Autotrail woes

knokinonabit said:
The saga continues.

AutoTrail have sent the usual "try moving this and try moving that" response, which is all of the stuff we have tried from day one.

I have re-sent the photo's as they requested and they are now going back over the same things once more.
I don't even want a new door, just the new catches so the door closes properly.

It is now reaching the stage where "not fit for purpose" is coming to the fore and Trading Standards have been contacted about this.
All they have to do is send two new catches to Catterick Caravans, who will fit them foc and the job is done.
How difficult is that ? :Doh:
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They have messed you about long enough, have you considered passing on all the information to 'watchdog' BBC or even the Don't get done get Dom show! Good luck
 
Volusia said:
They have messed you about long enough, have you considered passing on all the information to 'watchdog' BBC or even the Don't get done get Dom show! Good luck
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The last thing that I want is to be on TV.
I have my own reasons :Wink:, and none are criminal or anything like that.

Thanks anyway. :thumb:
 
Volusia said:
They have messed you about long enough, have you considered passing on all the information to 'watchdog' BBC or even the Don't get done get Dom show! Good luck
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That usually does the trick!
I had a problem with a new house door fitted by a nationwide company.

They came back x6 times to stop it leaking, last time i told them i will be contacting local HTV company back then.
I arrived home from work to find x 7 cars/ vans , managers , workmen , the whole road was full.
I then tested it with a hose and was ok , then had to sign some form to clear them of any publicity :Eek!:
Works though:thumb:
 
The news so far on the gas locker door.

AutoTrail decided to send the new style door catches to Catterick Caravans at last. (y)
Unfortunately they were the wrong ones (old style), so had to go back. (n)
They are now sending the correct ones. (y)

So now we are waiting yet again for AutoTrail to get their act together. :mad:
We took delivery of the MH on the 25th July 2012.
So it is 3 weeks away from having taken 2 years to sort out all of the problems that were there on handover.
It is going to be booked in for a habitation inspection and service, so if the catches are there they can do them as well.
The MH will also be going to North East Truck and Van for a vehicle service, so lets see what they come up with. ;)
Glad it all has a 3 year warranty. :sneaky: :LOL:
 
Just when you thought everything was sorted, it starts again.

The correct gas locker door catches have arrived and are awaiting fitting.
This will be done when it goes in for a hab check on the 28th of this month.
So far so good.

But in the mean time the awning light is refusing to work again, hopefully only a bulb, but having it checked anyway.
It has been an issue in the past and has, on occasion, only worked when it felt like it.

Every time it rains there is a puddle on the floor in the nearside of the garage, again.
The seals have been done on this door, but I am not convinced it is the door.

The control panel is refusing to let me access the settings, so I can't set or reset anything, again.
Sargent have been contacted by me and the dealer, and the dealer assures me it will be sorted.

The trim around the shelf area above the cab, where the upper front lockers are, has started to peel off.
Not a major issue, as it is only held on with double sided sticky tape, but soooooo bl***y annoying.

It goes into North East Truck and Van at Billingham on the 30th for the Fiat part to be serviced.
I am hopeful that this will be trouble free.

So, two years later, and I am still trying to get this MH to a point where, for just one day at least, everything works as it should.
I am so disillusioned with the quality of motorhomes, and also due to a shift in my circumstances, I am seriously thinking of selling it and never buying another.
What a waste of money they are.
I have a 14 year old Discovery that has been used as a car loaded up to the max, towed 3t trailers all over, dragged cars out of fields, pulled up tree stumps and generally been abused.
In all that time all it has ever needed is routine maintenance and replacement of general wear and tear parts.
When you pay loads of money for a motorhome, the least you should expect is for nothing to break BEFORE you get to the end of the forecourt.

Rant over for now.
News as it happens.

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OK, I know people will be saying "oh no, not that thread again", but others want to know what outcomes to faults/problems are.
So here goes again.

