Has anyone done their own PDI before accepting new motorhome or would dealer go mad? (1 Viewer)

[Paul an Jane MK]

There are so many stories about faults on new motorhomes that really should have been rectified prior to delivery. It would be so much easier not to have to take it back and the cynic in me thinks any issues might get resolved a little quicker if still sat on forecourt.

I do not wish to be a pain in the bottom but accept in the spring the technicians will have seen so many vans it is hard not to go on auto pilot and these things are pretty complex.

Is it worth risking alienating the dealer and thoroughly check before paying for it or just hope everything is okay after all you only tend to hear the bad stories.

What do you think?

 

[Kingham]

If it's a van that is already on their forecourt, I don't see any reason why you can't see everything working and spending as much time as you wish, checking it over.

A van specially ordered and built for you, on a deposit, especially if you order upgrades over the basic specification, may be a different proposition.

As soon as mine arrived at my dealership, I was invited along to see it, before any dealer PDI had taken place, but I wasn't able to check the heating or gas systems at that point.
The salesman identified that the winder on the main Heki rooflight had failed and put one straight on order for me, but told me it wouldn't be there in time for handover, giving me the option of delaying handover.

On handover day, I was given full inspection access, with everything operating (except the Heki) prior to paying the balance and I could have refused to complete at that point if anything major had cropped up.

 

[Paul an Jane MK]

Thank you, @Kingham. We have paid a deposit and it will be coming in specifically for us.

So just a case of wanting to ensure everything is functioning correctly with everything running on gas and electric from the reversing camera to the headlights and everything in between including door latches etc.

Full inspection access that you had prior to paying v
Balance sounds exactly what I want although realistically could take a couple of hours to go through everything, how long did you spend checking it?

Our first brand new Moho and only third in total, does everyone get a similar opportunity to thoroughly inspect before handing over their hard earned money?

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[Cavs]

does everyone get a similar opportunity to thoroughly inspect before handing over their hard earned money?

You should insist on it. I would plan for it taking at least two hours, quite possibly more.

 

[icantremember]

It depends on your dealer but many allow you to stay overnight in your new motorhome on their premises ... this gives you the opportunity to test all the systems and be there to ask any questions the following day.

 

[Theonlysue]

I try and stay on site for a night or 2 to test everything out. Never been a problem. They should give you as much time as you need.

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[Derbyshire wanderer]

I think it’s perfectly reasonable for you to inspect the goods before paying for them.
In reality even in a couple of hours you may not spot every possible snag that may need rectification but if anything major was found you would at least have the upper hand to get it sorted quickly before payment and joining the workshop queue.

 

[Kingham]

........
Full inspection access that you had prior to paying v
Balance sounds exactly what I want although realistically could take a couple of hours to go through everything, how long did you spend checking it?

As I'd already checked every cupboard latch, door locking, roof lights, 12v electrics (habitation & vehicle) at my pre PDI visit, I only had to check the gas and 240v systems on handover, heating, hot & cold water, fridge, microwave etc, as well as a quick look round everything else, so probably only 40 minutes or so.

Best of luck with yours

 

[Steve N Tracy]

The 2 motor homes we have purchased both the dealers allowed me to do a inspection of the inside and outside of the vehicles when they had arrived, but as they were not on a ramp or a pit I could not inspect the underneath as well as I would like, they were both given a list of things that I had noticed that were done before handover at a later date, and they were both plugged in and with gas connected so services could be checked before driving off, Premier Motorhomes excelled at this as they had connected 2 full 6kg bottles that we could keep, however there were some issues that manifested themselves after collection that could only be found by removing panels.

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[Mr Chrysalis]

We bought at Brownhills. Now I know this place had a bad reputation for after sales service in the past but now gets mixed reviews. We have always found them good. We have bought there twice. When we collected the Mohos we were given a long demonstration of everything and a chance to look at and test everything. We also stayed overnight on their site to test everything more thoroughly. There were a couple of bits and pieces that they fixed the following day ( a Saturday), and a fault with the radio head unit ( DVD not playing) was resolved by swapping it for a similar model whilst ours was sent for repair at the manufacturer and refitted the next time we were passing. It would've handy to have a definitive check list of things to check so that we don't forget anything

 

[TinaLes]

