# Autotrail faults list.



## Heritage

Autotrail Cheyenne 660 Purchased new February 2006
Faults so far with this vehicle as at October 2006 Mileage 3775.
Supplying dealer Brownhills of Newark. 
Poor reception from cab radio, external aerial fitted but no improvement.
Habitation step failure to work. Cured by owner and WD40/3-1 Oil.
Water supply leak, flooded floor under the bed. Poorly fitted pipe cured by owner.
O/S corner steady winds down whilst driving. Has to be done up very tight
Fresh water filler cap will not lock. Awaiting Replacement.
Service spanner glowing on dashboard ahead of service due date Feb 07
Gas regulator faulty. Unable to use gas appliances. Awaiting replacement.
4 of the 6 six window blinds are covererd in what looks like mildew. awaiting replacement.
Missing trim from N/S/F Habitation window. Not yet reported.
Underbed storage locker will not lock secure, repaired by dealer, no change still would not lock secure, repaired by owner and now locks secure.
Very poor water supply to Thetford Cassette for flushing. Dealer could not trace fault, owner traced fault to restrictor placed in supply pipe. Dealer advised by owner and dealer removed restrictor. Fault cured.
Electric hook up point cover broken. Awaiting replacement.
Omnivent 3 speed fan fails to work on high speed. Awaiting replacement.
Habitation door is difficult to open. Awaiting adjustment.
Spare wheel cover faulty lock. Awaiting repair replacement.
Fridge travel lock poorly fitted and broken. Repaired satisfactorily.
Safety recall on Trauma boiler, rectified.
Poor workmanship on dealer fitted alarm system.
Faulty alarm system. Repaired, I hope, yet to be tested.
Electric cooker ring fitted to gas ring control and vise versa. Sorted.
Cooker oven door rubbers fall off. Just keep putting them back on.
A cupboard door needs adjustment to allow it to open. Dealer advised prior to PDI, nothing done and still the same.  

Does anybody care? Somehow I doubt it.


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## geraldandannie

Heritage said:


> Does anybody care? Somehow I doubt it.


Wow! What a list.

I think you'll find that we care. Not that we can do much about your problems via this internet thingee, but we can give you support and comforting words.

And the dealer was ...? Ah yes, I see. :evil:

Gerald


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## Heritage

Thank you Gerald. My remark (does anybody care) was rather aimed at Autotrail and their supplying dealer/s. Your words offer me great comfort though. This is my third Autotrail and by far the worst. My first was purchased new in 1998 and the response to problems then was much more positive than what it is now. I have just taken early retirement and want to live my dream of many years, to travel down to Spain and live in my M/H for the winter. These problems are making that dream look less inviting now.

Regards

Roy


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## Grizzly

This is a terrible list Roy. Have you asked Brownhills to take this lemon back and supply you with a new vehicle ? Even when - if - everything is put right you will not feel comfortable I suspect and be waiting for the next thing to go wrong. They have not kept their part of the contract made at sale and supplied you with a motorhome fit for use. They must make this good.

You have all our sympathy believe me. Most people know what stress even a small fault can cause. You have a huge list.

Hope Brownhills come up trumps - try them. We'll all be waiting to hear- and draw our own conclusions from their response.

G


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## aido

Roy.
The best advice i can offer is to buy a German Motorhome They seem to take pride in what they produce. Everything is finished to the last detail.
The last MH we had was a Swift Sundance which was a great MH.but the finish was not as good as a German MH..... Look what happened to the British Cars ....:roll: aido


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## 94055

Roy,
I understand your frustration, If it was me. You say you have retired? If this is the case then go to Newark and park on the site, explain on arrival that you have arrived with one agenda. The agenda is you will not leave the site until all of the problems have been solved. Explain that initially your sit in will be peaceful, but if you have spent 2 nights on site, then you will start demonstrating. this could initially be a placard in the window to contacting the press. This is the course of action I would take if I had the same problems.

Steve


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## Grizzly

Good advice from Steve ! Do tell Brownhills that you have publicised your problems to thousands of MH owners and potential owners via MHF website. 

Have you written to Autotrail ? Surely they have some responsibility for the vehicle as well as Brownhills ? They should not have sent one from the factory in this state.

G


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## TinaGlenn

Hi Roy,
We also have a Autotrail reg Feb 06, we have had a few problems with ours, the spaner light coming on, cured by Hubby with info from garage on which buttons to push. 
The Underbed locker wouldnt lock, hubby added higher reinforcing bar and now fine.
The gas locker was hard to open, one of the tie wraps was obstructing the release cable, dealer couldnt cure suggested filing part of lock to make it easier to release.. Hubby took off tie wrap and fitted another correctly and now fine.
One thing that worried me was that the switch for the imersion water heater was only accessible from the outside underbed locker, and was positioned next to tank under bed, Hubby moved switch to side of bed in case of leaks.
Habitation door lock impossible to lock from inside, hubby had to straighten a bar in the door and now fine.
Also have problems with radio but understand this is common fault, also when alarm system was fitted the cable may have been disconnected Hubby still trying to work out how to get at back of radio to check.

We have used our 'van a fair bit since we have had it and have got almost 7k miles on her, we are hoping to keep this van for many years and many more miles.

We brought our 'van through Westcountry Motorhomes and they have been really helpfull both with problems with this van and with our previous van, cannot recomend highly enough. Hope you get all of your problems sorted out without too much hassle.

Tina


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## quickgetaway

Hi Roy, 
sorry to hear of your problems, I used to think that Autotrails were the "bees knees" but after reading several posts on here I have started to change my mind. Just a thought... if you have mildew on your blinds and obviously had a leaky pipe... have you checked under every matress, upholstery cushion and behind all curtains to make sure there is no mildew growing there. My last van had a very small leak round the window and the mildew formed in all the covered and unseen areas. I find it disappointing that the van obviously left the factory in such a poor state and that the dealer did not detect (or possibly rectify) before delivery. 
Best of luck sorting them out, 
John


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## geraldandannie

TinaGlenn said:


> We brought our 'van through Westcountry Motorhomes ... cannot recomend highly enough.Tina


It's good that you can recommend the dealer. However, I do worry that a lot, if not all, of these faults should have been picked up at the pre-delivery inspection.