The awning light has been replaced and is now working.
The trim has been repaired by me.
The new style gas locker door catches have been fitted and the lock barrels have been delivered direct to me and I have fitted them.
Nothing was found wrong when the hab check was done, but they couldn't find where the water was finding it's way into the rear locker. It hasn't happened again since it was dried out, so I am at a loss so far with that.
The control panel is still not sorted and I am now "in discussion" with the dealer and Sargent over warranty issues. Sargent are saying it is out of warranty as they have a 2 year from manufacture guarantee and the MH is 2011, though not registered until 2012, so the panel is out of warranty. As this is the 4th panel to be fitted due to failure of the others, my argument is that it is under 2 years, and therefore must be covered. The MH has 3 years cover.

The service at North East Truck and Van was trouble free and done in a couple of hours while I waited.

So now we are up to date and really, all that is outstanding, once again, is the control panel.
I live more in hope than expectation.
As I said in a previous posting, I would love everything to work properly and as it should have from new, for just one day.
Surely Mr. Manufacturer, that is not too much to ask ?
Is it ?
 
Since we met 2 years ago at a very wet Waldegraves, we have been following this with growing alarm. Really hope that it is finally sorted - nobody should have to go through all that.......
 
DuxDeluxe said:
Since we met 2 years ago at a very wet Waldegraves, we have been following this with growing alarm. Really hope that it is finally sorted - nobody should have to go through all that.......
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Thank you.
Yes, it was a bit damp, wasn't it :rolleyes: :)

I worry about all of the Funsters and the rest of the motorhoming fraternity, who have the same and similar problems, and never complain.
There are quite a few on here and if we all got on the manufacturers backs, named names etc., then the manufacturers would eventually have to take notice and get it sorted.
I know that there are very many satisfied customers, but everytime I go to Catterick Caravans and speak to other customers, be they tuggers or MHomers, regardless of the make they have bought, virtually everyone has complaints about the workmanship, aftersales service etc.
When will the British people learn to stand up for themselves ?
 
It is very worrying. Must say we have so far had good service from Hayes
 
We have had good service from Catterick Caravans as long as Auto-Trail provided the warranty back up.
It all goes back to Auto-Trail, but the dealer takes the flack.

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I WOULDN'T have another auto-trail if it was free,I have to agree with other responses here that Auto-Trail will do things in their own time,whilst your warranty is rapidly expiring,regardless of the fact that it occur-
-red during the warranty period,when they try to bulls**t you as they did me that they hadn't received my emails outlining my problems, we not talking proof of postage etc,were talking emails,no getting out of that
or is there,they informed me that they had discovered a problem with their computer system which prevented any emails reaching them over a six week period,beat that one for bulls**t,if i was a company the size of auto-trail and didn't receive any emails for six weeks,i'd start investigating the problem,but there you go we are expected to put up with all this,and when your hundreds of miles apart it starts getting really expensive and time consuming trying to get things sorted,it wears you down in the end and i'm sure they know and use it to their advantage,I've yet to meet an auto-trail owner whose "100% delighted".
 
I have had the "fob off" treatment from them as well.
Even to the point when they said they couldn't do anymore as the man who was dealing with me had left, and they couldn't access his e-mails because of data protection.
Bo**ocks.

I have just realised that this thread has been running since 13th August 2012.
That about sums up Auto-Trails attention to customer satisfaction.
 
Strange I havent had any problems at all with any of the new Autotrails that we have sold over the last two or three years and perfectly happy to contiue doing so.

If they were not backing up their product, Andy would not be buying them, proof of the pudding is in the eating !

Peter
 
I have to say that solving any problem quickly is so less costly in everyone's time and goodwill let alone cost. From the dealer and AutoTrails perspective the man hours being wasted in letting this drag on are huge let alone the bad will being created. Don't understand it at all!
 
Johns_Cross_Motorhomes said:
Strange I havent had any problems at all with any of the new Autotrails that we have sold over the last two or three years and perfectly happy to contiue doing so.

If they were not backing up their product, Andy would not be buying them, proof of the pudding is in the eating !

