new motorhome not fit for purpose

[weldted]

Hi not sure if in right place (first post) I bought a new motorhome and collected it from the suppling dealer 01/03/2012, some 300 miles from where I live, beacause of other commitments did not first use it untill 05/04/2012. We went to France, the first time using the oven it kept going out and would only stay on after relighting it once or twice, and gives off an unpleasant smell, whilst up in the mountains I notice cold air coming in around the sides of the fridge/freezer there is a gap betweent the fridge unit and the housing allowing air and the possibility of fumes from the fridge entering the van, the makers state that this unit should be room sealed, the microwave does not work and has not from new, the water flow is slow and does not flush the toilet properly, there is a hole in the floor under the fixed bed with cables running through it that has no sealant and trace amounts of water enter when driving in heavy rain, the wiring to the electric heater under the drivers seat was trapped and pinched and is laying across the top metal frame of the heater which is loose on its mounting and slides from side to side, The auto retract for the habitation door step worked for a couple of days and then stopped working, if the habitation door is locked manually from the inside by pushing the button the door can only be opened using the remote key fob, possibly delaying the exit from the van in an emergency. When we found the problems with the oven and fridge we e mailed the makers for advice and it took them five weeks to tell us not to use the oven or fridge. We came home two weeks early as the problems were becoming too stressfull having suffered minor strokes and am supposed to avoid stress. I have e mailed and spoken on the phone to both the dealer whom my contract is with and the makers, and am still no further forward, the maker has tried to arrange for an authorised dealer to rectify these problems but the nearest one that can fit it in is 60 miles away and is very busy and is not sure when they could look at it. I now have a £49,000 motorhome that would appear not fit for the purpose it was designed for. Only one of these problems has happened during the use of this van the rest were fault before it left the factory. Advise please

 

[Witch consumer]

You are quite right, your contract is with the dealer, not the manufacturer, I would return it to the dealer and tell them to sort it, if they have to take it 60 miles to get it fixed, that is their problem not yours and make sure there isn't 120 miles of fuel in when you take it to them (or preferably they collect it).

To be perfectly honest, although you have had this a couple of months, I would be seriously thinking of rejecting it and requesting a replacement, thats a lot of money for a botched job.

 

[weldted]

Latest news, this van had several defects from new and others have developed since, this van cost £49,000 bought new 01/03/2012 although whatever value should be fit for purpose having had many telephone calls and e mails both with the supplying dealer and the maker I wrote to the makers who would have a pitch at the NEC Motorhome show, and asked if we could meet and discuss these issues, We travelled up to the show with copies of the photographs sent to them, together with paperwork. We first asked to see the MD but had to speak to one for the the Customer Relations team first, which we did the lady said she would have to refer it to her superior on her return to the factory. We were very disappointed with this result and went back again to speak to the MD He was he is quite a tall man and was quite intimidating and nothing short of a bully, he refused to sit down and discuss it would not look at the photographs of the defect and said we would have to trust his staff, we have been discussing the problems since the 18th of May with the same lady that we spoke to at the NEC on Saturday. We received an email yesterday from the makers refusing our request to replace the van offered £120 to cover expenses for the many trips to our local dealers for repairs some of which are still outstanding £105 for the cost of having to replace the water pump and £15 for getting our local dealer to write a report on how the mattress is oversize on the fixed bed and has caused the hinges to break away from the wood allowing the door to the bathroom to fall of. We now have to go through the proceeds of formally rejecting the van where we bought it having failed to reach an agreement. This is after not being able to use the van for four months and have still the problem that if we go abroad it will never be resolved.