How much for habitation check? Seems expensive (1 Viewer)

[tonyidle]

One of the main reasons I have a habitation service done is / was the fridge service to remove some of the risk of CO poisoning, then similar for heater. I thought all the fridge workings were accessed via a vent on the outside, ours is, or appears to be

Some are - but a lot aren't. If there's an upper & lower vent on the wall of the van the important bits (jet / burner / flue) can be serviced. Quite a number of vans have the lower vent via the floor preventing any useful access to the lower rear of the fridge without removal. In an ideal world, IMO, all fridge connections would be on the rear, a seal-fixing flange would exist all the way round the rear of the appliance, and a full height locker-style door would incorporate the vents. Anything else is simply lazy, lack-of-competition, design & manufacture.

 

[Gizmouk]

We have to have a Hab' check done for the warranty. Was quoted £248 and £249 by two dealers. Neither one is test / inspecting the electrical , systems properly. Example, to test the RCD they just "press the test button" - which only tells you it'll trip, and not at what current / speed . For safety and the amount dealers charge, why not do the job properly ?
This:
Earth bonding-Visual Inspection - tells you next to nothing. Why not do a full earth bond test ?
This:
LV inlet plug & extension lead-check condition & resistance across connection pins. I have visions of someone using a multimeter to measure resistance across live / neutral / earth. LOL

Reluctantly I'll have to pay the money to keep the warranty in check. But I'll be checking the electrics myself. Properly

Fact is - habitation checks are a cash cow to make the dealer money. Nothing more.

 

[motorhomer]

I think 160 plus vat from a dealer is reasonable. You can get it done for a bit less by going to a specialist such as Dave Newell who does an excellent job.

3 years ago I was seriously ripped off - in my view - by a dealer who at the time did Rapido but now doesn't. They charged me over £700 for a hab check plus an oil change. Both should have been about £300. I complained and have not been back since, and will not buy from them again even though they are our nearest main dealer. So don't just go, like I did, to the dealer you bought the van from!

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[dave newell]

"If there's an upper & lower vent on the wall of the van the important bits (jet / burner / flue) can be serviced. " Not necessarily accurate, many motorhomes have the lower fridge vent too high to give access to the burner assembly and a lot have the upper vent higher than the lazy tee on the top of the flue making it almost impossible to remove and clean the spiral baffle without at least partial removal of the fridge.

For information only: when we service a fridge (standard part of our hab inspection if accessible without fridge removal) we remove the burner assembly AND the lazy tee/flue top and spiral baffle. The burner is cleaned of any soot/rust/debris, the spiral baffle is cleaned and the flue itself is brushed clean. Then once it is all re-assembled the gas burner operation is checked with a flue gas analyser to prove it is burning cleanly and safely and a printout of the results is given to the customer.

"Fact is - habitation checks are a cash cow to make the dealer money." Not fact at all, merely conjecture on your part. Habitation inspections are a valuable systems check for those who cannot do it for themselves. During our inspections we have discovered faulty fridges, some so bad as to be literally lethal in operation on gas, leaking gas connections, damp in roofs, walls and floors that the owners knew nothing about, electrical faults including fuses replaced with wrongly sized items, RCDs that don't work, missing earth connections on mains electrical systems, gas hoses and regulators well beyond their use by date and hoses in such bad condition it makes you wonder why the owner hadn't spotted them. Regular habitation checks also build up as part of the unit's service record and can be valuable at time of selling.

D.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

"If there's an upper & lower vent on the wall of the van the important bits (jet / burner / flue) can be serviced. " Not necessarily accurate, many motorhomes have the lower fridge vent too high to give access to the burner assembly and a lot have the upper vent higher than the lazy tee on the top of the flue making it almost impossible to remove and clean the spiral baffle without at least partial removal of the fridge.

For information only: when we service a fridge (standard part of our hab inspection if accessible without fridge removal) we remove the burner assembly AND the lazy tee/flue top and spiral baffle. The burner is cleaned of any soot/rust/debris, the spiral baffle is cleaned and the flue itself is brushed clean. Then once it is all re-assembled the gas burner operation is checked with a flue gas analyser to prove it is burning cleanly and safely and a printout of the results is given to the customer.

"Fact is - habitation checks are a cash cow to make the dealer money." Not fact at all, merely conjecture on your part. Habitation inspections are a valuable systems check for those who cannot do it for themselves. During our inspections we have discovered faulty fridges, some so bad as to be literally lethal in operation on gas, leaking gas connections, damp in roofs, walls and floors that the owners knew nothing about, electrical faults including fuses replaced with wrongly sized items, RCDs that don't work, missing earth connections on mains electrical systems, gas hoses and regulators well beyond their use by date and hoses in such bad condition it makes you wonder why the owner hadn't spotted them. Regular habitation checks also build up as part of the unit's service record and can be valuable at time of selling.

D.

