sparts Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I am picking my new itineo van up on saturday and would like help in what i should check works correctly befor i drive away, i know the usual to check but there must be some things that usualy gets missed off untill it is too late and you are home 300 miles away from dealer, any idears guys and girls, i know i shall forget something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Plug into mains and check charging system first. With water in the tank make sure taps and toilet work. If your table is of the collapsable, should also be of the type that also makes the bed, that it fits. Make up the bed.(sometimes incorrect cushions supplied) Open all cupboard doors, checking hinges and catches. I would also look for any scraches loose decals, poor sealant and any scraches on bodywork..If the seats are of the rotating type, try them.... WE had 32 FAULTS and i did'nt really check on collection (my fault i should have known better) In fact if it moves or has been added by the converter check it.. Oh and the base vehicle too. Should you find this to much in front of the salesman drive a little way down the road and make some tea, use the loo And try the windscreen wipers, oyrs did'nt work on a georgie boy we had. They disconected them when they fitted the allarm(i'm still puzzled why) any way i could go on and on... So enjoy your new mh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davos Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 if you have a good salesman he should go through most points with you but when you pick van up try and get overnight camping session done as soon as possible, even in your own drive and this is the best way to try out all the bits and bobs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caggsie Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 We did all what is expected. Things that were missing when we picked up ours in March. TV bracket was missing bits - wouldn't have realised, only we asked how it worked. After a couple of puzzled looks and pokes from the guys, they realised the main bracket was missing - we wouldn't have known and would have struggled trying to attach TV - servicing guy went and got one from another van and fitted it Mesh on vent in main area there, forgot to look in bathroom it was missing - still waiting for it. Guarantees for items purchased and put on ie reversing camera etc. Grill rack missing - still waiting for it. Warranty Cards for base vehicle and motorhome. I realise that these are small insigniifcant things but they tend to get missed in the excitment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 The very van described in MMM as quality built, we looked at week after and complete blind was missing in bed area, and dealer hadden't noticed either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparts Posted June 4, 2008 Author Share Posted June 4, 2008 colin u in bedford, not far from me m8 i am in stevenage herts :o) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 When walking Polly up field tonight was looking across to Lister with the sun shining on it and the Easy jets flying in over top, can also just see top of other buildings beyond which I think are Glaxo? 15 miles by road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Check that - You've got a leisure battery and not a car battery for your habitation equipment to run off! We only realised when we couldn't run the TV as there wasn't enough juice after it had been on charge all day!!! - The key fobs work the remote locks, and that all keys you are giving work the manual locks. - You've got all the bits you should have such as electric lead, gas bottle, awning (and winding handle), bike rack, etc, etc; the jack/toolkit is there; the radio front (if a removable one), or the code (if not). Plugs for them there holes (although Tracker might sell you his if you ask him nicely! :D ). If there is supposed to be a chopping board/cover for the sink, is it there? Has the fridge/freezer got all it's shelves etc in? Have you got an ice-cube tray (you should get one with the freezer). Does the hob have a separate removable splash guard - is it there? If you have a brochure for the model have a really good read of it before you go to remind yourself of what you should look at and what you should be getting. Should you have any scatter cusions for instance? The best thing is to methodically go over each area of the camper, try all of the blinds, both blackout and fly, and make sure they close and retract correctly, same with all the roof vents, all the cupboards (buttons work, open/close correctly), the drawers run smoothly, don't forget the cabinets in the bathroom. Have you got a shower curtain (if one should be there) and should there be a duck board. What about carpets? Make sure you get a thorough hand-over, whether you're new to motorhomeing or not, they should still give you the full gen on how things work as they do sometimes differ from van to van. Don't be a smart Alec and say you know how things work, let them show you, things may be different. Get them to show you where the fuses are for the habitation side as they can sometimes be a s*d to find. Same goes for the alarm fuse, it took me 2 hours to find them on our old Rapido - I only found them when it got dark as they glinted in the torch light!!!! Make sure that the vehicle you get is the right one!!! Ie has it got the right engine, the right equipment specification, etc. We once got a car that was supposed to be a 16v and it was an 8v, we decided to accept the 8v in the end but got a reduction on the price to account for it. Don't be rushed, take your time, have a really good rummage around and make sure that they are aware of any shortfalls/problems/damage as soon as you can, follow this up in writing as well if they can't sort it there and then so that they cannot subsequently deny knowing or worse still accuse you of causing damage yourself. Do not be fobbed off, if you know something isn't right get them to accept there is a problem, if something is missing, again make it clear you expect to receive it. Saying all this, apart from the habitation battery type being wrong with our current camper, we got all that was expected when we picked it up so it doesn't mean you'll have problems, best to play safe and check. If you think you'll get carried away with the excitement and forget things to look for, do yourself a check list and tick it off as you go thorough things. Most of all though, enjoy your new 'toy'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjmike Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Must agree with everything said so far. Would like to add, take two things with you 1. A friend or other willing person who doesn't care less if you buy the van or not. They will then give a balanced view and hopefully will be not be excited about the new purchase,. I have fallen into the trap myself going armed with lists on what to check etc. but it mostly gets ignored because you are too excited about the new purchase. 2. A video camera or a mobile with video capability will do. This is to record what the person doing the hand over tells you as there will always be something that you have missed. So having a video to refer too at a later date will help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparts Posted June 5, 2008 Author Share Posted June 5, 2008 Well people you have come up with a few things i would have forgotton my self, thanks for that it helps a lot, and the vidio of checking van is wat i had in mind myself as i have a brain that has many holes in and will forget pretty quickly. anything more you can think of please advise all help appreciated :-D Your B-) people , if only every one was like this there would be no need for a police force Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Itexuk Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 All of the above and. Take it for a test drive. Lots of motor dealer like you to complete the paperwork before you look at the vehicle. LOOK FIRST SIGN LATTER when you are happy. Main thing is take your time, go in the morning and be prepared to spend all day checking it over. Do not hurry and do not be hurried by the sales man. Remember you are buying a base vehicle and habitation unit covered by different warranties. Let the sales man go over all over the van inside and outside and underneath showing you how every thing works. If you are not sure how it works / what's it for, ask again, and take lots of notes that you can refer back to. Then tell him you would like an hour or two to go over every thing again by yourselves. Test Fridge, cooker, heater etc and make sure it works on all types of power. 