Is this reasonable? (11 Viewers)

[Blackadder]

We have a Buerstner Travel Van T620G bought new right at the end of the 2018 "season" - so not used in anger until 2019. Then came Covid so another long period of minimal, if any, use. Since then it's done nearly 13K miles, had all the usual services and kept clean and tidy.
It's just had it's 6th habitation service (i.e. the first one since the warranty expired) and we've been told that there is damp in the roof apparently caused by failure of the sealing strip going across the roof between the cab and the coach-built part.
Needless to say we were disappointed and annoyed at this failure of "high quality German manufacture" after such a short and relatively easy life. Imagine then how we felt when we were quoted £2500 to put it right, composed partly of about £20 of parts and the rest of 18 hours of labour!
Are we being ripped off here? Is it normal to expect leaks at such a young age (and so soon after the warranty expires?) Should it really take 18 hours to fix?
Needless to say we will get a second opinion but that will take a couple of weeks. Meantime we're rather upset...

ps: Before the DIY experts pile in, I do not have the means, either physically or equipment-wise, to climb on the roof and do the 18 hours of hard labour myself!

 

[Sneds]

Perhaps try asking for a contribution from the manufacturer.
Agree about not doing it yourself, I to am far to busy doing nice stuff

 

[LostInSpace]

Do you still all of the reports from the annual water ingress checks?

 

[Mikey RV]

So it’s had five tests that were good, then the warranty run out on the sixth test and it’s damp. I would be taking it back to the place where you had the other five tests and wanting some answers.

 

[DT]

Don't you get a ten year water ingress warranty ?

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[Jwats]

Unfortunately all vans leak from the cheapest to the most expensive, the main difference is that the very little damage is done in the most expensive vans where in the cheaper ones it can destroy the integrity of the van and its interior. As for the price the parts is probably just the sealing strip that’s why only £20 but usually that strip you mentioned is a gap that is pumped full of very hard sealant and then the sealing strip is stuck in for looks purposes. To do it properly the side pods would have to come off and all that sealant has to be dug out and re-done then a new strip put in and held in place and the van has to be tested.All of which is very time consuming. 18 hours maybe a little over but not by much I’m afraid

 

[CazPaul]

You can buy a good sealing strip, Eternabond or similar for just a few quid.

It should be on in an hour including cleaning the area first, is there any work in making good any internal sections from the damp? If not you are being conned good and proper.

 

[lorger]

If the first 5 were ok then it’s likely not that old, I know you don’t have the ability but could you ask someone just to remove old sealant and reseal it as it’s possibly wood free construction, or if wood in structure has damaged been caused to the body.

 

[Ianbenny]

I am getting a new trim skirt fitted due to my inadequate driving - the part is vac formed ABS nothing special - £480.

They are quoting 5 hours labour which is 3 hours too much IMO, at £75/hour - but it is what it is.

There may be some work inside your van, as you do not know how far the water has penetrated, so may involve removal of the ceiling board and dry out

 

[Just smiffy]

I’ve recently taken off a sealing strip and cleaned it up and put on a new one for Northernraider strip was indeed less then £20 I believe… like you I’m not physically inclined and equipped to do it on top of a 4m motorhome but I managed….

It’s amazing what can be done when saving £2500….

I’ll have to get that invoice to Northernraider before he leaves..

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[Minxy]

I’ve recently taken off a sealing strip and cleaned it up and put on a new one for Northernraider strip was indeed less then £20 I believe… like you I’m not physically inclined and equipped to do it on top of a 4m motorhome but I managed….

It’s amazing what can be done when saving £2500….

I’ll have to get that invoice to Northernraider before he leaves..

I thought you and Tam were going to start a MH repair business ... the OP's only in Somerset!

 

[mackeellan]

My thoughts are that the labour is about £140 per hour!
A serious dehumidifier can be hired for the weekend after you find someone to reseal the bad/damaged joint.
If there is damage inside then a lot of that quoted cost could be on materials: if not it's a rip off.

 

[andyelbac]

Don't you get a ten year water ingress warranty ?

I'm sure our Burstner, new in 2022, came with a 10 year water ingress warranty? Will check later.

 

[Northernraider]

If they have quoted £20 in parts then I can't see there being any work required inside. So did they actually state £20 in parts or is that your own estimate?

In my experience I've found "professionals" reluctant to give a final price for anything that requires stripping down and investigated as who knows what will be found .

