Most of this video was filmed back in May when we attended the Freelander 2 Off Road Group Annual Meetup where the group hires out Binegar Quarry for a day of enjoyable off roading. Unfortunately for us, out rear nearside 165,000 mile old CV joint decided to call it quits right at the start of the day. That led us to filming a very different video than what we had intended and us and our car needing to be recovered 150 miles back home for the very first time.

While we hold our hands high in the air and say that we messed up by mentioning that we had been at a 4x4 experience day. Although on the flip side, by being honest and saying that we had been at a 4x4 experience day, it means that we are able to make this video. Maybe a silver lining to it all...

There is 2 main sides to this video. 1 obviously being the cost side of things. The other more important side how good or bad the recovery process is when we are with one of the biggest breakdown companies and I think you can guess from the title of this thread and the video title which way the scales tipped.

I must say that the recovery drivers both from the subcontracting company and from "the breakdown company" themselves where great! After a rather stressful and not very nice day, they really did put a positive spin on our day . Hearing stories from the 2nd recovery driver, we said it in the video and I'll say it here, if there are any recovery drivers on here, you are all legends for doing the job that you do as it sounds like it can be rather unpleasant at times.

So, a topic for discussion. Have you ever broken down a decent distance away from home? How was your experience getting yourselves and your car back home good or bad? Is the service that we got considered good/normal for how big some breakdown companies are getting in the UK?  https://www.youtube.com/@scottandalana4x4
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Hi, I blew an engine at Castle Coombe, in 1995, in my BMW Alpina, on a track day. I phoned the RAC, and two hours later, I was on my way home. The driver said that he often took cars home after track days, and hung about near a circuit when he knew an event was on. He said that he was not really supposed to now collect within twenty miles of a Racing Circuit, and take home blown up, or damaged cars. He thought that unfair, and gave him an income as well. He said that, in future, to get the car towed ten miles or so from the circuit, then phone for assistance, and act dumb about being near to a circuit, if asked. Ten years later, I was lucky to get a fellow competitor ferry a disabled racing car back home, without having to hire a private recovery company. So perhaps you found out the hard way, of company policy, not in the small print.

Hi Jagracer . That's interesting what you say about needing to be a certain distance away from a track. You always hear of people saying "oh just get it towed outside of the track onto the public road". It makes me wonder if the same still stands today with needing to be certain distance away.

This leads my brain to think that if we went to somewhere like Tixover Quarry for example and the Freelander 2 broke. Would we need to make sure we are 'X' miles away from the Quarry before calling for recovery...

We have certainly got it earmarked that if we ever do anything that is a distance away from home that we'll try to have plans in place to get us and the car home if we needed . https://www.youtube.com/@scottandalana4x4
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The rest of the story, as I remember it. The reason was that apparently after track days, a certain national mini club had members queued up at circuit meeting car parks after breaking engines, and in many cases rolled cars. Sometimes twenty or more cars. This meant the rescue companies had to bring in Lorries from all over the country to cope, hire extra companies to help, and subsequently, their Lorries were in the wrong part of the country, miles from popular tourist areas and Motorways, where statistics said that they normally had to allow for. Drivers were out of hours, no accommodation, lost, no return loads. When I used to travel into Cornwall, when I lived there, the same thing happened with the annual Mini Rally and Run to the Sun at Newquay. Cars parked up waiting to be collected on a hot day, convoys of loaded Lorries returning failed Volkswagens and Minis all over the country, sometimes requiring relays of hired drivers. I spoke, over time to companies involved, and it was big business, and convoys of recovery vehicles were parked in all the hidden lay-bys around High bridge and Bridge water, in Somerset. One could of course hire a Lorry for oneself, if at all possible. In 1999 an Artic from Redruth to Norfolk cost £320 with driver. So summer weekends could be a nightmare if one broke down, and needed to get past Birmingham. I used to organise deliveries for the company I worked for, and if the M5 or A30 had bad accidents (frequent), travel became impossible to organise. So count yourself lucky you did not have to wait two days, and a sick woman or child, taking priority. Try getting a Just-in-time Aircraft-on-the-ground part to Ir Shannon Airport, in western Ireland on a Sunday Lunchtime. Guaranteed delivery of six hours from receipt of order. It males one think, does it not?

"Have you ever broken down a decent distance away from home? "

Had the Disco 1 clutch slave go whilst caravanning up on the North Yorks Moors. Walked to a local garage and bought a new clutch slave ( was in the days when garages kept stock) and crawled underneath and replaced it.

Also had a rear propshaft UJ give way on the way home from Essex. Removed the rear propshaft and locked the centre diff and drove as a FWD Disco. Jules

I am so jealous of you Jules. I'd love to have the mechanical mindset that you and a lot of others on this forum have. Not only that, but I wish I had the tools or could afford the tools to at least give jobs like that a go.  https://www.youtube.com/@scottandalana4x4
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Like you Jules, I have always tried to fix on site. A pair of pliers, wire cutters, roll of fence straining wire, a roll of duct tape, roll of insulation tape, some pieces of 4 x 2 wood, a torch, and for the rich, a 200 piece Halfords Professional toolkit. This was the 1970's standard toolkit.

Dean1234 wrote:

I am so jealous of you Jules. I'd love to have the mechanical mindset that you and a lot of others on this forum have. Not only that, but I wish I had the tools or could afford the tools to at least give jobs like that a go.

Isn't funny how some of the old school toolkit still carries over to this day, but has slightly changed with more of a focus on sensors and OBD2 diagnostics. I would've loved to have been more "hands-on" as a kid, but I think it was quickly realised that I was the dab-hand at anything computery. I was the one that was connecting the VCR to the telly, setting up new phones and doing any computer bits that needed doing .

Plus the times where I had something like a petrol RC car, I would be great at taking bits to pieces but absolutely rubbish putting things back together again. Things would often be rounded or tightened up too much that I'd strip threads from not knowing my own strength . This has carried into my adulthood which means I'm reluctant to carry out too much maintenance for fear of doing more damage. I'm enthusiastic enough to want to give anything a try providing the right eyes are watching over me . https://www.youtube.com/@scottandalana4x4
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I've edited my original story as it was too long winded - and I've posted about on the forum before, so below is from when we had a driveshaft go instead.

Had a front n/s driveshaft go on my F1 V6 on holiday. We were about 60 miles from base as we'd been out to Bovington Tank Museum. Anyway, the faster I drove, the less noise and vibration it made. Eventually got back and had to order one from a nearby breakers for next day delivery. I always keep my socket set and a selection of spanners, screwdrivers etc on me. However, no matter what, we couldn't undo the spline nut and actually broke a breaker bar trying to get it off. The guy who owned the place we were staying at worked at the local railway yard and brought back some cutting and grinding equipment and eventually it let go. The replacement driveshaft was for a 1.8 with a reluctor ring, so although it fitted and got us mobile again, we had the 3 amigos on the dash . But at least we were mobile for the rest of the holiday !

Last edited by RealBeale on 7th Aug 2025 3:32 pm. Edited 2 times in total

Blimey, that seems a right mix of emotions going on there! I think Alana and myself would've blown our lids if a 2nd or worse, a 3rd breakdown van appeared! It turns out that this big world can be very small at times . https://www.youtube.com/@scottandalana4x4
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Sorry, Scott. I edited that story as it was just too long winded and it was posted on here when it happened !
I've replaced it with a shorter one with a happy ending instead !

I appreciate both of the tails of woe . Although that experience does seem a little less annoying compared to your other breakdown . A saying both Alana and myself keep saying, "It's not silly if it works" . https://www.youtube.com/@scottandalana4x4
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