Caravan service

[Buckman]

When we took our caravan to the dealer for its 3rd year service and also some warranty work, we were quoted £250. On collection over and above there were charges for oil,grease, brake cleaner - £8, CO2 Alarm test - £3, 32mm Alko flange? £18.
I queried the oil,grease, brake cleaner chrge and told that is the charge! I never requested the co2 test and have no idea of the Alko flange. I always thought a service charge was inclusive as we have never ever been charged these extras in all the years that we have been caravanning! BTW for the last two years with same dealer we have never been charged for the extras. It may not be much but it is the principle!

 

[otherclive]

When we took our caravan to the dealer for its 3rd year service and also some warranty work, we were quoted £250. On collection over and above there were charges for oil,grease, brake cleaner - £8, CO2 Alarm test - £3, 32mm Alko flange? £18.
I queried the oil,grease, brake cleaner chrge and told that is the charge! I never requested the co2 test and have no idea of the Alko flange. I always thought a service charge was inclusive as we have never ever been charged these extras in all the years that we have been caravanning! BTW for the last two years with same dealer we have never been charged for the extras. It may not be much but it is the principle!

I’ve never had those items charged separately in an annual service on the caravan, they are just included within the overall cost. But many car dealers inventory everything when not going for the fixed price menu servicing.

 

[Jcloughie]

Reminds me of the days when garages would make extra and extortionate charges for windscreen washer fluid and that funny white grease they put on door hinges.

There are things which could legitimately be added to a service charge, for example, worn pads in a stabiliser hitch. On my last service my pads were shown to be worn. He simply change them at cost. The labour was included in the service charge.

My CO was part of the service, it included looking at the expiry date and pressing the test button.

Apart from those obvious things, items which are normally used in the course of doing a service ie. brake cleaner, should be inclusive. Next they will be charging for rubber gloves.

What is and is not charged for in a service should be spelled out in their charges which are clear before the service is done. In your case a president has been set over the previous years.

Very naughty.

John

PS, just looked up what 32mm Alko Flange is, and its the one shot nuts. Years ago they used to be an extra charge. As they can’t do the service without them they should be inclusive. I have never been charged extra.

 

[Dustydog]

My independent engineer includes everything except the four Al-ko one shot nuts. The old ones are always left on the floor by the door. Just after I pay him he makes me watch as he checks all wheel bolts with his torque wrench. I realise he will be using consumables such as grease, oils brake cleaner fluid etc but as everyone else I expect them to be factored into the overall price.

 

[Buckman]

It seems highly unlikely we will use the dealer again except for warranty work. Unfortunately I "lost" it abit when confronted with the extras and the take it and lump it attitude. Very naughty of me as do not get cross very often Next year it will be the mobile AWS techician. BTW this is the same dealer with the terrible damp reports. This year they have written the percentages on the diagram.

 

[Dustydog]

It seems highly unlikely we will use the dealer again except for warranty work. Unfortunately I "lost" it abit when confronted with the extras and the take it and lump it attitude. Very naughty of me as do not get cross very often Next year it will be the mobile AWS techician. BTW this is the same dealer with the terrible damp reports. This year they have written the percentages on the diagram.

You will not be disappointed next year. These guys live and die by the sword so cannot afford to upset us punters👍👍👍

 

[RogerL]

I’ve never had those items charged separately in an annual service on the caravan, they are just included within the overall cost. But many car dealers inventory everything when not going for the fixed price menu servicing.

My VW dealer lists everything, including oil, filter, screenwash and "environmental" but I don't worry as long as the total equals the price I agreed when booking the service - I have to negotiate during booking as the dealer group charges more for a fixed price service than the national recommendation on the VW UK website.

If a caravan dealer quotes a price when booking, it should just be that price, not a penny more.