If they truly are simply replacing that sealant strip then they are taking the piss.


I'm not sure of your physical abilities but there's not a great deal of DIY skill involved in removing the old strip , just a good blunt scraper , some solvent and a lot of patience. That's why a 64 year old man with no legs did mine while I did other stuff.


P.s Just smiffy my vans no 4 metres lol. It just looks like it to a short arse

 

[Northernraider]

Incidentally this is yet another reason why habitation checks are useless and provide no real reassurance of a vehicles condition. The hab check doesn't involve anyone physically looking on the roof of the van , something I hasten to add that a vast majority of buyers/owners also never do. Its a sad fact that anything on the roof isn't a simple fit and forget. Every van I've owned I've had to replace sealant around skylights etc and quite a few of the roof joins ,side seams etc as it does perish and moss etc all sticks to it. Absolute any van has the possibility to leak from these areas. If you're not physically able to check these bits yourself I'd urge anyone to have someone fairly competent and able to inspect them for you annually. It can save you more hassle down the line .

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[Derbyshire wanderer]

I assume the warranty was for 5 years?
As long as the inspection was within 6 years of buying the van, you should be covered by the 2015 sale of goods act?
You have a full service history and relatively low use so this may be the lever you need to get the dealer to offer something.

 

[Blackadder]

Just to answer some of the questions...
Burstner changed the water ingress warranty from 5 years to 10 sometime in 2019 so I believe only registrations from 2020 on are covered for 10 years. So, if we'd bought ours a year later or the leak had been found a year earlier we would have been covered.

All the habitation services have been done where we bought it - part of the deal was a 3-year service plan which we extended when it expired. I have all the previous reports. The only previous fault was a leak emanating from the LEDs above the habitation door (I was told this is common with Buerstners) which was repaired under warranty last year.

There is no visible damage or stain inside the van. The roof has been regularly washed so there is no build-up of algea.

I suspect that part of the problem is that the flat roof is entirely bordered by a raised edging strip. This means that rainwater pools at the lowest edge or corner and stays there until it has a chance to evaporate. Very poor design; the edging strip should be horizontally perforated to allow the water to drain off.

I have written to Buerstner expressing our disappointment with the early failure and pointing out the "warranty gap" that we have fallen into. I will be pleasantly surprised and gratified if they cough up.

Yes, the original vendor's labour charge works out at £120/hr. For a guy with a scraper and a tube of goo???????????

Meantime, the van is booked into a local repair centre next week who insist on doing their own damp check before quoting for a repair.

The real irony is that we were thinking of downsizing to a panel van conversion and even asked for a px quote when we delivered ours for the service. Well whatever happens that's out the window now!

 

[intokenny]

Blackadder, where are you in Somerset? I ask because Apple Campers just of the M5 at Wellington are very good & helpfull.

 

[L' Hobo]

Incidentally this is yet another reason why habitation checks are useless and provide no real reassurance of a vehicles condition. The hab check doesn't involve anyone physically looking on the roof of the van , something I hasten to add that a vast majority of buyers/owners also never do. Its a sad fact that anything on the roof isn't a simple fit and forget. Every van I've owned I've had to replace sealant around skylights etc and quite a few of the roof joins ,side seams etc as it does perish and moss etc all sticks to it. Absolute any van has the possibility to leak from these areas. If you're not physically able to check these bits yourself I'd urge anyone to have someone fairly competent and able to inspect them for you annually. It can save you more hassle down the line .

Totally agree with you Tam, I bought my 2007 Fiat Murvi in 2018 and it was another 2yrs before I had a leak which I eventually traced to the main skylight where the water had been pooling over lockdown.

IMO the fluted roof on my PVC is totally unsuitable for introducing any more than one skylight because it blocks the drainage between any 2 of them of rain water trapped in the flutes. When frosts arrive and the ice expands the laying water into the seals, when the thaw arrives, so does the leaks.

Over the past few years, since my first leak, I have systematically gone around the 3 skylights, TV scanner and the front spoiler on the roof, renewing the sealant on one of them each year. (Some may not be pretty, I'm not as young as I used to be, but they are all waterproofed!

 

[barryd]

Get some other quotes. If you are correct thats nearly £140 per hour. My motorhome fix it guy charges me about £30 an hour which is ridiculously cheap but you might find an alternative quote of much less than what you have been quoted.