Putting it down to experience.. (1 Viewer)

magicsurfbus

Free Member
Oct 11, 2010
4,673
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NW England
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14,057
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Bessacarr Coachbuilt
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Since 1997
I had a Maxview Crank Up satellite dish fitted by a freelance fitter back in March and used it over Easter, no problem. When I picked up the van from storage recently I noticed rust stains around the handle fittings, meaning water had seeped in and run down the metal shaft. My big concern was if there was also damp in the roof space so I called the fitter. He came back the following day, ran his damp meter over the ceiling and assured me there was no damp. He proceeded to do a lightning fast job of re-sealing the satellite assembly then cleared off faster than Scooby Doo in a haunted house.

Only thing is, I noticed that he'd removed the probes from his damp meter and was just sweeping it across the ceiling. I got some wet cardboard and checked if it would register the damp in it without probes, and it did. I asked why the probes weren't in and he muttered something about them not always being necessary. He then advised me that it was impossible to seal the unit against pools of water on the roof, and the manufacturers had said as much to him, so it was my responsibility to keep water off the van roof in storage.

The lying git - I had another service engineer round the other day who did a good job of locating an electrical fault, so I asked him if he could quickly check the ceiling for damp with the probes fitted to his meter. Sure enough the thing lit up like Christmas all around the ceiling near the satellite's cranking handle, so there is damp in the roof, and the previous fitter knew that the probes on his damp meter would have revealed it. Second guy's estimate for repair? Up to £400.

Now I know what you'll say I should do - I should moan like hell at the first fitter until he fixes the damp problem that he caused. The trouble is this - if he's devious enough to fiddle his damp meter, am I really going to get a proper job done if he takes my van off to his workshop out of sight for a few days? I think not - I think it'll be another botched rush job that he knows he's not getting paid for, and when the roof panel is put back on it'll hide a multitude of sins. I can see the problem returning and having to go through the whole messy business again.

So I'm putting it down to experience, and am going to switch all future business to the second guy, including repairing the damp. I happen to have a couple of other jobs he can do at the same time, and all future annual services will be with him. I lose money short term, but at least I know a proper repair job will be done. The first guy gets no more work from me so he loses out in the long term. So it goes.
 
Last edited:

Chris

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May 5, 2010
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I think that's very wise.

Get it sorted and move on.

For £400 it's not worth the grief of taking it further:thumb:
 
Jun 2, 2010
4,924
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Does the original fitters invoice show he is registered with MCEA? If so I think I would be reporting him to the association, if he is not registered i think your own assumption of putting it down to experience is a valid one.
 

pappajohn

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Aug 26, 2007
43,207
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Sorry, my mistake - ceiling panel. The interior ceiling panel will need cutting out to allow the roof space and insulation to dry.
Now i understand.
at first i thought you meant the dish's base plate on the roof which should be sealed and possibly will never come off.

I used a full tube of sikaflex on mine and dynamite wouldn't remove that. :winky:
 

Geo

Trader - Funster
Jul 29, 2007
11,757
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Mansfield,Notts
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35
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Autotrail Tracker FB
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45 +years with breaks
If it were mine I would re seal exterior if not already done
and leave to dry out by removing interior ceiling trims around and near the affected area, a small amount of water over a relatively short time cant rot the van, if things get worse, or stains appear then and only then would i be removing panels but that's me, if you need piece of mind yours is the way to go
Geo

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Oct 15, 2007
1,621
280
Five Roads Alyth
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633
MH
A class RV
Exp
since 2005
If it were mine I would re seal exterior if not already done
and leave to dry out by removing interior ceiling trims around and near the affected area, a small amount of water over a relatively short time cant rot the van, if things get worse, or stains appear then and only then would i be removing panels but that's me, if you need piece of mind yours is the way to go
Geo


I'd agree with Geo here.
 

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