# brownhills



## martinc (May 1, 2005)

hi all we are going to brownhills newark 28 dec to put a second deposit on a new bessacarr e725, but i keep coming across a lot of not so good experiences of people having received bad backup and after sales service from them, can anyone put our minds to rest, this is our 1st m/h we have never had a caravan or camped but we want to see more of this counrty under our own steam this seams to be the best way to do it 
thanks martin and sue


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Martin

What are you asking for? someone to put your mind at rest? or the truth about dealers (in general)?

Scenario 1

Someone pays £many,000 for a motorhome, finds a list of faults. takes it back to dealer (possibly many miles away) who sorts it out. ie same day no waiting months for a slot.

Now theres two kinds of customer 

1. He thinks Dealer is the bee's knee's for putting it all right

2. then theirs people like me who thinks what kind of low life scum took all that money and didnt do a decent PDI in the first place ? and if they claim to do a PDI as most do how many kinds of useless article are they for not spotting the faults ? and wow he gave me x for free (I have just spent pounds and hours travelling back because you didnt do it right first Time)

Now If you think I am harsh on scenario 1 do not read on.

Scenario 2 is worse

They cant fit you in, then when they do its can you leave it (yes cause I can you useless t***s) I dont mind getting a train home then a Taxi then doing the same again to get back several days later, only to find you still havent done it because "we cant get the parts yet" repeat scenario in 3 months time (some people are still trying to get warranty work done two and three years later, when they are coming in for part eX for the next one!!!)

Reality is that most people give up and do it themselves, thats what dealers rely on IMO

There are I believe several small family run concerns that do look after you, it will cost you more though.

In general trying to find a good dealer is a waste of time, its like the search for the holy grail a good result is possible but highley unlikely.

In general I find that people who say they are satisfied with their dealer are actually kidding themselves.

See scenario 1 result 2 !

George


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## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

Don't know about the Newark site but I wasn't very impressed with Brownhills at Cannock.
We called in on our way back from Tackeroo rally the other week 'cos I needed something for the m/h.
The accessory shop wasn't open on a Sunday so it was a wasted call.
It was jam-packed with so many m/hs I could only just get in. While I was out of the van for literally 2 mins finding out the shop was not open a chap jumped in my van & moved it without so much as a by-your-leave from my kids who were sat in it - didn't even ask where the driver was. We were then stuck in the car park for about 15 mins waiting while they moved a couple of vans round to make enough room for me & the one in front to escape.
IMHO they carry far too much stock. I wouldn't buy from there as I'd be worried that "my" van would be damaged by being parked too close to others with no room to swing a cat between. Also, what use is a dealer whose accessories shop is not open on a Sunday?


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## 89429 (May 23, 2005)

Happy Xmas
Martin and Sue
Brownhills; they are a big company whose profits are generated by sales not necessarily of m/homes but of finance. As such that they employ people who do not always realise what an emotive subject a m/home can be to the owners.
Some people rate the company very highly, inc the directors, others do not. We do not appear to get many positive postings on this web site but there are several negative ones.
I would in your shoes try a more local dealer if one is available to buy what you consider your perfect vehicle, if you have problems especially as first time buyers they will be nearer to you and more easily accessible.
My own recent tale of Brownhills was when I went to buy a spare part, on buying it I noticed that there was a jet wash be used on cars I asked if I could wash my van and was told NO.


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## 89146 (May 15, 2005)

Don't even MENTION Brownhills to me after the experiences I had with them that extended over twelve months with some issues still unresolved. :evil: :evil: 
In the end I had to go elsewhere to get my motorhome safe and roadworthy where the original list of 14 jobs still needing to be done extended to... wait for it...... over 50. George is spot on with his horror scenario - plus I was loaned a hire car to get me home on one occasion and was told as I left that it was on the stolen list 8O 8O but "don't worry!"
I will NEVER even buy so much as a light bulb off them again.
:angryfire: 

Gill


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## phylymann (May 9, 2005)

Hi Martin,

You pays your money and takes your choice.

I have bought twice from Newark but never again. The first time was from the original site and all went very well good service, all the little jobs done well and no problems with the van.

Then I returned many years later to buy from them again. a big mistake!

First they lied to me about refunding my petrol costs as I had made two journeys to them. The van supplied had enough diesel to get me all the way to the garage on the A1. The drivers seat belt locked solid on me ten minutes after filling up and they even managed to put the wrong number plates on the van. Their management and customer service departments are the pits, and trying to get an answer from their directors is like finding hens teeth..........but maybe I was unlucky.

Check and check again anything that they supply you with and get anything they say written down.

Hope all goes well for you and enjoy the pleasures of motorhoming.


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## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

Brownhills at Newark was certainly a lot better than the one that I have recently dealt with.