240v, 12v, gas etc. If TV fitted does it work, how does aerial work, is all the insurrection there. Have them put water in main tank, test all taps and the water heater. Play with the habitation control panel they can be quite confusing. Check everything, look at everything. After that you will have a list of queries to go through with the sales man. Just remember once you drive it out of the gate getting things put right takes time and has a cost to you. If you are not happy leave it there until it is fixed and DON'T pay any balance you owe them. Hope the above helps and enjoy your new pride and joy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROON Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Two things I didn't realise till a few weeks later was that the tv aerial didn't work, the fly screen on the side door didn't work properly - oh yes, and the pull up bit at the end of the dining seats that make it into a longer bed was broken (screws missing), oh, yes and the plastic catch on the ladder up to the bunk beds was broken so the ladders couldn't be secured properly to the catch (check also the one on the dining table if there is one too). Joy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWO Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I would check how it reverses up a slope! Possibly if it can't manage it then it might be better to reject it now and save yourself a lot of hassle in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handyman Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 make sure of what your getting as a warranty on the base van. Several people on here have had trouble with the dates not adding up. When i get our next new van, i will be getting them to state in writing the exact warranty details (start date, end date), and the date at which it will be sorted out with Ford, so i can check it. This is mainly so they know I'm onto them, and will be checking they have done their job correctly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handyman Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 fjmike - 2008-06-05 12:30 AM 2. A video camera or a mobile with video capability will do. This is to record what the person doing the hand over tells you as there will always be something that you have missed. So having a video to refer too at a later date will help The salesman must love you (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sailor girl Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 This is a really useful thread. We're hoping to collect our new van (Autotrail Dakota - can't wait!!) in a couple of weeks and I've printed all of these messages out to take with us. I think we'll need to take a couple of days off work to make sure we cover everything - not to mention buying a video camera! Liz :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparts Posted June 6, 2008 Author Share Posted June 6, 2008 Well here's my finnished list. outside reversing cam check towbar electrics, check bodywork, check wipers + lights check location vehical and leasure fuses. check gas locker new steel pipes and filler plus bottles plus a few other items. INSIDE Leasure battery fitted and charges ok where does extra battery fit where is jack situated check heating works check water heater check all doors,draws and catches ok check all windows open shut and lock ok check all blinds check taps,toilet,shower work ok tv cables check keys man plus remote work make sure i know how zig is used correcly check all fittings in good order plus a few others well thanks for all your help people much appreciated, lets hope they dont get too peeeed off with all my checks :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Hol Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Itexuk - 2008-06-05 10:50 AM All of the above and. Take it for a test drive. Lots of motor dealer like you to complete the paperwork before you look at the vehicle. LOOK FIRST SIGN LATTER when you are happy. This is very relevent. I wish I had done this, but trusted that everything would be ok, or dealt with, subsequently. I now know better. Another item that should be on your list is to at least visualy check the roof. Ours has several dents that probably occured when the dealer took our motorhome to another company for additional equipment to be installed. I know checking might be difficult, but perhaps you could take a small step ladder with you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handyman Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 sparts, you missed the warranty dates..........probably a bit more important than checking the fly screens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROON Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Not for the fly it aint. :'( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Itexuk Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 sparts - 2008-06-04 6:10 PM I am picking my new itineo van up on saturday and would like help in what i should check works correctly befor i drive away, i know the usual to check but there must be some things that usualy gets missed off untill it is too late and you are home 300 miles away from dealer, any idears guys and girls, i know i shall forget something Hows did the day go when you picked it up and hows the new MH? Hope you are pleased Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 He's probably still running through the check list at the dealers! (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparts Posted June 10, 2008 Author Share Posted June 10, 2008 Thanks mell hahaha no not still checking for faults but had a few niggles, water cap not locking at all, rear garage door lock sticky, screw on access door would not tighten, one cupbourd door button would not work, oh and looked like clear varnish from under bed had dripped on airbag cover, cover needed replaceing all done,,, bloody rattles like a tin can with marbels in, but getting those soughted one by one. any ones welcome to view it when im at any of the shows if yer interested in the itineo vans just nock on the door. All in all pretty pleased with the van, hey i had a full tank of deisal too, like gold dust now at the price of it, soon to be more expensive than gold (lol) . I went to strid wood cc club sight for weekend and the arch you go through wow i had 1 inch either side spare what a squeze Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 That is a very tight arch indeed - you were a bit brave weren't you with your new van! Nice place to try it out though. I take it you've invested in loads of bits and pieces to stuff in all the rattles? Pipe lagging, tea-towels, bits of foam, rubberised cupboard lining material (can't remember the proper term at the mo!), bungee cords, etc, etc ... oh the joys of the errant rattle ... I remember it well!!!! (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparts Posted June 10, 2008 Author Share Posted June 10, 2008 Brave me noooo, just did not know it was there it was thrust apon me, should have seen the horror on my little face when i saw it and more so when every one stopped to watch me try and get through, haha i had the last laff cos i made it first time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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