Well said, Dave. Your fees are very reasonable for a comprehensive job. Just wish that we didn't live over the other side of the country, though our dealer said that we could use any NCC approved engineer. Will probably go back to them anyway for the very first service as they do have a decent reputation

 

[magicsurfbus]

I have my annual hab check done on my drive by a mobile guy who charges £100 for the check, and £30 an hour labour for any further work that needs doing. After being stung by a previous mobile guy I run a damp meter over it before he arrives to see if we agree on the outcome, and we have done so far. What Dave Newell describes above sounds pretty reasonable to me, for someone with fixed premises - if I lived nearer to him I'd be going there.

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[MikeandCarolyn]

As a newish motorhomers.
We pay Davans £180 for 1st year habitation service. The Ford engine was serviced at weston S Mare Ford, this was part of a service contract which cost £16 per month for 56 'months, which includes European breakdown cover.
I mention this really to ask you experienced people if this is a good deal or not?
Etap

I moved from S.Wales to Worle- 5 mins from Davans and was going to use them ,but,the Tugger opposite told me about Tourer Techs from Edingworth who come to you.I used them and was well pleased. £130 I think it was,and very thorough.
Mechanical service I have done by Ray Hart in Weston.

 

[TerryL]

Despite living "the other side of the country" I still go to Dave for van servicing - the couple of times I couldn't afford the time and used a local dealer I had all sorts of problems. I now build the service into our plans so that I can take the time to empty the van before I go, and get rid of anything we've not used in the previous year.

 

[tonyidle]

"If there's an upper & lower vent on the wall of the van the important bits (jet / burner / flue) can be serviced. " Not necessarily accurate, many motorhomes have the lower fridge vent too high to give access to the burner assembly and a lot have the upper vent higher than the lazy tee on the top of the flue making it almost impossible to remove and clean the spiral baffle without at least partial removal of the fridge.

For information only: when we service a fridge (standard part of our hab inspection if accessible without fridge removal) we remove the burner assembly AND the lazy tee/flue top and spiral baffle. The burner is cleaned of any soot/rust/debris, the spiral baffle is cleaned and the flue itself is brushed clean. Then once it is all re-assembled the gas burner operation is checked with a flue gas analyser to prove it is burning cleanly and safely and a printout of the results is given to the customer.

"Fact is - habitation checks are a cash cow to make the dealer money." Not fact at all, merely conjecture on your part. Habitation inspections are a valuable systems check for those who cannot do it for themselves. During our inspections we have discovered faulty fridges, some so bad as to be literally lethal in operation on gas, leaking gas connections, damp in roofs, walls and floors that the owners knew nothing about, electrical faults including fuses replaced with wrongly sized items, RCDs that don't work, missing earth connections on mains electrical systems, gas hoses and regulators well beyond their use by date and hoses in such bad condition it makes you wonder why the owner hadn't spotted them. Regular habitation checks also build up as part of the unit's service record and can be valuable at time of selling.

D.

I was trying to keep it brief. If you remember the OP was asking why fridge service is / could be an additional cost. I think we've both now explained why.

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[Roryboys Dad]

Last week three local reputable established Caravan and Motorhome businesses quoted £108, £125 and £252 – all included Vat – for a habitation check.


I can't believe that the one that quoted the dearest price isn't having a laugh!


Ask around and get as many quotes as possible.

 

[Live Life Now]

I read this post with interest after getting Jims weekly update, The replies are very mixed and thought the review that I have sent to the Dealers Review page of this site should say it all. My MH is still under the dealers warranty (Renault) and I took out extra Insurance, sorry it will be a long time before I believe another MH dealer.
Please read the entire article that follows and your honest opinions would be well read. Be happy as I am now but peace of mind was shattered during the event. Am I being unfair? No just very very cautious.

"Having lived and worked abroad for the last 20 years it was always my intention to purchase a motor home on my return to the UK when I retired. I spent a lot of time and effort to find the right vehicle and eventually settled on a Devon Tempest, 2 years old and with 1500 miles on the clock. What I should have done was completed the purchase after the dealer Dolphin Motor homes had done the habitation check. my mistake!. The van was sent off to their Southampton branch for the habitation certificate to be issued and in my opinion that is what they did, issued the certificate because they certainly DID NOT DO THE WORKS SATISFACTORY, the van was delivered to me with a faulty fresh water tank, waste water problem, toilet badly functioning and other jobs either done badly or not done at all.
The waste water tap was ceased and needed renewing the electrics on the fresh water system were faulty there was a bolt missing from the strike plate on the rear door the swivel seats would not swivel the radio and Sat nav system did not work along with other problems. All of these problems I was assured would be corrected but the van had to go back to Southampton as the Iford branch only has a valeting bay and not a mechanics workshop, image my surprise 3 days later when I phoned Southampton for a progress report to be told “NO” we do not have a bay to lift the vans and our man has taken his tools to Iford to carry out the faults there, (I assume laying on his back on the floor)
The offending problems were all done bar the radio/sat nav which apparently 3 people had tried to correct, the main dealer had been contacted , who was not prepared to give free advice and eventually the MD fiddled with the system (his words not mine) and after 15 minutes did manage to solve part of the problem. I have solved the remaining fault with a friend. I now intend to have the gas check done by an independent engineer to put my mind at rest All of the running about has been at my expense and I feel that the company had no interest what so ever after my monies had been banked.
I did fill in the questioner that was sent to me, giving the company a score of 4 out 10 that was for the salesman’s initial approach who was polite! I have never heard a word since.
I started by explaining that I had been abroad for twenty years and am aware that the UK is named RIP OFF BRITAIN; service like this only adds fuel to the fire.
I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY"

 

[big bertha]

We get ours done at our storage place £160 this includes vat, much cheaper than last year when we took her back to dealer.