 

[Beachball]

When we were Seasonal we had a mobile AWS technician to service our caravan we thought they were brilliant so i think you will not be disappointed

 

[Kevin M]

We use an excellent local (approved) service place for our van, drop it off at 8am on a Saturday and pick it up the same day. Same as Dusty, he always asks us to witness the Torquing of the wheel nuts.
When I took the van in to the main dealer for its first service, I listed a fault with the door mounted waste bin (reported a week after we bought the van but ok to leave until the service). When we arrived to pick the van up, they had sorted the issue out by removing the whole bin assembly and covered the screw holes with screw caps!.
They seemed put out when I demanded a replacement (they ended up removing one from anew stock van).
Independent everytime for me where possible.

Kev

 

[ProfJohnL]

You certainly should not have been charged for a CO2 detector test as you don't have a CO2 detector!!!

Unless the business states that a service charge is inclusive of consumables and parts, it is exclusive.

The moral of this do not assume you know what is included in the service charge, ask about what is and isn't included before you agree to have service work carried out.

 

[Jcloughie]

It seems highly unlikely we will use the dealer again except for warranty work. Unfortunately I "lost" it abit when confronted with the extras and the take it and lump it attitude. Very naughty of me as do not get cross very often Next year it will be the mobile AWS techician. BTW this is the same dealer with the terrible damp reports. This year they have written the percentages on the diagram.

Ian, I can highly recommend the one I use. I think his base is Bishops Cleeve so you may be in his area.

2U Services | Mobile Caravan & Motorhome Care 07768 25 24 20

www.2uservices.co.uk

John

 

[Buckman]

You certainly should not have been charged for a CO2 detector test as you don't have a CO2 detector!!!

Unless the business states that a service charge is inclusive of consumables and parts, it is exclusive.

The moral of this do not assume you know what is included in the service charge, ask about what is and isn't included before you agree to have service work carried out.

They used somthing to test the CO2 alarm. I have never heard of this test and have never had it done on any of our previous caravans. Their website states £250 for service and no mention of extras. After all the only actual service is the running gear
BTW the notice in the workshop does not mention extras either.

 

[RogerL]

They used somthing to test the CO2 alarm. I have never heard of this test and have never had it done on any of our previous caravans. Their website states £250 for service and no mention of extras. After all the only actual service is the running gear
BTW the notice in the workshop does not mention extras either.

It's a CO detector, not CO2 - my mobile technician includes testing that that in a service without extra charge.

 

[Fraseb01]

Just had our twin axle done by mobile eng, full service and full 5yr alde fluid change , can't fault the guy 400 well spent 👍👍👍

 

[JezzerB]

£340 for us for our TA main dealer; only the one shot nuts were listed as an extra but we were quoted 340 and that is what we paid; itemised checklist included CO detector check full itemised damp and grease obviously applied to ext moving parts as well as two teeny 'warranty' items done perfetly.. Always v happy with Robinsons and yes some may think this a bit pricey but they are a main dealer and my mind is rested re warranty etc.

 

[Buckman]

It's a CO detector, not CO2 - my mobile technician includes testing that that in a service without extra charge.

Prof says it is not a CO2 detector and you say it is not an alarm it is a detector? I am confused. On the service sheet there is nothing mentioning testing smoke and cO2 alarm. The only thing mentioning either is regarding the expiry date.
BTW can you do a caravan service on a twin axle without using oil, grease, brake cleaner and the 32mm Alko flange which is why I think they shoudl be inclusive of the service price quoted?
When the dealer phoned to tell us that the caravan was ready to collect I asked how much as I had requested an extra job to be done and they told me over the phone £279.00.
Obviously I assumed that the price quoted was the price for the service and the fitting of a wash basin. I was aware that fitting the washbasin would cost £60 so when told £279 I was pleased as thouhgt that being a good customer that fitted it in 1/2 hour. Obviously when they quoted the priced they never for some reason included the £60.

 

[Buckman]

£340 for us for our TA main dealer; only the one shot nuts were listed as an extra but we were quoted 340 and that is what we paid; itemised checklist included CO detector check full itemised damp and grease obviously applied to ext moving parts as well as two teeny 'warranty' items done perfetly.. Always v happy with Robinsons and yes some may think this a bit pricey but they are a main dealer and my mind is rested re warranty etc.

