What’s the cutoff point to refuse a motorhome (3 Viewers)

[Al n Val]

Is there a time limit of owning a motorhome that you can refuse it

asking for a friend

 

[Tombola]

I looked into it when having problems with my autotrail from.3 ways abergele.

Its flexible depending on severity of issues.
30 days is standard talked about but some.issues can be used after this date.
And chance of repair gets more allowable the longer it goes.

 

[David and Sally]

Not sure it is about time only. Have the faults been repaired under warranty? If not, and the dealer having been given sufficient opportunity to solve them then maybe time to move into formal rejection. Letters to the dealer about rejecting the van and a complete log of all contacts.
Good luck to them.

 

[The Wino]

Is there a time limit of owning a motorhome that you can refuse it

asking for a friend

I think it depends on the severity of the problems how any resolution has been arranged whether it's new or secondhand etc etc

 

[Soycd]

I was asked if I wanted to turn ours down as the factory fitted aircon was not the same as we had ordered. I didn't.

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[WESTY66]

Is there a time limit of owning a motorhome that you can refuse it

asking for a friend

The friends Rapido not up to scratch Al??

 

[Al n Val]

The friends Rapido not up to scratch Al??

Let’s just say “his” Autotrail Comanche whilst in the 3 years of ownership was an absolute pleasure to own and more or less fault free compared to “his” present one

The list of faults and reoccurring faults is longer than the Magna Carta, the dealer so far has been good but patience is now starting to wear a bit thin and it’s now out of warranty, so 2 years has gone buy and things are still not resolved.

It’s the time taken to sort the issues out that’s been one of the bugbears, the dealer has quoted September the other day and they’ve had the moho since the end of March this year for service and warranty work. It’s still there now waiting for a new Alde boiler to be fitted which is only one of a very long list of jobs needing doing.

The problem “he” sees is, to start again with another brand new vehicle it will,

1. cost around another £65-85k to replace it. on top of the original outlay of £140.

2. probably start again with all the issues a new motorhome comes with, and if anyone says they don’t then they’re lying.

3. if changing to another dealer probably one who’s farer away from his home than his present dealer is, (an hour ish) so even more of a drag.

So I may have answered the original question if it’s already past the “time to refuse it” date.

Should this one be a keeper once all the issues have been sorted, the moho is lovely and does everything you’d want it to, it has space and comfort and style and tbh he (we) love it.

If anyone wants a list of the issues typing out to read then book a morning off work to go through them all, and i’m serious

For instance the boiler was empty of fluid at handover 2 years ago and it’s still not sorted

paid for 13ltrs of Alde fluid to try to keep the boiler topped up and the dealer is refusing to refund it saying it’s Alde’s issue not there’s

Surely the dealer are the ones the contract is with i’d have thought

 

[WESTY66]

Let’s just say “his” Autotrail Comanche whilst in the 3 years of ownership was an absolute pleasure to own and more or less fault free compared to “his” present one

The list of faults and reoccurring faults is longer than the Magna Carta, his dealer so far has been good but patience is now starting to wear a bit thin and it’s now out of warranty, so 2 years has gone buy and things are still not resolved.

It’s the time taken to sort the issues out that’s been one of the bugbears, the dealer has quoted September the other day and they’ve had the moho since the end of March this year for service and warranty work. It’s still there now waiting for a new Alde boiler to be fitted which is only one of a very long list of jobs needing doing.

The problem “he” sees is, to start again with another brand new vehicle it will,

1. cost around another £65-85k to replace it. on top of the original outlay of £140.

2. probably start again with all the issues a new motorhome comes with, and if anyone says they don’t then they’re lying.

3. if changing to another dealer probably one who’s farer away from his home than his present dealer is, (an hour ish) so even more of a drag.

So I may have answered the original question if it’s already past the “time to refuse it” date.

Should this one be a keeper once all the issues have been sorted, the moho is lovely and does everything you’d want it to, it has space and comfort and style and tbh he (we) love it.

