Habitation service

[michele]

Can someone please explain the rules of this .

Must you have it done

What happens if you dont

Can you go anywhere

How much are they . Please help its for a friend On his \Autotrail.

 

cheers

[michele]

Michele have you done a search you asked the same question in Jan 07

Why do you not retain it silly woman :D

Sorry peeps. ;-)

[kelly58]

Had mine done last week by our local Explorer Group caravan dealer £110.00 who gave excellent service and stamped my service book I was quoted by Brownhills £249.00 not much difference,better in my pocket though.

[brayn]

Whilst I don't doubt the usefulness and safety of having such a check carried out, is a habitation check required under any legislation? If your van is outside the warranty period and has no useful dealer warranty does it serve any purpose other than peace of mind?

I have done the search that Michele suggested and turned up huge amounts of information, none of which appears to answer the requirement question.

[davenewellhome]

Habitation inspections are not a legal requirement. During the warranty period it is usually required to have an annual inspection to maintain the warranty. After that it is purely down to your own judgment as to whether you want to have it don e professionally, do it yourself or even just carry on in blissful ignorance of any possible problems that may be lurking.

 

D.

[brayn]

Thanks for that, Dave. A very clear and succinct reply, just what I wanted!

[Derek Uzzell]

It might be useful just to re-state the general rules relating to habitation servicing of new motorhomes...

 

1. Must you have it done?

 

It depends on the conditions stated in the motorhome manufacturer's 'conversion' warranty. UK-built motorhomes usually have a warranty that demands that a habitation service be performed at each anniversary of the date of first sale (eg. at 12 months, 24 months, etc.) Obviously, once the motorhome manufacturer's warranty has expired, there is no obligation to have habitation servicing carried out. Continental-European-built motorhomes normally have conversion warranty conditions that do not insist on habitation servicing.

 

2. What happens if you don't?

 

If habitation servicing is specifically part of the motorhome manufacturer's warranty conditions, then failure to have this done is likely to make the warranty void.

 

3. Can you go anywhere?

 

When habitation servicing is a condition of the motorhome manufacturer's warranty, in order to maintain that warranty the servicing will need to be performed by someone authorised by the manufacturer. Normally this will be a motorhome dealership holding an agency for the particular make of motorhome involved, though the manufacturer itself may also be prepared to do it (eg. Auto-Sleepers).

 

4. How much are they?

 

Depends on who does it and what's needed. One might reasonably expect habitation servicing on an Auto-Trail Frontier Chieftain performed by a London large dealership to cost a lot more than servicing on a Romahome Duo by a small dealer in mid-Wales - much larger vehicle; higher labour-rates. Shop around for best price.

 

 

The conversion warranty on my German-built Hobby has an apparent oddity. There is a 2-year Ford warranty on the Transit base vehicle, a 2-year 'pan-European' Hobby warranty (not requiring habitation servicing) on the conversion, a 5-year Hobby water-tightness warranty that demands an annual damp-check to maintain it, plus 'appliance' warranties on things like the fridge and heater.

 

Brownhills (at the time the sole official Hobby UK importer) once advised me that the 2nd year of the Hobby conversion warranty was, in practice, linked to the water-tightness warranty. For Brownhills to be able to reclaim from Hobby the cost of any warranty work needed during the conversion warranty's 2nd year, a Hobby owner needed to provide the necessary documentation proving that the damp-check at 12 months had been performed. It struck me as a mite strange that a damp-test warranty should have any bearing on faults that were clearly and totally unrelated to water ingress (eg. a gas-hob leaking, battery-charger failing, or a bed-base collapsing), but I was assured those were the rules that the Hobby factory insisted Brownhills meet.

 

I've no documentation relating to my Hobby's conversion warranty. When I asked the German vendor about this, he said, if there were conversion-related problems in the first 24 months, just take the vehicle to a Hobby dealership and produce the original bill of sale. The water-tightness warranty is in German (that I haven't bothered to translate) and involves the Hobby agent who carries out the damp-test sending a 'ticket' to the Hobby factory confirming that the test has been done at the prescribed time. This means that the water-tightness warranty can't be re-instated by a cooperative motorhome dealer stamping the documentation retrospectively (as I'm led to believe regularly happened with UK-built motorhomes). Miss (or be late with) one annual damp-check with a Hobby and that's the end of the water-tightness warranty.

