Never again will I consider purchasing an Avan. I have had numerous issues with my Avan. The van is one of their newer models so all I can put it down to is lack of research and testing before manufacture. The stand out issue was the total lack of interest by their customer service department. It took three months of emails and phone calls to finally get some results.
They even suggested that I deliver the van to their Melbourne manufacturing plant to get the repairs completed. Not an easy task when you live in another state.
Avan, you need to get your act together.
deverall11 said
07:36 PM May 6, 2015
John, welcome to the wonderful world of caravanning. BREAKING NEWS: Whether it's an Avan, a Jayco, a Paramount etc, they are all built by people who do not take pride in their work. Yours is no different, must be a new concept. Your choices, unfortunately, are one of two: 1) Give up and choose another hobby 2) Persevere like most of us and live on. Larry
-- Edited by deverall11 on Wednesday 6th of May 2015 07:38:14 PM
Olley46 said
07:58 PM May 6, 2015
I have never been fortunate to bye a new van ,I think in a way it may be good, I do feel sorry for all you people that have bought a new one which are having trouble I know if it was me I would be pi$&ed right off, you normally think a new van would would be trouble free, I feel like ringing the buggers up myself ,let's hope things work out ok.
Lance C
Desert Dweller said
07:59 PM May 6, 2015
We've had a few problems with ours since purchasing new from the only dealer in Melbourne who have since stopped selling them & started selling Jurgens vans. Ours hasn't been too bad but listening to others it seems like a case of increased production, quality reduction. Probably the same case for lots of other brands. LOL
Bruce and Bev said
07:26 AM May 7, 2015
yep......we have a Supreme which is 9 mnths old. We come from WA where we bought it and currently in Melbourne where it went into their "service centre" for a couple of warranty repairs - which it now takes it up to warranty repair #38 !!
It boils down to poor workmanship - very few of these outfits employ skilled people, but rather labourers, little of no quality control and their final checks (I watched) for plumbing for example, was to turn the taps on - if water comes out, then it gets ticked off - that's not an inspection.
There are a few small companies around who are family operated still and they do produce good units, but they make to order, so you must be prepared to wait.
One largish (in business, not girth) van repairer told me that Jayco are "good from the chassis down". He and anther repairer both said that most manufacturers, including Jayco which has 51% of the RV market, produce mainly poor quality products which most repairers now doing warranty work - not damage caused by the owner. THis drop-off in quality has been going on for about the last 6-7 years. Our last van was a Jayco Stirling we bught new 10 years ago and we didn't have a single issue with it.
Buying a new van (unless you go to one of the small family businesses that do take care) is like buying a lotto ticket - "you buy your ticket and take your chances". If I bought again, I would seriously look at a unit that was 2nd hand and about a year old - hopefully all the warranty problems had been resolved - and I would have it inspected by a van repairer for the cost of about $200-300
Roving-Dutchy said
08:14 AM May 7, 2015
I think it all depends just how good the dealer is, I know from a number of sources that my local A van dealer is not much chop, so if looking for a van would not be going there
Dougwe said
09:03 AM May 7, 2015
Gee it's good to know I was not singled out, although I really did know that all the time.
I too have had my fare share of problems with my now 6 Month old van. I also had a Avan before the current full CV, although a Avan Camper I found the product great but as for the company...say no more.
All but one problem with my new van was caused by what I call a "dodgy" sparky. Having said that I have really put the after sales service form the dealer I bought the van from to the test big time. Not once have they let me down, they even came to me from Melbourne to Central VIC to fix the firs problem, a leak in the roof.
A am now a very happy camper and enjoying my new home out in the playground.
So Flyboy, sit back, put your feet up, put those problems behind you and enjoy, knowing others have had and will have the same problems mate.
Keep Safe.
migra said
05:41 PM May 7, 2015
John
You are not on your own with new van problems.
I have recently finished a 4500km trip and the number of people that I met with new vans and problems was very interesting.
