Waiting time for repairs
Submitted: Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 at 18:08
ThreadID:
49593
Views:
3492
Replies:
12
FollowUps:
12
This Thread has been Archived
lefty1
On a recent trip through outback South Australia we struck the need for dreaded mechanical repairs - medium sort of job - needed looking at, parts ordered etc then the relevant part replaced - estimated time for replacement 3-4 hours.
Not many mechanics in this part of the country so it was basically take what was on offer .............. we were towed into the repair
shop on a Sunday late afternoon, immediately told "can't even look at it until Wednesday". Ohhh .......... OK then, off to the nearest caravan
park for a few days. Wednesday came, Thursday came ......... finally on Thursday afternoon we were told - needs a new ........... and it won't be ready until next Tuesday. Ohhhh, Ohhhh .......... Tuesday came, Wednesday came, Thursday came .............. 10 days later it was finally done. Price not too bad for what we thought it would be. Waiting time ..............
well .............
We have RAA Plus - so towing and accommodation and some vehicle hire was covered. However, we were told afterwards that another person had the same job done (cash) over a two day period. We also met another family, different location, who were also with RAA Plus and they had been waiting two weeks for their job to be done .............
Have other people had similar experiences ??? (1) for the waiting time for repairs and (2) seeming to take longer for "insurance" jobs - i.e. is cash in hand much more of a bargaining point to get the job done much quicker.
Really interested in replies.
Reply By: Member - Peter D M - Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 at 18:38
Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 at 18:38
cash always speaks a different language.
could you have used the raa plus to take you to a larger town or even home for repaires?
i have nrma plus, same thing i would think. a mate with breakdown was picked up in a big tilt tray with dual cab and whole family taken 500kh home at no cost. part of 'plus' coverage.
regards peter
AnswerID:
261751
Reply By: Willem - Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 at 19:49
Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 at 19:49
It depends on how much other work needed to be done before your job. Country people are not necessarily time wasters but things do happen at a different pace. Then there is the availabilty of parts at the right price. And can the parts be freighted with ease to their destination. Either by air, courier or truck. They have to be loaded at one end and delivered at the destination.
We had brake pads replaced the other day. Took two visits to remind mechanic to order parts. Then there was a stuff up. Parts did arrive two days late but then the job list queue was full. So 9 days later the job is done. No, it wasn't an emergency but you can see what I am getting at.
Our bills are paid on time so I don't think CASH would make any difference.
Cheers
AnswerID:
261762
Reply By: Brew34.5(SA) - Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 at 20:00
Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 at 20:00
My bet is the mechanic owns the caravan
park. :) Or gets a kick back from the people who own it.
AnswerID:
261763
Reply By: JNR GREENDOG - Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 at 20:11
Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 at 20:11
In the early days when we got the paj we did a starter motor at KULGRA, we managed to get to
Marla and being in the RAA PLUS they put us up for the night in the motel room,we were told by the machanic the next day at 4pm when they rolled it in to the garage [very layed back] that it was the starter motor and he didnt have one in house and it would take a week for one to came up from
Adelaide and it would cost $85 dallors an hr to replace and recommened it to be a 4 hr job,
well with that we push started the paj out of there and all the way home, me might be a little slow but me not silly,i got it done through our machanic back home for less then half the price it was going to cost me in
MARLA one word for bush machanic's Scabs,and yes i know they have to make a liven but at the end off the day if they need to rip people off they do'nt deserve to be there,U can agree with me or not i'm a Jnr GREENIE. cheer's
AnswerID:
261768
Reply By: Olcoolone- Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 at 20:16
Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 at 20:16
Now you have seen Wolf
Creek haven't you!
Regards Richard
AnswerID:
261769
Reply By: Groove - Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 at 20:17
Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 at 20:17
Broke a spring going into the Bungle Bungles, rear coil. Managed to rig up a fix with a bit of wood and limp back to
Kununurra. Arrived late that night and thanks to NRMA
membership are able to check into the Kununrra Hotel. We arrive in reception exhausted, dirty and just wanted a shower and a bed, "sorry we cant check you in just now all the staff are posing for a photo with Merv Hughes"
OK didnt take too long. The next day off to find a spring, none in town but they could get one from
perth, should arrive on thursday, 4 days in Kununarra, cant be too bad, its only 4 days.
