Duffer Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 fellwalker1 - 2018-01-24 3:07 PM Responding to Derek's question at the end of his previous post above, I have a newish Chausson. The documentation I have seems to say nothing specific about the hab service at year 1 being mandatory for the 2 year warranty. However, the wording about the annual inspection requirement for the 7 year water ingress warranty appears to mandate a hab check at the same time as the annual damp check. "Benefiting from the seven year unit sealing warranty [water ingress] depends on having carried out the check-up and annual maintenance operations at a brand-certified repair center [sic] two months at the latest following each anniversary date of initial registration of the motorhome for a period of 7 years". The user manual lists annual maintenance checks including electrical, gas, water, lubrication and toilet, and also, interestingly, the status of the protective paint under the floor. The page in the manual for recording/stamping by the dealer is called "maintenance/watertightness tracking, years 1 to 6", with no room to split them. So it rather looks like an annual hab check by a Chausson dealer is a requirement for 7 years if you want to keep the water ingress warranty alive. Two interesting other things: The manual gives a "suggested rate of Euro140 plus tax" for this - we shall see.... The maintenance tracking pages go up to age 18!!! Hmm. The base vehicle is a Fiat... I would look at using one of the smaller workshops under the Approved Workshop Scheme. As I said above, I pay £150 as opposed to the main dealer price of more than double this. The main dealers expect folk to return to them, and as a thank you for this rip them off. That's the reward for loyalty. If more folk went to the smaller workshops then the main dealers would start to drop prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffer Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Tracker - 2018-01-24 2:01 PM Duffer - 2018-01-24 1:20 PM Hab door's a problem because if I stop to let the dogs out for a wee I don't want them to play with the traffic. For most of our holidays we had a very lively border collie but we had no problem using a cab door when needed and we did make a point of trying not to stop where the hab door opened out onto a road, but even then a lead kept her under control with one of us exiting first. If you have two large dogs I appreciate this is probably more of an issue, but in practice I doubt it makes much difference overall especially abroad where the door is always on the wrong side. Ah, you see, another benefit of not being a solo traveller :-D If the France trip goes well than maybe I'll spend more time there than the UK, and if that happens then the next van may be 'foreign'. I know Benimar have LH hab doors, but I don't like Marquis (had bad experience with them before) and I don't really like Benimars - other than that they're fine! Picky? Me? Nah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Duffer - 2018-01-24 4:33 PM Picky? Me? Nah! It's your money so you are entitled to be as picky as possible, so go ahead and pick away! I did travel solo for a while with just me faithful dawg fer company and it could be challenge as to who got out of the van first at times, which kinda made me picky about where I stopped, and encouraged me to train the hound to do as she was flippin well told - with mixed success!! I bought vans from Marquis some years ago and at that time they were brilliant, but later reports suggest that the company is now run by accountants and, like so many, once they get yer cash the service has suffered badly, but that is only an anececdotal perception! We had some friends with a Benimar van many years ago and it was well made and a really comfortable and lovely van, then I believe Benimar went bust and was restarted? Marquis I believe are the only UK dealers for Benimar so make of that what you will as the build and spec may well vary from continental versions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffer Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Tracker - 2018-01-24 4:49 PM Duffer - 2018-01-24 4:33 PM Picky? Me? Nah! It's your money so you are entitled to be as picky as possible, so go ahead and pick away! I did travel solo for a while with just me faithful dawg fer company and it could be challenge as to who got out of the van first at times, which kinda made me picky about where I stopped, and encouraged me to train the hound to do as she was flippin well told - with mixed success!! I bought vans from Marquis some years ago and at that time they were brilliant, but later reports suggest that the company is now run by accountants and, like so many, once they get yer cash the service has suffered badly, but that is only an anececdotal perception! We had some friends with a Benimar van many years ago and it was well made and a really comfortable and lovely van, then I believe Benimar went bust and was restarted? Marquis I believe are the only UK dealers for Benimar so make of that what you will as the build and spec may well vary from continental versions? I had a panel van once and Marquis managed to fit an awning that got higher as you rolled it out ! They told me to stand on an aqua-roll to reach the legs to lower them :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alanb Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Derek Uzzell - 2018-01-24 2:09 PM .....Pilote also trialled Galaxy A-class models with a ‘UK-norm’ door position. I remember a Hayes Leisure’s saleman (“Taffy”) telling me that Pilote had been encouraged to do this because UK motorcaravanners had kept carping on about the door(s) being on the ‘wrong’ side. Changing the door position had meant that the interior layout also needed to be altered to match and this cost extra. Taffy said that, when pre-production vehicles were exhibited in the UK, nobody was interested as the increased price was clearly considered much more important than the cheaper ‘standard’ version’s door being on the right........... Derek, That is interesting. Our first MH was a 1990 model Pilote R390 puchased new in 1991, and dubbed "R3PO", with Star Wars connotations. The habitation door was on the left, with the layout completely rearranged to match, but I did discover an incorrectly fitted swept Tee in the grey water system. As we had young children at the time, a right hand habitation door would have been a no no. In those days of yester year, habitation sevicing was never a subject for discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 lennyhb - 2018-01-23 11:06 AM I notice you have a foreign van so does it actually need it or is it just part of the great British rip off because