# The Hymer from Brownhills



## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

Greetings,

traveled up on Friday night to Brownhills Newark, looking forward to picking up new van on Saturday, Saturday came and we went to complete the purchase, unfortunately the two 110 ah SLA batteries that had been agreed to be fitted had not been and we had to wait even longer to get the van.

Once the batteries were fitted they brought it out to the compound and we continued to change all our gear over, once the gear was inside, we tried the equipment................... no water, no heating, no 240 volt battery charging, so we had a van that we could not effetively use.

So back to the reception, they had no one on site that could help us so we had to ride it out with no water, no toilet flush (electric flush) we had to fil a bucket to flush the toilet with, no heating apart from a fan heater we had brought with us, and the lights going dimmer by the minute.

Luckilly we had a battery lantern and torch and we managed to start the engine a couple of times to give us a bit of power to the batteries for a bit more light. we approached the staff again and was told that there was nothing that could be done as no staff were on site during Saturday afternoon and Sunday all day, they booked us into the workshops first thing on Monday morning.

Both Chris and I were very distressed about this and I asked a friend of mine to bring some tools and a multimeter so that I cold have a go at the work myself.

By Sunday night I had everything working, the water pump had been disconnected at some time and they had not bothered to check it was working before the pick up, the fuse for the auxiliary charger had blown and I assume that this was done by the fitter who fitted the batteries, by not disconnecting the circuits first.

Not big jobs but these should have been corrected before pick up, it made the van virtually unusable in the first instance.

When checking around the vehicle I observed that the battery cable that had been fitted to connect the two batteries had just been placed behind the drivers seat and no attempt had been made to route it inconspicuously, although they had clipped it to the cab floor.

The awning which we had fitted at great expense, I believe was not fitted in the right place and although we asked for a 4 metre model, we got a 3.5 one instead. When it poured down with rain on the Sunday the rain was falling down from the front of the awing and covering the door entrance making entry and exit very wet. I questioned this and was told that it is the only place that the awning could go.

There were several lessons to be learned from this incident, 1) listen to other people and go elsewhere to buy a motorhome, don't use Browhills, 2) if using this company, ask to liaise with the fitters before the work is carried out, 3) don't pay up front, 4) leave the vehicle on the premises until the faults had been rectified.

I wanted to give Brownhills a chance to prove themselves, they did! just as everyone else had told us.

So after ordering a new motorhome at some considerable cost to us we are left very disappointed by Brownhills,

It is diabolical to not have any workshop staff on duty on a weekend to cater for any problems to customers cherished purchases.

Whilst on site we heard many tales of woe from other "valued" Brownhills customers.

The salesman tried to be helpful but was unable to offer us any assistance whatsoever.

I cetainly shall be looking elsewhere when it becomes time to replace this motorhome.

I shall be taking up these matters with Brownhills and will report back online when I have some response.

 :x


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Hymer*

Ciao Peter

I am glad you have got the van but no way on earth should you have to commence DIY on day 1!

Had that been me, I would not have known what to do wih the van and so would have had to leave it there. No, on second thoughts, I would have cancelled the order but then, be left vanless.

Keep us posted, but above all, happy and safe motorhoming in your new home.

Russell


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## thefman (May 1, 2005)

is it not very strange that there is allways "salesman" onsite 8 days a week 53 weeks a year :evil:


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## 101392 (Oct 14, 2006)

OMG Humber traveller, am so sorry to hear all of this and quite worrying for me too, we picked up our van from Brownhills Swindon this saturday, we had no extras fitted, apart from an extra leisure battery which is all present and correct, as I refused to pay Brownhills prices. Our van had no water in it and I did not expect there to be although I do realise that this means I have not tried evertthing out - I have heard the pump working and our batteries appear to be fully charged up and providing power. We both work and so will not try everything out properly until this weekend, if there is anything wrong it will be going straight back - I went into doing business with Brownhills with my eyes wide open; hope however that I do not have problems +++ as neither of us is 'handy'. Good luck for the future and let us know how you get on

Tina


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## thefman (May 1, 2005)

considering the prices we pay for these vehicles we should not be having these conversations :roll:


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## JustRadio (May 21, 2005)

Well it seems to me it's not that there were no workshop staff available at the weekend, that's normal, but it's amazing that nobody responsible had gone through your vehicle for a full pdi AFTER the work had been done.

