Malibu Spares delivery period
Background to the problem
Having waited for the delivery of our Carthago Malibu 640 LE Van Conversion for 10 months after initially ordering the Vehicle during the week of the Motorhome Show 2016 it was finally handed over in August 2017!!!.
The delivery delay was not the fault of the dealer but Fiats (New Engine problems).
The hand over by the dealer was very good however we had asked for several dealer fitted extras, one of these being the provision of a outside BBQ Point, Imagine our surprise when we were in the process of the handover that we noticed that the BBQ connection point had been fitted in the wood panel (Factory Fitment) below the cooker. The BBQ point cannot be used unless the Side entrance sliding door and the Fly screen are open. There was another problem that the Fly screen was faulty. The dealer agreed that they would reposition the BBQ point supplying a replacement wood panel as they had cut a hole through the existing panel and replace the Fly Screen.
Problem
We have now been waiting 4 months for the delivery of components to allow the work to be carried out.
The dealer says that they are waiting for Malibu to supply the parts..
Is there any members of the community had similar delays with factory delivery Does anyone have any advice that could possibly accelerate the process the spares delivery.
Comments
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i realise that waiting for spares, from whoever, is one of the joys of the caravan/motorhome trade.
however, while the BBQ point is in the wrong place for a UK 'summer' (sounds like this might well be normal for a continental summer BBQ) im sure this wont be too inconvenient.....for me, if it was so cold i had to close the door, i wouldn't be BBQing....
again, the flyscreen would annoy, but the van is perfectly usable (for the most part, without it.
the BBQ point being sited wrongly is probably a 'communication' problem with the order...the flyscreen might be faulty on any van, just a minor annoyance until replaced.
im not trying to belittle your issues (for any owner, a less than perfect van will grate) but (apart from the long delivery delay) i know what a great PVC this van is (we looked very hard at a Malibu before ending ip with our similar sized Compactline) and you will have years of great use from it.
compared to some other products, you have a (virtually) 'failt free' van.
who was your supplying dealer?
go on, love it....
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no, its a real world account of the poor delivery supply chain that blights the whole industry.
however, if the only two issues were the BBP point fitted where the factory would (in lieu of a customer request) and a problem with a fly screen, the van will be in miles better condition than many 'featured' on most forums....
would i put my faith (and cash) in a Carthago PVC (or an Adria, or Hymer, or Knaus etc) over a Swift or Autotrail.....you bet ya.....
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Did I read this correctly? They fitted a BBQ point inside the van? I appreciate that it is next to the sliding door but it doesn't seem very well thought out. To me an external point is exactly that. If that is the only way a BBQ point can be fitted I would have thought it sensible that the dealer explained that before fitting?
David
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Although not ideal, I can actually see the logic of where the BBQ point was sited as it saves another hole through the bodywork.
On lead times, it's hard to believe that it was caused by Fiat rather than Carthago's poor procurement process. If it was Fiat, other converters would have had the same problem.
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double post
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just responding to your equally predictable (and wholly non constructive as usual) posting...
no manufacturers should be quoting lead times as long as the OP suggests, but these issues (resiting the bbq point and a new flyscreen) shouldnt prevent the customer from using the van, unlike 'features' like damp would...is it the Fiat parts delivery that is the problem?...and we dont know if the van is being used or not....just awaiting a mod?
the BBQ point on the rear panel of the kitchen (which gets exposed when the door is slid open) makes perfect sense on many accounts..
it prevents more bodywork cutting (as above), the pipework for the outlet is 'local' to existing gas supply being 'in' the kitchen, logic suggests that, for the target market (the continent), the sliding door will (for the most part) be open to allow kitchen based food/cutlery/crockery etc to service the BBQ table...
do folk in the UK really stand outside a van, with all the doors closed, keeping a BBQ company?
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That was my thought as well about the BBQ point. It never makes sense to cut a hole in the metal bodywork of a PVC unless absolutely necessary.
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Fellow Members thank you all for the replies, I would say that we are satisfied with the Malibu Carthago and the problems are not preventing us from using the van.
When we BBQ here or abroad we always close the van door to prevent cooking smells from entering the van. The fly screen is always closed to prevent those annoying flying things from entering the van unless the van door is closed.
We are not screamers its just that I would like to have the van as we wanted it and its frustrating having to wait months for simple rectifications.
My opinion for positioning the BBQ point in the location it was fitted was that it was the quickest position as it was below the gas hob so a t piece and a short run of pipe and that's it. As we asked for a external BBQ point we did not expect it to be internal to the van.
With regard to the vehicle delivery it was a problem with Fiat Engines (I believe that it was the Crank Shafts that had failed the works inspection. We did contact Fiat direct and they confirmed the delivery delay I cannot believe that this was the only van that had a delay due to this problem). Again thank you all
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predictable