you bought from a British dealer. On our 3 rd Hymer never had a hab check never affected any warranty claims. Our dealer even says not necessary for five years but we do buy in Belgium, can't afford UK prices. :-D What does you warranty say, Lenny? Ours was clear that the 6 year water ingress warranty required an annual inspection by a Hymer authorised dealer to maintain its validity. This inspection was chargeable. There was no inspection pre-requisite for the two year habitation warranty. All items such as hob, toilet, fridge etc. had their own manufacturer's warranties/conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Alanb - 2018-01-24 6:20 PM Derek Uzzell - 2018-01-24 2:09 PM .....Pilote also trialled Galaxy A-class models with a ‘UK-norm’ door position. I remember a Hayes Leisure’s saleman (“Taffy”) telling me that Pilote had been encouraged to do this because UK motorcaravanners had kept carping on about the door(s) being on the ‘wrong’ side. Changing the door position had meant that the interior layout also needed to be altered to match and this cost extra. Taffy said that, when pre-production vehicles were exhibited in the UK, nobody was interested as the increased price was clearly considered much more important than the cheaper ‘standard’ version’s door being on the right........... Derek, That is interesting. Our first MH was a 1990 model Pilote R390 puchased new in 1991, and dubbed "R3PO", with Star Wars connotations. The habitation door was on the left, with the layout completely rearranged to match, but I did discover an incorrectly fitted swept Tee in the grey water system. As we had young children at the time, a right hand habitation door would have been a no no. In those days of yester year, habitation sevicing was never a subject for discussion. Some years ago I provided Pilote with an English-language translation of their motorhome Owner Handbook. (A long story that I’m not going to bore forum members with.) The most difficult thing for me was trying to understand the Pilote warranty and I finally contacted Hayes Leisure about it who said “Well, this is what we understand it to mean”. I decided that I couldn’t translate the French original, so I completely rewrote it into sensible English. In those days Pilote’s conversion warranty had a duration of just 12 months, so there was no question of 'damp-testing' or 'habitation-servicing’ being required to maintain the warranty. As has been said above, the current norm for motorhomes marketed in Continental Europe is for habitation servicing to NOT be mandatory within the duration period of the motorhome manufacturer’s conversion warranty. To maintain the validity of the motorhome’s watertightness warranty will normally require a (paid for) check every year throughout that warranty’s duration. (Though I think the French manufacturer “Fleurette” may be the exception and not demand this.) It would be very unusual - at least abroad - for Chausson to make habitation-servicing an obligatory condition of their conversion warranty or to somehow link mandatory habitation-servicing to the watertightness warranty. If I was considering buying a new Chausson motorhome in the UK I’d want to confirm EXACTLY what my obligations were regarding maintaining the validity of the vehicle’s conversion and watertightness warranties. But I won’t be buying a Chausson, so there’s no incentive for me to research this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wills Wagon Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Brownhills Newark charge £277 for annual habitation service reduced to £249 for Brownhills Club members. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corky 8 Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 I have just received a reminder from the dealer we Purchased our New (2017) Campervan from, they have ticked the boxes for Habitation service plus engine service, the Engine has only done 5000,mile. I contacted Mercedes and asked the service interval for my sprinter,I was informed "Oil Service when one spanner is lit up on the dash main service when two spanner,s light up. anywhere between 10,000 and 15,000 miles dependant on driving conditions ,no time interval mentioned,but I will have it serviced every 12 months, Dealers will if your willing Service your vehicle whether its due or not its all money to them. the Habitation service will be done every year for the Three years of its Warranty Period after that every 3 to 4years .the 2009 Rapido I part exchanged for our present camper had annual Hab checks , the dealer didn't ask for them just looked over the vehicle, they gave me a price over the phone subject to seeing the M/H and stuck to their offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmerson Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Don636 - 2018-01-23 10:33 AM Our last Hab check cost £350. If I add to this a Fiat service/MOT at £250 plus insurance/breakdown at £280 plus tax at £250 this gives a total cost/year of £1,130 before I even turn a wheel. I should really add depreciation to this which is not easy to estimate but I would put it at a minimum average from new of £3,500/ year making the overall cost £4,630/year Worth every penny. By 'eck, I'm glad I can't afford a new van! My 30 year old van hasn't cost that much in three years, and that includes the purchase price! But why have a habitation check? Surely just by living in the van you're doing your own check every day? If the gas leaks, you'll smell it. If the water leaks, you'll get wet feet. If the electric goes wrong, the lights will go out, etc.If you're worried about damp, buy a meter. It'll cost you £20, but if your new van has damp, take it back! In 52 years with caravans and camper vans I've never had a habitation check and I'm still not dead! What a typically British rip-off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sakofox Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 I use an Approved Workshop engineer, I have a mobile engineer near me and the cost of a habitation service is £150, and it maintains the warranty on the year old motorhome. My fiat needs a service on year 2 onwards not the first year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 26, 2018 Share Posted January 26, 2018 This link may be of interest https://www.marquisleisure.co.uk/services/manufacturers-warranty I’m not sure if the information is up tp date (or even accurate), but it will show how varied motorhome warranty terms and conditions can be. There’s also this https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/motorhomes/articles/practical-advice/motorhome-warranties-and-warranty-work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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