# Marquis Motor Homes



## pamjon (Jun 20, 2018)

BEWARE of this Company!!!
A friend of ours bought a brand new Benimar motor home from this company nearly 2 years ago. The faults on this vehicle are 21 up to now including recalls are horrendous.
To top it all in January when they were away in Spain it started leaking. Then it leaked in another place too. Marquis supposedly repaired the leak but when they went away in it again in April it was still leaking. Then the shower door fell off and they couldn't use the shower, they also found out that one of the drain plugs was not even connected up to a pipe. Therefore they don't know where the water was going when they had been using the shower. This is only a brief summary out of all the faults.
Marquis is as far they are concerned a BAD Company to deal with. When our friends said that they would be contacting a solicitor Marqius replied "Get on With It"!
A Very Bad Company .
PJ


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## vindiboy (Jun 20, 2018)

I understand your friends  frustration, but Marquis are only the suppliers of the van, they did not build it ,Benimar did, of course they have a duty to put things right , and 2 years seems a long time  for these problems to manifest themselves , hope it gets sorted for them.


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## pamjon (Jun 20, 2018)

*Marquis*

Yes, I understand what you are saying in that they did not build the van. It would be no skin off their nose to replace it, they just do not want to know.
PJ


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## Pauljenny (Jun 20, 2018)

They haven't improved much,then?
We walked away from their Preston branch, 12 years ago. Brownhills were even worse, had to get the trading standards onto them.. Finally bought a van From Campbells. They were so bad,we took them to the small claims court They paid out immediately prior to the hearing.
This lovely van was bought directly from the converter..
They went bankrupt 21 months later.

Don't think we could ever go through the hassle of buying another van.
Well drive it into the ground  and use it as a shed.

The Small Claims court is fairly simple to DIY.  Make a claim and inform them that you propose to add a monthly sum of interest to it.. I believe 8% per annum/ ½%per month, compound is the norm . Send them a written monthly statement. Use recorded delivery, adding all costs incurred.
Keep all paperwork.
Expect to be ignored and lied to.
Treat it as a hobby.
Don't get angry... Get ahead.


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## pamjon (Jun 20, 2018)

*Marquis*

Hairydog, I do not consider £40,000 is cheap. These people did not know any better and trusted the dealership. I do agree with you in that you can buy a good second hand van for a lot less money. The problem is these dealerships rip off a lot of people who do not know any better or in our friends case they bought a new van because in their seventies they wanted peace of mind.


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## Pauljenny (Jun 20, 2018)

hairydog said:


> I honestly don't understand why people buy cheap motorhomes brand new.
> 
> The cheap ones are not cheap because they are sold at a loss. They are cheap because they are made on the cheap.  And that means they are crap.
> 
> ...



We were looking at the Autosleeper Eton.
That was supposed to be a quality van.. The demonstrator was in a poor and dirty state. The salesman was ignorant and when checking the trade in paperwork, we found a massive discrepancy in his maths... Guess which way ?

Brownhills asked for £2500 credit card payment, " To ensure that we would turn up  when the demonstrator arrived from Newark... If we didn't like the van, it would be refunded.". It, too was in a dirty state, with muddy footprints in the shower , rattled and creaked.
Took it on a test drive, decided it was not for us. Their sales Manager said that we'd entered into a contract to buy that particular van... The £2500 was the deposit we'd paid.. !
Trading Standards put that right PDQ !
There must be an honest dealer somewhere?  Anyone know where?


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## Canalsman (Jun 20, 2018)

One avenue worth pursuing is to buy privately and then purchase a warranty to cover, say, the first 12 months.


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## runnach (Jun 20, 2018)

Go on then I will be drawn the biggest thieves in  the motor trade are customers .......swopping tyres,changing batteries all of a sudden losing spare keys,

It is probably lost but Marquis have not been given the opportunity to respond so familiarise yourself with slander laws on a public forum.

If people started threatening me with litigation in the motortrade you would get the same answer get on with it.

Channa


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## Deleted member 5759 (Jun 21, 2018)

Pauljenny said:


> v
> There must be an honest dealer somewhere?  Anyone know where?




