The AA | Keeping Britain moving

As the UK’s largest breakdown cover organisation, The AA has learnt that anything can happen. That’s why they’re always innovating to prepare for the unexpected. You may be surprised to hear that not all automotive manufacturers equip new vehicles with a spare wheel.

The AA change ½ million wheels a year. They developed the MFW (Multi-Fit Wheel) in 2016 so members could continue their journey following a puncture. The MFW fits approximately 80% of vehicles and is used daily by the 2,200 AA patrols. The AA wanted to go one step further and began talking to us about developing the ROSE. ROSE stands for ‘Recovery Operation Securing Element’ and is a complementary safeguarding measure for the MFW.

A product designed for cars to caravans

We started by reviewing the existing concepts produced by the client and identifying the problems to solve. The ROSE needed to cater for both 17” and 19” wheels to cover everything from cars and caravans to 3 ½ tonne transit vans. Quite a few vehicle varieties!

Our engineering team quickly burnt through ideas focusing on speed and ease of method to fit. We proposed and developed a unique spring arrangement. This feature allowed the sockets to self-orientate when introduced over the nuts, as well as apply additional tension to prevent the nuts from coming loose. This gave the patrols a quick and easy assembly process. Plus it gave the peace of mind that ROSE provided another safety layer of preventive measures to the current system.

Designed to fit

We carefully analysed potential materials to choose the most appropriate option. The product has to be tough to cope with an extremely demanding environment, but also flexible to accommodate any wheel and nut size variation. We also ensured it could be fitted from both sides to cater for differences in wheel size and nut height. The material is recyclable although we expect the product to be used over 100,000 times before the end of its life.

After prototyping and successfully testing the proposed concept, we worked with The AA on colour options. Patrols can clearly see the high visibility yellow of the replaced wheel and the colour also makes the towed vehicle more visible to other drivers in low light conditions.

Usability was incredibly important as The AA prides itself on service. Therefore it was designed so that no special tools are required to fit ROSE. Simply line up the sockets and press on using the thumb tabs. The design of the sockets and springs easily curl to where they’re needed. Fitting the whole MFW and ROSE system is completed in less than ten minutes. Voila!

Homegrown in the UK

The ROSE is perfectly compatible with other AA rescue equipment including the FWH (Free Wheel Hub). The FWH was developed for vehicles that can’t normally be towed on two wheels (such as 4X4s, electric vehicles or due to locked wheels or automatic transmission).

As with all AA recovery equipment, the ROSE is manufactured in England. This minimises environmental impact and supports the extraordinary skills and techniques homegrown in the UK. With designer, manufacturer and the client working together, you could say that together we’re going that extra mile to get you back on the road.

The AA | Keeping Britain moving

A product designed for cars to caravans

Designed to fit

Homegrown in the UK

Laura Ter Meer

Founder - Lifting the Mood

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