Crack in panel!

[ProfJohnL]

I wholeheartedly agree that sellers should be made to honour their legal obligations under the CRA.

But in this case for the reasons I have already expressed several times, you have to show the goods are not fit for purpose, and that is where your case is weak because you cannot prove you have not allowed something to damage the caravan, and that is what your AWS engineers has also implied.

It's a question of the balance of probabilities - if every caravan (and I mean every one) of that design exhibited the same fault that would point to a design flaw or possibly a material flaw, But the fact that some caravans of that design do not suffer the same problem is strong evidence against your claim of it being "not fit for purpose"

By all means if you feel you do have a case then pursue it, but I will be delighted for you, if you win it completely.

 

[Dustydog]

Your AWS engineer sees no tangible impact mark that may have caused the crack? Did he comment on the possibility of road damage ie pot holes?

 

[Buckman]

Your AWS engineer sees no tangible impact mark that may have caused the crack? Did he comment on the possibility of road damage ie pot holes?

None regarding impact damage however he did point out that he has repaired numerous caravans with these so called impact cracks and the conclusion is that the panels are not fit for purpose under either SOGA or CRA 2015.
A caravan should be designed to be used on all sorts of roads and generally pot holes are not that large to cause impact damage and neither are the roads that bad and rough. After all many campsites have poor roads leading to the actual campsite and also in the campsite itself.
However this does not explain why caravans that are sited on seasonal pitches permanently are also suffering from cracks with 2 - 3 years? I feel I have a strong case as the legislation is on my side and have a reasonably chance of winning if I puruse it as far as I can.

 

[Dustydog]

Flicking through the last three editions of PCV , used caravans sections , Eureka!
Our Journalists specifically tell us to look out for cracks in ABS panels. See for yourselves the number of times this issue is raised! So do they know something , from experience , that may be useful for Buckman?

 

[Buckman]

Flicking through the last three editions of PCV , used caravans sections , Eureka!
Our Journalists specifically tell us to look out for cracks in ABS panels. See for yourselves the number of times this issue is raised! So do they know something , from experience , that may be useful for Buckman?

What is PCV?

 

[Buckman]

A thought has occurred to me regarding class action. In many cases a particular finance house is the owner and supplier of many different brands of caravans. Many of these different brands suffer from the same problem of cracked panels whether being used on the roads or permanently sited on a seasonal site.

If the owners of these caravans with cracked panels got together, I wonder if some sort of class action could be taken against the finance house as that is the only common point for many caravan owners?

 

[Dustydog]

What is PCV?

Practical Caravan Magazine

 

[Buckman]

Practical Caravan Magazine

I thought so but adding the "V" threw me. Sadly I don't have access to those editions and not sure if you can read them Online.

 

[ProfJohnL]

A thought has occurred to me regarding class action. In many cases a particular finance house is the owner and supplier of many different brands of caravans. Many of these different brands suffer from the same problem of cracked panels whether being used on the roads or permanently sited on a seasonal site.

If the owners of these caravans with cracked panels got together, I wonder if some sort of class action could be taken against the finance house as that is the only common point for many caravan owners?

I erroneously suggested the possibility of a "Class Action". apparently such actions do not exist in UK law. The nearest is a super complaint which I previously described.

 

[Dustydog]

I erroneously suggested the possibility of a "Class Action". apparently such actions do not exist in UK law. The nearest is a super complaint which I previously described.

Are you sure? I thought the Post Office Horizon case was a group class action??

 

[otherclive]

I erroneously suggested the possibility of a "Class Action". apparently such actions do not exist in UK law. The nearest is a super complaint which I previously described.

Perhaps the media are using the phrase incorrectly but it was widely reported that 90000 British motorists were given permission by the High Court to pursue their Class Action against Volkswagen over dieselgate. But like everything it’s not an open and closed definition, but strictly the action is via a GLO.

https://uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters.com/6-618-0351?contextData=(sc.Default)&transitionType=Default&firstPage=true

 

[Buckman]

I erroneously suggested the possibility of a "Class Action". apparently such actions do not exist in UK law. The nearest is a super complaint which I previously described.

Thank you for the reminder as I had also forgotten the correct terminology.

 

[Dustydog]

I thought so but adding the "V" threw me. Sadly I don't have access to those editions and not sure if you can read them Online.

