What's in an AA Breakdown Van
The tools that keep you moving
When your car breaks down, it's handy to know the AA aims to fix your car by the roadside. But what equipment do we need to provide a full breakdown assistance service?
AA Patrols have continual training to keep up-to-date with the latest cars and their problems, and have almost 10 years' service, on average.
But they couldn't do the job without the van – it's an office and workshop rolled into one; packed with the latest tools, equipment and information required so that AA Patrols continue to repair around 8 out of 10 breakdowns at the roadside.
And if the Patrol can't fix the fault, every van comes with a 'transformer-like' trick up its sleeve – VRS (Vehicle Recovery System) a trailer that folds out from the back of the van in under three minutes, so the Patrol can tow your car quickly and safely to a nearby garage.
Here's a tour of the van.
An AA Breakdown Van
Gone are the days when everything an AA Patrol needed could be carried in a Minivan or Ford Escort.
These days AA Patrols use a mix of Renault Traffic, Vauxhall Vivaro, Ford Transit and Volkswagen T5 vans.
We've recently introduced a number of specialist breakdown vehicles too. AA Fuel Assist is operating across most of the country and motorcycle repair vans are being tested inside the M25 for example.
Let's concentrate on the standard vehicle used by most AA Breakdown Patrols.
The cab
The Patrol's cab is also his office – Patrols carry a wealth of paperwork, including membership, feedback and job report forms.
You can also see a multifunctional display screen, toll sensors and roof-mounted electrical control panel.
Multifunctional display
This is a route guidance unit (sat nav), helping to ensure the Patrol gets to you as quickly as possible. Routes are calculated automatically as soon as details of a new breakdown job are downloaded.
It's also a mobile data terminal displaying detailed information about every breakdown job, the Member and their contact details.
Toll sensors
These windscreen-mounted toll sensors allow instant passage through toll gates, booths and bridges around the country, without the need to find loose change.
Electrical control panel
Mounted in the roof panel, this switch unit controls most of the lights plus the non-standard and electrically powered equipment on the vehicle including:
- roof-mounted warning beacons with daytime and night-time settings
- left- and right-alley search lights – helpful for checking house door numbers at night
- the rear-loading winch and loading lights
- power to jump lead connectors mounted at the front and rear of the vehicle
- the Vehicle Recovery System
Tools and spares
The centre section of the van is stacked full of spare parts and tools – all the spanners, screwdrivers and other equipment you'd expect to find in a car mechanic's workshop, together with a collection of specialist tools.
Everything's designed with the Patrol's health and safety in mind too.
The trolley jack used to raise a car at the roadside is stowed in a carrier that prevents it moving when the Patrol's driving.
The carrier then swings out and hinges so that the heavy jack can be lowered to the ground without undue strain on the Patrol's back.
Spare parts
AA Patrols carry a wide range of spares including:
- common sizes of battery
- alternators, coils
- HT leads
- thermostats
- fan belts
- fuses
- bulbs
- cables
- hose repair tape, and
- radiator sealer
Specialist tools
There are not many breakdowns that AA Patrols can't fix at the roadside thanks to the specialist tools and equipment they carry. Standard kit include:
- locking wheel-nut removal kit (and spare wheel nuts)
- cylinder head gasket checking kit
- cooling system pressure tester
- fuel injection system tester
- digital multimeter for electrical system testing
- tyre puncture repair kit
- tyre inflator/compressor
- clutch and throttle cable repair kit
- diesel injector pipe repair kit
- ignition system tester
Other tools
Other specialist tools and equipment carried by AA breakdown patrols include
- remote key fob tester
- portable battery booster pack
- stethoscope – helpful for locating unusual engine noises
- infra-red laser thermometer
- tow pole – for speed if it's not safe or practicable for the patrol to use the Vehicle Recovery System
- oil spill kit – to ensure that AA Patrols leave the highway in a clean and safe condition.
VIxEN – laptop computer
The VIxEN (Vehicle Information x Electronic Notebook) contains a vast collection of technical manuals, specification data, information on known problems and fixes, training packages and more. It also features an engine management fault code diagnostic interface, which helps with fast accurate fault diagnosis at the roadside.
VIxEN is updated regularly.
VRS – Vehicle Recovery System
The VRS unit is a stowaway recovery trailer that holds the two front or rear wheels of a vehicle. It can be deployed ready for a car to be loaded by one person in less than three minutes.
The winch at the centre-rear of the van is used to load and unload the broken down vehicle, so the Patrol can tow your car to a nearby garage. This same winch is used to lower the VRS unit to the ground.
9 February 2009