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## Yorky (May 10, 2005)

Hello Martin
The trouble with customers when buying new vans is that they are so excited at eventually getting possession they are to eager to get it out on the road and try it out. Try to overcome the urge to to accept and leave as quickly as possible.
On collection day go with a list of all the items you want to check, do not accept the list of items they say they have checked. Ask for a PDC list and go through the list with a qualified mechanic, at this stage they will try to talk you out of it stating all sorts of excuses, stick to your guns. During the acceptance test try ALL of the appliances fitted, do not accept "This is started by pressing this", make sure it does start when pressing that, that goes for every switch in the van both chassis and caravan.
If you stick to this scenario it will take some considerable time, stick with it, if done properly it will save you much more time in future. Rather than cutting this acceptance test short it would pay you to book bed and breakfast in a local hotel rather than go home without out completing it.
Finally, if the dealer refuses any request from you to check any item or meet your requirement for a FULL pre delivery check conducted in your presence, or refuses to put right on the spot any malfunctioning equipment, put your money back in your pocket and go home.
Regards Eddie.


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## 89146 (May 15, 2005)

Yes Eddie well said but there may be omissions as well as "errors" for example my ladder and roofrack were missing, someone had "forgotten" to order them (3 months delivery) no radio fitted in the cab, this was were part of the lack of preparation on a van that had sat in the yard for over two months before collection.
Some items are hard to check for example how can you check that a bike rack has been fixed properly? And I for one would have no idea what I was looking at underneath.......

Gill


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## 89213 (May 16, 2005)

Well I bought my first m/h from Runaway, and they don't come any friendlier, but in hindsight [wonderful thing] I paid too much for it. I just bought my second one from Deepcar M/Hs and the service is both friendly and efficient, and while I probably paid a bit too much again I'm happy with the vehicle. I had a sudden power drop about 3 hours after I left their place, and I limped to friends near York and phoned them up, they said take it to a local garage and if they can't fix it we'll come out, and if they can get a bill and we'll pay. Anyway it turned out to be the connecting pipe for the intercooler that had come off, and it took 10 minutes to fix, and I gave the guy a tenner. I phoned them and said what had happened, and they said did you get a receipt, I said no don't bother but they still sent me a cheque for the money and apologised profusely. Their service is very professional, and they even sent me a calendar this christmas, not as common as they used to be free calendars! The home came with RAC inspection, 6 months tax, 12 months MOT, and gas bottle and regulator of your choice.
John


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## Yorky (May 10, 2005)

Hello Gill
I probably misled you when I said check chassis, I didn't literally mean the chassis underneath but rather the base vehicle ie. cab and associated fittings, I said chassis just to differentiate from the caravan bit.
However you state you would not know what you were looking for, that tally could fit a lot of people this brings up the question would it be wise to take someone with you who did.
With regards to things missing. If they were ordered on the original "spec" and they are missing on the agreed delivery date then the dealer as broken the contract and the ball is in your court as to what you do. At this stage hopefully the customer still has not paid him. 
Money talks.
Regards Eddie


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## solentviews (May 9, 2005)

Hi MartinC welcome to the world of motorhoming. I cannot speak about Brownhills but I do support the comments made about checking everything works at the time of acceptance. I bought a second hand motorhome 2 years ago around this time, and being a trusting sort of chap accepted the sellers word when he told me everything was working. Anyhow it was a cold day so on collection only did a cursory check. What a fool I was as I found many things were either not working or not working correctly and when I eventually put the awning out I found it to be ripped. I now have everything sorted expect the awning which I will have replaced at the Newbury show. The experience has not put me off and my family have had many happy times away motorhoming both on professional sites, holiday sites and CLs but when I change vans I will be ultra cautious. Good luck and happy holidays.


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## 89122 (May 14, 2005)

Hi Martinc I have purchased from Brownhills Newark, I was pleased with the handover demonstration, they showed everything and how it worked.
We stayed overnight on their site FOC. this is a good idea and you can usually use all the equipment on the motorhome to make sure you are happy with the operation of everything. make sure the gas bottles are fitted and working,check all round the exterior for missing repeater lamps and they are all working ok.
Also check the fuel gauge and make sure they have filled to at least half a tank as this is there policy on new vehicles, If you find any faults overnight they will fix them before you go home.
Caroline Bourne is their customer care manager and if anything is not satisfactory with you just see her and she will sort it out for you.
This is my experience with them only and so far I would still do buisness with them.
Good luck,
Eddie


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## dodger148 (May 9, 2005)

I have bought two vans fron Newark, they gave me the best deals at the time. Handover etc was ok and on both occassions we stayed over night. With one van there was a snag which was sorted the following morning. I have had warranty work done by them. I would probably give them a chance of any future van but would really like to do business closer to home.
I dont however rate the service department at Newark as they did a service on the first van and "missed" some of the things that should have been checked and I know wernt. Preston did some warranty work and they treated me like a customer and did a satisfactory job. 
Since out of warranty either A-S or our Regional Ambulance Service have done any work.


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## 88741 (May 9, 2005)

I wpould agree with many of the above comments.
I bought my van from Westcountry Motorhomes, the hand over was rushed but not knowing any better I put up with it, so it was as much my fault. However what I would say that before giving them my cheque the service was faultless, afterwards the servive was abysmal, my waste tank had no exit drilled in it :roll: when phoning up them to ask if I could carefully remove the waste pipe, I was told 

No it is sealed and must not be disturbed
It was my fault no water was coming out of the tap to the tank, I must have filled it with grease ( they knew I had only used the van for 1 night 8O )
If I bought it back to them in a fortnight's time they would look at it for me. No offer to take it to a more local Swift dealer.

