Hidden Can of Worms

[Dustydog]

I'm a very easy going old dog. However even by my laid back standards an outstanding issue of four years takes the biscuit.
Very simply the Truma heater cuts out every hour or so and takes at least an hour before the unit switches on again. Ok we didn't get cold in the winter as we used the gas .
My main dealer who has serviced this caravan from new told me last february there was nothing wrong and they had "cleaned" all the electrical connections. Same story over last three years.
Yesterday a Caravan Medic an approved workshop member visited me at our storage site.
What he found left me speechless. The thermostat that sits at the front and plugs into the rear via a jack plug was disconnected. The exhaust gas pipe was taped up with gaffer tape as was the air distribution box which was also broken and incorrectly set. They had also cut part of the rear metal structure with tin snips to facilitate refitting the exhaust pipe . Probably because they had reinstalled the fire before the pipe we think.
The problem established yesterday was the failure of the 125deg Thermal Overload Device. To be on the safe side he also changed the 175 deg TOD although if this one falls I am told it doesn't reset. He made good the reinstallation, tested for gas leaks etc and for £110.00 it all works.

So how on earth can we trust a main dealer's workmanship when we can't see it.
You can guess who will be doing my next service :cheer:

 

[Jaydug]

There are the good and slip-shod mechanics in every organisation. When I bought my Avondale four years ago, there was the pack of manuals together with the tick sheets from the past five annual services. I bought the van as seen since the girl was selling on behalf of her late-Dad. It came with two awnings and full equipment so the end bathroom was chock-a-block When I eventually got it all unpacked I found damp around the toilet. Serious damp with rotten wallboard and framing. I spent the next 3 weeks putting it right - and yet all the service sheets were ticked for the damp inspection. I regret to say that the mechanic worked under the Caravan Medic banner.

Recently my daughter put her one year old car in for a service. I later saw on the work sheet that the sparewheel was marked"N/A" and the aerosol can box was marked with expiry date of 2018. Obviously the boot hadn't even been opened otherwise the mechanic would have found the spare wheel I supplied and fitted. As for the aerosol can - that's in her garage.

 

[Jules_ht]

I would be looking to recover money paid to the negligent supplier.

 

[Gafferbill]

That is bad Alan especially the state of the gas fire exhaust flue.
I am a afraid I would not take to kindly to such shoddy work.....I would be having words with the main dealer! :evil:

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Bill
I've been a loyal supporter but having given them 4 chances enough is enough.
The chap who did the right fix yesterday gets my vote going forward.
The Wyoming is 7 years old and I suspect main dealers aren't interested.

 

[DeliDave_]

Mine had the 175 stat break ,new flue gasket is essential.Bodging the exhaust could kill you,did your engineer complete a RIDDOR form for HSE ,Gassafe recomend that now for incidents like that

 

[Dustydog]

Mine had the 175 stat break ,new flue gasket is essential.Bodging the exhaust could kill you,did your engineer complete a RIDDOR form for HSE ,Gassafe recomend that now for incidents like that

Dave
He replaced the red gasket ring with new and did the full gas test and Co.
Very professional. But as you know this has been a long outstanding problem not resolved by a blue chip main dealer. Very disappointing.

 

[Parksy]

This is bad Alan, and I'm sure that you'll be contacting the dealership to ask why a bodge job that could have killed you was allowed to leave their workshop.

SWMBO is nursing a bad migraine. Thus here I am doing a crossword in The Three Horseshoes.............

I can't help wondering if your Memsahib's migraines when you've been away in the caravan could have been something altogether more dangerous if fumes were leaking back into your caravan because of this issue?

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Dusty,
A very upsetting and serious report.

I strongly suggest you contact Trading Standards, as it would appear the work carried out by the delaer was less than satisfactory and probably dangerous.

There is no statute of limitations on such workmanship issues where safety is compromised. The dealer WILL be interested if TS and Health and Safety are involved. As this exceeds six years it is not a SoGA issue.

You have had to pay out to have substandard work put right, You have a legitimate case to if nothing else have your costs refunded.