If anyone wants a list of the issues typing out to read then book a morning off work to go through them all, and i’m serious

For instance the boiler was empty of fluid at handover 2 years ago and it’s still not sorted

That’s not good, I would be a bit miffed to say the least, the problem with new mohos that are coming off the line with silly faults and to wait months for bits to be done is unacceptable, it would seem sticking with what you know pays dividends these days and makes you wonder if it’s worth updating a moho these days, I genuinely feel for “your friend”

On a lighter note I saw your van in a pic on search for sites and recognised the number plate straight away

 

[Tombola]

Let’s just say “his” Autotrail Comanche whilst in the 3 years of ownership was an absolute pleasure to own and more or less fault free compared to “his” present one

The list of faults and reoccurring faults is longer than the Magna Carta, his dealer so far has been good but patience is now starting to wear a bit thin and it’s now out of warranty, so 2 years has gone buy and things are still not resolved.

It’s the time taken to sort the issues out that’s been one of the bugbears, the dealer has quoted September the other day and they’ve had the moho since the end of March this year for service and warranty work. It’s still there now waiting for a new Alde boiler to be fitted which is only one of a very long list of jobs needing doing.

The problem “he” sees is, to start again with another brand new vehicle it will,

1. cost around another £65-85k to replace it. on top of the original outlay of £140.

2. probably start again with all the issues a new motorhome comes with, and if anyone says they don’t then they’re lying.

3. if changing to another dealer probably one who’s farer away from his home than his present dealer is, (an hour ish) so even more of a drag.

So I may have answered the original question if it’s already past the “time to refuse it” date.

Should this one be a keeper once all the issues have been sorted, the moho is lovely and does everything you’d want it to, it has space and comfort and style and tbh he (we) love it.

If anyone wants a list of the issues typing out to read then book a morning off work to go through them all, and i’m serious

For instance the boiler was empty of fluid at handover 2 years ago and it’s still not sorted

In cases like this it is still.possible (less usage benefit, wear and tear etc) as long as the reports started within a reasonable time.
If the dealer hasnt acted suitably in all that time then it has to take responsibility for its actions or lack of.
Legal advice required

 

[Lenny HB]

At over 2 years I would have thought no chance, up to a year fairy doable. I'm surprised he has had so much patience.
What is the van, another Autotrail?

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[Riverbankannie]

If you read Martin Lewis, he always says “has the supplier acted reasonably “. If not, and it sounds like it in this case, then there is a case to be made but it might have to be legal and the value is too much for small claims court.
Proper legal advice required.

 

[G7UXG]

Regardless of the legalities of rejecting it, if the motorhome ‘he’ has got is the motorhome ‘he’ wants, and it does everything ‘he’ wants it to do and ‘he’ loves it, It would probably be less hassle and certainly cost less money for ‘him’ to persevere with the current one until its sorted, even if it meant a little expenditure on ‘his’ part.

Is the base vehicle OK and the faults with the conversion, or are there problems with both?

 

[Al n Val]

Ok i’ll come clean

it’s our motorhome

2 months ago I wanted to set fire to it , that or smash through the dealers showroom and then set fire to it.

The list of issues we had when returning from our 7 months winter trip to europe was quite frankly growing weekly, on the very last day in France before boarding the tunnel the bloody habitation step broke.

They’ve had it 5 weeks and during day 3 the habitation check was done, the technician reported the step wasn’t working and still nothings been done about it. They say because it’s “not been logged on a job card”.

Oh Please!. why don’t they talk to each other

September for me is totally unacceptable to wait for repairs and i’ve told them so

We’ve had no proper heating in the motorhome since owning it from brand new March 2022, they know this btw and the boiler finally burst in November last year when I sent them a video of fluid everywhere.

Yet it took them 3 weeks after a stern email from me to get them to order the return kit from Alde which btw is free so no cost to them.

There seems to be no sense of urgency on their part, quoting “ we’re very busy” all the time. I’ve been very patient, polite and friendly up to now but i’m being tested atm tbh.

 

[Al n Val]

Regardless of the legalities of rejecting it, if the motorhome ‘he’ has got is the motorhome ‘he’ wants, and it does everything ‘he’ wants it to do and ‘he’ loves it, It would probably be less hassle and certainly cost less money for ‘him’ to persevere with the current one until its sorted, even if it meant a little expenditure on ‘his’ part.

Is the base vehicle OK and the faults with the conversion, or are there problems with both?

