Do you have your caravan serviced
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our last van we traded in had a full service history , but the salesman told us we would get "book price" wether it had a full history or not , they said they were more interested in the condition of it at trade in , so why waste money on servicing that
you are not going to get your money back ......0 -
AD, I took a 4K hit when I sold the van, a little over 1k loss per year. I'm happy with that
. It was a conscious decision that I made.
I really don't care for running around worrying about not having the little stamps in the book. The horror stories I read on here fill me with confidence that my attitude was the right one for me. I don't slavishly stick to dealers with my new vehicles either.
If my attitude came back & bit my rear end I'd accept it-it hasn't yet.0 -
It's obviously a chance you take by not getting that rubber stamp in the book while in warranty. Knowing that, I still wouldn't bother as servicing can cause problems of its own when undertaken by our wonderful dealerships and getting work done under warranty
is traumatic. If the van was beyond hope I'd send to auction and replace it. That's my view.Dealers must love you, my Lunar would'nt be worth fourpence if I had left it to rot for 4 years and there was nothing traumatic about getting it rectified just took it in and told them they did the rest.
No, they don't love me because they don't get my money each year for, so called, servicing.
What bad luck having such a rotten van, David.
Yes SWMBO is refusing point blank now to buy any more British vans, we have had 2 and they have both leaked like sieves and 2 German vans that we were quite mad to part with. Incidentally I am under no illusions about what gets done on a service but new
Fridges and damp repairs more than justify the cost of getting a stamp in the book AND
its a condition of our insurance and most likely yours too.Err, no it isn't and never has been on any of my van policies. In fact I wouldn't have bother with cvan insurance either if it wasn't for the third party element. The MH, of course, is different altogether with regards to insurance as there's no split between
base vehicle and hab unit cover.0 -
If the van got stolen and faced with a £25000 loss it would be great comfort to to know how much we had saved on insurance.and servicing.
I'd live with it but, as I said, insurance has always been in place.
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AD, I took a 4K hit when I sold the van, a little over 1k loss per year. I'm happy with that
. It was a conscious decision that I made.
I really don't care for running around worrying about not having the little stamps in the book. The horror stories I read on here fill me with confidence that my attitude was the right one for me. I don't slavishly stick to dealers with my new vehicles either.
If my attitude came back & bit my rear end I'd accept it-it hasn't yet.I also slavishly get my car serviced at the main dealers and get roadside assistance plus a heap of other benefits if it was to breakdown and that is for for 30 years if I was ever to keep a car that long or live .
Each to their own. I choose my way-you yours. It makes you happy the way you do your thing-good. We are a million miles apart in out attitude to 'tools' never the twain shall meet. I'm happy with that
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I,ve had a van stolen and was paid out in full. Serviceing never came into the equation.The only thing they were interested was if it had wheel locks on and its year of manufacture.Service history especially on cars is notoriously easy too fake and in many cases is,nt worth the paper its written on.
peter.
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I have ours serviced every year. I do not have the ability and rely on a good mobile engineer. Anyone who does not have the van serviced and does not do it themselves is simply not looming after their investment or their own safety.
The service requirement is for vans over five years old and insured on a replacement as new basis. I am not aware of standard policies requiring this but it is probably worth checking yours if you do not have it done.
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Hi - The poor people who lavishly send their cars in get them serviced by the main stealers are living in cookoo land. I have a friend who runs a garage and MOT station and has been through all the Engineering qualifications I have - he informs me that with
the range of vehicles he takes in for the First Test (3 years) many have the signs of not beeen properly serviced or maintained in that time. Though the owners take them in the guarantees and servicing are prepaid for on purchase so the dealer simply chekck
to make sure the running gear is safe - and they are good enough to last at least that today. They don't change the oil and filters etc if they think they can get away with it and by the time the first test is due they are a wreck. The same will be for caravans
with such simple checks needed boy of 12 years could manage them. warranties are designed to scare people into taking them in for so called services to be valid. My neighbour has had his new van in more times than he has been off in it - leaks and electrical
problems.0 -
Mmm, I once worked in a main dealers workshop. You won't hear me disagree.