Gerald


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## Heritage

Thank you all for your wonderful support.

I have loss confidence with Brownhills of Newark and every time I go there it means a return journey of 180 miles. Their service last told me that they coudn't book my M/H in for the Trauma safety recall until thae had the parts in stock and did not know when that might be. They do not seem to care, they just want to shift motorhomes. Elite Motorhomes of Banbury carried out this work in a matter of a few days. I have also tried Brownhills of Swindon, a better response to my problems but they were the company who did not spot the restrictor or even know how to remove it, I had to tell the technician how to do it. I want to use Elite from now on as they are quite close to me but they can not carry out any warranty work until Autotrail have sent them the spares and authorized the repairs. So far no spares and no authorization and I am booked on a channel crossing 1/11/06. An email sent in desperation to Autotrail today has produced no reply.


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## TinaGlenn

Hi Gerald,

I agree that Roy's list is excessive, I put our 2 lockers down to teething problems and I have more than a sneaking suspicion that the habitation door was caused by an over enthusiastic teenager.......

My own main worry was the siting of the on off switch for the water immersion tank, I have a worry about electrics and water and it was far too close to the tank for my liking, especially with it being under the bed and out of sight or easy reach much more of a design fault really. Other than that I love the van and enjoy every minute of the time I get away in her.
If I was Roy I would have taken the Van back and Quoted the Sale of goods act and demanded my money back or an exchange as the van is clearly unfit for purpose and with the gas and water and mildew problems clearly breaching some health and safety issues too. My lot usually send me in if there is a problem although I agree the citizens advice bureau will be able to help with dealing with this too.

Tina


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## fdhadi

Not sure about Brownhills, should be called Downpills.

Need to do something after your dealings with that shower!!!!!!!!

I used to enjoy calling in at Brownhills J11 M6 for a mouch around, after listening to some stories on here, never again.

Good luck with your battle :x .


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## TinaGlenn

I guess you will already have this information but just in case this is a simplified version of your consumer rights...

http://www.dti.gov.uk/consumers/fact-sheets/page24700.html

you are a bit over 6 months but with your documented faults with the dealers you will be able to prove ongoing faults from the begining.

I deal with this kind of thing all day at work, if you know your rights and hang in there you should be able to get it sorted out.
Good luck

Tina


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## Jani

I was wondering ~ as I am often wont to do ~ and be warned it is sometimes a bit scary,

how about a 'meet' outside Brownhills Newark ? They may try to ignore one unhappy customer who attempts to park outside, and bully the said person into leaving / moving on - but I wonder how they would deal with a number of people who have problems with their vehicles all turning up at once ?

If each person that was waiting for work to be done on their mh lined up with their list ( perhaps stuck on the end of a pole ) as well as all of those who have as yet had questions unanswered turned up one sunny day or even one day when it was throwing it down, then Brownhills would have to take note. As would the local news.

Lord knows how many other users of this forum may just decide to select that said day to view items for sale in their shop ?

Just a wee ponder. 
Jani  8)


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## 2Dreamers

In reply to the positioning of the water heating switchs we bought a Burstner 686, we love the positioning of the switchs for the heating and hot water as they can all be controlled by just poking a toe out of the bed, they are position at the foot of the bed.
Bliss on a cold morning.   

Cheers 2 Dreamers


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## Heritage

I am still awaiting a reply to my email sent to Autotrail yesterday which I have copied below. All it needs is Autotrail to send the parts required and authorize the work to be carried out and I would once again be a happy customer. It would be common courteousy to at least acknowledge my email which I am going to send again today.

Dear Autotrail,

I purchased my third Autotrail vehicle 3rd February 2006 from Brownhills Newark. 

Elite Motorhomes Banbury are now much closer to where I live. I have asked them if they would undertake any future warranty and servicing work. They have agreed, they have also said that no warranty work will be carried out until it has been authorised by Autotrail and Elite have received the necessary parts.

I have recently taken early retirement. For many years now I have planned to take my Autotrail to Spain and to occupy the Autotrail during the winter months. This is my first trip and I am booked on the channel crossing on November 1st 2006, returning middle of February 2007.

However, my Autotrail is the subject of 2 warranty claims made on my behalf by Elite Motorhomes, the most recent one has been faxed over to Autotrail today Monday 16/10.

Whilst only 1 problem would actually curtail my plans (faulty gas regulator) I would very much like to have all the work carried out prior to my departure. If this was the case it would make the enjoyment of my investment that much better.

I have heard all the reasons why this may not be able to happen, I can do no more other than to please ask for your much needed help to try to ensure that this work could be done for me, for that I would be very grateful to Autotrail as well as Elite Motorhomes.

If there is anything else that I can do (such as collecting/delivering the parts required, paying up front) then please let me know as this would make such a big difference to my long awaited break.

Thanking you in anticipation.

Regards

Roy Marks


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## Heritage

Sent to Autotrail today 1300hrs

Originally sent 16/10/2006 and awaiting an urgent reply.

This matter has been posted to the Motorhome Forum and is being monitored for Autotrail's response.


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## Heritage

I telephoned Autotrail today and received a positive response. In fairness to them they had received my first email but the person needing to make the reply had been of work yesterday and had planned to respond today.
The replacement gas regulator and omnivent has been already dispatched to Elite and the new blinds should be available mid November. So if Elite can do the work next week I will be able to leave for my winter stay in Spain as planned on 1st November. The blinds will have to wait until I return mid February. So thank you Autotrail. Over to you Elite.


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## geraldandannie

Heritage said:


> In fairness to them they had received my first email but the person needing to make the reply had been of work yesterday and had planned to respond today.