Well you  can allways  try us!  :camper:

New & Pre Owned Motorhomes & Caravans Traders – Motorhomes For Sale – Johns Cross000


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## pagey (Jun 21, 2018)

pamjon said:


> Yes, I understand what you are saying in that they did not build the van. It would be no skin off their nose to replace it, they just do not want to know.
> PJ


  they have no chance of a exchange van after 2 years the only course of action here is to stop publicly slagging them off and talk to them if they wont move take legal action


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## Deleted member 56601 (Jun 21, 2018)

channa said:


> Go on then I will be drawn the biggest thieves in  the motor trade are customers .......swopping tyres,changing batteries all of a sudden losing spare keys,
> 
> It is probably lost but Marquis have not been given the opportunity to respond so *familiarise yourself with slander laws *on a public forum.
> 
> ...



Might also be worth checking Libel laws. As a retailer for many years I would agree with your 'customers' comment.


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## pamjon (Jun 21, 2018)

*Marquis*

The van is only 18mths old, I am not slagging the company off at all. There has been problems with this van since brand new (fact), 3 times the roof has leaked (fact) they have said they have repaired it and it has still leaked (fact), there are now cracks in the body work (fact) amongst 21 other faults.
Fair enough they say bring it in, but they are not correcting the faults properly the workmanship is shoddy but there comes a point when the van becomes worthless and our friends now dare not use it again. Our friends are now taking legal action, but I thought that the people on the site would want to be aware if they should consider using this company.
As for slander, lies are slander not the truth.
PJ


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## vanmandan (Jun 21, 2018)

107 opinions on Marquis "service".......

MagBaz Travels - Marquis Motorhomes: 107 Opinions of their 'Service'


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## yorkslass (Jun 21, 2018)

hairydog said:


> I honestly don't understand why people buy cheap motorhomes brand new.
> 
> The cheap ones are not cheap because they are sold at a loss. They are cheap because they are made on the cheap.  And that means they are crap.
> 
> ...



Passing a dealership on Sunday and called in for a browse. They stock German and well known UK made vans, some dearer than the German vans. I can truthfully say I was amazed at the amount of plastic used in the UK vans and they were upwards of £70,000.


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## Byronic (Jun 21, 2018)

channa said:


> Go on then I will be drawn the biggest thieves in  the motor trade are customers .......swopping tyres,changing batteries all of a sudden losing spare keys,
> 
> Channa



Some customers perhaps, but  not all. Some in the motorhome 
retail trade perhaps, but not all. 

The OP has pointed out third party problems with 'one' member
of the motorhome trade who in their experience isn't performing
to a standard that they expect. And may well fall short off the standards 
expected by other members of the motorhome retailing trade.

Whether they've overstepped legality thresholds is probably for
another thread, probably another site!


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## QFour (Jun 21, 2018)

pamjon said:


> Our friends are now taking legal action



Waste of time and effort. It will take months for Solicitors to get round to arguing about it running up thousands in fees.

IMHO they should just get shut of it and take the hit. It will probably be less than paying out for Solicitors / Barrister Opinions Etc. Also means they can get on with life.

What will they gain. They certainly won’t get their money back.

We meet a couple in Oliva Spain and jokingly I said have you been round the Benimar Factory as it’s only up the road. He was not a happy guy. His electric bed had jammed and he called at the factory. They would not even let him through the gate. They only build them was their reply and told him to go to his Dealer. Eventually a local Benimar Dealer fixed it for him.

..


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## trevskoda (Jun 21, 2018)

Thank feck i built my own wagon and all works 100% with no rattles squeaks bits falling of,all for less than 6 g.


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## runnach (Jun 21, 2018)

QFour said:


> Waste of time and effort. It will take months for Solicitors to get round to arguing about it running up thousands in fees.
> 
> IMHO they should just get shut of it and take the hit. It will probably be less than paying out for Solicitors / Barrister Opinions Etc. Also means they can get on with life.
> 
> ...



Forget solicitors, A trip to trading standards and an accurate documentation of events will serve far better. As a rule dealers don't like TS showing too much interest ....in addition IF and it is an IF other customers have been short changed the OPs friends case will possibly be part of evidence in a collective prosecution.

