I have had plenty to say in recent times about the poor quality and service that surround the whole caravan market and nothing much changes it seems.
I have a 2015 Coachman 545VIP and need to have it serviced by an approved company to maintain my warranty - so that's what I do.
Over my years of caravan ownership I have used a few companies and whilst in general they know what they are doing you don't get a lot for your £150+ service.
The last couple of years I have settled for a local mobile company who are approved and on the whole have been satisfied to use them - that is until now.
So I got them to do its annual service at the end of the season and with instructions to ensure it was left ready for winter storeage - water drained etc - so now you know what's coming next.
The caravan is in a fantastic secure compound and I did not need to visit it prior to my attempted use last weekend - other than call in the week before to make sure it was there and in one piece - I did not expect to have to re check every item that they had done and so assumed all was correct.
So picked it up last weekend and headed off to my local site only 10 miles away - towed nicely and started to set up on site - all going well until I was about to connect the water system - lifted seat to close both drain taps and only one had been opened and drained - at that I had a feeling of impending doom.
Closed open drain tap and switched on pump - heard loud noise of gushing water and instantly turned off pump - checked under seat and water everywhere.
The main inlet fitting was cracked and in pieces on the floor - a quick look told me there was no quick fix to this and so I rang the company who had done the work - they were unable to come out and attend due to unforeseen circumstances on their part - so I was left with no option but to pack up and return home - what a disappointment - my wife and I were less than pleased I can tell you.
Took pictures of the damage and sent to the company - they attended the caravan the next week.
I will applaud them in that the accepted responsibility straight away and have rectified the situation and have tested all the systems again and assure me all is well - I will know for sure when I go out in it again in a couple of weeks.
I have no reason to doubt them and look forward to my next trip without any problems this time.
You will have noticed that I have not named the company on here as in my opinion it was a genuine mistake and they rectified it without any problems or trying to wriggle out of it.
What concerns me though is that there is never any help when you need it on site - in my case at 4 pm on a Friday afternoon - it's a shame the AA or RAC don't operate a repair service for such occasions .
I am so glad it was only a run up the road and not on my annual trip to Lands End or worse still on the Continent.
As you say, a genuine, but catastrophic as regards your stay, mistake. You may be limited due to where your van is stored, but i wouldn't dream of setting off anywhere after a long winter - even after a recent service, without firing up the whole van first.
As found out, mistakes do happen. But after long lay ups, other stuff happen through sheer under-use. Pumps play up; switches on taps stick; things shake loose from your last outing, only coming to light in earnest on your way to the next. When you find your fridge door hanging off (twice), or knife drawer on the floor (once).
So, if at all possible, it pays to 'set up' on your drive after a long lay up.
I think if you contact the MCEA they do run a scheme similar to the AA and RAC
Its unfortunate that you have suffered an inconvenience however even though you asked the service company to leave your caravan as per your request, I do believe its still your responsibility to check yourself before use, fortunately for you they did make it right without a fuss where as others may have tried to wriggle out.
Glad its sorted for you now
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i`ve given up on the knife drawer . . . .and my bike wedged between the fridge and the microwave on the floor ensures my frozen food stays . . . .cool.
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Topic: Caravan Servicing Woes
