avdice needed

[sconny]

Hi folks,
About 18 month maybe more i discovered two cracks on the front panel top of window height on my Bailey pageant series 5 provence.
I called the dealers service manager who said it was a common thing and he would order a new panel in and give me a ring ....etc
Time passed by and speaking to a few people who said the panel had settled and would benefit from being repaired rather than replaced.
The panel was in the dealers ( apparantely ) but the wait was long, so i rang in spring to arrange the work. The service manager suggested waiting untill the end of the season as the van would be in the workshop a few weeks.
So i rand yesterday to speak to Paul the service manager to discuss either a replacement of a repair..... he no longer works for us was the reply!!
Now i have to deal with the dealer manager who to be frank is a complete arse ( long story but he treat me and the wife really bad when we bought the van over a dent the van had when we bought it )
The warranty expires feb 2011 but still not sure about the repair or replace, and don't really want to deal with the manager as explained above.
Also we are looking to change the van for something slightly smaller, does anyone have any knowledge of other make of vans with L shape lounge as my wife has MS and finds the space better for her, we just cannot find any others as good as ours.
Regards
wishing he was away this week John

 

[Parksy]

The fact that 'Paul' is no longer working for the dealers has no bearing on the matter. If the dealer ordered a replacement panel and it's in their workshop I'd have it fitted if it was me.
The caravan has to be with the dealer one way or another before the gurarantee expires in February, if you are hesitant about dealing with this 'dealer manager' arrange everything by letter rather than by phone, keep copies and use registered post.
The delership must have a record of your initial contact otherwise they wouldn't have ordered a new panel and the work needs to be done anyway whether you keep or change the caravan.
I'm sure that forum members will advise on caravans with L shaped lounges but let us know how you get on with the repair.

 

[Andrew_374383565]

I would confirm everything that Parksy says..........Apart from mechanical damage caused by poor driving, I can't imagine how Bailey have not notified other owners, as this appears to be a major problem..............keep everything in writing.....regards Andrew

 

[Tapestry]

Hi

We have a series 5 Bretangue which had cracks in the front panel which went back to Bailey for replacement under warranty. Our situation was slightly different to yoursas we bought our van from a dealer who had a few branches but got taken over by another dealership. We used our original dealer to service the van then transfered to its other branch following relocation and before the takeover. The takeover company closed both dealerships who had or been booked to service our van. Bailey customer services gave us the contact details of another dealership who then sorted out outstanding replacement panel underwarranty. We had to wait several months to get it sorted out . We have a child with disability and 2 other kids so layout of the van is very important to us.

Based on our experience the clock is ticking so to speak in your situation to ensure you get the work done under warranty. We had a temporary repair done at the dealers - they didn't have the facilities to replace panels hence return to Bailey. As has been said in previous posts keep copies of everything in writing including any e mails. Our new dealer was as helpful as they could be and we have since had the van serviced by them.

In your situation if the service manager had left, then has he got a replacement? There should be some record of what needs to be done under warranty. I'd also contact Bailey customer services by e mail . Christmas and the potential for poor weather is coming so this could cause delays, we had to wait over 6 months to get the work sorted out. In your situation you need to get a date for the work to be carried out in writing with time for it to slip back and still be within the warranty time limit.

Hope this helps. Get the mods to give you my e mail if you want more info on who we contacted. Good luck.

Hope this is helpful

 

[LADA]

hi DurhamJohn, We've got a Sterling Europa 525 which has a brilliant L shaped lounge. Very spacious indeed, well fitted out and the rear toilet has lots of room too. The main reason we bought it was the bathroom space as It's got a decent sized shower cubicle and enough room to use it as a changing room too. Also handy that the wardrobe is in there too.
I'ts stored in Newton Aycliffe if you'd like to have a look to help you decide - just let me know.
Atb, Lada