We told the mechanic, " this car has a 2 inch lift make sure you dont get standard springs", "no problem" he replies
Thursday arrives, we go to pick up the car, we enter the workshop and you guessed it, standard springs, the ass end of the car is so low the thing looks like I'm carrying 3 tonnes of rock in the back.
The mechanic said "doesnt look quite right does it?"
do ya think?
He ofered to get a new set sent from
Perth, should be here Monday,
Buggu
Anyway all was fixed eventually and we got to spend a lovely week in Kununarra. Dont remember what it cost but remeber it being reasonable.
Off to the Bungle Bungles again and enjoyed it heaps. On the way out broke a shock, managed to limp back to Kununarra AGAIN. Back at the Hotel.
Next morning off to the mechanic, "should be able to get the shocks by thursday"
Got to love
Kununurra
AnswerID:
261770
Reply By: Chris VK2UW - Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 at 22:45
Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 at 22:45
Got to move to
Kununurra and become a mechanic, just think of the times between jobs that you could spend in the pub.
He probably has shares in it as
well. hic hic !
AnswerID:
261808
Follow Up By: Oldsquizzy (Kununurra) - Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 12:33
Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 12:33
LOL, as a mechanic in
Kununurra probally would have shares in the pub, Trouble is there is a never ending supply of ill prepared, people with no concept of distances at hand.
FollowupID:
523318
Reply By: Motherhen - Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 at 23:51
Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 at 23:51
Likely to happen close to home - wait for parts - 'parts sent' so they say, then found on warehouse floor xx days later - parts wrong - try again. Not the fault of the local mechanic. Cash wouldn't help.
Our outback SA experience was rather different. A tow bar breakage between
Pimba and Glendambo. It was Saturday afternoon and annual race day in
Roxby Downs. I drove back to a station, and the owner was so helpful, spending quite some time and many phone calls trying to find someone who could help, while calming me down with re-assurances that he would find someone. It seemed no-one was home. He refused any payment for the phone calls. Eventually he found someone in Glendambo. This man was willing to spend his entire Saturday afternoon making repairs, while his wife gave me cups of tea and kept me entertained. How we were paying was not discussed prior to the repair, but it was not something covered by our RAC
membership. It was lucky they had just set up a credit card facility that worked by phone - we were their first, as we were on the way home and our supply of cash in hand was very much depleted. His charge was very reasonable.
Just wonderful SA outback people.
AnswerID:
261815
Follow Up By: furph - Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 07:44
Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 07:44
Just out of curiosity Motherhen, Can you tell us what caused the towbar breakage? (I assume you were towing)
thanks. furph
FollowupID:
523273
Follow Up By: Motherhen - Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 22:07
Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 22:07
Hi furph
No-one knows why the tow bar broke - just one of those things that Murphy comes at us with as he follows us around. It wasn't a Hayman Reece or Nissan brand, but what we have been told was still a good brand, and that it should never have broken. Maybe it was a Monday job on the welding.
Motherhen
FollowupID:
523427
Follow Up By: Member - 'Lucy' - Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 22:58
Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 22:58
Could it possibly be that you are towing with the biggest, most powerfull beast available and that your tow rig is quite substantial as
well.
FollowupID:
523451
Follow Up By: Motherhen - Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 23:05
Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 23:05
Hi 'Lucy'
No, we were towing with the little tough beast, the Nissan Patrol, and our Bushtracker is only a small one.
Motherhen
FollowupID:
523457
Follow Up By: Member - 'Lucy' - Monday, Sep 17, 2007 at 11:31
Monday, Sep 17, 2007 at 11:31
Mother-H
Sorry to take so long to reply, however have benn pre occupied with other 'things'
I have re read your post and replies a number of times and its only just sunk in that it is a weld on the tow bar set up that has broken.
Sounds like a case of extreme bad luck and/or just one of those things.
You know what I mean - those 'things' you have , when you really don't 'need' to have them at all.
