Bulletguy Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 OK as some of you will know i've been on the lookout for a Fiamma awning....and still seething over the dummy idiot who stuck one on eBay last week, only to then go and pull it after i'd bid on it. But hey ho.....these things are common as muck and this week has seen another one on which is the size i'm after. Better still it was 'new never been fitted', just as the other was....and the chances of new ones coming on are obviously not so common. This was a 45Ti which has been replaced by the 45S....so an older model. It's just gone for a staggering £341 !!!! I can get a brand new one with cloth colour of my choice for just thirty quid more.....not to mention manufacturers warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Why not give O'Leary's a ring - we got ours from them and I know he has loads of them in his warehouse (ex- dealer stock), we paid £380 but our big silver F65 (3.75m) one, so if you need the smaller F45 one in white it should be a fair bit cheaper. http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Forgive-me-for-I-have-sinned-/28962/#M333218 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 you have to be very careful on evilbay as people just get carried away and sometimes it escalates to silly money...... and your right, as I have seen stuff on there and after a quick google have found the item new with warranty for less!lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Just found these on ebay: ebay 1 ebay 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted February 10, 2013 Author Share Posted February 10, 2013 Mel B - 2013-02-10 1:09 PM Why not give O'Leary's a ring - we got ours from them and I know he has loads of them in his warehouse (ex- dealer stock), we paid £380 but our big silver F65 (3.75m) one, so if you need the smaller F45 one in white it should be a fair bit cheaper. No idea how long ago you bought yours but that's a mega cheap price. That size and model currently retails at £550 from the same supplier I found which has the F45S 2.5m at £375. Where is this O'Leary based? Mel B - 2013-02-10 1:24 PM Just found these on ebay: ebay 1 ebay 2 First one is interesting.........especially as it's little more than 30 mins drive away from where I live......and the right size! Describing it as "new" is not right though. It mentions in the description they had it fitted to their service vehicle for a year and in their words is "as new and in tip top condition". In other words its "used"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 but they say they fitted it but never used it..e.g rolled it out?lol whats wrong with that :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Paul - here's a link to the O'Leary website for you, which gives all their contact details: http://www.olearymotorhomes.co.uk/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted February 10, 2013 Author Share Posted February 10, 2013 JudgeMental - 2013-02-10 2:04 PM but they say they fitted it but never used it..e.g rolled it out?lol whats wrong with that :-D That it's been fitted to a vehicle and rolled out.....even if only once, makes it a 'used' item in my terminology. Not being picky Eddie but it should have been described as used but in excellent condition. If you buy a MH described as "new" which has been taken out on a day trip......it's 'used' no matter how much you dress it up. It's no longer "new" the minute it's rolled off the Dealer forecourt......it's secondhand. Also i've got a pretty fair idea who the Seller is as i've looked at his selling history and items he's currently got up for sale. He's a trader who deals in Amateur Radio equipment (a hobby of mine I used to be involved in), so he has had this awning fitted to the vehicle shown which they use at Amateur Radio rallies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted February 10, 2013 Author Share Posted February 10, 2013 BGD - 2013-02-10 2:21 PM Paul - here's a link to the O'Leary website for you, which gives all their contact details: http://www.olearymotorhomes.co.uk/ Thanks for that Bruce. Looks like they sell everything............apart from awnings!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 OK fair enough, we all know to be careful on the bay.. Ironically, bought my wife a specialised road bike before Christmas. described an "new" 2013 model. bought for their daughter but she wanted something different...well.... wheel needed truing and left hand snifter did not work properly so it had not been PDI'd and had a scratch on frame. but it was a new model and a good saving and only cost £15 to sort out....so in the end still worth it. but like you say it was not new! just call them (o'learys).. like Mel said they might not actually advertise the old items laying about...call them, crying helps...or at least a few sobs of desperation :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 If you are a user of eBay then have you come across the term “shill bidding”. Shill bidding, is bidding that is used to artificially inflate the price of a certain item. Shill bidding usually takes place when the seller of an item wishes to increase the price, or generate interest in the item. The seller would usually get a friend or family member to bid on the item in question so that it looks like the item is more popular than it actually is, sometimes the seller may also use a second eBay account to increase the price of the item, but will usually disguise this with a different IP address, bidding from the library, or a smart