Panel or patch

[David_374295221]

Hi

We purchased our caravan new in August 2005. I was washing the caravan a few weeks ago when the front panel cracked under the sponge!! I immediately phoned my dealer in disgust.

I returned the caravan to the dealer two weeks later (the earliest the dealer could look at the caravan) and was told that it was a bubble in the fibre glass. (a round trip of 140 miles to tell me what I already knew).

The dealer stated that they would replace the front panel under warranty but it would be 8 weeks before a new panel would arrive. The dealer further stated that if it was one of their carvans they would patch the panel.

We had wanted to trade the caravan in for a new caravan with a fixed bed, as my wife has back trouble. We were offered a deal on a new caravan if we accepted a drop of £6,000 for our caravan. Incidentally other dealers who do not deal with this make were offering us approx £1000 more for our caravan.

We are now stuck with the original dealer as no-one else will accept the caravan with the damage.

Further to this other caravaners and car repair experts are recommeding that we do not have the front panel replaced but merely patched as a new panel could cause bother in the future, and buyers may think the caravan was involved in an accident.

We really feel disgusted and that we are now lumbered with a turkey.

Any advise would be appreciated.

Dealer name and caravan make withheld at this stage.

DC

 

[Guest]

I am a little curious as to the responses you have had. If the caravan was new in 2005 then it is certainly still under warranty and the dealer is legally obliged to sort it out. If he decides to make a repair that devalues the van's resale value, then he has to pick up that difference, or I suspect he could be sued.

Personally, I would insist the van is restored to its original condition, and then use it as a trade in. If the work is not done correctly, threaten to sue

 

[trucker]

David we had a cracked front panel in our last Abbey caravan, Dealer sorted it by repair, you could not see the repair but we could notice as the cracks were gone. Take the repair and trade in with another dealer if you dont want the caravan, they will not know or proberbly not care its been repaired.

I told the dealer I bought my new van from after he gave me the trade in price and it didnt change a thing.

Kevin H

 

[Oldfogey]

I'm more familiar with fibreglass in the context of boats, where repair is quite common. (The outside of a boat is essentially made of 2 pieces of GRP - Hull + Deck/coachouse, so replacement is not an option).

A skilled fibreglass worker should be able to carry out a repair that is invisible, and probably stronger than the original, whereas to remove the front and replace it means breaking all the seals, and hoping that they can be made to fit snug and waterproof with the new piece.

I would go for the repair, but you do need to assure yourself somehow that the craftsman who will do it is adequately skilled.

 

[cris_408518]

I wouldn't think twice about having a GRP panel patched, providing the repairer can match the colour of the gel coat finish the repair should be as perfect as the panel was before and if anything done well it will be stronger!

Boats or cars such as Lotus have major fibre glass damage repaired with no problems.

What Oldfogey says is spot on!