Anyone recommend a Spanish Service Garage.

[stewartwebr]

Our friends from Australia are touring Spain in a Mercedes Atego motorhome. It is due a service in a few weeks and he was asking my recommendations where to have it done when they return to the UK in 3 weeks. I suggested he may find it more economical to have the service done in Spain where labour prices are less. I did a search online but can’t see anything obvious. Can any funsters recommend a garage to do an engine and transmission oil change in the 10m 12ton Concorde Motorhome. They are currently in the Alicante area.

 

[carolyn]

We used AJL Mechanics Castrol Service in Vilajoyosa last years. They changed our break pads just after the Easter weekend. Squeezed us in as we were heading home. Genuine Fiat parts. Labour €45 per hour. English owner, about 50 who’d come out on a lads holiday when he was about 18 and fell in love. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=AJL+mechanics+villajoyosa&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari

 

[Carpmart]

Our friends from Australia are touring Spain in a Mercedes Atego motorhome. It is due a service in a few weeks and he was asking my recommendations where to have it done when they return to the UK in 3 weeks. I suggested he may find it more economical to have the service done in Spain where labour prices are less. I did a search online but can’t see anything obvious. Can any funsters recommend a garage to do an engine and transmission oil change in the 10m 12ton Concorde Motorhome. They are currently in the Alicante area.

It’s a commercial garage that you need really as it’s a lorry! Have you googled in a 30km range of their location? I guess recommend establishments is useful though… Google reviews give a fair indication of they are any good!

Ive used a garage in Mar Menor, but I’m only 7.5T (Iveco Chassis) & 9.5m and he was surprised at the length and size of mine even, so sadly a non starter I feel!

 

[carolyn]

It’s a commercial garage that you need really as it’s a lorry! Have you googled in a 30km range of their location? I guess recommend establishments is useful though… Google reviews give a fair indication of they are any good!

Ive used a garage in Mar Menor, but I’m only 7.5T (Iveco Chassis) & 9.5m and he was surprised at the length and size of mine even, so sadly a non starter I feel!

That’s a point but it’s worth a call to the one I mentioned as the owner and wife are English so nothing will get lost in translation!

 

[stewartwebr]

We used AJL Mechanics Castrol Service in Vilajoyosa last years. They changed our break pads just after the Easter weekend. Squeezed us in as we were heading home. Genuine Fiat parts. Labour €45 per hour. English owner, about 50 who’d come out on a lads holiday when he was about 18 and fell in love. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=AJL+mechanics+villajoyosa&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari

Thank you, I have dropped them a message on WhatsApp to see if they can accommodate and if not he may know someone who can. I spoke with Mercedes Trucks in Edinburgh today and they are quoting £1540 to change the engine and gearbox oil and associated filters. My mate who has the van thinks it’s reasonable, things must be expensive in Australia Thank you for your help.

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[jongood]

Thank you, I have dropped them a message on WhatsApp to see if they can accommodate and if not he may know someone who can. I spoke with Mercedes Trucks in Edinburgh today and they are quoting £1540 to change the engine and gearbox oil and associated filters. My mate who has the van thinks it’s reasonable, things must be expensive in Australia Thank you for your help.

Tbf there's a lot of oil in them and it tends to be long life so expensive. On that topic is he sure its due? Gearbox in particular?

 

[stewartwebr]

Tbf there's a lot of oil in them and it tends to be long life so expensive. On that topic is he sure it’s due? Gearbox in particular?

He says it’s what the computer is showing, the Motorhome is 3 years old and has done 33k km. I know from mine that the engine is an annual change

 

[jongood]

He says it’s what the computer is showing, the Motorhome is 3 years old and has done 33k km. I know from mine that the engine is an annual change

The computer is probably right about the engine oil but I would be really surprised if it wants transmission oil change. My garage would take a sample and analyse transmission and diff oil before changing, tbh I would be worried if they wanted changing at 33k kms.

 

[jongood]

He says it’s what the computer is showing, the Motorhome is 3 years old and has done 33k km. I know from mine that the engine is an annual change

Ive just checked my last engine oil change invoice 17.5 litres at £3.89 +vat/litre, similar engine size.

 

[Gingernuts]

Ive just checked my last engine oil change invoice 17.5 litres at £3.89 +vat/litre, similar engine size.

