ODD

[Auvergne]

Today we bought our 2008 Coachman home for a good wash. Concerned to see the sides had weathered a totally different colour to the front and back. (We are the people who's door fell off on the maiden voyage in March last year). The door has also weathered a different colour to the sides if you please.

Looking around the storage compound many Coachmans are similar - i.e. different colour sides. Anyone know why?

 

[ValA.]

I think it's because the back and front panels are made from ABS and the sides from painted aluminium or certainly a different material. (This is from someone non-technical, so a more tecchie person may well correct me, but it's definitely two different materials). The weather and the sun change the colour differently on the two finishes - and you end up with the problem you have.

It's to be expected on older vans, but if mine was a 2008 I'd be straight on to the dealer this morning to see what they were going to do about it.

 

[ValA.]

That probably explains why the door is different, too, if the finish was changed when it was repaired/replaced!

 

[Dustydog]

Valerie

The man to ask, as well as the dealer, is Icemaker.

You will see from his numerous threads he has been an ardent Caochman supporter for a long time. I doubt there isn't much he doesn't know.

Cheers

Dustydog

 

[Icemaker]

i cant really give any advice on the paintwork as ive not seen the van but i can say that our vip 530/4 which is now 2 1/2 years old is as good now as it was when we collected it. yes there is a slight colour difference between the front and back panels compared to the sides but one would expect this as they are different materials.

i cant see how any painted surface can weather to the extent of it being noticable in a such a short time and can only assume the van has either been stored under trees or around an industrial area where contamination can have a very adverse effect on paint work, if this is not the case and the van is definatelly different shades then i would take it back to the dealer.

Having said the above i am a bit fussy about my van and i do wash it every single time we use it which is once every 3 weeks summer and winter and it gets polished from top to bottom with auto glym polish's twice a year, dad treats his coachman the same and it too looks like new but is actually 5 years old.

sorry i cant offer any real advice of the cause valerie but i hope the re assurance that its not normal is enough for you to go back to the dealer, if he wants proof that its not normal ask the mods for my e-mail address and i will send you photo's of my van.