Makes you worry about all the other stuff, and would you ask them for a habitation check? Not I.

I have a problem with the electrics tripping on board, they don't trip the site electrics, and I've tried to get someone to look at it here to no avail. The only recommendation from Marquis Motorhomes was to take it to Brownhills - as if!

It's a pity Deepcar and Hambleton are so very far away.


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## 92180 (May 1, 2005)

That is dreadful service no water and nothing checked I am glad you got it all sorted . I don't acre how much you paid it should be handed over all working and I would not accept anything else. 

Will take your advice and never buy there. 

We bought from Barrons at Darlington, service was first rate and continues to be so. They brought the MH across from the Preston depot as it was closer for us to view from East coast Scotland, It was trailer across, on handover all services were operational , full of water, gas on , power on mains and battery full handover lasting 2 hours. Everything we asked for fitted . 
I am glad I bought from them and the price was very competitive.


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## mangothemadmonk (Aug 6, 2006)

Sounds like our pick up day at Hymer UK Preston. 
We were excited like two little kids then got a slap in the face when we found that the faults we had found never mind their own fault checklist hadn't been done. It puts a very sour taste in the mouth. I nearly gave the salesman a little slapping, pity the wife stopped me. 
Two days later when we went back to pick it up there were still some faults not done. I agreed to do them but told them to swing for the full amount and offered a lower price...take it or leave it...he reluctantly agreed. 
Fixed them myself and had a reversing camera fit and a new stereo and a bottle of bubbly from the amount we saved  .
But it shouldn't be like that. It is a very poor standard. What's their banner say? Hymer Uk No.1 .... my arse.:evil:

Johnny F


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## 96105 (Aug 23, 2005)

hi.. sorry to hear another brownhills story :roll: perhaps we start a 
mhf recomended dealers thread :roll:... being such a large company you proberly got lost in the woods :roll: which is not right
you pay for such a expensive motorhome you demand the best if you bought a audi A6 say 

keep us posted

ray


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## artona (Jan 19, 2006)

HI Peter

I know you have been looking forward to getting your van for some weeks so I do feel for you. I agree with all the above comments and I am proud of you that you have got on with it and got you van sorted.

Should Brownhills have done this work...........?

Did you give them a chance to do it and they said they couldn't...........?

If you answer yes to both the above issue them with an invoice for the work, I would and I would expect payment, maybe £1000 might be in order. Chance are they will settle before it gets to court


stew


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## hippypair (May 1, 2005)

Hi Peter,
just to say how sorry I was to hear of your problems,hope everything is sorted soon to your satisfaction and you can both begin to enjoy your new motorhome.

Terry.


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## slaphead (May 14, 2005)

*dealers*

personally.. i dont trust any of 'em! (big boys)...i work alongside the motor industry and i can tell you, for servicing,get to know the little backstreet guy and keep him happy (a few bottles from that booze cruise etc)go on recommendation...a lot of these guys now have all the kit for checking out those damn electronics etc..... and quite a few are factory trained anyway....
good luck......... :wink: :roll:


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## wakk44 (Jun 15, 2006)

Hi Peter,

sorry to hear your tale of woe,it must be so disappointing when you are anticipating the arrival of a new motorhome to have these problems.

We can all perhaps learn from your experiences and don't pay upfront and leave the balance to pay on the day of the pickup,and then only pay when all the equipment in the motorhome has been demonstrated to be working satifactorily by a member of staff.This is more problematical than it seems as some customers may be trading in a p/exchange and have probably arranged their insurance to be changed over on that day.

