hobby motorhome

[mavatbls]

Has anyone experienced the Hobby motorhome shut down for a month. I had a fixed perspex roof light approx. 3 feet x 2 feet. blown out on a journey to Whitby in early July, but was anyone interested, not a jot. I had to return home and then had to seal it up etc and was told that Hobby were on holiday for a month, and to date I have had no replacement or contact. I am thoroughly dissolutioned and disgusted with the situation which after all is slap bang in the middle of the season and no one could care less. A lot of trips have had to be shelved. Hobby owners beware as I am aware of another Hobby which blew out within 20 miles of myself.

[Derek Uzzell]

Welcome to the Out&AboutLive forums.

 

I wasn't aware that the Hobby factory shut down for the whole of August, but it doesn't greatly surprise me to be told that's so as caravan/motorhome production involves a lot of manual labour and it may make better financial sense to close down completely than to try to operate with a skeleton staff. I don't know what the position is with UK firms, but you might well find that other Continental motorhome builders also shut down for an extended period in the summer.

 

You have provided no identifying details of your own Hobby motorhome or of the other vehicle that suffered a similar problem. I own a Hobby motorhome but, as it has no "fixed perspex roof light approx. 3 feet x 2 feet", I note your caveat but it won't apply to my vehicle.

 

If your motorhome and the other one you mention are similar models, with a similar specification, then it's certainly the case that other owners of similar Hobby models should beware. But, to allow this to happen, you'll need to reveal exactly which Hobby model you own and its year of manufacture, and (if possible) confirm whether the other motorhome that lost its rooflight was the same (or similar) model and age. You should also say where on your vehicle the rooflight is located so that other Hobby owners can check their roof-lights' integrity.

 

This is a previous forum thread relating to 'de-bonding' of Hobby overcab non-opening rooflights

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Hobby-overcab-rooflights-/29344/

 

but Brian Kirby's description of his Hobby's rooflight construction (a mixture of glass and acrylic) differs from yours ("perspex"), so I'm unsure if the earlier discussion is relevant to your problem.

[Robinhood]

....it would be interesting to know if you're talking to your dealer or to Hobby direct.

 

I've had (admittedly minor) spares via my dealer that were ordered from Hobby after the beginning of July.

 

Both Hobby UK, and Hobby in Germany are pretty good at answering queries via eMail (the latter usually somewhat quicker, and they correspond in English), so it may be worth enquiring this way.

 

Factory shutdowns are not unique to Germany; I believe, for example, both Swift and Auto-trail do the same, with the same effect (and at a similar time - it is, after all, the Summer holiday period).

 

 

[Guest JudgeMental]

Robinhood - 2013-08-15 12:32 PM

 

Factory shutdowns are not unique to Germany; I believe, for example, both Swift and Auto-trail do the same, with the same effect (and at a similar time - it is, after all, the Summer holiday period).

 

 

Indeed very common and they happen here also to a lesser extent. Euramobil do likewise but have a few staff on duty to dispatch spares (from experience) so maybe Hobby a bit shortsighted, but I was also wondering where the supplying dealer stood in all this....

[rudders]

mavatbls - 2013-08-14 7:38 PM

 

Has anyone experienced the Hobby motorhome shut down for a month. I had a fixed perspex roof light approx. 3 feet x 2 feet. blown out on a journey to Whitby in early July, but was anyone interested, not a jot. I had to return home and then had to seal it up etc and was told that Hobby were on holiday for a month, and to date I have had no replacement or contact. I am thoroughly dissolutioned and disgusted with the situation which after all is slap bang in the middle of the season and no one could care less. A lot of trips have had to be shelved. Hobby owners beware as I am aware of another Hobby which blew out within 20 miles of myself.

 

just found out that burstner are also at present shut for summer holidays.

[bajmoe]

we ordered a new hobby 690 gelc a month ago, a awning was to be added , we are still waiting to pick up our new van, the excuse from the dealer was the part required came from germany and the they were on a shut down for a month (!)

