Adria recall due to potential roof cracking under flexible solar panel

[Colin McCourt]

Following a discussion with my dealer about MOTs he then casually told me that there was a recall in my motorhome due to potential cracking under the factory fitted flexible solar panel.
Since I live on the Isle of Wight I planned the work in with a trip to the Lake District. My dealer is in Redditch. I have to leave in in for two days. Now the work instruction tells them to remove the panel using something akin to cheese wire, clean the roof, apply a coating to the section of roof under the solar panel using something, test the solar panel to ensure it hasn’t been damaged, and then reattach.
However, here is the rub. If the panel has been damaged when removing it, they have to go back to Adria for approval and then order one from them with God knows what delivery time, and I am going on two 7 week trips to Europe, one of which is two weeks after my Lake District trip.
Even though my dealer has several of these recalls to do, and mine is the first, they will not ask Adria for a spare panel in case they get a failure. I am having to think about getting a new (solid) panel when they remove the old one at a cost of approximately £600! if I am to ensure I have Solar over the two trips.
Has any other Funster had this work carried out? Other Adria owners with flexible panels should be aware of the implications of this recall and not having a solar panel for some time. The work must be carried out to maintain the water ingress warranty.

 

[CazPaul]

I think it’s crazy to go to all that trouble of removing the flexible one THEN reattaching it, it’s madness, go with a solid one then surely?

If it’s their recall and with how cheap solid panels are these days it’s a no brainer.

If the recall is for cracking just under the panel then it’s the panel causing it so why then refit it?

 

[Lenny HB]

Must have a joker a Adria, chance of removing a flexable solar panel without damage must be zero.

Decent quality 100 W rigid solar panel £100 (cheap one £60) decent 175 W not a lot more. Strip of aluminium angle to make brackets, fixings and adhesive £15-£20.

Cables already on the roof cut and fit MC4 connectors, fix new panel and plug in.

 

[Colin McCourt]

I think it’s crazy to go to all that trouble of removing the flexible one THEN reattaching it, it’s madness, go with a solid one then surely?

That’s the way I am leaning. The panel is six years old. However I have a 230Ah lithium battery and have never run out of power when off grid. What is annoying is that when I ordered the motorhome my dealer accidentally put it on the Adria order instead of fitting a solid panel himself. If that had happened I wouldn’t have this issue.

 

[Phill D]

I have removed a flexible panel and it is a of a job! And I doubt that it will come off undamaged , I would never have one again.

£600 for fitting a rigid panel when the wiring and controller is already in place is a bit expensive to say the least.

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[Colin McCourt]

Must have a joker a Adria, chance of removing a flexable solar panel without damage must be zero.

Decent quality 100 W rigid solar panel £100 (cheap one £60) decent 175 W not a lot more.

Cables already on the roof cut and fit MC4 connectors, fix new panel and plug in.

Yep, that was my thinking Lenny. Have asked them for a better price considering most/all of their labour hours is covered by the recall.

 

[Gaston aires]

I have removed a flexible panel and it is a of a job! And I doubt that it will come off undamaged , I would never have one again.

£600 for fitting a rigid panel when the wiring and controller is already in place is a bit expensive to say the least.

Ditto.

 

[Ernesto]

I think in this case it would reasonable of you to delay the recall work until after your trips.... and in the unlikely event of damp being an issue, you should be covered under the warranty.
The acid test is one of reasonableness - it is reasonable for you to give them time to make a repair but its also reasonable of them to work around your existing commitments and do it in a reasonable timeframe

 

[carolyn]

That’s the way I am leaning. The panel is six years old. However I have a 230Ah lithium battery and have never run out of power when off grid. What is annoying is that when I ordered the motorhome my dealer accidentally put it on the Adria order instead of fitting a solid panel himself. If that had happened I wouldn’t have this issue.

Maybe as it was their mistake in the first place you could use that to negotiate them fitting a solid panel for free. Even if you had to pay for the panel that ought to reduce the costs a lot. Might be a compromise due to time constraints if Ernesto plan couldn’t be done.

 

[Lenny HB]

Yep, that was my thinking Lenny. Have asked them for a better price considering most/all of their labour hours is covered by the recall.

A better price would be free. Compensation for inconvience would be good too but I doubt if you will have any luck with that.

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[Colin McCourt]

I think in this case it would reasonable of you to delay the recall work until after your trips.... and in the unlikely event of damp being an issue, you should be covered under the warranty.
The acid test is one of reasonableness - it is reasonable for you to give them time to make a repair but its also reasonable of them to work around your existing commitments and do it in a reasonable timeframe

Had thought of that and have asked Adria whether this is possible as I have a rally in Dec up north. However, no reply as yet. I believe the recall was from last Oct and if I had been made aware then I could have had the job carried out last Dec.

 

[Colin McCourt]

Maybe as it was their mistake in the first place you could use that to negotiate them fitting a solid panel for free. Even if you had to pay for the panel that ought to reduce the costs a lot. Might be a compromise due to time constraints if Ernesto plan couldn’t be done.

That’s what I’m aiming for.

 

[Ernesto]

Had thought of that and have asked Adria whether this is possible as I have a rally in Dec up north. However, no reply as yet. I believe the recall was from last Oct and if I had been made aware then I could have had the job carried out last Dec.

On the positive side ....with that level of urgency from Adria, it doesn't sound like it's anything like a slam dunk issue ....

