Flippin heck how much!

[our poppy llll]

So poppylll is 1 year old, and 2 days, she is being given her first habitation service, they’ll be looking at everything on her! cheeky eh, she is having pig tail number 2 fitted, a new reversing camera, the Sat Nav up graded reloaded, the Batteries checked over, and the Aldi heating system repaired, all under warranty. Except the habitation which I pay for.
Whoo hoo she’ll come back on Monday all tip top.. on Tuesday/Wednesday n Thursday I’ll start to load her up with all those essential things we need, Saturday top her up with food and water, then after a good nights Sleep, a final check, passports, five runs to the loo, we’ll be off.
But! I will be thinking, how much! All the way to Newhaven, how much! A habitation costs how much? Just short of £400 squid.. heck that’s in 10 years near on £4000 squid for looking to see if it’s leaking!… so I have been thinking, not an easy task after you destroyed breakfast!
Can it be done closer to home. I’ll tell you why.
The drive from Home to Lowdhams, 2 hours 10 minutes, 72 miles 14 litres Diesel £21.00 Train to Stoke 1 hour 45 mins, standing on the station at Lowdhams 10.25 to 11.56. There’s no 10.36 train!
£24.00 train ticket, Taxi Stoke - Home £10.00. Take away £20.00 taxi back to Stoke train station £10.00 Train back to Lowdham £24.00 Diesel to Stoke £21.00. Takeaway £20.00.
Breakfast and lunch at Lowdhams cafe: £9.00 tea and toast & £14.00 a sandwich and tea .. phew!

In all about £548.00, now I’m not tight, I have plenty of pocket money. But we have a few closer MOHO dealers, before the 1st service April 4th 2025 and second habitation check! I’m gonna find a local Swift dealer to service and hab check my poppylll for me.
Any suggestions of where to go will be much appreciated..

 

[Reallyretired]

I would expect any dealer to do a hab check. There's not much to it and apart from maintaining a warrantee you could easily do it yourself. Any independent can do the vehicle service, probably a lot more expertise than a swift dealer.

 

[lorger]

You don’t need a hab service for the damp warranty, how will checking gas and things like the fridge prevent damp. You should be able to book just a damp check, we do this with ours and as Knaus specify they use a certain material the service place must put sticker from material in our service book. Damp check cost £100

 

[Lenny HB]

You don’t need a hab service for the damp warranty, how will checking gas and things like the fridge prevent damp. You should be able to book just a damp check, we do this with ours and as Knaus specify they use a certain material the service place must put sticker from material in our service book. Damp check cost £100

He has a Swift most Brit van they require a hab check & damp check to keep the water ingress warranty. Total rip off.

 

[pelican]

So poppylll is 1 year old, and 2 days, she is being given her first habitation service, they’ll be looking at everything on her! cheeky eh, she is having pig tail number 2 fitted, a new reversing camera, the Sat Nav up graded reloaded, the Batteries checked over, and the Aldi heating system repaired, all under warranty. Except the habitation which I pay for.
Whoo hoo she’ll come back on Monday all tip top.. on Tuesday/Wednesday n Thursday I’ll start to load her up with all those essential things we need, Saturday top her up with food and water, then after a good nights Sleep, a final check, passports, five runs to the loo, we’ll be off.
But! I will be thinking, how much! All the way to Newhaven, how much! A habitation costs how much? Just short of £400 squid.. heck that’s in 10 years near on £4000 squid for looking to see if it’s leaking!… so I have been thinking, not an easy task after you destroyed breakfast!
Can it be done closer to home. I’ll tell you why.
The drive from Home to Lowdhams, 2 hours 10 minutes, 72 miles 14 litres Diesel £21.00 Train to Stoke 1 hour 45 mins, standing on the station at Lowdhams 10.25 to 11.56. There’s no 10.36 train!
£24.00 train ticket, Taxi Stoke - Home £10.00. Take away £20.00 taxi back to Stoke train station £10.00 Train back to Lowdham £24.00 Diesel to Stoke £21.00. Takeaway £20.00.
Breakfast and lunch at Lowdhams cafe: £9.00 tea and toast & £14.00 a sandwich and tea .. phew!

In all about £548.00, now I’m not tight, I have plenty of pocket money. But we have a few closer MOHO dealers, before the 1st service April 4th 2025 and second habitation check! I’m gonna find a local Swift dealer to service and hab check my poppylll for me.
Any suggestions of where to go will be much appreciated..