 

bajmoe

[Dave225]

rudders - 2013-08-15 1:56 PM

 

mavatbls - 2013-08-14 7:38 PM

 

Has anyone experienced the Hobby motorhome shut down for a month. I had a fixed perspex roof light approx. 3 feet x 2 feet. blown out on a journey to Whitby in early July, but was anyone interested, not a jot. I had to return home and then had to seal it up etc and was told that Hobby were on holiday for a month, and to date I have had no replacement or contact. I am thoroughly dissolutioned and disgusted with the situation which after all is slap bang in the middle of the season and no one could care less. A lot of trips have had to be shelved. Hobby owners beware as I am aware of another Hobby which blew out within 20 miles of myself.

 

just found out that burstner are also at present shut for summer holidays.

 

 

Funnily enough our Government and schools are all shut down for the holidays, mind you would anyone notice Parliament being in or out?? I am also old enough to remember the Trade Holidays.

 

I accept it is irritating when you are trying to get spares but the timing is often a sucker.

[Derek Uzzell]

JudgeMental - 2013-08-15 12:48 PM

 

...I was also wondering where the supplying dealer stood in all this....[/quote

 

Assuming that the large fixed rooflight that blew out on mavatbis's Hobby motorhome is the curved window in the front of the GRP overcab section (and I can't think where else it might be), then Hobby has fitted this type of rooflight going back to at least the 2008 model-year.

 

So there's the possibility that mavatbis's motorhome may be 5 or more years old. Even if it were more than 2 years old, it would be out of warranty and the supplying dealer would have no contractual obligation to effect repairs.

[mavatbls]

My Hobby is only just 2yrs old on 6th August 2013, it is in warranty. All my point is, is that surely there should be a skeleton staff to get parts out, after all it is the high season for this activity. It appears that other

dealers do the same, but I think they should be castigated for it, after all what if the hospitals, fire brigades, and police said don,t contact us for a month, I don't think it is on.

 

[Guest machra]

I have a Remis rooflight brand new but minus the winding mechanism if you want it. My Hobby came with the winding mechanism broken but Hobby would only supply a full unit. As van was nearly new I didn't want the dealer changing the rooflight so they agreed to just change the mechanism and they gave me the rooflight. You will have to collect it though - Bedfordshire.

[Derek Uzzell]

machra - 2013-08-16 10:11 PM

 

I have a Remis rooflight brand new but minus the winding mechanism if you want it...

 

Yours is a kind offer, but Graham's (mavatbis's) description of the rooflight that blew out "...a fixed perspex roof light approx. 3 feet x 2 feet..." doesn't sound like a Remis wind-up unit.

 

Although Graham has now said that his Hobby motorhome is 2 years old and under warranty, details of the motorhome-model have still not been provided, nor where the rooflight is located on the vehicle's roof. While one may sympathise with Graham's plight, other Hobby owners would benefit from being made aware that a certain type of rooflight fitted to certain Hobby motorhomes can detach itself while the vehicle is being driven.

 

JudgeMental mentioned that staff are retained at the Eura Mobil motorhome factory during the summer shutdown to process the despatch of spares. Hobby is a much larger concern than Eura Mobil and, allthough it has been assumed that there's nobody in the spares department of the Hobby factory when caravan/motorhome production is stopped, that may not be the case.

 

Graham's rooflight went missing in early-July - it is now mid-August. If the lost rooflight were a standardised part (like a Remis unit) one might expect a replacement to be quickly available off-the-shelf: if it's a part unique to Hobby, obtaining a new one may be more difficult.

 

In my earlier 15 August 2013 9:10 AM posting I provided a link to a previous forum thread about Hobby rooflights. In that thread Brian Kirby says:

 

"...I have just heard from one respondent that, on examination, his rooflight had also de-bonded, and is now to be repaired.

 

To clarify, these are the fixed, glazed, rooflights in the over-cab fairing. His dealer advised he has experienced several that have failed, one of which broke free while the van was under way!

 

He attributed the failure to poor preparation of the surfaces before bonding in the glazed panel. That was also the verdict on ours. It seems this may not be as rare as I had been led to believe. You have been warned!"

 

and

 

"The over-cab rooflight is actually a Polyplastic product, comprising a toughened glass outer sheet with a ceramic frit diffusing pattern on its inner surface, to which is bonded a profiled acrylic inner sheet to form a glass/acrylic sealed double glazed unit, similar to domestic (glass/glass) or caravan (acrylic/acrylic) DG units, except for the mixed glazing materials. The combined unit is then bonded (or not! ) onto the GRP over-cab "profile" fairing, in the same way that car etc windscreens are bonded, using a similar adhesive. This rooflight is above the driver's and passenger's seats, and is fixed (i.e. non-opening)"

 

If this is the type of rooflight that broke free from Graham's Hobby (Is it, Graham?), it may take a while to obtain a replacement.