No. You're being too fair. If they had received your email, what's wrong with person _x_ replying, saying: "Person _y_ is not in the office today. He will reply to your email tomorrow, on his return. Thank you for taking the time to contact Auto-Trail." It doesn't take a lot.

Once again, this is poor communication. Okay, it's no big deal, and it's only a day here or there, but when I was Technical Cirector of a machine tool company, I inisisted that all emails were responded to on the day they arrived. Even if it was just a holding email, at least you've responded, and the person on the other end is aware of the situation.

I also learnt early on that 'fronting up' when there was a problem is much better for the customer, in the long run. Yes, he may be angry, and he may shout, but at least he knows you're keeping him informed, and even though there's a problem, you can outline what you're doing to fix it.

A 'bad news' joke:

: Doctor: I have some good news and some bad news.

_: Patient: What's the good news?_

: Doctor: Your tests show you have 24 hours to live.

_: Patient: That's the good news!? What's the bad news?_

: Doctor: The bad news is that I forgot to call you yesterday.

Gerald


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## pneumatician

*Autotrail*

As posted elsewhere we have been to the NEC today and one of the Vans we are considering is/was an Autotrail Trecker.

Shall I knock it of my list ??

Steve


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## Grizzly

*Re: Autotrail*



pneumatician said:


> As posted elsewhere we have been to the NEC today and one of the Vans we are considering is/was an Autotrail Trecker.
> Shall I knock it of my list ??
> Steve


IF you do this then write to Autotrail and tell them why you have done so.
We need to take a stand against bad service and poor customer services as a community.

G


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## desertsong

Hello Heritage,

We have an Autotrail too delivered in May with many irritating faults. As time went by, the list got longer. Up until delivery and payment, the dealer was fine, friendly and all was good. However, the strength of any company can only be measured when things go wrong, and then how they deal with it will tell all. 

When the faults appeared, they became less likely to return our calls. We felt let down by them though we tried to be reasonable. It didn't work and reasonableness seemed to be perceived as weakness on our part. Each time the work was done, but it was never instant, a wait of two or three weeks was usual and even then, not all the jobs were done and a return visit was necessary. To be fair, some individuals were as helpful as they could be but it was clear that the company came before the customer. After all, as one of them told me, demand outstrips supply.

Some spot on advice from Trading Standards on how to deal with the situation was more effective than all the nice, considerate patient phone calls and visits. A looming "rejection of the vehicle" seemd to inspire some urgency. A letter sent to the head office with a detailed list of the faults with dates it was returned for repair and an explanation as to why it was not fit for the purpose it was intended and a therefore a breach of contract under the sale of goods act focuses their attention far quicker than anything else. Give them a reasonable amount of time to carry out the work and indicate a specific date, by which date if it is not carried out to full satisfaction the vehicle will be returned and either a new one in its place or a return of the money will be accepted. Think it through from the dealers point of view.

We paid a large sum of money for this vehicle and we have had little use from it. To rub salt in the wound, we have to pay for storage where it is not stored because it is back in the dealers. On Monday we collect it again, it should come back like new, well, it is new, or at least it was when we got it and paid for it. However, minus the faults, we do still love the van and look forward to it. 

As a by the way, it's the dealer you should address, as that is who you bought it from. In law your contract is, I believe, with the dealer, not the manufacturer, but I'm no lawyer, but that's where Trading Standards are very helpful. The more our friends on here accept sub standard service and products, the more the industry will continue to laugh at us and dish it out. Stand up for what you stand for, but do it effectively.

regards
desertsong


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## Heritage

I am sorry to hear of your plight with the Autotrail, I hope is is repaired and your are happy with it soon. Mine is booked in for the 31st October for some of the faults to be put right, I leave for Spain 1st Nov for 3 months so the other faults will have to wait for my return. Also, surprise surprise, my Cheyenne 660 has developed another fault now, the step will no longer retract when the engine is started. 

At the NEC I was told by a salesman for a well known dealer that the industry just can't cope with the demand being placed upon it by the surge in popularity of motorhomes. Well, keep on at this rate and they won't be so popular for much longer. Something really needs to be done to improve on quality control and dealer service/attitudes. 

Regards

Roy


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## arrow2

Heritage - such a shame. We have had our Apache for just on a year. Generally very happy with it. We have had just a few problems which have been rectified by Marquis to our satisfaction:
- Habitation door - lower bolts came loose, not locking properly
- Vent above extractor fan in roof - got stuck down and would not open.
- Extractor fan fuse - keeps blowing
- Rear shower panel - developed a crack right across horizontally.

All the above have been dealt with.

Now have gas flow problem - amount of gas flowing to appliances has reduced and is next to nothing. Going in for annual habitation check on Tuesday so willbe fitted then.

So a few niggly things, probably no more than expected, but what I had not bargained for is the amount of stress you have when you know things are wrong with it, especially when you have spent a lot of money, nearly £40K in our case and you cannot use the shower!

Kevin


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## Heritage

Hi Kevin,

My Autotrail too has a gas flow problem caused by a faulty regulator. I have heard of others having this problem. A couple of months ago I threw out a perfectly good gas barbecue (purchased earlier this year) because it would not provide enough heat to cook with, I blamed the barbecue even though it was connected to the van barbecue point. Obviously the problem was with the van regulator and not the gas barbecue. Lesson learnt here I think.

Roy


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## Heritage

Update, today my vehicle has developed another fault, the battery warning light is remaining on. Booked into a Fiat dealer today.

