Hab inspection - what a waste of time/money!

[Minxy]

My best mate has had 2 Cathagos a C-Tourer and currently an E-Line he hasn't had a hab check and had warranty work done. Current one brought from Go European they confirmed it wasn't necessary.

Do Go European do the damp check for him?

 

[Lenny HB]

Do Go European do the damp check for him?

No had it done by Reliance as they local to us southerns. They are independant service company and approved to do warranty work on Carthago's & N&B's

 

[Its only me]

Had our motor home from 3 months old, it's now 9 years old. Don't need anyone to tell me it's damp. I have my own damp meter and if everything works why do I need a piece paper to say so. I have worked on buses and trucks most of my life. Could not see a dealer taking any notice of previous habitation reports. Why would a manufacturer need a report to tell them it's got damp when they could see for themselves.

 

[Lenny HB]

correct Dethleffs dealers will not just do a water ingress test they insist on a habitation check which I agree is a total rip off...

Once the 2 year warranty has expired will they do just a damp check.
If not if was me I would pop over to Belgium or Germany.

 

[M-J]

Once the 2 year warranty has expired will they do just a damp check.
If not if was me I would pop over to Belgium or Germany.

Seems pointless if the aim is to save a couple of hundred quid!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lenny HB]

But will they do just a damp check after warranty has expired

 

[Christy]

I'm self employed. I did a Habitation service the other week on an N reg Hymer. The external belly lockers and Habitation door wouldn't open until I lubricated the locks. The belly locker shoot bolt needed packing out as it fell inside the mechanism when closed. His faulty electro-block 240V charger had been previously replaced with an under powered 240V basic charger that was over heating. He had 12V lights not working. Seized roof light mechanisms. Broken blinds. Broken external door retaining catches. I'm not a fan of Dealerships Myself which is why I am self-employed. The Technician is usually paid around £10PH at a Dealership if they are lucky.
Dealers mainly make their money from sales, cancelled orders, lost deposits, finance company kick backs, insurance referrals etc.
It's a leisure 'Industry'. Sometimes Dealer's lose money, sometimes they make money. They have good sales show's and bad show's.
People including myself can always buy privately and fix faults on a DIY basis or pay a Dealer, it's a choice issue. If a van has damp it will be damp wherever You buy it from.
Whenever I buy a van for Myself I check it over thoroughly before buying and would encourage others to do so themselves.

Is there somewhere on this forum that provides instructions on how to do a damp check yourself please?

 

[Campervan_man]

You have to go all over the van checking for high moisture readings using a protimeter { damp meter }.
The idea is it's an early warning detection for water ingress, the earlier You detect the less damage will occur.
Water normally comes in via poorly fitted accessories, bike racks, awnings, aerials, BBQ points but also via failed external joints, external damage, seals, internal plumbing leaks, stress cracks, aging sealant, water pooling on roofs, door seals etc etc etc.

 

[MichaelT]

Once the 2 year warranty has expired will they do just a damp check.
If not if was me I would pop over to Belgium or Germany.

Been in contact with Dethleffs and they agree to keep the water ingress warranty no need for habitation check only damp check and underseal spray. They do say they recommend a full check though as it covers tightening of a few things, but when I checked the manual mostly it is just visual and functional checks.

Spoke with dealer who tried to say no you need it all until I mentioned I spoke with Dethleffs they then changed their minds and agreed the habitation side of things were an option. So I asked when I bring it in in April how much is just a damp check and underseal spray, was quoted a couple of hours labour plus the underseal spray so a total of £168. Still a rip off but at least its better than the special price of £250 and I keep the warranty for resale I do have a few niggly warranty issues and a couple of things for them to look at so its likely to be longer than 2 hours....

 

[Lenny HB]

Been in contact with Dethleffs and they agree to keep the water ingress warranty no need for habitation check only damp check and underseal spray. They do say they recommend a full check though as it covers tightening of a few things, but when I checked the manual mostly it is just visual and functional checks.

Spoke with dealer who tried to say no you need it all until I mentioned I spoke with Dethleffs they then changed their minds and agreed the habitation side of things were an option. So I asked when I bring it in in April how much is just a damp check and underseal spray, was quoted a couple of hours labour plus the underseal spray so a total of £168. Still a rip off but at least its better than the special price of £250 and I keep the warranty for resale I do have a few niggly warranty issues and a couple of things for them to look at so its likely to be longer than 2 hours....

