NEC Brownhills comment of the day

[nicholsong]

Our first van was sold by BH, they had registered it as having just two seats where it had four belted seats, luckily we were never stopped when carrying passengers( the carrying of extra passengers was so rare and only when abroad, we did not change the documentation!
It is always a good idea to check the DVLC registration paperwork.

Mine only has the following entries

B
[B.1]
D.5
[X]
[Y]
P.1
P.3
[D.4]
E
R

[The ones in brackets appear to be for UK use only as they do not appear on our Polish document for the car]

The other 25 categories are blank

I would not even attempt to ask DVLA to fill them in.

DVSA could probably do it for them, but I doubt whether they have the will, inclination or time.

I think most Policemen and DVSA would accept that DVLA issued documents are deficient/inaccurate.

Foreign authorities are probably unable to fine one for not having/not challenging DVLA correct information.

Unless anyone knows differently

Geoff

 

[Richard Stainthorpe]

Having owned to Autotrails since we switched from caravaners to motorhomers we have had no issues with the motorhomes. Both were purchased from Brownhills as they offered the best deal when compared to other dealers. I agree that the vehicle servicing side at Brownhills is poor though and grossly overpriced. We take our van back to the service centre at the factory for servicing where again I cannot fault them.

I don’t dispute that no doubt some people have had issues with AT vans this is unacceptable when y

 

[Richard Stainthorpe]

Entered previous post by mistake before it was finished!

As I was saying quality issues are unacceptable when you look at the cost of motorhomes, but without doubt it’s not just an Autotrail issue my experience when you talk to other people most makes these days seem capable of turning out the Friday afternoon van.

 

[ChrisL]

Why don’t boats leak, could the Motorhome manufacturing take a look at the technology , and maybe learn a thing or two ?

Unfortunately, just like some motorhomes, some boats do leak that's why they have pumps, maybe they should fit pumps to some motorhomes

 

[GPW]

True, some boats are terrible, leaking mainly if they only use mastic and screws around the deck/hull join so the gap flexes and lets in the water, some makes are just as terrible and notorious as in the camping world.

You even get the odd dumb boatbuilder that pumps foam below the waterline (anything below the water line ends up soaked and rotton in a cored hull) and you get laminate separation too as the waves pound them to pieces. If you really want to burn some serious money then buying a poorly designed boat (even the huge firms do it) is a great way to do it, there are some horror stories that make the odd leaky motorhome look like peanuts .

https://www.yachtsurvey.com/structuralissues.htm

We've got it easy on dry land..

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[dabhand]

we have no leak or damp problems

That’ll be on the Motorhome presumably!

 

[The Wino]

they should have put two engines in the mini it would have stoped the rear subframes roing 4 years of playing with minis and ive never seen a corrosion fault on the front as they were bathed in engine oil

Have you still got one mines a garage ornament but I ought to use it more. I think the salesman would have known he would never sell an Autotrail to a punter saying that but if he could strike up a conversation might have sold them something else

 

[dabhand]

Not that I’d know even though I’ve had a few (small) boats, but I think all boats “leak” don’t they, isn’t that why they have bilge pumps? Perhaps Autotrail should fit them to their Motorhomes!

 

[Two on Tour]

While up at the NEC last Friday we had a mooch around the Chausson 630.
We were interested in buying a Chausson 630 a couple of years ago but were put off with the problems some were having with the Project 2000 bed lifting system, so I asked a sales guy on the Chausson stand if they were still using the Project 2000 bed lifting system. He replied that he knew very little about the details of the Chausson motorhomes as he was pulled in from the office to make up the numbers.
He then said " hold on I'll ask our technical guy". He returned saying the the tech guy in all his years in the motorhome trade had never heard of Project 2000 and Chausson had certainly never used it.
Why do these companies put these prats on the front line of selling their products ???

 

[olley]

You were lucky we asked to see a bed being lowed and the salesman didn't know to to work it.

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[Two on Tour]

You were lucky we asked to see a bed being lowed and the salesman didn't know to to work it.

Probably the burk that we first spoke to.

 

[pelican]

Well you did ask him and he was honest with you. Bit strong you calling him a prat

 

[Two on Tour]

Well you did ask him and he was honest with you. Bit strong you calling him a prat

From the Oxford Dictionaries - Definition of prat in English: An incompetent or stupid person

As he was representing his company and knew very little about the company products in an environment where he was promoting and trying to sell their products, then I think the term is perfectly valid.
Just because your honest does not excuse for being incompetent or stupid, maybe in your eyes, but not mine.

 

[Pausim]

I would rather have someone admit they don’t know than pretend they do. For me the real prats are the ones who pretend to know everything and fob you off with misleading information. Sounds like his organisation dropped him into the role without proper training or experience. Perhaps his boss and the technical guy are the real prats.

 

[Simon Select]

Well you did ask him and he was honest with you. Bit strong you calling him a prat

I agree,
I run a Motorhome Franchise, we sell new and used vehicles. We normally have about 30 vehicles on site with all sorts of shapes and sizes and specifications.
There are times I have not got a clue. For instance, off hand do any of you know the cubic capacity underneath the island bed of a Hobby Siesta 555? Don't google or cheat!
If one of my sales non-binary, non gender- specific team came and asked me a question they were not sure about I would happily help them and I would never chastise them. I would applaud them for being honest and not trying to "Blag" a customer to which unfortunately a lot of others do.

Simon

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[PeteH]

Six leg Doxford marine engines,

OMG!. I was the "Ships Expert" on setting up the Mechanical Injectors on the first 2 Ships I sailed in as a 4th Engineer. They where 4 Leg Doxford, with a full set of Mechanical pumps driven off the rear Cross-heads!. I also had to draw them in orthographic projection for Part A Seconds.

 

[GPW]

I think it's a general thing that shows need to hire extra salesmen. If they had that number on full time staff they'd all go bust.
The chap I ordered my Globecar from was the same, but he was honest, didn't pressure and found out the info I needed - it's very rare to meet the perfect salesman and I'd rather have character over knowledge.

 

[pelican]

Well that makes you a prat in my eyes!

 

[Two on Tour]

Well that makes you a prat in my eyes!

You do have a very bad habit of ignoring rule 1 don't you.

 

[pelican]

You do have a very bad habit of ignoring rule 1 don't you.

Sorry had not read rules

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[Kannon Fodda]

Regarding boats, and I suspect this is somewhat divulging from this thread, there are obviously holes in the hull for the propeller shaft. As that has to allow the shaft to turn a tight seal with water pressure against it, inevitably some water weepage. Plus inevitably if you clean the filters from the water inlets to the engine coolers, even with a shutoff valve, you'll get spillage. You'll be happy you have a bilge pump

And if motorhomes have problems with robust seals between various enclosure sections, windows, rooflights, etc, imagine the difficulty when the whole hull and superstructure is getting bounced about in a force 8 gale sea Chances are the people fail before the boat sinks But seals will fail and I doubt the average motorhomer will pay the robust tech and gaskets relied upon for boats?

But for those who are worried about delamination of their bonded motor home wall panels, then look up fibreglass osmosis where the hull literally disintegrates and becomes spongy underneath you, out of sight

 

[BobtheBass]

At the recent NEC show I was approached by a salesman on one of the upmarket motorhome stands. I thought of my best "go away I’m only looking" line and delivered it to the nice looking chap who then said "you don’t recognise me Mr Palt do you?". I looked again and it was the friendly salesman who had sold me my car the year before! He said he had been roped in to help for the show, knew very little about motorhomes but was keen to learn and got us some coffees so I hope he did well.