Also today I fitted a narcotics alarm. Whilst wiring the unit in I discovererd that the heating duct was not even fitted into the Truma. The Truma is fitted under the rear bed and this explains why we were being roasted at night whilst in bed but could get no heat from the heating vents. Close examination revealed that the ducting was removed from the Truma when Brownhills fitted the alarm system and was not replaced. The heat from the Truma was just being blown direct from the Truma around the underbed locker. I fitted the ducting back into the Truma and it now all works perfectly. I have also noticed that the offside cab airvent moulding was removed to enable routing of the alarm cabling to the numeric alarm pad placed on the windscreen, problem is that one of the retaining clips for the airvent is missing and the dash moulding has been damaged when this moulding was removed. Now the whole damn thing will not fit back into place and there is a gap between the airvent and the dash moulding. If you look at my first post one of my complaints was of the very poor standard of workmanship applied when the alarm was fitted, this just further reinforces my opinion. I will not bother having an alarm fitted to any future MH I buy. I own a car that was a third of the cost of my MH and that came with a factory fitted alarm system so why not my MH. If an alarm system was installed at time of manufacture it would be a much neater installation and as most of us seem to have aftermarket alarms fitted the extra cost would be well justified. Only a matter of time I guess.

Roy


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## Grizzly

Seriously Roy, you need to get the dealer - and the manufacturer - to take your problems seriously. Frankly they should either replace the van immediately with a new one, complete down to the last fitting or take it in to their works, give you a temporary replacement and not stop working on this one until they have everything corrected. You should then take it to an independent assessor for signing off. I also think they should give you compenstion for all the hassle and loss of holiday time.

Take legal advice on this one - for the sake of all of us. Dealers and suppliers need to get the message that we will not spend our time righting their wrongs.

G


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## Heritage

I appreciate your advice. But since buying this vehicle new in Feb 06 I have had it in and out of dealers. First Brownhills of Newark, then Brownhills of Swindon and most recently Elite of Banbury. Elite have so far only carried out the Truma recall work, but why did they not spot that this ducting had been removed. I do not suspect Elite of causing the problem as they only removed the top of the Truma. I know I ought to throw this pile of rubbish back at Brownhills but I do not think for a minute that they would even consider replacing my vehicle and as for repairing it well enough said. I have spent thousands of pounds adding aftermarket accessories to this vehicle and I would not want to have to travel all over the place doing the same with a new vehicle. My confidence in being able to buy a MH that is anywhere near perfect has been dealt a severe blow, I have always loved camping and always will but I don't know if I would ever spend this kind of money again for fear of being sold what amounts to sub standard manufacturing. My final reason for trying to stick it out is that I have just taken early retirement after many years in business and I am so looking forward to my 3 month stay in Spain. If it were not for this then yes I think I would throw back this vehicle. However if any faults prevent me from leaving the UK on the 1st Nov then that will be a very different story and one I don't even want to comtemplate that one. So watch this space.


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## desertsong

Hi Roy,

You sound like too nice a person, but really, what good is nice doing you? Effective would be better. Do yourself, and everyone on here a favour and phone Trading Standards. After phoning them you'll have a clearer idea of what the lay of the land is. Believe me, they will give you sound advice and the correct advice. It's in everybody's interest. The more people accept sub standard products the more the industry will take us for mugs. They need to accept their legal responsibilities, when you were in business didn't you?

The problem lies in us accepting crap for a lot of money and also, the demand outstrips supply. But we're the ones with the money and he who does the paying does the saying. Like Peter Finch in the movie Network, we should stand against the dodgy dealers and manufacturers and tell them "We're mad as hell and we ain't gonna take it anymore." So! C'mon let's hear y'all. "We're mad as hell and we're not gonna take it anymore."

desertsong


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## arrow2

Just back from 1st year habitation check. Gas regulator replaced, working ok now, Marquis said a common fault.

I now have a fully functional, nothing broken motorhome!! (fingers crossed!). Lets see how long it stays that way.

Kevin


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## DTPCHEMICALS

*AUTOTRAIL PROBLEMS*

I ALSO HAVE A LIST OF FAULTS FOR CHEYENNE 632 WHICH WE PURCHASED AS A 4500 MILE USED 2006 MODEL.
THE EXTRACTER ROOFLIGHT IS VERY STIFF TO OPERATE.(WILL USE UNTIL IT BREAKS AND HAVE IT REPLACED UNDER WARRENTY BEFORE IT EXPIRES, OR TAKE IT TO BITS IN SUMMER TO SEE WHAT REQUIRES GREASING)
I ACCIDENTLY FOUND THE IMMERSION SWITCH WHILEST UNLOADING THE LOCKER UNDER THE FIXED BED.THE FRIDGE AND HEATER MAINS SWITCHES ARE ALSO INCONVENIENTLY PLACED.THE HABITATION DOOR HANDLE IS DIFFICULT AT TIMES AND THE FRESH WATER LOCKING CAP WOULD NOT LOCK.(SPRAY PLENTY OF SILICONE INTO THE LOCK AND RIM AND LEAVE FOR A FEW MINUTES)
I ALSO HAD TROUBLE WITH THE GAS LOCKER DOOR AND THE INNOVETIVE TIE WRAP SECURING SYSTEM.(REMOVE THE HINGE PINS TO GAIN ACCESS IF NEEDED)
THE WASTE WATER LEVEL READS EMPTY OR FULL WHEN TANK IS EMPTY
BY USING SHORT CABLE RUNS A MANUFACTURER CAN SAVE THOUSANDS OF POUNDS A YEAR BUT POTENTIALLY LOSE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF POUNDS IN REPEAT CUSTOMERS.
WE SPEND ALOT OF MONEY ON OUR HOBBY AND WONDER IF THE PEOPLE WHO DESIGN AND BUILD THESE MOTORHOMES ACTUALLY USE ONE THEMSELVES. OR ARE EVEN READING THIS FORUM AND WHATEVER HAPPENED TO QUALITY CONTROL.
LETS REMEBER THAT A WARRENTY IMPLIES THAT SOMETHING IS GOING TO GO WRONG AND THAT A DEALER PICKS UP THE FLACK FROM THE CUSTOMERS.I HAD TO TRAVEL 90 MILES TO BROWNHILLS AT CANNOCK FOR MY UNIT WHERE I GOT BETTER SERVICE THAN NEWARK WHICH IS ONLY 30 MILES AWAY.MAYBE NEXT TIME I WILL BUY GERMAN. THATS WHAT I DID WITH CARAVANS, BUT STILL HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE DEALER NOT THE MANUFACTURER.
KEEP SMILING AND DON`T THROW THE DIY KIT AWAY

DAVE P


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## 90796

*Put off Purchase*

I won't bore you with all the problems I have had with my Autotrail Dakota bought new in April 2002. But what it has taught me is to keep the vehicle and not buy another now I have finally got them all fixed. I was thinking of buying a Rapido this year [ I doubt I would ever buy another Autotrail] but thought why the hell put myself through that again?
Having said that I hear from everyone that Rapidos are vastly superior in quality to Autotrail.
Keep your vehicle longer - don't replace- and watch quality control improve when the dealers and manufactures are desparate for business.