 

I need to emphasise that the Brownhills representative to whom I spoke was not trying to mislead me. He had a warranty check-list for each make of motorhome Brownhills had an agency for and the Hobby list carried the 'no damp-test documentation presented by motorhome owner means no reclaim possible of conversion warranty costs' stipulation. I just mention this in case other makes of motorhome have similarly unexpected warranty conditions.

[Guest Tracker]

Without arguing for or against the safety and peace of mind aspect, it could be said that given the cost, and often inconvenience, of two habitation checks at one and two years old, you would have to be very unlucky indeed to suffer breakdowns or failures totalling more that the cost of checking?

[Don Madge]

For those not familiar with the habitation check see http://www.ukmotorhomes.net/annualcheck.shtml for details of the SMMT recommended Annual Habitation Service Check.

 

Don

[michele]

Having read what Derek has kindly taken the time to explain along with Dave and others it leaves me wondering what and how Brownhills got around our first Bessacarr when they come to pass it on to the next buyer.

 

We have never had one some people say stupid the truth is we have not enough hours in the day to sit and read the instructions /warranty

 

And no one pointed it out at the time of sale/pickup actually the first time it ever ever crossed my mind was when I first saw Carol with water ingress problems.

 

It has only come back to my mind again because my friend phoned last night and asked what its all about having never heard either another brownhills customer .

He apparently is taking it for its third service /or second sorry and the girl on the phone said what about habitation at £249 .

So it seems that people us must read the instructions as you may or may not be told . More money.

[Way2Go]

We've had a letter from Chelston saying our Bessacarr E560 is due it's first service and habitation check in February 2008.  I phoned up and was told the service will be £229 and the habitation check a further £199.

It apparently takes a full day to carry out and I get the free loan of a courtesy car.  In addition, if you have them both done at the same time you get a 2 x free nights voucher to spend at a local camp site.

£428 'seems' a lot to spend on these checks but it is part of the warranty.  We may well shop around next year.

[Brian Kirby]

I assume Feb '08 will be its first birthday, in which case I assume the service is for the "oily bits" and the hab check for the conversion including a damp check.  If so, I don't think those costs are, actually, too bad. 

However, you could always check with a Fiat commercial (or whatever) service centre (but make sure thay can get the Bessie on their vehicle lifts) what they would charge for the one, and with a different Bessacarr dealer what they would charge for the other.  Then you can work out whether the saving, if any, is worth the extra time and expense of the running around. 

You have no obligation whatever to get the base serviced by Chelston.  However, if you do, make sure they are fully authorised to carry out all warranty work/recalls on the base before you commit.

Re the hab service, unless it is a requirement of the Swift warranty to have one, I am a bit inclined to think the damp check is the really important bit to have done by the dealer and the rest can be checked and sorted when you bring it back into full use.  I do think annual checks are a bit extreme for the fridge and cooker, and there is almost nothing you can service on a lot of the heating and hot water installations.  Gas is the biggest risk, but mainly relates to leaks which are not that difficult to test for.  Mains electricity?  Well, you can't do much more than run a multimeter over it and just check everything works as it should.  However, this would depend greatly on your own DIY skills and confidence, and to some extent on your pattern of use.

[michele]

You could always Use Dave ? if its not written in blood re where the Hab gets done just a thought . (lol)

[Way2Go]

Brian Kirby - 2007-12-20 4:04 PM

I assume Feb '08 will be its first birthday, in which case I assume the service is for the "oily bits" and the hab check for the conversion including a damp check.  If so, I don't think those costs are, actually, too bad. 

However, you could always check with a Fiat commercial (or whatever) service centre (but make sure thay can get the Bessie on their vehicle lifts) what they would charge for the one, and with a different Bessacarr dealer what they would charge for the other.  Then you can work out whether the saving, if any, is worth the extra time and expense of the running around. 

You have no obligation whatever to get the base serviced by Chelston.  However, if you do, make sure they are fully authorised to carry out all warranty work/recalls on the base before you commit.

Re the hab service, unless it is a requirement of the Swift warranty to have one, I am a bit inclined to think the damp check is the really important bit to have done by the dealer and the rest can be checked and sorted when you bring it back into full use.  I do think annual checks are a bit extreme for the fridge and cooker, and there is almost nothing you can service on a lot of the heating and hot water installations.  Gas is the biggest risk, but mainly relates to leaks which are not that difficult to test for.  Mains electricity?  Well, you can't do much more than run a multimeter over it and just check everything works as it should.  However, this would depend greatly on your own DIY skills and confidence, and to some extent on your pattern of use.

