Uganda Car Rental Break Downs: What You Need to Know
The great tales of the amazing, untradeable, and priceless experiences of a Uganda self drive safari have been a special inspiration to a number of people who have attempted or are planning to attempt a self drive safari in Uganda and beyond. The photography, the culture, the landscapes, the wildlife, the music, and the people of Uganda blended together form an exceptional package that motivates and inspires many to make Uganda their next destination.
Many have had successful self drive safaris in Uganda. Just a browsing through Trip advisor will introduce you to countless individuals retelling how special their self drive experience was in Uganda. Of course when things go well for the majority, the minority tend to be ignored. But what if you are one of the candidates for minorities? Thing of those who had a terrible experience during their self drive safari in Uganda and learn from them so that you do not make the same mistakes they made.
There are many things that may ruin your self drive safari in Uganda. Some of which have nothing to do with the kind of car you have hired. So lets ignore everything that isn’t in line with the car break down related problems and simply focus on everything that is car break down related that is likely to ruin your self drive adventure in Uganda.
Booking with wrong Car rental Agency
There are a number of things that come into play for a successful self drive safari in Uganda. Do not be fooled by the fact that an agency has an available car for hire. Of course many will tell you to focus on the price differences and choose out the one offering you the best price. But the most important question to ask before falling for this trick is what happens when I break down during my self drive adventure in Uganda or beyond?
There are always five options that will come into play in case of a car break down; Car towing, Jump starts, Fuel delivery, on-road repairs, or switching to another car
On- Road Repairs- Minor Car Breakdowns
There are number of things that might break during your self drive safari in Uganda. These include but not limited to tires, shock absorbers, oil leakage, short circuited fuse, brakes, and any other damages. Most of these damages can be fixed on the road while some will require you to visit a nearby mechanic probably in the next town center.
This implies that you might even lose half a day in repairs. The question is who compensates for the lost time? Sometimes the contract makes provision for repairs which implies that you will not be compensated for any time lost as long as it does not go beyond 24 hours. Due to the fact that you are driving off-road, break downs are anticipated thus the costs of the lost time has to be shared. Therefore this has to be discussed in detail before you hire a car to avoid a straight punch in the gut when you table your compensation concerns at the end of your self drive adventure in Uganda.
Total Shut Down- Major Car Break Downs
There are mainly three things that are likely to cause a total car shut down during your self drive safari in Uganda; fuel shortage/quality, battery failure, and unidentified technical issues. Therefore when you find yourself in a place where your car cannot start, you have to check for the battery whether it is powering, whether you have fuel and from which kind of gas station did you last fuel from? Fuel stations located in swampy areas are not recommended because sometimes their fuel can get mixed up with some water in case of any floods. This kind of fuel can cause total shut down for that car until it is diluted with quality fuel.
The issue of fuel and the battery can easily be dealt with however much it can cause total shut down for the car during your self-drive adventure in Uganda. You can easily get a jump start from anyone if the battery is the issue. For the fuel issues, a full tank can take you between 450km and 600km. It is often better to consider 500km for a fuel tank when planning your trip as well as keeping track of your mileage. For the issue of fuel quality, you are recommended to stick with the reputable fuel stations such as Shell, Total and City tires.
Unidentified Technical Issues
It is the unidentified technical issues that you should get worried of. You should know the guidelines and procedures that the car rental agency promises in case of an unidentified technical issue that might make it impossible for the car to start. There are often two options in case a car fails to start because of an unidentified technical issue; towing the car to a nearby garage or switching to another car.
Most Uganda car rental agencies offer to switch to another car within 24 hours. This is where the most important question comes in. Does the car rental agency have the capacity to bring you another car in case of a breakdown? If you cannot tell; then ask yourself whether the money you paid for the car rental can do the following things!
Assuming the car rental agency gave you the car free of charge, and the money you gave them is to perform a rescue in case of a total car breakdown. Can the money you paid for the car rental rent a similar car for two days (of course it can). Can it fuel the car from Kampala to and fro (of course it can); pay the driver for two days (of course it can), and also cater for towing fees (Likely no)
There are car rental agencies like 4×4 Uganda, Car Rental Uganda, Drive Uganda among several other agencies that have a reputation for quality self drive services in Uganda but in case choose to go for the unpopular car rental agencies, then make sure you are paying a minimum of US$1500 for the car rental. Always remember; it is the car that is most likely to make or ruin your trip. Make sure you choose the right one.