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## sallytrafic

Its all very well saying take the vehicle bacak nd leave it there or take legal action against the supplier but when I asked who has succesfully done this the only reply came from disgusted and that was to say that he is still waiting after 3 years for his day in court.

Regards Frank


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## TinaGlenn

Hi Dave P,

I have relocated our immersion switch to the side of the bed from underneath for ease of use and access as Tina was worried about possible leakage/condensation from tank and she wouldn't use the immersion until switch moved for safety and her peace of mind!!!! 
The gas locker door was sticking as the tie wraps were obstructing the cables, I have put 2 cable ties either side of the central cable to keep it centraslised and locks working very efficiently now.

The underbed locker door mechanism has been reinforced with a metal plate as the moulding was too low for the lock to fully engage. I have also taken the habitation door to bits to straighten a bar from the inside locking button, for a while the only way to lock the door was to open the window and lean out and use the key!

Only thing left to do is figure out how to remove the dash board to see if the radio is wired to an aerial as lousy reception everywhere.

Glenn


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## 100512

I had my Auto trail as a used motorhome.

The only issues Ive had similar and as follows.

The water filler cap needs WD40 to get it to be relaiable and lock. My guess is these are generic to many motorhomes.

The gas lockerdoor lock needs to be keps lubricated and also the wire link to the catch. Watch out for buld up of mud on it from traveling.

The cutlery draw now has a carth fitted to stop it opening whilst driving.

The rear vehicle light fittings screw mounting needed re fitting by me to avoid detaching them selves.

Apart from my own breakages etc Ive not had what I call any major problem. I had purchased spares from autotrail who were very helpfull.

I hope your issues get sorted soon.


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## 89090

As a matter of interest, I wonder how many people are not happy with their foreign motorhome as opposed to British ones. It does seem that foreign vans have a better build quality.

ken


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## 101368

TinaGlenn said:


> Hi Dave P,
> 
> Only thing left to do is figure out how to remove the dash board to see if the radio is wired to an aerial as lousy reception everywhere.
> 
> Glenn


Know nothing about your Autotrail (mine is fifteen years old) but I'd be surprised if you needed to remove the dash to get behind it most modern radios will pull out the front often needs a special tool (basically two bits of thin metal with a "hook" on the end). If you know a friendly garage ask them to get it out or even a car audio shop. It's a two minute job so they might do it for "a drink".

As often I wonder why people buy new.


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## Heritage

My cab radio was and still is useless at reception. I am told the radio has a trailing aerial wire and this is not as good as an external aerial. 

So, Brownhills Swindon fitted an external aerial but reception is still as bad as before.

I am now living until Feb 06 in Spain with my Autotrail Cheyanne 660. Elite managed to replace the faulty gas regulator before I left. They supposedly fixed the difficult to open habitation door. The problem is not with the door itself but the opening mechanism and it is still very difficult at times to open. Upon my return from Spain at least three blinds will have to be replaced due to a mould like infestation, Autotrail has now authorised this work to be carried out.

The journey down to Spain over 3 days was uneventful and the Fiat ran like a dream. However on the Autotrail side I do have more problems that will have to be rectified when I get home. 

So to update the problems list.

N/S External front corner moulding has significant cracking on the surface.
Corner mouldings held on by silicone in the bathroom are coming adrift.
Warped corner moulding adjacent to the sink will need replacing. 
Front N/S Locker internal trim has come adrift due to poor workmanship when the alarm was installed (see my alarm comments below).. 
Cuttlery draw is coming off the runners when opened.

My advice to anyone considering having a dealer fitted alarm is think twice. From my experience the standard of workmanship carried out by Brownhills Newark in connection with the alarm installation is very poor and has caused damage to my vehicle. I will be taking this up with Brownhills when I return from Spain. If you wish to fit an alarm then I would suggest using an independant installer and check with them that the installation will in no way damage or disturb any part of the vehicle. As I have stated before I believe the manufacturers should install the alarm system during conversion and the cost should be less than a dealer fit system and it would certainly be a neater job. 

Finally I agree if you get your vehicle repaired to your satisfaction then keep it because as sure as anything the next vehicle you get will put you through it all again.
Roy


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## 95157

My Apache 700SE has great reception on the radio.........Provided I don't switch the battery charger on!! Then I can't hear a thing!! 8O 
The wast water guage always reads quarter full or more.
The central locking locks the caravan door but won't open it again, really bad in a fire situation!
My Free View box works great..........but no sound!  

Still......It was only £40,000 :?


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## 88919

we have an autotrail apache 700 bought new in May 05 and must be lucky ( :roll: ) as we have had only a couple of minor faults. But after all the problems we have read about on here I dont think we will ever change our van!!!!! as you're never quite sure what you will end up with 8O .

Andy & Amanda


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## Heritage

Very sensible and I am pleased you have only had a couple of minor faults with your van. It must be wonderful not to have had the problems I and others have had with our vans.

I am here with my van in sunny and warm Spain. It has been so warm in fact that I have wanted to open the van windows but can't. Why, I here you ask? Well, the rubber seal around the window openings has glued itself to the window. I have managed to get a small window to open only to get stuck again a day or so later. The other night I tried to open the long and biggest window in my van, this was in the middle of a warm night and we needed to get some ventilation into the van, try as I might it would not come unstuck from the rubber seal. So yet another annoying problem. Any other owners had this problem?