Lucky you
I had an oil and filter change by a garage in Mojacar before I drove back to Scotland and that cost me €160
Citroen jumper van 6litre oil and €40 an hour labour! Wouldn’t use my oil filter had to be a garage supplied one! The one they used was the same as the one I had with me!!!! Oil was 5w30 €12.96/ litre!!!!!

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[JockandRita]

We used AJL Mechanics Castrol Service in Vilajoyosa last years. They changed our break pads just after the Easter weekend. Squeezed us in as we were heading home. Genuine Fiat parts. Labour €45 per hour. English owner, about 50 who’d come out on a lads holiday when he was about 18 and fell in love. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=AJL+mechanics+villajoyosa&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari

Sadly Carolyn, I wouldn't recommend them for anything larger than a PVC.
Via several emails which twice included photos and exact dimensions of our Iveco Daily based Flair, they (she) assured us that they could fit our MH into their workshop to have the rear shock absorbers fitted, (which we supplied) and for the servicing of fluids, filters, and rear brakes.
The day before our arranged appointment, we turned up just to assure them that we were in the area, and ready for the next day's appointment.
As soon as he saw the size of the MH, he started getting arsed, and him and his wife began arguing. She had taken on the work, but had not asked him first, so he was expecting an Iveco Daily panel van. He agreed to fulfill the appointment, and we dropped the MH off at 08.45 for 90.00hrs, with the boxed parts.
At 10.45hrs whilst wandering around the town trying to kill time, she phoned us up telling us we needed to get back, as her husband couldn't do the work due to the amount of corrosion at suspension chassis mounting points, and around the brake components. Knowing the vehicle as I do, and the way the previous owner funflair Martin had lovingly looked after her, I just knew this guy was talking sh1te.
We eventually got back to the garage to hear all sorts of excuses from him, and that his best local mechanic advised against working on the vehicle, due to the amount of corrosion underneath, finishing off with "Something we don't get on Spanish vehicles". I was absolutely livid as I knew they were talking rubbish, and just didn't want the work.

The work didn't get done, but once back home in Blighty, 2 x mobile HGV mechanics came to the house to assess the work required, and replaced the 2 x rear shock absorbers ther and then, and within half an hour. I knew all along matey at Villajoyosa was talking absolute sh1te.
They came back a week later to carry out the rest of the work, and we're done in 2 x hours. Excellent stuff.

Sorry carolyn, but a Mercedes Atego is a Truck chassis, and if matey can't handle an A Class on an Iveco Daily chassis, he's got no chance with anything bigger.
He even refused to reverse our MH out of his workshop, saying that he wasn't confident enough to do so.

Regards,

Jock.

 

[carolyn]

Sadly Carolyn, I wouldn't recommend them for anything larger than a PVC.
Via several emails which twice included photos and exact dimensions of our Iveco Daily based Flair, they (she) assured us that they could fit our MH into their workshop to have the rear shock absorbers fitted, (which we supplied) and for the servicing of fluids, filters, and rear brakes.
The day before our arranged appointment, we turned up just to assure them that we were in the area, and ready for the next day's appointment.
As soon as he saw the size of the MH, he started getting arsed, and him and his wife began arguing. She had taken on the work, but had not asked him first, so he was expecting an Iveco Daily panel van. He agreed to fulfill the appointment, and we dropped the MH off at 08.45 for 90.00hrs, with the boxed parts.
At 10.45hrs whilst wandering around the town trying to kill time, she phoned us up telling us we needed to get back, as her husband couldn't do the work due to the amount of corrosion at suspension chassis mounting points, and around the brake components. Knowing the vehicle as I do, and the way the previous owner funflair Martin had lovingly looked after her, I just knew this guy was talking sh1te.
We eventually got back to the garage to hear all sorts of excuses from him, and that his best local mechanic advised against working on the vehicle, due to the amount of corrosion underneath, finishing off with "Something we don't get on Spanish vehicles". I was absolutely livid as I knew they were talking rubbish, and just didn't want the work.

The work didn't get done, but once back home in Blighty, 2 x mobile HGV mechanics came to the house to assess the work required, and replaced the 2 x rear shock absorbers ther and then, and within half an hour. I knew all along matey at Villajoyosa was talking absolute sh1te.
They came back a week later to carry out the rest of the work, and we're done in 2 x hours. Excellent stuff.

