Annual Habitation Service Check

[Mel B]

I've now heard back from Chausson in France and this is what they've said:

 

Good morning,

 

You have to have a full habitation service. There is a check list in the Chausson Documents of all the points which are to be check.

 

Your sincerely

 

Cordialement

 

Gilles Arnaud

Service Relation Clientèle

After-Sales Department

TRIGANO VDL

 

So a full habitation and damp check it is then. *-)

 

I also contacted Lowdhams for info on the cost of their habitation check including a damp check, and they've quoted me £142 including VAT which to me doesn't seem bad at all compared to the cost of the other one, especially if it means I'll keep my warranty for another year. :-S They did say that their diary is getting full though so I'd better get a date booked for it - probably go to the one at Nottingham on the way down to the Peterborough show in April. :-)

[Mel B]

Just wanted to make it clear that on page 5, the 7th hyphen point says:

 

"The warranty is not valid for incidents arising mainly from:

 

- the customer has not taken his vehicle to a brand approved dealer or repair centre for the mandatory service inspections within the times and modalities specified in this living compartment service handbook."

 

So it MUST be done by a Chausson dealer.

 

The bit about:

 

"an annual test has to be carried out within 2 months following the anniversary date of the vehicle purchase"

 

may actually only be referring to the water ingress check, and not the habitation check ... clear as mud!

 

Whatever the date, I'm playing safe and getting it done before it's birthday! :-D

[ips]

I also contacted Lowdhams for info on the cost of their habitation check including a damp check, and they've quoted me £142 including VAT which to me doesn't seem bad at all compared to the cost of the other one, especially if it means I'll keep my warranty for another year. :-S They did say that their diary is getting full though so I'd better get a date booked for it - probably go to the one at Nottingham on the way down to the Peterborough show in April. :-)

 

Thats a good price Mel, might book mine in at huddersfield :-D

[Brian Kirby]

Mel B - 2011-02-17 7:45 PM .....................: "an annual test has to be carried out within 2 months following the anniversary date of the vehicle purchase" may actually only be referring to the water ingress check, and not the habitation check ... clear as mud! Whatever the date, I'm playing safe and getting it done before it's birthday! :-D

No Mel, it is to be carried out "within 2 months following the anniversary date of the vehicle purchase". RTFQ!  :-D

[Mel B]

Read the flipping quote yourself Brian! :D

 

I'm referring to the specific wording on page 8 under the heading of "Extended five-year warranty on living compartment leaktightness"

 

where it says about it being carried out up to 2 months after. This page doesn't make any mention that the HABITATION CHECK can be done up to 2 months after .. hence why I'm going to get it done just beforehand ....

 

Okay with you chuck? :-S *-) (lol)

[Robinhood]

Mel B - 2011-02-18 7:57 PM

 

Read the flipping quote yourself Brian! :D

 

I'm referring to the specific wording on page 8 under the heading of "Extended five-year warranty on living compartment leaktightness"

 

where it says about it being carried out up to 2 months after. This page doesn't make any mention that the HABITATION CHECK can be done up to 2 months after .. hence why I'm going to get it done just beforehand ....

 

Okay with you chuck? :-S *-) (lol)

 

But if you RTFM instead, *-) the habitation check (AKA Maintenance Visit) section says (on page 9)

 

This visit should take place once a year on the anniversary date of first registration of the vehicle and at the latest, two months after this date.

 

So, technically, the Hab Check should not be done early, whilst it isn't at all clear whether the Water Ingress test can be, but it shouldn't be done more than 2 months late.

 

I'd try to get a slot within the two months after the anniversary - which meets both criteria.

