Just a word of warning to all the people thinking of purchasing a new caravan,save yourself a lot of stress and time wasting and do your homework #1 have your new caravan inspected by an expert if you are not up to scratch on such things. #2 do some research on the manufacturer of your caravan and all that goes with it, ie the quality of the appliances that they use( and see if you have to wear a raincoat to bed on a cold night to stop the condensation dripping directly on your head) #3 make sure you read their warranty thoroughly and what is their after sales customer service like (they all have great pre sales service) we have a long list of faults including three potentially life threatening and a lot of annoying problems,we are well on the way to resolving these faults ourselves and getting on with our Big Lap as our manufacturer GoldstarRV in SA keeps changing the rules when it gets close to them getting things fixed.
There is no quick fix when dealing with people like GoldstarRV as they know most people will not spend a heap of money and 2-3 years chasing them through the courts so they just run their own race,
Cheers
Micko
-- Edited by MICKO on Monday 5th of September 2016 10:16:55 AM
Funny . The happiest people out there are often in 10 year old vans they have had some time . Changed the odd thing to suite them . Updated the odd part like water pump, microwave etc ..
Sorry to hear about it Micko. Hope you get them sorted.
Consumer affairs with photo's and written reports (from real experts and builders/repairers.) is the way to go.
Along with the fit for purpose clauses.
There are that many new mfg's in market this last 10/12 yrs you don't know who is good and who otherwise. Till they build a reputation. One way or T'other.
There are around 5 Proven. less problem, better build MFG's on market. Personally I wouldn't go anywhere else.
Trouble is. a lot of new buyers. Have NO inkling of good or otherwise. and don't know to check forums and van MFG Forums for advice/info.
I NEVER buy anything, ANYTHING... without getting reviews on whatever it it. Beforehand. From net. Costs nothing. takes (hmmmmm) can take a while. ANd you have better bargaining points when fronting. Plus knowing what to expect b4 placing your hard earned.
Getting it up on these type of forums is the first step to educating others.
There are a lot out there.
just starting out. who have NO idea.
The more info put out there.
the less heartbreak in the future.
I'd never buy a NEW van again.
Last two have been recent second hand.
Any (hopefully ,all) faults have been found and fixed.
plus often a few extra's.
Same with my cars. No more new.
Not that there probably will be any more now.
Apart from that Bentley from over the West when lottery comes up.
Yea..in his dreams.
-- Edited by macka17 on Monday 5th of September 2016 10:47:56 AM
Spell check..
-- Edited by macka17 on Monday 5th of September 2016 10:50:32 AM
I'm with Aus-Kiwi I've got a 2008 Regent Cruiser had for 4 years used it about 5 months was going to trade up to new but decided to do up the van and keep it
wombat56
Unfortunately for us we put a lot of faith in GoldstarRV and their National Sales Manager and we sold everything lock, stock and barrel so that we could get out there Nomading asap so we really can't put the caravan up on blocks and wait for GoldstarRV to resolve our issues and that my friends is why I will get things done myself although the ACCC and Consumer Affairs will have plenty of documentation and pics for their files on GoldstarRV. Incidently GoldstarRV are canvasing Grey Nomad in the hope that they will become Ambassadors for their brand.
Yeah it's a two edged sword our old van was about ten years old immaculate condition and a real gem,we sold it and bought a new van about a year ago, we had a few problems that involved a long drive about 3hrs to the dealer through Sydney traffic and the usual phone calls promises , then finally getting the van back to go through all the B/S again a couple more times,but the problems seem to be fixed now,was it worth it?yeah I guess so the new van has a lot more creature comforts and it's a lot nicer inside,but I don't feel it's as reliable as a van that has very little in the way of creature comforts ,and very little in the way of things to go wrong...
Phew! I flew from Melbourne in 2014 to see their product that after many a phone chat with 'Robby' at the time I had cheque book on hand and a cheque ready to just be signed (so to speak) but on arriving I was not there for very long at all and flew back to melbourne with my unsigned cheque tightly in my hand. Oh! I never even got to meet Robby as he wasn't even there.
Vans and similar a personal choice anyway, everyone has different ideas.
I hope you can get things sorted quickly and to your satisfaction.
Keep safe on the roads and out there.
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Live Life On Your Terms
DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
Some years ago, we purchased our 21'6" Traveller ( a show special) at an Adelaide Caravan Camping show from George, Travellers CEO at the Northland stand, not only did we get a good deal with some add ons, after sales support was great eg door switch on the outside light was a bit dicky they sent over the whole light fitting.
Re getting an expert to check things out, I think dealers/manufacturers have all the cards, you pay your deposit, wait 3 or 4 months, you/your expert is not happy on the checkout day, to me they can say we will build you another van, just wait another 3 or 4 months (there goes your planned trip), then sell your van to the next customer who walk in the door.
