COROMAL Caravans

Submitted: Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 at 15:11
ThreadID: 101875 Views:9227 Replies:5 FollowUps:4
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Hi all, Beware if you buy a Coromal with two 80 L tanks. You may find they only take about 105 L between the 2 inter-connected tanks. We got caught out and when we complained the manager said we had filled them too fast because the tanks are "slow fill and subject to blow back"!!
To prove my point I mounted a 20 L container on a stand and slowly gravity fed the caravan tanks - they took 5 x 20 L plus a quarter (of the 20L container)
The manager then said that "Yes he did tell me the tanks had a capacity of 160 L but that did not mean they would take 160 L"
How's that for misleading sales talk ?
He eventually offered to instal a third tank which I accepted but it was not located where we had agreed and I fear it is going to mean more trouble.
I believe the tanks Coromal are using are not designed for flush under floor mounting, they refused to discuss the matter.
What should have been a happy experience has been very very disappointing.
Anybody had a similar experience?? Anyhow have fun caravaning.
Ian
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Reply By: AlanTH - Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 at 18:08

Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 at 18:08
Oh dear. Sounds much like the attitude of the retailer of our van and it's maker. Anything goes wrong which they can't fix with a tube of silicone and it's "wear and tear" or "inappropriate use" or just a complete silence.
Got so bad we had to take court action against the retalier and the manu has agreed to pay out our claim but the retailer still argues that "they didn't agree and wouldn't have paid"!
We kept every e-mail and complete records of what had been done plus all invoices showing expenditure.
Plus I've got a nice wheel cover on the back of my car voicing our discontent and at a recent caravan show in Perth we drove round and round slowly, hoping the message would get across:-)
We've had quite a few inquiries from people when parked up and we tell them everything so the message is getting out there so "good yer George, you're going to lose more than us"!
Happy vanning.
AlanH.
AnswerID: 509764

Follow Up By: Boeing (PER - Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 at 21:47

Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 at 21:47
Hi Alan

Were you at Martins Trailer Parts in Wangara a few weeks back?

I saw the wheel cover and thought "now there is one unhappy customer"

Cheers

Mark
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FollowupID: 787783

Follow Up By: AlanTH - Friday, Apr 26, 2013 at 09:26

Friday, Apr 26, 2013 at 09:26
That was me Mark, glad to hear yet another instance where my "message" has been spotted.
It's going to cost them far more than it would me. It's all documented so they can never accuse me of telling porkies and besides, the wheel cover is only stating our personal position.
What a way to treat customers who've spent in the region of a hundred grand with you over the last 10 years or so!
AlanH.
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FollowupID: 787805

Reply By: graham B9 - Friday, Apr 26, 2013 at 06:23

Friday, Apr 26, 2013 at 06:23
try putting in a buffet under the tanks at one end to make them tilt slightly. In this way the water will always run to the end of the drain.
AnswerID: 509801

Reply By: Jarse - Friday, Apr 26, 2013 at 06:59

Friday, Apr 26, 2013 at 06:59
Gidday Ian,

We had a PC546 with the 2 tanks and had a similar problem. Our install had one filler per tank, and you could isolate the tanks from one another. Nevertheless, they took forever to fill. There were two reasons for this:

1. The "professionals" that build these things seem to think it's okay to just drill a tiny breather hole in the top of the tank, rather than plumb the breathers (which are built into the tanks ANYWAY) into the fitting in the filler neck.

All in the name of saving, what, 30 mins of labour on the production line? Not to mention the crap that has free entry into the top of your tanks.

I found this out when I managed to fill the tanks and found two mysterious leaks. That was the water coming out of the "improvised" breather system.

2. Get under the van and take a look at where the filler lines go into the side of the tanks. I'll bet they're a little over 1/2 way up the side of the tank. So once the water level in the tank gets to the top of the filler opening in the side of your tank, that's when your problems start. With the lack of an (effective) breather system, the water is going to either backwash up the filler pipe, or at best - continue to fill S-L-O-W-L-Y at the breather rate (assuming they've installed them).

I suspect one, or both these factors may be your problem.

I now have a Vista RV, and the tanks are correctly plumbed (with breathers). I still can't fill the tanks with the tap on full noise without getting backwash, but I CAN fill 180L in about 20 mins or so. It's just like filling a fuel tank - when it's almost full I get a squirt of water out of the little breather in the filler neck. Then turn the tap down and get a couple more litres in until it runs out the filler. That's how it should work in all caravans.

You can't do much about the location of the fillers, but you may be able to hook up the breathers to get a bit more throughput. My Coromal had the blanked off barbs for the breathers on top of the tanks. Coromal just couldn't be bothered connecting them......
AnswerID: 509804

Reply By: Mark S (cns) - Friday, Apr 26, 2013 at 10:55

Friday, Apr 26, 2013 at 10:55
Interesting in that I recently had another comment re Coromal workmanship.
I had my Jayco (which has no dramas like this with tanks) in with the auto elec to get a few electrical mods done.
I made the passing comment to the leccy that from what I could see, the factory wiring on Jaycos is not exactly gold standard, to which he replied "Jaycos are generally not to bad, you get a few that you scartch your head on, but nothing as bad as the Coromals"

Anyway, maybe get a second opinion from another caravan workshop somewhere - they may be able show you another brand of van that does not have this problem, as 80L black poly tanks are usually a generic item across all brands?

Mark
AnswerID: 509824

Follow Up By: Off-track - Friday, Apr 26, 2013 at 22:52

Friday, Apr 26, 2013 at 22:52
Uh oh. That will bring out the Coromal army to justify why they paid 8-10k more than the comparable Jayco!
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FollowupID: 787885

Reply By: Ian & Sue - Sunday, Apr 28, 2013 at 18:11

Sunday, Apr 28, 2013 at 18:11
We have had two Coromals in the past and were very happy with both BUT when it came to fixing a few items in our second van when it was new we found that the dealer was hopeless. I was so annoyed I wrote directly to Coromal and within a few days of sending the email off had a phone call from someone important (sorry can't remember exactly who it was as it was a couple of years back) and the problem was dealt with promptly and with many appologies. The dealer was reprimanded and told he could loose the dealership if he didn't up his standards, his attitude once a van was sold was evidentally well known.
AnswerID: 509955

Follow Up By: Rockape - Sunday, Apr 28, 2013 at 18:37

Sunday, Apr 28, 2013 at 18:37
Ian & Sue,
Yep! similar think happened to us. I rang them about a boot lid that was not covered by warranty because we were the 2nd owners, they said they would send one to the local dealer. When I said thanks but no thanks because of the dealers reputation, they sent it straight to me so I could fit it.

I don't know why the problem with the tanks as it seems a pretty easy fix to me. If they don't take 160l of water then they are not as advertised. Maybe the coin only has one head and we need to see the other side.

Off track. I really couldn't care whether I am out of the woodwork or not. I just haven't had any problems with my van, so that is how I see things.
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FollowupID: 787976

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