I purchased a new Windsor van and had heaps of problems and many times have been at a point of driving it over a cliff.
In regional NSW, the repairers are not just around the corner and the warranty states you have to take it to them for repairs......many hours and Klm's to keep taking it back for repair, sometimes for the same problem.....the repairer does not care, he has so much business repairing all brands......who cares.
I complained direct to the manufacturer, the selling dealer and the repairer......there comment was we will fix it eventually. In the first 12 months we had the use of the van for 4-5 months, the rest of the time it was off the road being repaired.
My brother has just taken delivery of a millard....he had problems to be fixed within 600 k's of travelling.
I can only advise you to keep all records of phone conversations and confirm the conversations in writing.
Buying a second hand van does not insulate you from problems, I have met a number of people who have problems with second hand vans......I do not know the answer.
Best of luck
Bruce and Bev said
07:38 PM May 7, 2015
Im not picking on Jayco, but theyre the biggest RV manufacturer with 400 units a week and 51% of the RV market (which includes their motor homes).
But you would think as the market leader, they would have the quality of their units down to pat - not so. We have met s many new Jayco owners (and all the others) who have on-going major and minor problems with their expensive purchases. And remember, most caravans cost twice as much or more than the tow vehicle which has a sophisticated motor and electronics.
Late last year, a frustrated Jayco owner scanned and attached a letter in a port to this Forum from Jaycos National Customer Manager who was attempting to unsuccessfully to shut down this customer. In the letter was this Managers email address.
Despite owning a new 'van from another manufacturer, I emailed this guy and surprisingly he answered me. I asked why so many buyers of new RV's complained about the number of faults (based on talking to others in CPs) and that it seemed that if a good level of quality control was applied as well as a proper final QA check was done, most of these unhappy customers would be happy.
He freely admitted they (and others) had dropped their quality of build and control and inspection and that they extended their warranty so customers could find the problems which they would happily pay to have fixed by a Jayco dealer or repairer. When I pointed out that faults don't always happen in major towns and cities where there are dealers/repairers and that you could be stranded in the outback or remote areas or even near to a Dealer, have to wait for up to 2 weeks for parts from the factory and who pays for your accommodation I the van cannot be lived in, he agreed with me and said he would send my emails to him to Jaycos MD who might reply to my points. Needless to say, I didn't hear anymore.
These guys really don't care and many Dealers don't either. If they don't fix it straight away and youre out of pocket, complain to the ACCC or your State Consumer Protection Agency. And as Migra says - all your communications should be in writing/email - not verbally, so there is a record kept
Papou said
07:45 PM May 7, 2015
Yep you live n you learn :), and for people reading these posts prior to purchase get everything in writing from whomever you purchase n make them sign that they will be responsable n issues fixed by nearest repairer close to you n paid for by manufacturer or seller dealer ltherwise dont buy!!!.
Secondlybe it new or secondhand I would pay for a predelivery inspection other thanthe dealer akin to a building inspection pre purchase of a house.
least you have a lesser chance of being caught ey.
Aus-Kiwi said
10:12 PM May 7, 2015
What are the issues or is it just aesthetic reasons ? I've only owned motor homes and permanent van in park years ago..
kiwijims said
02:27 AM May 8, 2015
Hi all, For the last 10 years of my working life, I was employed as a Caravan Service technician, here in W.A.
"Boy" could I write a book on what I had discovered while trying to repair the many faults in caravans, One item that really stuck out, was that very few new caravans are fully insulated, People who buy new vans have to accept that they are insulated, because no one is going to pull the sides or roof off just to make sure.
One new caravan we had in for an accident repair, required the whole side ( 25' ) to be replaced, upon removal of the outer skin, we found that the so-called insulation consisted of a piece of Polyurethane measuring around a 50mm square stuck between the wall lining and the outside aluminium sheeting and in the centre of framework which had upright wall frames of over 600mm gaps between, most vans should have these upright wall frames of no more than 400mm.