We had already disappointing our dealer before taking delivery of our first ever new moho in that we cancelled our order on a Swift Bolero (1 week before it was due to be built) due to so many quality issues coming up repeatedly on the swift talk forums, we felt we would be mugs to get one as we would have all the same major problems with the front valence coming loose etc.
So we took a Carthago from dealer stock, lots more money, with only a couple of essential option packs.
We arrived mid day, the van was fully up & running, heating on, hot water on, LPG Gas tanks fitted & awning rail fitted as dealer fit extras. The handover guy (mike) was helpful and answered any technical questions we had, he didnt need to spend that much time, I would say an hour or so as I had a good understanding of most things being ex tuggers.
We could have spent as long as we liked looking around the van and trying everything out, checking bodywork for blemishes, window and door catches, external locker catches and alignment, weight plates under bonnet which we did and all was perfect.
We left the van at the dealers for another week(having paid for it) until we could get to our appointment with Eddie at Vanbitz to fit The Growler Alarm, Tracker & Dual reversing cameras.
The van is perfect and just what we hoped for, although I now need to fit loads more stuff in the spring, like a radio head unit, solar panels & MPPT controller, additional leisure battery, and a couple more 12/240 sockets.
We now have to take it back to the dealers Jan 9th for The Carthago 3 month Water Ingress check, and get the sticker placed in the service log book.
So I am happy even though my wallet is much thinner having switched from Swift To Carthago, and we still have the toys to fit.
I did have a written list of questions to ask, and a list of things to check on the day, however as I had written them out, i didn't need to refer to it as I remembered, and dont think I missed anything.
Its a big very exciting day for everyone, I hope you do your homework and that you get the van you hoped for.
I thing I would strongly advise though, if your van is rated at 3500KG or less, insist on a weigh bridge certificate (paid for by dealer) with full tanks, to check the payload is what its supposed to be, as they rarely are, and can leave you very short on what you can put in it to stay legal.

Les

 

[rod_vw]

Members of the VW California Forum (https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/forums/) can download a checklist to be armed with when they collect a new vehicle.

Rod

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[Blue Knight]

Paul, Jane,

It all depends on the dealer in some instances.

We picked up our first new van last year and it was clear as day that no-one had inspected it prior to hand over. It was a total mess with broken bits, ill fitting parts, scratches and dings, incorrectly wired-up solar panels and mastic splats all over the body.

The next van (collected in July this year) was a different matter and it was clear that the dealer had conducted a full PDI with all of the paperwork to support this. That said, my hand over list was vast as a consequence of our first HOTO experience.

BTW, which brand are you purchasing.

All the best,

Andrew

 

[Geo]

Be prepared tp stay for a month or two waiting for any parts you might find you need.
It is not practical to do as you suggest after spending all this time what if you miss something ?
is the dealer now exempt or will you still have to take it back
He might even use your super inspection against you , "well if you didn't spot it maybe it wasn't there when we sold it"

But then again I think anyone buying Brand New is a couple of fries short of a happy meal

 

[TinaLes]

Paul, Jane,

It all depends on the dealer in some instances.

We picked up our first new van last year and it was clear as day that no-one had inspected it prior to hand over. It was a total mess with broken bits, ill fitting parts, scratches and dings, incorrectly wired-up solar panels and mastic splats all over the body.

The next van (collected in July this year) was a different matter and it was clear that the dealer had conducted a full PDI with all of the paperwork to support this. That said, my hand over list was vast as a consequence of our first HOTO experience.

BTW, which brand are you purchasing.

All the best,

Andrew

Hi Andrew, Just out of interest what was the make of your first van & was it new?
And what was the make of your second van, was that new also?
Shocking really to think that any dealer would not fully prepare, fully valet, and have everything up & running on the day. Not doing this would surely cost them more in time and money when you had to bring it back to them or just fully reject it in the first place.
Its really is a big learning curve, especially if its your first ever van, thankfully we all now have the support & good advice from other funsters on here, which is a great help.

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[Madcaravanner]

When we picked our first van (this one now ) the dealer told us to expect the hand over to take 2 hours they then proceeded to walk through everything inside and out side
they opened every access door and panel right to the fuse box (though neglected the one in the engine bay)

Thing is they didn't put the cab aircon on as it was a cold day wish they had as the system didn't work when we needed it in France and Spain (just paid £30 to regas system completely empty but no leaks the machine says )
But we checked every nook & cranny light bulb inside and out and I went with my damp meter too without any complaint they kept coffees coming up too FOC as you would expect


NOW
If their service department were as good as presales I'd be happy

 

[Southdowners]

It all depends on the dealer in some instances.

I would say it absolutely depends on the dealership. We bought two Niesmann & Bischoff motorhomes from Travelworld. The handover on each was abysmal.

We travelled up and arrived on time but were kept waiting literally hours - we were still waiting late afternoon. No explanation or apology given. When we eventually had the handover it was rushed and, having waited for most of the day, we were loosing the will to live and just wanted to leave. Both of the N&B vehicles had problems right from the start. On the second vehicle we went to drive away and the seatbelts failed to engage. We both ended up with yards of webbing on our laps as they wouldn't retract into the seat. We were told that it was because we positioned the seat incorrectly! It wasn't, and it took months to get the problem rectified.

Sadly the experience with Travelworld got worse and worse. Both vehicles went back multiple times to have the same faults sorted out time after time. Again, no apology.

Travelworld staff just don't understand customer service.

We bought our new motorhome from Southdowns yesterday. The handover couldn't have been more different to that given by Travelworld. We arrived and were met straightaway. The handover was extremely thorough and a helpful technician was at hand who programmed in phones, Sky box, etc.

Lunch was provided. We felt really happy about the whole day (and it did take most of the day)... nothing was too much trouble and everything in the vehicle was in pristine condition. It made the day special, rather than the exhausting and unpleasant day at Travelworld.

 

[Lenny HB]

Spent the night in our new van at the dealers he gave me a fob for the electronic gate and keys to one of his cars.