You were aware of the price before you took the caravan in for its service which is fair enough and I certainly would not object as the price was all inclusive.

BTW in 2018 and 2019 the same dealer charged us £250 inclusive of all the items listed so one would assume that same would apply this year.

For £8 I could probably buy a tin of grease, a pint of oil and a bottle of brake cleaner! Actually in the car I carry a spray can of brake cleaner.

Any one know how they woudl go about checking the CO2 detector?

Since last year the caravan has done approximately 1050 miles of which 180 is taking ti banc and forth from the dealer so doubt very much if the brakes would have been that clogged up with brake dust.

 

[otherclive]

Prof says it is not a CO2 detector and you say it is not an alarm it is a detector? I am confused. On the service sheet there is nothing mentioning testing smoke and cO2 alarm. The only thing mentioning either is regarding the expiry date.
BTW can you do a caravan service on a twin axle without using oil, grease, brake cleaner and the 32mm Alko flange which is why I think they shoudl be inclusive of the service price quoted?
When the dealer phoned to tell us that the caravan was ready to collect I asked how much as I had requested an extra job to be done and they told me over the phone £279.00.
Obviously I assumed that the price quoted was the price for the service and the fitting of a wash basin. I was aware that fitting the washbasin would cost £60 so when told £279 I was pleased as thouhgt that being a good customer that fitted it in 1/2 hour. Obviously when they quoted the priced they never for some reason included the £60.

It is not a CO2 alarm it’s a smoke alarm according to the label on the back of my Fire Angel. It’s function is to detect smoke and then alarm. If it cannot be called an alarm then what should people call that thing by the bedside that gets them up at the required time ? 😂

 

[Buckman]

It is not a CO2 alarm it’s a smoke alarm according to the label on the back of my Fire Angel. It’s function is to detect smoke and then alarm. If it cannot be called an alarm then what should people call that thing by the bedside that gets them up at the required time ? 😂

We have a smoke alarm and also the CO2 alarm / detector. Two different items. Strangely enough we fitted our own water mist fire extinguiher and fire blanket and they have a separate sheet for this test called a "Smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarm test record" and goes on to refer that it was be completed on change of tenancy regulations 2015. Looks very official.

 

[RogerL]

Prof says it is not a CO2 detector and you say it is not an alarm it is a detector? I am confused.

My point was that it's CO, not CO2

 

[RogerL]

It is not a CO2 alarm it’s a smoke alarm according to the label on the back of my Fire Angel. It’s function is to detect smoke and then alarm. If it cannot be called an alarm then what should people call that thing by the bedside that gets them up at the required time ? 😂

My Lunar has both - a smoke alarm near the kitchen area and a CO alarm in the sleeping area.

 

[Dustydog]

I have two . Like Buckman one is a smoke detector, the other is a Carbon Monoxide detector. Not Carbon Dioxide. CO is a silent killer hence the importance of a functional detector. Engineers have spray cans of CO for testing. We can press the button to check the audible function is ok, but that doesn’t prove the detector is detecting!

 

[Woodentop]

Tip: most Fire Angel fire alarms in caravans are the cheap end that respond to smoke and rising heat - hence why they alert when you burn the toast. I changed mine to the FA variety that doesn't respond to smoke. The advantage is that the back plate is the same so you just remove one (rotate anti-clockwise) and replace it with the other.

 

[Buckman]

My point was that it's CO, not CO2

They definitely have it down as CO2 alarm test. Would the CO2 perhaps refer to the smoke alarm? Surely if the smoek alarm is faulty the smoke alarm beeps and to test it you simply push a button on it.
Same applies to the CO alarm. You press a button to test it. The CO alarm is located on the ceiling of the caravan?
For pushing a button that is not part of the service charge of £3. As said not the money, but the principle.
Not sure of the legalities but if you did no authorise extra work to be done, then surely they cannot charge you for it?
The "Smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarm test record " has no value as I don't think it applies to caravans, but someone cna confirm? Thanks.

 

[otherclive]

My Lunar has both - a smoke alarm near the kitchen area and a CO alarm in the sleeping area.

So does mine.