NEELS’ RALLY TENT
Caravan builders used to take pride in their work. Are those days over? asks Neels van Heerden.
Asign in my 1992 model Jurgens Wimpi proudly states that this specific caravan – which years ago cost R20 000 – was built under the personal supervision of someone named Frank Seekoei. This past December holiday I bumped into one of my camping acquaintances on the KwaZuluNatal South Coast. For many years he looked after his beloved 2003 model Exclusive like it was his baby, but in October last year he traded it in on a whim for a modern luxury caravan that cost him R400 000. The pleasantries were not even out of the way when he forced a beer in my hand and started telling me about the new caravan. Someone named it “Blink Stefaans” because of the poor workmanship and the struggle with the manufacturer and dealer. Apparently the dealer refused responsibility for any issues because according to him he only sells the vehicles. He then told my friend to contact the factory directly. Blink Stefaans was riddled with problems. Since October no fewer than 30 factory faults were fixed and the finishes inside are equally questionable. Hinges were fitted skew causing the doors to warp. The manufacturer’s technical team even had to drive all the way to Rustenburg to fix the issues. The hinges’ short screws were replaced with longer ones; the inside light didn’t want to switch off; the outside tap was stuck; the factory forgot to put in shelves; the containers for the crockery weren’t installed; the shower floor wasn’t sealed; and the spare wheel came undone. My friend is still waiting for the caravan’s manual.
THE BIGGEST HEADACHE,
however, is the water system that apparently was put in back to front – when you connect the water supply the water tank drains. The factory eventually had to replace dozens of systems. With the first camp weekend at the end of last year the water system almost burst open. When the technical team performed follow-up maintenance they had to replace the whole system and that’s when they realised that the non-return valve was installed incorrectly. After the repairs my friend was hopeful of a December holiday without any troubles. But he hadn’t even parked his car in the campsite when his neighbour on a higher terrace called to him and showed him how terrible Blink Stefaans’ roof looked. The factory taped the roof seams with fabric and paint – the kind you use to seal seams on corrugated roofs – and here and there it was already coming apart. It wasn’t long before Blink Stefaans was the main attraction in the campsite, with people coming from all over to witness the spectacle. People expressed their surprise and wondered whether the factory lost the plot. The general consensus was that no one was going to trade in their older caravans for a newer range any time soon. SOME OF THE LEADING caravan manufacturers in Europe have a philosophy that less than a quarter of bad products are due to mistakes on the factory floor. The biggest section of the blame can be attributed to poor process management. Of course, everyone on the factory floor should have good technical skills, but the end result – the caravan on the dealer’s floor – is not the place to pick up errors for the first time. The entire production process contributes to poor quality in terms of finishes and performance. By only focussing on targets, short cuts are usually taken. Maintenance to machines on the factory floor is kept to a bare minimum and staff don’t do courses to improve their skills. I wonder where Frank Seekoei was when Blink Stefaans was put together.
The general consensus was that no one was going to trade their older caravans for a newer range any time soon.