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[two]

If you're concerned about the handover, I suggest you write explaining what you wish to have demonstrated before final payment so that they can be prepared. You're about to invest a lot (to you) of money and it's not at all unreasonable to expect to be persuaded that the goods are as described before settlement. Some dealers will be much better than others (see above) but you will lose any real power over them once you have paid in full. It's always difficult to walk away from a long-awaited new toy. Most of us cannot (or are unable) but you are more likely to get what you want if you're prepared to do just that.

 

[Lenny HB]

We now have to take it back to the dealers Jan 9th for The Carthago 3 month Water Ingress check, and get the sticker placed in the service log book.

The water ingress check is at one year the 3 month check is just a once over and a way of extracting money out of you for doing nothing and I'm certian you will find it is not nessecery for the warranty. I'm on my 3rd Hymer never had a habitation check never had any problems with warranty items.

 

[Terry]

it must be me but I check everything I can before buying ....if they don' like it then walk ....i have never bought new but have checked a couple of new vans for mates...always found a few faults
Terry

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[Jim]

We had already disappointing our dealer before taking delivery of our first ever new moho in that we cancelled our order on a Swift Bolero (1 week before it was due to be built) due to so many quality issues coming up repeatedly on the swift talk forums, we felt we would be mugs to get one as we would have all the same major problems with the front valence coming loose etc.
So we took a Carthago from dealer stock, lots more money, with only a couple of essential option packs.
We arrived mid day, the van was fully up & running, heating on, hot water on, LPG Gas tanks fitted & awning rail fitted as dealer fit extras. The handover guy (mike) was helpful and answered any technical questions we had, he didnt need to spend that much time, I would say an hour or so as I had a good understanding of most things being ex tuggers.
We could have spent as long as we liked looking around the van and trying everything out, checking bodywork for blemishes, window and door catches, external locker catches and alignment, weight plates under bonnet which we did and all was perfect.
We left the van at the dealers for another week(having paid for it) until we could get to our appointment with Eddie at Vanbitz to fit The Growler Alarm, Tracker & Dual reversing cameras.
The van is perfect and just what we hoped for, although I now need to fit loads more stuff in the spring, like a radio head unit, solar panels & MPPT controller, additional leisure battery, and a couple more 12/240 sockets.
We now have to take it back to the dealers Jan 9th for The Carthago 3 month Water Ingress check, and get the sticker placed in the service log book.
So I am happy even though my wallet is much thinner having switched from Swift To Carthago, and we still have the toys to fit.
I did have a written list of questions to ask, and a list of things to check on the day, however as I had written them out, i didn't need to refer to it as I remembered, and dont think I missed anything.
Its a big very exciting day for everyone, I hope you do your homework and that you get the van you hoped for.
I thing I would strongly advise though, if your van is rated at 3500KG or less, insist on a weigh bridge certificate (paid for by dealer) with full tanks, to check the payload is what its supposed to be, as they rarely are, and can leave you very short on what you can put in it to stay legal.

Les

Hi Les, any chance you could review that dealer Here. The dealers are in alphabetical order if the dealer is not there, you can easily add them, or just ask me to add them for you. You can review your purchase with just a few mouse clicks Cheers.

 

[hilldweller]

Is it worth risking alienating the dealer and thoroughly check before paying for it

These are complex machines, the chances of finding something on an alien, to you, machine, just like that are near zero.

These things have to be teased out of the machine over time. Though the further you are from home/dealer the easier it gets.

 

[Jim]

We bought our new motorhome from Southdowns yesterday. The handover couldn't have been more different to that given by Travelworld. We arrived and were met straightaway. The handover was extremely thorough and a helpful technician was at hand who programmed in phones, Sky box, etc.

Any chance you could leave a review here https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/reviews/southdowns-motorhome-centre.45/ Thanks .

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[Southdowners]

Yes, will do. I'll also do one for Travelworld

 

[jonandshell]

I did a snagging list for ours before we bought it.
About 30% of that wasn't done at hand over.

 

[two]

There's a heck of a lot to cover. A list to follow is a very good discipline but it's unlikely that you'll think of or spot everything and, after a couple of hours, you may feel like giving up. Prioritize the list and try not to be distracted.

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[TinaLes]

Thanks Jim dealer review carried out as requested.
Hope you get settled in Ok for Xmas in your new home.
Best wishes to The Brown Family for the new year 2018.

Les & TinaL

 

[Paul an Jane MK]

Thank you, for all the support and suggestions.

I will stick to my guns and check as thoroughly as I can but agreed I am bound to miss something although running a service company I have written PDI check lists for the engineers, might put one together for myself.

I would like to check van prior to hand over day and if anything wrong will simply delay collection.

They have a campsite which you can stay on FOC for the night but that does seem a little like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. You have done the swap and paid the money.

It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but we ordered a dealer special Elddis Encore 255, we travel mostly in the UK so can’t get on with dinettes and no oven. It was perfect layout plus Alde heating and included all the extra’s I could wish for within the standard price.

All I want is for everything to work properly - wots that pink thing with a curly tail flying overhead

 

[two]

We'll keep fingers crossed for you...

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