News & Advice

What Is a Manufacturer's Warranty on a Motorhome or Caravan?

Manufacturers of new motorhomes and caravans provide a warranty on your vehicle. In summary, if something goes wrong with it during the period of the warranty they will fix it at their cost. The length of the warranties vary between manufacturers and vehicles, but typically are between five and ten years in length. In order to maintain the warranty, manufacturers require you to do certain things. This includes scheduled habitation checks for motorhomes and servicing for caravans.

Can Previously Owned Motorhomes and Caravans Have a Manufacturers Warranty?

The warranty on motorhomes and caravans is transferable. That is, the warranty can be passed on to the new owner if the vehicle is sold. However, check to see if there are any requirements such as informing the manufacturer that you are the new owner.

What is the Servicing Schedule?

Again the servicing schedule required to maintain the manufacturers warranty varies between manufacturers and vehicles. However, typically a motorhome or caravan may require a habitation service every 12 to 18 months. Crucially, it is important to understand that the manufacturers put a time limit on when you should have a scheduled service carried out. If you miss the schedule, it can invalidate your warranty. Miss the scheduled service date by one day and you can wave good bye to your warranty - yes this really happens on a regular basis!

The Difficulties of Getting a Warranty Service Carried Out

Why would someone miss their scheduled service date and invalidate their warranty? Well, it's all just down to practicalities really. The first thing to know is that most dealers that sell new motorhomes and caravans aren't actually that bothered about doing your warranty service. If they sell 500 new motorhomes and caravans a year, in five year's time, that is 2,500 warranty services they have to carry out in that year. On top of that they have to prepare new motorhomes for sale, carry out repairs, warranty work etc, etc. They just don't have enough time and space in their service departments to do it all.

This leads to several of problems. Firstly, some dealers may not be that diligent in reminding you it is time for your warranty service. Secondly, most will not carry out a warranty service on a motorhome or caravan they did not sell. Thirdly, their service bays are booked way ahead in advance. What does this lead? To conversations we regularly have with owners that go something like this: "I didn't realise my warranty service was due next month. The dealer I bought it from is booked up for six months and I can't get an appointment. None of the other dealers who sell them will do the service for me. Can you help me?"

Who Can Carry Out the Service For Me?

Historically, manufacturers have insisted that only their dealers, or a select few approved service centres, can carry out warranty servicing on their motorhomes and caravans. This though, as described above, has lead to problems and some bad PR for the manufacturers. They are keen to improve this area of their business. In recent years many manufacturers have been open to the idea of other service centres being able to do the warranty servicing. However, from their point of view the issue has always been about ensuring the quality of the service is up to standard. Things are improving and the NCC deserve some credit here for working with manufacturers to promote their AWS service centres. For instance, Adria have agreed that AWS approved companies such as Hab Check can now carry out warranty servicing on all of their motorhomes and caravans.

Can Habcheck Carry Out the Service For Me?

This whole issue goes right to the heart of how Habcheck came to exist as a business. We just really wanted to increase the options owners had for high quality motorhome habitations checks and caravan servicing.

As a result, we have been working hard with both the NCC and individual manufacturers to get approval to carry out warranty services. And we are glad to say, we have an ever growing list of manufacturers that we can carry out warranty services for.

What Should I Do Now?

The first thing to do is to get in touch and find out if your manufacturer is on our list. You can phone us on 0800 1114299 or send us your enquiry here.

Most importantly, whatever you decide to do, do it now and make sure you do not invalidate your warranty by not being able to get booked in for a service in time.