The resurrection of Doc, bringing a 20 year old neismann Bischoff Flair back to life after 12 years off road.

I hope its something straightforward but worth noting that JockandRita has the 3 litre which is quite different to yours.

That invoice would give me no confidence, especially from a garage I don't know. Its also odd that there are no ancillaries, tensioners, guides etc, I think I remember its quite a low mileage but its been sat a long time and the other belts are the same age. I would be wanting to lay eyes on it at the very least. Failure would be very expensive.
 
Scotch mist said:
The invoice for the cam belt looks iffy to me ,just looks like something to appease you , parts are usually added , then labour , then vat , same as the mot invoice ,
I would ask for a copy of their parts purchase invoice , that will tell you that they bought the parts , easy for them to email a copy to you , just say it’s for your maintenance records
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£100 exactly for the kit? alarm bell time, I would be getting it checked out just for piece of mind, No vat no mention of hours to fit and the MOT?
 
The Coops said:
£100 exactly for the kit? alarm bell time, I would be getting it checked out just for piece of mind, No vat no mention of hours to fit and the MOT?
Click to expand...
I did think the same, also didn't think the handwriting was the best, but didn't want to comment but as it's now been mentioned I will add to that.
 
jongood said:
I hope its something straightforward but worth noting that @JockandRita has the 3 litre which is quite different to yours.
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Not if Tam's is the 2.8JTD (albeit belt driven rather than chain), but I agree Jon if it's the older 2.8TDi, ie, mechanical injection.

Northernraider. I too have reservations about the invoice for the cambelt change Tam. There's nothing about it that looks right. :(
Having suffered a cambelt failure at the hands of a "so called" professional commercial vehicle repairers, the MH was off the road for weeks whilst the insurers sorted out a new engine. Get the covers off and have a good snout at the belt.

Good luck,

Jock. :)

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JockandRita said:
Not if Tam's is the 2.8JTD (albeit belt driven rather than chain), but I agree Jon if it's the older 2.8TDi, ie, mechanical injection.

Northernraider. I too have reservations about the invoice for the cambelt change Tam. There's nothing about it that looks right. :(
Having suffered a cambelt failure at the hands of a "so called" professional commercial vehicle repairers, the MH was off the road for weeks whilst the insurers sorted out a new engine. Get the covers off and have a good snout at the belt.

Good luck,

Jock. :)
Click to expand...
Trouble is even old belts look like new when you take them off.
 
JockandRita said:
Not if Tam's is the 2.8JTD (albeit belt driven rather than chain), but I agree Jon if it's the older 2.8TDi, ie, mechanical injection.

Northernraider. I too have reservations about the invoice for the cambelt change Tam. There's nothing about it that looks right. :(
Having suffered a cambelt failure at the hands of a "so called" professional commercial vehicle repairers, the MH was off the road for weeks whilst the insurers sorted out a new engine. Get the covers off and have a good snout at the belt.

Good luck,

Jock. :)
Click to expand...

Hey Jock - IMHO, looking at a cam belt rarely gives much away unless it’s very old and obvious signs of wear or cracking. This has been kept in a barn, so even if the belt is old, there may not be obvious signs that it is! Much better to follow the old mantra of, if in doubt, swap it out!
 
Carpmart said:
Much better to follow the old mantra of, if in doubt, swap it out!
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Absolutely Harvey, I couldn't agree more, but I'm not responsible for Tam's budget 🤷‍♂️ and we all know (including Tam), that the consequences of belt failure are huge unfortunately. :(

Cheers,

Jock. :)

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Maybe try to have a good look to see if bolts have been undone ,dirty hand marks around the front wheel liner if it has one etc that's what I did when I had mine changed at a garage I did not know
 
Righto .. so the cambelt etc

I will post up some screenshot of the WhatsApp conversation I had with Gareth ( van seller) at the time when the cambelt was being done.

You'll have to just ignore the other bits of conversation as Gareth had become my new best mate when buying this lol he was always texting other stuff so there's conversation about morroco, batteries my other camper etc in amongst there.

