I am sceptical about the PDI process and checklist. I looked at the one they'd filled in for our new Lunar Clubman SI and it has a tick against blown air heating - it was evidently working when they checked it.
Something of an achievement that; given its actually fitted with Alde wet heating.
It also had a tick indicating that all interior lights were working - the spot nearest the door did not work during the handover!
Oh and they had a tick against the Powertouch Evolution motor mover - this moved the van about 9 inches during the handover and then stopped working. It was quickly fixed - a crimped ring connector providing it with power had fallen off!
So much for quality assurance and PDI.
Very happy with the 'van and it does display appreciably better build quality than our last van but then again it cost half as much more so I guess that is what you would expect.
Perhaps I'm just picky expecting a fault free van but then I think that was the op's original point in that we seem to expect to find faults.
In contrast when you pick up a new car you expect it to be fully functional and if you do find a problem during hand over expect it rectified there and then. Car dealers are cut far less slack its time caravan dealers were expected to deliver to the same standards.
Well you must have dealt with similar people thar I dealt with.
The chap who did the handover to me had a 3 page tick list and I had a faulty light, damaged hitch cover and a motor mover which went backwards instead of forwards and left instead of right - they thought it was all a bit of a giggle and quite normal.
I asked the chap if he had been on a Coachman form ticking course - he didn't think that was so funny
It's easy money for the dealer principals and they don't pay good wages, hence most of the employees are semi skilled and have little interest in the job at all.
I have recently just bought a new Volvo and believe me that is a very different world - very near perfect - even if you are a bit picky
If I were in a position to buy a new caravan (which I am not), I would feel entitled to expect perfection. Even on the most budget-priced van. Every component fitted should work as it was designed to, there should be no leaks anywhere, and it should be completely free of defects. Why should anyone expect any less?
There is no reason why a budget-priced van should be any less perfect than a top-of-the-range model. Less well appointed certainly, but completely fault-free never the less. Otherwise, why would anyone buy new?
Oops just discovered another fault to add to the snagging list.
Gas strut at left hand side of fixed island bed is dangling in fresh air and not connecting the liftable bit to the base unit.
Given that the other strut on the right hand side is connected this pulls the bed across to the right in the down position and makes the centre bracing on the liftable area miss the bracing on the base unit.
Quote: Originally posted by david8858 on 31/10/2015
Oops just discovered another fault to add to the snagging list.
Gas strut at left hand side of fixed island bed is dangling in fresh air and not connecting the liftable bit to the base unit.
Given that the other strut on the right hand side is connected this pulls the bed across to the right in the down position and makes the centre bracing on the liftable area miss the bracing on the base unit.
PDI's what a joke!
What about the production checklist. When we bought ours virtually every job was printed out on a checklist and initialled to confirm the jobs had been checked. Surely if someone finds jobs not been done properly the manufacturer can ask whoever initialled the list to account for the discrepancy.
Regarding the checklist and manufacturers calling people to account - that won't happen in a hurry because 1) the manufacturers don't care a jot and 2) believe it or not there is a shortage of new caravans at peak times of the buying year
Dealers all have allocations as opposed to sales targets and when they are sold its not quite as easy as ordering another few - that's why it's difficult to get a serious discount except at the end of the model year
It's a clever way to do business especially as there is a longer queue of people wanting them than stock available
But at some point there will be a saturation point and the manufacturers will not find it so easy
Let's be honest most new caravans are a Blue Peter job - cardboard, scissors and a pot of glue
That includes my new £25K Coachman - but that's the way it is
Im expecting our 'handover' in a week or two to be minus gas. I'm told that 'elf 'n safety does not allow them to connect the gas pigtail, as it it cant be tested, may leak, and take out the whole of the north of England. Ok, i made the last bit up, its rubbish, as is their H&S claim.
If they try to show me how everything works - minus gas, which would be a contradiction in terms, i wont cough up, simple as.
I am fully expecting to go round the 'van checking stuff once its home, as i just dont trust the dealers POD one bit.
But they connect their own bottle to test - I was shocked when I bought my Coachman this year to learn that gas bottles and the battery don't come with a new van - they are extra
Regarding Quality Control and PDI at the dealers - it's a joke
.
I saw a video on YouTube put on by Coachman saying how QC is a vital part of the process and that the VIP range then has a special seperate inspection after that - my supplying dealer said they had spent a whole afternoon checking to make sure all was perfect to the extent he was late going home.
Well I don't know what they were all doing as I found 3 fairly serious problems in the first 5 mins of the hand over
, plus several more when I got it home, plus a major defect on my first trip out in it.
In my opinion the supplying dealers have no interest in anything but sales - after that they don't want to know
Quote: Originally posted by Mick S. on 01/11/2015
Im expecting our 'handover' in a week or two to be minus gas. I'm told that 'elf 'n safety does not allow them to connect the gas pigtail, as it it cant be tested, may leak, and take out the whole of the north of England. Ok, i made the last bit up, its rubbish, as is their H&S claim.
If they try to show me how everything works - minus gas, which would be a contradiction in terms, i wont cough up, simple as.
I am fully expecting to go round the 'van checking stuff once its home, as i just dont trust the dealers POD one bit.
What a load of rubbish. Perhaps you ought to point out that as the pigtail is fitted by the dealer, and not by Coachman, they have a duty in law to ensure it is fitted correctly. You could get them to explain how they test the pigtail is safe without connecting up to something.
I would ring Coachmen and get their version of what should happen on handover.
That is bull, we have had 4 new vans in the last 15 years. In each case the dealer has swapped over and connected the gas prior to handover,as we traded in.
------------- DS-There's more to life than football!!!
While we are on this topic those of you with vans built the end of 2012 to beginning of 2014 have an industry known fault on their windows, I found this out after my dealer kept trying to dodge replacing my Elddis windows claiming it was just damp and normal.
I had an independent survey of the van done by an NCC recommended agent who confirmed this as a known fault
What happens is you get a mirror image on the double glazing panes that looks like condensation patches but isn't, it is caused when air pressure during towing pushes the two panes together the resulting friction between the two panes causes the mirror images
Quote: Originally posted by freeatlast on 02/11/2015
Quote: Originally posted by Mick S. on 01/11/2015Im expecting our 'handover' in a week or two to be minus gas. I'm told that 'elf 'n safety does not allow them to connect the gas pigtail, as it it cant be tested, may leak, and take out the whole of the north of England. Ok, i made the last bit up, its rubbish, as is their H&S claim.
If they try to show me how everything works - minus gas, which would be a contradiction in terms, i wont cough up, simple as.
I am fully expecting to go round the 'van checking stuff once its home, as i just dont trust the dealers POD one bit.
What a load of rubbish. Perhaps you ought to point out that as the pigtail is fitted by the dealer, and not by Coachman, they have a duty in law to ensure it is fitted correctly. You could get them to explain how they test the pigtail is safe without connecting up to something.
I would ring Coachmen and get their version of what should happen on handover.
The vans not a Coachman, but thats beside the point. I will be taking my own QD pigtail with me, as i know it doesnt have one on at present anyway. I will be insisting they connect it, and show me the gas working. Or, ill be naming the dealer when im home.
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Topic: New Caravans and Quality Issues
