Have taken delivery last week of a new Abbey GTS Vogue and there is a bulge in the vinyl flooring - in front of the fridge to the middle of the floor. Goodness knows how it was not noticed at the factory or at the dealers when the plastic sheeting was removed. A repair is being suggested. As the vinyl is glued down I do not know how it can be lifted and them put back down and the bulge 'worked' out - no idea how much of the van will have to be dismantled. Cutting out a pice or slitting the bulge is an option as it will be noticed. Has anyone else had a similar experience with the vinyl flooring which has been around for the past 2/3 years in new vans.
Vinyl flooring on new Abbey GTS Vogue
- Thread starter Gidders
- Start date
Hi Gidders,
Reading from your posting, the caravan is virtually brand new, and a fault has occurred with the flooring. You may have legal grounds to reject the caravan as being faulty. Under the Sale of Goods Act you must report this to your supplier (not the manufacturer) who is obliged to either effect a complete repair, or replace, or refund your money, though I suspect that that refund may be challenged as the fault will probably be easy to repair without affecting the usability or function of the caravan.
I would suggest that only accept a complete replacement of the total area of vinyl, rather than a let in part. otherwise his repair will have materially affect the value of your property.
Reading from your posting, the caravan is virtually brand new, and a fault has occurred with the flooring. You may have legal grounds to reject the caravan as being faulty. Under the Sale of Goods Act you must report this to your supplier (not the manufacturer) who is obliged to either effect a complete repair, or replace, or refund your money, though I suspect that that refund may be challenged as the fault will probably be easy to repair without affecting the usability or function of the caravan.
I would suggest that only accept a complete replacement of the total area of vinyl, rather than a let in part. otherwise his repair will have materially affect the value of your property.
take it back and demand it to be rectified,they have to do this and the repair must be as if new if it is not then you can reject it.although it may not be as easy as that,just stand your corner.caravan workmanship has a lot to be desired at the moment due to i suspect high damand and the greed of the manufactures desperate to get the caravam made and dispatced.as far as quality contol is concerned it doesn't exist
Klarkey @ John L are absolutely right, As this is a new van you should not accept a repair. At the time of build the flooring is laid prior to any of the furniture and fittings, this ensures that the floor is totally sealed and resistant to any spillage or water ingress. This cannot be guaranteed with a repair so insist that the complete floor is re-laid...... a big job!. I would also insist that as the repair will take some time a loan of a comparable van so that you do not suffer from any "loss of use" or inconvenience. As John L rightly says Consumer rights are your major weapon. Good luck but do be firm, a repair would instantly devalue you asset.
had little bumps in the vinyl floor of our Sterling Jewel and swift replaced the floor under warranty.They lowered the floor out and changed it and the van has creaked and groaned ever since.I would see a solicitor about having the van replaced I wish I had never let Swift have it back.Every time we walk down the van there are noise and just this weekend I had to fill in a space with foam that they had not repacked properly.Sorry to go on but it looks like a little job that can have serious repercussions.
Hi Folks.
Rejected van during telephone call to dealer the day after I collected the new van. Followed up with letter to dealer and Swift Group to protect my statutory rights . Telephone call this pm from dealer advising that it looks like Abbey caravans will be doing a further run of 2005 vans in June and they will build me a replacement. Still to be confirmed in writing. A repair is not an option in view of all the imponderables let alone inconvenience plus the issues raised by yourselves. Many thanks
Ian
Well done Ian, I know it's very difficult to reject something you've looked forward to getting for so long......... but at the end of the day it's your investment and money at stake. Also the Dealer should make sure the next one is perfect!..... he will not want to send two vans back to Swift Group!.
Graham
Graham
WELL DONE GIDDERS,may be we all should complain more about the little niggles we have with our new vans,we shouldn't accept anything but perfection,we pay enough for it
gidders,i own my flooring company the vinyl can be repaired by injecting adhesive with a flooring syringe into the problem, need anymore info e-mail me aldo.
Sorry you are having problems with your new van. You bought a new van to use, not to have it repaired within one month or so. I would suggest that you reject the van. I am not a laywer, but have had some problems with other items in the past and have had them replaced under the Sale of Goods Act....The item must be of "merchantable quality" and "fit for the purpose intended". A bulge in the floor is not "fit for the purpose intended". A repair means the van has had some damage and therefore will have lost more value than normal. Not to mention the danger of squeeks and creeks. You paid good money for the van. You want what you paid for and you did not pay for a van that requires a repair at one month old. It seem to me that the defect is a manufacturing defect.....Hope this helps....
Hi David.
You may well be right about a possible method of reducing the problem, but two issues come into play.
Firstly, the customer did not order a loose or a repaired floor covering so for a new product he should expect a perfect job.
Secondly the construction of a caravan floor is made up of a sandwich of wooden skins with a structural foam filling. This constructions imparts important features to a caravan, It carries the weight of the walls/furniture and transfers the load to the chassis, it is designed to withstand point loads such as people standing on it and it provides thermal waterproof barrier to the underside. The dynamics of forces in a caravan floor are very different to those in a stationary room.
The loose vinyl may be indicative of de-lamination of the floor which would affect its strength and water resistance.
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