I know from experience that it is so easy to make errors of judgement on the day of the sale,you have been looking forward to the arrival of your new baby so much all you want is to get it home.

Sounds like you have got everything working ok although I would be slightly concerned about the canopy position,you don't want rain running off and right down the habitation door.

Good luck with your new m/home I'm sure you'll have some great trips when eveything is sorted.Let us all know how Brownhills respond to your complaints- it will be interesting to see if they can improve their poor reputation for after-sales service.

Steve and Sharon


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Sorry to hear about your troubles with Brownhills.It dosen't seem to be right when its a new van.
Perhaps we aught to find out if there is a specialist solicitor who would/could deal with compensation or as last resort rejection of vehicle.on a no win no cost scheme.
Have a vested interest I have to admit, as I am battling with my dealer (stewart mouland sussex). over rejection of my van.trouble is the finance company is also involved.

cabby


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

Hi, Peter

How very sad. I can feel your disappointment in your post. Well done for fixing the problems yourself.

I just hope that these early disappointments fade away, as you get to use the van during the coming year. Spring is just around the corner now. No, it is - really.

Looking forward to seeing it (and the two of you, of course!) on the France rally at Easter.

Gerald


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## Snelly (Aug 20, 2005)

Peter

Remember the face I pulled when you said you were buying from brownhills??? Now you know why.

Can't believe they didn't have it all ready to go... how can they say its had a habitation check if theres no heating and water... surely they are supposed to check these things.

Your report just add's to a long list of others... its no surprise, but thats no comfort for you. Take action quickly, set out your demands and a timescale. Also push for compensation as Stew said.

Hope it all comes good in the end.


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Hymer*

Hi

Am I right in thinking that Brownhills are the only authorised suppliers of brand new Hymers in the UK?

I think I would send a letter to Hymer AG head office in Germany too.

Russell


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

wakk44 said:


> I would be slightly concerned about the canopy position,you don't want rain running off and right down the habitation door.


There is a purpose-made strip that can be fitted where the awning touches the motorhome. This eliminates the problem of rain running down the side of the van from the join area. It is only fitted if you ask for it and is not standard when fitting the awning.

G


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## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

*Hymer*

Greetings,

Thanks for all your comments and support folks!! 

Healpro, pleased you have your van now, hope it goes OK for you and there are no faults, maybe mine was a one off!

Stew, Brownhills were contracted to do the required work before collection, they also agreed to find their faults on the Monday morning but by Sunday night we were getting fed up.

Shane,


> Remember the face I pulled when you said you were buying from Brownhills???


  yes, you were right! I should have known better with all the comments on this and other forums regarding the very poor service from them.

I will undoubtably keep you all informed of my progress.


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

Hi Peter,

I have only just come across your post.

I wasn't joking when I told you that "I wouldn't buy a packet of fuses from Br##nhills".

What right do these people have, to treat customers in such a grossly arrogant way. It is absolutely despicable.

Unless the habitation door is in an awkward place, I fail to see why they have not fitted the correct awning, and that it incorporates the door area as well. They are not just for sunny days........or are they? :? 

I hope that you can find resolve, to your satisfaction Pete. It will mean remaining ascertive, and sticking to your guns.

All the best with them,

Jock.


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## 88927 (May 10, 2005)

Hi Peter
Very sorry that your pick up from Brownpile has ended up in the same bin as the hundreds of other disgruntled "customers" mate.
I would imagine that the advice you are getting regarding compensation and invoicing is just not going to cut it to be honest. Did you sign for the vehicle? I guess that simply by driving it away is an acceptance of some form. As someone else suggested I would contact Hymer AG Headquarters and relay your complaints. I would also check if the awning that you ordered (and presumably paid for???) is suitable to be fitted to your particular model. It is reasonable to assume that you ordered the awning to cover the door so that it kept rain from entering the interior, so if the product which they fitted (without prior negotiation with you or getting your agreement) does not do this then it is surely unfit for purpose? By accepting your order for the larger awning they have entered into a legally binding agreement and it would have been encumbent upon them to advise you of any error and then offer a suitable replacement, which you would have had to agreed to before fitting work was carried out, so the law is definitely on your side in this instance. Once armed with this info you should, IMO, contact the MD of Brownpile by registered letter and tell him of your disappointment. You should be factual in your letter and indicate that you expect any remedial work to be carried out, at their expense and inconvenience, by a date which is reasonable to you.
I do hope that you get this issue resolved and that you can start to enjoy the van very soon mate.....
Keep us posted and good luck