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## 95157

amok said:


> we have an autotrail apache 700 bought new in May 05 and must be lucky ( :roll: ) as we have had only a couple of minor faults. But after all the problems we have read about on here I dont think we will ever change our van!!!!! as you're never quite sure what you will end up with 8O .
> 
> Andy & Amanda


Don't get me wrong! I love the van and they are only little niggles and, yes I would certainly buy Auto Trail again. I really did my research before buying and we literally chose it out of hundreds (well.....maybe many tens) and feel we made the right choice. When the "niggles" are sorted I'm looking forward to many years trouble free motorhoming!! :?


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## wakk44

Hi Heritage,

We bought our 2004 Autotrail in June and have had the same problem with the windows.
I found that once I'd carefully peeled the rubber from the window a quick spray around the rubber seals with a silicon spray did the trick.
Perhaps we will have to repeat the process, time will tell, but for now they open!


Sharon & Steve


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## wendick

Heritage

Rubber window seals sticking in hot climates/weather are infact fairly common as is wiper blades sticking to the windscreen some people have numerouse tricks to keep them from sticking.

Wendick


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## wendick

Well i am just coming up to our first year with our 696G, and fingers crossed all problems resolved was very frustrating at times running up and down the M3 to the dealers but now we are quite content.

Wendick


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## bertieburstner

What a sorry tale of Autotrails!
on reading the pages and pages of faults, please don't think you are being singled out! we have a Burstner motorhome for two years and that has had faults which the dealer seems unable to rectify so far There is an audible alarm that is supposed to tell you when the waste water tank is full. It comes on when there is a teaspoon of water in the tank.This was faulty when we picked up the vehicle and we're still waiting for it to be repaired. There is also water ingress by the sink which has started to cause damage. This is now hopefully being sorted.


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## 99459

hi
we have had alot of problems with our autotrail 840, which we had brand new on october 1st this year. most of these problems should have been sorted on the p.d.i. I have come to the conclusion that all dealers don't bother doing a p.d.i. they let us do it for them, then sort out the troubles when we report them. most of our faults are now sorted, except a problem with the wooden interior doors, these were a bad fit from day one, the frames have now split because of continually forceing them open and shut. we have had problems opening the heki roof with the rubbers sticking but no problems with the side windows.

Russ


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## gotago

We have a 635 bought from Chelston last year with 1000 miles on it and just three months old. We went in there on the way back from Damage Barton for a lightbulb for our swift Sundance 590 RL. Wandering round (as you do) and then sitting in what I thought was a Mohican (that is two feet odd too big for our drive) a head popped round the door and asked us if we needed any help, to which I replied "yes, you could chop two feet off this for me, I've always wanted a Mohican". "This is not a Mohican" he said "and it is two foot shorter, its a Cheyene 635" That was the end of the Sundance. We had been looking for a rear bathroom layout and were tempted by the Bessacarr and Sundance with that layout, but, what we really wanted was a Mohican. The next two weeks dragged out slowly as I waited, more excited than I had been for years, to pick it up. I absolutely love this motor home, it is just fantastic, the bathroom is the best we've seen and its just well... you know.

Problems.

Gas locker door bursting open on M6 and had to be taped up for ages

Cutlery drawers fly open.

External seams looking like they are opening up

Bloody gas regulator conked out

Three separate strip light bulbs have now blown

I have sorted out these minor bits and bobs myself. The original gas locker fitting was such a flimsy affair I asked Chelston to give me a couple of the locks they use on the spare wheel locker and I fitted these, they are spot on and have that tube key that locks them shut,. much better.


I have to say that for me the Autotrails have by far the best looking interiors of anything out there and the build quality is bloody good. I would definitely buy another.

I am still looking for a neat solution to the cutlery drawer flying out.

Any ideas?


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## peedee

wendick said:


> Heritage
> 
> Rubber window seals sticking in hot climates/weather are infact fairly common as is wiper blades sticking to the windscreen some people have numerouse tricks to keep them from sticking.
> 
> Wendick


Is it not a good thing they stick, you get a better seal   

peedee


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## wendick

Gotago

That is abpout the only area in which i didnt have a problem cant help you there im afraid.

Dick


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## 102046

*Auto Trail Faults*

I have a Tracker bought in June 2006. My list of faults rose quickly to 24 items, a similar story to yours. I currently am waiting for the TV monitor housing to be replaced (again) because the standrade housing keeps on cracking. At the dealership I bought from, every AutoTrail over a few weeks old had the same fault. I have spoken to the head of service at AutoTrail and found his attitude very disappointing. I wonder how many more owners there are out there with experiences like ours.


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## Heritage

*Autotrail*

Gave up on my Autotrail I could not be bothererd with all the hassle of getting it repaired what with all the delays, travel, phone calls etc. I have sold it back through the dealer who supplied it. I have now ordered a new Tribute Trigano. Reading on this site the feedback from Trigano owners is very favourable.

Roy


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## 101405

*faults*

Its a Disgrace that you good people have to put up with this bad service and also a shame that we have to recomend " Buy a German van. " A lot of this is down to poor quality managment, and as I have said before about British Industry! lack of vision! and its hard to support it when these vans have so many faults from new. its not as if its rocket science if you look around a MH most of the parts are 30/40 yrs old in design and more. these German makers are part of very large groups. and can demand excellence from suppliers. plus a demanding customer base. so untill you take your MH back to the factory .nothing will change


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## kennyboy

Know exactly what you mean Heritage, as we are fed up with Auto-trail and their built quality and the fact that nobody cares so..............
We have a bought a Frankia. Hope you are pleased with your new van when you get it.
Ken


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## erikbloodaxe

*Auto-trail Brochure "The 2007 Collection"*

Anne & I are planning to buy our first MH for retirement about May 2008. We received the brochure early this week and after reading it thought "fantastic, we will put Auto-Trial on our short list to investigate". The brochure is very convincing, extolling the virtues of their models as the 'Best of British'.

