So, we bought our Triton from AL last June and thoughts turn to the first service and water ingress test. No urgency, I thought but make some enquiries. Good job I did, AL are booking into August for servicing! Who knew you needed to book a service 6 months ahead.
Tried Lowdhams and no such delay, so they will probably get the job.
But then I noticed there was no service booklet as such in the paperwork wallet. I just have a few sheets of paper in a ring binder, all about the water ingress warranty. Phoned AL and was told no booklet anymore, just keep any invoices from servicing. You still get a stamp for the water test but that will just be on a sheet of paper too. Is this news to anyone else or am I just behind the times (don't answer that)?
So, I asked, does that mean no need to have the service done by a Hymer agent, just the water test? Correct, was the reply.
I assume that Lowdhams will agree to do just the water test, leaving me free to go to the guy who has serviced my caravans in the past and is now an Approved Workshop, and about £100 cheaper? Off there to enquire today. Fingers crossed.
Rob

Hi Rob, I didn't get a service book with my 2015 320 Familia either? It seems strange that AL said that Hymer are not bothered who services the van. Nearly all caravan manufactures stipulate certain criteria for servicing?
My 2012 Famila came with a service / damp test book. to stamp

I bought mine from Lowdhams so I will no doubt be asking the same question soon,

Update: just back from Lowdhams (Notts) who were surprised about the lack of service booklet but rang around and confirmed that this was correct and came in last year (2015). Also confirmed that the service did not need to be done by a Hymer agent but the water test does to get the sticker.
A full service including one shot nuts, water test and VAT is £315. A water ingress test on its own is £95, including sticker, underseal and VAT.
AL quoted me £258 plus cost of water test. My local service guy would cost £190 incl. nuts and VAT but would still need ingress test to be done.
Think I might bite the bullet as it's the first service and go to Lowdhams as it's only £30 more...
Rob

That's a good result, thanks for enquiring.......

I think it's a check on the underseal and touching in if there are places where it's been damaged. Given the chassis is now galvanised, I guess this is more for protection of the floor? Just a guess.
I agree about the servicing costs. I was given a copy of the Lowdhams check sheet - my Eriba seems to lack quite a few items which are standard on WWBs but we still pay the same...

May be worth querying the cost. Before we retired and sold our garage business we regularly had customers who told the price for a particular service would then try and bargain it down. Depending on how good a customer they were and what sort of mood Neil was in, sometimes they succeeded. It's got to be worth a go. What's the worst that can happen, you pay the price they quoted, it won't go up because you dared to question it.

Quote: robandali wrote in post #6

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I think it's a check on the underseal and touching in if there are places where it's been damaged. Given the chassis is now galvanised, I guess this is more for protection of the floor? Just a guess.

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Isnn't it curious that most standard services include a damp test but Hymer charge £95 for underseal and a sticker? I can quite understand those brave enough to skip the Hymer test, save £600 over the period of the warranty and pay to have any (probably slight) problems sorted themselves.
I suppose the benefit might be if you want to sell before the end of the warranty.
Rob

When we bought our previous van, Erica the 420, we started using Gavin Charleton for servicing. He comes to our home with a fully equipped van and works in our driveway. He charges £185 and does a full service with a damp check. He is an Approved Mobile workshop, and incidentally is the fella who prepares vans for Dom Fox at Eriba Shop.

When Audrey arrived in 2014, we had a warranty from AL, but decided that the warranty had come with associated costs. Any trip to Poole would involve at least two days, £50+ in fuel and a hotel or campsite. At that point we took the decision to stick with Gavin and to let him deal with any issues for us.

Keith

Hi Keith, is Dom Fox who you refer to based at North Walsham? if so I've found him to be very helpful and he did mention that he used a mobile service engineer who he could put me in touch with.

You're right about the trip and cost to poole so if it's the same guy that Dom uses and based on your experience I will go the same route too.

barny

Quote: barny wrote in post #11

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Hi Keith, is Dom Fox who you refer to based at North Walsham? if so I've found him to be very helpful and he did mention that he used a mobile service engineer who he could put me in touch with.

You're right about the trip and cost to poole so if it's the same guy that Dom uses and based on your experience I will go the same route too.

barny

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Thank you Hob