The base vehicle has been ok apart from it failed to start in France on a motorway services, symptoms were that of a flat battery but after about 40 mins it fired up perfectly and no issues for the rest of the homeward journey so i’m thinking a possible bad earth connection which i’ve asked the dealer to check but doubt they did at the first engine service.

The habitation area is beautiful in our opinion, it’s the fixtures and fittings req’d to complete it that are failing

More or less every window blind is/are junk, the blackout bedroom blinds have both been replaced under warranty as they were dropping apart and see through, the rest of the blind are that stiff to operate my wife can’t open/close them and that’s after me removing the casement to clean and silicon spray them.

Cupboard door hinge screws pulling out, ok repaired with bits of wood plugging the holes but how long will it last?

Led strip light failing so technician removed it to repair then prised it back in again and levered his screwdriver against a length of laquered timber and dinted it every 8-10”, pillock.

habitation door blind creased and pulled away after coming out of its runner

habitation door fly screen loose material and needs replacing or tensioning

habitation door rubbing at the top when opened, this will eventually damage the door seal

Habitation door seems very stiff and lumpy to open close

drivers seatbelt does not retract fully, this has been replaced once with a new one which was worse so changed back again. It’s an MOT failure so vital that’s it’s replaced

Alde fluid leaking and dropping onto batteries, running out from under the seats. Alde UK says the boiler needs to come out and be rectified or replaced. This is the 2nd year i’ve owned this vehicle and had no heating both winters so i’m pushing for a replacement boiler this time. Also compensation for the 13ltrs of Alde fluid i’ve had to purchase, albeit money or vouchers

The front elec window blind is sagging in the middle and will not intermittently raise up from the bottom

This is an intermittent fault not seen by the technician

tv doesn’t raise up or lower intermittently, this now now completely packed up so i’ve had to dismantle and remove the tv to be able to watch it

battery charger stops charging and I understand there’s a recall on them
I have to go outside and switch off/on again

The Webasto diesel heater gets that hot I have to put a foil shield against the front window blind to stop it being damaged, the Truma vent has melted and the flap has dropped inside the vent pipe so possibly blocking it. The Webasto exhaust is very close to wiring and plastic inner wing so possible fire hazard

The wiring in front of the Alde boiler is trapped under a metal pipe and squashed very tight, this is a fault waiting to happen

seat below tv wooden batton underneath come away from base

front 2 crossmembers under the bonnet going rusty

Habitation Step stopped working completely

 

[gus-lopez]

Surely the dealer are the ones the contract is with i’d have thought

yes they are

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[Al n Val]

At over 2 years I would have thought no chance, up to a year fairy doable. I'm surprised he has had so much patience.
What is the van, another Autotrail?

No the Autotrail was more or less perfect compared to this Lenny

It’s top of their range Flagship Rapido i1090 Distinction

I’m being as patient as I possibly can so as to not alienate our dealer/customer relationship, but bloody hell they’re really trying me a lately if i’m honest.

We were at Stratford last weekend in the moho, we’d no running water, no showering and no heating but the wine was flowing

We drove it back to the dealers and it’s still there and not moved an inch so exactly as we left it, I get notifications when it gets the ignition turned on and i’ve had zero

 

[Al n Val]

yes they are

I think they think i’m a bit clueless but as a director of my own company i’m not, i’ll try to get all the problems sorted amicably then follow up with a small claims court application for the costs of the fluid.

It’s circa £190 which i’ve said i’d accept either vouchers from their shop or a tank of diesel which is around £140 but they’re sticking fast and hoping i’ll fold

I won’t

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

The base vehicle has been ok apart from it failed to start in France on a motorway services, symptoms were that of a flat battery but after about 40 mins it fired up perfectly and no issues for the rest of the homeward journey so i’m thinking a possible bad earth connection which i’ve asked the dealer to check but doubt they did at the first engine service.

The habitation area is beautiful in our opinion, it’s the fixtures and fittings req’d to complete it that are failing

More or less every window blind is/are junk, the blackout bedroom blinds have both been replaced under warranty as they were dropping apart and see through, the rest of the blind are that stiff to operate my wife can’t open/close them and that’s after me removing the casement to clean and silicon spray them.

