Very close to giving up.

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May 24, 2014
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Well an update of sorts. It is now going in on the day planned but its completion date is set for 7th June rather than 25th May. We may make the holiday if they are true to their word, but tbh, if they told me it was raining I would have to go outside and look. In all, we have bought three caravans from this lot, and in every case we have had issues with them, from downright incompetence to dishonesty. In this case it took me to get medieval on the MD , with a proper Aldershot style rollocking before we got any joy.

We still havent decided, the jury is very much out, but at the moment we are still leaning towards getting out altogether.
 
Jan 3, 2012
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Well an update of sorts. It is now going in on the day planned but its completion date is set for 7th June rather than 25th May. We may make the holiday if they are true to their word, but tbh, if they told me it was raining I would have to go outside and look. In all, we have bought three caravans from this lot, and in every case we have had issues with them, from downright incompetence to dishonesty. In this case it took me to get medieval on the MD , with a proper Aldershot style rollocking before we got any joy.

We still havent decided, the jury is very much out, but at the moment we are still leaning towards getting out altogether.
Hi Thingy i hope it all goes to plan and you are enjoying the caravan with the family
 

Parksy

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Nov 12, 2009
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I hope that the repairs are completed satisfactorily and that your holiday will go ahead.
I'm sure that the Aldershot full screw conversation without tea will have focused their minds 😁
Don't let this lot beat you.
I've been lucky enough to have bought a relatively trouble free caravan, the second from the same dealership, and the sales staff seemed like they wanted to be my best mate.
Unfortunately the service staff rubbed me up the wrong way a couple of times with their snotty attitude and slipshod service so after a full, frank and icily polite discussion they'll never see me again.
It hasn't put us off caravanning, I just go elsewhere now.
 
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May 24, 2014
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I think what has got to us isnt so much their attitude, but their blatant lies. That and its been a whole string of disasters. We should have been away in autumn 2019, but you may recall us coming back from Cornwall to find the upstairs bathroom downstairs, or a large part of it. Our last trip of any sorts being summer 2019. The plumbers finally got into gear autumn 2019. In autumn 2020 after, like everyone else the misery of lockdown, brainless billy over the road decided, with his equally brainless mate to play rugby in the cul-de-sac. Every appointment we have had to get the van fixed has been cancelled by lockdown, and when we finally see light at the end of the tunnel, we get this cobblers from the dealer. This by the way, the same dealer that sold us a caravan witha see through roof, and claimed they werent aware. The previous owner ( i rang him to ask) had returned the brand new van for that reason, so the dealer WAS aware. The same dealer that checked my road lights ( i should have checked myself) then got me stopped by the police on the M1 on the way home because my road lights were flashing like a Bangkok bawdy house. That was the LED issue that they were also aware of.

I'm sure that the Aldershot full screw conversation without tea will have focused their minds

Im surprised you know the "full screw" term, you had some yourself Parksy?
The version of a rollocking this guy had was the full blown bright red face, and veins standing out in the neck, with all four walls swelling outwards, more like the CSM version. Had I not been so angry, I might have admired it myself.
 
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Parksy

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I think what has got to us isnt so much their attitude, but their blatant lies. That and its been a whole string of disasters. We should have been away in autumn 2019, but you may recall us coming back from Cornwall to find the upstairs bathroom downstairs, or a large part of it. Our last trip of any sorts being summer 2019. The plumbers finally got into gear autumn 2019. In autumn 2020 after, like everyone else the misery of lockdown, brainless billy over the road decided, with his equally brainless mate to play rugby in the cul-de-sac. Every appointment we have had to get the van fixed has been cancelled by lockdown, and when we finally see light at the end of the tunnel, we get this cobblers from the dealer. This by the way, the same dealer that sold us a caravan witha see through roof, and claimed they werent aware. The previous owner ( i rang him to ask) had returned the brand new van for that reason, so the dealer WAS aware. The same dealer that checked my road lights ( i should have checked myself) then got me stopped by the police on the M1 on the way home because my road lights were flashing like a Bangkok bawdy house. That was the LED issue that they were also aware of.