A friend pulled off the pipe for me drilled a hole in the tank and since then it has worked perfectly. :wink: 

My point is, I would with hindsight, buy from a local dealer, WCMH's are some 3 hours from me, and I would buy from a smaller family concern . My present choice of service provider is friendly, helpful and puts my interests first, for instance he talked me out of buying expensive door locks for the van, even though they can provide them as he didn't feel they were the best for me. If I was to change Bessie I would go to him without a second thought.


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Hi Martin, welcome to the site,



> Hi MartinC welcome to the world of motorhoming. I cannot speak about Brownhills but I do support the comments made about checking everything works at the time of acceptance.


See this previous post about a m/home checklist, it may come in handy for you;

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/postlite1276-.html

pete.


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## martinc (May 1, 2005)

thank you to everyone that have replied, we are now a bit clearer on what to expect, more comments would always be helpful
thanks again martin and sue


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## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

*hi*

hi, i once questioned a salesman at the nec,as we were thinking of changing van,s we live in birmingham and the dealership was exeter way, i said that what put me off was the distance to travel if things were to go wrong, and he said that most people use their holidays to get repairs done and i said that i wouldn't be prepared to do that so he said that they would open their workshop on a saturday or sunday for me to fix any problems and that new vans don't have any problems,he got quite ratty when i told him what i thought,anyway got to go and feed the pigs and let them fly.
pete


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## Leapy (May 15, 2005)

I purchased a new motorhome from Brownhills at Newark last February and was pleased with the deal but the aftersales is a complete joke .I picked it up on a Friday evening and stayed overnight having been told that a service engineer would be available to put right any problems-well they couldn't even find one the next day and there was only the man who checks incoming vans available and he didn't have a clue! I borrowed his spanners to refix a locker door that was falling off and solved an electrical fault myself-a new part was required or so it was thought but he didn't have access to the stores. Since then their motto is -never ring the customer back! I will not be returning
Always check every last thing before you leave the dealership whoever you choose!

Leapy



Always sailing into the sunset!


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## chrisgog (May 17, 2005)

I would always recommend using a local firm and definitely a small dealership as they have less overheads. On the part exchange of our last van we were offered £11,000 to £17,000 for it. The lowest came from West Country Motorhomes, one other local dealer (Pontypridd) went to £16,000 but we ended up with the highest and bought new instead of secondhand as the deal was so good from 3a's in Pencader. After sales has been no problem either. 
Go to the Swift website and do a search for your nearest bessacarr dealer. You might be quite surprised with a better deal. 
My tip is "The more you look at and talk too the better your final purchase will be"
Try typing "Bessacarr E725" in a search as you will save the vat on one thats a couple of months old too.
Let us all know how you get on too.


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## chrisgog (May 17, 2005)

Became curious so I did a search myself. Your nearest Bessacarr dealer is Amber Leisure, Pumphill Showground, St Jons Rd, Clacton on Sea CO16 8BS.01255 821871. tELL THEM YOU HAVE A DEAL WITH bROWNHILL. sEE WHAT THEY COME UP WITH.


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## 91929 (May 1, 2005)

*Brownhills*

:roll: Personally!

We would not have anything to do with a dealer who tried to sell a used MH as a NEW one

This happened to us at brownhills 
We had the cash to pay for a new van with no part exchange & some 40 years camping / caravanning & could tell that the van was used - Stains in the sink, chips on the furniture etc & 25.000 miles on the clock

The answer to the sink etc was that it was left in by the factory & would be seen to and the 25,000 miles was the delivery miles

If that is the way a potential customer is treated who has some £60k in his pocket before the purchase
Then I dont think yo could trust them for after sales
No I spent far less than their prices locally for the same product with less miles on the clock
You have wheels you can travel to another dealer

Ask on this site for details of dealers, but first make sure you can recover the deposit already paid


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## 90128 (May 1, 2005)

*sorry this post is long*

Hello martinc

First of all why are you putting a second deposit down on the Bessacar?? I have only put down one deposit on anything I have purchased be it a secondhand or new motorhome. Have a word with your trading standards office. When is the delivery date? Has it passed or will you have your nice shiny new motorhome delivered on the promised day??

As far as Brownhills, Newark are concerned the phrase 'be afraid, be very afraid' comes to mind. Having first hand experience of buying a secondhand motorhome there just over two years ago I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole. I am, on many occasions, a lone female traveller and saw and put down one deposit on a low mileage motorhome. A delivery date and time was agreed some two weeks later. Having to wait for five hours beyond the handover time, for the PDI to be completed, it was late when I left Newark for home and Brownhills were about to close. After half hour of travelling I required headlights - _but they didn't work_- I had to drive home on side lights. I would have returned to Brownhills but they were closed.

