Last year our 1 year old Abbey had its first service at the dealership where we bought the caravan. On our first trip following that service the brakes caught fire on the M4. The caravan was returned to the dealer who said it was my fault for attaching the breakaway cable too tightly. Strange that we had towed many thousands of miles without a hitch (no pun intended) with the cable attached in exactly the same way.I was left with a bill of over £300 to rebuild the brakes.
A year later I rather stupidly went back to the same dealer for the second service (another £210). As we live 100 miles away we decided to stay local to the dealer for the weekend. We picked the van up at 5pm and drove the 4 miles to the chosen site. Halfway there the brakes came on. I managed to get to the site, phoned the dealer and late Saturday morning a technician came out to the site and told me that the brakes had been adjusted wrongly (too tight), he readjusted correctly. I test drove twice around the site and all seemed well. On our way home on the Monday we called in to the dealer to complain (and to mention the coincidence of the previous year). The Service Manager was apologetic and offered us a free service next year (ironic or what?). Three quarters of a mile from the dealer and a couple of hundred yards from the motorway slip road the nearside wheel came off the caravan, smashing the motor mover, wheel hub etc. Our pride and joy was in a sorry state. You can imagine how we felt. The van was recovered to the dealership where it is currently being repaired. This time they claim to have discovered a bent brake rod (caused by me apparently) which caused the brake problem. They still don't know what caused the wheel to come off. I have been offered no compensation and trading standards state the dealer only has to put right the problems.
I have not mentioned the dealer's name as they still have our caravan and I fear that the Moderator would be less than pleased.
If we cannot trust a caravan fresh from service when can we trust it? What should I expect from my dealer or is this shoddy service typical? Please feel free to give any advice or indeed to share your tales of woe.
Caveat Emptor strikes again!
A year later I rather stupidly went back to the same dealer for the second service (another £210). As we live 100 miles away we decided to stay local to the dealer for the weekend. We picked the van up at 5pm and drove the 4 miles to the chosen site. Halfway there the brakes came on. I managed to get to the site, phoned the dealer and late Saturday morning a technician came out to the site and told me that the brakes had been adjusted wrongly (too tight), he readjusted correctly. I test drove twice around the site and all seemed well. On our way home on the Monday we called in to the dealer to complain (and to mention the coincidence of the previous year). The Service Manager was apologetic and offered us a free service next year (ironic or what?). Three quarters of a mile from the dealer and a couple of hundred yards from the motorway slip road the nearside wheel came off the caravan, smashing the motor mover, wheel hub etc. Our pride and joy was in a sorry state. You can imagine how we felt. The van was recovered to the dealership where it is currently being repaired. This time they claim to have discovered a bent brake rod (caused by me apparently) which caused the brake problem. They still don't know what caused the wheel to come off. I have been offered no compensation and trading standards state the dealer only has to put right the problems.
I have not mentioned the dealer's name as they still have our caravan and I fear that the Moderator would be less than pleased.
If we cannot trust a caravan fresh from service when can we trust it? What should I expect from my dealer or is this shoddy service typical? Please feel free to give any advice or indeed to share your tales of woe.
Caveat Emptor strikes again!
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