Im surprised you know the "full screw" term, you had some yourself Parksy?
The version of a rollocking this guy had was the full blown bright red face, and veins standing out in the neck, with all four walls swelling outwards, more like the CSM version. Had I not been so angry, I might have admired it myself.
Loads of ex forces guys gravitate to lorry driving when their military careers are over Thingy.
Evenings in truck stop bars chatting to some of these guys unearthed a wealth of amusing tales, it was way better than the usual moans about roping, sheeting and telling the foreman where to go.
There were some great characters amongst these ex- forces drivers, and they were never the sort to put up with any nonsense either 😉
 
May 24, 2014
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I have no doubt those tales, or some very like them, will be passed around over a bottle at some point in the near future. Remind me to tell you about the "stills". Poetic really considering your home area ;)
 
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I only passed my HGV 2 in 1984 but like you Parksy,loved the occasional night out.(usually Torquay lorry park in my full sleeper Volvo F6).
TV...CB...night heater etc,Used to sleep better in the lorry than I did at home.
As you say,plenty of stories to listen to(some true and possibly,some not so).
I used to carry chilled and frozen goods and regularly in the lorry park,back doors open on the lorries doing "swapsies"....ha ha
 
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Parksy

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I have no doubt those tales, or some very like them, will be passed around over a bottle at some point in the near future. Remind me to tell you about the "stills". Poetic really considering your home area ;)
Are the 'stills' squaddie code for inhabitants of an overseas territory which is about 7800 miles from Brum where a certain soap opera character was supposed to be the gardener/ handyman Thingy? 😂
 

Parksy

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I only passed my HGV 2 in 1984 but like you Parksy,loved the occasional night out.(usually Torquay lorry park in my full sleeper Volvo F6).
TV...CB...night heater etc,Used to sleep better in the lorry than I did at home.
As you say,plenty of stories to listen to(some true and possibly,some not so).
I used to carry chilled and frozen goods and regularly in the lorry park,back doors open on the lorries doing "swapsies"....ha ha
I painted the outside of our house with Dulux Weathershield emulsion, undercoat and gloss in exchange for a bundle of Spear & Jackson shovels, negotiated at the old Swansea lorry park in the late 80s G&A 😁
 
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Apr 20, 2009
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Thingy I might join you!!!!!!
Does any thing ever go right????/
Preparing Mr Fleety today and get to the front locker, the gas bottles stand on a plastic preformed ridge.
But what do I find ..........The bottles are stood in about 5mm of water.
The only way in is through one of the window seals, maybe the middle one which was taken out and replaced when I had the crack repair done.
Thing is its only happened in last couple of days as I replaced the gas bottles last Sunday and it was bone dry.
Another repair on its way.
 
May 24, 2014
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Sorry to hear that Kev. Tbh, if these things werent thrown together we wouldnt have these problems. However in my case on this occasion I cant blame them.
 
Nov 16, 2015
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Sounds like a good thing to talk about, Bristows had their bar in Goose bay, No Bennies allowed. many yeas ago, Elaine can teach someone to do your book for the end of September for you, for the Woosie fest
 
Mar 29, 2021
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I think somebody already did "All our yesterdays" Hutch. :LOL:
So what would be the alternative to a caravan holiday?
I've often thought about selling up but a standard holiday doesn't appeal here or abroad.
We holiday 4 times a year all in the UK, February can see us renting a house weather dependent, but at this moment in our lives we wouldn't want to be without the caravan.
We have looked at Motorhomes but they don't suit our purpose and living style as good as a fixed bed caravan.
I've posted this before, but its such a good idea that here it comes again, Pitch and Store
So our caravan used to be on a seasonal pitch, the cost verses use became very one-sided on cost!

