Hervey Bay Caravans - To say i"m dissapointed with this business is an understatement. I purchased a van from them in January and had work done and a solar panel fitted and was happy with their service, however, when I recently booked my van in to have a grey water tank fitted I was told on the phone worse case scenario was $ 800, I commented that you can buy tanks and fittings online for round round $ 200 and could he look after me. After having the van all day the cost was $984 which allegedly took 5 hrs to fit. Phone workshop manager to query billing and why it took 5 hrs, was advised "thats what it took apparently". My response to that was "REALLY" and I will seriously consider my options when I need further work done or a service. The workshop manager did not care at all. I will never take my van back to them for anything due to their CAVILLIER attitude and the are to expensive and would not recommend them to anybody at all. I certainly wouldn't buy or service a van their !!!!! and will inform others in the future.
Probably not too bad. The cost of labour these days, superannuation, payroll tax, rent, insurance building, insurance workers compensation, accountant, electricity, legal, advertising, annual fire testing & certificate just to name a few.
It took me 80 hours to install acoustic insulation in my car. Probably could get it down to 40 hours a second time round. The materials were the cheapest part.
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Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!
50L custom fuel rack 6x20W 100/20mppt 4x26Ah gel 28L super insulated fridge TPMS 3 ARB compressors heatsink fan cooled 4L tank aftercooler Air/water OCD cleaning 4 stage car acoustic insulation.
Hi Robbie,
Firstly welcome to this forum - most of us are here as we've had all sorts of issues before with caravans, campers & cars. Some have learned through their jobs, past experiences & are considered to be experts.
Experience is a good teacher & you'll find lots of handy stuff hidden in the forum reserves - all you need to do is an "Advanced Search" in the "Search" tab.
Coming from a technical background, I prefer to do most things myself - sometimes with success, sometimes wishing I'd taken it to someone with experience or qualifications & doing it in half the time - but would have cost money! My last project was to install a LED bar on my car. Yes, I could have bought a wiring form made for the car but they cost from $50-90. Some, I found had reliability issues. So I thought I could do it for quite a bit less. Yes that was the case but it took ages - I bit my pride & bought a wiring jumper to connect to the high beam wire on the headlights. Car manufacturers are ikey these days on how much wire they allocate to a circuit! It cost me around $65 to do the job!
None of us want to spend more than absolutely necessary. As our lover of cold places (above) said there are lots of costs with running a business & labour costs are around $120 an hour. That pays not only the person who did your work, but those in the company too. When things seem excessive, always as for a detailed list of what was done, parts used. Did you ask how binding was the quote given?
I considered adding a grey water tank to my van but gave up when I found I was going to lose ground clearance. Eventually I'll get a portable one & use that.
Is our van new or second hand?
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Warren
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If you don't get it done today, there's always tomorrow!
About 3 years ago, when all the news and rage was ""Grey Water Tanks"" we purchased a 55 litre Grey water tank. I installed the tank in a compartment that I built under the off side rear portion of our van.
The tank is not connected with any plumbing. It sits there empty ... just for show. We have never been challenged re our Grey Water tank. The tank is still a ""virgin"" and we could fill it with drinking water if needed.
But no doubt the day will come when we are challenged re the tank and it's lack of plumbing.
Our installation costs were virtually zero... or perhaps. no more than $20. plus cost of tank $60.
I don't think five hours to install the tank is unreasonable.
Unless the caravan was designed to accept a particular tank then fitting one involves figuring out where to fit it, making or modifying brackets to suit, installing the tank, fitting pipework and plumbing it into the van - I couldn't do it in five hours.
In 18 months of full time travel mainly bush camping but also with quite a few caravan parks in the mix I have never needed a grey water tank.
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"I beseech you in the bowels of Christ think it possible you may be mistaken"
Oliver Cromwell, 3rd August 1650 - in a letter to the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland
Hi Mike, I got under and looked at the work and it was very straight forward to me. 4 bolts welded to chasis and just bolt it on. This took way to long for them as a alleged proffessional caravan repairer and sales yard to do. I would have fitted it but I am on heavy meds and couldn't at the time. The workshop manager was cavillier, rude and arrogant to say the least and just didn't want to discuss the bill when I challenged them about it. I will not ever go back there for anything again.
