Tier 4 restriction on caravan servicing
Comments
-
Scenario 3. Prices and work confirmed over phone and e-mail confirmation sent. Tow to dealer at confirmed time, park in unused main carpark. Dealer's man drives up with tractor. Unhitches van and takes it away with tractor. Driver goes home having been sent e-mail confirming van dropped off.
Dealer calls back in a couple of days to give a collection time.
ET - that was exactly the scenario I envisaged in respect to taking my van to ALV, later this month - except I was going to leave it with them for a week to have some warranty work done as well.
What is exercising my mind is:
1. Although, probably technically legal, is it within the 'spirit' of the guidelines which are essentially to stop as much movement as possible.
2. The guidelines and even the law is so vague and confusing that my interpretation might be totally different from the police officer that stops me and has a different opinion.
I accept that at the end of the day it might come down to a legal argument as to exactly what is and isn't permitted - but let's be honest, even the police (and a number of notable politicians) aren't really sure exactly what is and isn't allowed!
0 -
My two examples were just suggestions, but it’s good to see others are happy to think round what is best for them.
Personally, I would be happier with the first suggestion, which simply involves a person in a van, insured to work, coming to me. But others know what suits them best. Either way, good wishes to anyone hoping to get any work or checks done, it hasn’t been easy organising anything these last 10 months or so.
0 -
It does👍 And a few more people.
0 -
A bit of good unconscious humour there ET👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻😂😂
1 -
For a, hopefully, unlikely scenario, suppose Boris brought in a really brutal lockdown - absolutely no contact with others, a curfew, and essential shopping on line only, and delivered by pre-ordering. And even with all this the virus continued to spread, what then? If things don’t start to turn for the better in the near future, I am wondering what kind of a horrors we are in for, before this nightmare ends.
1 -
"Does anybody foresee a turnaround on schools?"
Boris said yesterday and again at lunchtime that primary schools were safe and should be opened apart from "high risk" areas. Our esteemed Education Secretary has said over and again that, with ample testing arrangements, secondary schools will be safe for a "staggered opening". So cue statements tonight that, following new scientific advice, schools should stay closed for the foreseeable future (in Scotland it's until half term, I believe.)
The only "staggering" thing about it is the gross incompetence being shown yet again!
2 -
Just a couple of questions. Is there a NCC approved workshop in Barnard Castle? Has anyone noticed how like Frank Spencer, Gavin Williamson is?
1 -
Meanwhile - back at the Virus, it is busy coming up with further mutations that will astound us in due course!
During the Back Death plague they boarded up people's windows and doors from the outside. Well, construction industry would be kept working . . . .
0 -
I’ll go one further and say that they don’t know what decisions are, or are not, effective. Children may be resistant to the effects of the virus, but they are not immune from catching it and passing it on to others. Much of the decision-making is based upon how it affects the economy. Whilst it is appreciated that stagnation of the economy is a critical blow to the country, failure to lockdown effectively now will only extend the time that the economy is prevented from growing and also the time where special grants are increasing the national deficit. This may well result in a far greater cost than a short and brutal lockdown now. And, once it is found that the wrong decision was taken, the clock cannot be turned back and the costs of it will be there for all of us to bear.
1 -
So back to the original question which has to be changed slightly,now we are back in a full lock down can i take my caravan for it's annual service next week. My problem is the dealer is 40 miles away in a different county so i have to make 4 trips to drop off then collect a few day's later. The caravan center seem to think that as it is a firm booking it is ok for me to take it but i am not convinced. Any thought's
0 -
The Gov guidance is far from clear BJ. It gives some permitted reasons for travel but says that the list is not fully defined as other reasons are permitted. One reason being to obtain services which should be local where possible.
You have I suppose 4 immediate choices.
1 Go and see if you are stopped and if stopped. The gov site says you can travel buying goods or services that you need, but this should be within your local area wherever possible.
2 rearrange
3 don't go.
4 seek advice from your local constabulary who will be the enforcers
0 -
well just 2 hrs ago i had an email from my local garage to say workshop open as normal and all normal servicing and work being undertaken, they do warn that there could be some supply chain problems, only car showroom closed, ok they dont do caravans, but i guess if you booked your car in for service prior to lock down they would expect you to turn up with your car, and they are certainly taking new bookings
0 -
"4 seek advice from your local constabulary who will be the enforcers"
A sensible suggestion ET - but I doubt that anyone will commit to a definitive answer. I was in this situation in the first lockdown, and, being a retired senior officer of our local force, emailed the current Chief Constable to ask his interpretation - to be on the safe side and to avoid any possible embarrassment. All I got was a non-committal answer which didn't help me in the slightest!
As a sequel to my earlier post with regard to the dilemma I have with regard to maintaining the bodywork warranty on our van and Knaus not responding to anyone's question about them extending the servicing interval during lockdown - ALV at Tebay have agreed to come and collect the van next week and bring it back a week later for not a lot more money than it would have cost me in diesel to do the job myself.