We were so shocked with the construction of this van, we took many photos of the very poor construction, and posted it off to the manufacturer for their comment, I'm still wondering why they never had the decency to reply.
I have noticed, on passing a local caravan dealers yard , How much they care for the new caravans sitting there, any weekend I drive passed I notice vans sitting out in the rain with the boot lids wide open, windows half down, and slide-outs fully extended with no supports under them when the wind is howling down off the hills, "Yep" they really care about something that someone has probably saved for many years to purchase for their retirement. that's the end of my little rant, apart from saying, I would never buy a new caravan, I don't suppose many are lucky enough to be able to build their own caravan but, as far as I can see, that's the only way to get what you pay for.
K.J.
gandk said
07:09 AM May 8, 2015
If I may ask. What caravans brands are "family operated " dealerships???
Kim
deverall11 said
11:15 AM May 8, 2015
Aus-Kiwi wrote:
What are the issues or is it just aesthetic reasons ? I've only owned motor homes and permanent van in park years ago..
One van we had, the so called plumber connected the hot water hose to the cold outlet and vice versa in the bathroom. I asked the manufacturer if he was colour blind as the connections are colour coded. A brand new van was leaking water from the drain pipe in the sink in the kitchen. They may have checked that water was coming out of the taps but no checked where it was going. As Kiwijim said, we have not had caravans for many years but could certainly write a book on what is mostly stupidity.
Our current van is going back to the factory in Victoria to have the A/C repositioned. Got put in the wrong place at the manufacturing step. To their credit they admitted the mistake and will fix it under warranty. Unfortunately this means having to replace the entire roof.
Larry
gwb said
03:34 PM May 8, 2015
We are just so thankful we are one of the lucky ones who are on their third Jayco caravan with only a pinhole leak in the hot water hose to complain about in over ten years. Our current van has done about 55,000 kms.
Geoff and Bev
Koala said
05:06 PM May 21, 2015
I will add to the conversation, we have 12 mth old Retreat, we too have just had some warranty work completed, I thought buying a new Van I would be trouble free, not so. Since joining this forum only recently it happens to lots of vans and it seems to be many brands including the so called family owned businesses. I am grateful to the guys at City caravans at Logan Qld, & they informed us how vans are constructed & it is bloody disgusting really, no pride or responsibility cause it's not their money buying the finished product. We have been to Brisbane caravan show 2 years running & you can certainly see some of the so called "best brands" are slipping a lot in quality. If I had the money i would go for a Spinefex, 2 friends have just purchased the craftsmanship is outstanding but saying that they are very pricey.
good luck with your next buy.
Weevil said
06:22 PM May 21, 2015
K J wrote:
I will add to the conversation, we have 12 mth old Retreat, we too have just had some warranty work completed, I thought buying a new Van I would be trouble free, not so. Since joining this forum only recently it happens to lots of vans and it seems to be many brands including the so called family owned businesses. I am grateful to the guys at City caravans at Logan Qld, & they informed us how vans are constructed & it is bloody disgusting really, no pride or responsibility cause it's not their money buying the finished product. We have been to Brisbane caravan show 2 years running & you can certainly see some of the so called "best brands" are slipping a lot in quality. If I had the money i would go for a Spinefex, 2 friends have just purchased the craftsmanship is outstanding but saying that they are very pricey.
good luck with your next buy.
Caboolture Caravan Repairs can tell you a lot of horror stories and what to go for as well, they have seen it all, dam disgusting what some brands get away with under the skin, etc.
Never again will I consider purchasing an Avan. I have had numerous issues with my Avan. The van is one of their newer models so all I can put it down to is lack of research and testing before manufacture. The stand out issue was the total lack of interest by their customer service department. It took three months of emails and phone calls to finally get some results.
They even suggested that I deliver the van to their Melbourne manufacturing plant to get the repairs completed. Not an easy task when you live in another state.
Avan, you need to get your act together.