So now was the time to 'Google', found this site, registered and start to read about the MHs on our short list.

First off - SWIFT - Shock!, Horror! - No way will we buy a Swift.

And now we come to Auto-Trail. Shock!, Horror! again. What an eye opener this thread has been, as was the one for Swift.

Question :?:

Is there, or does anyone know of a comprehensive listing of MH ratings based on QUALITY & RELIABILITY for all the MH manufacturers who supply the British market?

Should we really be only looking at the German models?

Must go now and read up on the rest of the models in this forum.

We hope to hear from someone soon. We will be emailing Swift and Auto-Trail with our concerns about their products and after sales service.

Regards

Vic & Anne.  8O :x


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## Heritage

Hi, Vic & Anne,

Welcome, you are very wise to reseach your vehicle and manufacturer/dealer before committing to what will be an expensive investment. I have only owned Autotrail vehicles up until now, I am awaiting delivery of my Tribute and hope to have none of the problems I have had before. By getting rid of a sub standard vehicle so soon after purchase has cost me an awful lot of money, should a similar occurence happen again then I will approach the matter in a different way. I have owned three Autotrail vehicles all from new and spent well over £100,000 with Autotrail. My first (Cheyenne 690 Circa 1998) was very good with very few problems. My second (Mohican Circa 2001) had some problems not least being delivered from Autotrail with a deformed body panel requiring the vehicle being returned to Autotrail for repairs. My third (Cheyenne 660 Circa 2006), well the above threads will tell the story. In fairness to all manufacturers/dealers these forums are a good place to vent your anger at a sub-standard product, then feel you are getting your own back, but I am sure that there are many more satisfied customers than disatisfied customers. However some of us do have serious concerns about the quality of the product we have purchased and the response by the manufacturers and dealers to such problems. The car industry has to have an excellent record of quality and customer care as all the manufacturers compete for your hard earned dosh, it is about time that the leisure vehicle industry did the same. Good luck with your purchase, keep us all informed and as always, Buyer Beware. Roy


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## pjos11

O DEAR!!!! I just last week ordered a Autotrail Apache 700 and its to arrive at the end of June. I had actually cancelled the order of a Rimor Superbrig 689 TC to buy the Autotrail.  

I ordered it from Hagans in Ballyclare and I hope that I don`t have any problems with it that linger on and on!!!!!! OR SO HELP ME  
Relly looking forward to it and I hope to travel to France later this year.


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## ingram

Heritage said:


> ...... you are very wise to reseach your vehicle and manufacturer/dealer before committing to what will be an expensive investment. I have only owned Autotrail vehicles up until now, I am awaiting delivery of my Tribute and hope to have none of the problems I have had before. <snip> Roy


Is the Trigano Tribute not made by the parent company of Autotrail: 'Trigano'?

Harvey


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## Heritage

You are quite right Harvey, the Trigano is built by the parent company of Autotrail. Reading the threads on the forum regarding this vehicle I am optimistic that I may, just may, get a vehicle relatively free of faults and to a good standard of workmanship. I will scrutinise this vehicle before I will accept it. Watch this space for more information when I take delivery.


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## Mashy

I have recently purchased a new Hobby from Brownhills.
Love the van but would not recommend the dealer.
Very good at selling but terrible at aftersales.
The handover was nothing short of abysmall
Collected our van 9/2/07 and was told a new table would be ordered that day. Guess what? Nearly 3 months later no table ordered!!
Spoke to Simon Hyde at the show today 28/4/07 and said that if it was not ordered next week I would be talking to Hobby in Germany, Hobby at Derby and also their MD.
I like the idea of a collective "demonstration" of disgust
This week alone I have spoken to 4 people that have nothing good to say about Brownhills.
Does anyone know of a Hobby owners club or a source of spares etc.
Thanks for reading


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## gromett

I have just picked up my secondhand Eura Mobil from Brownhills on Friday.
I gave them a list of stuff I wanted done prior to collection and it was all done (much to my suprise) In addition they found 4 faults with the vehicle which they corrected that I hadn't noticed.

I turned up with my old van and hadn't removed my £250 stereo due to lack of time. I asked would it be possible to swap these over prior to handhover. I made it clear I would be ok if they didn't have time as it was my own fault and hadn't let them know sooner. Suprisingly within 5 minutes a tech was removing the radio and it was fitted in the new van before I had got to it 

My experience with them this time was a magnitude better than the first time I when bought my Brand New Hymer.

My impression of them over the last 2 years has gone from "What a bunch of *$£&£($£" to MMmmm suprisingly good.

I still won't trust them to fit Alarms, inverters or anything electrical for that matter but the PDI checks and snaggings do appear to have improved dramatically.

I was also not given a good deal last time. This time I negotiated really hard and am really happy with them.

Cheers
Karl


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## richard863

Blimey Heritage
They should be paying you to take it off their hands.
Good luck with the rebuild.


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## arrow2

As I have said before it is not all doom and gloom with Autotrail. My Apache 700 is now 18 months old, had it from new and absolutely delighted with it.

3 snags rapidly fixed by Marquis in Hampshire - Blocked regulator, crack in shower wall and lower caravan door pins loose.

Would buy another one.

Kevin


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## Don_Madge

Mashy said:


> Does anyone know of a Hobby owners club or a source of spares etc.
> Thanks for reading


There is a Independent Association of Hobbyists.
Sec David Jackson, 16 Moor Lane Coleorton. LE67 8FQ

Tel 01530 832585

E Mail. [email protected]

I hope that helps.

Don


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## Rapide561

*Autotrail*

Heritage

I think your Autotrail and mt Kontiki should stage a demonstration outside the relevant factory!

It really is not good enough. I laugh at my issues, and I dread to think what will break next. Today it was the rear ladder whilst I was doing 60 mph.