So I am now a happy womble knowing that the van can now be serviced without any danger of me breaking the law - but more importantly in the longer term - that the warranty conditions won't be breached.
2 -
So, we are now in a national regime so no confusion over tiers. In a previous post i said;
"Looking at it from the OPs position I might just consider that if the service centre staff are allowed to travel to work there is no point in them doing that unless there is work for them to do."
I dare say, as we can see from the range of answers, there will be a wide variety of opinions but only you can decide if what you are doing is reasonable.
I was faced with a similar situation, but it was last June some three months into the lock down and there were other factors to consider, and decided that I would take my van for a service.
It was obviously a booked appointment, and all done observing the guidance on distancing etc.
I may now need to book my car in for an oil change, car is telling me I need to do it in 16 days but is dependent on mileage so may not get to that now journeys are going to be curtailed, and Audi have confirmed that they are open for service and MOT.
It did seem to me counter intuitive, to travel, but as the caravan, and now the car service departments cant come to me, are allowed to be at work, I decided this was reasonable.
If my very reduced mileage means I do not need to get the oil change done in the lock down then great, but if it needs it then I will.
0 -
The problem with general caravan servicing is that it is not essential. There is sufficient leeway on warranties to allow you to wait until lockdown measures have been relaxed. I have booked my motorhome service for early March but have no idea whether it will take place on the appointed date as I imagine a backlog could develop? (I don't need an MOT) Interesting that they have not extended/delayed MOT's this time, apparently because of a backlog so they are allowing those to continue. Perhaps it's wise not to over intererate the new regulations and ask whether the work can be delayed. I usually take my motorhome out for a 10 mile drive every month and was going to do so today. Having thought about it a bit I decided that I would find it difficult to justify, there was even some doubt whether it could be done under tier 4?
David
0 -
yes it's all very grey. I do have caravan service people closer to me but if it goes back to original supplier in Sussex and they do habitation check they give a water ingress warranty for the time you own the van.So hence the 2 x 70 mile round trip every year for service and inspection. Unfortunately i still can't see the difference between me towing it or them towing it or me paying someone to tow it for me,the second two seeming to be legal.
1 -
Hi David, I did wonder how long it would take for the word essential' to be mentioned!
I made sure I did not say it as, in my opinion, whilst I may not be able to argue that I can argue the reasonableness on the basis of the circumstances in my post.
For example, you could have gone shopping, for essentials, in your MH and been at no risk of infringing the restrictions.
Over the first lock down it seemed many 'agonised' over their actions-many as that is their personality and others trying to 'push it'.
Between these two extremes are people who do their upmost to protect themselves and others and, if unable to comply to the letter of the guidance, at least observe the spirit of it.
0 -
Hi, as in my responses to davet it is quite simple
If a mobile mechanic comes to you they are "at work" which is allowed. If you tow it to them you are not "at work" and would have to rely on an argument or reasonableness.
On any day countless motorists are stopped for speeding but can be treated in a range of ways from "tut tut naughty boy" to 'here's your penalty notice".
If stopped you may get the former approach, having put forward your reasons, or could face a fine and no one on here, or anywhere else in all likelihood, can tell you which one it is likely to be.
0 -
I haven't spoke to them since last night's announcement on Monday morning they were still working, thing is if the government is allowing them to stay open common sense say's you can go to them if not why do they allow them to stay open.
0 -
I've already got my MH booked for a hab check in early April which I booked over a month ago and was the earliest available date then. Even that is a week or so past its anniversary. The MOT expires during March and I shall be arranging that together with a service and cambelt change shortly. Fortunately both locations will be within seven miles or so from home. I just hope that that there will be no further obstacles in the meantime.
On the subject of Covid related decisions, ISTM that HMG are unfamiliar with the maxim of "a stitch in time..."
0 -
I have used a mobile service engineer for several years. Last year, being Covid aware he still came and did our service in April. Apart from shouting "hello" from the house door I had no contact with him. The job was done as usual, the service report and invoice left in the caravan and payment made by bank transfer.
The question is should I get the caravan serviced this year? The 'van is 5 years old so out of warranty and, as it's a Lunar who knows whether any warranty would have been honoured anyway. We did only about 500 miles with it last year so things like the brakes shouldn't have worn. I know we ought to get new tyres this year but that wouldn't be through the engineer. I check things like the lights, cooker, space heater and fridge are working from time to time, which is pretty much all any service engineer would do. The damp test is something that I like to get done and, so far we have had a good report every year.
The other side of the coin is that I value the excellent service that I get and so not paying for a service could force him out of business. On balance, as we didn't spend anywhere near as much on holidays in 2020 I think paying out £160 for a service this year is probably a small price to pay for total peace of mind and helping to keep the engineer in business, providing, of course, that others that use his services are of a similar mind.
0