Keith


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## artona (Jan 19, 2006)

Hi Peter

_Stew, Brownhills were contracted to do the required work before collection_

Well there you go Peter.

I take professional photographs for people. When they collect them they sign to say they are happy with them. If they start to fade after a few weeks/months or maybe even years it would not wash for me to say that they had signed to say they are ok. I would then bend over backwards to put it right for them.

Any court of law would look at the situation and decide if they had acted fairly. If you think they have let you down and failed to keep their side of the contract then it is reasonable to ask for compensation. The chances are you will not get anywhere until you send court papers to them. Incidently I do believe court papers are free and you could send filled in ones without the court stamp to show your intent. Please check the latest laws but further I think that as an individual you are entitled to issue these in your local county court (when there would be a fee and as a business they would not have be able to have them moved more local to them.

The chances are they will settle out of court rather than take the chance of you winning and then the added chance of a lot of other people then jumping onto the band wagon.

At the same time though please bear in mind that Brownhills are a big company and they will want to protect the good reputation they will claim they have. Calling them names and making statements that are not based on fact could lead to them taking the action.

The most important thing though mate is to enjoy the van. As you own the van many things will go wrong with it and these early things will dissapear into the back of your mind.

Looking forward to seeing it over in France

stew


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## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

*my Hymer*

Greetings,

Just an update folks, I have sent a letter to the MD of Brownhills and I am also in consultation with a local trading standards office with respect to the problems encountered with the Hymer.

I don't feel over ambitious but hope to make some impact before taking court action, I would be quite happy for them to compensate me accordingly for my losses, but moreover get them to clean up their act as a leading motorhome company and to try to get them to provide a first class service.

They are fortunate in the fact that they appear to be the largest motorhome dealer in the UK, they are also able to supply many brands, they stock many items in their accessory shop which we people need and also the Newark branch at least is a good stopping point for a gander and snack, the fact that their motorhome customers can take advantage of the excellent stopover and club facilities is ideal

Unfortunately they are let down by the after sales care with no provision for technical work at the weekends, if only they could provide a service that matched their image they would recover any extra costs by attracting more happy customers.

I also have another complaint about the company in respect of an advertised deal that included £1380 worth of accesories which should have been offered and supplied to me with the purchase of a new Hymer Camp Classic but they chose not to advise me of this deal and let me pay out of my own pocket for some of these accessories, I was told that the deal is no longer current but at the Newark depot at the weekend they were still advertsing it and offering it!

At least the van is going OK, apart from the rain water that falls across the doorway and the battery cable that needs re-routing, I have spent some more cash today to get a few things for it and we are looking forward to a some lovely trips out.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

*Re: my Hymer*



Humber-Traveller said:


> apart from the rain water that falls across the doorway quote]
> 
> Peter: this is the stuff that I mentioned in an earlier letter- Fiamma Rainguard which stops water falling through the gap between awning and van. It does not seem to come as standard with the awning for some odd reason.
> 
> ...


