When's the best month for a service?

[Dustydog]

I wondered?
The last three years it's been February.
Previously it was November.
I realise, hindsight is great, the height of the winter is best. Any damp will be found. The battery will be at its lowest and generally in the winter if the old girl passes she must be fine for the summer.
Have I got it wrong B) 🤔 :kiss:

 

[Mel]

Ours is based on the warranty schedule so no choice really. Do mobile engineers do a discount for quiet times of the year?
Mel

 

[Damian]

Ours is based on the warranty schedule so no choice really. Do mobile engineers do a discount for quiet times of the year?
Mel

Mel, mobile engineers generally have lower prices than dealerships and maintain that price throughout the year.
Dealerships have overheads to pay regardless of how slow or busy they are, so to try and entice extra work in the so called "quiet" period is one of the tools they use.

I have to say that I never found the "quiet" time and was busy right up to Christmas Eve and from the start of January onwards.
Maybe this is because a lot of owners use their vans all year.
Not withstanding warranty conditions, which one would be foolish to ignore, I found the best time for a service is about a month before you intend using the van again, then you have time for any faults to be fixed and know that everything is working when you do take it out again.
Having it serviced then left for maybe months unused leaves it open to all kinds of possible problems when you need the van next.

 

[Martin24]

As with Mel warranty restrictions abound, this van is summer. The last few have been winter and have ended up with a second damp test (free) in the summer just to be sure. It tended to be if readings were around the 16-18 mark. The time it was 45, it was back to the factory for a new front end. The workshop and mobile service we use is pretty busy all year and we book up well in advance.

 

[Keefanmaxx]

Our 'van goes to the dealer in October .... mainly because that's when we took delivery but it tends to be quieter for them. It also means we have a service before it goes under wraps at this time of year.
We did enquire about moving it to the early part of the year and were advised not to as they get really busy with everyone wanting their service before the years use begins.

 

[Dustydog]

Thanks for all the replies.
Just booked next year's for 1st February. Yes cold damp but may help to highlight any weak areas perhaps.
As the Wyoming is over 8 years old we are not tied.

 

[Hutch]

We bought ours in the end of Feburary, so we have 90 days either side of that for warranty purposes. Our local chap says to book it at least a month ahead at that time as they start to get busy for the new season, which doesnt apply to us, Rain or shine, we are touring for Beer and Wine. 😛

 

[RayS]

Have a little care about the date tolerance in manufacturer's requirements. For some years after purchase this plus/minus purchase date bracket can be 30 days, some years 60 or even 90 days.
No idea why this should be but I'm sure the small print would be rolled out if you had a claim.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Have a little care about the date tolerance in manufacturer's requirements. For some years after purchase this plus/minus purchase date bracket can be 30 days, some years 60 or even 90 days.
No idea why this should be but I'm sure the small print would be rolled out if you had a claim.

The simple answer is the manufacturer's set out a requirement for a service schedule. Originally ( and i'm going back many years) the did not set tolerance, but when they refused a warranty claim on the basis of a missed service date, a customer challenged them, the term in the contract was declared unfair, and they were forced to set reasonable time limits for the completion of services. How much tolerance is down to individual companies.