Training to become a Caravan Engineer

[Paul_374418662]

Hi

I recently retired from the fire service, having been a keen caravaner and DIY'er for some years, I read an article in a mag advertising Basic caravan engineer courses, they are called "Nationwide Leisure Assist", based in lancashire, and offer several course,

I am seriously considering undertaking the course at £750 for five days.

Does anyone have any knowledge of this company??

Cheers Paul.

 

[SteveW77]

Before you invest

 

[Gumbo]

How many caravan owners are going to employ a service engineer with 5 days experience, I for one certainly wouldn't.

How would you know ?? how do you know your not already employing someone who has done that course ??

I can't reply to the question, but a caravan is a pretty basic piece of kit. The gas system is just low pressure piping, you learn how to connect 1 you learn how to connect a 1000. If the course offers a CORGI type qualification that is acceptable to the Industry and is checked by examination it's fine by me. The hot water system is also pretty basic a small pump and plastic push together pipes. The braking system would be the tricky bit I don't know how you go about learning that. Maybe a week at Kwik Fit ?? that is a serious suggestion and not a flipant remark.

Good luck with your quest, and I hope you are successful

 

[Heethers]

Gumbo l agree as a retired maintenance engineer, we were always having to be trained up in the industry too new working practices, most of them were only a weeks course.

Paul if you are mechanically minded and feel you would benefit go for it, you may always regret it if you don't.

You are bound to pick something up that might save you money in the future.

One thing l would suggest, is to investigate the training credentials of the company before you pays your money, they must have some accreditation from an accredited training board, NCC would spring to mind, try giving them ring before you parts with any money.

NigelH

 

[caravanoracle]

How many caravan owners are going to employ a service engineer with 5 days experience, I for one certainly wouldn't.

How would you know ?? how do you know your not already employing someone who has done that course ??

I can't reply to the question, but a caravan is a pretty basic piece of kit. The gas system is just low pressure piping, you learn how to connect 1 you learn how to connect a 1000. If the course offers a CORGI type qualification that is acceptable to the Industry and is checked by examination it's fine by me. The hot water system is also pretty basic a small pump and plastic push together pipes. The braking system would be the tricky bit I don't know how you go about learning that. Maybe a week at Kwik Fit ?? that is a serious suggestion and not a flipant remark.

Good luck with your quest, and I hope you are successful

this course is not worth a toss.

CITO state that you must have at least 12mths experience before taking the city & guilds exam in caravan servicing. and after this you still have to gain your ACOPs and electrical certificate before you should be serviving caravans. ACOPS being 4 days long and the electrical course is 3 days.

so how the hell can you a course in 5 days? you cant! and who is this company affiliated with to provide the qualification and training because i would guess no-one so back to my original statement....its not worth a toss.

 

[caravanoracle]

this course is not worth a toss.

CITO state that you must have at least 12mths experience before taking the city & guilds exam in caravan servicing. and after this you still have to gain your ACOPs and electrical certificate before you should be serviving caravans. ACOPS being 4 days long and the electrical course is 3 days.

so how the hell can you a course in 5 days? you cant! and who is this company affiliated with to provide the qualification and training because i would guess no-one so back to my original statement....its not worth a toss.

 

[Heethers]

Depends on whether the person as already got city and guilds in engineering disciplines, if so then it depends on the course curriculum.

I agree in sounds suspect that's why Paul needs to look into the accreditation of the training company, nobody expects to be trained to City Guilds in in 5 days, it took me 6Year apprenticeship now they do it 3 with NVQS but times change nobody needs to lap machine beds in any more or file keys for pulleys, things have been made simpler.

Caravan Oracle don't jump to conclusions, for all you know Paul may have an NVQ in mechanical/electrical/instrumentation bias in engineering and all he needs is an over view of the caravan manufacturing disciplines, until he investigates the training companies training certs he won't know.

NigelH

 

[Damian]

Paul, I have knowledge of the company you are referring to and would advise you to think again about wasting your money.

None of the "trainers" are NCC approved for anything, in fact the people behind it have not been in the servicing side of things themselves for very long,about 2 years at most.

As Caravan Oracle says,,it is not worth a toss.

 

[Guest]

Paul,

If you are looking for a new career, what about politics? Your caravan experience will stand you in good stead, as a lady in Derbyshire will testify. The training is minimal, you do not even have to be able to count, and the pay is good. It also has interesting allowances????

 

[SteveW77]

I may have got hold of the wrong end of the stick with my assumption that the OP was thinking of this as a career, if it is just to cover work on their own caravan, then that could be a different story. But if they are thinking of a career change, I repeat that it would be inadvisable if only from an insurance point of view, I doubt if any insurance company would cover the risk if you only had a piece of paper from a non recognised training scheme and to contemplate doing it professionally without insurance cover doesn't bear thinking about, as the financial consequences

Could be ruinous.

