Forgive my lack of perception but how do I claim for 1/6th of a motorhome? Assuming I went the whole hog from the outset, is there a source of an example letter, or template that you could direct me to, please Will

It was always my intent to seek recompense myself. Which piece, or pieces, of legislation should I be looking at to pursue this, please? Will

I'm putting up the list of faults, based on what I said and considered before: No dealer, or manufacturer name. A chronological list, date ordered and with the dealer's response. Minimal narrative, except where I think it expands/clarifies the point. It's an extensive and lengthy list. If there is any way I can improve the presentation, someone please say, don't just change it. Here yer go - and remember: this was a brand new, £60,000+ motorhome, bought partex and cash. No finance. 30th November 2017: During Initial Handover: - water pipe disconnected from boiler: hot water being pumped into floor voids - lighting system faulty: lights flashing on and off and pulsing - battery charger making strange noises: Dealer actions: - reset(?) lighting system - reattached pipe and dried up water - replaced battery charger Vehicle finally handed over late in day. Remained overnight at dealership as roads conditions considered too poor for travel in darkness with new vehicle. 1st December 2017: (still at dealership) - fresh water pump failed to work - bed trim panel found to be fitted incorrectly Dealer actions: - rectified wiring fault for pump - advised it would be better to live with trim panel fault and return for rectification as workshop unable to resolve fault immediately and there would probably be other minor rectification work in the meantime. Agreed to contact them to report any other defects and arrange visit for rectification. Also advised of 2 Fiat (cab unit) engine mods to be carried out on return. We drove home. On the way lighting fault reappeared, pulsing habitation lights on and off as we travelled – fortunately not in darkness. Motorhome was left on hookup with heating for the next 4 weeks due poor weather but taken for short run to exercise system after 2 weeks, then taken away for a short break over New Year. 30th December 2017: Attempted first trip away: - lights flashing on and off as we travelled - arrived at destination and lights failed completely (some came on when loo flushed!) - battery ran low with minimal load overnight - handle fell of washroom tap Abandoned trip 31st December and went home with flashing habitation lights. Subsequently discovered that: - battery charger was not set correctly by dealer for habitation (AGM) battery type - vehicle (engine) alternator is incapable (wrong specification) of providing correct charging voltage for habitation AGM type battery 3rd January 2018: Email report to dealer: - habitation door flyscreen frame is not attached in the top left corner - topmost kitchen drawer has the vinyl wrap detached on the lefthand edge, subsequently found to be all kitchen drawers affected - lever fell off the bathroom tap - trim panel on the face of the bed is not level, high on the left edge, viewed when facing bed - toilet cassette emptying spout cap seal doesn’t stay in the cap, sticks to the spout end, then falls off when it is being emptied (retrieving it from down a manhole was not the best job I ever had on a New Year’s Day!) - heating pipe securing clip floating loose on the upper pipe in the locker space to the front of the battery compartment - passenger side glove box lid is loose, warped and rattles Dealer action: - ordered spares from manufacturer and kept us informed of progress. We asked them to collect motorhome for rectification. Refused. Called us: 16th February 2018: to say very busy and we were booked in for: 12th March 2018: At dealership to hand over: - on arrival found part of habitation headlining was becoming delaminated Motorhome handed over to dealer for rectification, now including headlining delamination fault. Also noted was that shower door now jamming. We were delivered to local railway station and made own way home by train/bus/car. 15th March 2018: Dealer called to say nearly ready, could we collect 19th March, or after. Travelled by car/bus/train and collected motorhome: 21st March 2018: Dealer actions: - couldn’t find any battery fault (read: won’t accept the known problem with battery type fitted) - couldn’t find lighting problems - reattached flyscreen door frame - replaced all kitchen drawers - secured loo emptying spout seal - reattached heating pipe clip - looked at shower door, tightend/rest runners and told ‘this is how you should close it’ - couldn’t rectify warped passenger glovebox lid (‘they’re all like that’) but did tighten catch - ordered headlining panel - Fiat engine mods completed During return handover, the agent leaned on the kitchen worktop extension, which forced the securing catch open. It would not stay securely locked. - it was added as a fault to the list for the next visit. We drove home. (I subseqently recessed the shower door runner securing screws so that it stopped jamming) 14th June 2018: Email report to dealer: - evidence of some sort of leak adjacent to water tanks/heating system - all basin/shower drains slow, regardless of parking attitude and smell bad - satnav fitted to vehicle has maps out of date by 3 years+, hidden in small print from delivery is note saying one free update if requested within 30 days of first use – we weren’t alerted to that Dealer actions: - we are to monitor heating fluid levels - can we live with drianage problem until annual service/habitation check in October? - obtained (17th July) free 3 year update of satnav system from manufacturer (well done!) 27th June 2018: Email report to dealer: - satellite dish cable conduit is becoming detached from roof - satellite dish cable section not in conduit and attached to roof with adhesive is separating from roof - satellite dish cable gland housing screws are not tightened and are not sealed - fresh water tank overflow pipe doesn’t seem to exit from undertray and water continues to pour out of several areas of tray for some time after turning off filling supply - fresh water