phone.. They are in complete control of the finishing price, and hope a mug stays the distance, and even if they end up effectively buy it themselves, they will just file a non paying bidder and get their fee's refunded, in short it can be a very dodgy minefield if you come up against one of these Del boys,and there are quite a few . :-( I will say though I once sold a second hand printer, that fetched more than the new price, go figure :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Bulletguy - 2013-02-10 2:32 PM BGD - 2013-02-10 2:21 PM Paul - here's a link to the O'Leary website for you, which gives all their contact details: http://www.olearymotorhomes.co.uk/ Thanks for that Bruce. Looks like they sell everything............apart from awnings!!! You do need to ring them, they have loads and loads and loads of stuff that isn't on their website, I once did an article on them for Mart and described their place as an "Alandin's Cave" and it is totaly true - if you were allowed to wander around you'd be lost in it for days!!!! If they put everything on their website they wouldn't have any time left to deal with customers!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Bulletguy - 2013-02-10 1:49 PM Mel B - 2013-02-10 1:09 PM Why not give O'Leary's a ring - we got ours from them and I know he has loads of them in his warehouse (ex- dealer stock), we paid £380 but our big silver F65 (3.75m) one, so if you need the smaller F45 one in white it should be a fair bit cheaper. No idea how long ago you bought yours but that's a mega cheap price. That size and model currently retails at £550 from the same supplier I found which has the F45S 2.5m at £375. Where is this O'Leary based We got ours from them in September 2012 (hence when I started the original thread). They are based at Plaxton Bridge located between Beverley and Hull, E Yorkshire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted February 10, 2013 Author Share Posted February 10, 2013 1footinthegrave - 2013-02-10 3:16 PM If you are a user of eBay then have you come across the term “shill bidding”. Shill bidding, is bidding that is used to artificially inflate the price of a certain item. Shill bidding usually takes place when the seller of an item wishes to increase the price, or generate interest in the item. LOL yes I know all about 'em! As you say it's risky in that you (the Seller) can end up being the winning bidder on your own item! Sometimes they can be spotted though some resort to very elaborate tactics to disguise their true identity. Personally i've had far more fun out of selling something i've paid peanuts for go for crazy money. I bought an old Video 8 camcorder off fleabay for £35. Only wanted it to transfer some old Vid 8 tapes I had and the Seller was local to me. The reason it didn't get more was £35 was his start price which was a bit daft to do. So I used it for what I wanted then stuck it back on fleabay at a start price of 99pence. After over thirty bids it eventually went at a mind boggling £128 !! Another 'good 'un' was a 300 Fiamma Back box I bought off here for £40. The guy selling it was in London but not that far from where my son lives so I had a few days with my son and DIL and this chap delivered it whilst I was there. But once I got back home and stuck it on my bike rack it was way too big for my van. Shame really as it was in excellent condition, but I stuck it on fleabay with no reserve. That sold for £185 (lol) Ironically the buyer lived just five minutes away from where my son lives!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooie Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Try giving Todds Motorhomes a ring.........01772 335360 10 minutes from J29 on the M6 not far from you. http://www.toddsmotorhomes.co.uk/ They have several items ( ex-display etc ) just as you are going into the shop. They`ve a few Back Boxes and a couple of Awnings amongst other items in the reduced section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted February 10, 2013 Author Share Posted February 10, 2013 Mel B - 2013-02-10 3:57 PM We got ours from them in September 2012 (hence when I started the original thread). They are based at Plaxton Bridge located between Beverley and Hull, E Yorkshire. Will give them a call on Monday and ask. You did extremely well to get yours at that price. The figure I quoted for your exact model is off the cheapest available from a dealer I found via Google. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted February 10, 2013 Author Share Posted February 10, 2013 Wooie - 2013-02-10 4:09 PM Try giving Todds Motorhomes a ring.........01772 335360 Yes not that far......always worth a call anyway. Thanks for the link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 BG...Off topic..but hopefully something that'll be usefull to you... We had a 3mtr f45 fitted to our first van(an '03 Duetto) and it was supplied and fitted by A/S at Willersey. However,after inspecting it once home,I could see no signs of any interior trim having been removed,which led me to the conclusion that their "special mounting wedges" had only been attached using rivets,monobolts or rivet nuts. To me,none of which are very satisfactory,as they'd only be fixing to relatively thin material :-S Also,due to the slope of the front roof line and the position of the shower room window(..which it covered),meant that these mounting brackets were approx 15"-18" in from the ends and therefore not in the correct position to fully support the main pivot points (..and no where near the mounting point "labels"...with the rear fixing being the worst offender). This resulted in the main awning "box assembly" flexing and twisting when it was deployed... :-S Having said all of this,other than voice my disapproval,I didn't chase anything up with A/S because if I'm honest,I couldn't really see that they'd be in a position or have the skills and know how,to do much about it!.. *-) Who ever fits it for you,it's worth insisting that they show you exactly how they'll go about it. Hope you find this usefull Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred22 Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 1footinthegrave - 2013-02-10 3:16 PM If you are a user of eBay then have you come across the term “shill bidding”. Shill bidding, is bidding that is used to artificially inflate the price of a certain item. Shill bidding usually takes place when the seller of an item wishes to increase the price, or generate interest in the item. The seller would usually get a friend or family member to bid on the item in question so that it looks like the item is more popular than it actually is, sometimes the seller may also use a second eBay account to increase the price of the item, but will usually disguise this with a different IP address, bidding from the library, or a smart phone.. They are in complete control of the finishing price, and hope a mug stays the distance, and even if they end up effectively buy it themselves, they will just file a non paying bidder and get their fee's refunded, in short it can be a very dodgy minefield if you come up against one of these Del boys,and there are quite a few . :-( I will say though I once sold a second hand printer, that fetched more than the new price, go figure :-S[/quote ]I have made e-bay aware of this practice on more than one occasion. Despite it being illegal (e-bay terms) they were not interested. They promisedaction against the offenders but because this is confidential , no body knows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted February 13, 2013 Author Share Posted February 13, 2013 pepe63 - 2013-02-12 11:26 AM BG...Off topic..but hopefully something that'll be usefull to you... We had a 3mtr f45 fitted to our first van(an '03 Duetto) and it was supplied and fitted by A/S at Willersey. However,after inspecting it once home,I could see no signs of any interior trim having been removed,which led me to the conclusion that their "special mounting wedges" had only been attached using rivets,monobolts or rivet nuts. To me,none of which are very satisfactory,as they'd only be fixing to relatively thin material :-S Chris This surprises me. Not just from the description but also that A/S fitted it. First of all there would be no interior trim removed as when A/S build the Duetto's etc, mounting plates are already fitted in the roof behind the lining. The "special mounting wedges" you mention are an A/S part which they advise customers wishing to fit an awning to compensate for the slope of the roof side to bring the awning case at a 90° angle. If you look at some vans you will notice they haven't used these wedges hence why the awning case is at the same sloping angle as the van roof. Having said all of this,other than voice my disapproval,I didn't chase anything up with A/S because if I'm honest,I couldn't really see that they'd be in a position or have the skills and know how,to do much about it!.. *-) If that had been my van I would have turned straight round and taken it back. A/S build the damn things after all!! If they cannot fix an awning on properly then nobody can! Plus remember.....you have something stuck on the side of your van weighing 20 plus kgs. If that comes off during driving, at best you end up with an awning which is a bin job and possible damage to your van....but at worst, you could end up killing someone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Mornin' BG.. Yes,I can see the need for a wedged shape mounting,so as to "true up" the face.. ..but I suppose my point is,even if a converter does reinforce the the inner face at the build stage(just in case someone may want an awning),if the mounts are then only going to be "riveted" on...then I can't say I'm all that comfortable with that,to be honest...although I dare say that there are many vans driving around with awnings that are just riveted or screwed on. (..I've seen one lying on the floor alongside a Hymer CB,that had been ripped off from the rivets/screws.. :-S) I may of cause be mistaken..and maybe they did actually remove the inner lining and bathroom wall cladding...but being honest....it really didn't look like as if they had.. :-S That aside,the other main quibble was with the position of the rear mounting,which was too far from the end( due to the long shower room window),causing it to twist.. Not too sure what they could do about that,although I did look at fabricating an additional rear mount,using one of the Fiamma gutter-clamp type brackets.(..but we sold the van before I got around to it). Some additional points I've remembered,that are worth keeping an eye on.. The mounting faces on the "wedges" didn't line up properly..and when casting an eye along it,you could see a "outward bow" in the awning body. Also to my mind they'd mounted it all too close to the gutter rail,meaning that: a) the mounts/sealant blocked the gutter(making the inner section "captive") b) If leaves/crud fell behind,it'd be very difficult to remove... Basically,I'd requested(and assumed that I was getting)an awning mounted above the window(..maybe using shaped or adjustable Fiamma brackets(the type that also pick off the roof?)