However I do like the sound of Scotch Lads idea.

Steve W

 

[Gumbo]

ACOPS being 4 days long and the electrical course is 3 days.

7 days, what's a day 8 hours 6 hours 10 hours ???.

Don't be so pedantic let it flow

None of the "trainers" are NCC approved for anything !!!

What is NCC approved ?? do they offer training, do they offer examination by written or oral methods??? Looking at the thread on current Caravan Suppliers/ Builders non of the Builders have the certification for building caravans never mind servicing them. Don't knock these things what caravan servicers do is save the punter time because most punters could do it themselves. In fact most punters would do it themselves if it wasn't for the rip off warranty. You need 6 servicing years for the water ingress guarantee, checked by an approved dealer what kind of rip off is that???

 

[Heethers]

Well said Gumbo l agree, people do DIY in their own home's and probably better than some builders, why not your travelling home as long as you don't touch the the gas, having said that l will argue the toss with any corgi registered person that l can't tighten a compression fitting up correctly and if you want to prove no leaks do it the old way test with fairy liquid let down with a little water you will soon see if there is a leak when bubbles appear.

One reason this country can't compete is because of some of these stupid regulations, l agree if there is complicated problems then you need the relevant trade to sort out but not the run of the mill stuff.

NigelH

 

[Lutz]

I am rather amused by this thread as over here legal warranty for any work done can only be given by someone who has completed a 3 year apprenticeship in the relevant trade. (This applies to all trades).

 

[ProfJohnL]

Well said Gumbo l agree, people do DIY in their own home's and probably better than some builders, why not your travelling home as long as you don't touch the the gas, having said that l will argue the toss with any corgi registered person that l can't tighten a compression fitting up correctly and if you want to prove no leaks do it the old way test with fairy liquid let down with a little water you will soon see if there is a leak when bubbles appear.

One reason this country can't compete is because of some of these stupid regulations, l agree if there is complicated problems then you need the relevant trade to sort out but not the run of the mill stuff.

NigelH

Hello NGH

A bubble test is not definitive, as it only checks the part of the system the fluid as applied too, the preferred pressure test for gas tightness investigates the whole system, and on the relatively small volume of a caravan gas installation it is highly sensitive when conducted properly.

 

[Gumbo]

Lutz

A three year apprenticeship for Caravan Servicing !!! What do they do for goodness sake??

Caravans have two or four wheels

A small electrical system 12v & 240v which you could learn in a day with a relevant technical guide.

Along with a bottle of gas and a small Hot Water Heater.

They don't service the Microwave !!!

Any idiot can use a damp meter

No one fixes chargers etc they just change out the unit. Most people service their own battery you don't need any expert for that ??

I am still wondering how you need three years experience to service a caravan !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Heethers]

Lutz, as long as you are a competent person with the correct accreditation you don't have to be time served, l as a ex engineer would whole heartily agree with you and your country, here in Britain they are always looking for a cheaper or easier option,. Don't want to get on my soap box otherwise l will be here all day and night ranting and raving about the demise of British engineering industry mainly due demarcations set up a100 years ago by the then mill owners.

Sorry to go on.

NigelH

 

[Gumbo]

I think what we have here is a mix up in terminology.

Caravan Engineer is what? a designer or even a factory production line programer, with C&G or an HND or HNC or maybe a BSc

Carvan Servicer is a competent person working on basic systems fitted to a caravan. something different altogether.

 

[Lutz]

The 3 year apprenticeship will involve a lot more than just servicing. Typically, it would include basic physics relating to caravan dynamics (like what causes instability, etc.), the theory of control systems such as those of battery charge and power supply units, maintenance and overhauling of gas equipment, body repair methods, knowledge of Construction and Use Regulations, cost estimating, maths, assembly methods, basic knowledge of heating and air conditioning/refrigerator systems etc., etc.

 

[Lutz]

I think what we have here is a mix up in terminology.

Caravan Engineer is what? a designer or even a factory production line programer, with C&G or an HND or HNC or maybe a BSc

Carvan Servicer is a competent person working on basic systems fitted to a caravan. something different altogether.

I have yet to come across a college which offers higher level engineering studies specifically for the caravan industry so there is no such thing as a caravan engineer with an HND, HNC, or BSc. Higher level studies would be much more specific than a broad apprenticeship.

 

[Gumbo]

The 3 year apprenticeship will involve a lot more than just servicing. Typically, it would include basic physics relating to caravan dynamics (like what causes instability, etc.), the theory of control systems such as those of battery charge and power supply units, maintenance and overhauling of gas equipment, body repair methods, knowledge of Construction and Use Regulations, cost estimating, maths, assembly methods, basic knowledge of heating and air conditioning/refrigerator systems etc., etc.