Benimar the factory of course they wont let you in ...factory operatives are that not mechanics ..and besides the contract is with the dealer not the manufacturer.
Bad service on the manufacturers part compared to Hymer that I do agree but a difference in premium

Channa


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## QFour (Jun 21, 2018)

We had a Pilote 716 with the early Project 2000 Electric Bed. It never was that reliable. Certainly wouldn’t have fancied a few months away with the will it won’t it routine every night. So it had to go after 14 months. All the Dealer could say was the MH had to be perfectly level.


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## QFour (Jun 21, 2018)

Cheerful Charlie said:


> We were told by one dealer that they won't touch trade in vans with electrically operated beds , so guess they have had problems !



Got shut of ours just in time then. Have heard that others have had similar problems.


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## alcam (Jun 21, 2018)

channa said:


> Forget solicitors, A trip to trading standards and an accurate documentation of events will serve far better. As a rule dealers don't like TS showing too much interest ....in addition IF and it is an IF other customers have been short changed the OPs friends case will possibly be part of evidence in a collective prosecution.
> 
> Benimar the factory of course they wont let you in ...factory operatives are that not mechanics ..and besides the contract is with the dealer not the manufacturer.
> Bad service on the manufacturers part compared to Hymer that I do agree but a difference in premium
> ...



To be fair Chausson did let you go to factory and did deal with problems


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## runnach (Jun 21, 2018)

alcam said:


> To be fair Chausson did let you go to factory and did deal with problems



Some do hence my reference to Hymer I know they helped ***** ...But it certainly seems not across the board some importesr adopt concessinaiires a different kettle of fish altogether 

Channa


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## Nabsim (Jun 22, 2018)

hairydog said:


> Not really true. For example, cheap vans have compressor fridges or Thetford 3-way ones. Even with Dometic fridges, there are several different levels of quality (and price).
> 
> Yes, a lot of motorhomes (almst all in fact) are assembled from bought-in components, but there is often a good way to do things and a cheap way to do them.
> 
> There is usualy a choice of components to use and how you incorporate them. For example, compare a Hymer S class witha Hymer Swing.



Have you checked the prices of compressor fridges?


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## mariesnowgoose (Jun 22, 2018)

Too much modern-day reliance on electrics & technology, imho - plus it makes people lazy (or lazier than they should be!) 

I would instinctively never buy an electrically operated bed at home, never mind in a camper!

OK I can see the benefit for some people who have a disability etc., but I just assume it's automatically going to break down at some point and can't be chewed with the hassle.

Heck, I even hate having electrically operated windows in a vehicle! 

Good old-fashioned manual operation for certain things every time, thank you! 

PS. we're supposed to be saving power, not burning it, and not everyone has solar panels. Just sayin'


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## mariesnowgoose (Jun 22, 2018)

hairydog said:


> Not really true. For example, cheap vans have compressor fridges or Thetford 3-way ones. Even with Dometic fridges, there are several different levels of quality (and price).
> 
> Yes, a lot of motorhomes (almst all in fact) are assembled from bought-in components, but there is often a good way to do things and a cheap way to do them.
> 
> There is usualy a choice of components to use and how you incorporate them. For example, compare a Hymer S class witha Hymer Swing.



Cheap & cheerful or quality, the manufacturers & dealers make a nice profit either way and no guarantee that either won't break down regardless of quality 

Many years ago a chap from Sunderland bought a brand new Jag. Drove it out of showroom, 10 miles down the road engine blew up.

I know, that kind of thing doesn't happen often and I understand and agree that you pays your money you takes your choice & quality usually does last, but just sayin'


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## phillybarbour (Jun 22, 2018)

Cheerful Charlie said:


> Sounds like a normal new motorhome purchase to me :lol-049::scared:



I don’t agree at all. Choose a good brand and a good dealer and the experience is normally great. We are on our third van, two had minor issues all sorted timely by experienced dealers. In both cases the dealers are family owned and you are able to speak to them if needed. People need to put as much consideration into choosing a dealer as choosing a van.

The two dealers I have used are Emm-Bee at Bury and SMC at Newark.


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## phillybarbour (Jun 22, 2018)

pamjon said:


> Hairydog, I do not consider £40,000 is cheap. These people did not know any better and trusted the dealership. I do agree with you in that you can buy a good second hand van for a lot less money. The problem is these dealerships rip off a lot of people who do not know any better or in our friends case they bought a new van because in their seventies they wanted peace of mind.