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Sorry all you folks who don't get your service books stamped by a recognised dealer or qualified engineer, but I certainly wouldn't consider buying a used Caravan or a M/H without a full service history. After the recent tale of the explosion and fire at a CC rally, AND the amount of folk posting here,who do not get their gas systems,appliances and Electrical systems serviced every year, I can't say I'm suprised. I'll be making sure I'm a good distance away from my neighbors on CC sites in future.
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I have our van serviced for a number of reasons: lack of time to do it myself, maintain warranty conditions, help with resale/trade-in. However the next van is likely to be a long term keeper so will probably revert to DIY servicing when out of warranty.
I have always believed car dealer servicing to be a lottery/rip off and anything I lack time or equipment to address I use the local spanner-man or marque specialist.0 -
Vehicle serviced annually by the local garage which I have used for over thirty years and the habitation side is done annually by a reliable local mobile engineer who I have used for ten years.All paperwork is kept on file.Total cost averages around £300
pa depending upon bits required,of course.Look after your kit and it will look after you is my policy.0 -
Sorry all you folks who don't get your service books stamped by a recognised dealer or qualified engineer, but I certainly wouldn't consider buying a used Caravan or a M/H without a full service history. After the recent tale of the explosion and fire at
a CC rally, AND the amount of folk posting here,who do not get their gas systems,appliances and Electrical systems serviced every year, I can't say I'm suprised. I'll be making sure I'm a good distance away from my neighbors on CC sites in future.Ray, many people who look after their own vans are far better qualified to do so than the staff who work in dealerships. The full service history myth means nothing at all.
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Having used 5 different caravan dealers and a mobile service engineer over the years I agree that there are some really rubbish ones out there. However when you find one that you trust it is worth sticking with them. Not everyone has the tools and knowledge
to do their own servicing. The local garage has always serviced my towcar and is now looking after my motorhome.0 -
Our motorhome is vehicle serviced by our local garage, used them for years for our cars too - if they say it needs doing we know they are telling the truth, was never sure when using a dealer. We had to have a new tyre fitted in Cornwall years ago, and
it was loose by the time we got to M5. NO we didn't know they should be checked after 20 miles, ridiculous if you consider the pracitlicalities especially the disabled; and WHY isn't it pointed out? I've taken my car to the tyre fitters for years, I certainly
don't look like someone who'd know what to do or how to do it let alone have the muscle too, and have never been told the nuts would need checking. Our habititation check is carried out by local family concern BRILLIANT service - so popular it's hard to book
in if you haven't thought about it ahead, speaks volumes to me. Very happy with the way we do things.I have a relative who works for a very large dealership and he is always saying about how hard they are pressed to do the bare minimum and not change things unless unavoidable. Also speaks voumes.
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Sorry all you folks who don't get your service books stamped by a recognised dealer or qualified engineer, but I certainly wouldn't consider buying a used Caravan or a M/H without a full service history. After the recent tale of the explosion and fire at
a CC rally, AND the amount of folk posting here,who do not get their gas systems,appliances and Electrical systems serviced every year, I can't say I'm suprised. I'll be making sure I'm a good distance away from my neighbors on CC sites in future.Most service history aint worth the paper its written on.A stamp in a book is no proof of anything.
peter.
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Ray , do you get your house electrical wiring checked every year ??, you know ,all those house fires
Write your comments here...No, I don't, but then I don't take my house bouncing around the country, and don't plug and unplug the connection to many different mains suppliers with my house either.The same principle applies to the gas fittings and pipework which is even more critical. As for Dealers NOT doing these checks, that is what they have been paid to do.AND they sign their initials to prove it, if they don't check it and there is an accident, at least I cannot be held liable, as I had a professional service it. If I didn't I could be held negligent and potentionally liable.
