Failed MOT

 

MOT failed today.  aaarrrggghhh

Repair immediately (major defects):

• Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength inner wing/box section. (5.3.6 (a) (i))
  
  
• Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength inner wing/box section. (5.3.6 (a) (i))
  
  

Hi Roger.  Thanks for the response!  I'm not ready to pack it in yet.  

I've got it booked in, at the garage who did the MOT, on Nov. 15th.  The estimate he gave me for the welding work to take care of the holes so it will pass is £300 - £400.

Once that's done, I'll look into what can be done (rust removal, painting, undercoating, etc.) next to minimise the rate of further decay.

I'll let you know next week how the repairs went.

£300 - £400 doesn't sound too bad.  As Roger says, compared to the cost of getting another van........

Exactly!!!

rogerblack wrote:
Yes, that sounds very reasonable compared to some of the costs we've had on ours, I'd say well worth it to keep the old girl going!

I'd be very grateful to hear how things go when you investigate protection for the future. I had wondered about this but didn't know if it was too late. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I'd had it done years ago.  Especially now that we keep it by the coast for most of the year.  Not something I'd even dream of attempting myself so would need to go to a specialist.

Ours is up for MOT in December so always an anxious time.

Hi Roger,

I'll for sure let you know how things work out with the work.  For sure, I think the price is reasonable. The shop is a very well known and respected one where I live.  I think it's going to be an interesting project for the next months.  I love the motorhome and am well interested in prolonging her life.

I'm hoping to retire in 2 1/2 years and that's the main reason that I bought her.  

I had mine done a couple of years ago similar price its passed MOT every time since I think the wording they use excessively corroded is misleading and puts fear in your mind that the whole van is a rust bucket
If it was excessive surly it would have been picked up long ago it my case I think it was a about a 6inch square plate that was welded on

Ask them to waxoyl it after the work is done, should limit further corrosion though I am sure someone will be along soon to tell you I am just costing you money!

fred1 wrote:I had mine done a couple of years ago similar price its passed MOT every time since I think the wording they use excessively corroded is misleading and puts fear in your mind that the whole van is a rust bucket
If it was excessive surly it would have been picked up long ago it my case I think it was a about a 6inch square plate that was welded on

Hi Fred.  That's exactly what I was thinking.  Last year's MOT had no advisories regarding rust.  Very strange.

Not so GH.

Mine didn't need welding, which is why I bought it. But £1000 later and 19 l of hot Waxoyl it hopefully never will.

Just don't get Waxoyl done till as possible welding is finished

IanH wrote:Not so GH.

Mine didn't need welding, which is why I bought it. But £1000 later and 19 l of hot Waxoyl it hopefully never will.

Just don't get Waxoyl done till as possible welding is finished

Good tip Ian!  Cheers.

Had mine done at the last MOT, no welding needed but advisory, mind you I think the man that did the test was being very harsh as it was more staining and just cleaned off. Dealt with that and I think it cost about £70 but will hopefully mean no problems in the next few years. 

We are a bit fanatical....Vehicle delivered Friday afternoon, or earlier if rain forecast, so it arrives dry.
Stays in workshop all weekend, workshop is warm and dry
Then takes most of a day to clean the chassis, in this one's case to white paint in most places. Any rust is then spotted and won't be waxoyled, it is impossible to weld properly when the metal is contaminated with any oil...

2 car wash size buckets of dirt removed and blown clean

Day 2 the waxoyl is heated and holes drilled where required in sealed members, injected into those, then holes plugged

Rest of bottom sprayed and brushed.

Day 3 the van has to be wax polished to remove any waxoyl overspray this is harmful to the paint finish. Collect after 4pm all dry, and ready to go

£1000, well spent imho. 19ltrs of waxoyl used, all applied hot.....
In my case there was none, so day 2

That looks a cracking job Ian ( not literally!), your background is evident in that. Whoever buys a van from you in future will be a very lucky person with your level of maintenance.

