RED PENNANT NOT SO GOOD ??

The Club Magazine and Club Together often carry stories eulogising Red Pennant's service. In the interests of balance and perhaps of improving service I will tell you my story. In May 2009 I was travelling in the Czech Republic from Prague to Vienna in my Hymer Van 522 motorhome. A van driver behind me who probaly fell asleep crossed two lane of traffic sideswiped my van then took off rapidly, an incident which was not only witnessed but photographed by the driver behind me. Damage was susprisingly little but my (UK) nearside mirror was destroyed making it extremely hazardous to drive on a motorway. I contacted Red Pennat stressing the danger of my situation and inability to remain on the motorway. RP were extremely courteous and said that they would come back with a solution. What I wanted ideally was for someone to bring and fit a replacement mirror failing which to rig up a temporary arrangement. RP phoned me back after a delay of about one hour but In the event the "solution" was for me to drive the vehicle to a Ford dealer in the nearest town about 60 miles away. Red Penant said they could offer nothing else and the Czech rescue services would not attend. So the only service I got was to be advised of the address of the Ford dealer, something which I had in my Ford Directory in the cab anyway.

Fortunately I received great kindness from others and by a combination of rigging up a temporary mirror (isn't Duck Tape wonderful) and using my reversing camera I was able to make it to Jilhava where the Ford dealer took a mirror off another new vehicle and fitted it in less thgan an hour for a modest sum.

Perhaps RPs arrangements in the Czech Republic are better four years on because I got the impression in my case that RP had not organised anything before in that country and didn't know what to do.