The lights were repaired by a local garage at Brownhills expense but when I travelled down to Somerset the problems really began - I reversed into a road end to turn round and the engine cut out and wouldn't restart. A high load fuse was blown and constantly did blow when indicating or reversing I telephoned Brownhills and asked them to advise me of the nearest franchise garage in my location and they refused to do so. During the heated discussion and not getting anywhere I told them they could have the motorhome back I was rejecting it under the Sale of Goods Act. [This was before the amendment of March 2003]. I rejected the motorhome in writing giving them a fortnight to collect the vehicle and refund my monies in full. Brownhills wrote and told me that they had the right to repair the faults which was incorrect. I had my breakdown club evaluate the problems and write a report, which now amounted to eight, and sent that to Brownhills. 48hours before the deadline they relented and asked for a meeting. Even at that meeting they were difficult. Eventually following a lot of heated discussions the outcome went my way.

Interesting point - I was at the Peterbrough Show last year and asked to look at a new Swift motorhome. Although I was on the Brownhills stand it was a member of the Swift Group, who showed me the motorhome [he has now left Swift] and he advised me use my present dealer!!

When I purchased my new motorhome I used the small dealer as advised and was given an excellent part exchange deal and continuing customer service.

Personally I would hold on to the second? deposit until the delivery of your new Bessacar motorhome takes place.


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

We bought a new Suntor EB (Elddis Autostratus) from Brownhills, Newark 2 years ago and used it only for the odd night before going to France for a month in April 2003.
During the course of the month we had a number of faults. 11 locker stays breaking, 3 spotlight bulbs blowing, drawer handle coming off and the habitation door not closing without slamming it.
In addition we found that the 2 waste tanks took too long to drain through the garden water butt type taps and one of the taps was 18 inches back from the skirt meaning I had to get on my knees every time the tank had to be drained.

When we got back I wrote to the Managing Director setting out all the problems we had encountered and told him we needed everything fixing quickly as we were due to go to France again at the beginning of June.
In 3 days a reply came back telling us to contact after sales/service to get it booked in immediately when everything would be fixed.
This we did and 3 weeks later everything was fixed to our satisfaction including the tanks which had been fitted with rigid pipework and new ball taps. 

Brownhills aren't perfect. No organisation of their size can be but in our case they corrected problems which were really the fault of Elddis.
My advise would be to always put things in writing rather than telephone.


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## 89146 (May 15, 2005)

I agree that nobody is perfect but it is how the problems are dealt with that is important. In my case this was so poor that I expected John Cleese to show up any moment.  
It also took a year and three trips back to Cannock, in the end I gave up getting the rest done as I felt beaten into the ground and had it done elsewhere. On one visit to Brownhills the van was booked in for a day, I turned up at 8am to be told that it was booked in for 4 days and the service dept. had no list of jobs for it, the girl that had it was off. When I was sitting waiting for something to be sorted out I engaged other customers in conversation so they were aware of my problems - only to find that they all had bigger ones! 8O The man in charge of the workshop was in despair at all the problems that were occuring and was looking for another job as so many customers were yelling at him. He said they were selling too many so checks were being skipped to get deliveries out.

The other night I watched the Simpsons and it was the episode where Homer buys a MH. I hadn't noticed before but the dealer wore a cowboy outfit. Seemingly a common problem :roll: 

I think if you have found a good one share the details (as some of you have) and many of us will beat a path to their door.

Gill


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## Yorky (May 10, 2005)

Hello PamaPete



> and the 25,000 was delivery mileage.
> 
> Where the hell did they deliver it from?
> 
> ...


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## 89429 (May 23, 2005)

Delivery was that Brownhills speciality via three customers and across the North Pole


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## 89564 (May 28, 2005)

If you have access to the MMM forum site you will see that Mount Brownhills has erupted again over there. Heading is' rip off Britain'.
I care nothing for Brownhills or MMM although my sympathy does go out to those who feel unfairly treated by any Motorhome Supplier.
I am concerned though about the feeling that MMM might censor fair but unkind comment about one of their principal advertising revenue sources.

So someone has asked them not to remove the thread. 

So we shall see if the conspiracy theory holds up ..


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Moondog said:


> If you have access to the MMM forum site you will see that Mount Brownhills has erupted again over there. Heading is' rip off Britain'.
> ..


I would like to see this has anyone got the guest password

Mike


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## Malc (May 9, 2005)

mmm0501
rac2201h


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## Malc (May 9, 2005)

Cross post from MMM forums (save you looking!)

ripoff britain(1) — mike smith — 29/12/2004 07:53:21 
In the Jan edition of the Camping & Caravanning Club magazine "top pundit Jonathan Lloyd" is quoted "But I tell you what is a myth: that you get a better deal when you buy abroad."
What planet is he on? 
I have been looking for a new van for 18 months. Couldn't find what I wanted. Went into Brownhills Newark in Sept. Found a Hymer C-Class614GT £48,331
I look to get 10% off either in cash or fitted extras. The salesboy would not knock a penny off the screen price.Thinking I'd just got a sales apprentice I rang Brownhills the next day. They confirmed the screen price is the price no dealing.
I sent e-mails to the official Hymer dealer in Belgium and Palmowski in Germany.
Campirama in Belgium replied within 5 minutes!!!!
I went over there and bought one for £30,000 ex vat(£35,250 inc vat paid in UK)
Palmowski replied to my e-mail a week after I returned from Belgium.
Allowing for currency fluctuations (price has gone up nearly £1000 as the pound has fallen against the euro) new headlamps etc and travel costs I will save a minimum of £10,000. 


