3 motorhomes stolen

[romany]

Taking my Autotrail back to Elite motorhomes banbury to have the (what seems usual) many faults to be corrected it was very shocking to see that they had 3 brand new auto trails with a total value of over £150,000 stolen.

I thought that their sales rep point that if this could happen to them with all the high security levels they had what chance do ordinary members of the public have.

See here https://www.banburyguardian.co.uk/n...es-from-middleton-cheney-dealership-1-8806948

 

[jongood]

Sorry. I saw your forum name and assumed it was a progress report.

 

[MikeD]

We bought our first motorhome from them.

Nice people to do business with and its a shame this has happened to them.

 

[PeteH]

At least they are going to DO the work. My experience last year with another dealer was a disgusting shambles. Most of which I ended up paying for/doing Myself. JUST to save the aggro!.

 

[romany]

At least they are going to DO the work. My experience last year with another dealer was a disgusting shambles. Most of which I ended up paying for/doing Myself. JUST to save the aggro!.

I didn't give them a choice it was a simple repair it or return my money I am fortunate in one way to have the legal clout to be able to do that if necessary and still will if the damn thing carries on falling apart.

Having said that I still wouldn't wish a robbery like that on any firm I'm just very surprised any one would want to steal an Auto trail, if I had known as Jonegood intimated i would have left mine there in the hope it would have been stolen

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[MikeD]

I didn't give them a choice it was a simple repair it or return my money I am fortunate in one way to have the legal clout to be able to do that if necessary and still will if the damn thing carries on falling apart.

Having said that I still wouldn't wish a robbery like that on any firm I'm just very surprised any one would want to steal an Auto trail, if I had known as Jonegood intimated i would have left mine there in the hope it would have been stolen

I know how you feel. That's why we got rid of our Autotrail. I just got fed up of fixing it. I would not buy another.

 

[jongood]

I didn't give them a choice it was a simple repair it or return my money I am fortunate in one way to have the legal clout to be able to do that if necessary and still will if the damn thing carries on falling apart.

Having said that I still wouldn't wish a robbery like that on any firm I'm just very surprised any one would want to steal an Auto trail, if I had known as Jonegood intimated i would have left mine there in the hope it would have been stolen

My 'funny' is about you seeing the funny side. I am sorry for the hassle you re having with the motorhome but there isnt an emoji for that. Hope they sort it. Jon

 

[kip]

My 'funny' is about you seeing the funny side. I am sorry for the hassle you re having with the motorhome but there isnt an emoji for that. Hope they sort it. Jon

Same here.

 

[Just smiffy]

Top notch reporting I see.... “The theft was carried out by at least two people” there bloody clever these robbers, one of the robbers can drive two vehicles at the same time...


I think 3 vehicles stolen at the same time would be “ At least three people involved”......

 

[Caterhamkid]

Hi, I have just purchased a new Autotrail V Line 635, and was somewhat concerned to read how disallusioned some of you guys are with your new Autotrail’s. What sort of problems are you experiencing may I ask? At the moment I am quite happy with ours, only 700 miles far, off to Portugal for 7/8 weeks in April. We had a couple of small niggly things to sort out, a cupboard door catch misaligned, and steering wheel controls not working. Both things I sorted myself very quickly.

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[ChrisL]

Time to bring back night watch man/woman perhaps?

 

[Bonkers the Dog]

Time to bring back night watch man/woman perhaps?

Ohhhhhhh! Ge tye to a camp for re-education! It would be a non gender specific/non binary, non day light hours patrol operative and observational specialist. Come on, get with the programme or you will be getting the late night "RAUS, RAUS...."

 

[Basildog]

I didn't give them a choice it was a simple repair it or return my money I am fortunate in one way to have the legal clout to be able to do that if necessary and still will if the damn thing carries on falling apart.

Having said that I still wouldn't wish a robbery like that on any firm I'm just very surprised any one would want to steal an Auto trail, if I had known as Jonegood intimated i would have left mine there in the hope it would have been stolen

Our HYMER pig is not far behind Autotrail
This weeks discovery is that the fresh water tank drain tap isn’t working and obviously hasn’t from new .