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[deka]

The guy who does my habitation test is mobile and does it in my drive for £90.00 including vat. He is the same guy who did all my servicing for years with a well known company and he decided to start up on his own, so I trust him 100%

 

[Live Life Now]

The guy who does my habitation test is mobile and does it in my drive for £90.00 including vat. He is the same guy who did all my servicing for years with a well known company and he decided to start up on his own, so I trust him 100%

Looks like I will have to get mine done when on a trip to Stoke-on-Trent

 

[Live Life Now]

We get ours done at our storage place £160 this includes vat, much cheaper than last year when we took her back to dealer.

A lot of advice seems to say keep away from the dealers.

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[mentaliss]

Just been quoted £160 plus Vat for habitation check. Seems extortionate, but perhaps that's the going rate. Just exactly what do you get for that money and recommendations around North Oxfordshire, south Warwickshire, East Gloucs , south northants appreciated

______________________________________________________

The Hab check is the biggest con thats come with the ownership of a motorhome designed in many circumstances to help insurances companies/manufactures dodge their responsibilities to their customers... ANDY and others mentioned here in this topic, most of the 'Hab' check you do when you enter your motorhome, every time you turn on the lights, fridge, open the windows, etc etc, yes a gas test ( not check) should in fact be a mandatory requirement, the last 'Hab' tick box check list I viewed ( RAC) did not require inspection for the underside of the vehicle, damp etc...you dont need an Honours Degree to purchase a decent damp meter and learn how to use it but common sense should prevail, you could argue that people like Andy, Myself and many other funsters who customise their own vehicles have a skill level that not everyone enjoy's so if you really have to pay to have a 'Hab' check argue the cost and query where the skill level is to see if the lights turn off and on

 

[gibbon]

All they do is switch everything on. If it works they go no further!
I can do that myself!!!

 

[Live Life Now]

All they do is switch everything on. If it works they go no further!
I can do that myself!!!

In MY case Dolphin Motor Homes obviously didn't even do that

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[MikeD]

A reputable trader appears to be the answer, whether a franchise dealer or a guy working from home.

We still use the same dealer for the "hab" check that we bought the motorhome from.

They have been great, fixed all sorts of bits and bobs that go wrong and mostly FOC. They also put up with my daft questions tying up their workshop as a "newby" to motorhomes without any problems.

They replaced the dodgy water pump and "Sat" TV this year and never sent me a bill. Both should have been out of warranty.

For this sort of service I would not be hassled about saving £50 or so moving to someone I don't know and maybe not so painless to deal with.

Live long my friendly dealer

 

[Soozywoozy]

so how does an inexperienced person find a good one in their area? Is there a register anywhere and do they belong to a certain charter which can be given a "kite mark" seal of approval which can be removed if they fall foul of the standards required?
Perhaps MHF could have a section akin to the best campsites i.e. best dealers/trade/companys for services - no negative feedback allowed, only good to ensure fairness

 

[sedge]

Well the thing is this - would 'Trade' members on this forum - especially the self-employed or 2 man band ones, last 5 minutes, with lots of members using them, if those members were not satisfied with their work?

Answer: No of course not - they'd be ripped to shreds within 3 minutes!

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[MikeD]

so how does an inexperienced person find a good one in their area? Is there a register anywhere and do they belong to a certain charter which can be given a "kite mark" seal of approval which can be removed if they fall foul of the standards required?
Perhaps MHF could have a section akin to the best campsites i.e. best dealers/trade/companys for services - no negative feedback allowed, only good to ensure fairness

There is an Approved workshop scheme

http://www.approvedworkshops.co.uk/faq/

 

[Soozywoozy]

perfect - exactly what I was looking for. Thank you

 

[Live Life Now]

perfect - exactly what I was looking for. Thank you

That's the beauty of this website. I just love it, well done everyone your all my friends.

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[Peatmoor]

Habitation Check !! ....... From my experience only the obvious things were checked, items which you can easily do yourself . The items which really did need to be checked such as gas pipe runs and connections water pipe runs and connections which are in awkward places to access were left unchecked. I could have easily done my own H/check to this kind of standard. In my case this would have been a complete waste of money, if I had paid the robbing B-s-a-d !!! I refused to pay which caused much unpleasantness, but I soon got over it. Beware there are allot of cowboys out there !!!