Which of you have never had a 'Habitation Check'? (1 Viewer)

[Puddleduck]

6 years hab checks were included with our van back in 2016.

We didn't have it done last year due to covid.

 

[Insider]

Very interesting. Bought a 2016 van in UK in 2019 and it had hab checks for every year. The way it was presented during the sale made me think the lack of hab checks would have been a big negative so much so that I actually thought it was the law in the UK. Don't have anytning similar in Ireland.

 

[DumfriesDik]

What an interesting thread. I am surprised at so many not having hab checks. Now it has me thinking!

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[KiwiKampers]

Never had one on any van I've owned in 23 years. I work on the assumption that if there is a problem I will discover it eventually.

 

[Wikky]

Never paid for a hab check in the 3 mh we have owned. The current mh was bought in 2017 and is a 2011 model which came with a hab check and damp check by the dealer.
I'm quite handy and regularly check over appliances and do damp checks myself. However I did have a mobile engineer in to change a sensor and fan on the Truma 6e and he did a system gas check when he put it back together.

 

[bobnick]

Only OWNED a van for less than11 months. The van had a hab check 7 months before we bought it and all was ok.
Took the van to be assessed for part ex on a new van to find it had a damp issue.
I cancelled the order for the new van.
Bought a recommended damp meter and got readings far lower than than the dealer supposedly got.
So as a 2/3nd opinion i have booked the van in for a full hab check on July 11th.

When this van is sorted i will start the search again for a new van.

AND yes it will have a hab check along with it's first MOT, not before if we buy brand new.

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[EuroTrotters]

Never had 1 and probably never will

Same here. 17 years, 4 motorhomes.

I do all my own installs and maintenance.

A Service manager at a big motorhome dealership got hold of one of my previous motorhomes. He rang me to ask about an unidentifiable key on the bunch.

He asked who had done the solar & battery upgrades, fridge and furniture modifications on the motorhome.

When I told him it was me. He said he had never seem such quality workmanship, the fridge cabinet modification better than the factory. If I ever wanted a job, call him.

That was 6 years ago. I never mentioned it here until today.

 

[bobnick]

Same here. 17 years, 4 motorhomes.

I do all my own installs and maintenance.

A Service manager at a big motorhome dealership got hold of one of my previous motorhomes. He rang me to ask about an unidentifiable key on the bunch.

He asked who had done the solar & battery upgrades, fridge and furniture modifications on the motorhome.

When I told him it was me. He said he had never seem such quality workmanship, the fridge cabinet modification better than the factory. If I ever wanted a job, call him.

That was 6 years ago. I never mentioned it here until today.

Do you do foreigners? (ie work on other peoples for money)

 

[PP Bear]

Never had one and do all the maintenance myself.

Saves me an absolute fortune, especially cambelts and the like

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[Popty]

Hi all, bought a 13 year old Swift Sundance 590RS from a dealer who had done a hab/damp check before we took delivery, as a retired motor engineer of 55 years, I was not paying someone to do what I could so l bought a damp meter and checked it every year for damp, used my multi meter to check electrics and checked the gas hose (for in date) & all gas pipes/connections with soapy water, saved a fortune, now sold the moho and looking for a larger moho, rv or fifth wheeler

 

[PJGWiltshire]

Had Had check done for the first 2 years of the warranty. In those inspections found some small minor matters repaired under warranty. Since Had area warranty expired only have water ingress check (for warranty) and annual gas safety test

 

[bobnick]

Correction on my earlier post.
I WILL have hab checks if i bought new to conform with the warranty.

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[Garry - June]

We fulltime so maintenance/checks and improvements are a constant thing.... no need for someone else to check it for me..... and when you try things yourself you realise that servicing a fridge freezer for example is very simple to do..

 

[Shrimp]

Never had a new van!

 

[Richard-Denise]

Yes, had one done recently by Habcheck - I liked their independent view and the engineer was excellent and very professional. I'm not an expert on anything mechanical so I like the peace of mind that an annual check brings.

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[Wabs]

My old RSM used to say if you need to ask you haven’t done it, so do it,,great words, I did not understand till I was older

 

[Sianna]

We did have one this year 11 mpnths on from purchase of our second hand MOHO.

First time, last time, big mistake and complete waste of money.

We took it back to the dealer we bought it from, had a vehicle and hab service/check so many things missed/ignored.

Water pipe off in the toilet compartment on return, flooded the bathroom floor when turned on.

Earth on hab battery in inadequate and rusted, needed replacing.

Gas oven not working on return.

Electrical fault with solar panel controller causing electrical trip.

Massive damp readings up to 60% in places where it had been 0% 11 months previously on the sale (of course it was) The vehicle had also been stored indoors for 9 months over lockdown!

All 4 x tyres were over 9 years old and no recommendation to change them.

The list goes on.............

Won’t be returning again for either a service or next vehicle upgrade!

 

[pandas]

We did have one this year 11 mpnths on from purchase of our second hand MOHO.

First time, last time, big mistake and complete waste of money.

We took it back to the dealer we bought it from, had a vehicle and hab service/check so many things missed/ignored.

Water pipe off in the toilet compartment on return, flooded the bathroom floor when turned on.

Earth on hab battery in inadequate and rusted, needed replacing.

Gas oven not working on return.

Electrical fault with solar panel controller causing electrical trip.

Massive damp readings up to 60% in places where it had been 0% 11 months previously on the sale (of course it was) The vehicle had also been stored indoors for 9 months over lockdown!