Funny . The happiest people out there are often in 10 year old vans they have had some time . Changed the odd thing to suite them . Updated the odd part like water pump, microwave etc ..
Agree with all the varying comments posted so far. We purchased a Jayco 24ft van about 10 years ago and never had a problem with it - now so many people have problems with them.
We bought a Supreme van in late 2014 and nothing but trouble. Two years later, and 62 or so warranty problems, we're still to get them all fixed
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
Hi Micko,
Sounds as though you are having a rough time with the manufacturer of your caravan. I would like to take this opportunity to let you know that most caravans will "sweat" or develop condensation on the inside during cold weather. Heck, the same thing happens to the inside of the bedroom windows of our house! This situation can be minimised by running a heater in your van on low or whatever heat temperature suits you. We run a diesel heater in our van which keeps it dry during the cold while we are camping. We are also fortunate that our caravan manufacturer will maintain our van well beyond the "warranty" period. They are actually still servicing owners and their vans 10 years plus after purchase. So yes, it pays to research caravan manufacturers before you buy.
Best of luck,
cheers Robyn
Funny . The happiest people out there are often in 10 year old vans they have had some time . Changed the odd thing to suite them . Updated the odd part like water pump, microwave etc ..
Just been doing a bit of looking around on the Internet.
It is very interesting when you look at the Rv Manufacturers Web site at the list of Accredited RV Manufacturers.
http://www.caravanindustry.com.au/rvmap/7693-2
More to the point, it is interesting to note which big names are not on the list of membership. Not only is the one (subject of the Op posting here) not on the list, but I could not find many others e.g. Jayco, Coromal, Avan, Windsor, Bushtracker etc. I am sure there are many more missing that have not come to mind.
The Web Site says "RVMAP accredited manufacturers represent 90% of major Recreational Vehicle manufacturers in Australia. RVMAP accredited manufacturers produce every type of Recreational Vehicle from tent trailers through to luxury motorhomes".
Below the Accreditation symbol it goes on to say "The Accreditation Key is a symbol of the manufacturers commitment to consistently build and supply product that adheres to all relevant Australian design rules, regulations and Australian Standards".
I wonder why the missing brands are not members of the Organisation. I wonder if they have made a conscious decision not to be members or if there is some other reason for this situation. In my opinion, it is certainly a question that the RV Manufacturing Industry in Australia needs to supply an answer to for the benefit of Australian consumers.
Why would the Industry allow non-accredited manufacturers to put their vans on display in the various Caravan and Camping Shows around Australia each year in spite of the fact that the non-members are not Accredited to Industry standards. What am I missing?
-- Edited by Tones on Tuesday 6th of September 2016 08:32:46 AM
Its not just this company, the old "Caravans on Cooper" had a fantastic reputation. Now bought out and call themselves "New Age Melbourne". Be very, very careful with this mob. deal with at your own risk. What a pity, such a good brand trashed by the actions of a few.
-- Edited by herks on Tuesday 6th of September 2016 05:53:35 PM
I feel like I am one of the lucky ones, after almost being sucked in by a well known Queensland company i had my Seabreeze Custom built entirely to my own specs by Tony Mc Lain. have not had the slightest problem or failure and have been unable to find the smallest fault. Took 8 months of careful assembly with photos continuously supplied of each stage of build from chassis to completion. He insisted on only using the best quality components, it tows like a dream. Sadly Tony passed away 6 months after completing mine, he only completed one other. The reason that I selected Seabreeze was because Tony had previously constructed many special use vans e.g. for disabled or mobile clinics so i figured that he had the Technical Savvy. It is sad to hear of so many purchasers of poor quality vans as they are such a huge investment these days and it takes years to save the amount of $ required.
Good luck sorting out your warranty issues. Cheers Allen.
Herks, I am very concerned. I am planning to buy a Manta Ray Deluxe at year end. I understand that we need to be carefull about trashing brands on public forums because some companies threaten legal action against the forum owners/moderators, but I would be interested in anybody's views/comments/experiences with New Age vans. Please pm me if you feel your comments may put the forum at risk
David
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David Irvine
Tugs: 2016 Discovery 4./2017 Toyota 76 GLX Auto Wagon. Van: New Age Manta Ray Deluxe
GoldstarRV are endorsed by the Caravan and Camping Industry SA and thanks to David and Sue for their efforts but GoldstarRV are still just running me in circles.Perhaps their should be an industry watchdog similar to the HIA where a system of penalties for late completion of the build could be introduced and an insurance scheme to cover any problems. The HIA got rid of quite a few shonky builders. Only thing is like I have said before make this watchdog a Rotty not a Toy Poodle.
