Mobile caravan engineer in St Helens area URGENT

[BigTim]

Hi

Further to my brake problems can anyone recommend a mobile caravan engineer near to St Helens Merseyside. The only one in the phone book cannot come out before next Thursday. We were just about to leave for holidays.

Tim

 

[Parksy]

Hi Tim

There is a list of mobile service engineers with email addresses on

http://www.mobilecaravanengineers.co.uk/mcea-find-an-engineer.htm
Copy /paste the text into your web browser and click on the arrow.

The nearest to you might be Knowsley Caravan Services but if that's the one who is busy try one or two from the surrounding area.

Good Luck

 

[caravanoracle]

im sorry but any company saying they can train someone in a five day course is a joke. mobile caravan engineers quote this on their website. if thats the standard they promote. i wouldnt trust them with my 4 year olds scooter never mind a caravan. and as a fully qualified caravan service technician of 19 years now, and responsible for training staff to pass the C&G, i feel im in a position to make this statement.

 

[BigTim]

Thanks Parksy and Caravan Oracle

I too a little suspicious of the MCE website. Phil, who services my cars, is coming out for a look tomorrow. I'm well and truly cheesed off. I've spent the first day of my "holiday" trying to get the 'van off the drive. I've just spent a small fortune paving the latter so that we could keep the 'van at home and now it's got loads of skid marks from seized wheel. I suppose I am KEEPING the 'van at home but not how I had envisaged.

Regards

Tim

 

[caravanoracle]

Thanks Parksy and Caravan Oracle

I too a little suspicious of the MCE website. Phil, who services my cars, is coming out for a look tomorrow. I'm well and truly cheesed off. I've spent the first day of my "holiday" trying to get the 'van off the drive. I've just spent a small fortune paving the latter so that we could keep the 'van at home and now it's got loads of skid marks from seized wheel. I suppose I am KEEPING the 'van at home but not how I had envisaged.

Regards

Tim

can i ask did you leave the handbrake on whilst it was stood?n if so it could be the brakes are just sticking. sometimes reversing the caravan can release the brakes, and if they still stick a knock on the hub with a hammer can also release, but dont go too daft because they are cast and can crack. at least if you get them freed off you could then possibly take it to someone to look at.

 

[caravanoracle]

can i ask did you leave the handbrake on whilst it was stood?n if so it could be the brakes are just sticking. sometimes reversing the caravan can release the brakes, and if they still stick a knock on the hub with a hammer can also release, but dont go too daft because they are cast and can crack. at least if you get them freed off you could then possibly take it to someone to look at.

 

[BigTim]

can i ask did you leave the handbrake on whilst it was stood?n if so it could be the brakes are just sticking. sometimes reversing the caravan can release the brakes, and if they still stick a knock on the hub with a hammer can also release, but dont go too daft because they are cast and can crack. at least if you get them freed off you could then possibly take it to someone to look at.

Thanks Oracle

Yes I'm afraid I did leave 'van brakes on. I don't usually but was a bit concerned about parking it on our sloping drive and forgot to take handbrake off when steadies were down and wheels chocked. I have tried knocking the drum with a hammer and reversing but the offside wheel stays stubbornly seized. 'Van reverses fine and I even thought we had freed o/s wheel for forward movement but it only goes couple of feet forward before seizes again.

Our car mechanic is going to come and have a look tomorrow. I'm spending my time reading through the 'vanning websites. I'd MUCH RATHER be DOING it than READING about it.

Tim

T

 

[Paul_374423711]

Mr caravan oracle should get his facts right before advocating being an oracle. A self styled Oracle should may be consider having a little more depth to his thinking and consider that there may be more to something that he could only see in words. The MCEA is 5 years established and over 100 members. MCEA 5 days course is sold as a foundation course only. MCEA pushes all its members toward specialist competence trainning including gas, chassis etc.which it conducts or buys for its members as they progress. Some of its engineers are amongst the most highly qualified caravan engineers in the UK and Europe. All its practicing members hold PL insurance and none are permitted to work outside their competence area. They even have a customer complaints procedure, which is more than some workshops. I believe, generally, they work to a very high.

So may be think a little before shooting off and jepoardising the livelyhoods of individuals who have invested in creating self suffieciency in these financial hard times.

Anyone using any engineer mobile or workshop should always check them out anyway.

 

[Paul_374423711]

can i ask did you leave the handbrake on whilst it was stood?n if so it could be the brakes are just sticking. sometimes reversing the caravan can release the brakes, and if they still stick a knock on the hub with a hammer can also release, but dont go too daft because they are cast and can crack. at least if you get them freed off you could then possibly take it to someone to look at.