..but that isn't what happened... Anyway,reading all that,it may all sound like an horrendous bodge! (lol) .. ... it wasn't and I dare say most folk wouldn't have even noticed most of what I've pointed out..it's just that,to my mind there were several things that I would've done differently. As for taking it back,if something like that happened now,then yes,I would but back then it was our first van,which we hadn't had long..and the last thing we wanted was for some "fitters" with a riveter,a grinder and a chaulking gun,to be let loose again on our "new" van,to begrudgingly carry out unpaid "re-work".... ;-) I post all this with the intention of it being a "heads up" for what to keep an eye out for, when you fit your's,rather than to bad-mouth A/S... ;-) (apologies to all,for the long OT post... :$ ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted February 14, 2013 Author Share Posted February 14, 2013 Chris To answer your post, what I wrote is not what I know from personal experience but from what A/S themselves told me. As my van didn't come with an awning fitted I looked around at what was 'on the market'. I then wondered exactly how they were fitted as I certainly did not fancy the prospect of holes being drilled through a fibreglass roof or whacking big plates showing on the interior. As a friend has the identical model van to mine, but with an awning fitted, I had a look at his. Nothing shows on the interior and as he had bought the van with it already fitted, we both wondered how it was done. So I phoned A/S and they told me the mounting plates are already fitted inside the roof as standard to every A/S built. Whoever fits the awning of course has to know the exact location of these plates.....otherwise they are simply bolting through a piece of fibreglass and eventually your internal panels. During fitting, no interior panels should be removed......assuming the fitters knows what they are doing. As you had yours fitted by A/S at the main factory, your experience is surprising to say the least and I would definitely have gone back the minute I realised all was not what it was supposed to be. It is important to get these things right the first time as I would imagine there is little room for error and possibly no 'second chance'. One example from personal experience is the Bike Rack. I eventually gave up looking around for a used one (there just weren't any when I was after one), so ordered a brand new one through a local Motorhome Dealer. Their fitting price of £40 I felt pretty reasonable so let them do the job. Four hours later I was still waiting!! Eventually a rather embarrassed looking lad emerged from the workshop and asked, "is the Duetto your van mate?" "Why whats gone wrong" I asked, (I just knew by the look on his face!). Unbelievably they had fitted it on the wrong door! And this was an experienced workshop! I was fuming mad but there wasn't a lot I could do. OK I only use it with a Back box and not bikes, but of course the bars stick across the door which opens making it difficult, though not impossible, to open when the box is on. The plus points are that it's actually on the strongest door, I still have full rear view through the back window when the box is on, and the frame bars discourage any forced entry from the rear. But it's experiences like that which, when and if I eventually get an awning, I will make absolutely certain the fitters know what they are doing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Bulletguy - 2013-02-14 6:02 PM ...As you had yours fitted by A/S at the main factory, your experience is surprising to say the least and I would definitely have gone back the minute I realised all was not what it was supposed to be..... One example from personal experience is the Bike Rack. I eventually gave up looking around for a used one (there just weren't any when I was after one), so ordered a brand new one through a local Motorhome Dealer. Their fitting price of £40 I felt pretty reasonable so let them do the job. .... Unbelievably they had fitted it on the wrong door! And this was an experienced workshop! I was fuming mad but there wasn't a lot I could do... Hi BG.. Just re-thinking about these "plates" that A/S say the fit during production,if they were thick enough, I suppose it is possible that they drill & tap into them and attach the "wedges" using set screws?(..although I somehow doubt it..) ..and yes,you're correct,once something is "bolted on" they're not a great deal you can do about it, is there.. :-S ...that's the situation we were in. (Pehaps I should just to clarify,for any forum pedants out there ;-) ,that we had it fitted at their Willersey service worshop,not during the build,at the factory) With hindsight,I wish we hadn't have had it fitted(..by anyone!)because it was always a point of "irritation"(..I'd be sitting there thinking "...that's not right...that bit's bowed.." etc *-) )..and for our type of usage,we would've been better off just having a decent quality,one-piece awning rail fitted..so that we could just use a simple tarp/canopy (..and/or a simple porch awning). (..along the lines of our EasiCanopi and EasiPorch..). Since changing the van,I did see a windout awning fitted to a Transit and that just used brackets that clamped to the gutter rail !?...I can't imagine that the gutter was designed to take the sorts of stress/forces that an awning will put on it...8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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