Peter[/Q

I don't imagine that they are all bad and perhaps you have been very lucky with the ones you have sold.
It may be that the customers that bought them from you are some of the ones who won't complain.
Also, you are a dealer and it is not in your own interest to say publicly that there have been problems with a brand that you are selling, but that is just my opinion and not meant to be nasty in any way.
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Johns_Cross_Motorhomes said:
Strange I havent had any problems at all with any of the new Autotrails that we have sold over the last two or three years and perfectly happy to contiue doing so.

If they were not backing up their product, Andy would not be buying them, proof of the pudding is in the eating !

Peter
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I am 100% delighted with ours Peter, and indeed with the supplying dealer...
 
Chris said:
I am 100% delighted with ours Peter, and indeed with the supplying dealer...
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I am pleased that there are satisfied customers out there, and this has shown in the thread that was started in Auto-Trails favour. It also showed that there were people who were not satisfied, as in this thread.
If everything worked as it should on ours, then you would not have heard from me with this thread, and I would be 100% satisfied.
Perhaps in Johns Cross' case their service team was more adept at sorting out any niggles, leading to satisfied customers. If the problems that I have encountered had been sorted out straight away then perhaps I too would be a satisfied Auto-Trail customer, and regard everything as teething problems, not long term problems.
Without reading back through the thread, I believe that I have already said that if I were ever to buy another MH, then I would go all the way down south and buy from Johns Cross.
I would have to go under an alias though, as they probably wouldn't want me as a customer now :whistle2: :BigGrin:
 
More updates I'm afraid.

The MH is going back to Catterick Caravans on the 7th of November to have more remedial surgery done.
This after another "discussion" with Autotrail about the warranty having expired, as they thought.
Again, pointed out that I have the 3 year extended warranty, which was finally accepted.

It will be having it's 5th Sargent control panel fitted.
The electric step is being replaced, as the original one has collapsed, literally. I had to remove it as it would not operate and discovered that the mounting frame on the step had split on both sides and was pulling away from the MH. Before anyone asks, I weigh just under 13 stone and am the heaviest in the family.
The rear, offside locker door seals have failed, again, and are letting water into the locker when it rains or when I wash the MH.

Catterick Caravans have been very good and fought my corner over every repair. AutoTrail are the culprits, and if they had built a product that reflected it's initial purchase price, instead of trying to penny pinch, then I wouldn't be writing this thread.
 
knokinonabit said:
I am pleased that there are satisfied customers out there, and this has shown in the thread that was started in Auto-Trails favour. It also showed that there were people who were not satisfied, as in this thread.
If everything worked as it should on ours, then you would not have heard from me with this thread, and I would be 100% satisfied.
Perhaps in Johns Cross' case their service team was more adept at sorting out any niggles, leading to satisfied customers. If the problems that I have encountered had been sorted out straight away then perhaps I too would be a satisfied Auto-Trail customer, and regard everything as teething problems, not long term problems.
Without reading back through the thread, I believe that I have already said that if I were ever to buy another MH, then I would go all the way down south and buy from Johns Cross.
I would have to go under an alias though, as they probably wouldn't want me as a customer now :whistle2: :BigGrin:
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It's interesting to note that a dealer is quick to the defense of the manufacturer when said manufacturer, by their own admission, has had Internet problems for 6 weeks. That fact, were it not a load of bull, should be enough to put any sensible prospective customer off purchasing from them.
Add to that all the other bull they have been trotting out since 2012, then it should be obvious to all, including the a.... licking dealer, that these people are at the very least less than honorable.
I remember sympathising with you over this early last year and hope things get resolved you have certainly suffered enough from the attitude and actions of that particular company. Prospective buyers beware. I know of one such punter having been put off from buying an Auto Trial, trial is not a spelling mistake by the way.

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I find it amazing when a main dealer can heap praise on them when there are so many owners about that have experienced serious problems with their motorhomes.
 