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## 88927 (May 10, 2005)

Hi
I think that all this spear and sabre rattling is not going to solve your problems Peter.
I would strongly advise that you stick with a letter to the MD in the first instance, maybe all will be rectified to your satisfaction quickly.
If you decide to issue court papers then it will cost you money to start the claims procedure, please have a read through This Site and you will get some really good information from the legal stand point. A court will also expect that you have given the defendant the opportunity to rectify anything that you are now seeking redress upon. They will not look kindly upon them being used as a first point of call.
A court of law will, in fact, look at the facts that you present and nothing more, they are not experts in such subjects, they just interpret the law against the situation that you have presented and make a judgement based upon that interpretation. The outcome will not depend upon whether anyone acted fairly, it will solely depend upon the facts as presented. If you signed for the goods to be in good condition, even though you clearly knew they were not (I think that you may find that just driving the vehicle away is technically an indication that you were satisfied that they had concluded their part of said contract.....) you may find it very difficult to get a court to agree with you, as you will be deemed to have accepted the product and workmanship as it was delivered.
Let us imagine for a moment that you take delivery of a package that has some damage to the box, and you sign the couriers sheet to say "received in good condition". You then open the box and find the contents are broken..... The courier company will not entertain any claim made upon them because the package was signed for as being in good condition. This is about the best analogy of this situation that I can think of.
I would, as said previously try writing to the MD and outlining your complaint, strongly but fairly.
I hope this is helpful Peter

Keith


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## 88781 (May 9, 2005)

> It is diabolical to not have any workshop staff on duty on a weekend to cater for any problems to customers cherished purchases.


 This is a suprise!, if you owned a Mercedes motor car, you can have it repaired/serviced over a weekend period.. the dealers have adopted the 'German' working hours scheme and always have a technician(s) available at these times, why should a dealer for a German built motorhome be different?

Hope all goes well Pete... M&D


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## androidGB (May 26, 2005)

Peter, I had the same problem you have with rainwater running between the awning and the van and entering when the door was opened.

I used the product that Grizzly mentioned and it cured the problem completely



Andrew


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## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

*Hymer*

Greetings,



> Peter: this is the stuff that I mentioned in an earlier letter- Fiamma Rainguard which stops water falling through the gap between awning and van. It does not seem to come as standard with the awning for some odd reason.


Thanks for that Grizzly, however I dont have a probem with water running down between the awning, more that it runs forward down the awning housing and pours down just in front of the habitation door splashing causing some ingress once the door is open momentarilly, with the wind at the weekend it was blowing straight back into the doorway and drowning us when entering or leaving.


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## Bryan (Aug 9, 2006)

Peter & Chris,

We are so sorry to read this tale, it is diabolical behaviour from any dealer let alone a main dealer.

We do hope that you get the matter sorted to your satisfaction.  At least buying from a dealer means you should have some recourse.

Best of luck to you both, hope to see you soon.

Bryan & Suzy


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## timbop37 (Jun 28, 2006)

This sort of story is indicative of society, not just the motorhome industry. Salesmen are in great supply but as soon as you have a problem there is no-one to be seen. People do not take responsibility and even legal recourse is very daunting for the man in the street. 

I hope you get a favourable response from Brownhills, although I'm sure they will try and squirm out of it.

Personally, we went to Campbells at Preston. They couldn't have been any better. No hard sales talk, we took the van (a 2003 Carioca 5) out for an hour, and were shown how everything worked for over an hour.

Tim


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## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

*Brownhills*

Greetngs,

Today I had a nice telephone call from the Managing Director of Brownhills who is concerned about our problems and we are arranging to go back with the van and stay on site whilst they sort out the problems and adjust the financial position. 

Looking foward to a suitable conclusion, I will of course keep you informed of my progress.


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## 97993 (Mar 5, 2006)

Looks like Brownhills have stepped onto the first rung of the customer care ladder, MD eh! Lets see if they can make it to the top
Good luck Peter
Geo


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

Sincere best wishes, Peter. We are following your experinces with great interest.

Gerald


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## 88927 (May 10, 2005)

Good luck Peter, I hope that the MD is willing to resolve a, what for them should be simple, situation to your complete satisfaction. I am sure that you will get treated correctly now, it is just such a shame that the van was not in a suitable condition when you picked it up.