Cupboard door hinge screws pulling out, ok repaired with bits of wood plugging the holes but how long will it last?

Led strip light failing so technician removed it to repair then prised it back in again and levered his screwdriver against a length of laquered timber and dinted it every 8-10”, pillock.

habitation door blind creased and pulled away after coming out of its runner

habitation door fly screen loose material and needs replacing or tensioning

habitation door rubbing at the top when opened, this will eventually damage the door seal

Habitation door seems very stiff and lumpy to open close

drivers seatbelt does not retract fully, this has been replaced once with a new one which was worse so changed back again. It’s an MOT failure so vital that’s it’s replaced

Alde fluid leaking and dropping onto batteries, running out from under the seats. Alde UK says the boiler needs to come out and be rectified or replaced. This is the 2nd year i’ve owned this vehicle and had no heating both winters so i’m pushing for a replacement boiler this time. Also compensation for the 13ltrs of Alde fluid i’ve had to purchase, albeit money or vouchers

The front elec window blind is sagging in the middle and will not intermittently raise up from the bottom

This is an intermittent fault not seen by the technician

tv doesn’t raise up or lower intermittently, this now now completely packed up so i’ve had to dismantle and remove the tv to be able to watch it

battery charger stops charging and I understand there’s a recall on them
I have to go outside and switch off/on again

The Webasto diesel heater gets that hot I have to put a foil shield against the front window blind to stop it being damaged, the Truma vent has melted and the flap has dropped inside the vent pipe so possibly blocking it. The Webasto exhaust is very close to wiring and plastic inner wing so possible fire hazard

The wiring in front of the Alde boiler is trapped under a metal pipe and squashed very tight, this is a fault waiting to happen

seat below tv wooden batton underneath come away from base

front 2 crossmembers under the bonnet going rusty

Habitation Step stopped working completely

Again most third party shite!! Really winds me up when they keep on using parts that are shit.
On my van common problems are the door cables snapping and on the step a pin breaks, was like it for about 3 years models that I know of and no doubt still the same
Why do they keep installing this crap as it only gets them a bad name??

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

I think they think i’m a bit clueless but as a director of my own company i’m not, i’ll try to get all the problems sorted amicably then follow up with a small claims court application for the costs of the fluid.

It’s circa £190 which i’ve said i’d accept either vouchers from their shop or a tank of diesel which is around £140 but they’re sticking fast and hoping i’ll fold

I won’t

Had a major issue with mine so emailed German dealer saying I was rejecting it, the factory then started playing games so sent them the name of a German solicitor I got through my UK solicitor and said go through these and next thing they came collected it and 2 weeks later is was delivered back with all issues addressed
After 40+ years of having my own company I have never had the patience for letters and emails back and forth, normally after the first negative email back I just pass it on to my solicitor only ever got to court once and then that cost the bloke court cost and double what it would have cost him to settle.

Just go straight for the jugular, claim for money back and all your costs and see how they reply, if it’s been ongoing from new then I think you have a good case.

 

[Al n Val]

Had a major issue with mine so emailed German dealer saying I was rejecting it, the factory then started playing games so sent them the name of a German solicitor I got through my UK solicitor and said go through these and next thing they came collected it and 2 weeks later is was delivered back with all issues addressed
After 40+ years of having my own company I have never had the patience for letters and emails back and forth, normally after the first negative email back I just pass it on to my solicitor only ever got to court once and then that cost the bloke court cost and double what it would have cost him to settle.

Just go straight for the jugular, claim for money back and all your costs and see how they reply, if it’s been ongoing from new then I think you have a good case.

That’s what i’m intending to do but waiting for all these jobs to be completed first or they’ll wash their hands of me no doubt.

It’s a bloody dam shame as we get on great, their setup is brilliant offering free overnight stays, with pool, showers, toilets. They put 3 entertainment weekends on all free to attend with some fantastic entertainment, the last one was superb.

I honestly don’t know or have heard of any other dealer that offers anything close to what they do, my take on it is the fact that they sell far too many motorhomes that the service/garage side of it can handle. This ultimately could be they’re downfall and give them a not so savoury reputation which I understand they had quite a few years ago.

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[nicholsong]

This is not the place to take legal advice on this subject, even from this lawyer, who as a Barrister, so not a Practising Solicitor cannot give advice to a member of the public.

