Trips back to the dealer (1 Viewer)

Wizbangs

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Nov 8, 2011
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We have noticed a really loud and getting louder rattle in our new Autotrail. It turns out it is the Truma Ultraheat. If we push through the vent and press the back away, the rattling stops. We have phoned Truma who say it must go back to the dealer or it will void the warranty. My thought is to wedge some rubber in temporarily, as long as we remember to take it out when we use the heater.

Thing is, this would be our 4th trip back to the dealer in as many weeks, for one silly problem or another, with various bits of equipment not working, eg a duff Sat Nat, pulled apart TV loom and the step blowing fuses, and now the rattle from the heater. When we are there, the dealers are really helpful, efficient and resolve the problems, so from that point of view, I can't fault them. I just get annoyed at having to fork out the dosh going back and fore for issues that should have been sorted prior to our taking delivery. Or am I being unreasonable in my expectations?

How often did you have to go back to your dealer after purchasing a new motorhome?
 
Jan 4, 2012
2,240
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somerset
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A few years now
I agree, spend £00000`s on a new M/H and it has various faults--
Why cant they give them a road test (over bumpy roads ) as well to find the faults ?
It is outragous that they take all that money and you end up with a problem on wheels.
If it was a £50k Mercedes car you would expect a perfect operating car -- not having to keep returning for repairs :Eeek:
I drive a older M/H and would expect some problems because things wear out but not a new one .
Same old thing -- once they have your money --it`s your problem to live with it and to arrange repairs, you need to have Fun with it ,not hassle :thumb:
 

motor roamin

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May 23, 2010
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I agree, spend £00000`s on a new M/H and it has various faults--
Why cant they give them a road test (over bumpy roads ) as well to find the faults ?
It is outragous that they take all that money and you end up with a problem on wheels.
If it was a £50k Mercedes car you would expect a perfect operating car -- not having to keep returning for repairs :Eeek:
I drive a older M/H and would expect some problems because things wear out but not a new one .
Same old thing -- once they have your money --it`s your problem to live with it and to arrange repairs, you need to have Fun with it ,not hassle :thumb:

Believe me you don't get one and that was £74k :RollEyes: I have two Merc cars and a MercTruck after close to 40 years of running Mercs these are my last 3.

All the best Rick

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eddie

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Oct 4, 2007
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I agree, spend £00000`s on a new M/H and it has various faults--
Why cant they give them a road test (over bumpy roads ) as well to find the faults ?
It is outragous that they take all that money and you end up with a problem on wheels.
If it was a £50k Mercedes car you would expect a perfect operating car -- not having to keep returning for repairs :Eeek:
I drive a older M/H and would expect some problems because things wear out but not a new one .
Same old thing -- once they have your money --it`s your problem to live with it and to arrange repairs, you need to have Fun with it ,not hassle :thumb:

I hear this a lot, but it is not true!

I bought a brand new GL420 Mercedes and it went back with excuse after excuse mainly with the gearbox which they kept making excuses for until it was out of warranty and then claimed the gearbox problem was a "known fault" and that that seemed to absolve them.

As for testing, I have just bought a new van, I have a couple of water leaks and a few teething problems. Problems that would only come about by using the thing.

I would rather that than be told that "John" from the workshop had taken his family away for a long weekend and thoroughly used and tested to the "brim":Eeek: everything :roflmto:

Don't forget that a warranty is a promise to fix it when it goes wrong, not a guarantee that it won't! Add to this remember that we are talking about a house, built to a budget that we pick up and shake! Things go wrong and things go loose.

Regarding second hand vans, how many times do you read on the forums that someone has bought a lemon and gets so fed up with it the flog it!

I wonder how many times this happens a full list of the defects is handed over to the new buyer:winky:

Eddie
 
Feb 27, 2011
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I would expect niggles with any brand new motorhome to be honest. Second hand ones that are reasonably new will have had these niggles sorted out.

I would only buy a second hand one these days. Preferably about 2 yrs old.
Niggles hopefully sorted and not run into the ground...

Having said that my next one is likely to be a 20 year old clunker :cry:
 
Feb 9, 2008
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I think it's quite common to spend the first year making multiple trips to your dealer to rectify faults on new motorhomes. I have now made 6 trips to Brownhills with my new Autotrail to correct faults that should never have been handed over to me. Talking to other experienced motor-homers. The trick, apparently is not to buy new but between 12-18 months as all the faults will have been rectified, your still covered by warranty and you don’t lose 10-15K depreciation on your new pride and joy the moment the keys are put into your hand.