So we looked at alternatives. I wanted storage only as our drive is just a cars length by 2.5 cars wide, a no go for the caravan long term. Now I knew of caravan sites in Devon and Cornwall that had storage and we toyed with leaving the van in Cornwall, but we do like to go away weekends too so very soon ruled that out.
Looking closer to home I found a site 1 hours drive away, storage price reasonable enough, but the added bonus of being able to book a pitch as a normal punter, and they then put the caravan on it, levelled and steadys down and locked again, which we resumed using last weekend.
So I'm basically saying "Usage", we get loads of use even though we both work and I couldn't imagine any other style of holiday accommodation being able to do this.

I work Tuesday to Saturday, Michelle works regular weekends too, our weekend away is Saturday to Monday repeated every 3 weeks, Michelle arrives on site to the pitched caravan in the afternoon around 1 ish, I finish work around 5pm, 45 minutes later I'm there too, last weekend 7 year old grandson stayed over Saturday night, chuck in our 5 weeks away over 4 holidays and caravans make a huge amount of sense financially, the fact we both love the lifestyle that comes with it is the cherry on top.

So maybe before giving up perhaps explore the possibilities how a person's free time/disposable income is best managed and utilise,
Act in haste repent at leisure is the saying!

Considering your caravan is being repaired, could you px (valuation as fully restored) against another, would that be a viable alternative?
 
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Jan 3, 2012
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Thingy I might join you!!!!!!
Does any thing ever go right????/
Preparing Mr Fleety today and get to the front locker, the gas bottles stand on a plastic preformed ridge.
But what do I find ..........The bottles are stood in about 5mm of water.
The only way in is through one of the window seals, maybe the middle one which was taken out and replaced when I had the crack repair done.
Thing is its only happened in last couple of days as I replaced the gas bottles last Sunday and it was bone dry.
Another repair on its way.
Hi Kev i hope you get it sorted look forward to the pictures and the update how it doing good luck:)
 
May 24, 2014
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Not so Trever. Its a combo of a halfwit with a rugby ball and a service dept that tells more lies than a politician.
 
Jul 18, 2017
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Not so Trever. Its a combo of a halfwit with a rugby ball and a service dept that tells more lies than a politician.
A occurred to me regarding the insurance claim. On Monday contact the insurance company and tell them that due to all the issues you have been having with the repair, you now want to contact the Insurance Ombudsman and you would appreciate it if the insurance company cna send you a deadlock letter. You need this to progress to the Ombudsman.
I bet my bottom dollar that within days or a week your caravan will be ready. It costs the insurance company about £800 for every complaint that is progressed to the Ombudsman.
Regardless of the latest update still of ahead with asking for the deadlock letter as that will probably ensure no more delays.


Oops just realised that you do not have insurance with the Caravan Club as you have Caravan Cover with the CAMC. This complicates things somewhat so approach it with a request that you are unhappy and you need to escalate the issue. Ask for the deadlock letter anyway and see how they react.
This may be a warning to all people who have caravan Cover with CAMC and not an insurance policy.
 
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May 24, 2014
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I think we are just about sorted, although it has caused upset to say the least. When dealing with so called reputable companies, you should not have to feel the need to lose your temper with them, which I surely did. I have been promised it will be ready by June 7th, if it isnt, they know which hymm sheet I am singing from.
 
Mar 17, 2020
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I think we are just about sorted, although it has caused upset to say the least. When dealing with so called reputable companies, you should not have to feel the need to lose your temper with them, which I surely did. I have been promised it will be ready by June 7th, if it isnt, they know which hymm sheet I am singing from.
But of course whilst you may now get your van Thingy how do you measure the stress. the worry, maybe sleepless nights and the rest?
That's the side you are only truly aware of it you're the one caught up in the situation.
Have a few beers when you get away and forget all the nonsense of stopping caravanning! Eh! :cool:
 
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Apr 20, 2009
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Sorry to hear that Kev. Tbh, if these things werent thrown together we wouldnt have these problems. However in my case on this occasion I cant blame them.
Got hold of the chap who repaired it today, yes I know its a Sunday but needs must, he is coming back to take a look and see what needs doing, but as we are away next week he asked if I could temp siicone the area, and he will clean it off when we return from our break, so I did with sikaflex, he's got a right job on his hands with the amount I put on!!
 

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