All 4 x tyres were over 9 years old and no recommendation to change them.

The list goes on.............

Won’t be returning again for either a service or next vehicle upgrade!

And the dealer was...

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[Odd job]

When I bought a pvc from Marquis the guarantee had a requirement for a hab check for the second and third years, but as the guarantee reduced on the second and third years and because they missed so much on the pre-sale check, I didn't bother

 

[irnbru]

From a personal experience I dont think the damp section is worth the paper that it's written on. It failed to spot our damp in a tiny cupboard below window. When the van becomes out of warranty I wont be getting one done. Will use eyes, nose and damp meter myself.

 

[irnbru]

When I bought a pvc from Marquis the guarantee had a requirement for a hab check for the second and third years, but as the guarantee reduced on the second and third years and because they missed so much on the pre-sale check, I didn't bother

What was the guarantee that reduced? Ive just had warranty work done by Marquis.

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[Odd job]

What was the guarantee that reduced? Ive just had warranty work done by Marquis.

Yes the first year it was 100% the next 2 years it reduced I can't remember how much in year 2 but year 3 it was 50% that was on a s/h van

 

[MikeH]

Previous owner had them done every year on mine (3 of them). Thinking I’d be moving ours on after a bit I’ve had 2 done since we bought it. Just part exed it and got more than I paid for it. Maybe they helped with the price, maybe not but one did identify the oven gas burner wasn’t working correctly, replaced under warranty as I’d had the paperwork from the check. Would I have found it myself? Pros and cons I guess

 

[Sianna]

And the dealer was...

Ill tell you once they fix it all! Its been back twice already!

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[pete4x4]

Had habitation checks every year for the last 10years, warranty due to expire next year will probably then have it done every couple of years, mainly for gas and electric checks.
Ive had floor replaced under warranty due to water ingress cost £5k plus fridge fault didnt work on 12v which was a surprise. Other things like bulbs replaced and known fixes implemented such as oven ignition resetting control panel, big ferrite ring required.

 

[Rimswell Wanderer]

6 years hab checks were included with our van back in 2016.

We didn't have it done last year due to covid.

So come on who has habitation checks?

Is it just 'Newbies', new owners who are told that without it the warranty is invalidated?

Do more experienced owners ignore the concept?

Do owners of better quality MHs have the checks

If you take a MH back to a dealer is the gas system checked by a gas engineer specifically qualified on butane/propane systems and does one get a certificate accordingly?

I bought my first/only MH 12 years ago and have never had a habitation check. I had one small window seal leak 3 years ago but it might not have shown on day of check, like MOT.

Your thoughts please, together with:-

What Motorhome(s) you have owned?

Whether you have had habitation checks and why?

What they have found?

Would you always have a habitation check on any MH in the future?

Geoff

Bought the Motorhome new in 2015 and have a Hab check every year, up to now things picked up,and replaced FOC, heater control PCB, stiff gas tap FOC again I didn’t mention it but the most amazing one was the one I had done at the Autotrail Factory when they decided to replace the wooden framework with Composite, again I didn’t mention it they just did it and that must have been a massive job. I usually take it to Springfield Motorhomes the supplying dealer who have the most friendly and efficient After Sales team that I have come across but in this instance because the water heater drain tap had leaked water into the storage area Autotrail suggested that I it take back to them to check and pleased I did it was four years old at the time.

 

[nicholsong]

Thank you all for your replies and for those yet to respond.

I am surprised at the overwhelming response for no hab checks, at least outside warranty periods.

I wonder whether that is because some of those that have them have not responded?

Geoff

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[Gaston aires]

Had one Hab check on a PVC we bought new.
Since then I bought a damp meter and do my own tests.
Phil

 

[Ninjabob]

I bought new in 2017 and the van came with a 6 year "water ingress warranty". I extended this to 10 years thinking this would be a sensible thing to do.
I am now in a quandary about continuing annual inspections for my "water ingress warranty" on my Bailey. As you can see they demand full inspections not just damp checks, these costing circa £240 per annum:

The Bailey motorhome must undergo a full annual service and inspection, including a moisture survey, carried out, subject to the conditions specified below, by an Authorised Service Centre. The final annual service in the warranty period must be carried out before the end of that warranty period, but all other annual services may be carried out within six (6) weeks either side of each anniversary of the original purchase date. The original VAT invoices must be retained as proof that these annual inspections have been carried out.  During the first three (3) years of the Warranty Cover, all annual inspections and repairs must be carried out either by Bailey itself or by an approved Bailey Service Centre or Agent. Thereafter, due to the technical nature of an Alu-Tech constructed Bailey motorhome, annual inspections and repairs may be carried out by any workshop or repair centre approved by the National Caravan Council that has attended Alu-Tech training courses at the Bailey factory.

They do not cover the following:

Structural degradation or other damage caused by water ingress through non- permanently sealed seams or joints (such as, without limitation, around windows, hatches, doors and rooflights), beyond the initial 24 months of the Manufacturer’s Warranty.

The Alu-Tech construction has no wood in it and as far as I understand cannot rot. The floor is the weak point as that is a sandwich construction.

What I am wondering is what are they actually covering - seems to be just the sealant failing in the seams. They insist on full habitation and not just damp checks. Seems to be just easy money for the Dealers.

I am handy with all aspects of the systems onboard and am beginning to think this is an annual con!