Basically I'd asked him to get the other belts changed too while they were doing cambelt and I'd cover the extra cost of them ...in the end he said he forgot or they forgot or some nonsense... but that the mechanic doing the job had stated ALL the belts he'd taken off were like new and he suspected they'd been changed last year before the old fella that owned it had sold it to him but there was no proof. He states the mechanic therfore fitted a new cambelt and rollers etc BUT he had refitted the other 2 belts because otherwise I'd have to wait another week as they were on holiday. Unfortunately part of this conversation was over the phone.

But bottom line he claims the cambelt and rollers were changed but ancillary belts were not.

I don't know his relationship with the garage , he claimed he'd never used them before but the garage he Normally uses for trade vehicles isn't big enough for that van .

Here's the screenshots
Screenshot_20240906_080111_WhatsApp.jpg
Screenshot_20240906_080349_WhatsApp.jpg
Screenshot_20240906_080252_WhatsApp.jpg
Screenshot_20240906_080308_WhatsApp.jpg
Screenshot_20240906_080318_WhatsApp.jpg
Screenshot_20240906_080335_WhatsApp.jpg
Screenshot_20240906_080349_WhatsApp.jpg
Screenshot_20240906_080420_WhatsApp.jpg


As you can see he mentions that he was nervous driving it to the garage for the cambelt as I'd put the wind up him about how much damage is done if it snaps .. and then he states how good the van was driving on the return trip ..he did send a video of him driving it.

As I said I don't trust him an inch , and the invoice and the mot invoice both look suspect to me too . But I also know not all garages write out formal invoices etc so it may be innocent enough.


I'm going to phone both those garages today , question why the mot repairs were not done and how failures became advisories with no work being done .I'm going to tell them it's getting independently inspected.

And then I'm also going to speak to the manager of the garage that did the cambelt , see what he has to say , also advise him I'm having it independently inspected and if found that the work hasn't been done they are both equally guilty of fraud
 
Northernraider said:
The battery is the hard part

I can get a 300ah fogstar drift from fogstar at £722

Or I can buy a 280ah eco worthy at £495
With the eco worthy I'd need to fit a shunt so I can see what the battery is doing etc.

Anyone on here fitted/used eco worthy ?

They get Good reviews online for sure.

And I guess if I needed more power later I can add a second one .

But honestly I'm not sure I'd need to .

Baring in mind I will have b2b and possibly generator as back up to solar .
Click to expand...
We have recently fitted a pair of 100ah Eco worthy batteries, our old LA Hankooks croaked while we were in Germany in July.
They have been fine so far but it's still early days.
We rarely use hookup and have 300w solar, Victron 100/30 controller and smart shunt. We run a compressor Fridge freezer and when it was really hot we were using 80/90 ah a day.
I believe Eco worthy now supply Bluetooth BMS on some batteries.
Our pair were £360 when taking the New Customers discount and buying them with emu's.
Why not wait and see how you get on then if needed order when you are in Europe. I know folk who had them delivered to a site in Spain or collect from Germany.
 
jongood said:
I hope its something straightforward but worth noting that JockandRita has the 3 litre which is quite different to yours.

That invoice would give me no confidence, especially from a garage I don't know. Its also odd that there are no ancillaries, tensioners, guides etc, I think I remember its quite a low mileage but its been sat a long time and the other belts are the same age. I would be wanting to lay eyes on it at the very least. Failure would be very expensive.
Click to expand...
Yip and even if they have done it then it might be the reason for the red light if they have the timing ever so slightly wrong.
 
Northernraider said:
Righto .. so the cambelt etc

I will post up some screenshot of the WhatsApp conversation I had with Gareth ( van seller) at the time when the cambelt was being done.

You'll have to just ignore the other bits of conversation as Gareth had become my new best mate when buying this lol he was always texting other stuff so there's conversation about morroco, batteries my other camper etc in amongst there.