tank drain valve VERY stiff to turn - LPG system missing spanner to remove/replace gas filter cartridge - left hand (nearside) garage door sticks when hot, upper door catch not releasing - washroom tap trim panel behind tap isn’t now fitted flush and has crack up from the point where the tap body passes through it - drainage from the shower tray and loo sink still a problem regardless of angle vehicle parked at and bubbles up foul gas from kitchen basin, washroom basin and shower tray drain - television fouls the top of the seat cushion as it is pivoted out on the frame - shelf above kitchen hob starting to droop at forward end, gap has opened up between the top of the curved part and the dividing panel of the cupboard above - significant ‘creak’ form the floor just at the top of habitation door steps - Fiat owner’s handbook (2 supplied?) wrong one for model of Ducato, main problem found so far is that the engine oil spec is wrong (Fiat are known to refuse to accept engine warranty repairs if wrong oil used) - cab aircon doesn’t do much in the way of cooling – could someone please check the contents and pressure Dealer response: - leave until annual service/habitation check (I subsequently managed to release the water tank drain valve. I needed to clean out the tank for a trip. It’s still very stiff.) 20th August 2018: - kitchen shelf fell completely off and hanging on lighting wiring (I secured with a prop and reported it to the dealer) Dealer actions: - leave until annual service/habitation check 1st October 2018: Returned motorhome to dealers for fault rectification and mandatory annual habitation check and servicing. On arrival and handover noted more headlining delamination on different panels. We made our own way home again. 4th October 2018: Emailed dealer for update and told would be ready 8th October. Made way by car/bus/train to dealer 8th October 2018: Dealer handed back motorhome. Dealer actions: - replaced or repaired outstanding faults, except: - fresh water tank overflow running out of undertray - ‘they’re all like that’ - fresh water tank drain valve – no action noted - basin and shower drainage – no fault noted with drainage, added extra air bleed to waste tank cap, (which they vented into an internal floor locker (?)) and added tank cleaner to waste tank - washroom tap trim panel - part on order - no acceptance/mention of replacement for wrong Fiat handbook - no further mention of poor performance of cab aircon - also admitted floor panel secured but by propping up with a bit of wood I drove home. 20th October 2018: We took off for an extended European tour. 29th October 2018: Email report to dealer: - the floor just inside the habitation door creaking again and now worse - shelf above the kitchen hob detaching again - lumps appearing in the outer skin of the side of the habitation area at the top corners of the side locker frame - leaking seal on the rear edge of the forward roof window They were told we had not planned to be back in the UK until March and, short of some insurmountable problem, would deal with it if possible, ie prop the shelf back up and tape up the roof window completely if necessary. 30th October 2018: Dealer response: - lumps near locker door part of construction - roof window seal to be replaced 9th November 2018: Email report to dealer: - kitchen hob ignitor stuck on, only stopped by turning off lighting circuit, no evidence of debris fouling button (asked how to remove burner knobs to check for obstruction/faults) managed to free ignitor button 12th November 2018: Dealer response: - just pull off the knob (done, found no obstruction but ‘click’ audible which was probably misaligned ignitor button returning to the correct alignment) 19th November 2018: Email to dealer: - bed front trim has fallen off again - puddle of water in washroom cabinet under basin - discoloured and swelling back panel behind washroom basin - hinge for one of under seat lockers has fallen off - basin and shower drainage problems/smells persist I also wrote a letter to the dealer expressing our great disappointment and that our original manufacturer’s warranty would soon expire and we had no confidence of the problems being resolved and stopping. Dealer response: I am away until 30th April and will deal with it then (by email) 21st November 2018: - rang the dealer. Agent was off sick and would deal with it when back at work in next few days. 27th November 2018: Email to dealer, asking for update. Dealer response: - there is a 2 year habitation warranty, so don’t worry This was the first we knew of it. It isn’t mentioned in any paperwork. It states 1 year in all parts of the paperwork. THE FOLLOWING NOT YET REPORTED TO DEALER 5th December 2018: - satellite tv system failed to operate correctly - contacted the UK branch of the satellite system manufacturer and received instruction on what to check, referred me to local agent who came and checked it on: 12th December 2018: - manufacturer’s agent unable to diagnose all of problems – partly due to vehicle location. Taken it to their workshop on: 17th December 2018: - partial use restored, one of faults not displayed to agent, so had to accept as is, it failed again 2 days later 24th December 2018: - habitation area headlining panel (the one replaced) delaminating again 26th December 2018: - part of bed began to feel very uncomfortable and sunken, removed mattresses to rotate them and discovered bent and deformed slats and mould on bed base and mattress. Inspection shows some slats have failed and the mattress sunk. Mattress has remained in contact with the bed base panel and since that side of bed has no ventilation damp and mould have accumulated. Other side of the bed is over the wardrobe, has ventilation and heating and has NO condensation, or mould. (heating under and around bed used every night for background warmth, bedroom and bedding religiously aired and ventilated) It was after this last, bed problems, as yet unreported to the dealer, that we decided that enough was enough. The galling thing is that we have spent a lot of additional money to improve the specification and make it more useable and competent as a touring unit. Will

