, they will only recover a bogged vehicle if they can do so without leaving a "constructed road/driveway" :confused: Don't often get bogged on them, do you?
No mention of national parks or the like, but I'll be calling them on Monday to check.
One would assume that all the RACx organisations would be underwritten by a similar type of policy, since they're effectively insuring you against breakdown situations.
You'll probably find that one of the regular emails they send out with useless hints and tips contained a link to some changes in the T&Cs hidden away at the bottom.

During a recent AULRO trip to Birdsville - I hit a pot hole on a dirt road in the 101, and the top of the front diff hit the oil filter, popping it off - resulting in a breakdown (total loss of engine oil).

I had joined RACV Total Care about 6 months before the trip - as quite a few people had recommended it to me.

When I rang up I told them the truth "I hit a pot hole, and it's damaged my oil filter - I need a tow"

The operator said: "Oh well - you have had a collision, that's an accident - you are not covered at all. You need to speak to your insurance company."

So my only experience so far has been a very frustrating one.

Cheers,
Grey Ghost

I was considering getting total care but after reading the PDF I didn't go ahead.

I'm with NRMA but I think I'll can that and get to know Chops....

G'day Chops, wanna be mates? [emoji1]