Basically I'd asked him to get the other belts changed too while they were doing cambelt and I'd cover the extra cost of them ...in the end he said he forgot or they forgot or some nonsense... but that the mechanic doing the job had stated ALL the belts he'd taken off were like new and he suspected they'd been changed last year before the old fella that owned it had sold it to him but there was no proof. He states the mechanic therfore fitted a new cambelt and rollers etc BUT he had refitted the other 2 belts because otherwise I'd have to wait another week as they were on holiday. Unfortunately part of this conversation was over the phone.

But bottom line he claims the cambelt and rollers were changed but ancillary belts were not.

I don't know his relationship with the garage , he claimed he'd never used them before but the garage he Normally uses for trade vehicles isn't big enough for that van .

Here's the screenshots View attachment 945268View attachment 945269View attachment 945270View attachment 945271View attachment 945272View attachment 945273View attachment 945274View attachment 945275

As you can see he mentions that he was nervous driving it to the garage for the cambelt as I'd put the wind up him about how much damage is done if it snaps .. and then he states how good the van was driving on the return trip ..he did send a video of him driving it.

As I said I don't trust him an inch , and the invoice and the mot invoice both look suspect to me too . But I also know not all garages write out formal invoices etc so it may be innocent enough.


I'm going to phone both those garages today , question why the mot repairs were not done and how failures became advisories with no work being done .I'm going to tell them it's getting independently inspected.

And then I'm also going to speak to the manager of the garage that did the cambelt , see what he has to say , also advise him I'm having it independently inspected and if found that the work hasn't been done they are both equally guilty of fraud
Click to expand...
That Elvis song you sent me on WhatsApp definitely sums you up! 🤣🤣

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Northernraider said:
Righto .. so the cambelt etc

I will post up some screenshot of the WhatsApp conversation I had with Gareth ( van seller) at the time when the cambelt was being done.

You'll have to just ignore the other bits of conversation as Gareth had become my new best mate when buying this lol he was always texting other stuff so there's conversation about morroco, batteries my other camper etc in amongst there.

Basically I'd asked him to get the other belts changed too while they were doing cambelt and I'd cover the extra cost of them ...in the end he said he forgot or they forgot or some nonsense... but that the mechanic doing the job had stated ALL the belts he'd taken off were like new and he suspected they'd been changed last year before the old fella that owned it had sold it to him but there was no proof. He states the mechanic therfore fitted a new cambelt and rollers etc BUT he had refitted the other 2 belts because otherwise I'd have to wait another week as they were on holiday. Unfortunately part of this conversation was over the phone.

But bottom line he claims the cambelt and rollers were changed but ancillary belts were not.

I don't know his relationship with the garage , he claimed he'd never used them before but the garage he Normally uses for trade vehicles isn't big enough for that van .

Here's the screenshots View attachment 945268View attachment 945269View attachment 945270View attachment 945271View attachment 945272View attachment 945273View attachment 945274View attachment 945275

As you can see he mentions that he was nervous driving it to the garage for the cambelt as I'd put the wind up him about how much damage is done if it snaps .. and then he states how good the van was driving on the return trip ..he did send a video of him driving it.

As I said I don't trust him an inch , and the invoice and the mot invoice both look suspect to me too . But I also know not all garages write out formal invoices etc so it may be innocent enough.


I'm going to phone both those garages today , question why the mot repairs were not done and how failures became advisories with no work being done .I'm going to tell them it's getting independently inspected.

And then I'm also going to speak to the manager of the garage that did the cambelt , see what he has to say , also advise him I'm having it independently inspected and if found that the work hasn't been done they are both equally guilty of fraud
Click to expand...
Please be careful how much stress you put yourself through here.
 
Last edited:
Dolmen said:
Please be careful how much stress you put yourself through here, both garages look like thunderdomes on google earth, probably all friends, almost impossible for Gareth to have picked such unsavoury places unless he is in with them, ask by all means, however, decide in advance when to just right it off to experience; dark and deep hole here.
Click to expand...
I have no doubt in my mind he will have used the cheapest garages possible .

