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Well looks like we may be coming back to camping after all.

Been researching the new Conway Crusader. Had a lot of helpful advice from Casey's and Camping International. Now I just need to go and see one in the flesh. It's just a shame that I don't think we will be able to afford it before the VAT rise. Maybe we may get a bargain used one with all the extras too next year. We even bought Practical Caravan yesterday to have a look.

We have had ours a year now. We had the Conway Countryman before the Crusader. I think the Countryman was better made than the crusader. Don't get me wrong, i wouldn't go back to the countryman, but either i just got a bad one or i am rougher than i think with it.

 The first time i slid the skirt that covers the wheel along the groove it split the seem and even after repairs it did it again. I tried opening up the groove, but it's no better.

 The velcro on the bedroom windows didn't reach, so we had to sew another length of velcro onto it.

 I have seen the seems of the roof canopy looking pretty weak, and only last week i tore the material where it goes under the bed to the velcro strip.

 The front storage door creaks and groans when i lift it up and eventually one side came off the coupling.

 Every time we go out in it i tremble at what will happen next.

 I have always been careful with my things, i hate abusing anything, and everytime something goes wrong i cringe. I don't know if it's me or the quality of the construction.

 I have complained to Pennine about it but they told me to take it back to Highbridge where I bought it, but it's the other end of the country from me and just not practical.

This has got me worried now, don't want to pay out in excess of £11,000 and it not last. We just decided this would be better for us than a van, as we got rid of our van a few years back because of the storage costs, but we could keep the camper at home.

Research, Research, Research me thinks.

Thanks for all your replies

Yes, that's one of the reasons we went for a folding camper. We keep it on our drive so that when i clean the car i do the camper at the same time, so that it always looks at it's best.

 This camper will be in excess of £12000 next year after the vat increase. I planned on keeping the Crusader until about 2015 when i think i won't be fit enough to put it up and down, i then planned on upgrading to a caravan, but if i put it up for sale now i don't know how much it would cost to put the things right that are wrong with it already, never mind in 2015.

 The Crusader Platinum is the envy of every park we take it to. Everyone admires it, it looks good, i get the best nights sleep in it that i get anywhere. It suites us down to the ground, but i personally don't think it's well enough made to last. I mean when you go off with a caravan you just park it up and connect it to the mains etc and that's it, but errecting and dismantling a folding camper is work, and everything has to work properly every time you do it. We go off about 10 times a year, and i wonder what state this peice of kit is going to be in five years from now.

 It's a shame, but that's how i feel about it, but i will say this. I have spoken to many caravaners and motorhome people on camp sites where ever we have been, and some of the faults people have told me about are pretty scary. Is it British workmanship thats not what it used to be? i don't know, but theres not much pride in workmanship in a lot of companies i deal with in every day life.

 I don't blame you for wanting the Crusader, and i hope the one you get is better than mine, or that you are better at handling it than me, and do less damage to it.

Had mine since end of June, got the same problem with the velcro on the bedroom windows, also had the stitching come away on one of the bedroom corners,  one of the window pole holders doesn't close properly so pole slides out. 

Also had a problem with the sink not draining properly and has damamged the laminate on the sink, but this was to do with the outside drainage hose being too long. 

 Took it back tio Casey's where I got it from.  Couldn't be more helpful, rectified the problem with the sink draining.  gave me some tenacious tape to keep the stitching together till the end of the season and then they will have it back and send it back to Pennine to rectify problems.

Most of my problems appear to be with the Isabella canopy rather than the base unit itself.

If you can't get it to the dealer you bought it from, is there another one closer by?

Still absolutely love it and wouldn't have anything else.  These days as with anything you buy brand new with so many components you will get a few snags, but if you have a good dealer these should be rectified quickly without any hassle.

It's out of guarantee now. If i had taken it back at the beginning of the year and had it fixed, other things have happened to the camper since. I don't blame the dealer where i got it, and Isabella have a good name who made the top. I will probably bite the bullett and take the top round to Sipplings near me who will fix the torn plastic at some point before selling it, because i couldn't confidently sell this lovely peice of kit in it's present condition. Then i have got to get a new door for the front storage cupbord from somewhere, who knows what that will cost.

Meanwhile we will continue going on camping breaks, because it's not going to stop me.

as it isn't even 24months months old I would quote the sale of goods act. 

Under the Sale of Goods Act, retailers are responsible for faulty goods (that are not 'of satisfactory quality') for up to six years after you bought them.  In Scotland the period is five years after something goes wrong.  'Satisfactory quality' covers various aspects that could be wrong with the goods, including whether they've lasted as long as you could reasonably expect.  A 'reasonable' lifetime for different products is not defined in law and would ultimately be for a court to decide.  But, for example, you might reasonably expect a £600 television to last longer than 18 months, but you wouldn't necessarily expect compensation if a £20 kettle broke down in this period.  So you would 'reasonably' expect a £10k camper to last more than 18 months

They may try to shirk it and say prove it is a manufatring defect but the Act also says DURABLE and fit for the purpose, its not durable if it only lasts 2 years.

definately worth a try

Thanks for your well constructed letter Connorsdad. I have subsequently written to Pennine again. I will let you know what the outcome of it is.

Thanks

Quote: Originally posted by bigears47 on 11/9/2010

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Thanks for your well constructed letter Connorsdad. I have subsequently written to Pennine again. I will let you know what the outcome of it is.

Thanks

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