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maz

Jan 26, 2011
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Seem to remember reading on another thread that the dealer should refund your travelling costs - Sale of Goods Act, or Fit for Purpose, something like that. Anyone know if that's correct?
 

old-mo

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I feel sorry for dealers/Shopkeepers etc...:cry:

We are all to quick to moan and belittle them when some thing goes wrong...:RollEyes:

But at the end of the day the majority of faults lie with the manufacturer...:Angry:

I`m sure dealers and sellers would sooner not have these problems to sort out...

As one always seems to blame them when in actual fact it`s not their fault.. :Sad:
 

MikeD

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Dec 21, 2011
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New Autotrail problems

My new Tracker FB has had it fair share of problems - Duff leisure battery, kitchen cupboard door fell off, toilet door rubbing on the jam, duff sat nav, now twice. Possible problem with the heating.

But I have took the view if I can fix it I will, it's a hunded mile round trip to the dealer so for anything minor I have not bothered them. But I have to say when I have visited them they have been really good and painless to deal with.

But as others have said £50k for a product, it should not have all these issues.

Hope you get all yours sorted
MikeD

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Wizbangs

Wizbangs

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The trick, apparently is not to buy new but between 12-18 months as all the faults will have been rectified, your still covered by warranty and you don’t lose 10-15K depreciation on your new pride and joy the moment the keys are put into your hand.

At the NEC, we went onto a stand that was selling new motorhomes, yet fervently pushing folks into buying their 2nd hand models in preference. The salesman who accosted us, got us to sit down and have a coffee, giving us all the reasons we should buy a used vehicle, showing us depreciation figures etc and how folks usually change their rig for a different layout in under two years. He was very pushy and he really annoyed me, with his 'Trust me, I'm your friend.' line.

He then asked what spec we wanted and none of their 2nd hand ones was a match to our needs, but a new one was. He then started on about 'Ignoring all the stuff I just said' and began extolling the virtues of buying brand new and went into his 'Of course if you buy it from us..' routine. I explained we lived over 5 hours drive from him and he had all the answers. They would even collect us from the train station, though how we were supposed to carry all the bedding, crocks & pots, and all the other bits and pieces is beyond me.

However, by then, his desperation and 'Trust me, I'm your friend' familiarity had lost any chance of a sale to me.
 

Terry

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Dec 27, 2007
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Hi I am Ama,Did no one tell you they build the faults in ::bigsmile: save them all up and give the dealer a big list :Doh:
terry
 

eddie

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Oct 4, 2007
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Seem to remember reading on another thread that the dealer should refund your travelling costs - Sale of Goods Act, or Fit for Purpose, something like that. Anyone know if that's correct?

No, so it is your responsibility to source locally. If you buy a van from a Scottish dealer to save a thousand pounds over a local dealer you should expect to use some of that saving when you need backup and warranty work

Eddie

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Feb 27, 2011
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No, so it is your responsibility to source locally. If you buy a van from a Scottish dealer to save a thousand pounds over a local dealer you should expect to use some of that saving when you need backup and warranty work

Eddie

Ok Eddie, I won't come to you for my next van:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
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Wizbangs

Wizbangs

Free Member
Nov 8, 2011
379
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Hi I am Ama,Did no one tell you they build the faults in ::bigsmile: save them all up and give the dealer a big list :Doh:
terry[/QUOTE

See, I would do that, however hubby wants it all right, right NOW!!! :shout:
Mary
 

aba

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Oct 27, 2009
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I feel sorry for dealers/Shopkeepers etc...:cry:

We are all to quick to moan and belittle them when some thing goes wrong...:RollEyes:

But at the end of the day the majority of faults lie with the manufacturer...:Angry:

I`m sure dealers and sellers would sooner not have these problems to sort out...

As one always seems to blame them when in actual fact it`s not their fault.. :Sad:

whilst i agree in principal to this but many of the little niggles could be sorted if the dealers did a proper pre delivery inspection.

when we got ours we had a problem with the insurance not arriving in time for us to bring the van home on the day of hand over with the xmas post etc.

however during the hand over i noticed that 2 light switches were double ones but only 1 half actually worked but switched on 2 sets of lights so they had to sort that out but they missed a cracked water pump on the heating system that was leaking engine coolant into 1 of the lockers needless to say it didn't go back for this to be sorted but they sent out a new part for me to fit and i returned the faulty one and this was a brand new van.

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Terry

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Dec 27, 2007
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It would be easy if the factory sorted /tested for problems (they don't)simply fire them off to dealers and let them find /pick up on problems on the PDI unfortunately dealers let things go simply because if you take delivery then bring it back they can then charge the manufacturers and get paid to do it :winky: Then the dealer who should have done it/got paid to PDI (some have it built in on the price they pay for van) it in the first place moan that the manufacturers only pay them a pittance for fixing faults :Doh::Smile:
terry
 

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