[Brian Kirby]

Robinhood - 2011-02-18 9:02 PM

Mel B - 2011-02-18 7:57 PM Read the flipping quote yourself Brian! :D I'm referring to the specific wording on page 8 under the heading of "Extended five-year warranty on living compartment leaktightness" where it says about it being carried out up to 2 months after. This page doesn't make any mention that the HABITATION CHECK can be done up to 2 months after .. hence why I'm going to get it done just beforehand .... Okay with you chuck? :-S *-) (lol)

But if you RTFM instead, *-) the habitation check (AKA Maintenance Visit) section says (on page 9) This visit should take place once a year on the anniversary date of first registration of the vehicle and at the latest, two months after this date. So, technically, the Hab Check should not be done early, whilst it isn't at all clear whether the Water Ingress test can be, but it shouldn't be done more than 2 months late. I'd try to get a slot within the two months after the anniversary - which meets both criteria.

Yep, it is perfectly OK with me whenever you get your checks carried out, and yep, I did read it - despite it being your van!  :-D

As you quote, page 8, under "Extended 5 year warranty on living compartment leaktightness" (sic), requires that inspection within two months following etc and, as Robin quotes, so does the general warranty.

To comply with the written word, both checks need to fall within a window of two months following purchase (taken to be the date of registration).  Seems clear enough to me, "chuck".

But, as ever, its your toy to do with as you will.  :-)

[Mel B]

Mel B - 2011-02-17 4:24 PM

 

I also contacted Lowdhams for info on the cost of their habitation check including a damp check, and they've quoted me £142 including VAT which to me doesn't seem bad at all compared to the cost of the other one, especially if it means I'll keep my warranty for another year. :-S

 

This just gets more and more stupid!!!! Hubby got in touch with Lowdhams at Nottingham and they quoted ... wait for it .... £315 for the samle bl**dy habitation service and damp check! 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) I kid you not!!!!! How can one part of the dealership charge over double the cost for the same thing??? I thought it must be for the base service too, but nope it ain't!

 

To add more confusion, the Nottingham branch said we only needed a damp check so Hubby rang Highbridge and double checked the need for a full habitation with them, which they confirmed is definitely the case. Hubby also mentioned the cost at Lowdham's Nottingham branch and he said he though it was for a mechanical service too!

 

It gets worse, the Huddersfield branch will undertake the habitation and damp check but if they find anything that needs fixing they WILL NOT sort it. For that we'd have to take it back to the original supplying dealer to do as the rate of pay is less than their normal rate of £48 a hour inc VAT. Its absolute madness. *-) Hubby has written to Chausson to get their take on this.

 

If there is any warranty work though I suspect if we agreed to pay the difference between the rate that Chausson pays them and their normal rate they'd do it. I did check with Highbridge when we bought the van if there would be any problems if we had to get warranty work done elsewhere and was told there wasn't so if needs be could try to get the difference back from them.

 

In the meantime we'll book in for the habitation and damp check with the Huddersfield branch, assuming we can get a date with them, and sort out for any warranty work if any is needed, which I doubt it will be.

 

Its like the car industry 30 years ago ....

[Brian Kirby]

Mel B - 2011-02-22 5:07 PM ............. It gets worse, the Huddersfield branch will undertake the habitation and damp check but if they find anything that needs fixing they WILL NOT sort it. For that we'd have to take it back to the original supplying dealer to do as the rate of pay is less than their normal rate of £48 a hour inc VAT. Its absolute madness. *-) Hubby has written to Chausson to get their take on this. If there is any warranty work though I suspect if we agreed to pay the difference between the rate that Chausson pays them and their normal rate they'd do it. I did check with Highbridge when we bought the van if there would be any problems if we had to get warranty work done elsewhere and was told there wasn't so if needs be could try to get the difference back from them. In the meantime we'll book in for the habitation and damp check with the Huddersfield branch, assuming we can get a date with them, and sort out for any warranty work if any is needed, which I doubt it will be. Its like the car industry 30 years ago ....

Yep, but it's not that unusual.  The complaint that normal commercial rates are not paid for warranty work is fairly common, ditto refusal to carry out work on vans by anyone other than the supplying dealer.  You bought a long way from home, presumably because that was where the best price was.  What you are experiencing is, in part, a symptom of that decision.

