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hi just biught a 4 year old caravan from a large dealer took van on 1st trip turned gas on in locker and was overpowered by the fumes took it back they replaced the orange tube and checked the regulator, got home turned the gas back on not as bad but can still smell gas in the locker even after a long time not just  your normal smell when 1st turnd on this is my 1st caravan is this normal or should i take it back again? van also has two old vectra tyres on and should have had 195/70r1491 tyres on which are for heavier vans would this be illegal and should it be covered on the warranty to replace them with the proper ones?

please advise

Ok first things first! Any gas leaking is DANGEROUS!!!! There shouldnt be any smells of gas is unhealthy for you personally.Get some washing up liquid and warm water mix in a little bottle, the ones they have for ketchup in cafes works well, switch gas on but ensure the appliances are all off.Squirt the solution on all joints, any gas leaks will be highlighted by bubbles.Mark these or at least note them down then take the van back and get them to sort it as it is an obvious health hazard.

As for the tyres im no expert but i wouldnt be happy towing it with the wrong size, type of tyres on.

This is just my opinion and what i would do!!

Hope this helps!

Andy R

Take it back to the dealer and ask them to sort it out properly.

I'm assuming a 4 year old caravan from a large dealer came with a warranty but even if it didn't, it is their responsibility to ensure that the secondhand caravans they sell are safe to use (no gas leaks) and roadworthy (caravans need 8, or at least 6, ply tyres, not the normal 4 ply car tyres). This one apparently is not either of these things.

If they won't play ball, mention Trading Standards and the Sale of Goods Act.

First a gas leak on a van you just purchased suggests to me it was not serviced before you took it away, similarly, the tyres should have been checked as part of a service that they were safe for use. I would expect any decent dealer to service a van properly before he sells it, infact it is a serious H&S offence to sell a caravan in an unsafe condition. 

To then take it back with the gas leak only for it not to be fixed correctly beggars belief, who do these 'large' dealers think they are? cowboys to me

I might also ask how does a 4yr old van come to have other than it's original tyres?

Get it back to them

When I connected a propane bottle to my new to me van and used the washing up liquid to test, I found that I had simply not tightened the propane nut enough.

Rich

I would go to http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ first and get advice , also see http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/ . Once you have the advice , you will have the ammo to tackle the dealer .

atb

Wizard

Quote: Originally posted by MickeyM on 14/5/2008

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Make sure you get a CORGI certificate for your caravan. Anyone who works on gas must be a member of Corgi (confederation of registered gas installers) and this certificate should be your insurance policy against the dealer if anything goes wrong.

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