Well the MH went in to have the work done and all went according to plan.
The new control panel was fitted and so far it is working without problems.
The locker doors have been adjusted and seals checked and so far appear water tight.
The interior trim that was falling off has now been stuck back on.
The new Thule step was fitted and worked. For one day !
After travelling from home to Lebberston (pappajohn will know where this is) on Friday night, in the rain, the step refused to operate as it should.
When I got back home on Monday I gave it a severe coating of water and muck dispersant, also known as WD40, in all of the joints. It was then given a good dose of very expensive steam oil as used on traction engines, and left to sulk. Sorry, that should be soak.
The step now operates normally.

While trying to get the step to behave itself I discovered that there is a "run time" setting on the control panel for it. This is set at thirty seconds. If I operate the key fob to retract or extend the step, and then operate it again within the thirty seconds, the step will not work correctly. The awning light comes on at the same time and is also set at thirty seconds, so if I wait until the light goes out, the step works.

A lot of the problems with muck and water getting into the step joints and mechanism is the way it is exposed to the elements. All of the road grime and rain water is thrown from the rear wheels straight onto the step. There is no protection for it at all. I am going to design and make a cover for it in an attempt to keep it working.

So, for the first time since buying the MH, everything is working.
How long for I have no idea.
It's only taken 2 years and 4 months to get sorted, and the problem is, I now have no confidence or faith in it carrying on working.

Well done Auto-Trail in putting someone off, not only your products, but motorhoming in general.
 
We are on our second motorhome and second autotrail been made up with both of them top quality builds (1999 autotrail chayenne 590 and now 04 autotrail 700se) . I wouldnt think of having anything other than an autotrail unless it was something really special. We not changing ours dont need to as its so good.
 
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Johns_Cross_Motorhomes said:
I love you too !

Peter
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Oh come on, you can't honestly look at all that's gone on with this thread and hope to get away with with defending the indefensible without at least a couple of comments highlighting you for what you so obviously are!
 
As you only bought it 3weeks ago and if the manufacturer refuses to grant a warranty fix then the dealer is stuck with doing any repairs at his own cost cos its with him you entered into a contract not the manufacturer
 
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knokinonabit said:
While trying to get the step to behave itself I discovered that there is a "run time" setting on the control panel for it. This is set at thirty seconds. If I operate the key fob to retract or extend the step, and then operate it again within the thirty seconds, the step will not work correctly. The awning light comes on at the same time and is also set at thirty seconds, so if I wait until the light goes out, the step works.

A lot of the problems with muck and water getting into the step joints and mechanism is the way it is exposed to the elements. All of the road grime and rain water is thrown from the rear wheels straight onto the step. There is no protection for it at all. I am going to design and make a cover for it in an attempt to keep it working.

So, for the first time since buying the MH, everything is working.
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I pleased that you have things sorted at last, I must say this poor service from autotrail has not been my experience, I hope for others buying similar aged autotrails that your experience was a “one of” and not an example of more modern built quality. Its interesting what you say about the step, mine goes in when I turn the ignition on (a safety thing) but I cant extend it with the fob, do you mean that when you lock/un lock with the fob the step comes out/retracts and the light comes on automatically, if so this seams far too over complicated for the sake of it, whatever happed to keep thing simple (and they then work). So what are you going to do now, enjoy it, worry about what’s going to fall of next or sell it while its working

Good luck........
 
Volusia said:
Oh come on, you can't honestly look at all that's gone on with this thread and hope to get away with with defending the indefensible without at least a couple of comments highlighting you for what you so obviously are!
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thats a bit harse,(n)(n)
 
Volusia said:
Oh come on, you can't honestly look at all that's gone on with this thread and hope to get away with with defending the indefensible without at least a couple of comments highlighting you for what you so obviously are!
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I think you should withdraw that comment.

1) It was not purchased from JCM
2) JCM have a first class reputation for customer service
3) I'm not a fan of Autotrail as a marque, preferring different style, but there are many many thousands of happy AT owners out there, both old and new.
4) we have not purchased from JCM and not likely to either, purely for geographic reasons

We have followed this thread from beginning to end and really think that this was a "one off" and not at all typical of the marque.

Your comments about the dealers are very much out of order

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