DIY versus Manufacturers Warranty

[eddie123]

I will be picking up my brand new Burstner in May and have been looking at options for satellite TV reception. On balance of price, convenience and performance it looks like the Omnistat Crank Up suits my needs. I have studied the installation instructions and it looks like a pretty straight forward job and well within my DIY capability. The dealer however advises that if I do the installation it will affect my warranty and I can understand that, the problem is however that his price is £300 above the DIY price. Seems a bit like I am over a barrel. Anyone been here before me; any advice or comment?

[Brian Kirby]

I suggest you check direct with Burstner UK what aspect of the warranty might be affected.  I'd assume this could only affect the water ingress warranty, but I'm sure they'll tell you.  You could also enquire whether the same would be true if the installation was made by a specialist, rather than a Burstner dealership, or whether anything more than a damp check is required to maintain/reinstate the warranty after the dish is mounted.  There may be a requirement to record the presence of a non-standard dish mount on the warranty, or on the Burstner vehicle record.  On the face of it, it seems a bit unreasonable that the entire water ingress warranty should be invalidated because of one, localised, intervention.

Then again, if the annual water ingress check is carried out by a different dealership, how would he know who fitted the dish?  I think all that would actually be invalidated, would be if there were a leak that was (or could be) attributable to the fitting of the dish.  They'd then say "not our problem", and presumably refuse to undertake any resultant remedial work under warranty.  Otherwise, if there was damp around a rooflight some way from the dish mount, they may check to see if the source might be the dish, but in the absence of such evidence would probably end up fixing the leak under warranty.

It seems a smallish gamble between the £300 saving and the warranty.  If you check with Burstner, therefore, you'll know better where you stand.

[derek500]

eddie123 - 2007-04-28 12:49 PM

 

I will be picking up my brand new Burstner in May and have been looking at options for satellite TV reception. On balance of price, convenience and performance it looks like the Omnistat Crank Up suits my needs. I have studied the installation instructions and it looks like a pretty straight forward job and well within my DIY capability. The dealer however advises that if I do the installation it will affect my warranty and I can understand that, the problem is however that his price is £300 above the DIY price. Seems a bit like I am over a barrel. Anyone been here before me; any advice or comment?

 

I DIY fitted a Maxview Crankup in January, it was pretty straight forward. About four or five hours in total.

 

Two weeks ago I took my McLouis in for its annual habitation service/damp check (116 euros inc VAT!!) and everything was signed off, all present and correct.

 

 

[eddie123]

Thanks Brian and Derek. I will speak to Burstner and let you know what they say (for the record)

cheers

Ed

[RonB]

Warranties are only as good as the manufacturer/dealer that you deal with Eddie.

 

In our case it has taken over a year to get a leaking (from new) cab door replaced under an agreed warranty claim! Chelston have now had the vehicle for over five weeks to do this job and we are still waiting. It was supposed to have been returned on Friday but did not materialize, no phone call, no excuse, no apology, nothing. See what I mean?

 

As for Burstner, we have had approx ten months use in eighteen months ownership out of our supposed top of the range A Class, due to its many faults and having to keep it out of the rain.

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

That is very poor Ron, and sounds totally unreasonable.  No help to you, but Burstner have a good reputation for their quality generally, and Chelston seem to be fairly well regarded as well. 

However, usability at 40% is not acceptable.  Is this one thing following another, or failure to resolve a bunch of notified faults within a reasonable time?  Remember, legally it is the dealer who is responsible to you for the vehicle they supply, not Burstner.  The Burstner warranty is just a rather limited agreement by the manufacturer that they will repair certain things should they go wrong.  In its absence, the dealer would have to resolve all the faults themselves, at their own expense.

It sounds a bit as though someone (MD) at Chelston needs a firm prod with a very sharp stick (solicitor's letter)!  Have you explored the possibility of rejecting the vehicle as not being of merchantable quality?  Giving a firm a fair chance to recitfy defects is one thing, but there is no obligation to volunteer for martyrdom!

[RonB]

Brian

 

Thank you for your interest. Things are well past the 'sharp stick' stage so I have to be careful what I say. I will send you an email.

 

Your final sentence gave me a smile because a martyr is exactly what I think I have been!

 

Have fun

 

Ron

[colin]

I for one will be interested to hear how chelston treat their customers, when house building is finished will be ordering a new Adria, so let us know how it goes

[eddie123]

I have had a more in-depth chat with my dealer. They have confirmed that they assess warranty claims and advice Burstner, so in effect it is primarily the dealers interpretation of the cause and effect that matters , not Burstners. My dealer has assured me that they will take a common sense and fair approach regarding any issues regarding my DIY Satellite installation, sounds pretty much in accordance with Brians post. So I am going the DIY route. The biggest risk is making sure that I miss any concealed wiring when I cut through the roof, so careful key hole surgery and running inspection will be necessary.

[Brian Kirby]

If yours is anything like ours, the TV cupboard is pre-wired for the telly and any boxes etc, and a co-ax aerial wire is already run across in the ceiling to the top of the wardrobe cupboard.  If you can't see the ends of the co-ax it may be looped behind the 230V/12V socket panel in the TV cupboard and tucked into a vertical duct in one corner of the wardrobe.  However, ours was just sticking out both ends.  The implication seemed to be that the aerial was expected to be installed above the wardrobe.  Get a cheap cable tracer from B&Q or whoever, and see if you can trace the cable.  Apart possibly from ceiling lights there shouldn't be much other cabling within the roof depth.  Get onto the roof of the van and see if you can identify a firmer than average patch above the wardrobe, it may have been reinforced for such a mounting.  If you carefully release the frame of one of the small rooflights you will be able to see the actual roof construction.  It should be something like aluminium onto ply onto insulation onto ply inner lining.  Have a look at the internal panel joints in the ceiling, which tend to be located over the main frames - you don't want to cut through one of those either!  Trace and mark inside and outside where you intend drilling, and drill a small pilot up from the inside first, to accurately locate and prove the relative positions.  Remember to allow for any roof rack fixings!  Remember also that old maxim "measure twice and cut once"!  When you drill the final holes invest in a half decent holesaw and do the outside working down until you break through the first layer of ply, then go inside and work up.  The holesaw will make a right mess of the ceiling lining if you burst right through from above!  You can then cut out the insulation, if necessary, with a sharp penknife.

[eddie123]

Brian thanks for some excellent tips, all I need now is the MH

Ed