cracking panels.

[steven_5083816]

Hi

can anyone help? I have had 3 brand new vans 2 from Avondale (diffrent models) and 1 from from Lunar. The 2 Avondales had splits at the front and rear panels, at the join,s to the roof panel. The other splits were half way up the front panel at the side.

The splits on the lunar are like star cracks on the front panel where it meets the awning rail, the rear panel at the light cluster, the top panel which joins the back and roof panel.

Has anybody had problems like these, or know of anybody?

steven.

 

[CliveV]

Is it a crack right through the panel or just a crack in the top "gel coat"?

 

[steven_5083816]

Clive

The two Avondales were cracks right throught the panels

The Lunar seems to be the top gel coat.

 

[CliveV]

If the Avondales were new then I would expect new panels to be fitted under warrenty?

If the other was the gel-coat - this can happen and it is unsightly but not a huge problem unless it is left for the frost to get at it. So it does need to be repaired.

Usually such cracking and splitting is as a result of the panel flexing beyond its design or build limits.

Seems like poor construction to me. What do the Manufacturers say?

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Steven,

I concur with CliveV om this point, Unless the caravan has been exposed to unreasonable stress or environmental conditions, the fabric of the caravan should be designed and use materials and manufactured to withstand these conditions. A failure in panel suggests either poor design, poor material or poor workmanship. in other words "not of merchantable quality", The law states that retailers must supply new goods that will not fail under normal usage and life.

see:

http://www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/topics1/facts/salegoodsact.htm
Note that this is the responsibility of the retailer not the manufacture, The retailer cannot absolve themselves of this responsibility, so insist on your rights with the retailer. do not defer it to the manufacture.

 

[steven_5083816]

Thank,s gentlemen for the info, the vans were not put to stress

through myself as the avondales were 6 weeks old at the time.

I will take on board the info and see what happens.

steven.

 

[354]

Just had to take our van in after damp was found in the upper rear corners. The cause turned out to be an 8 inch crack on each side of the rear panel where it joins the roof. Cost of repairs

 

[CliveV]

Horror stories like this MUST put people off buying new 'vans.

We often think about trading ours in but as it is solid, doesn't leak and suits us, I think we will keep our money and stay as we are.

Mind you I took all the "rails" off ours and re-sealed them within a year of purchasing our s/h caravan just to make sure.

Glad I did! In placed the sealent was about 1/8 th inch wide where it had been applied in the factory in a haphazard manner.

There was no damp on purchase and none since - but with quality standards like that it would only have been a matter of time if I had not done anything.

It would seem buying a good s/h van would be the safer option if construction standards are so poor. At least then you can check for damage after useage.

It's hardly satisfactory tho' if brand new vans and vans less than 5 years old start falling apart!

 

[ProfJohnL]

Just had to take our van in after damp was found in the upper rear corners. The cause turned out to be an 8 inch crack on each side of the rear panel where it joins the roof. Cost of repairs

 

[Julie_5040500]

Hi

We have a 1 year old Avondale Argente 560/6, purchased from new. We have cracks in both the front and rear panels, also we are having to have a complete new floor. We took to our dealer and He told me that this is happening in a lot of these vans.I saw 6 others with cracks in the same panels waiting to be replaced. I also saw one last week in the storage compound with same cracks in same place. The floor is also a problem he as seen before. He said that Avondale will not admit that there is a problem with these panels. My van is going back to the Avondale factory in the New Year for this work to be done, I am hoping that the problems will be resolved. My splits are in the exact place you say and so were the others.

 

[steven_5083816]

Julie

I do not want to alarm you, but the second Avondale we had, went back to the factory to get both front and back panels fitted along with the nearside half upper panel. Avondale did not keep to there date for the caravan to go back to the factory it went 4 week,s later, when it came back all the repairs were not complete, also (the list is long as your arm) when they put the side panel on the new panel went on top of the old one which made the caravan heavier by 20kg.It even came back needing more repairs done.

please weight the caravan on public weight scales when the van is empty ie when the van is sent from factory to the dealer.

Our van was an Argente 535/5 2004 model, the 20kg made a diffrence to our plated weights, hence we forced the dealer to take it back and since then, we bought a Lunar to which it is a good van apart from the panels, but on the whole it was worth the effort beleive me.

Avondale are not good to deal with and never admit that they are wrong about there panals cracking.I dont know if you have spoke to Christine Thompson but that is one not so nice lady.

Finally I know you have spent a lot of money on your van but I would force the dealer to take it back and get another make for your own peice of mind. sorry to worry you but you are better knowing what you are about to face.

steven

ps I still have my weight bridge tickets of proof.

 

[Mike_5041089]

Steve & others, I have every sympathy with all of you - but why accept shoddy goods? Under the Sale of Goods Act, all merchandise must be "fit for purpose" - clearly cracked panels/damp etc aren't on such "young" vans. We're on our 4th van now, and having had 3 British built vans, all of which were full of faults and came complete with rubbish service from the Dealer/Manufacturer, we bought a foreign made van (Caravelair) last year which was not only faultless and had a superior warranty, the Dealer was also exemplary (Highbridge in Bridgewater) The UK caravan industry would be well advised to look at what happened to the UK car & motorcycle industry a few years ago.......! Hope you get everthing soreted soon.