Would you not have incurred most of those cost if you had just taken the van in for the warentee items? aprt from the hab check cost.

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[JRT]

He has a Swift most Brit van they require a hab check & damp check to keep the water ingress warranty. Total rip off.

Correct, our Swift caravan also needs an annual service and damp check to preserve the 10 year water ingress warranty. Best bit is they only check the floor not the ceiling or walls.

Additionally each service has to be carried out within a specific window either side of the purchase anniversary date. And further the sixth one (ours this year) has to completed before the actual sixth anniversary date, not a day after.

This was only relaxed during COVID when dealers were closed.

£250 a pop....

 

[our poppy llll]

Would you not have incurred most of those cost if you had just taken the van in for the warentee items? aprt from the hab check cost.

Yeah I would, the camera was working but only manually so I said in December leave it until the habcheck, the pig tail was the same, leave until habcheck, the Aldi stopped working when the panel fell off the wall on a previous warranty repair in September but was not noticed because it was parked up for winter, I noticed it in Feb. Again left until habcheck, the batteries went flat. While I was away in January, it’s been left on hook up over winter so I left it until habcheck.
It’s ok when it’s winterised and not being used, but when you are ready to roll it needs to be one hundred percent.
My point is Lowdhams are Nearly at Newark it is a long way to go if they have to keep it several days. It’s a lot of dough travelling and the time.
What I’m asking is are there alternatives in Stoke on Trent? To save me time and money..
That’s all..

 

[Barclaybasher]

If a manufacturer of a caravan or motorhome cannot make a van that doesn't leak they shouldn't be in business.....most warranties aren't worth the paper they're written on.
Who needs someone else to tell them that the van is damp or not?
Hab checks?
Money for old rope

 

[Spriddler]

If a manufacturer of a caravan or motorhome cannot make a van that doesn't leak they shouldn't be in business....

Especially after just a year, although from my experience with many items most faults become apparent /occur when they're brand new or nearly new.

 

[Barclaybasher]

We sell gas fires - prices from about £600 upwards
Manufacturers offer 5 year guarantees - 2 years parts and labour then parts only so long as the fire is serviced every year.
We charge £80 to service - so the warranty costs £400 !!
Most of the time we end up sorting problems anyway as the manufacturer takes too long and we get the grief!

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[Coastal Cruiser.]

Total rip off, how many other businesses do you have to pay yearly to see if they have done their work correctly
Saying that my van goes in next month as I had a leak on the front Heki that went onto the table and has blown the table top
As much as I hate paying for the yearly leak test no doubt this repair would not be cheap if I had to pay for it

 

[Barclaybasher]

Total rip off, how many other businesses do you have to pay yearly to see if they have done their work correctly
Saying that my van goes in next month as I had a leak on the front Heki that went onto the table and has blown the table top
As much as I hate paying for the yearly leak test no doubt this repair would not be cheap if I had to pay for it

It shouldn't leak anyway !!

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

It shouldn't leak anyway !!

Why?? No such thing as the perfect van no matter how much you spend, plenty of post on this forum to prove that….
This is not my first leak either

 

[Figaro]

What I’m asking is are there alternatives in Stoke on Trent? To save me time and money..

I think Spinney at Holmes Chapel are a Swift dealer

 

[Barclaybasher]

If it leaks within a year or 2 it's a manufacturing problem - you shouldn't have to pay to check their product !!

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[TheAleMan]

Why?? No such thing as the perfect van no matter how much you spend, plenty of post on this forum to prove that….
This is not my first leak either

But hopefully the last Mark

 

[JRT]

Our last Swift caravan sprung a leak at 18 months old. Source was the awning rail.

 

[Barclaybasher]

Sale of goods act says that the goods should be fit for purpose - a caravan or motorhome that leaks is not !!
Sue the manufacturer !!

Don't just give the agent more money

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

But hopefully the last Mark

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Sale of goods act says that the goods should be fit for purpose - a caravan or motorhome that leaks is not !!
Sue the manufacturer !!

Don't just give the agent more money

What are you going to sue them for if they fix it???

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[nicholsong]

Thanks to the OP and others for reminding me of the £000s I have saved by never having had any of these tests.

Last year I had some cab window seals replaced because of leaks. I did not have to pay somebody to tell me they were leaking.

I consider that after 20 years seals subject to UV will deteriorate and are a 'consumable' item.

