Why is buying a motorhome so stressful?

[T1 Terry]

All was going well with the Rosa motorhome in Lithgow, until the mention that there was no compliance plate Margaret forwarded me a PDF book written by the current owners .... and listed as coach builder was Goodwin & Son ..... ugggg ... these were the people that built the "bus from hell" and it was the same model etc, just a different internal fitout ...... Asked for gas and electrical compliance certificates .... these were from Vic and listed a different name as the builder ..... red lights starting to flash, contacted the people who did the engineers reports, this was the reply .....

Hello Terry

Thanks for your enquiry.

Due to the age of the vehicle and the length of time since it was certified, we are unable to provide you with any information regarding this certificate.

I can advise that we do not certify gas and electrical installations, but rely on trade certificates supplied at the time by the customer.

I hope this is of some assistance for you.

Panic mode has really set in now. Manged to get the seller on the phone so both Margaret and I could talk to him, seems, in this case, Goodwin did the coach building, someone in Vic (the BiL of the owner at the time) did the internal fit out, that is basically what it says on the engineers report, then the owner moved to Qld and that was where the bloke we are buying from purchased it, 13 yrs ago ....

Soooo....... the nerves are a little more settled, in the back of the mind I keep recalling just how slack Victoria is regarding electrical compliance, the current owner is sending us all the photos of the modification plates and the chassis number, along with as many bits of papwerwork he can find from the import paperwork onwards, and we will travel up that way in the Mazda, so Margaret can check it out, if it passes all of those tests, probably register it on Monday or Tuesday in our names, then drive it home with Margaret driving the Mazda ... doesn't have a licence to drive the Fuso yet

Margaret sent me a link to this one .... https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/kurrajo ... 1305112938
why couldn't she have found that one first ..... contacted the owner, deposit already taken .....

T1 Terry

[Busman]

Looks a better, more compliant one to me, string out the first one to see if the second one deposit falls over. Way too many ifs with the first one in my eyes/

[T1 Terry]

All the paper work was sent and all checks out/matches up, so it looks like goer.
Bill, we have paid a $5,000 deposit, I guess we could try for a part refund or just walk away .... but I'm just not that sort of person, certainly not the right make up for a business owner ....
I certainly would have preferred the second one, not sure the minister for war and finance would choose the 4 x 4 over the Rosa, I might go off road with it You know the saying "happy wife ... do they really exist" or something along those lines

This whole retirement gig is so much easier ... well, once all the dust settles and life returns to as normal as it can get for people like us

T1 Terry

[Busman]

For me, if there is the slightest hint of issue with compliance, I feel you have every right to a refund.
As the the "morals" of asking for a refund, especially if there is a reason, for me they don't exist, and it seems others as well. After 3 very full days showing VP they paid a 10K deposit, came in the next morning and asked for it back, and there were absolutely no issues or possibilities as you have posted above, so I would not let that concern me.

[BernieQ2]

I had much the same as bill, when I sold "tanks" and was given 5k into bank... they rang the next day and said they had second thoughts...I transferred the money back to them.sold it the next week.
Bernie.

[Busman]

BTW in case not clear we did a refund,they offered to leave "something" on the table but I just wanted them out of my sight so transferred the lot.

[Dot]

Can you not get a consult engineer to go over it and certify, and then have a gas fitter and sparkie to do their thing . BTW I sent you an email Mr T. Put some L plates on the bus and Margaret can drive it as long as you have the correct license. Put the Mazda on a trailer and tow home. xx

[T1 Terry]

Can you not get a consult engineer to go over it and certify, and then have a gas fitter and sparkie to do their thing . BTW I sent you an email Mr T. Put some L plates on the bus and Margaret can drive it as long as you have the correct license. Put the Mazda on a trailer and tow home. xx

The gas can be done, the electrics would require every panel, including the ceiling, the wiring passes through to be removed so the wiring can be followed from the source to the RCD enclosure and from there to each and every power point. If the cable under the floor was not run through conduit (not split conduit) then either the floor removed or the tanks etc removed to access and sight the cable runs to verify none run through any holes without sufficient protection and there is no likelihood of the cables chaffing by way of the correct method of securing the cables.
Basically, strip out the fitout, then rebuild, easier to simply run new cabling .... not what we want in a motorhome ready to hit the road .....

The paperwork all matches up, as long as the cabling I can access via the power points and RCD enclosure meet specs visually ... and Margaret is happy (maybe that should have been the first priority) then I think the sale will go ahead ......

T1 Terry

[Dot]

bugger, maybe a cockroach with a head cam could be employed?

[supersparky]

T1, if you check the GPO's to ensure that both the active and neutral are switched, that would be a good indication of the standard of the rest of the work. If the workmanship looks sh#t, then it probably is.