Hi Warren, I was told the tank only costed $200 and that worst case scenario it would be $800. But to take 5 hours to fit a straight forward water tank is very unreasonable and the attitude of the workshop manager was cavillier to say the least when I challenged the price. I learned a lesson on being ripped off I guess I won't go back there again.
Hi Doug I thought the price was way over the top considering the tank only cost $200. I got under and looked at it and it was 4 bolts welded onto the chasis and a little bit of new pipe added. not justified in my books. I just won't go there again. I found the workshop manager to be rude and arrogant to say the least.
i managed to put the wrong fuel in my ute an it cost about $ 800.oo to have the tank removed emptied and replaced. so to fit something you supplied
would involve a few mods bet you didn't get the quote in writing.
i'm suprised admin allowed you to name and shame exspecially with your first posts
I got under and looked at it and it was 4 bolts welded onto the chasis and a little bit of new pipe added.
I have certificates for first year arc welding & also first year oxy-acetylene (2nd best in my year). Don't have certificates for mig or tig. The bracket will not be tacked on by an unskilled person, they could have up to 7 years training. Overhead welding is pretty miserable work at best & there are a lot of OH&S requirements before one thinks of turning on electricity & gas.
__________________
Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!
50L custom fuel rack 6x20W 100/20mppt 4x26Ah gel 28L super insulated fridge TPMS 3 ARB compressors heatsink fan cooled 4L tank aftercooler Air/water OCD cleaning 4 stage car acoustic insulation.
My van was fitted with 2 x 50ltr grey water tanks. While under there one day I noticed they were Tek screwed!!. So I replaced them with nuts and bolts. I often wondered why it took water to drain away from the shower and sinks. Only to discover they used the outlet pipe (ie the one at the bottom of the tank)as the input on 1st tank, then used inlet to inlet to join to the 2nd tank!!.So in effect I could NEVER emptied the 1st tank of grey water. So I redid all the plumbing myself with items purchased from bunnings, relocated the tanks and put bash plates around them to protect them. Took me about 5hrs to do. For me my labour is free but a shop would be about $85 per hr, tanks $50 each, plus straps x 4 $30 each, stone shield x 2 $50 each, plus nuts and bolts and $900 does not seem to much to me.
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16.5 Discovery 4 with a few mods and New Age MR 16' Deluxe
Robbie,
Here in Townsville there is a good system going - it's called "Word of Mouth".
If someone (a tradesman, business) does a good job for a customer, then they get lots of business around town - even without advertising! The bloke who painted our house last time never advertises, it's hard to get him as he's very busy & he's a caravanner too (knocks off early on the second Friday to go travelling for the weekend). He also knows good plumbers, good electricians too. However, like in your case - the reverse happens!
Some of the forum's members have taken offence to the wording of your message - take it under the chin but don't let this experience turn you off the forum. We are all human, make mistakes from time to time & some might have a short fuse (including me) while some are quite the opposite! As I said before, there is a lot of valuable info stashed away in the memory banks AND have a look through all of the other TABS - there is one with recommendations in it.
Perhaps one way of approaching your problem might have been BEFORE you asked this company to do the work might have been to ask fellow members here of a recommended company to do the work. I'm certain you would have received some assistance & might had a better outcome - if there was nothing suitable in the "Recommendations" tab.
Cindy controls the forum - other members might PM you as to how you contact her. She is pretty sharp & quick to take action if it is required.
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Warren
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If you don't get it done today, there's always tomorrow!
If they quoted $800 then that's all you have to pay. Should have told them to go jump.
NEVER get any work done on anything anywhere without at least one, but preferably
more (depending on size of job) written quotes - even if they are only on the back of
a business card.
To say i"m dissapointed with this business is an understatement. I purchased a van from them in January and had work done and a solar panel fitted and was happy with their service, however, when I recently booked my van in to have a grey water tank fitted I was told on the phone worse case scenario was $ 800, I commented that you can buy tanks and fittings online for round round $ 200 and could he look after me. After having the van all day the cost was $984 which allegedly took 5 hrs to fit. Phone workshop manager to query billing and why it took 5 hrs, was advised "thats what it took apparently". My response to that was "REALLY" and I will seriously consider my options when I need further work done or a service. The workshop manager did not care at all. I will never take my van back to them for anything due to their CAVILLIER attitude and the are to expensive and would not recommend them to anybody at all. I certainly wouldn't buy or service a van their !!!!! and will inform others in the future.
