Mercedes vario 814 self build bus to FLT palace (1 Viewer)

[appydaze]

I just hate, hate, hate unreliable people when you do your part and then it sits there untouched for a fortnight GRR GRR...

 

[TM59]

I would let it sit until you are sure someone else will work on it. I imagine there are limited garages in your area who take on this type of work. A little patience required. Agree its hard to get others to move at our pace. Only advice as it is your bus.

 

[Langtoftlad]

It is a little ...i dont understand these folk to be honest.

Neither do I?
I don't understand the commercial advantage of promising something they have no intention of delivering.
You're only going to p*so off your customer, kill any future business.

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[gpat]

I would let it sit until you are sure someone else will work on it. I imagine there are limited garages in your area who take on this type of work. A little patience required. Agree its hard to get others to move at our pace. Only advice as it is your bus.

I agree. Hold your nerve. I bet they'll get on with it if they think they'll lose the business.

Like many businesses, order book is king

 

[Jamesh]

Are they the sort of garage with loads of cars parked outside.... I've found those type are either really slow or incompetent and those are the cars they cannot fix!!!


Cheers James

 

[Northernraider]

Typically when i went to collect it yesterday afternoon they had started doing stuff yesterday morning which left me in a shitty situation. Because i had told a fib to try and urge them on that the blacksmith was ready for it now i had to think fast ....so its still there at present and i told them id try and delay the blacksmith for a few days ....ill go back down on Monday and see how its going.

Im now heading up to the blacksmiths to see if he can give me an idea when he will be ready for it for real. I hoped to be further on with it by this stage but considering the weather we are now having its probably best where it is anyway as at least it is inside now .


Im bleeding bored though i must say

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[Wissel]

IMO you've done the right thing.

Even though this stage is taking a bit longer, once the vehicle is sound, the rest is easy

 

[glenn2926]

Typically when i went to collect it yesterday afternoon they had started doing stuff yesterday morning which left me in a shitty situation. Because i had told a fib to try and urge them on that the blacksmith was ready for it now i had to think fast ....so its still there at present and i told them id try and delay the blacksmith for a few days ....ill go back down on Monday and see how its going.

Im now heading up to the blacksmiths to see if he can give me an idea when he will be ready for it for real. I hoped to be further on with it by this stage but considering the weather we are now having its probably best where it is anyway as at least it is inside now .


Im bleeding bored though i must say

Sounds like the threat to take it away worked and they are now going to get on with it. Like you say it's probably best that it's inside whilst the weather is crap. Hopefully the weather will improve by the time you're back working on it outside.
Keep us posted .

 

[Northernraider]

Went up to see the blacksmith and he says he was going to be phoning me over the weekend to take it up to him next week...so i wasnt far off with my white lie anyway it seems. But he did say he could delay it till next weekend if it gave the place that has it just now time to finish what they were doing .....good plan i thought so i phoned the current lot and told them we had 2 options ...i could collect it monday for the blacksmith or they could get as much done in the next week as possible and id give the blacksmith it next weekend.

All i got was excuses about other jobs they had to do etc etc and that it was unlikely theyd get much more done to it so im just going to collect it on Monday take it to the blacksmith and he will do his stuff to it while i try and arrange someone else to sort the panels out.

The way they are going they could have it for weeks on end while skipping between other vehicles and its just not practical.

One of the other places id spoke to are more set up for this kind of work and they had said to give them a call back next week so im hoping i might be able to get them.

At least at the minute they have done the 2 bits required to allow the blacksmith to do what he needs to do without blocking access .

Ive not told them im not taking it back to them just incase im left with no choice ....but what a complicated situation to get the body done.

Im hoping once all this stage is done the rest will be a bit more plain sailing.

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[Drum Major]

Keep them on the back burner like you said you just never know

 

[Eggs]

This looks tidy Tam.

<Broken link removed>

 

[Jamesh]

Keep going Tam the journey is as important as the destination! Best to keep your options open when it comes to shoddy garages!

Cheers James

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[tacr2man]

Broken promises are par for the course when dealing with many firms these days , and many are involved with MoHo self building

 

[gpat]

Some businesses just have a lot of pressures I suppose

 

[Northernraider]

Some businesses just have a lot of pressures I suppose

In this case the owner just takes in far too much work at one time and he hasnt the staff to cope with it ...most of the motors that were on his premises when i first went down there nearly 3 weeks ago are still there ...all in various states of repair...but theres also more arrived. Had they told me at first that they would be doing a bit here and there i wouldn't have agreed to it. But he was keen for me to leave it with him.

Unlike the blacksmith who only gets the vehicle there when he's about to start the work as he doesn't have the space to have vehicles lying around.


I guess its the same principle as motorhomes ....the more space you have the more crap you collect

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[Tombola]

In this case the owner just takes in far too much work at one time

yup, like lots of trades, dont turn it down for fear of it drying up, so they juggle it round a bit for you today a bit for someone else tomorrow.
Doesnt pay long term for customer retention but some dont see it tht way esp if they have the market share and no one else can do it.
Usually then, its he who shouts loudest gets it first.
Everyone hates poor customer service

 

[Northernraider]

Very good day today ....having rejoined Facebook a few weeks back purely to join a few vario owners groups etc i discovered the group leader of the biggest uk one actually lives in Glenrothes about 15 miles away ....as hes had a few varios and also broken a few i discovered he had a stash of spare parts and he had invited me up today for a bit of a rummage .