ripoff britain(2) — Dave — 29/12/2004 08:52:25 
On top of which Mike you would have no doubt at all received poor service, Brownhills only want to sell motorvans with a high margin due to their low cost price ie euro-pound exchange rate, not to mention a high interest rate to finance those BARGAIN screen prices. 


ripoff britain(3) — Nick Miller — 29/12/2004 18:42:10 
In view of the comments posted on another Motorhome site about complicity it will be interesting to see if this thread disappears. 


ripoff britain(4) — mike smith — 29/12/2004 19:18:02 
i'm not the only one with conspiracy theories then. i know that warners use the editors of mmm to censor reporting and advertising of rival motorhome shows. do they also censor forum posts and letters critical of their biggest advertiser? surely not!!!! i do miss the fairness and openess of the john hunt days. 


ripoff britain(5) — Paul — 30/12/2004 17:52:27 
Mike congrats not only on the savings you have made but on the fact that you did not buy from that Newark lot. Believe you me you have saved youself a lot of heart ache and frustration - when it comes to service they are useless.


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## martinc (May 1, 2005)

hi all
WOW i seem i have started a good topic
martin c


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## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

*Don't*

I think everything that needs to be said has been said about Brownhills. I spent a lot of money with them like most of the other customers on this forum my advice is simple

.....DON'T GO NEAR THEM


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## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

From my experience Brownhills is not the worst dealer, I could not fault them on their part exchange. I have a problem with my present dealer,will see how they react to my letter!


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Rowley

Could you Clarify? 

They are not the worst, this reads that they are really crap, Just not the Ultimate in totally crap dealers. 

A dealer is definately about more than just the part exchange, its the Promises made and not kept, servicing thats not done properly or even at all but ticked off and charged for non the less, warranty claims not sorted, PDI not done, but ticked nonetheless. How many people have actually received a decent vehicle with no problems? 

George


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## tandem (May 1, 2005)

Hi Malc

Thats a big saving £10000. but are you quoting like for like eg rhd against lhd.


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Oddy

I may be wrong here but at the moment Hymer Only sell RHD in UK they will be forced by Euro Law to stop this practice eventually (its part of the RIP UK tricks)

Heres an interesting peice on importing Hymers

http://www.mailgate.org.uk/uk/uk.rec.motorcaravans/msg01336.html


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## tandem (May 1, 2005)

Hi George

Thanks for the info I will do some checking.

On the Brownhills theme I bought a new van from them in 98 and was going abroad for the first time in June 99 with the club. Unfortunately I took ill on May 17th and spent 6 weeks in intensive care and 5 months in hospital. My wife was told I only had a 40% chance of survival and so she contacted Club Brownhills who told her to put it in writing which she did but we never had any contact back from them let alone a refund on the £400 plus we had paid. One phone call to P&O and they gave us a complete refund for the ferry, some club.


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## 89122 (May 14, 2005)

Hi All, I am going to Brownhills Newark on Monday to get the Recall fixed.
[ new battery box] I will be staying overnight and will keep my ears open re. other peoples problems.
I have fitted the Gaslow refillable bottles [the two large ones] and filled them up yesterday at local Filling Station with no problems at all,
No more lifting heavy bottles any more.
All the best and a happy New Year to you all
Eddie
    :hello1: :hello1: :hello1: :hello1: 
Ps Ruby Wedding on Sunday


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## 89429 (May 23, 2005)

How much more advertising are we going to give this lot?

To those who intend to carry on doing business with them :-
BUY A LONG HANDLED SPOON

To those who are currently doing business with them :-
A NOVENA WILL BE STARTED

To those who have happily done business with them with no problems:-
FILL IN MY LOTTERY TICKET NEXT WEEK

And finally to those who did business with them in the past and were "ripped off":-
PUT IT BEHIND YOU DO NOT LET THEM INTO YOUR LIFE AND SPOIL IT FOR YOU WITH NEGATIVE THOUGHTS


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## 88844 (May 9, 2005)

Well said Docted!
Here endeth the first lesson. The vicar for next week will be pinned up on the door as you walk out :lol:


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## bigfoot (May 16, 2005)

Any lady who would like to join the mother's union please see the vicar, who will arrange it. 
The verger will now p*ss among you. 
Please note that slimmer's group wil now use the large side doors to the hall.


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## 88844 (May 9, 2005)

Our thanks go to Mr Smith for donating another font. This means children can be babtised at both ends .......................................................of the church


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## 88741 (May 9, 2005)

Er Guys, I know this is in chit chat but please don't stray too far from the context of a thread, yes your replys were very good and made me smile  Actually they must be very good to make me smile at the moment  But people get a bit annoyed when threads go awry like this.
Here endeth the sermon :wink:


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## smifee (May 17, 2005)

*rhd v lhd*

oddy... i asked brownhills what i got in the uk package. the reply was- delivery to uk, rhd , uk sockets, radio/cd player , oven and uk warranty. when i asked how they could charge over £13,000 for this the salesman just kept mumbling "we can't entertain continental prices" before putting the phone down on me.

