What to do and when you might need motorhome breakdown recovery
Regardless of how well you maintain your vehicle, a motorhome breakdown will likely occur at some point. Yet, while the prospect may weigh on your mind, there are things you can do to minimise the impact and keep your family safe in the process.
Due to winter temperatures, electrical faults and flat-battery-related breakdowns are most common in cars but less so in motorhomes, which tend to be driven in milder conditions.
Tyre issues are among the most common causes of breakdown in motorhomes. Tyres can deflate or, worse, blow out due to underinflation, overinflation, or punctures from sharp objects.
Damage to tyres, wheel rims and suspension caused by hitting potholes is also rising as the RAC reports more than 5,900 callouts for pothole-related incidents in 2023. Don’t forget that you may be driving a motorhome that weighs 1,000kg or more than a typical car, so hitting a hole in the road with this much weight can easily buckle a rim or cause a blowout.
Managing a breakdown begins with a little forward-thinking. Assume the incident will occur at the most inconvenient time, in the worst location, and the pouring rain. So plan for the worst and have the following items in easy reach:
- coats or waterproof jackets for when it’s cold or raining
- high-viz vests for each member of the family
- warning triangle ( not for use on motorways)
- a torch, in case you break down in the dark
- a mobile phone with a decent charge
- the name and contact number of your breakdown cover provider
- the National Highways Agency telephone number (0300 123 5000) saved on your phone
- the what3words app
Also, double-check your jack, wheel brace, and torque wrench are in good working order and that your spare wheel is correctly inflated.
Now you have the basics ready, let’s look at the best course of action to take depending on where you break down:
Breaking down on a motorway
Motorways are dangerous places to stop. Always pull into a service station or leave at the next junction to park wherever possible.
If not, then follow our specific guidance:
Pulling over on a motorway with a hard shoulder
When you detect an issue, indicate left and move onto the hard shoulder.
Try to stop near an emergency ‘SOS’ telephone. Even if you plan to use a breakdown app or call recovery from your mobile phone, the emergency telephone location number will be handy.
Now, put your hazard warning lights on as you pull to a stop. Turn the headlights off to conserve battery power, but leave the sidelights and rear lights on if it’s dark. If it’s foggy, put the rear fog lights on.
Make sure you leave enough space for passengers to open nearside doors. Ask everyone to leave the vehicle quickly, and always exit the car on the furthest side from the traffic. Then, ensure everyone is behind a safety barrier or standing on the verge well back from the hard shoulder.
Hopefully, everyone’s possessions were within easy reach, but if you need to get into the boot, take care and use your partner or a family member as a lookout. Accidents often happen when traffic drifts into the hard shoulder, thinking it’s an active lane with a moving car ahead.
Top Tip! The National Highways Agency recommends they remain secured inside the vehicle if you have a dog. The side of a motorway is noisy; if a dog panics and breaks free, it could cause a significant accident.
Walking down a hard shoulder to lay a triangle down is dangerous and should be avoided. Instead, call National Highways on an emergency or mobile phone to report the breakdown. A Police vehicle or traffic officer should arrive before too long, park behind you and use their flashing lights to let the traffic know there is a hazard.
Finally, call your breakdown cover provider to request recovery or repair. This includes flat tyre issues. Never attempt to change a wheel on the hard shoulder of a motorway.
Stopping on a motorway without a hard shoulder
Some motorways don’t have a hard shoulder. Instead, they have orange-painted emergency areas with blue signs. Unless you have a critical vehicle or tourer incident, you should be able to make it to an emergency area.
The safety procedure is the same as pulling into a hard shoulder. The objective is to get you and your passengers away from the vehicle and moving traffic as quickly as possible.
Once again, call National Highways on 0300 123 5000 to report the incident and then your recovery provider.
IMPORTANT! Unlike a hard shoulder, an emergency area isn’t long enough to build a safe speed before rejoining the motorway. So, if your motorhome is repaired at the roadside, call National Highways before you set off. They can close the lane or update traffic signs to help keep you safe.
Breaking down in a live lane or roadworks
If you break down and there is no hard shoulder, or you can’t get to an emergency zone or place of safety or are stuck in temporary roadworks, then follow these steps:
- Keep your seatbelts on
- Put your hazard lights on
- Phone 999 and ask for assistance
Breaking down on A, B or C-roads
An A-road is a major road and a single or dual carriageway. By comparison, B and C-roads are minor roads.
If you break down on an A-road, try to pull into a lay-by or take an exit onto a B or C-road. If this isn’t possible, switch on your hazards and get you and your passengers away from the vehicle to a place of safety as quickly as possible. Other cars might be approaching up to 70mph on a dual carriageway, and there may be less time for them to react than on a motorway. Never attempt to change a wheel or fix a car when you are stationary in a live lane on an A-road.
The procedure for B and C-roads differs depending on the situation.
Wherever possible, avoid stopping in a hazardous location such as:
- on the brow of a hill
- on the approach to a sharp bend
- mid-way around a blind bend
- on a roundabout
If this is unavoidable, put your hazard indicators on and move you and your passengers away from the vehicle. Then, contact 999 before calling for breakdown assistance.
If you’ve stopped in a safe area, you can place a warning triangle at least 50m behind your caravan. Take care when walking towards traffic, and ensure you wear a high-viz clothing item.
Top Tip! If you’ve ever had to give anyone your location due to a motorhome breakdown, but no road signs or landmarks are in sight, you’ll know how frustrating this can be. One answer is to ensure you have the what3words app installed on your phone.
Summary
Breakdowns may be unavoidable, but now you know how to effectively prepare for and manage an incident. However, preparation also involves proper maintenance. Why not read our wheel and tyre safety and torque wrench articles for extra peace of mind?