Bad advice. Do not knock hub with hammer. You will break it. Use a rubber mallett, and tap it. Or use a pice of soft wood and tap that with hammer. do NOT HIT with hammer.

 

[HelenM1]

im sorry but any company saying they can train someone in a five day course is a joke. mobile caravan engineers quote this on their website. if thats the standard they promote. i wouldnt trust them with my 4 year olds scooter never mind a caravan. and as a fully qualified caravan service technician of 19 years now, and responsible for training staff to pass the C&G, i feel im in a position to make this statement.

Can I ask What is your company

 

[TLC]

Be very careful using a MCEA engineer. I recently used one who missed a very serious fault with my caravan axle which if I hadn't of noticed it & we had towed the caravan it could have been potentially very dangerous.

Not saying by any means that they are all this bad hopefully a one off but from my experience I would not use one.

 

[Paul_374423711]

What was the axle problem?

I know of a NCC workshop who failed to pick up an axle problem on a service, axle collapsed at 55mph

I know of an NCC major natioanal name dealership who failed to refit all wheel nuts at a service. Wheel fell off (NS) after 500 yards.

I know of another NCC workshop who failed to tighten wheel nuts at a service. Wheel fell 2 and half miles down the road.

I know of another NCC workshop who failed to tighten nuts on wheel of brand new caravan having fitted Tyrons during PDI. wheel fell off on first trip, wrecked the axle and chassis.

Does that mean I would never use NCC, no of course not as that would be an over reaction. So why do you say never use MCEA. MCEA is no diferent from NCC in as much as it is an overseeing association or body as the NCC is.

If your axle problem was not picked up at an NCC worshop would you never use NCC again. of course not. It would be an injustice and prejudice to many good NCC workshops exactly in the same way as your publication is an injustice and prejudice to many good MCEA mobile workshops.

Assuming the actual fault was a manufactureing defect then do you say you would not ever use an ALKO or BPW chassis again. Or even lets never use a caravan again.

If people on this forum are going to make such serious condemnations in their generalisations they should do their research and understand the facts behind what they are commenting on. The MCEA did not service your caravan any more than the NCC services a caravan. A company did.

By the way, how did the company or the MCEA deal with the axle matter when you complained. Assuming you did off course take it up with them as would be correct and proper. As that is another thing that happens a lot on here, people bad mouth companies such as Swift, MCEA etc. yet they often have never taken it up with the company, who in the main part, will bend over backwards to address any genuine concern us caravaners have.

 

[Damian]

I have had to remove a posting by the Caravan Oracle, made as a comment relating to the MCEA.

Without any substantail evidence or proof he accused the MCEA of working illegally, or in his words "legitimate".

He then goes on about the "only qualification being City and Guilds", which is not actually true, as in fact to work on caravans one does not NEED any qualifications as such.

To work on caravans as a member of the NCC AWS, you do need C&G as well as a minimum ACOPS in LPG and be , or have available, a 16th, now 17th Edition electrician.

Making wholly derogatory comments which may impact on a business without solid proof and substantiation wil not be tolerated at any price.

If the Caravan Oracle is upset at the possibility that he has a rival on his doorstep, then this is not the place to plant seeds of discontent.

With the demise of caravan dealers all over the country, the Mobile Mechanic is probably the best option for many people as they are able to come to the caravan rather than having to travel miles and possibly have to leave the van for more than a day, sometimes up to a week, for an annual service.

As with any "boughtin" service, the customer is always advised to check out the credentials of the person doing the job, and make sure they are what they say they are.

 

[Stella_374451582]

Hi

I used A1 Mobile Caravan Services - they are a NCC approved workshop in Warrington! if you go to the National Caravan Council website all the approved workshops are listed there!

Hope this helps

 

[gary]

I wrote this elsewhere and in general it still applies, I don't however believe any course however short or long is the be all and end all, it's just the beginning!

------------------------------------

The MCEA is indeed a weeks induction course but they then should go on to complete product training with the various suppliers, ie ALKO, Truma, Dometic etc and get a gas competency certificate after another weeks training.

Not much difference to NCC in those respects and many have a strong background such as car mechanics etc, having said that...some have no relevant experience!

I deal with loads of both types, some are damn good! and some I won't deal with!! and many in between

As been said, recommendation is key to it all.

With that in mind, try Myles Povey, 01244 534111

PS, while hitting a cast steel brake drum with a metal hammer is not to be done to excess! hitting it with rubber would never have the desired 'shock' effect?!

 

[Big S]

Tim,

I know your original subject has been hijacked somewhat but to answer your original query try:

Caravancare Ltd John Mackay 01925 710250

0771 3001338 Warrington, Cheshire