You can, in a sort of curmudgeonly, narrowly self-interested way, see Lowdham's point.  I assume they feel this will teach you a lesson, as a result of which you'll come running to them next time you buy.  :-)  Hmmmm!  Well, its their business, so they can (and will!) do as they please with it.

The only problem I can foresee is that by getting the checks carried out elsewhere than Highbridge, you deny them the revenue, so they may be that bit less responsive if there is a problem.  Can you not get to Highbridge, and enjoy a short break in your van in the area, or even work a visit into a longer trip? 

The checks are only worth a day at most, the damp checks are about 30 minutes of actual time.  Then, you pay them, they get the income and, if anything is found to be wrong, they have the incentive that you bought from them, and are demonstrating some loyalty by returning to them.  Apart from the inconvenience, and some cost in extra fuel, the advantages all seem to point that way.

After all, there is no guarantee that Highbridge would simply agree Lowdham's findings without a re-test, for which they may well require a payment, before accepting liability to do the work.  For the damp checks, you'd only need to drop in for a pre-arranged hour, perhaps en route to elsewhere.

[Guest pelmetman]

I reckon the best prevention for damp is a garage :D

[Tomo3090]

Don't they allow it to be any place that has the NCC stamp of approval to do checks on caravans and motorhomes? Why the only dealer? Isn't that a restraint of trade and against EU law? Autotrail allowed anyone with NCC certification and the company that insures the warranty for years 2 & 3 also allows anyone NCC approved.

 

Plus because we've been away outside the "birthday" of our van they've allowed an early test for the full hab check, damp test and vehicle engine warranty, which also didn't need a FIAT dealer to stamp the book. In the last two years it has been a full five months before the due date. We've had warranty work done in these dates and there hasn't been so much as a quibble about any work needed.

[ips]

pelmetman - 2011-02-22 6:04 PM

 

I reckon the best prevention for damp is a garage :D

 

Agreed, if you have the space of course. Luckily we have so van is kept undercover all winter, no spring clean required still got the shine from the polish I applied in November when I tucked it up for the winter.

Kept meaning on going away but as soon as the weekend came along the weather was terrible and I couldnt bring myself to get the van dirty .. :-D

[Guest pelmetman]

ips - 2011-02-23 12:34 PM

Kept meaning on going away but as soon as the weekend came along the weather was terrible and I couldnt bring myself to get the van dirty .. :-D

 

Yeah I know what you mean (lol)

 

I use the part of my garage where the camper lives for cutting out pelmets, I wont cut out if its raining (lol)

[Mel B]

Update ....

 

Brian ... I can see Lowdham's point ... to an extent. I think it is very short sighted though, after all work is work, and a hospitable dealer is more likely to get someone to go to them when the time comes for a replacement van. In fact we did visit their Nottingham site before we bought our Chausson as a sales chap who we've dealt with in the past from Brownhills now works there and we have always been very comfortable with him and know he's trustworthy, but they couldn't touch the deal we got from Highbridge (£3000 difference!). Their attitude actually has put us totally off going to their branches in the future, especially with the 'rip off' price that the Nottingham branch is charging.

 

Although the Huddersfield branch 'would' reluctantly do the habitation check, they either insist on having it in for a week, as they only allow for a single van each day to come in on a 'day turnaround' basis, or it won't be until June to get a 'day turnaround' slot. They also want the van COMPLETELY empty ... I know they need to be able to access areas to do the damp check properly but COMPLETELY empty???? Err, yup, like that's gonna happen! Maybe I'm overreacting, but just leaving a 'towel' in a cupboard feels like it could give them an excuse to not do the check and refuse to sign off the warranty book ... not worth the risk.