You need to appoint Solicitors, who will ask you for all written exchanges and conversations, before they can advise. Then they will open written correspondence with the seller, which might in itself produce some resolution.

 

[Terry242]

Of course you always have the nuclear option! We had several issues with our new van during its warranty and the dealer was next to useless. I was getting nowhere.
I left this review on Google and copied them in. Needless to say, a Director was on the phone 1st thing the following day asking me what they could do to help!
The upside is that after the issues were sorted, it's been great and we've now had it 7yrs.

 

[Al n Val]

I’m hoping it doesn’t go as far as legal, all I want is to be able to use our motorhome as it was intended to do so.

I’m just getting frustrated, and rightly so imo, as to the seemingly lack of urgency to get the jobs sorted so we can tick all the boxes and be out of their hair.

That and not getting the responses they promise and fail to deliver is not how I see relationships flourish.

When they say, “ we’ll ask Alde to see if they’ll compensate you” really p!sses me off as they know it’s they’re responsibility and not Alde’s. They’re simply trying to pass the problem onto someone else.

Will they miss 140 quid? will they bloody hell.

With regards to emails, photos and videos, i’ve literally got hundreds from day 1, this would take a solicitors hours and hours of very highly monetary charged time of which i’m not really prepared to pay for the sake of £140 hence the small claims court route.

Thanks for info though

 

[jerryz]

Clearly Autotrail = Autofail!!!! but seriously the dealer does not seem to be holding a duty of care , from reading this they dont seem to be pro-active at all,,, The original van from factory had issues , and they were not sorted ,, the continuing issues with £140k item is very concerning ,, I think it is time to get proper legal advice ... Go at the dealer not the factory

 

[Carpmart]

Sounds pretty shite mate!

Be clear on the outcome you want and then focus on a clear set of steps you want them to complete to achieve the outcome you are after.

People and companies get confused with large lists of problems. It seems you want it fixing so break it into bite size chunks for them. What’s the first thing you need doing and by when? Clearly tell them and get it done, then move onto the next.

Get them eating the elephant in bite size chunks.

Or go nuclear…

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[robnchris]

It appears to me that you think you have a good relationship with this dealer so don't want to go down the legal route, they know you don't want to go legal so are happy for you sit there with your problems.
That's what happens when a buyer thinks he has a pally relationship with a dealer.
The only way you will solve this is to hand the negotiations over to someone else who isn't emotionally involved, they will state the case and what's required of the dealer or off to court they will all go.
Your motorhome is supposed to be a pleasurable experience not a burden you have to carry.
Reading through your list of faults I would hand them back the keys and tell them that any future contact will be through your solicitor.

 

[TCG]

Clearly Autotrail = Autofail!!!! but seriously the dealer does not seem to be holding a duty of care , from reading this they dont seem to be pro-active at all,,, The original van from factory had issues , and they were not sorted ,, the continuing issues with £140k item is very concerning ,, I think it is time to get proper legal advice ... Go at the dealer not the factory

Wrong manufacturer… he was happy with his Autotrail.. it’s the rapido that’s shite

 

[VXman]

The base vehicle has been ok apart from it failed to start in France on a motorway services, symptoms were that of a flat battery but after about 40 mins it fired up perfectly and no issues for the rest of the homeward journey so i’m thinking a possible bad earth connection which i’ve asked the dealer to check but doubt they did at the first engine service.

The habitation area is beautiful in our opinion, it’s the fixtures and fittings req’d to complete it that are failing

More or less every window blind is/are junk, the blackout bedroom blinds have both been replaced under warranty as they were dropping apart and see through, the rest of the blind are that stiff to operate my wife can’t open/close them and that’s after me removing the casement to clean and silicon spray them.

Cupboard door hinge screws pulling out, ok repaired with bits of wood plugging the holes but how long will it last?