Thanks GH

I bought it knowing it needed a clutch and big gearbox repair, plus front wheel bearings, discs and pads, all expensive.

Reason I accepted that was that it was immaculate underneath.

My view is anything mechanical can be changed (discs came from Latvia) but rust is more or less incurable.

Paid £18k for the van, spent £6k on it. Was looking at another, same year at a dealer, was £24k, so same price, but I KNOW mine is rust free.....

Looks brilliant Ian!!!

Picked up the Motorhome this morning after it PASSED the MOT!  

The welding work was not as bad as I had anticipated.  It was only £180.  Whew!!!

Next steps are rust removal/prevention.  Top goal for 2024.

Great news, ready for the new season in 2024.
Boaby

You got away with your repairs lightly compared to how much we payed to keep our Duetto on the road. As much as it was painful on the pocket it gave us a few more years of travels.

Dave 418 wrote:You got away with your repairs lightly compared to how much we payed to keep our Duetto on the road. As much as it was painful on the pocket it gave us a few more years of travels.

I'm very happy about it!!!  I hope I can get a good number of years more out of it, so now I need to try and minimise the decay for as long as possible.

That was a bargain, £180!
With a new vehicle, once its warranty has expired you can expect any bill for any fault to be around £1000. There will be a lot more of them as well because everything that used to be controlled with a switch, such as wipers or heater is now mal-administered by a computer. I bought a 4 year old 2019 Mercedes based Bourton and the first fault was the heater would blow furiously but only dish out cold air. Luckily I passed an open commercial Mercedes dealer while on holiday in France a few weeks ago and they fixed it for £580. Bargain. It needed three computer controlled solenoids which do the job of a knob and cable, which would not have gone wrong. The dashboard had to be dismantled and it took them 3 1/2 hours. Seriously I think it would have cost more to have it done here.
My last car was a 2006 Volvo which kept on wanting new computers for things that woud be operated by hand in The Olden Days. I spent £2000 ish on incompetent garages that mis-diagnosed faults. At the next fault I said to the garage can I just give it to you and walk home? As it turned out they mis-diagnosed that fault as well. The £4,500 diagnostic computer said faulty ABS pump, £1000 for a new one or £500 to repair the existing one. After I sold the car to them for £1000 less than its value, it turned out the fault was a £50 sensor.
These garages I am referring to are all different ones, not the same consistently rubbish one.

gassygassy wrote:That was a bargain, £180!
With a new vehicle, once its warranty has expired you can expect any bill for any fault to be around £1000. There will be a lot more of them as well because everything that used to be controlled with a switch, such as wipers or heater is now mal-administered by a computer. I bought a 4 year old 2019 Mercedes based Bourton and the first fault was the heater would blow furiously but only dish out cold air. Luckily I passed an open commercial Mercedes dealer while on holiday in France a few weeks ago and they fixed it for £580. Bargain. It needed three computer controlled solenoids which do the job of a knob and cable, which would not have gone wrong. The dashboard had to be dismantled and it took them 3 1/2 hours. Seriously I think it would have cost more to have it done here.
My last car was a 2006 Volvo which kept on wanting new computers for things that woud be operated by hand in The Olden Days. I spent £2000 ish on incompetent garages that mis-diagnosed faults. At the next fault I said to the garage can I just give it to you and walk home? As it turned out they mis-diagnosed that fault as well. The £4,500 diagnostic computer said faulty ABS pump, £1000 for a new one or £500 to repair the existing one. After I sold the car to them for £1000 less than its value, it turned out the fault was a £50 sensor.
These garages I am referring to are all different ones, not the same consistently rubbish one.

I agree!  It was much less than I was expecting to pay.  I had the work done at a local garage that has a very good reputation.  My Pollensa is a 2001 and I'm hoping to keep her going as long as I can afford it.  Build quality is good and most of the electrics and controls are pretty simple.