What we are discussing in the original post is Servicing.

Body repairs are not servicing. Basic physics are not required for Servicing. Lutz it would take 1/2 a day to explain a battery charger. The fridge and acu would not be repaired on a service you would need to book your van in for repairs.

If you are training Service people over 3 years it must cost a lot of money for a service in Germany !!!!

You seem to be mixing up your own knowledge, knowing about caravan dynamics etc why would a servicer reqire that depth?? Pads on the AL-Ko are worn change them.

We are discussing a Caravan Service not a Caravan Builders/Designers course.

 

[Lutz]

The 3 year apprenticeship will involve a lot more than just servicing. Typically, it would include basic physics relating to caravan dynamics (like what causes instability, etc.), the theory of control systems such as those of battery charge and power supply units, maintenance and overhauling of gas equipment, body repair methods, knowledge of Construction and Use Regulations, cost estimating, maths, assembly methods, basic knowledge of heating and air conditioning/refrigerator systems etc., etc.

The intent of the apprenticeship is to give broad but not in-depth training in the complete trade. An engineer who has completed higher level studies will be much more specialised.

My father-in-law did a total of three 3-year apprenticeships during his life. First of all he was a ship's mechanic. After the War, there was little demand for that job so he retrained as an electrician. Later, he found better opportunities as a welder so he did an apprenticeship in that, too.

Without an apprenticeship one can only act as an assistant, but not be held responsible for the quality. Therefore, an apprenticeship is vital if you want to earn a good wage.

 

[Gumbo]

The intent of the apprenticeship is to give broad but not in-depth training in the complete trade. An engineer who has completed higher level studies will be much more specialised.

My father-in-law did a total of three 3-year apprenticeships during his life. First of all he was a ship's mechanic. After the War, there was little demand for that job so he retrained as an electrician. Later, he found better opportunities as a welder so he did an apprenticeship in that, too.

Without an apprenticeship one can only act as an assistant, but not be held responsible for the quality. Therefore, an apprenticeship is vital if you want to earn a good wage.

Lutz that would be 15 years of training then ??

Back to the point of how long would it take train someone to carry out a competent Service on Caravan ??? It can't be 5 years or we have all gone mad.

 

[Lutz]

The intent of the apprenticeship is to give broad but not in-depth training in the complete trade. An engineer who has completed higher level studies will be much more specialised.

My father-in-law did a total of three 3-year apprenticeships during his life. First of all he was a ship's mechanic. After the War, there was little demand for that job so he retrained as an electrician. Later, he found better opportunities as a welder so he did an apprenticeship in that, too.

Without an apprenticeship one can only act as an assistant, but not be held responsible for the quality. Therefore, an apprenticeship is vital if you want to earn a good wage.

No, 3 times 3 is a total of 9 years of training.

Quite frankly, I wouldn't employ anyone who is capable of doing nothing but servicing. I would expect him to be able to repair a fault that was uncovered during the service and not have to arrange for another appointment elsewehere at a later date. For example, I would expect anyone carrying out a service to check the tyres, whether they are still good and have the correct load and speed rating. He should also be able to make an educated assessment whether the brake linings require replacement or not, and if so, let me know what may be the cause for possible premature replacement. He should be able to check whether the stabiliser is still performing within the limits set by the manufacturer. He should also check whether the gas system is still safe to use or not. Although bodywork repair is not part of the service, I would expect the service engineer to be able to recommend what action to take in the event of damp and to make a reliable estimate the cost of repair. For this, he would have to have some knowledge of the construction of caravans. All this cannot be learned in 5 days.

 

[Daveg1]

Took my caravan out after its visit to the stealers for its annual service. A necessary requirement to maintain the warranty.

Tyre pressures were at 35psi - the correct setting is 50psi.

The battery had a duff cell (causing the on-board charger to boil the battery)

The fridge was refitted incorrectly (and unsafely) after a worktop was replaced.

The tap refitted to the worktop was loose and on aprevious occasion the cooker ignition system had not been reconnected.

However, bless their little cotton socks, the 3yr apprenticeship mentioned previously enabled them to identify and replace a duff interior spotlight bulb.

 

[Daveg1]

Took my caravan out after its visit to the stealers for its annual service. A necessary requirement to maintain the warranty.

Tyre pressures were at 35psi - the correct setting is 50psi.

The battery had a duff cell (causing the on-board charger to boil the battery)

The fridge was refitted incorrectly (and unsafely) after a worktop was replaced.

The tap refitted to the worktop was loose and on aprevious occasion the cooker ignition system had not been reconnected.

However, bless their little cotton socks, the 3yr apprenticeship mentioned previously enabled them to identify and replace a duff interior spotlight bulb.

Rant over. Just needed to let off some steam!

Dave