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the mechanic told me – but, of course, a year is a long time. The moral to my story is, check that towbar carefully. Our emergency brake cable was round the bar, the bar could have come off and we’d have had no emergency brakes. Gulp! Jeremy Bingham
MANUFACTURERS MUST UP THEIR GAME
I bought a new caravan in 2015, which came with the standard manufacturer’s warranty. Buying it in November meant the annual service also had to be done in November. Within the first year, I noticed a stress fracture on the nearside rear roof corner, stress fractures on the gas locker lid adjacent to the hinges, and blind-return springs giving up the ghost. I pointed out these faults to the dealership, and they were apparently repaired, with a complete new rear end and a new gas locker lid, on its first service. The blinds, I now know, were retensioned. During the second year, the main rooflight started letting water in while we were on a site; it turned out that the mounting surround had cracked and had to be replaced. This was completed on the second annual service, plus the blinds had failed again and this time were replaced. In the caravan’s third year, I found a further stress fracture on the opposite side of the rear end. This time, the dealership fitted end caps over the top rear corners. On its third service, in November 2018, the dealership found 42% damp in the wall board at the bottom of the front windows; this is currently waiting for the parts to arrive at the dealership to repair the caravan. Additionally, we noticed the floor was creaking at the bed end of the caravan, which was resolved by the dealership tightening the bed fixings. I put in a formal complaint to the dealership regarding poor manufacturing, which was forwarded to the manufacturer. We asked for a refund, but they won’t consider that, instead stating that my complaint is with the dealership and not them. That is correct under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, but given that the dealership says they also have to repair the caravan, what can I do? I personally do not have a complaint about the dealership, and in a way feel sorry for them having to continually repair faulty caravans because they have not been made correctly in the first place. I also have the inconvenience of a 40-mile drive there and back to take the van to the dealership each time. Talking to other caravanners on sites, they all seem to have had problems with their vans. I think it is about time that the manufacturers started looking at their methods and making their products correctly in the first place. Jim White
Sarah Wakely says…
Thank you for your letter, Jim, and I’m sorry to hear you’ve had issues with your caravan. Please be sure to have your say in our next Owner Satisfaction Survey, which is due to launch soon. Anyone looking to buy this year, new or used, should first read the results of this year’s survey, starting on p79.