John, welcome to the wonderful world of caravanning. BREAKING NEWS: Whether it's an Avan, a Jayco, a Paramount etc, they are all built by people who do not take pride in their work. Yours is no different, must be a new concept. Your choices, unfortunately, are one of two:
1) Give up and choose another hobby
2) Persevere like most of us and live on.
Larry
-- Edited by deverall11 on Wednesday 6th of May 2015 07:38:14 PM
I have never been fortunate to bye a new van ,I think in a way it may be good, I do feel sorry for all you people that have bought a new one which are having trouble I know if it was me I would be pi$&ed right off, you normally think a new van would would be trouble free, I feel like ringing the buggers up myself ,let's hope things work out ok.
Lance C
It boils down to poor workmanship - very few of these outfits employ skilled people, but rather labourers, little of no quality control and their final checks (I watched) for plumbing for example, was to turn the taps on - if water comes out, then it gets ticked off - that's not an inspection.
There are a few small companies around who are family operated still and they do produce good units, but they make to order, so you must be prepared to wait.
One largish (in business, not girth) van repairer told me that Jayco are "good from the chassis down". He and anther repairer both said that most manufacturers, including Jayco which has 51% of the RV market, produce mainly poor quality products which most repairers now doing warranty work - not damage caused by the owner. THis drop-off in quality has been going on for about the last 6-7 years. Our last van was a Jayco Stirling we bught new 10 years ago and we didn't have a single issue with it.
Buying a new van (unless you go to one of the small family businesses that do take care) is like buying a lotto ticket - "you buy your ticket and take your chances". If I bought again, I would seriously look at a unit that was 2nd hand and about a year old - hopefully all the warranty problems had been resolved - and I would have it inspected by a van repairer for the cost of about $200-300
I too have had my fare share of problems with my now 6 Month old van. I also had a Avan before the current full CV, although a Avan Camper I found the product great but as for the company...say no more.
All but one problem with my new van was caused by what I call a "dodgy" sparky. Having said that I have really put the after sales service form the dealer I bought the van from to the test big time. Not once have they let me down, they even came to me from Melbourne to Central VIC to fix the firs problem, a leak in the roof.
A am now a very happy camper and enjoying my new home out in the playground.
So Flyboy, sit back, put your feet up, put those problems behind you and enjoy, knowing others have had and will have the same problems mate.
Keep Safe.
John
You are not on your own with new van problems.
I have recently finished a 4500km trip and the number of people that I met with new vans and problems was very interesting.
I purchased a new Windsor van and had heaps of problems and many times have been at a point of driving it over a cliff.
In regional NSW, the repairers are not just around the corner and the warranty states you have to take it to them for repairs......many hours and Klm's to keep taking it back for repair, sometimes for the same problem.....the repairer does not care, he has so much business repairing all brands......who cares.
I complained direct to the manufacturer, the selling dealer and the repairer......there comment was we will fix it eventually. In the first 12 months we had the use of the van for 4-5 months, the rest of the time it was off the road being repaired.
My brother has just taken delivery of a millard....he had problems to be fixed within 600 k's of travelling.
I can only advise you to keep all records of phone conversations and confirm the conversations in writing.
Buying a second hand van does not insulate you from problems, I have met a number of people who have problems with second hand vans......I do not know the answer.
Best of luck
But you would think as the market leader, they would have the quality of their units down to pat - not so. We have met s many new Jayco owners (and all the others) who have on-going major and minor problems with their expensive purchases. And remember, most caravans cost twice as much or more than the tow vehicle which has a sophisticated motor and electronics.
Late last year, a frustrated Jayco owner scanned and attached a letter in a port to this Forum from Jaycos National Customer Manager who was attempting to unsuccessfully to shut down this customer. In the letter was this Managers email address.
Despite owning a new 'van from another manufacturer, I emailed this guy and surprisingly he answered me. I asked why so many buyers of new RV's complained about the number of faults (based on talking to others in CPs) and that it seemed that if a good level of quality control was applied as well as a proper final QA check was done, most of these unhappy customers would be happy.