 

[romany]

Hi, I have just purchased a new Autotrail V Line 635, and was somewhat concerned to read how disallusioned some of you guys are with your new Autotrail’s. What sort of problems are you experiencing may I ask? At the moment I am quite happy with ours, only 700 miles far, off to Portugal for 7/8 weeks in April. We had a couple of small niggly things to sort out, a cupboard door catch misaligned, and steering wheel controls not working. Both things I sorted myself very quickly.

So far I have only managed 300 miles in mine, firstly when we picked it up half a snag list we had left was not done, on the way back home both drain pipes for fresh and waste water fell off on motorway, last week while away for a week end the truma boiler overheated and the truma setting panel button stuck, one part of the pull out bed started to fall apart and the final insult on the way home at only 275 miles vehicle went into limp mode RAC came out (2 bloody hours) computer fault showed stuck ERG valve and a couple of other open circuits they managed to clear these fault codes but now waiting for it to go to a fiat garage for a full check over as apparently you have to sort out warranty work yourself and not the dealer.

Oh and reversing mirror works intermittently.

I am a retired engineer so I can fix things if necessary unfortunately I am old school and when I pay the best part of 44.000 for a new vehicle I expect the bloody thing to work

 

[romany]

Top notch reporting I see.... “The theft was carried out by at least two people” there bloody clever these robbers, one of the robbers can drive two vehicles at the same time...


I think 3 vehicles stolen at the same time would be “ At least three people involved”......

According to their sales rep the camera shows them taking one vehicle at 1am coming back for another at 2ish and the back for the 3rd one at 3am

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[Ernesto]

"Despite the motorhomes all being locked as well as having immobilisers, flat batteries and barely any fuel, all three were taken with no sign of forced entry. CCTV footage shows the grainy outline of a car, possibly an Audi, but little else, while the garage next door was closed. “If someone could break into three of our motorhomes with all of the security we have then what chance does anyone else have? ""

Ok, thieves are scumbags but if I ran a dealership I think I'd invest in some CCTV ... and maybe the immobilisers fitted to these vans don't appear to be fit for purpose?

 

[Clarky]

So far I have only managed 300 miles in mine, firstly when we picked it up half a snag list we had left was not done, on the way back home both drain pipes for fresh and waste water fell off on motorway, last week while away for a week end the truma boiler overheated and the truma setting panel button stuck, one part of the pull out bed started to fall apart and the final insult on the way home at only 275 miles vehicle went into limp mode RAC came out (2 bloody hours) computer fault showed stuck ERG valve and a couple of other open circuits they managed to clear these fault codes but now waiting for it to go to a fiat garage for a full check over as apparently you have to sort out warranty work yourself and not the dealer.

Oh and reversing mirror works intermittently.

I am a retired engineer so I can fix things if necessary unfortunately I am old school and when I pay the best part of 44.000 for a new vehicle I expect the bloody thing to work

Those sort of faults on a new vehicle really are disgraceful.
I can understand engine and some mechanical faults arising but things like pipes dropping off and beds falling apart are just down to carelessness.
For the price we all pay for these vehicles they really should be paying attention to Quality Control.

Richard.

 

[romany]

"Despite the motorhomes all being locked as well as having immobilisers, flat batteries and barely any fuel, all three were taken with no sign of forced entry. CCTV footage shows the grainy outline of a car, possibly an Audi, but little else, while the garage next door was closed. “If someone could break into three of our motorhomes with all of the security we have then what chance does anyone else have? ""

Ok, thieves are scumbags but if I ran a dealership I think I'd invest in some CCTV ... and maybe the immobilisers fitted to these vans don't appear to be fit for purpose?

I got the impression from the general chat that these were professional crooks who had cloning devices of some sort

 

[romany]

Our HYMER pig is not far behind Autotrail
This weeks discovery is that the fresh water tank drain tap isn’t working and obviously hasn’t from new .

