Owner report on Nuevo 2014 in MMM

Latest mag popped through letterbox this morning. An owner's report article on the above van by a David Chapman. Is he a member here?
Anyway, it's just put me off a late Nuevo with his list of faults. Some are Peugeots' problems, some Auto-sleepers. Certainly worth a read if you're considering a Nuevo.

I've also been considering a later Nuevo, but after viewing a few three to four year old models and seeing the retrograde steps, I'm having second thoughts. Cost cutting springs to mind.
I'm now sticking with what I have for a few years at least. I think owners of the older models expect progress to have been made.
Al.

Yes, we like the exterior look of the latest models but as you say, too many build quality issues so we will stick to what we have or change back to a van conversion be that an AS or other brand (actually looked at a Devon Aztec which lacks all the bling of latest models of many brands and a good £8/10k cheaper but couldn't cope with the very small washroom) so still looking.

Paulmold wrote:Yes, we like the exterior look of the latest models but as you say, too many build quality issues so we will stick to what we have or change back to a van conversion be that an AS or other brand (actually looked at a Devon Aztec which lacks all the bling of latest models of many brands and a good £8/10k cheaper but couldn't cope with the very small washroom) so still looking.

Have you gone of the Warwick Paul, 
Boaby

burlingtonboaby wrote:

Paulmold wrote:Yes, we like the exterior look of the latest models but as you say, too many build quality issues so we will stick to what we have or change back to a van conversion be that an AS or other brand (actually looked at a Devon Aztec which lacks all the bling of latest models of many brands and a good £8/10k cheaper but couldn't cope with the very small washroom) so still looking.

Have you gone of the Warwick Paul, 
Boaby

No, Warwick still on list, just can't find one at right price less than 150 miles away.

Just read the article, interesting issues. Might think of submitting our own article regarding our Peugeot and AS problems with our 2014 Broadway EB. All ok now after three years - we hope, but what a life changing experience. Hard to take when you have spent so much on a new van. Thank goodness for Mark at AS. He has kept us sane!

However we do love our van and the layout suits us perfectly, but now that we are out of warranty, I know we will be kept on our toes regarding keeping the van running well, and of course damp free!

Ironic that AS have a full page advert right in the middle of the MMM article headed "PEERLESS REFINEMENT"! 

I just wish that Peugeot and AS would take their customers van issues seriously and in certain areas improve the fitting and the quality of their materials and components and ensure a competent quality control system at the end of the manufacturing process. This is only my opinion from our own experiences.

Pete

I'm feeling ok now about buying a thirteen year old Inca..

Well having just reading the article in MMM I feel the attack on AS a little over the top. 

A lot of the issues were Peugeot related which I agree should have been dealt with by the Peugeot dealer.

A number of the AS issues related were not actually faults as such but alterations the owners had made to to the Motorhome to suit them.

I am extremely happy with my new AS (and yes we have a few niggling issues which have been dealt with) and would I by another one - Defiantly Yes 

Happy Motorhoming

For those that don't take the mag...

Peugeot faults-

Radio - replaced under warranty
Fault on vehicle lights - fixed under warranty
Fault on gearchange indicator - turned off under warranty
Rubber door seal on cab door can come off unexpectedly
Doors leak when thermal screen fitted

AS faults -

Habitation door stay broke - replaced under warranty
Cracked window - replaced under warranty
Condensation in 3 windows
Leak on outside under bench locker door
Panels in shower room developed dark streaks - replaced under warranty
Various cupboard catches failed
Gas regulator failed twice


Can't see that any of those were alterations made by owner.

And at least they had some service from their dealer - Marquis.

This apparently is the writers 3rd AS, Topaz then Devon and now Nuevo and would they buy another? - No.

A bit unfair to blame Peugeot for door leak caused by fitting an aftermarket external screen.

Paulmold wrote:
AS faults - But are they??

Habitation door stay broke - replaced under warranty  A/S supplied with faulty component - or owner was heavy handed?
Cracked window - replaced under warranty  A/S supplied with faulty component, or owner broke it?
Condensation in 3 windows   A/S supplied with faulty components. Three in one van sounds a bit fishy to me? Were they wrenched so the edge seal broke?
Leak on outside under bench locker door  A/S take the blame for this one!!
Panels in shower room developed dark streaks - replaced under warranty  Were they cleaned properly? Mould leaves dark streaks.
Various cupboard catches failed  A/S supplied with faulty components. 
Gas regulator failed twice   A/S supplied with faulty component.

Are these all A/S faults though? (See the red ink above.)

With one exception, they are all component failures. I'm not sure any other van would have been any different if those components had been fitted. 

If we are slagging off A/S for shoddy workmanship and lack of attention to detail, I'll carry the banner!! It seems a bit unfair to blame them for a long list of failed components bought in from a range of different suppliers!!

Do we believe implicitly the word of a total unknown, who may not be entirely genuine for all we know? That's not very fair either imho.

PLOUGHLIN wrote:A bit unfair to blame Peugeot for door leak caused by fitting an aftermarket external screens.

In fairness, the writer didn't blame Peugeot or AS but I thought it may be linked to the door seal fault.