He freely admitted they (and others) had dropped their quality of build and control and inspection and that they extended their warranty so customers could find the problems which they would happily pay to have fixed by a Jayco dealer or repairer. When I pointed out that faults don't always happen in major towns and cities where there are dealers/repairers and that you could be stranded in the outback or remote areas or even near to a Dealer, have to wait for up to 2 weeks for parts from the factory and who pays for your accommodation I the van cannot be lived in, he agreed with me and said he would send my emails to him to Jaycos MD who might reply to my points. Needless to say, I didn't hear anymore.
These guys really don't care and many Dealers don't either. If they don't fix it straight away and youre out of pocket, complain to the ACCC or your State Consumer Protection Agency. And as Migra says - all your communications should be in writing/email - not verbally, so there is a record kept
Secondlybe it new or secondhand I would pay for a predelivery inspection other thanthe dealer akin to a building inspection pre purchase of a house.
least you have a lesser chance of being caught ey.
Hi all, For the last 10 years of my working life, I was employed as a Caravan Service technician, here in W.A.
"Boy" could I write a book on what I had discovered while trying to repair the many faults in caravans, One item that really stuck out, was that very few new caravans are fully insulated, People who buy new vans have to accept that they are insulated, because no one is going to pull the sides or roof off just to make sure.
One new caravan we had in for an accident repair, required the whole side ( 25' ) to be replaced, upon removal of the outer skin, we found that the so-called insulation consisted of a piece of Polyurethane measuring around a 50mm square stuck between the wall lining and the outside aluminium sheeting and in the centre of framework which had upright wall frames of over 600mm gaps between, most vans should have these upright wall frames of no more than 400mm.
We were so shocked with the construction of this van, we took many photos of the very poor construction, and posted it off to the manufacturer for their comment, I'm still wondering why they never had the decency to reply.
I have noticed, on passing a local caravan dealers yard , How much they care for the new caravans sitting there, any weekend I drive passed I notice vans sitting out in the rain with the boot lids wide open, windows half down, and slide-outs fully extended with no supports under them when the wind is howling down off the hills, "Yep" they really care about something that someone has probably saved for many years to purchase for their retirement. that's the end of my little rant, apart from saying, I would never buy a new caravan, I don't suppose many are lucky enough to be able to build their own caravan but, as far as I can see, that's the only way to get what you pay for.
K.J.
If I may ask. What caravans brands are "family operated " dealerships???
Kim
One van we had, the so called plumber connected the hot water hose to the cold outlet and vice versa in the bathroom. I asked the manufacturer if he was colour blind as the connections are colour coded. A brand new van was leaking water from the drain pipe in the sink in the kitchen. They may have checked that water was coming out of the taps but no checked where it was going. As Kiwijim said, we have not had caravans for many years but could certainly write a book on what is mostly stupidity.
Our current van is going back to the factory in Victoria to have the A/C repositioned. Got put in the wrong place at the manufacturing step. To their credit they admitted the mistake and will fix it under warranty. Unfortunately this means having to replace the entire roof.
Larry
Geoff and Bev
I will add to the conversation, we have 12 mth old Retreat, we too have just had some warranty work completed, I thought buying a new Van I would be trouble free, not so. Since joining this forum only recently it happens to lots of vans and it seems to be many brands including the so called family owned businesses. I am grateful to the guys at City caravans at Logan Qld, & they informed us how vans are constructed & it is bloody disgusting really, no pride or responsibility cause it's not their money buying the finished product. We have been to Brisbane caravan show 2 years running & you can certainly see some of the so called "best brands" are slipping a lot in quality. If I had the money i would go for a Spinefex, 2 friends have just purchased the craftsmanship is outstanding but saying that they are very pricey.
good luck with your next buy.
Caboolture Caravan Repairs can tell you a lot of horror stories and what to go for as well, they have seen it all, dam disgusting what some brands get away with under the skin, etc.