tazdog6007 Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 booked my m/home in for it's first annual hab/check cost is £340.is this a record add to the fuel cost of getting there and back and it's £400, seems a lot.lowdhams.by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don636 Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 Our last Hab check cost £350. If I add to this a Fiat service/MOT at £250 plus insurance/breakdown at £280 plus tax at £250 this gives a total cost/year of £1,130 before I even turn a wheel. I should really add depreciation to this which is not easy to estimate but I would put it at a minimum average from new of £3,500/ year making the overall cost £4,630/year Worth every penny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 I notice you have a foreign van so does it actually need it or is it just part of the great British rip off because you bought from a British dealer. On our 3 rd Hymer never had a hab check never affected any warranty claims. Our dealer even says not necessary for five years but we do buy in Belgium, can't afford UK prices. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 That seems about right for a 'premier' dealership. Lowdhams is an Approved Workshop Scheme member so should post its rates. I expect the labour rate will be c£90 per hour. Travelworld charge a similar amount for a Hymer including damp check. My nearest Fiat Professional dealer and Hymer dealer are both 60 miles away. I treat trips like this as a day out. The local MCEA chap charges between £30/£35 per hour. Whether it is fair and value for money is a different matter. Lennie is an experienced motorhomers with a good grasp of how it works - have a read of his 'Gin Palace' thread on Motorhome Fun. I'm an imbecile when it comes to how motorhomes work. My Comfort Insurance motorhome policy says, "Damage resulting from fire or explosion in connection with the on-board domestic gas supply to privately converted vehicles where the supply is not fitted or serviced in accordance with the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998." "maintain your motorhome in efficient condition." For me as an imbecile, this means having a regular service in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations. My motorhoming costs are c£7,000pa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 Mandatory ‘habitation checks’ are (as Lenny touches on) not normally part of a Continental-European motorhome manufacturer’s warranty terms and conditions when the vehicles are marketed outside the UK, though mandatory ‘damp checks’ will be. (That’s the case with Rapido, though UK Rapido dealerships may advise otherwise!) I don’t know what Chausson currently insists on for UK-marketed motorhomes, but if there’s nothing about habitation checks in the warranty documentation, and a Chausson owner does not want that sort of work to be carried out, he/she should ask the Chausson dealer which checks are mandatory and which are not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 I had various vans over a 50 year plus period and having begun both on a very tight budget and possibly before hab checks became another well publicised way to part an owner with his cash, never once did I feel the need to pay for a hab check. But I did, in latter years, have a damp meter and I did always check for damp and gas leaks at least twice a year, plus whenever my nose got even a very faint whiff of gas or mildew, and sundry door locks, catches etc. were checked as they were used and corrected as needed. For hab check read what the handbook suggests and then substitute diy ability and common sense for paying for what is already known or can easily be discovered and rectified if needs be. To me doing nothing and always expecting everything to carry on working was plain silly so it always seemed sensible to maintain the reliability and value of an expensive asset as well as trying to ensure trouble free holidays. It seems that the Continentals had it right all along! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 I always did my own checks and still do but with a simple VW they don't arise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 It needs to be emphasised that, while a ‘habitation check’ may not be mandatory when a Continental-Eurpean-built motorhome is sold outside the UK, the check may be mandatory when the vehicle is marketed in the UK. And - where UK-built motorhomes are concerned - an annual habitation check will be the norm rather than the exception. The terms and conditions of Swift Group coachbuilt motorhome warranties are available here https://www.swiftgroup.co.uk/owners/warranty and all of the warranties include a condition on the lines of "You must ensure that the habitation part of your motorhome has an Annual Service”. So anyone buying a new Swift Group coachbuilt motorhome and choosing to follow Tracker’s and Will’s DIY approach risks their motorhome’s Swift Group policy being invalidated. On the Continent the manufacturer’s ‘conversion warranty’ for a new motorhome tends to be just 2-years duration. Consequently, if a ‘habitation check’ were mandatory, there would only be a need for one check at the end of the first year. I’m guessing that Continental motorhome manufacturers think that a buyer of a new motorhome would expect it to be problem-free for a couple of years and, if a manufacturer demanded that the motorhome’s habitation elements be closely inspected after one year, this might suggest to a buyer that the manufacturer’s faith in their product was limited. I'm not suggesting in any way that it might be a bad or silly thing to have a ‘habitation service’ performed annually (even beyond the warranty period) particularly if a motorhome owner (like Brock) knows his own limitations. And if habitation servicing is mandatory to maintain a new motorhome’s warranty, there’s good reason to have it carried out. But if habiitation servicing is apparently NOT a condition of the warranty, it would sensible to question the dealership/manufacturer