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Ray , do you get your house electrical wiring checked every year ??, you know ,all those house fires
Write your comments here...No, I don't, but then I don't take my house bouncing around the country, and don't plug and unplug the connection to many different mains suppliers with my house either.The same principle applies to the gas fittings and pipework
which is even more critical.Although we get our van serviced every year. Not everything needs doing annually. The electrical check is one of those. The full thing with comprehensive report costs about £120 and is recommended every 3 years. Bailey put a sticker on our van saying when
it should be carried out again and it is also mentioned in the hand over paperwork.0 -
Things you should know: Manufacturers - cars in particular have the technology now to build into their products code to prevent aftermarket work being undertaken so that they force customers to take in their cars or maybe in the future "caravans". They do this by fitting code into every aspect of the vehicle. It is so complex that even the people in the dealerships do not have the skills to fix a problem without connecting a computer to the car with special diagnostics. given that they have the ability to implement these codes they also have the ability to build into the vehicles a low cost self diagnostic feature in to the items that allows parts to be paired at a stroke but they won't because it's a rip off to get extortionate charges in the pockets of dealers.
NB There is a socket on every car called an OBD2 that interrogates the car ECU that has helped the aftermarket get around this but now some are making it so that just plugging into an OBD2 socket will need a pass code only the dealers have - and you guessed it a charge of £100 for just a one off use --mmmmmm.
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Our motorhome is vehicle serviced by our local garage, used them for years for our cars too - if they say it needs doing we know they are telling the truth, was never sure when using a dealer. We had to have a new tyre fitted in Cornwall years ago, and
it was loose by the time we got to M5. NO we didn't know they should be checked after 20 miles, ridiculous if you consider the pracitlicalities especially the disabled; and WHY isn't it pointed out? I've taken my car to the tyre fitters for years, I certainly
don't look like someone who'd know what to do or how to do it let alone have the muscle too, and have never been told the nuts would need checking. Our habititation check is carried out by local family concern BRILLIANT service - so popular it's hard to book
in if you haven't thought about it ahead, speaks volumes to me. Very happy with the way we do things.I have a relative who works for a very large dealership and he is always saying about how hard they are pressed to do the bare minimum and not change things unless unavoidable. Also speaks voumes.
We must just be lucky. Our caravan dealer always tell us that the wheel nuts will need checking after 20 miles. They are also all marked with a line so you can see if there is any movement. This is also the case at the local tyre shop and the main dealer
where my car is serviced.0 -
Steve - The truck industry have been fitting nut markers for years since there is no nut fitting that is beyond reproach - the physics are well know - metal fatigue, heat expansion and contraction of metals etc. Those markers on tell the drivers that the nut has not loosed but it does not indicate that the wheel is loose since the shaft of the bolt has just expanded - the nut position stays in place. To check if the wheeel maybe loose you have to use a small hammer - ever heard the term "wheel tappers and shunters" it comes from industrial revolution railways. Ya just tapthe nuts and listen - if it rings ,it's tight, if ya get a dull thud it's slack - simples eh. If you drive a vehicle ya should know how to maintain it - period.
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I agree, I expect to see receipts and reports backing up the dealers stamps. The dealers stamps are important for the manufacturer, when dealing with warranty work though.
I agree Ray as regards warranty work but any owner can have a car or van serviced and the dealer can name half a dozen jobs that he reccomends need doing but you are under no obligation too have them done.You still get your book stamped and any reference too said jobs on paper can be conveniently "lost" by the owner.Its so very easy to fake "good" service history.Fact.
peter.
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Hi - there is an unseen rule that once the vehicle is taken out of the service centre the driver is fully responsible for it. Since there is no way liabilty can be accepted for omissions by the service personnel - sounds incredible but you will soon find
out that enforcing any litigation will prove very costly and difficult. Even for a loose wheel that should have been fixed. Today the culture is to always blame someone else and paying for a service entitles immunity from blame - well you may get some sympathy
but that's all.0