 

Robinhood said earlier in this thread:

 

"....it would be interesting to know if you're talking to your dealer or to Hobby direct.

 

I've had (admittedly minor) spares via my dealer that were ordered from Hobby after the beginning of July.

 

Both Hobby UK, and Hobby in Germany are pretty good at answering queries via eMail (the latter usually somewhat quicker, and they correspond in English), so it may be worth enquiring this way."

 

In 2010 a forum-member complained of problems relating to delivery of a new Ford-based Hobby motorhome that had been ordered sometime previously. The complaint produced a lot of confusion, criticism of the UK dealership involved and general forum aggravation.

 

It eventually transpired that Hobby had suddenly chosen to cease production of certain models in its Ford-based range and the particular model that the forum-member had ordered was one of those that got the chop.

 

There was nothing that the forum-member, the UK Hobby dealership or the UK Hobby importer could do about this, but the forum furore that resulted was due primarily to misinformation, misunderstanding and communication failure between the Hobby factory, the UK Hobby importer and dealership and the forum-member who had ordered the motorhome. Once the truth of the situation had been established (and it had been confirmed that the Hobby model that the forum-member had ordered could not be delivered) progress could be made.

 

What I'm getting at is that, although the Hobby factory closing for several weeks can't have helped, there may be some other reason why a replacement rooflight has yet to be provided to Graham's Hobby dealership.

 

Personally, I'd expect to be kept in the loop by the dealership and I'd expect to be given a realistic estimate of when the dealership anticipated that a replacement rooflight would become available. If his Hobby dealership is not being proactive in keeping Graham in the picture, then he'll need to take the initiative himself.

 

Reading Graham's last posting, it would seem that his Hobby dealership may have told him that there was no point in him contacting them about this for a month (presumably the month that the Hobby factory would be closed down). Like it or not, that may be the only useful advice that can be offered and the dealership has done everything it can to obtain a new rooflight from Hobby and to have Hobby agree to its replacement under warranty.

 

It could be that the Hobby factory is itself having difficulty sourcing a replacement rooflight and, if that were the case, complaining about the factory closing, assuming that there are no staff in the Hobby spares department during the closure period, or expecting the UK Hobby dealership to do more than they already have, won't progress the issue.

[Robinhood]

Derek Uzzell - 2013-08-17 9:06 AM

 

 

Robinhood said earlier in this thread:

 

"....it would be interesting to know if you're talking to your dealer or to Hobby direct.

 

I've had (admittedly minor) spares via my dealer that were ordered from Hobby after the beginning of July.

 

Both Hobby UK, and Hobby in Germany are pretty good at answering queries via eMail (the latter usually somewhat quicker, and they correspond in English), so it may be worth enquiring this way."

 

====

 

It could be that the Hobby factory is itself having difficulty sourcing a replacement rooflight and, if that were the case, complaining about the factory closing, assuming that there are no staff in the Hobby spares department during the closure period, or expecting the UK Hobby dealership to do more than they already have, won't progress the issue.

 

....If the dealer isn't "playing tricks" my suspicion would be back-order from Polyplastic.

 

(I had to wait some time for a replacement, Hobby-specific window, even though the warranty repair was agreed within a matter of days).

 

As I posted elsewhere, I recently replaced my gas-locker vent. This was ordered some time after 8th July (somewhat later on a "batched" order, I suspect), and I picked it up from the dealer on 5th August. It definitely came from Hobby (in their plastic stock bag), and the parts guy at the dealer told me they had ordered several of the same for stock, just in case I need another one ;-).

 

So, they were definitely shipping parts in at least part of the above "window".

 

 

[mavatbls]

Thanks for your comments, first the model is a T500 GFSC. I must admit that I just left the matter in the hands of the nearby Hobby dealer, who just says that they just wait for a delivery. What was a bit annoying was that they had a new Hobby same rooflight blow out on them on the way to a show, on the same day as mine came out, (something wrong with these rooflights) but they have since said that they have got one and repaired theirs. Where from I don't know. So much for seeing to a customer first! I have spoken to Ambergate Hobby UK, who say that they have heard that parts are on the move from Germany, we will have to wait and see. Thanks for the offer of a rooflight but it would be no good. The whole situation does not give me any confidence in the future for Hobby, and will not be dealing with them again I feel, and I think that they should know as I have written a letter in disgust, but it will not do any good as is our way of life these days.

