Annual habitation service

I’ve just had the same husband and wife team I used last year complete my second annual habitation check and I can only say again how stress free an approved mobile engineer can be. And the £129 price is another bonus.

As there are many newcomers on here I thought it may be worth bringing the subject up again.
I’m not criticising anyone who wants to have the habitation done by A/S or a main dealer but I struggle to see any benefit in travelling miles to pay a premium.

When I was Gas Safe Registered I considered becoming a mobile caravan / motorhome service engineer, but what put me off is the cost of being both GSR and Electrical Engineer qualified. On top of that you have to diagnose and repair faults that several others have failed to fix. The likelihood of spending hours trying to find out why an electric bed in a motorhome doesn't work is great. By that I mean the likelihood of finding an electric bed in a motorhome that doesn't work is very great and repair is complex as it is computerised. I don't know what the cost of training and exams and membership of the IEE but you need both of those to qualify to do habitation checks, let alone all the caravan and camper knowledge to fix and service them. You have to be able to strip caravan braking systems and fix them for example as well as know which switches should be where if you want the hook up to charge the leisure battery or engine battery.

The one thing that I wonder about with mobile engineers is, how well do they check the underside of the van for bits that might be loose or as I read recently how rusty is the gas tank and pipes, without the use of a 4 post ramp.
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Richard

rgermain wrote:The one thing that I wonder about with mobile engineers is, how well do they check the underside of the van for bits that might be loose or as I read recently how rusty is the gas tank and pipes, without the use of a 4 post ramp.
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Richard

Do A/S and the main dealers actually do that Richard on a basic hab check?

I admit that the underside was probably not checked on my hab service but I didn’t expect it to be anyway.
It’s an interesting point, what should a habitation service involve?

Dbvwt wrote:I had my first annual habitation check just before Xmas. I was going to go down to Willersey but thought I would investigate local mobile engineers.
A local husband/wife outfit sounded perfect and I was told that the warranty would be fine as they are part of the ‘Approved mobile workshop’ scheme.
I checked with A/S and they confirmed that this was true.

The experience couldn’t have been better. They turned up on time, put covers on the floor/seats and explained everything in detail afterwards. Even better was the £115 cost without having to drive a single mile.

Would you mind saying who they are? I'm in Oxford, not very far from Aylesbury, and would be interested in using their service.

PM on it’s way SL

Dbvwt wrote:

rgermain wrote:The one thing that I wonder about with mobile engineers is, how well do they check the underside of the van for bits that might be loose or as I read recently how rusty is the gas tank and pipes, without the use of a 4 post ramp.
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Richard

Do A/S and the main dealers actually do that Richard on a basic hab check?

I admit that the underside was probably not checked on my hab service but I didn’t expect it to be anyway.
It’s an interesting point, what should a habitation service involve?

 Mobile habitation 'Approved Workshop'  Motorhome Annual Habitation Service Check Sheet.

 Underbody (Technicians Handbook Sec 2)

Corner Steadies (where applicable)
Folding steps     (where applicable)
Under slung tanks, pipes, battery boxes etc.

My local mobile engineer was unfortunately a big disappointment when repairing my fridge under warranty would not reply to messages rude and awkward regarding repair 
I could have repaired fridge myself for the cost of a thermistor at that time about 15£ 
I certainly could not recommend him and think I was unlucky as I think he would be an exception 

Wwinky

Dbvwt wrote:

rgermain wrote:The one thing that I wonder about with mobile engineers is, how well do they check the underside of the van for bits that might be loose or as I read recently how rusty is the gas tank and pipes, without the use of a 4 post ramp.
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Richard

Do A/S and the main dealers actually do that Richard on a basic hab check?

I admit that the underside was probably not checked on my hab service but I didn’t expect it to be anyway.
It’s an interesting point, what should a habitation service involve?

Actually they did, when I had a 3 year deal with our Dealer, which has now run out. They have now increased their deal price and  due to Covid will not allow you to wait on site.
Must admit I have missed the habitation check this year, but did ask one for advice when the fridge gave up on gas and on his advice fixed it myself and saved some £200, so I will give him a try although they seem to be booked a long way ahead.

Not sure what you call a basic check, do you have to ask for a full check, new to me? The under side of the van would be of more importance to me than a damp check, as you can normally smell or notice damp, but as the van rattles and bangs over manholes etc any loose bits could go be undetected.

As others have said, each to his own.
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Richard

Paramedic wrote:

Dbvwt wrote:

rgermain wrote:The one thing that I wonder about with mobile engineers is, how well do they check the underside of the van for bits that might be loose or as I read recently how rusty is the gas tank and pipes, without the use of a 4 post ramp.
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Richard

Do A/S and the main dealers actually do that Richard on a basic hab check?

I admit that the underside was probably not checked on my hab service but I didn’t expect it to be anyway.
It’s an interesting point, what should a habitation service involve?

 Mobile habitation 'Approved Workshop'  Motorhome Annual Habitation Service Check Sheet.

 Underbody (Technicians Handbook Sec 2)

Corner Steadies (where applicable)
Folding steps     (where applicable)
Under slung tanks, pipes, battery boxes etc.

I was going to look into the paperwork I was given today in more detail tomorrow but you got me wondering!

It is a valid point that Richard makes about access under the van in a mobile environment. My Symbol is easy to get under with all 4 wheels on the ground but I’m sure it’s not so easy on other vans.

Depends how old and rotund the tester is

I do remember when I had the caravan, yes caravan check done at home, the tester asked me to move it away from the fence so he could get the trolley jack underneath, maybe just to check the brakes, I left him to it.
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Richard

I would expect any mobile mechanic (which includes habitation service) to carry a trolley jack and axle stands with him / her and to crawl underneath to check stability of under floor gas tank, water tanks, drain pipes, electrical wiring . . . . . .
This is different and separate to a vehicle / chassis service