Follow up on my thread RE: Standard of Australian Manufacture

Submitted: Friday, Aug 14, 2015 at 06:48
ThreadID: 129983 Views:2163 Replies:4 FollowUps:1
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Good morning all
I recently posted a thread about water damage to my caravan floor by a badly installed overflow hose from my fridge.
1. I contacted my insurer, RACQ and submitted a claim based on the original response by the RACQ employee who took my call. He and his supervisor thought that it was covered by them. Yesterday they rejected the claim and said in their opinion it was a maintenance problem.
2. I was originally told by the repairer that to fix the problem was a major job which virtually meant the van had to be rebuilt from the floor up. This was incorrect.
3. The repairer was able to remove the fridge cut out the damaged floor underneath it and weld in two new supports to the chassis and replace the timber floor area. Total cost $1500.00
3. As part of the repair I had the repairer drill a hole through the new floor and position the overflow hose through it. The original manufacturer of the van simply placed the overflow hose under the fridge to allow the water to escape out through the front vent onto the vynal floor. A cheap and nasty way of doing it.
Any way even though I could have used the $1500 on more important stuff (like fuel or food) we are now getting ready to get back on the road fulltime.
Stay well and stay safe
Regards
PeteM Qld
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Reply By: Tim F3 - Friday, Aug 14, 2015 at 07:17

Friday, Aug 14, 2015 at 07:17
Thankyou for the follow up it is good to hear how it ended.
AnswerID: 589215

Reply By: ken triton - Friday, Aug 14, 2015 at 07:38

Friday, Aug 14, 2015 at 07:38
Hi Peter,
Glad to hear you got out of this mess without it costing you a bomb. Unfortunately it is the things you can't see that often cause the most greif, it's alright for the caravan manufacturers to make everything look pretty but it's problems like you experienced that are hidden and quiet often do not raise there ugly heads until many years after the van is out of warranty. Anyhow enjoy your travels and let's hope they are trouble free.
Regards
Ken
AnswerID: 589216

Follow Up By: AlanTH - Friday, Aug 14, 2015 at 09:24

Friday, Aug 14, 2015 at 09:24
You got it right their Ken, many vans harbour horrible problems beneath those pretty skins.
When complaining about our new van I was told everything was built to "caravan industry standards" which means just about anything they can get away with. Plus the old git that ran the yard (an icon of the industry apparently) told me to "Get out of my yard"!!!
Friends of our bought a new 22' van and had trouble with water ingress around a skylight.....maker and skylight supplier denied it was their problem and one even said after being told they would be taken to court "Go ahead, everyone else is suing us so stand in line". Shows how much they care when they've had your money.
In the end their insurer paid out 6K for repairs to frame work etc.
Our own van probs were eventually fixed but only after consumer affairs (WA) and the small claims court were involved.
AlanH.
1
FollowupID: 857048

Reply By: Member - Broodie H3 - Friday, Aug 14, 2015 at 12:56

Friday, Aug 14, 2015 at 12:56
Congratulations Peter,
After reading your story, it has made us more aware of the issues that can arise with the manufacture of caravans, if it hadn't been for your post, we probably would not have been aware of this issue, for that we thank you. the congratulations is for not having to pay out even more money than what you have and the van is now up and running again.
safe and happy travels.
Broodie H3
Have car will travel

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AnswerID: 589226

Reply By: mbw650 - Friday, Aug 14, 2015 at 19:05

Friday, Aug 14, 2015 at 19:05
Glad you managed to find a repairer that would find a solution that was affordable, the sad fact is even the "quality" vans are not what they seem. My wife is an aged care nurse and in the past 5 years, she has met so many retired people with broken dreams for retirement due to faults and appalling workmanship on so called quality manufacturers vans.
Price is no guarantee of quality either, there have been just as many heartbreaking stories about high priced vans as cheap ones. Lemon laws are no guarantee of quality, just a false sense of security as two people she talked to wanted a complete refund and van manufacturer counter claimed with depreciation while in customers care ( so much for refund, replace or repair laws ).

AnswerID: 589244

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