Led strip light failing so technician removed it to repair then prised it back in again and levered his screwdriver against a length of laquered timber and dinted it every 8-10”, pillock.

habitation door blind creased and pulled away after coming out of its runner

habitation door fly screen loose material and needs replacing or tensioning

habitation door rubbing at the top when opened, this will eventually damage the door seal

Habitation door seems very stiff and lumpy to open close

drivers seatbelt does not retract fully, this has been replaced once with a new one which was worse so changed back again. It’s an MOT failure so vital that’s it’s replaced

Alde fluid leaking and dropping onto batteries, running out from under the seats. Alde UK says the boiler needs to come out and be rectified or replaced. This is the 2nd year i’ve owned this vehicle and had no heating both winters so i’m pushing for a replacement boiler this time. Also compensation for the 13ltrs of Alde fluid i’ve had to purchase, albeit money or vouchers

The front elec window blind is sagging in the middle and will not intermittently raise up from the bottom

This is an intermittent fault not seen by the technician

tv doesn’t raise up or lower intermittently, this now now completely packed up so i’ve had to dismantle and remove the tv to be able to watch it

battery charger stops charging and I understand there’s a recall on them
I have to go outside and switch off/on again

The Webasto diesel heater gets that hot I have to put a foil shield against the front window blind to stop it being damaged, the Truma vent has melted and the flap has dropped inside the vent pipe so possibly blocking it. The Webasto exhaust is very close to wiring and plastic inner wing so possible fire hazard

The wiring in front of the Alde boiler is trapped under a metal pipe and squashed very tight, this is a fault waiting to happen

seat below tv wooden batton underneath come away from base

front 2 crossmembers under the bonnet going rusty

Habitation Step stopped working completely

Well, its a lot of faults but at £140 it still seems quite a steal!

1. cost around another £65-85k to replace it. on top of the original outlay of £140.

 

[Rapido925M]

Perhaps I'm overly naïve in expecting a brand new £80k campervan to be perfect or at least the dealership being prepared to move Heaven and Earth to make it so asap?

When my friend and I tried to wash up after lunch, having travelled 20 miles, water flooded the floor coming from under the kitchen cupboard. It was fixed within an hour or so the next day.
When he arrived home some of the interior lights were no longer working, although a photo showed that they were OK on day 1.

He contacted the dealership but heard nothing for a month, so he asked me to get involved. When I rang up they said that he'd sent the email to the "general enquiries" people and they're not good at passing info on to "aftercare".

"Bring it back and we'll fix it under warranty". That's a round trip of 600 miles!
"Take it to any other dealership for these vehicles and they'll fix it under warranty. Or take it to the factory" (almost the closest option).

So I rang the manufacturer and complained about the water pipe leaking: "it must have vibrated loose while you were driving". 20 miles!

I regard myself as reasonably competent so asked if they could talk me through potential repairs to the lights, as I couldn't see any point in travelling if it was just something simple.
I explained to the technician that the dealership had carried out a repair and probably removed a wire, deliberately or accidentally, and failed to put it back.
"No" said the tech. "A connection will have vibrated loose while you were driving". Is this the quality of British manufacturing these days?

So we looked at the connection to the lights but they were OK. No 12V pd across the wires though.
"A connection elsewhere must have vibrated off". REALLY?

So we took a wall panel off, revealing a black wire with bare copper showing approx 5cm from a connector.
"That's the problem" said the tech immediately.
"No it's not: that's just evidence of poor workmanship. There is 12V between the red and black connectors".

However, there were 2 wires connected to the black terminal but only 1 wire to the red.
"There's no continuity between red and the lights" I said. I couldn't find any loose wires floating around.
"Better take it to a dealership!"

So after negotiating with the supplying dealership, they eventually agreed to cover the travel expenses to take it to someone 150 miles away. I rang them on Saturday and was told "It'll only take a couple of minutes to fix: a connector will have vibrated off while you were driving."

Do manufacturers understand that motorhomes are driven on the road or do they believe that they are designed to stand in the garden as an ornament?

I'm glad I've never had these sorts of issues with my 22y old MH - Gordon

(I've suggested refusing the van BUT I now realise that his problems are exceedingly minor )

 

[Minxy]

Clearly Autotrail = Autofail!!!! but seriously the dealer does not seem to be holding a duty of care , from reading this they dont seem to be pro-active at all,,, The original van from factory had issues , and they were not sorted ,, the continuing issues with £140k item is very concerning ,, I think it is time to get proper legal advice ... Go at the dealer not the factory

It's his Rapido that's the issue.