Customers spending that amount of money need to do some research. It would soon have become apparent that at £40k (for a new coachbuilt) you are buying a very budget brand and could make an informed decision based on that information. You can blame the dealer for lots of things but not that he sold a budget brand van.


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## Wooie1958 (Jun 22, 2018)

Todds Motorhomes, Lostock Hall have a very good reputation   Todds Motorhomes

I know 4 people that have bought from them, 2 new and 2 used, all 4 have been very very pleased with the service they receive from Todds.

Their accessory shop is very well stocked and competitively priced and is where i buy all my motorhome related items / products.


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## yorkslass (Jun 22, 2018)

Cheerful Charlie said:


> We have an ever increasing list of stupid faults but to be honest I just can't be bothered to sort them as the whole process annoys the hell out of me .
> I might make a concerted effort to sort today as the dealer has a few bits in now for collection.
> I think all brands are as bad as each other as they are all made with the same crap



Based on the vans we looked at, the UK crap is far superior to the German crap. The British builds take it to a whole new level.


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## Wully (Jun 22, 2018)

Had my van over a year now no complaints with it or dealer apart from the fiat side couple of recalls and just keep looking at it and saying to myself did I actually pay that much for a fiat but happy in general vans going in next week for service and realy there’s so much crammed into a mh that theres bound to be a few teething probs silly little things I wouldn’t even bother the dealer with might be a big deal to someone else with little or no mh or diy experience. You have to keep some kind of relationship with dealer threatening them just gets you nowhere just have to bite you’re tongue and be patient.


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## The laird (Jun 22, 2018)

Anyone got a rope with a noose on it 

What a cheery post


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## Wooie1958 (Jun 22, 2018)

The laird said:


> Anyone got a rope with a noose on it
> 
> What a cheery post




What was wrong with mine    :sad:


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## The laird (Jun 22, 2018)

Wooie1958 said:


> What was wrong with mine    :sad:



Nought g


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## Wooie1958 (Jun 22, 2018)

The laird said:


> Nought g




Thank you   :wave:


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## REC (Jun 24, 2018)

Read this with interest, given our current experience with a new " budget" motorhome. We researched the dealer prior to purchase and reviews were reasonable with no really bad ones. We were, I think , just very unlucky in the actual vehicle. Unfortunately, not everyone has the time for selfconversion to ensure good workmanship, even if they have the skills! And budget is always an issue...we bought at the top of our budget and expected minor faults. A "good second hand" would not have a euro 6 engine at our budget either. The difference in dealers is how they deal with the problems. In our case a four month wait for parts to be able to use the van was not acceptable. Whether that is the dealers fault or manufacturers is debatable! It's being collected this week and refund should be in next couple of days. The good thing is that we will have finished the home conversion soon so can get a van and selfbuild. At least we now know exactly what we do and don't want in a mh, it has been an extended trial !! Nothing is ever completely negative, just takes a while to see the positives!


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## alcam (Jun 24, 2018)

channa said:


> Go on then I will be drawn the biggest thieves in  the motor trade are customers .......swopping tyres,changing batteries all of a sudden losing spare keys,
> 
> It is probably lost but Marquis have not been given the opportunity to respond so familiarise yourself with slander laws on a public forum.
> 
> ...



I agree the dealer should be given a chance to respond . Believe it or not there are always 2 sides to an argument , though sometimes one side's case is pretty weak .
Not had a problem with any dealer . Though I'd like to know how current faults (all minor but annoying) suddenly happened 2 weeks after warranty expired .
Apart from Thule step which stopped working a month before warranty expired , can't blame dealer I didn't get round to telling him


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## Robmac (Jun 24, 2018)

I don't know all of the ins and outs of this case, obviously.

But if their reaction to legal action is "get on with it", then they must be pretty sure of their ground.


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## runnach (Jun 24, 2018)

Robmac said:


> I don't know all of the ins and outs of this case, obviously.
> 
> But if their reaction to legal action is "get on with it", then they must be pretty sure of their ground.



I think possibly with the larger dealers Rob, They will be members of the NCC and or SMMT and membership provides legal cover. Furthermore that legal cover will be biased towards consumer and contract law, SO they will use it as it costs nothing.