about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 What is a habitation check? For water ingress to claim the warranty must be yearly. All the rest is yours. to claim two years . There are test sheets for different makes what is really involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 Having read some sections of the warranty (above) it does seem completely button-hold in favour of the warranty issuer. My view of the present way of life for the majority is that the more 'educated' they become the more uneducated mechanically they are, resulting in manufacturers having to protect themselves from the 'tinkerers' and fiddlers who claim for un-working parts. I'm not aware of Tracker's background but for myself anything I decide to buy has been well vetted by me, in that if I can repair any part of it then I will buy it, otherwise I do not. It is perhaps unfortunate that these costs arise but they are based around the ability of the doer and the non-doer. That's the way life is ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebeaches Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 Our dealer - an agent for Rapido, Hymer, Chausson, Swift and others - charges circa £200 for a habitation service. On the basis of fulfilling any warranty requirements and maintaining a good ongoing relationship with the dealer, it seems sensible to me to let them do an annual service and stamp the service record book. I've probably mentioned this before, but if buying a new van (or a used one for that matter) from a dealer, it's always worth tossing the first couple of habitation services into the very final stages of negotiation to conclude the deal to purchase the van (might only manage one free service on a used van). Demonstrates you are committed to a long term relationship with the dealer. Works every time, and in my case saves circa £400. B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffer Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 I use an independent approved workshop, and this year the cost is £150. I bought from Lowdhams but I think their hab cost is extortionate. Don't forget, the damp check is only part of it. Last year I had some cabinet catches replaced and some sealant had come away and was replaced. They also check the water and electric services, and the integrity of the gas system to ensure that all is safe to use. I have my boiler at home serviced and it costs £50, so I think its money well spent on the van. Also, if a claim arises or you want to sell the van, proof of hab checks is key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 The last time I looked at a hab check list, check list not service list that is, there were very few items that required any expertise to check, let alone an £80 an hour expertise, and in all the uears no dealer has ever asked me for proof of hab checks - probably because they do their own and know how pointless it can be! I am not suggesting that maintenence is ignored as you cant expect a complicated device like a motorhome, with components from multiple sources assembled with varying degrees of competence, to last for ever without regular inspections and repairs, and sometimes pre-emptive replacements, but I still see no need to pay rip off prices for simple work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffer Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 Tracker - 2018-01-23 5:09 PM The last time I looked at a hab check list, check list not service list that is, there were very few items that required any expertise to check, let alone an £80 an hour expertise, and in all the uears no dealer has ever asked me for proof of hab checks - probably because they do their own and know how pointless it can be! I am not suggesting that maintenence is ignored as you cant expect a complicated device like a motorhome, with components from multiple sources assembled with varying degrees of competence, to last for ever without regular inspections and repairs, and sometimes pre-emptive replacements, but I still see no need to pay rip off prices for simple work. I'm happy enough to pay the £150, I don't have the expertise to test gas systems and electrics etc. Also, of course, it ensures the warranty stays valid. This is what it says on line: ------------------------------------------ •Underbody visual inspection •Electrical Systems (charging circuit operating correctly / battery condition / Lighting operating / RCD Checked / Electric Step checked / 230v Sockets checked / 12v sockets checked) •Gas Systems (Hose age & condition checks / Gas Leak Check / Gas Appliances checked) •Water Systems (Water pumps inspected & Maintenance / Waste water system checked / toilet operation checked) •Ventilation (Roof lights inspected / Other ventilation sources) •Fire / Safety (Smoke / Carbon Monoxide alarms tested / Fire Extinguisher checked / Fire Blanket check) •Bodywork (All Locks & Catches inspected, Doors & Windows inspected / Addons such as Satellite systems, Air Con, Cycle Racks, Ladders etc. inspected / Delamination check / Fixtures & Fittings checked / Blinds & Flyscreens checked) •Damp Test (Damp test carried checking for water ingress) Can I Do It Myself ? Some owners may believe they can perform most of the habitation service themselves using cheap tools purchased on Ebay or similar, but do you have the experience, and the skillsets to do the tests safely and interpret the results ?Are the tools you are using the “right tool for the job” or just cheap imitations giving misleading results ? On the other hand if you have “trade” level tools and the pre-requisite skills then by all means do the check but remembering that if your motorhome / caravan is under warranty this may invalidate your warranty terms as it may document that you are required to either have the habitation service done by the selling agent (the Dealer) or a “Professional”. ---------------------------------------------------- The checks take about three hours when done by a professional. I don't have the tools, a garage with a