 

[Neil_5041165]

2003 Avondale Dart, has now had two repairs to the front panel under the grab handles, by two agents, the second having lasted almost 18 months longer than the first ! I've now noticed the cracking again and it is only gel coat stress fractures. The rear panel was repaired by an agent with out my asking during a routine service and that cracked out straight away and has now been replaced by the second agent. Avondale will allow all repairs under warranty but will not admit to major design / manufacturing problems even though the panel manufacture was subcontracted out around this time. The rear panel has no sign of any problems, the agent told me they have re-designed it and it actually fits better. Warranty is almost up on my van now and i need to get it in again to get the front panel sorted, I'm going for a new panel this time !!!

 

[ProfJohnL]

Please Please Please, read what your stautory rights are under the sale of goods act.

Forget Manufacture warranties check out the DTI website:

http://www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/topics1/facts/salegoodsact.htm
If you have a defective product (i.e. craking panels) then use your stautory rights with the retailer. It is the retailers responsibility to ensure supplied product is fit for purpose and free of known defects.

There is sufficient evidence to show that some of the reported problems above are common and therfore must be the result of defective design, materials or workmanship, and thus defective at time of sale.

Your statutory rights are against the seller, not the manufacture. Think of it like a chain, Customer, seller, Manufcature. You claim from your supplier who will in turn claim from thier supplier and so on.

Please note that there is no referemce to a "one year warranty", in fact for some goods the DTI sugegst you may be able to claim for up to 6 years!(and I think caravan front mouldings would be coverd by this)

Use your rights - report defective goods that are not fit for purpose and push for approriate repairs or replacements.

If people did report all defects, the manufactures would be forced into improving quality to protect thier profits.

Just consider, when you orderd your caravan, you have worked hard to earn the money to pay for it. Ask yourself, did I specify on my order that I wanted a defective product? no of course not, so why did your seller supply one?

They are in the wrong, not you, so why should you pay for thier failures?

 

[steven_5083816]

John

I have been to trading standards today and there info was that the goods were fit for use at point of sale, the defects that have occured since, we must give the dealer the chance to sort the defect, if once fixed and the problem occurs again then we can claim a refund (minus the use we have had from the caravan) and find a refund that is agreeable to both parties.Or we can have a replacement instead.

I have read the web site page you said and found it most useful.

 

[ProfJohnL]

John

I have been to trading standards today and there info was that the goods were fit for use at point of sale, the defects that have occured since, we must give the dealer the chance to sort the defect, if once fixed and the problem occurs again then we can claim a refund (minus the use we have had from the caravan) and find a refund that is agreeable to both parties.Or we can have a replacement instead.

I have read the web site page you said and found it most useful.

Hello Steven,

I am not Trading standards expert, but I think there is sufficient evidence based on the number of reported cracks on this forum to point to an inherent defect of design, material or workmanship.

The defect may not have been apparent at the point of sale, but the subsequent evidence is quite damming. Perhaps Trading Standards are not aware of the numbers of customers who have experienced the problem, which is why I encourage all affected caravanners to report their problems. This applies to all defects not just this cracking issue.

 

[Fastcat]

We also have an Avondale, its a dart 556/6, we bought it new in december 2004. We are concerned about the problems you seem to be experiencing with the cracked panels, although we haven't found any evidence of the same fault on ours YET, does anyone know if these faulty panels are only on certain models and/or years? Wish we'd known about these problems before we'd bought the van, but we suppose you're all thinking the same thing.

 

[Julie_5040500]

Hi sorry for late reply but been on hols. The Avondales that seem to be affected are Rialto, Argente & Dart. I contacted my friend that as a 2 year old Dart and she found the same cracks in her back panel. Avondale have been in touch and wanted thew van in while we were on holiday but we had to decline it is now going back the first week in January.

 

[Icemaker]

My sister has a dart which has just had its first service, when she took the van to glossop to drop it off the guy booking it in paid great attention to the front and rear panels, when asked if there was a problem he said avondales had got problems with the panels cracking due to them being over tight on production. this is apparently a fault that avondale has accepted and vans are being repaired under warranty, my sisters van was ok but she was adviced to keep an eye on it and report any sign of cracks immediately to the dealer. this is obviously very worrying with a 1 year old van and she is considering selling due to this problem. might be worth checking with your own dealers.

 

[Paul_5064559]

Steven etc.

Have a 2.5 year old Explorer Compass. During early use I noticed hair line cracks in the front panel around the the top stem of the off side grab handle. Reported under warranty and eventually got a visit frm the front panel manufacturer Lamplas. Guy that came had the story that this was caused in Explorer factory by tightening up the bracket inside the locker which secure grab handle to the van body. If said brackets not aligned correctly resultant stress at this point causes these cracks. He resurfaced the area but advised me to keep a close eye on the area, if cracks go right through (he said) no amount of resurfacing will effect a cure. Sure enough another year on the cracks appeared again. As I write this my van is today with Explorer having a new front panel fitted. As soon as it returns I will look at part exchanging it as I am left with no confidence that said fault will not re-appear again and after I am out of warranty next May.

Incidentally twisting and turning by Explorer included demanding a sight of my service certificate for 2005 although how the performance of this was specific to my problem is any-ones guess, you have been warned!