Like in REC s case I advised and still do trading standards are the best bet for 101 reasons. I have always found them impartial and sensible resolving issues without the emotional / unrealistic baggage people often have.

Channa


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## Robmac (Jun 24, 2018)

channa said:


> ........Like in REC s case I advised and still do trading standards are the best bet for 101 reasons. I have always found them impartial and sensible resolving issues without the emotional / unrealistic baggage people often have.
> 
> Channa



Yes, I've used them myself Andy.

As you say, impartial and usually in a better position to see who is in the right without emotional clouding. They can often reach a satisfactory conclusion which is also often a compromise of some sort.


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## pamjon (Jun 24, 2018)

*Marquis*

Thank you to everyone for all your comments and information. If there are more they are quite welcome. A special thank you to Vanmandan, his information may well come in very useful. It goes without saying that I think my friend has got a big fight on his hands. I do agree with trading standards as well, they are free and sometimes work miracles. One of the reasons I joined the site many years ago was for the knowledge base of other Motor Homers which is fantastic. However, even if one buys a so called budget van for £40,000 or more you expect a tap to work and not fall to pieces and you expect that when you take it in for a leak that they repair it.
Marquis have been given every chance to put the vehicle right. The last episode with our friends was they opened the shower door and it fell off. There are minute cracks on the body work now and our friend is now wondering what will happen next. He paid his money for piece of mind which he certainly has not got. We personally have never bought new always second hand and never from a dealer.
Thanks again. PJ.


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## QFour (Jun 24, 2018)

Our Swift had cracks in the gel coat. Asked about it when it was serviced. Quiet common apparently over doors and windows where the body flexes. Not a good feature really but it’s someone else’s problem now.

They all have bits that come loose. I just get my Birmingham Screwdrivers out ...

..


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## Nabsim (Jun 24, 2018)

If it’s fibreglass you can get cracks that’s true, spent hours trying to polish them out of sidecar bodies without luck


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## martyndh (Jun 25, 2018)

A couple of weeks ago I posted that our 2 year 1 month old van sprung a bad leak whilst we were away.
1 month out of warranty but we had our habitation warranty to rely on - NOT!!
Pilote told us that as we had not had the habitation check carried out by one of their dealers we were not covered!
Our Reply - "Ok small claims court it is then under "Durability of Product"Legislation - lets see what a judge makes of a vehicle which has covered barely 7000 miles and then springs a leak"??
Their reply:  "As a gesture of goodwill we have now decided we will cover the repair" Yeah right!!
Know your rights and be prepared to stand up for them!
Martyn


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## mariesnowgoose (Jun 25, 2018)

Nabsim said:


> If it’s fibreglass you can get cracks that’s true, spent hours trying to polish them out of sidecar bodies without luck



Our 30 year old Autosleeper monocoque fibreglass shell doesn't have any cracks in it.

Possibly because they were made to an extremely high quality at that time? 

Anyway, I kinda distrust a lot of very modern stuff. 
This is based on a certain amount of logic & *first hand experience*, and not just some 'feminine whim' or guesswork!

Looking at the shelf life of ordinary household white goods at the present time, if the motor trade (I include motorhome/camper manufacturers in this statement) are following similar lines & methods of production then I suspect the later models of some types of motorhome will be (imho) sub-standard and last a fraction of the time that the older ones do (or did).

Throwaway society writ large.

Just sayin'


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## runnach (Jun 25, 2018)

mariesnowgoose said:


> Our 30 year old Autosleeper monocoque fibreglass shell doesn't have any cracks in it.
> 
> Possibly because they were made to an extremely high quality at that time?
> 
> ...



I think you make valid points Marie

It surprises a lot of people when I reflect upon my time in the trade, and state the manufacturer who had more warranty claims than any other. The answer is Mercedes !

They weren't a particularly bad product , but customer expectations were far higher than a typical Ford.

The best of the lot were Japanese, Honda , Mazda and Toyota. In the case of Toyota behind Lexus they certainly were something else. Very little warranty work.

Now theres a thought Lexus making motorhomes !

Channa


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## Byronic (Jun 25, 2018)

mariesnowgoose said:


> Our 30 year old Autosleeper monocoque fibreglass shell doesn't have any cracks in it.
> 
> Possibly because they were made to an extremely high quality at that time?
> 
> ...



