Pre purchase inspections?

[CarlandMandy]

Hopefully edging closer to finding a MH - spent yesterday at a Burstner open day and on the way home saw a couple of Adria MHs at another dealer. It has really confirmed layout and model we hope to get.

It's going to need to second hand with our budget and my question is around relatively new second hand vans - we've seen one that's 6 months old with a main dealer (phone call pending when they open as it might have gone already), they are not local to us, and my inclination if the van was a possibility would be to still have a ppi as we are new to this and recognise that new vans can still have things wrong with them. Although it would be under warranty, we would want to avoid unnecessary return trips to the dealer where possible.

Would a ppi still be useful with a 6 month old vehicle, are we being over cautious?

 

[Grasmere9]

Having just spent our first trip away finding snags that should have been found at pre delivery inspection I would say anything you can do is essential! Hope you find your dream motorhome soon.

 

[Bognor Saint]

This is only my thought and is based on personal experience. Buying a long way from home might be inconvenient if problems arise. I think there are plenty of posts on here about the reluctance of other dealers to take on warranty work.

 

[CarlandMandy]

Thanks Grasmere9 and Bognor Saint. The van is available and we are going to see it this week. Dealer said if we bought it they would do a hab check for us but in the short amount of time we've been on here, we would want that carried out by someone independent as I'm sure everything would be "perfect". Agree completely re ideally buying somewhere closer to home, and I can already see from review comments that the Burstner dealer closest to us would probably be one reluctant to take on repairs if we don't buy from them. We will view with our heads - to be honest as it gets closer excitement is definitely mixed with a lot of nerves. Trying to balance that with the reality that we might well have travel for the right van given supply/demand situation at the moment.

 

[Phill D]

Just a thought.... You want to build up a relationship and trust with the dealer so future issues can be easily resolved. getting an independent hab check done might be counter productive to that.

As you would have to pay for the independent check but not the dealer check I would let the dealer do the check and go through it with them.
Then you can decide if you still want an independent check done.

You loose nothing by letting the dealer do the check.

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[PJGWiltshire]

You will read many posts about dealers not wanting to repair vehicles not bought from them. The reason in many many cases is availability of workshop time. Yes a dealer who sells you a van from them then will support you more readerly if issues come along. This is very normal when issues are found very soon after purchase. A few months down the line and you maybe just another Motorhome owner at that point as the available quick workshop slots may be needed for vans sold in resent times. So please do not let a good priced quality inspected van slip by. We bought our Carthago new from Yorkshire and we live in Sussex. To get round the issue if no slots available from a local Carthago dealer, soon after purchase I contacted local dealer asking for some warranty work. As expected was asked did you buy from us no was the answer. Can’t look at it for 3 months. No problem said I and took the booking. Now there was nothing wrong with the van I had not long picked it up. But three months later I had a few silly little warranty matters that needed attention. So as I had a slot booked it was no issue and I did not have to drive 200 miles to where I bought the van from.If the slot was not needed I would have cancelled and they would have booked someone else in. Beat them at there own game. Wherever you buy from just make sure you book your warranty service a year in advance That way you have your slot. Also look for local authorised service agents. They tend to be cheaper and more helpful. These also are also very busy snd you need to book ahead but where Necessary they do help you out in emergencies

 

[CarlandMandy]

Just a thought.... You want to build up a relationship and trust with the dealer so future issues can be easily resolved. getting an independent hab check done might be counter productive to that.

As you would have to pay for the independent check but not the dealer check I would let the dealer do the check and go through it with them.
Then you can decide if you still want an independent check done.

You loose nothing by letting the dealer do the check.

HI Phill, I can see what you mean. It is difficult not being close geographically to the dealer - I think I might be a little more relaxed with it being within warranty if they were closer and we could easily pop back, but the fact that we are clueless with all this and probably won't be able to spot any lies if they are thrown our way makes us nervous. I would naturally lean towards building a relationship and would prefer that - just don't want to get caught cold with loads of stress if we can avoid it.

 

[CarlandMandy]

You will read many posts about dealers not wanting to repair vehicles not bought from them. The reason in many many cases is availability of workshop time. Yes a dealer who sells you a van from them then will support you more readerly if issues come along. This is very normal when issues are found very soon after purchase. A few months down the line and you maybe just another Motorhome owner at that point as the available quick workshop slots may be needed for vans sold in resent times. So please do not let a good priced quality inspected van slip by. We bought our Carthago new from Yorkshire and we live in Sussex. To get round the issue if no slots available from a local Carthago dealer, soon after purchase I contacted local dealer asking for some warranty work. As expected was asked did you buy from us no was the answer. Can’t look at it for 3 months. No problem said I and took the booking. Now there was nothing wrong with the van I had not long picked it up. But three months later I had a few silly little warranty matters that needed attention. So as I had a slot booked it was no issue and I did not have to drive 200 miles to where I bought the van from.If the slot was not needed I would have cancelled and they would have booked someone else in. Beat them at there own game. Wherever you buy from just make sure you book your warranty service a year in advance That way you have your slot. Also look for local authorised service agents. They tend to be cheaper and more helpful. These also are also very busy snd you need to book ahead but where Necessary they do help you out in emergencies

Now that is a very cunning and clever plan. Out of interest did they ask you what you were booking it in for at the time of booking? Just thinking of our car which has been backwards and forwards to the dealer in the last year - every time we book it in we have to tell them the problem?

 

[Phill D]

HI Phill, I can see what you mean. It is difficult not being close geographically to the dealer - I think I might be a little more relaxed with it being within warranty if they were closer and we could easily pop back, but the fact that we are clueless with all this and probably won't be able to spot any lies if they are thrown our way makes us nervous. I would naturally lean towards building a relationship and would prefer that - just don't want to get caught cold with loads of stress if we can avoid it.

i would agree its whatever reduces the potential for stress and what helps you sleep at night.

its a difficult one. not much help sorry.

 

[PJGWiltshire]

Now that is a very cunning and clever plan. Out of interest did they ask you what you were booking it in for at the time of booking? Just thinking of our car which has been backwards and forwards to the dealer in the last year - every time we book it in we have to tell them the problem?

Just gave a few things, I recall saying that the water would not heat up on EHU something like that then when i took it kn I said hat it had been resolved but these other matters need looking at under warranty.

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