New conversion seriously lacking..

[Gazz]

Hi guys - apologies for the delay with the update. Since my last posts, the van has been back into the workshop of the conversion company and has had some sound deadening insulation applied to the panels that I can see. If I'm honest it's not the best job but it's better than nothing. They also sorted a couple of other niggles without any fuss. So overall I'm reasonably happy with the result I got from the company.
I have since done some more digging around on Big Wave Campers and have found a few derogatory comments about the standard of their conversions. One person described them as "a budget conversion company". I'm inclined to agree with this comment. Still, I now have a fully functioning camper van which I can add to over time and a VW T6 less than a year old.
Thanks once again to all who took their time to reply to my initial post - most appreciated )

 

[Chris B]

This is exactly the kind of thing that concerns me. Especially considering that the company in question is one who's website certainly talks the talk and was a contender for me because they do their conversions in Coventry.
One cannot help but wonder how many new owners out there are driving around in their van thinking that is how it is, not as quiet/warm/cool as they had expected but not realising that only half a job had been done. Bad enough in a new van, where one should be able to get things rectified but on a second hand van it's likely to be costly!
Lets face it, glossy new units, freshly upholstered seats, nice clean floors etc are all cosmetic, the important stuff is the work one can't see, the soundproofing, insulation, electrics, pipework, all the stuff that cowboys will cut corners on and ,when they fail, are timely and expensive to put right.

 

[Insert Coin]

When I got my van converted I insisted that they took pictures all the way through the conversion, a decent company will have no issue doing this for you. Hence I had lots of pictures like this sent to me every day.

 

[Davenjo]

This is exactly the kind of thing that concerns me. Especially considering that the company in question is one who's website certainly talks the talk and was a contender for me because they do their conversions in Coventry.
One cannot help but wonder how many new owners out there are driving around in their van thinking that is how it is, not as quiet/warm/cool as they had expected but not realising that only half a job had been done. Bad enough in a new van, where one should be able to get things rectified but on a second hand van it's likely to be costly!
Lets face it, glossy new units, freshly upholstered seats, nice clean floors etc are all cosmetic, the important stuff is the work one can't see, the soundproofing, insulation, electrics, pipework, all the stuff that cowboys will cut corners on and ,when they fail, are timely and expensive to put right.

Spot on - form over function - lots of really good looking vans out there but many, I suspect, are not as practical to use as they are good looking. Pictures throughout the process (as above) and/or an open workshop you can visit whenever you want are the only ways to guarantee. Who are you looking at in Coventry?

 

[DaveyB]

If Coventry is your area then don’t go anywhere near rising sun campers.

 

[vw-me]

Hi Fish, Thanks for getting in touch. Do you know if it's within my rights to fully reject the van and get my money back?

Hi mate. Sorry to read about your issues, i returned a van last year as I spotted 2 of the panels where a different colour to the other ones. When I bought it it looked mint and I couldn’t view it from far away as it was tightly packed between other vans.

Place I got it from told me it had had no paint and was a tidy van with all the bling wheels and chrome bars etc.

Once I spotted the paint I took the van back with all the paperwork and both keys. I was offered it to be put right but I just had a gut feeling about the van and wanted my money back.

Ask yourself the question if you will ever be totally happy with the van ? Or be looking for other problems like I was, I drove the Mrs insane as I was all over the van from then on looking for faults.

I’d paid £37k for the van and lost £500 ish as i’d put nearly 1k miles on it so I was happy.

Good luck and I hope you get it sorted.