The mot stuff I'm not bothered about so much but I would like to hear it from horses mouth why they think it's OK to fail a vehicle do nothing to it then pass it with the Same problems.

I can fix all the mot issues easily.


Having a cambelt changed yet again however is a big and expensive job I don't really want to do ...that's why I negotiated it in to the purchase price in the first place. Its a big van and I'm limited where I can get it fixed and it's my home ..

So I can't help get anxious about it unfortunately

But you can tell a lot from a phone call .
 
CaptainPaul said:
Click to expand...

Aye but unfortunately in this case that suspicious mind is more than justified Paul. The more I find on this van I'm convinced garreth bought it as a trade vehicle but as it had quite a few issues that he has neither the skill or facilities to repair he sold it as a private sale rather than through his business. It protects his business from bad reviews etc and any comebacks.

I don't believe anyone buys a vehicle for themselves drives it home and never looks at it again , doesn't try any of the appliances , doesn't even clean it etc ... nope I don't believe it.

The mot is a joke to be honest and I personally don't know any mot station that would have passed it with the listed faults. And those faults probably won't be expensive to fix but it's still been a job for a mate mot .

The cambelt is a little more concerning and I'm worried that the mechanic has simply looked at it ..thought it looked reasonably new and never changed it. That could leave me stranded somewhere on Europe with a fecked engine . And I don't need that
 
Northernraider said:
The mot stuff I'm not bothered about so much but I would like to hear it from horses mouth why they think it's OK to fail a vehicle do nothing to it then pass it with the Same problems.

I can fix all the mot issues easily.
Click to expand...
Not worth the bother of stirring up the MOT place, it's got an MOT the faults are only minor. If you had taken one of your vans in with those faults and it passed you would have been pleased.

Cambelt is a different matter and you need t be sure it's been changed.

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Northernraider said:
Aye but unfortunately in this case that suspicious mind is more than justified Paul. The more I find on this van I'm convinced garreth bought it as a trade vehicle but as it had quite a few issues that he has neither the skill or facilities to repair he sold it as a private sale rather than through his business. It protects his business from bad reviews etc and any comebacks.

I don't believe anyone buys a vehicle for themselves drives it home and never looks at it again , doesn't try any of the appliances , doesn't even clean it etc ... nope I don't believe it.

The mot is a joke to be honest and I personally don't know any mot station that would have passed it with the listed faults. And those faults probably won't be expensive to fix but it's still been a job for a mate mot .

The cambelt is a little more concerning and I'm worried that the mechanic has simply looked at it ..thought it looked reasonably new and never changed it. That could leave me stranded somewhere on Europe with a fecked engine . And I don't need that
Click to expand...
Lol I can see your nae listening ta yer auld Irish pal so I'll say nae more, 🤣
Well hopefully you'll get some peace of mind talking with the garage 👍
 
Northernraider said:
I don't believe anyone buys a vehicle for themselves drives it home and never looks at it again , doesn't try any of the appliances , doesn't even clean it etc ... nope I don't believe it.
Click to expand...

I heard one time a boy ordered/bought a Brand new campervan and forgotten he'd ordered it until they phoned him a year later to tell him it was out for delivery the next week....
🤣🤣
 
Lenny HB said:
Not worth the bother of stirring up the MOT place, it's got an MOT the faults are only minor. If you had taken one of your vans in with those faults and it passed you would have been pleased.

Cambelt is a different matter and you need t be sure it's been changed.
Click to expand...
I'd have been embarrassed to take a vehicle in to an mot station with those faults. And if it passed I'd never have went back to them .

The only thing I'm going to do with mot is put the wind up them and tell them I'm having it inspected. . Gareth claimed they tapped lights and they came on .. those lights haven't worked in years .

The cambelt is the main concern but unless whoever I speak to at the garage has a way of proving they've done it the only way to be sure is to have yet another garage check the bleedin thing

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