Sorry carolyn, but a Mercedes Atego is a Truck chassis, and if matey can't handle an A Class on an Iveco Daily chassis, he's got no chance with anything bigger.
He even refused to reverse our MH out of his workshop, saying that he wasn't confident enough to do so.

Regards,

Jock.

Oh dear. Hopefully stewartwebr sees this as it’s his friends who have the big van. We were lucky with our small van and a straightforward job. He and his wife bent over backwards to fit us in before our return ferry just after Easter. Very friendly and helpful. He was very chatty when we collected van telling us all about his biking expeditions with their son.

 

[Brains]

Wrong end of the country:
We found a very good English speaking Mercedes garage near Santander.

Adarsa Norte Mercedes-Benz | Torrelavega
Av. de Bilbao, 95, 39300 Torrelavega, Cantabria, Spain
(Workshop is big enough for a 10m motorhome, but you would need to ask if ramps are needed)

Ask to speak to Ivan, who spent years in the UK.

We had a problem with every light on the dash flashing in our Mercedes Sprinter based Hymer (3.8t, 3mx6.7m).
They took a look, diagnosed the problem, told us it was safe to drive, ordered the parts, and then as they were fully booked the next day they opened at 7am, just for us, which meant we picked up our van at 10am and were on our way.
Brilliant service!

(The mechanics all wanted the novelty of driving the vehicle in and out of the workshop, never having driven one with the steering and gears on the 'wrong side' !)

 

[stewartwebr]

Sadly Carolyn, I wouldn't recommend them for anything larger than a PVC.
Via several emails which twice included photos and exact dimensions of our Iveco Daily based Flair, they (she) assured us that they could fit our MH into their workshop to have the rear shock absorbers fitted, (which we supplied) and for the servicing of fluids, filters, and rear brakes.
The day before our arranged appointment, we turned up just to assure them that we were in the area, and ready for the next day's appointment.
As soon as he saw the size of the MH, he started getting arsed, and him and his wife began arguing. She had taken on the work, but had not asked him first, so he was expecting an Iveco Daily panel van. He agreed to fulfill the appointment, and we dropped the MH off at 08.45 for 90.00hrs, with the boxed parts.
At 10.45hrs whilst wandering around the town trying to kill time, she phoned us up telling us we needed to get back, as her husband couldn't do the work due to the amount of corrosion at suspension chassis mounting points, and around the brake components. Knowing the vehicle as I do, and the way the previous owner funflair Martin had lovingly looked after her, I just knew this guy was talking sh1te.
We eventually got back to the garage to hear all sorts of excuses from him, and that his best local mechanic advised against working on the vehicle, due to the amount of corrosion underneath, finishing off with "Something we don't get on Spanish vehicles". I was absolutely livid as I knew they were talking rubbish, and just didn't want the work.

The work didn't get done, but once back home in Blighty, 2 x mobile HGV mechanics came to the house to assess the work required, and replaced the 2 x rear shock absorbers ther and then, and within half an hour. I knew all along matey at Villajoyosa was talking absolute sh1te.
They came back a week later to carry out the rest of the work, and we're done in 2 x hours. Excellent stuff.

Sorry carolyn, but a Mercedes Atego is a Truck chassis, and if matey can't handle an A Class on an Iveco Daily chassis, he's got no chance with anything bigger.
He even refused to reverse our MH out of his workshop, saying that he wasn't confident enough to do so.

Regards,

Jock.

Thank you for the information. I shall pass the details on to my friend, I know he has been chatting on WhatsApp to the lady in the garage. It’s a large Phoenix motorhome, so sounds like they may struggle. It shall be interesting to see what she says

 

[stewartwebr]

AJL have confirmed the Motorhome is too big for them to work on.

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[carolyn]

AJL have confirmed the Motorhome is too big for them to work on.

Sorry about that.

 

[stewartwebr]

Sorry about that.

Not at all, thank you for the recommendation. We have had similar issues over the years. No matter how many times you mention the size of the Motorhome it still appears to suprise some companies when you arrive. We arrange a valet in Germany last year and mentioned a number of times the vehicle dimensions. I even reviewed his premises on Google maps and questioned if his premises were big enough, only to be told they had done bigger. When we arrived he continually went on about how big the motorhome was, luckily it did fit in.

Thank you for your help. It looks like they are booking into a main Mercedes Truck dealership in Murcia who are cheaper than the prices quoted in the U.K.