Don't forget when Autosleeper built those glass fibre bodies 30 and more years ago
they were using a very modern method of construction, and they made a good job 
of it. Perhaps the Townsend input had something to do with it who knows! 

Quite honestly I could give you quite a long list of less than heavenly old bodies, and somewhat
less than ideal materials and methods of construction in the old days that wouldn't stand 
close scrutiny. The so called 'coachbuilt' m/homes, which generally meant sheet aluminium 
on a glued and stapled timber frame, lined with hardboard or plywood. Shook itself loose
until the low tech 'mastic' sealant cracked and fell out, and the timber framing
soon followed.


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## Deleted member 56601 (Jun 25, 2018)

mariesnowgoose said:


> Our 30 year old Autosleeper monocoque fibreglass shell doesn't have any cracks in it.
> 
> *Possibly because they were made to an extremely high quality at that time? *
> 
> ...



The same applies to early fibreglass boats. Surveyor told me that the makers didn't realise how strong the stuff was, so made it super thick to be on the safe side. Now it's gel coat and as few layers of glass as possible.


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## trevskoda (Jun 25, 2018)

Edina said:


> The same applies to early fibreglass boats. Surveyor told me that the makers didn't realise how strong the stuff was, so made it super thick to be on the safe side. Now it's gel coat and as few layers of glass as possible.



True ,look at a old shetland 535 which was built like a tank,now look at american bayliners which are as thine as a razer blade and also fall to bits,not many oldies about.


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## Deleted member 56601 (Jun 25, 2018)

Our first 'real' sailing boat was a 20' fibreglass bilge keel that Noah had used as a tender. Built like the proverbial outside loo and served us very well.


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## Byronic (Jun 25, 2018)

Pretty pointless building motorhomes to last 30 years, especially these
days, anyone prepared to bet todays diesels will even be allowed on the
road in 10 years time? Not forgetting that the actual mechanicals and chassis
have an economic theoretical life of about 10 years, it's only a mass produced
van after all. As for making things twice as thick and therefore twice as heavy 
due to lack of understanding of the materials, might have some merit in house 
building, but who wants to end up with an unnecessarily heavy van? People want 
big and light, the manufacturers give them that. If people really want the
highest quality it is available, they just have to pay the price and commission a bespoke
build. Or give it a go themselves!


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## trevskoda (Jun 25, 2018)

Byronic said:


> Pretty pointless building motorhomes to last 30 years, especially these
> days, anyone prepared to bet todays diesels will even be allowed on the
> road in 10 years time? Not forgetting that the actual mechanicals and chassis
> have an economic theoretical life of about 10 years, it's only a mass produced
> ...



Good build does not mean heavy but as you say things are only ment to last 10 years or less,but just look how many old m/homes are about never mind the used price people are asking and may i say getting.
If wagons had been painted correctly and chassis galvoed then as my last car should last 30 years and do quarter of a million miles no bother,but then again folk would not be buying new units so much.


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## Byronic (Jun 25, 2018)

trevskoda said:


> Good build does not mean heavy but as you say things are only ment to last 10 years or less,but just look how many old m/homes are about never mind the used price people are asking and may i say getting.
> If wagons had been painted correctly and chassis galvoed then as my last car should last 30 years and do quarter of a million miles no bother,but then again folk would not be buying new units so much.




Agreed trev, good build doesn't necessarily mean heavy. Look at aircraft light and strong 
enough for the job they are designed for, nothing superfluous.

RMB were renowned  for their quality solid hardwood finishes, but needed Merc. light 
trucks or similar as a minimum to carry it, and cost a small fortune. RMB are no longer
in business (their name has been bought by some other outfit?) so not enough customers
thought that much quality was worth paying for it would appear? Or a wannabee just couldn't
afford it. Quite a few RMBs are still in existence, partly because of their good workmanship,
and partly because they cost a packet, so they tended to be looked after by owners generally 
blessed with the financial means. But RMB didn't build them for owners 30 years down the line, the 
first owners, or their contemporary equivalents are now on to 2nd or 3rd generation new Concords and Neisman Bischoffs.