Good luck matey 

Keith


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## artona (Jan 19, 2006)

Hi Peter

Best of luck mate. I have responded to your email


stew


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## 96105 (Aug 23, 2005)

hi.. i wonder if the MD was s bowsing MHF...... :wink: :?: :?: 
bad pr :!: 
all the best :wink: 

ray


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## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

*Brownhills after sales*

Greetings,

On arrival at Brownhills Newark, we met Caroline the after sales personnel who attended to us immediately, whilst sipping a coffee we went through the comments of which I had raised previously with the MD.

With respect to the offer deal they have agreed to reimburse me a sum towards our expenses, I duly await a cheque to follow.

With regards to the awning, they have agreed to replace the 3.5 metre white one within a 4 metre silver one of which I previously specified. This is on order and will arrive in time for it to be fitted on the 21st of May as we are staying two nights so that it is completed before we attend Newark show.

With respect to the battery cable, they have removed the old cable and substituted this with one which is routed under the floor section so that it is not now visible.

However after receiving the van back there was a strange smell in the vehicle and the mains charging system was again inoperable, one call to Caroline and she had a fitter attend the van to sort the problem out, although the fitter could also smell something he was unsure as to what exactly it was but he soon discovered another blown fuse, after replacing this all was working again.

The fitter came round in the morning to check that everything was OK, he also gave me some spare fuses, but I would not anticipate using these unless there was another problem.

So, on this occasion we have had some very good after sales service from Brownhills, they assure me that this would continue and they are trying to improver their tarred image.


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## badger (May 9, 2005)

Oh.......so they are aware of their image then....


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## 88927 (May 10, 2005)

Congratulations Peter.
It sounds as though you got the outcome that you wanted without any grief, so it was worth all the homework beforehand :wink: 
So pleased that they are going to do the decent thing and put the order right, what did they say about the "special offer" that the salesman denied you? 
Anyway, once again, we are thrilled that you are sorted out matey :lol: :lol: 

Keith


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## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

Greetings,



> Oh.......so they are aware of their image then....


Badger, yes they are! I think it is big of a company to admit they have problems and to act on this to improve matters than to not accept that there are issues in the first place.

If the after sales continues to improve I would certainly reconsider and maybe purchase my next motorhome from them.

Only time will tell.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

*Re: Brownhills after sales*



Humber-Traveller said:


> However after receiving the van back there was a strange smell in the vehicle and the mains charging system was again inoperable, one call to Caroline and she had a fitter attend the van to sort the problem out, although the fitter could also smell something he was unsure as to what exactly it was but he soon discovered another blown fuse, after replacing this all was working again.
> The fitter came round in the morning to check that everything was OK, he also gave me some spare fuses, but I would not anticipate using these unless there was another problem.
> .


I'm not an expert so please don't shoot me down but why do the fuses keep blowing ? I don't think we've ever had a fuse blow. Have they investigated why this happens ?

G


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## linal (Mar 14, 2006)

Hi Humber-traveller after reading all the negative reports about brownhills I said I would never use them but at Shepton show I saw one that I wanted and the deal they eventually offered was very good I was still very wary and when the sales manager asked why I told him about m/homefacts site and the neg. reports he said the company knew about this and were addressing this fact he went on to suggest that I stay up there and try everything out and if any problems I would be on hand to get them rectified but he assured me he would definitely make sure it was all done to my satisfaction. Time will tell, and I'm glad your problems are getting sorted out . 
I'll give an update when I collect the van.
Alex.


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## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

*brownhills*

Greetings,



> I'm not an expert so please don't shoot me down but why do the fuses keep blowing ? I don't think we've ever had a fuse blow. Have they investigated why this happens ?


Grizzly, I am sure that the fitter had not disconnected the battery cables correctly or not isolated the circuits and had inadvertedly shorted out one of the cables whilst fitting.


