DerekF Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 The day before we were due to travel to France the window in the habitation door decided to part company with the van whilst it was in motion. Luckily we were traveling slowly so the window landed on the grass verge between the footpath and the road, had it continued "flying" for another couple of metres it would have landed on the footpath. This happened on a vehicle that is less than a year old. It seems from our own experiences and that of others on this forum manufacturing faults are all part of the joys of owning a new motorhome. We live quiet close to the dealer who managed to make a temporary repair to the motorhome in time for us to travel the following day. It will be interesting to see how long it now takes for a replacement window to be delivered. I called the dealer yesterday and they have yet to receive the replacement. On a positive note we had a great trip and the cruise control we had fitted earlier in the year by a certain gentleman in Telford came into it's own on the long drive to the South of France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Nice to here that you got it all sorted out and it did not ruin your Holidays . Hope the weather kept nice for you also. Hopefully you won't wait to long for your new window wonder how much one of them cost's (?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekF Posted September 11, 2007 Author Share Posted September 11, 2007 Hi Michele The weather was very nice - hot and sunny. I'm sure the window will be expensive but it is being replaced under warranty so thankfully no cost to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Git Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 DerekF - 2007-09-11 8:14 AM It seems from our own experiences and that of others on this forum manufacturing faults are all part of the joys of owning a new motorhome. I take it you are fairly new to this game Derek, and unfortunately I think your observation here is spot on. While I am not about to condone either dealers or manufacturers for patently shoddy workmanship and poor PDI checking there are two sides to the story. If you think about it, motorhomes are quite different to an ordinary commercial or private vehicle - although the comparison is often made. Millions of pounds are spent honing a production vehicle to near perfection before it is launched, and such are the stakes involved that relatively few significant faults reach the production line. On the other hand, a motorhome is made up of lots of bits and pieces sourced from a variety of suppliers, all "glued" together inside either an existing commercial vehicle or a bespoke fibreglass shell. Some of these components need a bit of "persuasion" to make them fit, and many are fitted by human hands (some neither skilled nor committed to the task - or so it would appear :-( ) and therefore subject to an inconsistency not found when assembled by robots. I think a bit of give and take is required, and I'm not pointing the finger :-D - you were not complaining after all. I agree that when you pay perhaps £40,000 or more for a M/H it should be near perfect, but unfortunately we live in the real world, and I think the best attitude for one's own peace of mind is to segregate the faults into "serious" and "niggles". There will be plenty of niggles - drawers flying open on corners, curtain tracks not running smoothly, various catches needing a slight adjustments etc. and part of the joy of ownership (?) (?) is fixing these minor irritations yourself. Serious faults should not get as far as the new owner of course, but again it's inevitable that some will, and if you are fortunate in having a conscientious dealer these will be fixed promptly and with little hassle - assuming he can get the part, but that's another story >:-) None of this is meant to encourage complacency on our part - the state of too many brand new motorhomes when they are collected is definitely not acceptable, but for myself I try to take a balanced view and not get too uptight about it. Motorhoming is meant to be a singularly enjoyable pastime, and that's difficult if you are fuming about a poorly adjusted wardrobe catch - or whatever. It's usually just a matter of time before everything is fixed so that you can thoroughly relax and enjoy - which is precisely why some people much prefer to buy slightly second hand vans. Hope you find some consolation here Regards Dave P.S. I think I might be visiting that certain gentleman for a cruise control - he owes me a jug of coffee anyway *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Syd Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 How long does it take to fit the cruise control Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Gosh some sanity, at last (!) "Part of the joy of ownership is fixing things yourself" Well said Dave, what's 5- 10 mins out of your life tightening up a screw/nut/bolt whatever? Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekF Posted September 11, 2007 Author Share Posted September 11, 2007 Thanks for taking the time to read the thread and post your views. Yes we are new to motorhoming but even with the initial disappointment concerning the build quality control (or lack of) we are enjoying the experience. We have had a few serious issues which now seem to have been resolved. We have had numerous minor niggles which again in the main have been resolved with the remaining ones being addressed when the motorhome is returned to the dealer next weekend. Those comments are not intended to be a complaint, as I mentioned earlier we are enjoying the experience and are looking forward to many more trips. As for the cruise control, that took a morning to fit along with a polarity changeover switch. All I can say is both products do exactly what they are meant to do and the dealings with the gentleman in Telford were a pleasure. Once again many thanks for your comments. Best wishes Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Hey Derek, Tell us all where you have been so far ! I bet you found it really exciting . The day we got ours we went to my sisters in Manchester just because we could :D Great fun never looked back since . I hope you have many happy years M/homing and loads of fun doing it. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekF Posted September 12, 2007 Author Share Posted September 12, 2007 Hi Michele We have made three trips to Spain in our first year of motorhoming, two to northern Spain and one trip to southern Spain. We have also visited places in France and Belgium along with a few trips in the UK. Next year our intention is to try somewhere different and have a visit to Norway and Sweden. Best wishes Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 What's a "polarity switch? We were in France earlier and people kept asking me had I checked the polarity before I plugged in to a supply. I was kindly given a plug type thingy, ( a real electrical term i believe!), that has lights on it and sometimes 3 light up sometimes 2 and sometimes only 1. Despite that everything in the van still works, the telly came on, the lights worked and there didn't seem to be any problems at all. So was I just lucky or is a polarity switch as vital a piece of equipment as a gas detector? