One dealer.

[lynandie]

Hi every one.

 

We are thinking about purchasing a new Frankia motorhome.

We live approx. three and a half hours from this dealer and are concerned with..

 

1. if bits fall off, its along way back.

2. Only having one dealer in the UK

 

We have heard from other owners that Frankia is top notch for build quality etc but I would like to know if anybody has a issue with dealing with a long distance dealership. B-)

[Frankkia]

We bought our Frankia in Northern Germany and have no problems at all dealing long distance.

 

Having said that I have met the people who are now the UK dealers and found them to be down to earth good guys and would have no hesitation in dealing with them in the future.

 

As far as build quality is concerned - We have had six Frankias over the years and found them to be exceptionally well built. And when there has been a fault (usually upholstery) they don't quibble - just get on and change it. The Frankia factory has a dedicated work shop for repairs and refurbishment of older vehicles and have their own "stelplatz" with all the facilities and even deliver fresh bread rolls, free. for breakfast. Oh - The workshop is very efficient too.

[Guest peter]

It may be 3.5 Hrs away, but you won't regret buying one. We've had ours 4 months and love it. It's really warm and cosy. Make sure you ask for a proper water filling point as you can't fill from a watering can with the system Frankia install as standard.

[Brock]

There is a likelihood that you will need some warranty work in the first year or so notwithstanding Frankia is a good make. However, if you are retired, then this is less of a problem because you can include a visit to the dealer as part of a short break. If you enjoy holidays in Germany, I doubt you will have a problem as you could use an overseas dealer.

 

Is your dealer SMC at Newark? They may be willing to let a more local dealer complete warranty work on their behalf given that many parts are common to motorhomes. Ask your dealer what they suggest. They may be able to send some parts out to you and let you fit them yourself. Digital photographs are a good way of showing to a distant dealer what your problem is.

 

Some dealers let you stay overnight in their compound. Ask!

 

I think that the question you should ask is what sort of relationship your dealer has with Frankia. There will be nothing worse turning up at your dealer to find they didn't have the part, then had to order it, and you have to wait weeks. Does Frankia trust the dealer on warranty claims?

 

France were active in the UK market before the crash and then pulled out. They are now back so you should also consider how committed they are to the UK market. Brownhills were going to be the Frankia dealer in 2013 [or thereabouts] but according to the salesman we spoke to about ordering a Frankia, they said Frankia were difficult to deal with [i suspect it was a two way issue]. Within a fortnight, Brownhills stopped being a Frankia dealer and SMC took over.

 

I had a Niesmann & Bischoff for five years and a Hymer for eight. For about ten years of this period, there was a single dealer in the UK for both makes. Never caused me a problem. Make the trip part of a short break, then neither will the distance be an issue.

 

 

[Guest peter]

Frankia are not difficult to deal with. We went to the factory at Markt Schorgast in Germany last year and found them very good to deal with. Although they are part of the Pilot group it's a smallish plant with a very good production team.

SMC are very proud of their company and are very professional to deal with. They have dedicated sales people for each of the marques they sell new. So they are more familiar with them than general sales folk.