3 out of the 4 vans i have had have been lhd. in coachbuilts it is a problem but only on roundabouts with very angled approach. i intend to get round that by having a camera on front uk offside instead of a reversing camera. in van conversions no problem at all.

i will either just write off any warranty work i have to ahve done against the huge saving or take have the work done by campirama in belgium if it's not urgent.

campirama is a small family business, you can ring them and the staff have so far all spoken english. sebastian with whom i have dealt ( had dictionary for breakfast ) speaks excellent english but beware he may try to keep introducing "colour coded" into the conversation as we taught him the phrase on our visit. they have a website ( do a google search i can't master adding bits to these messages yet ) premises are not too far from calais and if you aren't a smoker take one or more with you on a trip over there and they will make a good contribution to the cost. diesel is also cheaper there than france.


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## bigfoot (May 16, 2005)

I can certainly vouch for Campirama. I have relatives just outside Brussels, and I visit regularly, always calling in a Campirama en route. Very helpful staff and reasonable prices and best of all A FAR BETTER CHOICE OF SPARES! I to have dealt with the B Boys in both their prevoius incarnation in Blackpool and under new management. I believe the Continent is better priced for a number of reasons, the £/€ rate does have an effect. But also the market is far bigger, so deals can be struck. They also appeal to a younger age group with greater disposable income, and a much larger market.
Many European vehicles which are only available as LHD in UK are sold at inflated prices. A friend of mine bought such a vehicle from 'sole importer'
who also trades as'make of van UK' On the vehicles first mot it failed due to wrong lights LHD version not RHD. This was noticed at purchase and was told 'that its not part of the conversion for UK'. Neither I suppose was the need to convert the concealed continental sockets to UK 13amp, only do the ones the punter can see. The mark up is akin to profiteering-SOD IT, IT IS!
As for the staff's ability to speak English at Campirama the answer is simple they watch English/American TV from the UK. If you look along the coast of Belgium and Holland invariabley you see an aerial on a huge mast pointing to this septic isle.
My next purchase will be from them-and they can convert to UK electrics.


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## tandem (May 1, 2005)

Hi Smiffee

Thanks for the info, I have never driven abroad before & never a lhd. My left hand has been doing the gears for the last 40years or more and beginning to make mistakes with that so how I would go with my right hand I dont know.
Thinking of going to Norway for two months, May & June so I will see how things go & hopefully make the trip this time. If every thing goes ok I hope to have a lot more trips abroad but must admit to being a bit nervous even thinking about it.


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## smifee (May 17, 2005)

*driving on the right*

hi oddy

i think anyone who says they werent apprehensive about driving on the wrong side is either a liar or thick.

the only tip i can give is that for me the danger time is resuming from a stop ie petrol, lunch etc. if you travel alone make up a notice to put on the steering wheel when you stop. if you have a navigator/hitler in the passenger seat make it their responsibility to remind you before you move off. it gives them something to do and means it's their fault if you forget. good innit.


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## 89057 (May 12, 2005)

Just back from New Year trip to Stirling (first winter away in MH & much enjoyed) so I missed the start of the thread.
Sorry to go against all I've read but we have had excellent dealings with Brownhills Newark on our 2nd hand Bessacarr 745. Bought whilst visiting friends in the area, almost as new inside & only 2300 miles on the clock, we got a very good price. The px offered on our 1998 Autoroller2 was rubbish as they didn't really want it, so we sold that private & paid cash for the Bessacarr, further reduction in price (nice!). A few bits & pieces required fixing, rattling from boiler compartment, vents required sealing & Heiki rooflight needed replaced due to faulty mechanism. Spoke to salesman (Mark) on all issues & he organised everything. We live in the Scottish Higlands, so arranged to stay on site at Brownhills Newark for 2 Nights & 3rd night in car park on late arrival. When we arrived, the security guard said that the had a no show & we were given a pitch for the 3 days, courtesy car the following day & Mark met us to make sure all the subjects had been covered, we pointed out a problem of the first owner sticcing velcro to a pannel & this peeling off the finish on a panel. He "would look into it for us". All the work we came for was completed & off back to Scotland. We have since accepted an alternative offered in lieu of replacing the panel & fitted a nice clock over the velcro.
We had a really good deal & good aftersales from Brownhills & will give them consideration when we replace this MH in the future. If you do deal with them & have a problem, get the salesman to sort it as they don't like the hassel.


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## 89429 (May 23, 2005)

Well done Tigger
There is always an exception that proves the rule. We would all hope that the experience you have had was shared by all unfortunately it has not and you are in what appears to be a minority of their customers (easy Gill).
It is good to hear of a satisfied customer of whichever dealer, however you had to spend 3 days at Newark to get your problems sorted.


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi

"A few bits & pieces required fixing, rattling from boiler compartment, vents required sealing & Heiki rooflight needed replaced due to faulty mechanism."

