Before you go away for a New Season do you have your Van Service yes or no

[Beachball]

At present our van has it winter cover on and we are going away just past Easter so the van is book in the week before for a service and to check everything including damp how many people do this ( And it is a good job easter is late because with hubby having a stroke he got more time to improve.)

 

[mcghee]

My 'vans serviced at the start of the season. But only because that's when I buy them so the yearly service comes around then. Its maybe a good idea to have it checked over if its sat around for a bit, but I use mine fairly regularly all year round so problems aren't likely to sneak up on me.

 

[Philspadders]

i service them my self. I am more than capable to checking the operation of brakes, shocks,wheel bearings etc, electrical and gas , thetford seals etc.

But thats because i can and i resent paying someone to do the job i can. Obviously if you are unable to carry out your own service through illlness or other problem then have your serviced at the start of the season, as problems may manifest themselves during log term storage.

Out of interest how many of you clean and sterilise your water system after long term staorge.

 

[Dustydog]

Our annual dealer service takes place every november. That's it's birthday.
We caravan all year round but I do a number of checks before each trip, mostly safety things.
eg tyre pressure, wheel nut torque, lubricate the steadies, jockey wheel and mover, lights etc.
The entire water system is also treated with a dose of Milton but with the charcoal filter removed.

 

[Parksy]

Our annual service takes place in October which corresponds with the month that we bought our caravan to preserve the bodyshell integrity guarantee.
Like DD, there is no 'season' as such for us, the caravan is used all year round and I carry out routine safety checks before each trip.
I run some Milton through the caravan pipework every three or four months to try to keep the pipes clean but we never use the caravan water system for drinking water or for making drinks.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Like DD and Parksy we have ours serviced on it's birthday which in our case is July.
The problem of having it serviced at the start of the season is if everyone did likewise there would be some very disappointed people because the service agencies couldn't cope.

 

[emmerson]

Like Phil, I "service" my van myself. But it doesn't have a once-a-year check. Because I do i t myself,and I've had the van for so long, I'm "tuned in" to it's idiosynchracies, and know at once if somethings not quite right.It's like my cars: neither of them are "serviced" as such. It's an ongoing, all year round thing.

 

[Beachball]

My Caravan is due for it Service in April and he also checks it for damp thanks for all of your comments they were fantastic and my hubby like reading them ( It been 5 weeks since his stroke ) also for the kind words about him........

 

[Taff]

I have mine serviced in March before the season starts. I take all carpets, cushions out for the winter and will put them back in after the service. This makes it easier to service the van and also protects the cushions from possible oily/dirty hands.

 

[Stevel]

Always have it serviced at this time of year (anniversary of purchase). Just as well, as removed it from storage, for a trip away this weekend, had it serviced on the drive and the engineer found that the water pump had developed a leak. Replaced at £127. He stated that he had replaced several already this year. Possible frost damage, although the system was drained as much as possible.

 

[RickStevens]

Ours is serviced every March, as its the anniversary of its purchase, and it is still under warranty.

Im not so sure I would do it every year if it wasnt part of the warranty terms though, I'd maybe drop to every other year

 

[Allen774]

In my opinion its just another money making exercise by the dealers,I give my caravan ongoing checks throughout the the season and if anthing is unservicable I replace it or get it replaced,and to have the oneshot axle nuts replaced every year is just a rip off.I was quoted £230 for my t/a van recently,I could not stop laughing as I walked out of broadlane caravans,I really cannot understand how they get away with it.

 

[Damian]

Quote"and to have the oneshot axle nuts replaced every year is just a rip off"

So, how many times would you use a One Shot Hub Nut, which by its name infers it is only used once?
If you do not remove the drums how do you check that your brake linings are still in one piece and clean out the dust and lubricate the mechanisms inside the hub?????

 

[Allen774]

You are quite correct in saying that they can only be used the once,What I am infering is that it is not needed to remove them every year,in fact the hubs can be checked by simply rotatating and levering the wheel,The brake drums and shoes may require a clean every two or three years for the average caravan or trailer.

 

[sheila_374397204]

Always have it serviced at this time of year (anniversary of purchase). Just as well, as removed it from storage, for a trip away this weekend, had it serviced on the drive and the engineer found that the water pump had developed a leak. Replaced at £127. He stated that he had replaced several already this year. Possible frost damage, although the system was drained as much as possible.

Hubbie replaced ours over winter (as it developed a leak) dealer ordered new pump cost £89 and it was a doddle to fit virtually just clip in and match up two wires. It was a Flojet btw. Although we do have van serviced annually to keep up with warranty.

 

[ww2nut]

i am a regular tourer, (ie my van is not sited) i do not pay for a serivice but i check the gas system with a foot pump if it looses no psi after half hour then the system is good to go, visual checks of the pipe couplings of both water and gas, greese the corner steadies and tow bracket, elec 240v can be checked with one of those plug in system checkers, and the batterie and 12 volt system is simple to check aong the same lines with an electrical tester, the tires are pressure checked and breaks tested while towing, if they work great, i know very quickly if they are binding or not breaking the van at all. most is simple common sence, however for any problems that i come across which are beond my knowlage or indeed unsafe then the mobile caravan man is called for, thankfully i have only had him out once in 2 years for a boiler problem. for damp, dry it, seal it and pray for a good long summer!

 

[emmerson]

I agree with allen re the one shot nuts. Why is it necessary to remove the hubs every year? How many miles does the average caravan do in a year? If the brakes were checked last year, and the 'van has done a (generous) 2000 miles since, the brakes do not need checking again. Just think how often you replace brakes on your car. Why should the 'van wear them out quicker than the car, when the 'van brakes only work when you brake hard, not every time you slow down, as they do on the car.
I would bet that very, very few caravans ever need their brakes replaced, with the possible exception of mine, which is 32 years old. The previous two owners kept meticulous logs for the 'van, and the first time the brakes needed to be replaced was last year. All they got this year was re-adjustment, no need to remove the hubs at all. However, if I should need to remove them, all I have to replace is a tuppenny split pin!