Must admit I can't stand photo finish vinyl fake wood veneer, but nothing wrong with real wood
veneered ply! 

There are cars built in recent years that were galvanised, engines that lasted many miles, and
yet they're virtually worthless now. Not enough people want older vehicles and for various reasons.
Older m/homes are selling at a premium because there's a burgeoning customer base everyone wants to be a motorhomer it seems and just not enough stock, I don't think it's because people want old vans per se, it's more a question of what they can afford.


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## trevskoda (Jun 25, 2018)

Byronic said:


> Agreed trev, good build doesn't necessarily mean heavy. Look at aircraft light and strong
> enough for the job they are designed for, nothing superfluous.
> 
> RMB were renowned  for their quality solid hardwood finishes, but needed Merc. light
> ...


All true and one reason why i went self build,no way on gods earth would i lift the floor boards to spend 40g on a tin/alloy box full of cheap lamanate with a cheap as chips fitted internal goods which i harvested fro wobbly boxes.


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## Nabsim (Jun 26, 2018)

mariesnowgoose said:


> Our 30 year old Autosleeper monocoque fibreglass shell doesn't have any cracks in it.
> 
> Possibly because they were made to an extremely high quality at that time?
> 
> ...



Well it may be down to the speeds obtained and flexing/stress of wind and vibration but you got crazing in the gel coat on sidecar bodies, seen the same on sports cars, fairings and reliant shells as well. These aren't cracks that would be a problem except cosmetically maybe. The ones I had were nowhere near 20 years old when I got them and squire sidecar noses were fairly substantial in thickness.


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## Byronic (Jun 26, 2018)

trevskoda said:


> All true and one reason why i went self build,no way on gods earth would i lift the floor boards to spend 40g on a tin/alloy box full of cheap lamanate with a cheap as chips fitted internal goods which i harvested fro wobbly boxes.



My van has a lot of cupboards and drawers, if I had made the doors
and furniture out of solid +12mm wood or ply, or heaven forbid MDF,   
the furniture and fixtures would weigh nearly twice what it actually 
ended up being, which is less than 900Kg. I estimated a saving of
at least 700Kg, using hollow core & framed construction and 
conventional materials.


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## Fisherman (Jul 9, 2018)

hairydog said:


> I honestly don't understand why people buy cheap motorhomes brand new.
> 
> The cheap ones are not cheap because they are sold at a loss. They are cheap because they are made on the cheap.  And that means they are crap.
> 
> ...



My mate bought a HYMER ML 540, he has had nothing but problems with it.
It cost him £82,000 brand new.
After a year of frustration he has finally managed to sort things out.

I bought a chausson 510, appart from a high dampness reading from a window on first annual inspection which I knew nothing about, and has been sorted and a couple of minor issues I have had nothing to report. I paid £52000.
I get your meaning hairy dog, but sometimes it just comes down to bad luck plain and simple.

Also buying second hand can be fraught with difficulty. You don’t know the full history, and my wife would want the mattress and all the upholstery replaced at a great cost.
Swings and roundabouts comes to mind.


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## runnach (Jul 9, 2018)

Fisherman said:


> My mate bought a HYMER ML 540, he has had nothing but problems with it.
> It cost him £82,000 brand new.
> After a year of frustration he has finally managed to sort things out.
> 
> ...



You make some valid points. there is a saying in the motor trade in that with used vehicles " you can be buying someone elses problems" which is one of the reasons why consideration for getting the best resale value in terms of warranties kept up can help. No one wants to buy vans that come with a story and if they do want it reflecting in the price ,,,that's the conclusion I reached.

My CI I bought off Danum motor co and know the lads there from trading with them when I was in the trade, My van the owner had played with being bored I think but Kev wanted to trade it I just happened to be in the right place at the right time It turned out to be a good deal all round.

I had never thought about mattresses but that makes a lot of sense it is how some people think but can cost a kings ransom so the gap between new and used does narrow

Channa


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## Fisherman (Jul 9, 2018)

mariesnowgoose said:


> Too much modern-day reliance on electrics & technology, imho - plus it makes people lazy (or lazier than they should be!)
> 
> I would instinctively never buy an electrically operated bed at home, never mind in a camper!
> 
> ...



Confused well I am completely.

