Have you ever broken down in your van?

Yep. Alternator failed so had a free ride home from Bristolish back to Surrey on back of RAC wagon.

 

Twice and on the same road as well, I think the AA man thought I was taking the *******, I don't drive that way home any more just in case

 

In the bay I had hot start probs a couple of times where I had to wait for it to cool cos I couldn't bump it (auto) and once on way to Skegness it started running bad (split hose) but I never got towed home always made it under own steam.

 

Yep.. clutch cable..fuel starvation due to pipe from tank corroded..carbs packing up..low compression head cracked (not mine) fingers crossed for Friday..heading up to the lakes for 10 days

 

Ignition switch at Delamere forest

fuel pump at Delamere forest

Flat battery ,loose earth strap in France

fuel pump in the hills of North wales

burnt valve and cracked head on the M6 .

Fuel pump at Blackpool

 

note to self ; stay away from Delamere forest

 

stalled at a roundabout late on a sunday and van wouldn't restart - knackered battery cell - so had to be flat bedded. And the engine fire last year - another trip with the AA.

 

Ditto but on the back of AA

 

First time was a hot start issue so that doesn't really count because it sorted itself. Stuck in first gear 2 miles from Camperjam on the way home was the first big yellow taxi ride.

 

A couple of times as I recall. Once, the gear selector thingy under the van had a very worn bush and couldn't get 1st or 2nd gear. It was ok until I came to a steep hill. No matter which way I went there was always a hill. One other time the float in the carb stuck but I didn't actually realise this until the AA guy got to me and belted the carb with a mallet. Hot start problems when I first got the van turned out to be the engine cases not lined up properly by the po when he did a rebuild. Engine got hot..........and hotter.................and hotter.................until it became a partial seizure luckily after I'd just turned the engine off and was at home. That resulted in a complete rebuild, split cases and all. Moral of the big breakdown is = IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING LEAVE THE BLOODY THING ALONE AND LET SOMEONE WHO DOES KNOW, DO IT

 

Not a breakdown in my eyes

 

What about your T5?

 

Not yet but I see loads on the truck.... Had the flashing coil light (egr fail) but it still ran

 

Yes, a few times, but if you owned any vehicle for about 15 years that would happen.

All in all in terms of breakdowns per year owned my bay is by far the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned

 

Does running out of petrol count ? That's twice then, ignoring the bump start to overcome the ignition switch failure to the starter.

As above it will depend on how much you use it, I have an old triumph bike that hasn't broken down for 20 years.

 

Not since I started to take an interest about 15 years ago. Before that, buying a bay was like buying any other old banger, and I was in "drive into the ground" mode. Once, 1st bus, the alt belt broke on what I then discovered was a T25 engine. Drove home though. Once, second bus had a moggie minor petrol pump that needed new points, but drove home after actual real AA man tweeked the points to get us home.
None of mine have been recovered apart from one I bought with a snapped crankshaft then "broke down" 100 yards away.

 

One proper break down on M5 at Birmingham (en route to Cornwall) where engine lost something and spewed oil everywhere, sounded like a bucket of bolts. Yellow taxi back to Manchester.

 

Only three times now I think (maybe four) but only once did I have to ride on the big yellow taxi!