[Derek Uzzell]

Graham

 

So (for the 3rd time of asking!) is the rooflight that blew out on your Hobby "Van" the curved, fixed one in the front part of the overcab moulding, or a rooflight elsewhere on the vehicle?

[Gwendolyn]

We need something putting right on our Hobby [still under warranty] and got caught up in the shutdown. We will be going away soon.

 

Thus, our dealer has assiduously been emailing Hobby in Germany and in the UK and, as a result, has been authorised to fix the problem, and send the bill to Hobby.

 

You cannot grumble at that.

 

Cheers,

Gwen

 

[mavatbls]

Apologies for not replying to the caller who was asking about the rooflight, and the repair authorisation (I have temporarily repaired it myself) I have been away in the van for four days, yes it is a curved perspex non opening roofllight, immediately above the centre of the cab. The latest info I have just got, and it is only because I have rang our local dealer, they never ring me to tell me what is happening, is that Hobby do not not even have any in stock in Germany. When I asked what does that mean and how long, my answer was I don,t know. I,ve come to the conclusion that nobody involved with the Hobby dealerships could give a jot about anybody,s problems, totally disgusted with the whole affair.

I am now into the 6th or 7th week, and if I had not made contact after my initial report of the problem, nobody would have told me nothing. I have also wrote to Hobby UK in Derby, and guess what, I haven,t had a reply.

If anybody can recommend a similar quality van (3 berth) at the same length 5.99, I would seriously think about changing into it. I do like the Transit cab though.

[Brian Kirby]

This is in a Hobby Van. Ours became part de-bonded, but did not detach. However, the window is not all acrylic. The outer is glass, with an acrylic panel bonded to it on the inside to make a double glazed unit. So two manufacturers are involved in its manufacture. The combined unit is then bonded into the roof opening in the same way as a car windscreen.

 

In my experience, Hobby are not that quick in supplying spares, though they were very fair in their interpretation of their warranty terms. They do have a skeleton staff at the factory during the summer shutdown, but if they don't have stock of an item, and their suppliers are closed, they won't be able to supply.

 

This is not unique to Hobby, many of the manufacturers use the summer shut-down to prepare for production of the next seasons models, and consequently parts supply can be in flux. I also understand that the on-line Hobby parts catalogue is uncompromisingly German, and that UK dealerships do not necessarily have German speaking staff to navigate it. I also understand that Hobby UK are no longer involved day-to-day in ordering the parts, and it is the dealers who have to do this direct with the factory, using the German parts catalogue. Not a recipe for speed or accuracy!

 

However, the basic product is comparatively good, so overall your need for spares is likely to be lower than with some other makes.

 

I'm afraid you have been very unlucky in the timing of your incident, and possibly with your dealer. Under the circumstances, your best remedy will be to "actively manage" the dealership, and press them to show you the same sense of urgency as they reserved for themselves. Get the name of the person responsible, make sure s/he fully understands your predicament, and keep your name at the forefront of their mind. They can make urgent parts requests when they have to, so find out if they have done this in your case. It is all too possible that they will just sit back and wait if you do so as well, so just keep pressing them for firm news on progress and get them to keep on chasing the factory for the part.

[Derek Uzzell]

mavatbls - 2013-08-23 11:45 PM

 

...The latest info I have just got, and it is only because I have rang our local dealer, they never ring me to tell me what is happening, is that Hobby do not not even have any in stock in Germany...

 

This does sound a mite odd, but it may be true.

 

The type of rooflight fitted to your motorhome has been used generally on 'low profile' Hobby motorhomes for about 6 years. The big question is whether all these rooflights are identical or whether the rooflights vary according to the Hobby model involved.

 

Your Hobby "Van" is just two years old, but Hobby no longer produces Transit-based "Vans". Hobby continues to build on a Ford chassis (the "Siesta" range) but these vehicles are a good deal wider than yours and the shape of the overcab moulding will differ from yours. On that basis, the rooflight fitted to a current-model Siesta may not be suitable for a 2011 "Van".