In the interests of public safety, The dealer should be made aware of the work, even though it is highly probable the person that actually did the work may no longer work for them. But if he(she) does, the dealer should be reviewing all the work this cowboy has done.

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Boys

many thanks for your input.
I did write to the dealers owner complaining about their inability to resolve the problem over a four year period. And you guessed right , no reply.Rightly or wrongly we don't have the spirit for a drawn out fight so will vote with our feet.
They won't be touching my caravan again nor will we be purchasing our next caravan from them.
A shame because we have been loyal to them for years.
The good thing about an Approved Repairer NCC is they come to you and you see what they are doing.

 

[woodsieboy]

Hi Dusty
Such a shame to hear your tale, especially as I know you have advocated supporting local dealers over the years. We have a dealer that SWMBO refuses to visit because of a past problem and we voted with our feet,they have missed out on the 5 new vans that we have bought since they upset the good lady. similarly we refuse to spend anything with a very little helps store. We have very good local service engineer, who is mobile, but has become so busy that he now has a workshop as well. Shows you all parts replaced and shows you wheels being torqued on collection. We left your dealership when our Bailey was out of warranty, and since then all our work including warranty has been done by the local guy. I hope your van is now satisfactory and you get chance to enjoy it in the next few weeks.

 

[Parksy]

Our local mobile approved service engineer is due on the 18th of this month.
He will service our Abbey 620 on our drive while I'm there and I can be aware of any work carried out.
He's not particularly cheap but he does a good thorough job

 

[ProfJohnL]

We are all human - even caravan dealers - and to be human is to sometimes err. Yes even me. :woohoo:

This thread really shows how a mistake how-so-ever caused can sully someone's opinion about a person or organisation.

Often it's not so much the fact that a mistake has been made, but more the failure of the organisation responsible to accept a problem has arisen which causes the greatest angst for customers.

By contrast, those businesses that quickly and easily accept a problem has occurred, and then go on and do something about it often come out smelling of roses. :cheer:

I strongly advocate that work should be done right first time, and I openly criticise the caravan industry for far too often failing in this respect. I also criticise the industry's failure to understand the impact that their lack lustre QA performance has on customers. :huh:

The industry's customer orientation is frankly not up to par, which is too often reflected in the manufacturer's accredited dealers approach to customer service.

To be fair I have noted some signs that manufacturers are beginning to consider customers after sales issues more seriously, but in my opinion it still has a massive way to go, and amongst other strategies driving quality standards up, and it should be empowering the dealer network to become more proactive in handling claims.

Customer's respect as to be earned, and it would seem that in Dusty's case quite the opposite has occurred. :dry:

 

[Gafferbill]

........I have to admit I get a bit of a numpty to service my caravan

I store my caravan on a concrete apron next to my garage at home and I often find him out there fiddling around making sure everything is in working order.
I leave him to it because everything works as it should even though some components are now obsolete as the caravan is 20 years old.
He has actually modernised some of the systems as and when better versions have been developed.
He never charges me a penny for all this work........ his reward is the fact that the caravan still provides me with enjoyable times.
I don't think he even knows that caravan dealers and service engineers exist!
I will have to remind him of the fact that my caravan was actually bought at a dealers even though it hasn't been near one since hmy:

 

[Dustydog]

Nothing better than a local bloke Bill Shame I don't live in West Sussex
Woodiesboy.
We have made an executive decision and will not be using that dealer again.There is another one down the road from us who have a good reputation so we do have a fall back point.
Prof.
Live and die by the sword. You may recall last year, just after the annual service the gas oven blew up because the control was stuck!
Their loss not mine but it does disappoint that what I always thought was a blue chip company provided such poor service.
Generally manufacturers still have a long way to go.
The Swift Elegance HT 630 and Lunar Delta we saw last week we're not good.
Both front seats bowed under SWMBO making it impossible to open the lower locker doors.
Trims were badly fitted or missing. The Lunar even had sawdust on the floor of the wardrobe.
The dealer hadn't done the PDI check so we saw the caravans exactly as they had left the factory. I cannot believe there is no system of check and supervision to capture these faults before the caravan leaves the factory.