You're perfectly correct Brian it is it's first service and habitation check.

The recal stuff is in hand and 2 have already been carried out at a 'local' Fiat dealer.  The other 2 recal bits should have been done yesterday but I had to cancel due to my workload.  I'll reschedule those after Christmas.

I think the first habitation check is the important one as after it's first year things may have come loose or dislodged post manufacture.  I'd also be keen to get the damp test checked by experts.  Whether I'd bother with future ones . . . well, we'll decide at the time I guess.

Thanks for your feedback.

[Corky 8]

Hello , Could I ask anyone who has had a recent Habitation check / service carried out did you get a written report on things serviced and any problems found, I will have the Hab service whilst my M/H is under warranty ,but there after I will have to think long and hard, I have owned caravans from new as well as Caravannettes and two Motorhomes, and never had annual Hab checks done, but had one done before selling them on. and even then never had any reported problems, I some times wonder who benifits the most from these type of services, Corky ;-)

[LordThornber]

£428 for the service and hab check??? Goodness me, I'd be heartbroken at parting with that sort of money. Not in one year of ownership from new (2003) have both items combined cost me more than £280. The servicing has been done by a Peugeot main dealer and the hab check done by Todds the supplying dealer. Have the servicing costs gone up that much for the new Ducato/Boxer?

 

Martyn

[kelly58]

The dealer who carried out my hab check last week completed a full check sheet which was attatched to my invoice which also had written comments included my service manual was also date stamped and signed by the engineer and I think £110.00 was a good price.

[marcob]

There is a saying "if it aint broke do'nt fix it" I have had caravans and motorhomes for almost thirty years, and never had a habitation check.

If everything is working I do not want to spend £xxx.xx to be told so.

If anything stops working, (as it could the day after the check). I get it fixed.

BUT for safety DO change the rubber gas hoses at the recommended intervals.

I do have the chassis serviced.

Regards

[michele]

And what would be the correct intervals for changing a Gas Hose ?

Out of interest is your boiler meant to be serviced regularly ?

Apart from the hab check or is it included and sufficent to have it only done whilst having your habitation checked.

[fred grant]

fred as is dentristry carried out by the local car valeting company, his gas checks are dun by kicking the pipes in frosty waether, and if the lectrickery gives off sparks and kills a few passing strangers, then he calls denzils mate the butcher to clear things up. As for the elddis, well if a wheel drops off theres always a friendly face in cornwall who is willing to elp out.

 

frostyfred

[michele]

:D :D Oh Fred you never fails to make me chuckle !

[davenewellhome]

To the best of my knowledge you don't have to use your supplying dealer for hab check, any workshop that is part of the National Caravan Council Approved Workshop Scheme can do it and it should be acceptable for warranty purposes. I am not a NCC AWS member and so, as I tell all my customers wanting hab inspection, "your dealer may not honour any warranty if I do your inspection" but I do give a tick sheet of everything done and a written report of any problems found along with a written report on tyre tread depth and age.

 

D.

[Don Madge]

I know that if the van is out of warranty there is no requirement to have the habitation check done. If your selling a van it's a good selling point if you have the full service history.

 

For peace of mind I have mine done annually by Timberland as I live close to the factory. My van gets used more than most and I like to get that gas system checked out.

 

Dave Newell will do a Hab check for about £90 +VAT I think that would be money well spent if you can't check out the systems yourself.

 

If I every have to make a gas related claim on my insurance I will be far happier knowing I can produce that little bit of paper when they ask the usual question "When was it last checked"

 

Have a Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

 

Don

 

[Derek Uzzell]

Michele:

 

Your Bessacarr's gas-hose will most probably carry a date of manufacture. According to Truma(UK)'s advice the hoses that they market should be replaced no later than 5 years from that date and it's reasonable to assume this advice would be good for non-Truma-marketed hoses. Some gas hoses carry a 'don't use after' date (which makes better sense in my view), but these are more likely to be found on non-UK-built vehicles.

 

From what I recall your Bessacarr has a Truma C-Series heater. These appliances can't be 'serviced' as such, though one might reasonably expect someone carrying out habitation servicing to check that the heater worked properly, that there were no gas or water leaks, that the flue was unobstructed, the drain-valve operated correctly, etc.

[empress]

Dave Newell carried out our habitation check for us - and was able to point out that one of our gas hoses was near to death, as we might have been if we had carried on in ignorance for much longer.

 

Thank you, Dave.

 

Empress