I told you so.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Snoopy]

So my question is, if we have a mobile technician come out to do our hab check and damp check, if we wanted it to have underseal spray?, Would it need to go to a garage to be done safely? Can't image chap would want to just Jack it up and apply it? Apologise in advance for my question? As a complete novice with a 2003 hymer van,

 

[Lenny HB]

So my question is, if we have a mobile technician come out to do our hab check and damp check, if we wanted it to have underseal spray?, Would it need to go to a garage to be done safely? Can't image chap would want to just Jack it up and apply it? Apologise in advance for my question? As a complete novice with a 2003 hymer van,

As you have a Hymer to comply with the water ingress warranty it needs to be done by a Hymer dealer, they no longer do the spray.

Edit:
Just noticed yours is 2003 so out of warranty the underseal spray is a recent thing they only started a few years ago.

 

[Snoopy]

Thanks Lenny HB, so do you think not relevant? Or worth doing , appreciate difficult for you to say - as you have not seen the van

 

[CazPaul]

Thanks Lenny HB, so do you think not relevant? Or worth doing , appreciate difficult for you to say - as you have not seen the van

No don't do at the minute it but what you do need to do is check the state of the van floor by getting underneath, particular attention to the area from the rear wheels backwards is required.

Hyme r used chipboard\wood(Some say marine ply)in their vans of that era and most owners never checked the area,
You can call it what you want but the main point is some vans the floor rots and finish up a soaking, soggy mess.
I have been under plenty of A class models of that age and put my fingers straight through into the garage. It can finish up a damp, soggy mess so get under the van to check, or get someone else to.

I have found that the models with large rear garages and the habitation door in the middle of the van are more vulnerable than the ones with the habitation door at the rear. It is a more open, exposed area on those models, ie, I have checked in B640 models from 1998 and they have been perfect. That is just my findings though, other people may have found different. A lot depends on the factors I have listed.

A lot of factors determine if you have a rotten floor and to what degree/extent it is rotten.
How much has it been driven in heavy, driving, swirling rain?
Environment it has been stored in(UK, Spain etc)?
Were mudflaps fitted from new?
Who owned the van previous and did they check the floor yearly and make good any areas where rot/damp was starting?

Initially get under the van to check floor for an inspection and then take it from there. Most owners took it for granted and never even checked the underfloor, out of sight, out of mind so to speak.

 

[Captain Yoghurtpot]

After diving to clear a rope from my sailing boat prop in Alderney harbour a chap nearby asked me if I would check his, which I did as a good turn. During the afternoon a motorboater asked me to check his (there are lots of off-lying pots and nets around the Channel Islands). I charged him a fiver each prop. One prop was fouled with rope.
A couple of days later, after arriving at Guernsey I was in St Peter Port Yacht Club bar when another chap asked me and sure enough another piece of rope and another fiver, and I did two more for other boaters.
Strange how the same piece of rope got entangled on different boats' props.

Best funny story I've read for a while. Quality!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lenny HB]

Thanks Lenny HB, so do you think not relevant? Or worth doing , appreciate difficult for you to say - as you have not seen the van

As paul says check behind the rear wheels as they never had mud flaps as standard, if there is a problem normally easy to repair. Also check inside the garage the door seals were a week point.
If it was me I would buy a non-invasive (paddle) type damp meter and do it myself.

On the hab side just a case of checking everything is working. Even the gas is easy to check, I always carry a gas sniffer (Honeywell EZ Sense) A proper test is easy to do if your regulator has a test nipple (a lot don't) a water gauge is less than 20 quid from Screwfix.

 

[Dorwyn]

Some dealers don't do a damp check on a pvc because it's not necessary. On my habitation Damp Tests it states "N/A".

I had the underfloor lpg tank installed by a mobile mechanic who is a qualified mechanical engineer and gas engineer, amongst other qualifications. I was very impressed with his work and his intelligent approach to the job. He modified the heating duct system in order to do the installation as there was not enough space underfloor to fit it. And it now works better. Another installer had grumpily said it wasn't possible to fit it.

I'd much prefer him to do the habitation than the original dealer (who probably uses the Saturday boy anyway) but he is not FCC registered or whatever it's called, so that could impact the guarantee. And he would be cheaper, and do it on my premises, avoiding 50 miles drive and a wasted afternoon. Plus he's a really nice guy.

 

[Snoopy]

Thank you all for your help

 

[nicholsong]

Some dealers don't do a damp check on a pvc because it's not necessary. On my habitation Damp Tests it states "N/A".

What, window/skylight seals cannot leak?

 

[Dorwyn]

What, window/skylight seals cannot leak?

When the van was 3 months old I had a pigeon strike on my big front skylight, totally smashing one corner. I was covered for glass with no claims, so I asked the insurance if glass was covered. Yes, they said. is the skylight covered. No, that's not glass. So are the side windows covered? Yes. So what's the difference, they're not glass. Well, it's not covered. £240 out of my pocket.