Electrically operated beds at home why would you unless you live in a Barratt Solo flat, or some Japanese container unit.
What has a bed that has to be lowered, cushions moved and possibly then made up go to do with being lazy.
But if you are feeling full of energy those nice folk at Chausson do give you the option of winding down your bed manually.

I hate to inform you but if you are reading this your using something worked with leccy, your motorhome is stacked to the hilt with relays, circuit boards, resistors, capacitors and on and on.

We looked at the 514 with the fixed rear bed, but decided the benefits of a drop down outweighed any possible mechanical issues.
Benefits such as, Larger lounge, separate shower and toilet, larger kitchen, and larger fridge freezer.

Someone stated that a supplier would not look at vans with drop down beds, please inform us who the idiots are that are limiting their sales to only 50% of the vans available. 

Well its leccy windows, cruise control, heated electric mirrors, LED lighting, auto gearbox for me.

Remember before 1893 when the first car was driven in Germany folks moaned about how problematic they could be,
forgetting about horsey troubles and massive vets bills. Ah well things never change do they.?
Its good to see that the good old British luddite attitudes will never die.


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## alcam (Jul 9, 2018)

Fisherman said:


> Confused well I am completely.
> 
> Electrically operated beds at home why would you unless you live in a Barratt Solo flat, or some Japanese container unit.
> What has a bed that has to be lowered, cushions moved and possibly then made up go to do with being lazy.
> ...



Not totally disagreeing with you but the 'winding down process' on the Chausson bed I had was a nightmare .


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## runnach (Jul 9, 2018)

There is a big motivation with some people in keeping things simple and I get that 

Consumers to an extent are their own worst enemy , we all want cars and vans economical and some people want the toys,,,whether they need them is a different question people buy on occasion for emotive needs

There is no wrong or right peoples motivations differ

To offer reliability which is a big factor as to why people change vehicles and plenty of market research to support that manufacturers install a plethora of electronics because overall more efficient and reliable 

If you are time served or keen home mechanic maintain a vehicle is far easier on the old stuff but you will need to invest time.

The downside is the time served mechanic on modern vehicles without access to computers and diagnostics is screwed at the roadside like the rest of us

Pay your money take your choice 

Channa


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## Byronic (Jul 9, 2018)

There are plenty of alternatives or combinations of M/home features to suit every lifestyle of course.
I know a chap who can easily afford a Concorde motorhome, but
chooses to keep the motorhome choice simple, sticking long time with 
the same self converted van, he reasons the risks associated with buying 
used would only have occurred once, and that was when the van was first 
purchased. Anything since is down to his care and attention.
He also finds the prospect of driving an expensive van in certain environments
drawing interest maybe even hostility not something he wishes for, preferring instead
as much anonymity as a 25' van can afford.   
He leaves the high price high tech specs. for his car and motorcycles. 


Changing used vehicles frequently, just compounds chances of risk, keeping a van
that does the job and is reliable makes a deal of sense. Sure if a major change can
be justified fair enough, but merely changing it "just for a change" or for spurious 
other reasons, not good enough reasons for him apparently.


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## Fisherman (Jul 9, 2018)

alcam said:


> Not totally disagreeing with you but the 'winding down process' on the Chausson bed I had was a nightmare .



Did it once just to see if it worked alma, your right took forever.
But I stand bye my post.
yes set beds are probably a bit more comfy (Though I sleep great in mine), readily available, and have no mechanical issues, but the plusses more than outweigh negatives. I have a sub 6m mh with a separate shower and toilet, a lounge than can accommodate 6 in comfort, 8 at a push, a larger kitchen, and a lovely big fridge freezer, all due to our drop down bed.


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## Byronic (Jul 9, 2018)

Fisherman said:


> Did it once just to see if it worked alma, your right took forever.
> But I stand bye my post.
> yes set beds are probably a bit more comfy (Though I sleep great in mine), readily available, and have no mechanical issues.



Did you really mean you stand by your 4 poster


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## Fisherman (Jul 9, 2018)

Byronic said:


> Did you really mean you stand by your 4 poster




Yep after tea in my drawing room


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## RoadTrek Boy (Jul 11, 2018)

Fisherman said:


> Yep after tea in my drawing room



An artist as well eh...:cheers:


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