And these were missed at PDI because Brownhills is a "good" dealer?

You had a three day repair trip because Brownhills is a "good" dealer?

How long travelling and how much fuel because Brownhills is a "good" dealer.

To me a good dealer would have spotted these faults before you took delivery of the vehicle.

If any subsequent faults were found would have had them fixed nearer to your home (Brownhills Preston? at furthest)


Yours is a positive story only in that Brownhills put it right, that seems to be a rareity.


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## 89057 (May 12, 2005)

Sorry, Sorry, Sorry.

I obviously did not go into enough detail in my post.

Vents - these are not sealed as recommended by the manufacturer (part of the ventilation requirements see many other posts & forums where dealers refuse to seal these) this was a personal request which was dealt with at no cost.
The Heiki vent & boiler rattle came about during usage & were not noticably faulty on the 1st tour.

It was my choice to buy from Newark due to the deal offered, therefore I do not see why I should expect them to pay my expenses just because I live in Scotland. They were based in Newark when I did the deal, they did not suddenly move. If I had wanted convenience, I should have supported my local dealer. You pays your money & takes your choice.

I am off to drink my half full cup of coffee. 

Roll on Feb & the next trip which is Loch Lomond


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Tigger

That does sound far better ! 

You have lost me on the vent part, you have had the Vents sealed up as in Closed off? 

Against the manufacturers reccomendation?

Or were they not as sealed as they should be ie (as per how the manufacturer INTENDED them to be sealed!)

I read that bit over and over trying to get a clue as to which way it was supposed to be done.

George


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## 89057 (May 12, 2005)

Hi George,

Don't want to hijack the topic here.

The roof lights/vents have an inset to take a seal the whole way round the bottom, on certain (Swift) models, the manufacturers only fit 75mm pieces of seal at each corner (presumably to stop them rattling) the rest being left off as extra ventilation.
This is no problem on site, but when travelling in colder climbs it is a little too draughty for persons travelling in the rear of the van, especially as my model has 3 of these lights plus the heiki. This subject has been debated on other sites & others have not been able to get the work done by the dealers despite their protests, with the response that it conforms to the convertors specification and they are not obliged to carry out the modification.
I am no expert, but I would think that the other myriad of vents provided in the roof are up to the job (even if it doesn't conform to EU reg B0110K5 )
I am sure the manufacturer of the roof light intended the seal to be fitted, but some dealers insist they will not fit them.


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## tandem (May 1, 2005)

Hi all
I too have a Bessacarr 745 and had the same problem with the heki roof lights. I purchased mine from Chelston which is about 250 miles away and told them I would fit them myself if they sent them, which they did.

On the subject of pdi etc ,having worked in the motortrade for 20 years and different main dealers, the customers were always the quality control. Now I know this is not right but that is a fact of life nowadays, you now judge a good dealer on whether they fix the faults when you bring them to their attention.


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## 88962 (May 10, 2005)

It's taken me some time to pluck up the courage to go against what seems to be the general opinion but, sorry, but I must agree with Tigger. 

Our dealings with Brownhills, although the Hymer UK branch at Preston, have been excellent. We were new to Motorhoming and they took the time and trouble to explain everything, very clearly, and make sure that we were happy with using it. The aftersales service has been 'second to none' and they even contacted Hymer in Germany and did a job under warranty after nearly 4 years, they also loaned us a courtesy car for a week.

I'm sure that all experiences cannot be bad or they would not still be in business, so come on those who have good dealings and stand up for them.


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Jeanann

Thats a seperate business and an Hymer dealership, which could have a bearing.

George


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## 89429 (May 23, 2005)

George
Sorry to have to correct you but it is one and the same business. Just because they are in a different location doesn't mean that they are not the same business.


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## 88844 (May 9, 2005)

Whoops sorry got a bit carried away there


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Docted

Even if you were correcting me (which you are not) there would be no need to apologise. The facts as registered at companies house are set out below.

They are all part of Brownhills Group, although connected as a group they are three quite seperate legal entities, Say you put a £10,000 deposit down with Brownhills Newark and they were to go into liuquidation, you would have no call on any of the other parts of the group (unless you could prove some ilegality)

BROWNHILLS HOLDINGS LIMITED
A1-A46 JUNCTION
NEWARK
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
NG24 2EA
Company No. 04619845

HYMER (UK) LIMITED
A1-A46 JUNCTION
LINCOLN ROAD
NEWARK
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE NG24 2EA
Company No. 04036439

BROWNHILLS MOTORHOMES (NEWARK) LIMITED
A1/A46 JUNCTION
NEWARK
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
NG24 2EA
Company No. 00760320


BROWNHILLS MOTORHOMES (CANNOCK) LIMITED
A1 A46 JUNCTION
LINCOLN ROAD
NEWARK
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE NG24 2EA
Company No. 040303


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## bigfoot (May 16, 2005)

Goerge,
Hymer UK still trades as such, but it is STILL part of the Brownhills group. John Lunt sold out to them a number of year ago.
If you view the 3page ads they have in MMM you can find the proof.