Maybe our Mods can help? I subscribe and have it paper and on line. The journalist Andrew Jenkinson specialises in used caravans. It is he who comments on the cracks in ABS Elddis panels, and others. Maybe a note to him? Whatever circumstantial evidences and opinions you can gather can only help your case.

 

[Buckman]

Maybe our Mods can help? I subscribe and have it paper and on line. The journalist Andrew Jenkins specialises in used caravans. It is he who comments on the cracks in ABS Elddis panels, and others. Maybe a note to him? Whatever circumstantial evidences and opinions you can gather can only help your case.

Thanks DD. Everyones input has been very appreciated, even if some appeared to be negative as those are the comments I need to take on board as they help with the argument.

 

[Parksy]

Maybe our Mods can help? I subscribe and have it paper and on line. The journalist Andrew Jenkinson specialises in used caravans. It is he who comments on the cracks in ABS Elddis panels, and others. Maybe a note to him? Whatever circumstantial evidences and opinions you can gather can only help your case.

Moderators have no more access to back copies of the magazine than any other subscriber, sorry.

 

[Buckman]

Moderators have no more access to back copies of the magazine than any other subscriber, sorry.

I seem to remember that a few years back you could buy back copies, but cannot recall if it was PCM or not.

 

[Dustydog]

I seem to remember that a few years back you could buy back copies, but cannot recall if it was PCM or not.

You can still write to Andrew Jenkinson via the contacts page and ask him for his experience with cracked ABS panels. His years of experience of cracks may prove useful

 

[Buckman]

You can still write to Andrew Jenkinson via the contacts page and ask him for his experience with cracked ABS panels. His years of experience of cracks may prove useful

I bought the latest digital copy to try only to find that it can be up to 72 hours before it is released to me despite paying using Paypal???? Normally if buying anything digital it is available instantly?

 

[Dustydog]

I bought the latest digital copy to try only to find that it can be up to 72 hours before it is released to me despite paying using Paypal???? Normally if buying anything digital it is available instantly?

🙀Poor show.
Am I allowed to post magazine extracts on here?

 

[Parksy]

🙀Poor show.
Am I allowed to post magazine extracts on here?

I don't see why not DD

 

[Dustydog]

Buckman
Note Andy Jenkinson’s reference to cracked panels. He’s a seasoned caravanning journalist. Seems he knows about cracks in ABS panels

 

[Buckman]

In an earlier post I mentioned that to repair damp and crack the dealer has to replace the wallboards in the caravan.
When the dealer did the repair around the offside battery locker they did the following work.
Below is a list of the work carried out:

1. Remove and replace battery box, ply and wallboard.
2. Replace hinge bar and water damaged wallboard.
3. Overseal access locker frame.
4. Remove and refit awning rail.

Note that they state in 1 & 2 that the water damaged wallboard was removed and replaced. If you look at the picture of the wallboard where it joins the ceiling board you can see the joining strip which was curled before the repair and somehow they have refitted the curled joining strip. Something does not seem right.

Just to add that today the damp reading was below 10% and you cannot see any staining of either board. The damp is a small patch where the ceiling joining strip meets the wall board.

The crack is at the top of the caravan on the offside where the roof is moulded to take the skylight above the three front windows.

BTW it now seem that the next step is the Ombudsman as the finance company are not responding 2 weeks later.

 

[Jcloughie]

The same stick on strip in my van started curling in places, I managed to get 5 meters for £20+ pounds. Not hard to put on. So it makes you wonder why they would skimp on the simple things.

John

 

[Buckman]

The same stick on strip in my van started curling in places, I managed to get 5 meters for £20+ pounds. Not hard to put on. So it makes you wonder why they would skimp on the simple things.

John

Thanks. Not sure if I can get a decent colour match anyway? Strange that they used the same curling strip again?

 

[Jcloughie]

Thanks. Not sure if I can get a decent colour match anyway? Strange that they used the same curling strip again?

My colour match was spot on even though Lunar is no more. I found a supplier in the NE, phoned up and he knew exactly what I needed and we did the deal.

Mine looks very similar to yours. Perhaps they are not made specifically for each manufacturer, perhaps they just choose from a standard range.

I got the old strip off with a hair drier.

If I can trace the supplier I will let you know.

John