 

[Colin McCourt]

On the positive side ....with that level of urgency from Adria, it doesn't sound like it's anything like a slam dunk issue ....

But I still have four years water ingress warranty left so don’t want to compromise that.

 

[Ernesto]

But I still have four years water ingress warranty left so don’t want to compromise that.

Totally agree ....it's just I wonder if they expected a deluge of claims, or were certain a large number of people were affected, I suspect they would move a lot quicker to tackle it ?

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[Bill-H]

can you not re-schedule the work for when you come back from Europe?

 

[raysalaugh]

It would appear the dealer has identified an opportunity to exploit the situation, stand firm, don't let them abuse your trust.

 

[ontheroadagain]

I would be more worried about the cracks.
If they find any how do they fix them?
I assume this could have been caused by overheating with no airflow underneath the panel.

 

[Emmit]

Under the Consumer Act, your contract is with the dealer.
I appreciate that Adria have identified an issue and given the dealer the opportunity to repair the faulty goods they have supplied to you but ultimately the dealer is culpable.

 

[PeterCarole29]

I would be more worried about the cracks.
If they find any how do they fix them?
I assume this could have been caused by overheating with no airflow underneath the panel.

If this is true and sounds plausable I,d be asking more questions about the repair

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[Waveski]

I think it’s crazy to go to all that trouble of removing the flexible one THEN reattaching it, it’s madness, go with a solid one then surely?

If it’s their recall and with how cheap solid panels are these days it’s a no brainer.

If the recall is for cracking just under the panel then it’s the panel causing it so why then refit it?

 

[Lenny HB]

Under the Consumer Act, your contract is with the dealer.
I appreciate that Adria have identified an issue and given the dealer the opportunity to repair the faulty goods they have supplied to you but ultimately the dealer is culpable.

I thought that only applied for the first year.

 

[Emmit]

There isn't a specific date anymore.
For instance, ,a TV should last 6yrs before a breakdown becomes 'normal'
As the manufacturer has identified a problem with their product, all bets are off, so to speak.
That fault, is that fault and because it is the subject of recall, from how I'm looking at it, that fault is transferred to the dealers responsibility.

 

[Phill D]

I would guess that Adria are not offering a replacement panel except in selected cases to ensure the dealer takes care when removing the current panel.

I would want to see the roof prior to treatment to satisfy myself that there was not excessive damage.

 

[Colin McCourt]

I would be more worried about the cracks.
If they find any how do they fix them?
I assume this could have been caused by overheating with no airflow underneath the panel.

There is space underneath but I think whatever they used to attach them has reacted with the roof. They are sealing the whole area underneath the panel with a mono component insulating membrane.

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[Solly24]

Back on my soap box re Consumer Rights Act 2015. You are in a very strong position here as the manufacturer has declared the fault. As an aside, as has been stated elsewhere in this thread these provisions run for up to 6 years.

Previously stated contract is with dealer, not manufacturer - correct. Under the provisions of the Act the dealer is responsible for the costs incurred in you returning the motorhome to the dealer - make sure that you itemise all costs, including the return to home.

As other more knowledgeable members have said it will not be possible to remove and reattach the flexible panel and logic would suggest that to refit a flexible panel again would not be sensible. So, I suggest that you insist that a comparable fixed panel be replaced. Don’t be fobbed off by delays in supplying the panel etc, they are readily available and the dealer must complete the repair in a ‘reasonable time’.

Again already stated the cables are already in place, just need connecting to the new panel, a few minutes work even for a DIYer.

Don’t feel sorry for the dealer, whilst he has not caused the problem his costs will be reimbursed by the manufacturer.

Stick to your rights and guns, you can come out of this situation with a new panel and no costs, just some inconvenience.

PS. If you need to have time off from work (hint, hint) claim for that loss of income too.

Hope it works out well for you.

 

[Whippet93]

I think in this case it would reasonable of you to delay the recall work until after your trips.... and in the unlikely event of damp being an issue, you should be covered under the warranty.
The acid test is one of reasonableness - it is reasonable for you to give them time to make a repair but its also reasonable of them to work around your existing commitments and do it in a reasonable timeframe

And it is unreasonable for the dealer not to have a spare solid panel ready to fit, for reasons given in other posts. It would seem the issue is caused by the flexible panel, otherwise the recall would be for a larger number of vehicles, and it is therefore asking for trouble to refit a flexible panel.

 

[gus-lopez]

I thought that only applied for the first year.

been 6 years for years. As said anything electrical is expected to last that period without a fault

as has been stated elsewhere in this thread these provisions run for up to 6 years.

This^^^^

 

[Clewie68]

There is space underneath but I think whatever they used to attach them has reacted with the roof. They are sealing the whole area underneath the panel with a mono component insulating membrane.

This thread is very interesting considering I'm booked in to get a CIGS 170w flexible solar panel fitted on a painted metal roof on a Malibu campervan. The roof is ridged and should provide a little airflow and cooling.

Is your roof metal?. Do you think you think it's beneficial for me to get this new fangle mono component insulating membrane?.

I suppose since these panels are mainly black they will get pretty hot in the summertime.

 

[Lenny HB]

been 6 years for years. As said anything electrical is expected to last that period without a fault

I'm aware of the 6 years but I thought you had to take it up with the manufacturer after the first year.