Even having the work done at N&B factory the cost came to less than all the tests would have come to over the years, and the cost of the seals would have been the same anyway, plus I know the replacement was done to N&B standards.

One 'pays one's money and take one's choice'

 

[Barclaybasher]

What are you going to sue them for if they fix it???

You shouldn't have to pay them to check it in the first place

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

You shouldn't have to pay them to check it in the first place

Unfortunately terms and conditions when you buy one, don’t agree with it but they have you bye the nuts a major leak could end up costing thousands so bit of a dilemma to pay for checks or not plus when you sell a van it will look better if it has been regularly checked and the new buyer has the remainder of the 10 year warranty….

 

[Jenka]

So poppylll is 1 year old, and 2 days, she is being given her first habitation service, they’ll be looking at everything on her! cheeky eh, she is having pig tail number 2 fitted, a new reversing camera, the Sat Nav up graded reloaded, the Batteries checked over, and the Aldi heating system repaired, all under warranty. Except the habitation which I pay for.
Whoo hoo she’ll come back on Monday all tip top.. on Tuesday/Wednesday n Thursday I’ll start to load her up with all those essential things we need, Saturday top her up with food and water, then after a good nights Sleep, a final check, passports, five runs to the loo, we’ll be off.
But! I will be thinking, how much! All the way to Newhaven, how much! A habitation costs how much? Just short of £400 squid.. heck that’s in 10 years near on £4000 squid for looking to see if it’s leaking!… so I have been thinking, not an easy task after you destroyed breakfast!
Can it be done closer to home. I’ll tell you why.
The drive from Home to Lowdhams, 2 hours 10 minutes, 72 miles 14 litres Diesel £21.00 Train to Stoke 1 hour 45 mins, standing on the station at Lowdhams 10.25 to 11.56. There’s no 10.36 train!
£24.00 train ticket, Taxi Stoke - Home £10.00. Take away £20.00 taxi back to Stoke train station £10.00 Train back to Lowdham £24.00 Diesel to Stoke £21.00. Takeaway £20.00.
Breakfast and lunch at Lowdhams cafe: £9.00 tea and toast & £14.00 a sandwich and tea .. phew!

In all about £548.00, now I’m not tight, I have plenty of pocket money. But we have a few closer MOHO dealers, before the 1st service April 4th 2025 and second habitation check! I’m gonna find a local Swift dealer to service and hab check my poppylll for me.
Any suggestions of where to go will be much appreciated..

Just returned from 3 days at Lowdhams each day they took the van and returned at night to the rally field which is free to customers. Offered me a courtesy car (not needed) .

 

[Barclaybasher]

Unfortunately terms and conditions when you buy one, don’t agree with it but they have you bye the nuts a major leak could end up costing thousands so bit of a dilemma to pay for checks or not plus when you sell a van it will look better if it has been regularly checked and the new buyer has the remainder of the 10 year warranty….

I understand but how does having an annual check make any difference?
Most leaks will leave a stain
How do you explain that to a buyer?

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[royandsharont]

Why do you have to return home, isn’t the service all done while you wait for the3ish hours. All mine have been done whilst I wait

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

I understand but how does having an annual check make any difference?

Keeps up the water ingress warranty and it gets repaired at no cost, I would not fancy some of the bills to repair some of the vans on this site

 

[Old Gibber]

Sale of goods act says that the goods should be fit for purpose - a caravan or motorhome that leaks is not !!
Sue the manufacturer !!

Don't just give the agent more money

The Sale of Goods Act was replaced with the Consumer Rights Act ages ago. Ones contract under the CRA is with the dealer you bought it from not the manufacturer. Have you ever tried to get your money back? It took me 7 months and a solicitor to get my money back from the dealer on a new caravan that was undisputedly not fit for purpose having lasted a month before several serious structural faults emerged.

 

[Old Gibber]

You shouldn't have to pay them to check it in the first place

Why not? You have to pay for car dealers to check your car for the warranty to remain in place too.

 

[Captain Yoghurtpot]

Unfortunately terms and conditions when you buy one, don’t agree with it but they have you bye the nuts a major leak could end up costing thousands so bit of a dilemma to pay for checks or not plus when you sell a van it will look better if it has been regularly checked and the new buyer has the remainder of the 10 year warranty….

But only if you sell it within the 10 year period.
Otherwise, after 10 years, you are in no-mans land as a buyer.

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