Hazy Baby Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 As some of you may remember we replaced our motorhome with a new Laika X595R In June 2013 and although we live in Sheffield we had to buy from Southdowns Motorhomes in Southsea as at the time they were the only dealer in the UK. Since that time a new dealership sprung up in Ashbourne Derbyshire, Peak Leisure, and we took the van there for its first habitation check last year. We are now wanting to do the same but when I phoned to book this morning the lady there said they were no longer Laika dealers and as she was not forthcoming why I did not want to press her on the reasons as they have only been dealers for such a short time. So, two questions - has anyone else heard of this and why, when it was mooted last year by Laika that they wanted to expand their dealers in the UK? - and if we take the Laika back to the dealer in Ashbourne for the habitation check, cross our fingers that no warranty work needs doing (we don't seem to have any problems!), do we then void our warranty with Laika? Many thanks for any light anyone can throw on this - especially the second question! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Hazy Baby - 2015-03-28 2:06 PM..............if we take the Laika back to the dealer in Ashbourne for the habitation check, cross our fingers that no warranty work needs doing (we don't seem to have any problems!), do we then void our warranty with Laika? Many thanks for any light anyone can throw on this - especially the second question! Depends what you mean by "habitation check". Look at the warranty terms to see, but it is relatively unusual for a motorhome warranty to be made dependent on a habitation service being carried out. So, I'd expect that you can have everything except the water ingress check carried out by any competent workshop. The water ingress warranty is a different matter. You'll have to read the warranty terms to be sure, but my expectation is that it will say this inspection must be carried out by a Laika appointed dealership. I would also expect it to say that the record of the inspection has to be returned to Laika by the dealer to maintain the warranty in force. If that is not done, and there is a subsequent problem with leakage, when the warranty request goes back to the factory they will be liable to say the warranty has been voided if they can't find the records. If the above is correct, and if going abroad, incorporate a visit to Southdowns into your trip, and take a ferry from Portsmouth. If Portsmouth not acceptable, Southdowns to the tunnel is about 130 miles or 2 hours 45 minutes driving. Southdowns are a helpful lot, and I'm sure will arrange to do a (more or less) while you wait (or while you have lunch - there is a slightly dodgy pub within walking distance! :-)) water ingress test, if you explain what is wanted and give them adequate notice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazy Baby Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 Thanks, Brian. What you have said really confirms what I and the OH have been thinking. The water ingress bit is the most important thing within the habitation service and OH has just been looking at our documents and it does make clear that this must be done by a Laika agent. So it seems we will, as you say, do as we always thought we would be doing, and incorporating a trip to Southdowns with our trip to France. We always go from Newhaven to Dieppe so its no great hardship to get the service done and then trundle along the south coast for the ferry. It is just a mystery that Peak Leisure have only been a Laika agent for a period of about a year. It spoilt us going there in 2014. Perhaps if I had pressed them for a reason I would have been given one!! Thanks again for your help. Hazel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 I don't want to disagree with what Brian has said, as I know he is usually right,. But we did not have the final hab check done on our van (seemed a waste of money for what they did), and when we had a problem with damp later we where told because we did not have it done , Swift would not agree to do the work as a warranty job.!However having consulted the Swift owners web site, and phoned swift., they did agree to do the work, as there had been a faulty batch of floors!! They would not pay for getting the van to the factory at Hull though so we had to hire a one way car to get us back from Hull to Portsmouth, and then do the reverse journey on collection, so cost us the car hire x2 and two nights B&B. As an aside they did a very good job, So I would say get the hab check done,also there is anew ferry service starting from May (not sure of the date now) with BF on a new Econime ship. PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazy Baby Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 An interesting tale PJay! I think we too would risk it if it were our last habitation check but we are only on year 2 of a 6 years water ingress warranty! And if we do, and there is subsequent damp found, we will be very lucky for it to be caused by a general fault in Laikas and therefore put right. Also we would have to travel to Italy!!!! We have heard about the new BF ferry by the way, but Newhaven to Dieppe is still cheaper for us and the crossing 2 hours shorter. Thanks for the info though. Hazel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 PJay - 2015-03-28 6:20 PM I don't want to disagree with what Brian has said, as I know he is usually right,. Yeah, right! But thank you for the kind words all the same. :-) But we did not have the final hab check done on our van (seemed a waste of money for what they did), and when we had a problem with damp later we where told because we did not have it done , Swift would not agree to do the work as a warranty job.!However having consulted the Swift owners web site, and phoned swift., they did agree to do the work, as there had been a faulty batch of floors!! They would not pay for getting the van to the factory at Hull though so we had to hire a one way car to get us back from Hull to Portsmouth, and then do the reverse journey on collection, so cost us the car hire x2 and two nights B&B............................................ I don't think you are disagreening, Pauline. After all, I did say it is "relatively unusual" for the warranty to be dependent on a hab check. As Hazel has a Laika, I was pretty sure the only warranty that would require a dealer check would be the water ingress part. However, I haven't owned a Laika, so I didn't want to be too assertive in case I was taken at my word, and was wrong. Swift are one of the "relatively unusual" ones who did (presumably still do?) make their water ingress warranty dependent on a lot of things that are completely irrelevent to leakage. Yer pays yer money! In fact, your post very neatly illustrated the point about always reading what the warranty actually says and not making assumptions. I'm glad it all worked out for you in the end, but I don't envy you the return trips to Hull one little bit! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazy Baby Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 Thanks both! This forum is great for helping you making your mind up - however OH is now suggesting we have the habitation check done in Ashbourne (convenient, 'van will be empty, but non Laika now) and just water ingress checked at Southdowns on way to ferry later on (less convenient, 'van full of stuff for extended holiday, but Laika dealer)! Either way, we'll get it done. OH fanatical about abiding by warranties.........something to do with the risk he might have to shell out some brass if not!! Hazel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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