lift or the ability and expertise. I also believe that when my personal safety is at risk that I'd rather pay a professional. It'd be silly to have the gas go up for the sake of paying a professional to check it. (Probably an even bigger risk with an underslung tank?) Anything can be viewed as rip-off prices, but I've never run the van on chip fat to avoid rip-off diesel costs :-) My dealers have always asked to see the service books. If I ever bought a used van, I would want to see that it had received annual checks by a professional, just as I would if I bought a second hand car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyboyprowler Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 We have a French van, now 6 years old, our habitation check for the last 4 years has been £90, with a small addition for the Alde check and service. This man is mobile and all his work has been first class. We are in West Sussex, and our guy is based in Worthing. The prices quoted above seem high! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffer Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 flyboyprowler - 2018-01-23 5:37 PM We have a French van, now 6 years old, our habitation check for the last 4 years has been £90, with a small addition for the Alde check and service. This man is mobile and all his work has been first class. We are in West Sussex, and our guy is based in Worthing. The prices quoted above seem high! Given the mantime involved, the cost of tools etc. and the seasonal nature of the work, that is exceptionally good value. Well done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 tazdog6007 - 2018-01-23 10:10 AM booked my m/home in for it's first annual hab/check cost is £340.is this a record add to the fuel cost of getting there and back and it's £400, seems a lot.lowdhams.by the way. The following link is to the section of the UK Chausson website that advises on warranties https://www.motorhomes-chausson.co.uk/after-sales-service/warranty/ Three separate warranties are mentioned 1: The warranty for the base-vehicle (Fiat Ducato or Ford Transit in Chausson’s case) where maintenance/claims will involve agents of the base-vehicle’s manufacturer. 2: A Chausson-provided 7-year water-tightness warranty that requires "a yearly check-up by a certified member of the CHAUSSON network”. 3: A Chausson-provided 2-year warranty relating to the motorhome’s living compartment, where under-warranty work "can be done either at your CHAUSSON dealer’s workshop or at another CHAUSSON certified workshop, depending on availability”. It will be noted that, although the 7-year water-tightness warranty demands an annual check to keep the warranty valid, no equivalent requirement is stated for the 2-year living compartment warranrty. This 2015 MHFun thread discussed habitation checks https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/does-a-hab-check-have-to-be-done-by-the-supplying-dealer-to-maintain-the-warranty.108661/ with one person saying "We used to have a Chausson and it has to be done by an authorised Chausson workshop, not necessarily a dealer though......The reason is that whoever does it has to be able to access the Chausson service 'database' to input the habitation service information once it's been carried out and therefore must be registered with Chausson (and pay a fee), we used to use an independent chap who had kept his Chausson registration when he left a dealership that closed.” There’s no doubt that the annual check required to maintain the Chausson water-tightness warranty must be performed by an authorised Chausson agent, and it may well be the case that details of that check are input electronically to a Chausson database. But the posting implies that ‘habitation servicing’ is also mandatory for a Chausson motorhome and I’m not convinced that is so. If the terms and conditions of the Chausson 2-year warranty do not demand that a new Chausson motorhome must have a habitation check after 12 months, the motorhome’s owner would have the option of having a habitation check carried out or not. Although the motorhome’s owner would be obliged to have the water-tightness check performed by a Chausson agent, if he/she decided to have a (non-mandatory) habitation check done, this check would not need to be carried out by a Chausson agent. When a motorhome’s warranty includes mandatory habitation-servicing, that requirement should be clearly stated in the warranty's terms and conditions (as it is with Swift Group motorhomes). It should also be expected that the motorhome manufacturer will provide a ‘stampable’ document that can be retained by the motorhome’s owner and in which habitation-servicing details should be recorded. Several forum members own newish Chausson motorhomes. Does your Chausson 2-year warranty’s terms and conditions categorically state that habitation-servicing MUST be carried out at 12 months from new? Do you have a Chausson-produced document for recording habitation-servicing details? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Here are some extracts from my 2013 Hymer Instruction Manual [uK edition] which relate to 'habitation checks': "Only use the vehicle in technically impeccable condition. ... As with every machine, this vehicle requires maintenance [by qualified personnel]. The extent and frequency of the maintenance work required depend on conditions of operation and use. ... and the appliances serviced at the intervals specified in the corresponding instruction manuals." This infers that Hymer does not insist on an annual habitation check. There are other requirements to maintain the Water Ingress record and the vehicle parts including the AlKo chassis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffer Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Maybe the UK manufacturers insist on them because the build quality is so poor? The build quality of the current van (Bessacarr by Swift) is poor (especially furniture joins) and if you spend £10k on a car you get better quality than a £50k van. (Ignore the fact that bits fell off on the first day out which prompted a UK recall. ) My 13reg Autosleeper went back to the dealer 7 times in its first year. They had it more than I did - at one point I wondered if they were using it as a hire vehicle! It had a list of faults so long that it makes the Bessie look half good. It feels as though UK buyers are just treated as cannon fodder. I'd be tempted by one of them there foreign vans but they insist on putting the hab door on the wrong side. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazdog6007 Posted January 24, 2018 Author Share Posted January 24, 2018 thanks all for your interesting replies.As i did not expect such interest,i should add that there is some issues on the van that need to be addressed,A broken catch on a locker and a problem with those awful garage handles that jam in the locked position on a regular basis.the latter being a common problem on chausson and benimar machines. plus the drainage pipe on the waste tank was damaged by an object in the road in france and had to be removed completely (chausson glue the pipe in so easy replacement is impossible ) NOW...the service person told me that the issues will be dealt with within the £340 .if so the cost is o.k. but i have my doughts. It goes in on the 14 feb and will post the outcome.thanks again for all your interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Duffer - 2018-01-24 12:25 PM I'd be tempted by one of them there foreign vans but they insist on putting the hab door on the wrong side. :-D I could have lived with the door on t'other side as most of our use was abroad and we only generally used the hab door when sited! It was the uncomfortable lounging, dreadful half dinettes and inadequate kitchens that mainly put us off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffer Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Tracker - 2018-01-24 1:09 PM Duffer - 2018-01-24 12:25 PM I'd be tempted by one of them there foreign vans but they insist on putting the hab door on the wrong side. :-D I could have lived with the door on t'other side as most of our use was abroad and we only generally used the hab door when sited! It was the uncomfortable lounging, dreadful half dinettes and inadequate kitchens that mainly put us off! Main reason for the current van is parallel lounge, separate shower and good sized kitchen, but that's because I don't drag a bed around at the back :-) Hab door's a problem because if I stop to let the dogs out for a wee I don't want them to play with the traffic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Duffer - 2018-01-24 1:20 PM Hab door's a problem because if I stop to let the dogs out for a wee I don't want them to play with the traffic. For most of our holidays we had a very lively border collie but we had no problem using a cab door when needed and we did make a point of trying not to stop where the hab door opened out onto a road, but even then a lead kept her under control with one of us exiting first. If you have two large dogs I appreciate this is probably more of an issue, but in practice I doubt it makes much difference overall especially abroad where the door is always on the wrong side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 At least some (all?) current Benimar non-A-class motorhomes in RHD-format have their living-area entrance-door on the left. A few other Continental-European motorhome manufacturers have, from time to time, produced ‘UK-norm’ designs to target the UK market. The 2000 RHD Hymer B564 “Lionheart” model shown on the following link http://www.automotiveleisure.co.uk/Hymer%20B564.html has its driver’s door on the right and its living-area entrance door on the left - though its triple windscreen-wipers will produce the original LHD-oriented pattern that UK Hymer owners constantly moaned about. Pilote also trialled Galaxy A-class models with a ‘UK-norm’ door position. I remember a Hayes Leisure’s saleman (“Taffy”) telling me that Pilote had been encouraged to do this because UK motorcaravanners had kept carping on about the door(s) being on the ‘wrong’ side. Changing the door position had meant that the interior layout also needed to be altered to match and this cost extra. Taffy said that, when pre-production vehicles were exhibited in the UK, nobody was interested as the increased price was clearly considered much more important than the cheaper ‘standard’ version’s door being on the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fellwalker1 Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Responding to Derek's question at the end of his previous post above, I have a newish Chausson. The documentation I have seems to say nothing specific about the hab service at year 1 being mandatory for the 2 year warranty. However, the wording about the annual inspection requirement for the 7 year water ingress warranty appears to mandate a hab check at the same time as the annual damp check. "Benefiting from the seven year unit sealing warranty [water ingress] depends on having carried out the check-up and annual maintenance operations at a brand-certified repair center [sic] two months at the latest following each anniversary date of initial registration of the motorhome for a period of 7 years". The user manual lists annual maintenance checks including electrical, gas, water, lubrication and toilet, and also, interestingly, the status of the protective paint under the floor. The page in the manual for recording/stamping by the dealer is called "maintenance/watertightness tracking, years 1 to 6", with no room to split them. So it rather looks like an annual hab check by a Chausson dealer is a requirement for 7 years if you want to keep the water ingress warranty alive. Two interesting other things: The manual gives a "suggested rate of Euro140 plus tax" for this - we shall see.... The maintenance tracking pages go up to age 18!!! Hmm. The base vehicle is a Fiat... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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