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## mangothemadmonk (Aug 6, 2006)

Hi Humber-T. You are right my friend when you say "Only time will tell". I for one will not be holding my breath.
One word of advice, keep using all of your vans accessories to make sure that a combination of things are not causing the fuses to blow.
Johnny F


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Brownhills*



badger said:


> Oh.......so they are aware of their image then....


The only way their image will improve is if enough attention is drawn to it. It is all well and good people moaning amongst themselves, but like Peter has done, a meeting with the MD etc can yield rewards.

So, I shall buy my next van from Brownhills.

Russell


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## Suenliam (Mar 22, 2006)

Humber-Traveller - I too have been reading your progress with interest as we bought our first new MH from Brownhills. Very pleased you have had such good response from the MD and Caroline. Such a pity you had such disappointment at first when it would have been much less of a hassle for everyone if they had done it right first time. 

I reserve judgement on Brownhills until such time as someone has a problem and they do not have to go to the MD to get good customer service. Most MDs are good at customer service - a good company instills service in all its staff.

Sue


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Just a thought. If you are a member of the Caravan Club and/or the Camping and Caravanning Club, they both have a Legal Hotline. I,ve never used them, but they may be of some use for advice.


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## metblue (Oct 9, 2006)

*faulty motorhomes*

HI,SORRY TO HERE OF YOUR TALES OF WOE.BUT,YOU ARE NOT ALONE NOR IS BROWNHILLS.WE BOUGHT A NEW KONTIKI FROM MARQUIS PRESTON.PICK WAS DELAYED ONE DAY,THEN CHANGED TO TWO DAYS.WHEN WE ARRIVE TO PICK IT UP THEY WERE STILL WORKING ON IT! WHEN I WENT TO DRIVE AWAY THE ENGINE MANAGEMENT LIGHT WAS ON.THEY COULD NOT FIX IT AND I RELUCTANTLY AGREED TO TAKE 15 MILES AWAY TO BE REPAIRED.OVER THE PERIOD OF OUR HOLS NUMEROUS FAULT OCCURRED THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE AT THE P.D.I.WE WERE THAT DISGUSTED THAT WE ENDED UP SELLING ON OUR VAN AND PURCHASED A NEW VAN FROM CLEVELAND MOTORHOMES IN DARLINGTON,NEIL AND HIS STAFF COULD NOT HAVE BEEN ANY NICER,NO PROBLEMS AT ALL.AS A RESULT OF ALL THIS EFFORT MY SISTER HAS ALSO BOUGHT A NEW VAN AND MY FRIEND HAS A GREAT DEAL ON A REPLACEMENT VAN.I WOULD THOURGHLY RECCOMEND THEM TO ANYONE THINKING OF CHANGING THEIR VAN.


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## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

*Hymer*

Greetings,

Sorry to hear of your problems metblue, apparently there are many dealers out there who are rather lax in their after sales service especially my dealings with South Yorkshire motorhomes, but I am pleased that you have found a reputable dealer on Cleveland motorhomes, others have also voiced their opinions of this company and found them excellent.

Although people deterred me from going to Brownhills and to be honest I was not impressed with a particular previous visit some time ago I needed a new motorhome and Brownhills had two that seemed to fit the bill, the salesman was friendly and we decided to purchase the Hymer, it was only afterwards that we had problems, but these are being addressed with the intervention of the managing director and Carolyn in Customer service.

I am hoping for a satisfactory resolve and will report back on here once I have achieved this.

The Hymer is going great, everything works, good layout and comfortable, we are looking forward to miles and miles of travels this year.


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Dealers*

Ciao

Metblue - I agree with you about Cleveland Motorhomes. I certainly would hope to deal with them again.

Peter - Glad you are enjoying the Hymer. I think you need to test it with trip to Garda to drop off supplies!

Russell


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## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

*Hymer*

Greetings,


> think you need to test it with trip to Garda to drop off supplies!


Russell, cant make Garda at the moment, but could meet you half way in April at Calais!!

Oh! by the way the supplies have dried up, I had to drink them as they were getting near to the sell by date, the whisky was 8 years old!!