 

Brian mentions the glass/plastic construction of the rooflight that was fitted to the 2007 Hobby "Van" he used to own. It might be reasonable to assume your rooflight has a similar specification (or might even be identical) to Brian's, but that may not be the case as you describe yours as being made of perspex.

 

Earlier iin this thread 'machra' offered a Remis rooflight removed from his own Hobby motorhome. My 2005 Hobby also has Remis-made opening rooflights, but some while back Hobby switched to Dometic "Heki" opening rooflights.

 

So there is the possibility that the rooflight on your 2011 "Van" is specific to that Hobby model (perhaps even to the 2011 version). If that's so, because Hobby no longer produces Transit-based "Vans", the Hobby factory may hold no rooflights in stock suitable for your motorhome and will need to have one made specially.

 

I echo the advice in Brian's final paragraph - you need to take as much control of the situation as you can.

[Robinhood]

.....whilst I didn't post as such when Brian notified of the "delamination" problem with his overcab skylight, I did (as you would) check mine (on a 2010 model year Van Exclusive).

 

At the time, I came to the conclusion that the construction must differ from that on Brian's (2007?) model, as the skylight on mine is most definitely "plastic" on both the outer and inner skin (and I've just been and checked again!).

 

As I've said in the post above, my queries to Hobby in Germany have been promptly and courteously answered. They prefer to correspond in English rather than pidgin German, and it could well be worthwhile appraising them of the situation via eMail, and enquiring about the stock situation. (they like the chassis number or build number of the 'van in order to get a parts match).

 

You could try the following eMail "form" link

 

http://www.hobby-caravan.de/en/meta-navigation/contact/

 

...or a normal eMail to Marion.Baasch@hobby-caravan.de (in Customer Services).

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

Derek Uzzell - 2013-08-24 9:33 AM......................Brian mentions the glass/plastic construction of the rooflight that was fitted to the 2007 Hobby "Van" he used to own. It might be reasonable to assume your rooflight has a similar specification (or might even be identical) to Brian's, but that may not be the case as you describe yours as being made of perspex.........................

I took this to be an assumption by Graham based on the easily accessible internal element being acrylic, leading him to conclude that the external element would be of the same material. In the light of Robin's post above, clearly not. I know mine was tinted, fritted, toughened glass on the outside.

 

It would be interesting to know from Graham what happened to his flying rooflight. The thought of ours detaching completely while driving, once I had discovered the extent of the de-bonding, frightened me witless (visions of big hole in roof and decapitated motorcyclists etc!). Even though two sheets of acrylic would probbaly be lighter, the unit is quite large once one sees its full extent, and would undoubtedly do damage to any following vehicle that it hit. The possibility of a fatality seems real enough to me.

 

In view of the fact that only a small number of Hobby Vans were sold in UK over the period of their production, and that the rooflight became an option in later versions, the incidence of detachment and partial de-bonding from UK alone must point to a far more widespread incidence across the rest of Europe, where many more vans were sold. Despite this, I was told in late 2012, that no instruction had been issued by Hobby to dealers to either check for signs of ingress in the front cab roof lockers on either side of the rooflinght, or on the shelf immediately beneath it (the early warning signs of de-bonding), or to test the adhesion of the panel itself when conducting annual damp checks. Owners may therefore wish to ask their dealers to do this in addition to the standard checks stipulated by Hobby.

[mavatbls]

Thanks for your comments, and I am continuing to "badger" the dealer,but all a bit frustrating. In reply to what happened to the panel, I don't know as I was on a motorway and did not realise for a short distance what had happened, but at the time luckily there was nothing behind me, but because of my position I really could not stop. I was left with some fragments still stuck to the bonding. I have raised the point in my letter to the boss at Hobby UK, that Hobby could at some point in the future be liable for any injury or damage suffered by a third party, after it is obvious that there maybe a problem with other vans, should it happen, if indeed it has not already happened somewhere in the world.

[Robinhood]

Brian Kirby - 2013-08-24 12:08 PM

 

I took this to be an assumption by Graham based on the easily accessible internal element being acrylic, leading him to conclude that the external element would be of the same material. In the light of Robin's post above, clearly not. I know mine was tinted, fritted, toughened glass on the outside.

 

 

....mine's got the standard "Polyplastic" labelling on the outer.