But yes, they can leak, but they don't seem to think it's damp, just a fixable leak. There's a sort of alternate logic when it comes to claims. Basically, if they can think of a way out of doing something, they will.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Minxy]

When the van was 3 months old I had a pigeon strike on my big front skylight, totally smashing one corner. I was covered for glass with no claims, so I asked the insurance if glass was covered. Yes, they said. is the skylight covered. No, that's not glass. So are the side windows covered? Yes. So what's the difference, they're not glass. Well, it's not covered. £240 out of my pocket.

But yes, they can leak, but they don't seem to think it's damp, just a fixable leak. There's a sort of alternate logic when it comes to claims. Basically, if they can think of a way out of doing something, they will.

Surely that would be covered under the non-glass part of the insurance though? No different to if it damaged a piece of the body work.

 

[ourcampersbeentrashed]

The time habitation reports really matter is when you make a claim if your motorhome is written off during winter and damp gets in the vehicle as a result of the accident.

 

[Garry - June]

I read somewhere a ridiculous post from someone saying if he went to view a van and it didn't have a full set of service and hab check records he would walk away...absolutely barmy....now I can fully understand a service record and also having to have hab checks for warranty reasons but hab checks from 10, 5 or 3 yrs ago are totally worthless...the one you have done at the time of buying is the important one so you know everything is right when you buy it...

 

[Dorwyn]

Surely that would be covered under the non-glass part of the insurance though? No different to if it damaged a piece of the body work.

Yes, but that would involve the no claims aspect, the glass insurance was insured outside of that. Besides, originally when they thought it was insured they quoted to replace the whole skylight, but I established that it was the glass lid only, and bought the replacement well discounted, so now the cost was halved. Not worth claiming for. I think that makes sense?

 

[Minxy]

Yes, but that would involve the no claims aspect, the glass insurance was insured outside of that. Besides, originally when they thought it was insured they quoted to replace the whole skylight, but I established that it was the glass lid only, and bought the replacement well discounted, so now the cost was halved. Not worth claiming for. I think that makes sense?

Ah, I see, so claiming on the 'non-glass' part could affect your no-claims record, whereas 'glass' doesn't.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[pagey]

correct Dethleffs dealers will not just do a water ingress test they insist on a habitation check which I agree is a total rip off...

Strange I have a sunlight built by dethleffs and it only requires a yearly damp check that says a lot about dealers and the gravy train

 

[Campervan_man]

Dealers make their money from sales.
That's why sales are on top money and the Technicians are on around 20K a year.

 

[bellabee]

@LennyHB, just wanting to confirm what you understand to be the terms of the Hymer damp warranty. My understanding is that you get the first check done within a year of date of purchase. You then have a six-month leeway from the anniversary date of the first check, for subsequent checks. At least that's what the Hymer terms and conditions seem to be saying.
Looking at the Campirama Service Schedule Form, however, it gives a 'no later than' date of the anniversary of purchase.
I'm left feeling a bit confused and would welcome your interpretation.

 

[Farnicle]

After owning our m/h for 3 years I was persuaded by someone "with experience" that we should have a Hab inspection done as we hadn't already done so. The van is 2004 and as far as I was aware had no problems. So, £120 later I am in possession of a form that says there's no damp, all the appliances work, all the window blinds etc work, there are no gas leaks, the boiler draws x amount of amps and the fridge draws y amount of amps and another numberof other realitively useless facts. I have my own damp meter and a basic multi meter and together with the fact that there has never been a smell of gas I knew all this already!

I'm not saying that the inspection chap did anything wrong but I just feel like an idiot for commissioning the test in the first place. Unless you have to have this done for a manufacturers warranty then I simply don't see the point ( unless of course you cannot be bothered to buy a £15 da mp meter and a £5 multi meter).

Lesson learned though and I won't be bothering again.

Do they test things that are really important? Gas tightness and Carbon Monoxide from appliances? These are the things that can kill! the rest, I agree is fairly apparent. I don't understand testing for damp. The history of my van has a test in a summer month showing a low read and then one in a winter month. Guess what? a high moisture reading.

 

[Lenny HB]

@LennyHB, just wanting to confirm what you understand to be the terms of the Hymer damp warranty. My understanding is that you get the first check done within a year of date of purchase. You then have a six-month leeway from the anniversary date of the first check, for subsequent checks. At least that's what the Hymer terms and conditions seem to be saying.
Looking at the Campirama Service Schedule Form, however, it gives a 'no later than' date of the anniversary of purchase.
I'm left feeling a bit confused and would welcome your interpretation.

Missed your postChris, it used to be the first check within 12 months with a 6 month leeway then annually, but that changed 3 or 4 years ago to first one in 12 months then Annually.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}