But testing time will come this year once we have the van fitted with all the extras, just debating whether to go for a new locker door on the nearside and Gaslow system, or to save the cash and try and sell the house again so that we can get a bungalow.


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Hymer*

Hi Peter

Here are my thoughts.....

Put the house on the market if the valuation is right. If it sells, hey presto. If it does not sell, it has cost you nothing (assuming agents in your area work on a no sale no fee basis.) If the house sells quickyl - for instance a cash buyer or someone in a no chain situation, you could short term stay in the Hymer. Probably not ideal, but a possible "chain breaking" situation, until you find the perfect bungalow. However, interest rates have just risen and in my opinion, (MY OPINION - not a guarantee LOL LOL) rates will rise again in March. Could this effect the house selling opportunitues in your area. If you market it, you have nothing to lose.

Locker door - I would not do it - that's me personally - as I would be concerned at invalidating the warranty in case of water ingress at a later date. Presumably though the firm that offers locker doors will have a guarantee.

Gaslow - I would say do it. You might not save much money in the long term - if at all any, but the fact that you do not need to be lugging heavy cylinders about is worth a lot. I would suggest a call to www.richardbaldwinmotorhomes.co.uk at Halifax for a fitting quote. If you get a quote, let us know how much it is!

Well these are my thoughts.

Russell


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## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

*Hymer*

Greetings,

Thanks for your interest Russell, house wise we shall discuss this next week when I have got through a pile of outstanding work (voluntary, unpaid of course) so I can go through my financial position (how much we are now in debt!)

We had thought of doing as you suggest and maybe cross over to France, lay around for a while and look for a suitable property.

Locker door, we have a quote from Brownhills of which we are contemplating at the moment at £462 less any discounts, this will be the proper Hymer door fitted by hymer agents so it would not invalidate the warranty. Brownhills have also quoted me £469 for the Gaslow system fitted.


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Gaslow*

Evening Peter

£469 seems a lot for the Gaslow. Give Badlwins a call just as a matter of interest.

I know the sell the larger cylinders for £75.00 each.

Also, you could look at the price of the parts at www.gaslow.co.uk

Maybe Brownhills will do the jobs "free of labour" cost in view of your troubles with the van.

Russell


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## glacier (Jun 24, 2006)

*Personal Experience*

Hi Humber-Traveller

I agree. On some things Brownhills can be very good, but their after sales appears not to be up to supporting the number of units their sales team shifts.

They seriously need to sort out their customer maintenance record keeping (see my post today in Company Review section ).

Be warned. You may well be about to receive the infamous TRUMA re-call query letter, even if you have an 'apparently' checked at delivery heater unit like me.


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## 101411 (Oct 15, 2006)

A lot of folks on here have renamed Brownhills "Brownpiles". It seems the new name is well justified.

I would never buy a new MH. They are overpriced and full of problems. Buy a 1 year old one that has had all the little "problems" sorted out and save yourself a pile of cash.

Dazzer


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## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

*brownhills*

Greetings,



> A lot of folks on here have renamed Brownhills "Brownpiles". It seems the new name is well justified. I would never buy a new MH. They are overpriced and full of problems. Buy a 1 year old one that has had all the little "problems" sorted out and save yourself a pile of cash.


I was not impressd with Brownhills after a few visits but persisted, I was swayed against them from other people because of their problems, I was told "don't go to Brownhills you will have problems" OK, yes I have had problems, but so far they have offered to resolve these and so far I am happy with the attention given to me.

I have not got a complete resolve as I am waiting for a larger awning to be fitted in March, but I am hoping that we do not have any reason to complain after this.

With South Yorkshire motorhomes it was a different matter, the sales team were fine, it was not until after when we needed after sales service that we had problems and they would not admit their involvement in damaging my personal gear inside the van, or othe defects that happened whilst on their site, in comparison to Brownhills, I think Brownhills come out in front!


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