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## musicalj2 (May 1, 2005)

*Brownhills*

We used to live near Cannock before we flew south for the rest of our lives. We frequently visited Brownhills in Cannock and frequently saw the accessories shop - closed, not open - and frequently had problems parking in the small car park there - with our car, not our motorhome. The only time we used Brownhills Newark was as a sort of exhibition sample; owing to the fact they prolly have one of the largest showgrounds they carry a lot of used stock as well as new. (25K miles on the clock - _delivery_ mileage???? Puhleeeeze....) So it was a good way of comparing styles and prices. Particularly if you like Hymers. We decided we didn't. Vastly overpriced for the quality they offer, although this may be due to Brownhill's insistence that their customers don't pay for the leisure club facilities they offer. Yeah....right. :roll:

Having seen the way their sales people operate - and we were foolish enough to try and buy once - there is no way I would do business with them. I have heard far too many stories of bitter experience dealing with Brownhill's to want to make mine one of them. I went for an independent smaller dealer and a bigger motorhome and haven't regretted either decision. That's not to say that I haven't had faults with the van, but the after-sales service has been very good.

Hilary


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Bigfoot

Hymer UK Ltd is a seperate company it is part of the Brownhills group yes

They are all seperate legal entities under the Umbrella of the Brownhills group.


Not especially that they all have independant company numbers, this is a seperate legal identity.

If Brownhills newark went bust you would have no call on any of the other parts of the group or Parent company (Brownhills Holdings Ltd)

George


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## 89429 (May 23, 2005)

George
The fact that they are incorporated as different businesses under the relevant legislation does not detract from the fact that they all operate in the same manner as they have the same guidance from above. That is the gist of what the others are saying. 
But this detracts from the whole purpose of the thread which has moved on from an enquiry about the business.
I have used Hymer UK both before and after they were taken over by Brownhills and the difference in service was noticeable, unfortunately it went from good to awful.


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Docted

All I said originally was;

"Thats a seperate business and an Hymer dealership, which could have a bearing. "

You tried to correct me saying they were the same business only at different location, which is not true.

"Sorry to have to correct you but it is one and the same business. Just because they are in a different location doesn't mean that they are not the same business."

Then I pointed out that in fact they are legaly different and seperate businesses

Besides your last post no-one as said anything bad about Hymer UK in Preston, even Cannock seems not to generate much ill feeling.

The Newark Brownhills seems to be the one that causes all the trouble and ill feeling amongst its own customers.

Geprge


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## dcooper (May 1, 2005)

Having just spent nearly two years to take the plunge into motorhomes from tents we have visited many large retailers including Brownhills. In the end we bought Bessacarr 745 from Moran Motorhames in Ludlow. This is a small family concern and we had excellent service - they actually brought a vehicle 70 miles for us to ensure it would go on our driveway!

Can't fault them.


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## 89122 (May 14, 2005)

Hi all,
Just returned from Brownhills Newark having spent 4 nights there, they did the repairs on my motorhome with no problems and I am very pleased with the work they did.
They were very busy and new Motorhomes were being handed over to their customers all the time I was there.
Eddie.


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Eddie

Was there some kind of problem? last bu8t one post said you would be staying overnight (on Mon) to have something done to batt box on recall.


George


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## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

ehmcc said:


> Hi all,
> Just returned from Brownhills Newark having spent 4 nights there, they did the repairs on my motorhome with no problems and I am very pleased with the work they did.
> They were very busy and new Motorhomes were being handed over to their customers all the time I was there.
> Eddie.


4 Nights! I hope at least 3 of those were out of choice. I would not want to use any of my holiday allowance on waiting for my 'van to be fixed! Or do you lead a life of leisure anyway?


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## 89122 (May 14, 2005)

Hi all, The air con evaporator was replaced as well as the recall on batt box, I had delayed the recall untill they had the air con part in stock and now all is well with everything.
My time is all liesure these days except my hospital appointments, they seem to take up a lot of my time.
The overnight stays were my choice and I had a wander round locally whilst there.
all the best,
Eddie


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## 89090 (May 13, 2005)

Time for my 5 penneth. We have just bought a Rapido from Brownhills in Cannock. We actually saw the van at the Shepton Mallet shown but finally bought at the beginning of December last. Now bear in mind that I have dealt with quite a few dealers of motorhomes over the years. I can honestly say that the service we had from the sales people was excellent. There was no push selling at all. We went up to Cannock 3 times and had no pressure on us. We were given the keys and told to go for a drive, on our own and nothing was too much trouble. We live down in Kent and all our phone calls were returned which amazed me.

We had a few extras fitted and the handover was very good, no rush at all. We got all the adverts say including the fuel and gas. Unfortunately, the new reversing camera packed up just before Xmas this year. Our phone calls to the after sales were always returned. They even offered to come down here and collect the van, do the work and return it. But we decided we would like a jolly, so went to Cannock last weekend. We had deep apologies all round for the faulty camera, they upgraded the camera and monitor for free and gave us the fuel money. This is just my opinion and I always like to give credit where it is due. But I will criticise if needed.


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