Long story short i managed to get a proper vario double cab seat , the plastic inner step , seatbelt , cab rubber floormat and a few metal panels i needed ......

I spent about 3 hours chatting with the guy who was really knoweledgeable on the vans and had a good laugh .....

He also has a wiper motor which ill go back for at somepoint and a few tyres on wheels .


So a great day .......my wee car is still full of all the parts as its chucking it down here ...... Not the best size of parts hauler i may need to change cars lol

Got to collect van and take it too blacksmith tomorrow


Ill put pics of the new parts up tomorrow when i unload them .

 

[glenn2926]

Thanks for the update Tam. Takes me back, Jesus over forty years, finding people who have bits you need, oddball bits even, my first van build was a transit with sliding front doors. Just like you I dropped dead lucky on a bloke with a few in a barn. He then let us do some of the work through the winter in his barn.
Great thread, keep it coming.

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[Jamesh]

Sounds quite a catch!

Good that you have had some success at last!

Cheers James

 

[mackeellan]

Something's missing from the day when I don't see an update from you. Its like sitting on the edge of my seat sometimes! Great build Tam.

 

[Mr porky]

Very good day today ....having rejoined Facebook a few weeks back purely to join a few vario owners groups etc i discovered the group leader of the biggest uk one actually lives in Glenrothes about 15 miles away ....as hes had a few varios and also broken a few i discovered he had a stash of spare parts and he had invited me up today for a bit of a rummage .

Long story short i managed to get a proper vario double cab seat , the plastic inner step , seatbelt , cab rubber floormat and a few metal panels i needed ......

I spent about 3 hours chatting with the guy who was really knoweledgeable on the vans and had a good laugh .....

He also has a wiper motor which ill go back for at somepoint and a few tyres on wheels .


So a great day .......my wee car is still full of all the parts as its chucking it down here ...... Not the best size of parts hauler i may need to change cars lol

Got to collect van and take it too blacksmith tomorrow


Ill put pics of the new parts up tomorrow when i unload them .

I love it when a plan comes together, shame it couldn’t be finished as fast as an A team episode.

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[Onemanandhisdog]

I love it when a plan comes together, shame it couldn’t be finished as fast as an A team episode.

Yeah, but it would be a bit draughty with loads of bullet holes through the new insulation!!

 

[Northernraider]

First new metal in .... much stronger than the old inner sills. 40x40 4mm walled box section and 2mm steel plate.....and off course unseen so doesn't have to look pretty ....

Dropped off at blacksmith now for bike rack construction .... So some real heavy duty steel going in this area now.

 

[Zoobec]

Exciting times

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[nicholsong]

In this case the owner just takes in far too much work at one time and he hasnt the staff to cope with it ...most of the motors that were on his premises when i first went down there nearly 3 weeks ago are still there ...all in various states of repair...but theres also more arrived. Had they told me at first that they would be doing a bit here and there i wouldn't have agreed to it. But he was keen for me to leave it with him.

Unlike the blacksmith who only gets the vehicle there when he's about to start the work as he doesn't have the space to have vehicles lying around.


I guess its the same principle as motorhomes ....the more space you have the more crap you collect

The builder I used to renovate and extend my house into the loft was fortunately just the opposite - he said 'When I come on a new site I go to no other jobs till that one is finished, so you will have to wait till I am ready'. I was happy to wait and he stuck to his word; the only delay was that his Dad who worked for him, died in the middle of the job so I had to let him have 2 weeks respite, then he could not find another tradesman with the same skills. Excellent job, so thankfully there are still some good ones around - think he learnt the ethos from his Dad.

I am glad you got some success with the FB Vario guy. Keep at it lad.

Geoff

 

[Northernraider]

The builder I used to renovate and extend my house into the loft was fortunately just the opposite - he said 'When I come on a new site I go to no other jobs till that one is finished, so you will have to wait till I am ready'. I was happy to wait and he stuck to his word; the only delay was that his Dad who worked for him, died in the middle of the job so I had to let him have 2 weeks respite, then he could not find another tradesman with the same skills. Excellent job, so thankfully there are still some good ones around - think he learnt the ethos from his Dad.

I am glad you got some success with the FB Vario guy. Keep at it lad.

Geoff

Yes thats how this blacksmith works apparently ....we will see.
Im hoping so .....very old school
Messrs bruce ... general blacksmith

 

[Northernraider]

Hopefully the next time i take pics of this area it will be full of steel instead of fresh air

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[Langtoftlad]

Bet you're happy you're moving on from destruction to construction.

 

[Northernraider]

Bet you're happy you're moving on from destruction to construction.

Yes ...still some rot to cut out but its nice to see some new metal going in and taking shape again.

 

[Langtoftlad]

Can you/anyone educate me, in a line or two, as to what a cill/sill is or does?
I've heard about cars having rotten sills, and your bus had rusty ones, but still passed it's mot and was [sort] of driveable.
So what are their purpose?

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