 

[Trevormc]

I used to take my van to a dealer for servicing, then found a local man who dose it at your home. The first year he serviced my van he asked questions about brakes who had ajusted them. Cooker smell of gas when one burner was used, both cases the dealer hadn't done the job correctly. This was 12 months after we had the van serviced by the dealer, so for 12 months both brakes and gas cooker were faulty.

Trevor

 

[Gabsgrandad]

The trouble with the caravan industry it seems to me is that there is no real training/apprenticeships in the industry. From top to bottom all the people you deal with are ex's. - Salesmen are ex car salesmen, ex double glazing salesmen, ex market traders etc. etc.On all occasions when looking for a new van I have known more about the products I'm looking at than those trying to sell them. Most questions you ask are answered with an answer to a question you haven't asked, or I shall have to find out. Workshops have no real training or apprenticeships schemes, the ones in the workshops doing your repairs/servicing are also ex's. Ex motor mechanic, ex decorators, ex, ex, ex. None of them are time served in the caravan industry, is there such a thing? An old caravanning 'buddy' of mine who was a motor mechanic at a main Ford dealer,(and a good mechanic.) But knew no more about caravans than I did was suddenly asked one day by his employer , because he was a caravanner, if he would like to transfer to their caravan side and run the workshop? He of course accepted, money talks! He had to learn on the job. Is this typical of the rest of the caravan service industry? Even indeed the manufacturers workers also, all ex's?

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Is this typical of the rest of the caravan service industry? Even indeed the manufacturers workers also, all ex's?

Probably

 

[JonnyG]

you cannot let them get away with that, if not for yourself for another unfortunate punter. i would phone them one last time and tell them as you have strong evidence having got the unit repaired and they seem to not be interested in your letters of complaint, tell them you will be doing as the prof suggested and going to trading standards, to me this borders on an health and safety issue, which is far more serious than shoddy workmanship.

 

[Raywood]

I agree with the Professors points and would also report the dealer to the NCC if they are members.
I would consider a small claims action just to make the dealer realise they cannot get away with ignoring you. For the sums involved they would have little to choice but to pay you and they certainly would not want the case in the local papers.

 

[Dustydog]

I suspect even if I do become a martyr to the cause the sheer effort and stress involved will not result in benefit to me or anyone else. As the Prof says there are also good as well as bad .
You may wish to see the attached e-mails I sent

Sunday, October 27, 2013 3:01 PM
Subject: Senator Wyoming Faults to be fixed at service

1. Fridge door catch worn out. Needs replacing.

2. Light bulb above bed head by bathroom door needs replacing.

3. Truma room heater hasn't worked correctly since fan was repaired last service. On electric it keeps cutting out and then turning on by itself.
The gas doesn't always light up , no reason , a mind of its own.

4. Check Al-ko hitch stabiliser . Not much resistance needed to lock in place. If necessary please replace the pads.

-------- Original message --------
From:
Date:23/04/2015 16:57 (GMT+00:00)
To:
Subject:

Fao J P

Hi J.

You serviced our s6 Wyoming on the 24th February 2015.
I specifically told you and your colleagues I wanted the electric side of the Truma heater fixed once and for all. You will see from the servicing notes the heater, for the last four, years keeps cutting out. It stays off for 90 minutes and then turns on again. Here we are four years on and the problem is unresolved.
We have been long term supporters of ???????? Caravans .I must say the inability to remedy this long lasting problem doesn't sit comfortably with us.
You personally told me on the 24th February all the connections had been cleaned, checked and were okay.
We have been away for four weeks since I saw you and yet the problem persists.
Very frustrating in the winter although we did use gas instead.
How can we solve this four year old problem?
Do you know a competent Trumatic engineer who can visit me a day sort this out once and for all.
Clearly some heat sensor isn't coping well and turning the heater off even when it is freezing.!
I made it very clear in February I wanted the problem fixed after four years but
sadly that isn't the case.
I was quite willing to pay for the work but it seems this one has beaten you!

Is there some part I can buy and fix myself?

Best wishes

As you can see the problem has been a long outstanding one. I have removed the dealers identity but most of you will know who I use. Never again I am afraid.