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekF Posted September 12, 2007 Author Share Posted September 12, 2007 I think I'm better pointing you to this website which explains what a polarity switch is, and what it does. You will find the switch is listed in the bits and bobs section. www.davenewell.co.uk hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Thanks for that Derek, glad you're happy with the cruise and pol switch. D. In edit: Tomo if you do a search for "reversed polarity" you'll find lots to read about it and why some people choose to use a polarity changeover switch. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Thanks Dave/Derek. I have read them and I think I'm ok because we have a LCD breaker fitted to our electric system. But I'll be more careful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parkmoy Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 (((( I think a bit of give and take is required, and I'm not pointing the finger :-D - you were not complaining after all. I agree that when you pay perhaps £40,000 or more for a M/H it should be near perfect, but unfortunately we live in the real world, and I think the best attitude for one's own peace of mind is to segregate the faults into "serious" and "niggles". There will be plenty of niggles - drawers flying open on corners, curtain tracks not running smoothly, various catches needing a slight adjustments etc. and part of the joy of ownership (?) (?) is fixing these minor irritations yourself. Motorhoming is meant to be a singularly enjoyable pastime, and that's difficult if you are fuming about a poorly adjusted wardrobe catch - or whatever. It's usually just a matter of time before everything is fixed so that you can thoroughly relax and enjoy - )))) I really cannot agree. It's the dealer's responsibility to ensure that all these niggles are sorted prior to sale. How difficult can it be to check these things? And if it eats into their profit margins too much then they should pressurize the manufacturers to improve their standards. £40,000 is not chickenfeed to most people - just think what sort of car it would buy and consider the service you would expect then. Cheerful acceptance of problems even minor ones doesn't lead to an improvement in the situation. As far as I'm concerned, complain bitterly every time and recommend and support dealers who do get it right. (Sorry, can't work out how to use the quote thingey :$ ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Git Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 Hi Parkmoy At least you are civil in your disagreement, and thanks for that. I think however that we are in agreement, but just have a different way of coping with it. I too deplore the too-often state of a new motorhome . . . . While I am not about to condone either dealers or manufacturers for patently shoddy workmanship and poor PDI checking and . . . . many are fitted by human hands (some neither skilled nor committed to the task - or so it would appear ) and . . . . None of this is meant to encourage complacency on our part - the state of too many brand new motorhomes when they are collected is definitely not acceptable, but comparison with cars is hardly valid . . . . Millions of pounds are spent honing a production vehicle to near perfection before it is launched, and such are the stakes involved that relatively few significant faults reach the production line. I'm not about to start another skirmish, but you left out selective bits of my post that you did agree with and focussed on other parts taken out of context - so we actually end up entirely in agreement. The whole point of my post was to suggest that there's not much future in letting it grind you down, but what you refer to as "cheerful acceptance" was certainly not meant to come over in that light. As for . . . .As far as I'm concerned, complain bitterly every time and recommend and support dealers who do get it right. I do that too, though I'm not sure about the "bitterly" part. I complain firmly but politely and with a smile if I can manage it. You get much better service that way. Cheers Dave P.S. The quote thingy is quite easy. Click on the orange button below a post and the whole post will be "quoted" for you. Alternatively (as I've done above) put in your own quote markers. [ quote] starts a quote - as you see here . . . and [ /quote] closes it. N.B. Spaces inserted just inside the first bracket of the examples to prevent it actually quoting - otherwaise you would not have been able to see them. These spaces should not be inserted when doing it for real. Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parkmoy Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 hi Old Git (I'm almost afraid to say that, it sounds insulting!) I do that too, though I'm not sure about the "bitterly" part. I complain firmly but politely and with a smile if I can manage it. You get much better service that way.[/Quote] My smile is usually through gritted teeth but I'm always polite (lol) I've worked in customer service and invariably those who made the most fuss and a nuisance of themselves got priority, a policy I completely disagreed with but fairly universal I'm afraid. I'm not about to start another skirmish, but you left out selective bits of my post that you did agree with and focussed on other parts taken out of context - so we actually end up entirely in agreement.[/Quote] That of course was because I couldn't work the 'quotes'. Anyway I'm very pleased you don't want a skirmish because I don't either - just putting forward a viewpoint. B-) but comparison with cars is hardly valid . . . .[/Quote] I take your point about the manufacturing process being different, but my point is that the expectations should be no different - value for money with excellent service. I think we agree on that anyway. Thanks for the help with quotes, as you see I've gone mad with them now I know how :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Git Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 Attention certain persons!!!! Parkmoy and I have agreed, disagreed, agreed again - and not a drop of blood spilled!! I'm sure David won't mind me saying that neither of us expressed ourselves particularly clearly in places, but we were not looking for conflict and therefore found none. *-) Cheers David Dave (Yet another David cluttering up the place. We shall soon need numbers, or maybe "Dave the Nuevo" and "Dave the Cruise" etc. as in the Welsh valleys.) P.S. This is not racist. I married a Welsh girl. I like the Welsh. I'm not keen on laver bread, but they don't hold it against me. I do like bara brith. Feelin' Foul is one of my favourite brews. I even speak a bit of Welsh. . . . . . . . I wonder if that's enough to avoid censure. (?) (?) (?) (?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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