Had one myself on Friday night, but thats another story which you can read as new post later on in the week. (LOL)
Whatever, you were lucky to get it fixed and find the 'right people' to help.
You may still have a tad of luck in the 'luck barrel' so buy yourself a Lotto ticket before its too late.
FollowupID:
524118
Reply By: Member - 'Lucy' - Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 00:56
Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 00:56
Amazing how this sort of thing happens only to those that don't own/drive a Toyota.
WHY is it so Batman????
Aw! thats an easy one Robin - Toyotas are indestructible, never break down, are owned and driven by men with the intestinal fortitude of an ox, are gods gift to the 4WD community etc etc. Thats why.
Yeah! Batman- seems like the 'Joker' hides out in the country from what these poor people say.
ROFLMAO
Get with the program - (1) get a JEEP and be too frightened to take it off road.
(2) Then have a Troopy as the real off road vehicle with never a fear of having to submit to an outback mechanic.
(LOL)
AnswerID:
261820
Follow Up By: Member - Davoe (Nullagine) - Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 22:55
Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 22:55
Its coz if a tojo breaks down everywhere has parts. nearly lost a wheel just before docker river and limped back into
yulara at 2.00am missing most of the stuff for the hub and washers spacers lock taps etc.
If it was a jeep the stuff woulf have had to come from
Melbourne then to
adelaide then to alice then to
yulara.
seeing as it was a tojo i was back on the road by 3.00pm coz they had all the parts
FollowupID:
523448
Reply By: Member - 'Lucy' - Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 01:02
Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 01:02
These comments are amazing stuff from a
Forum where some dudes have the hide to bag poor old Bunnings for the level of customer service they provide.
Think I would take my chances with Bunnings any old day, rather than chance it in the bush with these dudes.
I do remember once that I inquired about a pinion seal in
Tibooburra and the resultant 1000mile stare that it induced in the person that I made the inquiry with, caused me to forget that I ever asked the question in the first place..
AnswerID:
261821
Follow Up By: Shaker - Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 22:35
Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 22:35
I had problems at
Tibooburra, albeit relatively minor, but I couldn't have been happier with both their service & charges.
Maybe they respond to attitude?
FollowupID:
523440
Follow Up By: Member - 'Lucy' - Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 22:56
Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 22:56
Aw! good one.
I just enqired as to whether or not they could change a pinion seal.
Nothing more, nothing less, nothing un polite, nothing defamatory, nothing how is your mama etc etc.
Would also add, that
Broken Hill later in the day, knew exactly what I was talking about, however it was going to be a 4-5 day wait (incl w-end).
FollowupID:
523449
Follow Up By: Shaker - Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 23:15
Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 23:15
Was just a thought, I know that you have to be wary of how you ask for repairs in some remote
places.
FollowupID:
523459
Reply By: Rosco - Qld - Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 08:03
Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 08:03
We bent the panhard rod crossing the Pascoe on Frenchman's Track from Chilli Beach to Batavia Downs.
Called in to Sam (
Weipa Autoelectrics) Monday morning. Call to
Cairns ... none in town, has to come from
Melbourne. Arrived Wednesday and fitted Thursday PM whilst we did the
mine tour.
We had to spend that week in
Weipa on work in any event so timing not a problem ...more to follow in report soon.
All up cost was amazing ($170) and service second to none ... Thanks Sam for a job
well done.
Certainly no complaints from me.
Cheers
AnswerID:
261839
Follow Up By: Member - Davoe (Nullagine) - Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 22:59
Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 22:59
What no bush mechanic skills? bent oe in a severy burnt out section of the
Dundas nature reserve. Just undid the adjusters so the bent bit was hanging down then put the jack under it and jacked it straight - no worries
FollowupID:
523453
Follow Up By: Rosco - Qld - Friday, Sep 14, 2007 at 07:48
Friday, Sep 14, 2007 at 07:48
Not necessary in this instance. Straightening it was our second option. Did that with the drag link many years ago to get back to base.
Cheers
FollowupID:
523471
Reply By: Chris VK2UW - Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 13:49
Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 at 13:49
There is always a good luck story that comes from others bad luck ones.
I still can't help thinking of that "Pub in
Kununurra " hic hic!
AnswerID:
261894