Gromit wrote:

Paulmold wrote:
AS faults - But are they??

Habitation door stay broke - replaced under warranty  A/S supplied with faulty component - or owner was heavy handed?
Cracked window - replaced under warranty  A/S supplied with faulty component, or owner broke it?
Condensation in 3 windows   A/S supplied with faulty components. Three in one van sounds a bit fishy to me? Were they wrenched so the edge seal broke?
Leak on outside under bench locker door  A/S take the blame for this one!!
Panels in shower room developed dark streaks - replaced under warranty  Were they cleaned properly? Mould leaves dark streaks.
Various cupboard catches failed  A/S supplied with faulty components. 
Gas regulator failed twice   A/S supplied with faulty component.

Are these all A/S faults though? (See the red ink above.)

With one exception, they are all component failures. I'm not sure any other van would have been any different if those components had been fitted. 

If we are slagging off A/S for shoddy workmanship and lack of attention to detail, I'll carry the banner!! It seems a bit unfair to blame them for a long list of failed components bought in from a range of different suppliers!!

Do we believe implicitly the word of a total unknown, who may not be entirely genuine for all we know? That's not very fair either imho.

You'll know Dave that I've supported AS in past threads that outside supplied components are too blame for most faults but when will these suppliers be taken to task and threatened with losing their contracts unless they sort out their quality issues. Obviously this applies to all converters not just AS.
To quote from the article having pointed out that the writer is on their 3rd AS......"looking back over the last three years, we have had more problems with this van than either of it's predecessors"

I quite agree Paul, but I don't know how they could put pressure on their suppliers in the same way as was possible in the days of our youth. Globalisation has complicated matters in many ways, and I guess (don't know as I was never in business) a good many suppliers would take little or no notice if A/S alone complained.

I think the only solution, which won't happen, would be for all the converters to swap notes and gang up on the suppliers!

Paulmold wrote:You'll know Dave that I've supported AS in past threads that outside supplied components are too blame for most faults but when will these suppliers be taken to task and threatened with losing their contracts unless they sort out their quality issues.

Nail on the head there.
In 2004 I purchased a brand new BMW motorbike, spending about 11k including accessories. At two years old it developed a serious problem, the wheel bearings collapsed, luckily I'd just returned home from touring Spain and Portugal. 
The dealer recovered my bike and provided a loan bike for the several weeks it took to fix under warranty. It needed a new swing arm, shaft and bevel box as well as new wheel and tyre, about £2000 in parts alone.
The upshot is BMW had the same problem with hundreds of this model of bike, and guess what they blamed? Faulty (read cheap!) bearings from China.. At the end of the day BMW were at fault for going to the cheapest supplier. 
It took many years to recover their reputation amongst the biking fraternity.
Al

As the difficulty we have is finding a van that can make two single beds in an under 6m length, whether van conversion or coachbuilt, we probably will stick with AS but it will definitely not be a new one. I'll let someone else sort out the problems. (Plus can't afford new).

It would seem if you want a quality A/S buy something made before 2010/11. Did the company change hands after this date.

They certainly changed their Quality Control procedures.

Well, I have to say ours is over two years old now, it's our fourth Nuevo, and it's better built than either of the previous ones.

I've done a lot of work on it, but it was nearly all improvements to suit what we wanted, not because anything was broken.

OK, I'm as niggly as anyone about such daft tricks as fitting the leisure battery right in the middle of the underbed storage space, and the submersible water pumps are a joke. This is where lack of common sense and attention to detail lets them down, but overall (and I can only speak from our experience) this van is, on balance, better than the previous ones were.

Here Here Dave

The thing I hate about owning a recent Nuevo is being told so often that I should have bought an older one.

dbroada wrote:The thing I hate about owning a recent Nuevo is being told so often that I should have bought an older one.

To which I always reply, "I did, three times, and it made me all the more enthusiastic about owning a fourth!" 


Whatever their real or perceived shortcomings (and I'm the first to say there are more than there should be!) we've looked at an awful lot of vans but we've yet to find one that we would rather have - whatever the price!

Ultimately it is the fault of the one whose name is on the front, they make the decision of what goes into it. You could even say they are responsible for the base vehicle issues as Auto-Sleeper chose it. You as a buyer can't say I don't trust an "X" chassis, I want a "Y" instead. It would have to be a part of the agreement to go to Fiat chassis as to who sorts problems out. In some industries you can buy components cheaper if you absolve the supplier of having to provide warranty.

Years ago I bought 60 PCs, within 2 years every one had a new motherboard. The maker had to extend the warranty but they did not choose the dodgy capacitor, they did decide who would make the PCB and I'll bet cost formed a big part of that decision.

I'm looking forward to reading the full text of the owners report tomorrow, when we plebs that don't subscribe get to buy our copies of MMM  

Some of the things quoted by Paul are serious issues, some others seem like stuff added in to make the list of complaints appear more impressive. We've had similar issues, it has not put us off and we would buy another AS motorhome right now......even a new one.

It is good to hear positive views of owners with new A/S motorhomes, but you do seem to hear and read a lot on this forum that A/S are not as well built as in the past.