Sorry to hear your having problems too

 

[Ernesto]

To be fair, my understanding is, if someone gained access to my Mercedes car and plugged in a cloning device, they could drive it away (albeit they'd be on High Definition CCTV and floodlight in 1000's of lumens ... but they'd have to get past the steering lock as well though. I suspect the answer here is not to rely on the immobiliser and have some better backup systems. They seem from the photos to be all Peugeot vans - they're no worse than any other brand I assume ?

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[andy63]

to go to a fiat garage for a full check over as apparently you have to sort out warranty work yourself and not the dealer.

Is that the same for all new motorhomes... you are saying that base vehicle faults are not the responsibility of the dealer you bought the vehicle from... that doesnt seem right,

the dealer i used tried to get me to arrange a visit to the ford garage myself... i politely declined and told them to get it sorted...
after i picked the van up.... they had had it a week to sort out a few other issues as well... i noticed they hadnt sorted the ford warranty work... and the standard of work they had done was terrible so i never went back and still dont know how i would have stood if id insisted on them sorting the ford work out... hence my question...are you sure it is up to you to sort the fiat work..

Have to say i feel for you..
ive sort of indicated above i just gave up on the dealers in the end and sorted everything myself..
the work i saw was as i said terrible. And i bought the van to use... not have it sitting at a dealers for weeks waiting for them to sort things which is what they appeared to think was resonable .
appreciate not everybody is of the same mind set and it most probably would have raised all sorts of warrenty issues if i had had to return with it..
The tales you read on here about after care and the standard of workmanship from both manufacturers and dealers is frightning...

Andy

 

[Ernesto]

I don't believe you have requirement to deal with or negotiate with Fiat, Ford or any other base vehicle manufacturer. Its not like you buy the base vehicle and coachwork separately.

If you pay £000's to a dealer for a motorhome, under consumer law, thats who your contract is with.

 

[Blue Knight]

Sad news indeed but I reckon they'll be found abandoned on waste ground in a few days with their umbrellas missing.

Police Officer to Dealer: "I'm dreadfully sorry sir but we've recovered your three vans and they are in a dreadful state. The furniture is falling apart and the electrics don't work and there are leaks coming from the roof and the windows; here's a crime number for you sir - good luck".

Dealer's Rep to Police Officer: "Don't worry Officer, they just haven't been PDI'd yet".

 

[nicholsong]

Sad news indeed but I reckon they'll be found abandoned on waste ground in a few days with their umbrellas missing.

Police Officer to Dealer: "I'm dreadfully sorry sir but we've recovered your three vans and they are in a dreadful state. The furniture is falling apart and the electrics don't work and there are leaks coming from the roof and the windows; here's a crime number for you sir - good luck".

Dealer's Rep to Police Officer:We did notice those on the PDI, but were waiting till the customer noticed and returned the MH for rectification?

Corrected for you.

 

[ChrisSue]

The same Elite who lost about 10 motorhomes in a fire a few years ago. Ouch their insurance isn't going down anytime soon

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[romany]

I don't believe you have requirement to deal with or negotiate with Fiat, Ford or any other base vehicle manufacturer. Its not like you buy the base vehicle and coachwork separately.

If you pay £000's to a dealer for a motorhome, under consumer law, thats who your contract is with.

You are right
I didn't bother arguing with elite motorhomes as having already spoken to Fiats customer service (who had phoned me to make sure their camper assist agents had got me going again) advised and organised a check over at their local Fiat commercial agents.
Will let you know the outcome when it goes in.

 

[Nirvanauk]

To be fair, my understanding is, if someone gained access to my Mercedes car and plugged in a cloning device, they could drive it away (albeit they'd be on High Definition CCTV and floodlight in 1000's of lumens ... but they'd have to get past the steering lock as well though. I suspect the answer here is not to rely on the immobiliser and have some better backup systems. They seem from the photos to be all Peugeot vans - they're no worse than any other brand I assume ?

My neighbour has a superb CCTV system. Got to watch all three of them wearing balaclavas taking his new Merc.