Servicing FAQ's

Questions & Answers

• Q: Why do I need to get my touring caravan / motorhome serviced?

  A: Your leisure vehicle needs to be regularly serviced to ensure roadworthiness and the habitation areas need regular inspection to make sure there has been no deterioration. If your leisure vehicle is under warranty, it will require servicing within a stipulated time for that warranty to continue.

• Q: What does a service cover?

  A: All Approved Workshops work to a specific check sheet for both Motorhomes and tourers, a copy of these can be downloaded below.

  Download the motorhome habitation check sheet

  Download the tourer habitation check sheet

• Q: What is the base cost of a service for a leisure vehicle?

  A: Our base price for a service is *£295.00 (single axle), *£365.00 (twin axle) and *£245.00 (Motorhome - habitation only). There is also a hourly labour rate of £85.00. Please, get in touch to discuss your needs.

  ^{*prices are subject to change, depending on your individual needs and requirements, please contact us for a no obligation quote.}

• Q: How often should I have my tourer / motorhome serviced?

  A: Leisure vehicles should be serviced on an annual basis, even if a tourer or motorhome is used only a couple of times a year (Lack of use can cause it's own problems).

  If you intend to tour a great deal, especially in areas where the roads are not well surfaced, then it is worth considering more than one service per year. Poor roads can adversely affect tyres, suspension, bodywork and fittings etc.

• Q: Which manufacturers' caravans can be serviced by Approved Workshops?

  A: The Approved Workshop Scheme is supported by all major manufacturers, so whether you have an Adria, Airstream, Bailey, Coachman, Dethleffs, Elddis, Lunar and Swift vehicles (or others) there will be an Approved Workshop near you able to service it.

• Q: How often should I get my tyres changed?

  A: The Approved Workshop Scheme recommends that you should have your tourer or motorhome tyres changed every seven years. This is in line with the British Tyre Manufacturers Association (BTMA) guidelines.

• Q: I have a motor mover, will it be covered under a routine Approved Workshop Scheme (AWS) service?

  A: While a workshop would be expected to perform a basic function and safety check (to highlight fundamental safety issues), motor movers and other optional items are not a standard element of the AWS (Approved Workshop Scheme) specification caravan service. The same would be true of other optional fittings (e.g., air conditioning units).

  Checking/servicing/maintenance of such items may be included as an additional, chargeable service option - ask your workshop.

• Q: How long will the service take to complete?

  A: A motorhome habitation service will usually take around three hours. A single axle tourer service will take around four hours, or a little longer for a twin axle tourer.

• Q: Will the gas appliances in my tourer/motorhome also be serviced?

  A: Gas appliances will be safety checked but not serviced as part of the basic service; you can ask for this to be carried out (at an extra cost). Please note some appliance manufacturers will not continue any warranty into the second or third year unless the appliance has been serviced annually - check with your appliance manufacturer.

• Q: How important is it to service a gas-fuelled appliance?

  A: Carbon monoxide poisoning is a real danger - in the home and in a leisure vehicle. So, owners should have their motorhome or tourer's gas appliances serviced annually by a competent gas engineer and should consider using an audible carbon monoxide alarm.

• Q: Can the service be carried out by a mobile workshop and still maintain my warranty?

  A: All the major UK manufacturers support the Approved Workshop Scheme and servicing within the warranty period can be performed by any AWS member without this affecting the warranty.

• Q: Will the Approved Workshop be able to carry out warranty work?

  A: Yes, provided that you have an agreement with your supplying dealer.

• Q: My supplying dealer does not have an Approved Workshop. Is this a problem?

  A: The major UK manufacturers support the Approved Workshop Scheme. They are encouraging their dealer networks to become members of the Scheme. A supplying dealer needs a workshop to be able to carry out pre-delivery inspection and warranty work. All Approved Workshops must meet the exacting standards of the manufacturers and particularly those of the scheme through the Code of Practice.

• Q: What is an EICR and why must I sign a disclaimer if I don't have one done?

  A: The Electrical Safety Council recommends caravans should undergo periodic testing at least once every three years and the two consumer Clubs endorse this view – an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is issued following completion of the test. Testing is not, however, compulsory. Read why an EIC test is important and why an AWS may ask you to sign a disclaimer if you decline one.

• Q: Is bulb replacement covered on a service?

  A: Yes, but depending on how easy the bulb is to replace, you may incur a small charge.

• Q: My dealer has gone out of business, but I am still under warranty. What can I do?

  A: Contact your Tourer/Motorhome manufacturer and they should be able to work together with another dealer to correct any warranty issues.

• Q: I heard of an incident where the nearside wheels on a tourer came loose?

  A: Wheels do not come loose under normal circumstances if tightened to the correct torque. It is recommended however that you always check the tightness of wheel nuts before every trip. If the wheels have been removed during a service (or for other reasons) the torque of the wheel nuts should be rechecked after 50 miles.