Russell


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## TommyS

Roy

I can understand your frustration with the supplying dealer and the manufacture. i have had a similar long list of problems with my Eura Mobil purchased new in 2003 from Westcroft. Everything took months to get sorted out and some never were fixed. I took the vehicle to Westcroft on numerous occassions but to no avail. I eventually rang Euramobil and informed them that I would be arriving at the factory at Sprendlingen in Germany in April 2007. I subsequently took the vehicle there and had it inspected and they have now agreed to sort out the faults. It was my intention to remain at the factory until someone took notice. I am now waiting for an appointment. 

Tommy1758


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## rogerandsandra

Hi all

We collected our Chieftain G on 16th April, this is our first motorhome and we spent a long time looking and it was the only one which had everything we were looking for.
Our faults:

1. 2 days after collection leisure batteries failed. (we hadn't got a clue what the problem was just the electrics failed) phoned the dealer very unhelpful so we drove there parked on their front (rather large MH to be missed!) and gave them the keys and told them we were going for lunch and SORT IT OUT. when we returned we had 2 new batteries!
2. Trim on cab hanging off
3. step up to bed - screws coming through where it is fixed from garage
4. Interior step - non slip trim missing
5. habitation door when closed daylight coming in - top and bottom 
6. Front blinds - bottom rail not attached blind comes off and needs feeding on by hand
7. habitation door internal lock - when door locked with central locking button on key, knob on door flies off 8O 
8. decals on outside have been attached over dirt - lumps in decals
9. water getting into engine compartment through water channel at bottom of windscreen - rust on engine
10. Hand book says garage maximum weight is 250kg sticker in garage says 200kg??
11. gas locker door split
12 waste water tank sensor does not work - always shows 0%

We sent an 11 page letter to Dave Thomas (Autotrail MD) S Turpin (Autotrail Sales Director) and a copy to our Dealer, including pictures of most of the faults. I pointed out to Autotrail that I know about the 'sale of goods act' but felt that their quality control left a lot to be desired and most of these faults should have been addressed before it left the factory. And for good measure I added that perhaps as advised we should have 'bought German'

We received a letter from Dave Thomas - he has passed the letter to Paul Howes (quality manager) and told me 'we have the largest owners club in the UK and I hope we can quickly restore your faith in a UK manufactured product' (I dont give a s**t about their owners club, wasn't even mentioned in my letter)
We received a letter from Paul Howes - thank you etc etc. He has been in touch with our dealer (who according to Autotrail should also be held responsible) and everything will be dealt with asap.
We received a phone call from our dealer the day after we sent the letter, apologising and saying he had ordered the parts and would call us in a couple of weeks to book the MH in.

None of this has stopped us using our MH and it is still everything we wanted, and more, but don't ask us if we would buy an Autotrail or a new motorhome again because we are just newcomers and still learning that nothing in life is simple!!

Sandra and Roger

PS Once again thanks to all of you for your help, information, stories and mostly for making me laugh :lol:


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## Heritage

*Autotrail Faults*

Hi Sandra & Roger,

I was sorry to read of all the faults you have had with your Autotrail especially as it is your first motorhome. You may have read in my earlier posts of all the problems I had with my Autotrail, because of this and the poor reponse to my problems I have decided not to consider another Autotrail vehicle in the future. I do hope you are able to have your vehicle repaired swiftly and you can start to enjoy your rather expensive investment without the hassle you have had to date.

Regards Roy


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## dbh1961

*autotrail waste tank level display*

Re rogerandsandra's long list, last point

My waste level display also shows 0%, seemingly all the time. I queried this with Richard BAldwin, who charged me for cleaning it, and returned it exactly as before.

I have taken this up with Autotrail, and found that there all like that! Paul Boulton (Autotrail) says the display will show 0%, right until the tank is full, when it will then show 100% - there are no in-betweens!

I've told them that this is of no practical use, we can already tell when it's 100% full, because the shower tray fills up with sink water. What we need, is a way of knowing when it's 50% or 75% full, so we can empty it then. How can you take a shower, when the display shows 0%, but the tabk could be 90% full?

It seems that Autotrail have fitted the guage for the single reason that they can then list it in the spec list - it's not there for any practical purpose.

This is my first Autotrail and probably my last


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## lagold

*New auto trial Dakota*

Have had my new toy since april ,faults were door blind wont shut,tap leaking,wrong front seat,different coloured fly screens,fresh water foul smelling ,plus little bits took five weeks of ringing chelstons to get done most jobs completed still waiting for blind ,did fresh water my self essayer.Have sent email to scot at autotrial saying the defects should have been picked up on predeliver inspection ,reply = passed information to sombody else still waiting,this is a shame as van seems spot on ,fuel consumption is still a little low at 21 to the gallon but we will see.Tom at chelston was the last person i spoke to should have been the first explained the problems booked in jobs done credit to chelstons.


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## putties

Well, spoke to Brownhills cannock today and they might have all my parts this week, apart from the panel that was ordered before i collected it. I had quite a few things wrong but the main one being a smelly unusable fresh water tank. I had to resort to a formal letter of compaint within the specified period of not fit for purpose to get the jobs classed as important. They have until 4th July before i get really serious. The vehicle itself is just right. The dealer at this moment in time seems to be showing interest.

Putties


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## rogerandsandra

Please correct me if I'm wrong, or it shouldn't be done, but has anyone thought of emailing a link to this thread to all concerned at Autotrail.
If I'm given the go ahead from the mods, and you would like to PM me with the contacts you have, I am prepared to do it.

Sandra


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## 97984

We were looking seriously at Chieftain G for our next van. After reading this thread I'm starting to have doubts!


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## Grizzly

cneate said:


> We were looking seriously at Chieftain G for our next van. After reading this thread I'm starting to have doubts!


Write to Autotrail and let them know.

We did not take enough notice of people's comments on Swift and look where we are now !

G


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