 

Highbridge don't have a problem with us having the habitation and damp check done elsewhere so long as it's done properly, they have been really pleasant and helpful so we certainly don’t have any regret about going to them for our van, regardless of the monetary side of things. After some web-trawling just after I posted yesterday, I managed to find out that RDH, located in new premises at Calow near Chesterfield (who we bought our previous Rimor van off) although they don't deal much in new Chausson's now, have still kept their 'dealer' status with them so are still approved to carry out the checks and also do warranty work. Hubby has contacted them and they can do it all for £175+VAT (£210), which is more than we were going to pay for Lowdhams to do it but at least we have knowledge of them and know they will do a good job, we can also call into them on the way down to Peterborough show and get it all done in half a day rather than kicking our heels for a full day and having to make a special trip to Huddersfield for it. So the saving in fuel and hassle will make up for the extra cost of going to RDH and we’ll be assured that it will be done by a technician well-versed in Chausson motorhomes and we won’t have problems if warranty work is needed - Lowdhams say they are still ‘feeling their way through the various warranty procedures’ which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence!

 

I just wish I'd known about RDH being able to do it before to save all this messing about ...

:-S

[Robinhood]

Mel B - 2011-02-23 7:52 PM

 

I managed to find out that RDH, located in new premises at Calow near Chesterfield

 

Regular bus service and short journey from Calow to Chesterfield, so easy to have a half day out.

 

A half day is as much as you need, though. Best on a Market Day.

[Mel B]

Thanks for the info ... the dogs might end up having their first ever bus trip then! :-D

[Robinhood]

...not much else to pass time in the immediate vicinity, especially with dogs. :-S I think the bus is every 15 mins.

 

I was going to suggest Bolsover Castle by bus in the other direction, but then though they wouldn't let them in.

 

Dogs are by driver discretion on the Chesterfield buses, but as they aren't American Pit Bulls, they should be OK (and they'll make a change for Calow! :D )

 

BTW, RDH say Junction 29 for their location. If you're coming down the M1, 29A is a much better bet (Unless you want to visit the new Timberland site off J29).

[cviclark]

I had all my servicing done by the main dealer (Hymer) as I thought it was part of my warranty terms (two years on a second hand van). They were so bad I would not trust the to service a pushchair. Damp test aside. The gas certificate is invalid as soon as you move the van. They do not service anything only check it works. They neither clean replace or remove burners for inspection. I still wonder where all the dust picked up by the fan in my heating boiler goes. The Al-ko chassis is not done by the Fiat sub-contractor or part of the habitation checks. A service should be a preventative maintenance schedule not what can we charge this mug for next. The damp test is valuable but it should not be part of a habitation "service " costing hundereds of pounds. If you try to claim work under the warranty they do not want to know. Save your money and spend with somone you trust or is recommended.

[Mel B]

We had the habitation service done by RDH Services Ltd on Thursday morning, which included a gas safety test and the damp check, all was fine except the reading for moisture in the garage was at 14%, the rest being 10% or lower. We were advised to air the garage occasionally as they are so well sealed they keep any moisture created from wherever locked in! I must admit we often aired the main part of the van, but it never occured to me to air the garage. *-)

 

http://rdhservicesltd.co.uk/aboutus.aspx

 

They lads that run it used to work in the service part of the last incarnation of RDH, as, although they were making a good profit, apparently the banks got nervous and called in their loan and from what I can gather, without the working capital they were 'strangled'. The two lads were able to use the name as RDH Services Ltd and are approved warranty workshops for Chausson, as well as Kentucky, Benimar and Euromobil.

 

Apparently some dealers, once they have sold a motorhome, refuse to carry out any warranty work on them, so the RDH-S-Ltd lads are a lifeline.

 

[Mel B]

... flipping server error ....

>:-(

[scramblers]

6 months ago we bought a pre-loved 2008 Burstner motorhome, to maintain the 5 year water ingress warrenty it has to have an annual habitation check by a Burstner Dealer. So off to the Burstner website to find my nearest dealer.

 

I phoned 3 dealers from the website to check the prices - £250, £209 and £183. Guess which one will be servicing the motorhome!