Your post appeared on my screen after I pressed 'send' - but thanks for returning the focus back to the issue in question Will

Whilst you two sort out the detail................... I've considered what's been said and no, I'm not naming the dealer - yet. I'm asking for help and advice, not someone to go to war on my behalf and I thought that was a part of what CAG was all about. I'm not looking to broadcast my complaint to the world so the misguided can jump all over it and raise a storm of protest about a dealer who may, however unlikely, yet provide a solution. There's nothing to hide, no 'vanity', no 'secret squirrel' and certainly no hidden agenda. There's also nothing to be gained by alienating the dealer before there's been any discussion about a final solution. Yes, I consider them to be fully responsible but so far they have, to an extent, tried to sort out the problems. It just hasn't worked. My problem is that we've become completely incapable of believing this motorhome is ever going to stop being a significant problem to us and I believe we're right in asking for at least a replacement, or our money back. What I was hoping for is help in identifying the most likely route to getting that result. If neither of those solutions a realistically achievable, then I'll take that advice as well. It's fine going into battle with no care for the cost of being right, provided you have a bottomless source of funds. We don't, we spent it on a motorhome! I've more or less finished compiling a chronological list of the faults as they occurred and as they were reported to the dealer. I've included the dealer's attempted solutions and responses and tried to avoid narrative, except where I think it has a bearing on the situation. It's a long list. If it's still considered worth me posting it, I'll check it over and put it up for everyone's entertainment and suggestions. If things progress that way, I'll most certainly publish the name of the dealer - and manufacturer - and of anyone else who attempts to thwart my efforts. Will

Thanks, Bankfodder. That too seems to be an encouraging response. My only question in response is who determines that the faults undermine the purpose of the contract? In my eyes it certainly does. It frequently fails to function as a competent motorhome. I'm certain the manufacturer and retailer will disagree, at which point I guess it will be left to a court of law to determine? I haven't yet named the manufacturer and dealer because I'd like to know the thickness of the ice on which I perch before bringing out the big guns. No good saying I want to reject it and take a refund when I'm not certain I am entitled under the law. Will

That's an encouraging response. However: No, it's not Marquis and no, we paid hard earned cash - as in bank transfer. I'll put up all the details in chronological order. It will take me a while to scroll through all the correspondence, most is by email and we are away from home. My original question has been prompted by: "Not again! I've had enough of this!!" Please bear with me whilst I compile a list. Will

Could someone please point me at the appropriate bit of legislation that best suits the following problem. Hints regarding any known, suitable course of action would be appreciated as well. Rather than ask loads of questions on here, I’d like to try and work out what to do, then ask questions when I’m aware of the basics. There are no names and no pack drill as I don’t want to alienate a dealer -yet. It’s tricky to decide what is unnecessary detail, so I’ll take advice on how much I should post here but in short: We are experienced and extensively travelled motorhomers. We bought a new £60,000+ motorhome last year, part exchanging our old one at approx £42,000. The handover started on 30th November 2017. There were several significant faults discovered during the handover, ie, leaking water system, faulty lighting system, faulty battery charger. They were addressed by the dealer and we took delivery late in the day. We stayed at the dealers overnight but by the next morning we had to get them back to fix others. One (an inoperative fresh water pump) was fixed and an agreement made to return with the remainder, along with any others that arose, at a later date, That’s where it all began. We have had a LOT more go wrong. Some have been fixed, others fixed and reappeared, parts replaced only to fail again. Some are significant, eg: - water ingress from a roof window. - a bed with broken slats, no ventilation and serious condensation problems. - basins and a shower that will not drain properly and smell. I could go on – and on – and on…………………….. We persevered and have spent a lot on improving the specification, eg, solar panels, inverter, water filtration, loo ventilating system, etc, etc, but now, after the latest broken, mouldy bed incident............................. The bottom line is we are so sick of it, we want rid of it. It is NOT what you expect when spending £60,000. Heaven knows if it will ever stop being a problem. Some of the faults turn out to be significant design problems. It is spoiling all our use of it and we cannot trust it any more. What should I be looking at to find out our rights and to what extent can we demand a remedy, up to and including a different vehicle, or refund? Will

I had been following this thread with great interest, quite a bit of difficulty (due 'text-speak') and now with growing scepticism. Does anyone else know what is happening, now - or have I missed something? Willumn

Just out of interest, does anyone know which bit of LAW they are using to yet again lay traps for the motorist. I ask this because there seems to be some considerable doubt as to the enforceability of their 'fines' for failing to declare SORN, etc. As far as I understand it, only Councils and Law Courts can levy fines. Willum