i am blown away at how calm you guys have been through this entire thing, i would be driving the van through the front wall of that place after all the crap you guys have been through. the customer service sounds disgusting.
Im so gutted for you guys. Your family has been through the ringer with this van and Im not sure how you can have faith in mankind after being held up on your holiday plans by weeks at your expense and told so many times ‘it’ll be ready tomorrow ‘-and ‘it cant be done’. Its disgraceful that a company could take your money then treat you this way. I work in the RV industry and its given me a great insight into how ‘not’ to treat customers. Thank you for sharing your experience, all be it a terrible one. I hope your family can spend some quality time together from here on out and get some use out of the van. Cheers from NZ
I will never buy one of those vans ever, so good on your telling us about the warranty issues, and the inability of the company not capable of repairing it. I would buy an older 30 year old van before I would buy any new made Aussie van, as I don't think any Aussie van company today can make a quality van these days. You just hear about all the trouble people have today with the rubbish van companies out there. Australian made back before 1990 was excellent, since then, it is just rubbish. No such thing as quality control at all today. Just hope your troubles are all over now, and you guys can have a much better enjoyable trip.
For the past year, I've been looking at new vans, as Im eventually going to purchase one. After all the time spent on researching and travelling to countless dealerships, I had finally decided to go with a Marvel van and put a deposit on this week. Now it looks like I'm back to the drawing board 😢 I wish you guys all the best and hope your outstanding issues are resolved.
Hi Glen Thanks for watching. Please keep in mind there are issues industry wide (join any owners group and you will see this 😑)and it's possible you could have a completely different experience to us (and we really hope you do!) Fingers crossed whichever way you go it works out 🤞🤞
You have patience like a Saint 😇 Sad to see how companies handle issues and come backs 😪 wish you all the best and hope the problems are resolved soon Greetings and cheers 🍻 from south africa 🇿🇦
I had the same problem as you with the door! Spent hours trying to figure out what was wrong with it. Finally figured it out. The outside screen bottom latch wasn't going in far enough. So made a packer out of 3mm alloy. Placed it behind the latch. No issues since.
Well look guys, you have been so patient and thanks for sharing. I really do hope that you don’t have any more issues and your future adventures are nothing but exciting and fun. You really deserve it.
Hi guys, we watched your video last night because we got a GAC last year and had very similar experiences with the factory. I don’t even want to rehash what happened to us because it’s been 8 months now and we are still trying to move on. We just had some warranty repairs done too that were just as poor. We have 2 videos that may interest you on our channel: Caravan Stuff Up and Caravan Walkthrough - 6 Month Honest Review and then continues when we picked up the van with Towing Solo. Anyway we found GAC through Marvel and we really wanted a Marvel but the dealer was in QLD but built in VIC so we went with GAC. All I can say is Sunseeker & Marvels brands will be damaged if they keep using another brand to make their vans. They have no control over the build, updates or repairs. As you know, the minute you walk into the factory there is no welcome, no support, no interest. We love our van, we didn’t love our experience. We are very sorry to watch your episodes and feel your pain and frustrations. I was fuming as I knew exactly how you were treated! Well done for telling it like it was and not sugar coating it.
Hey guys :) Yeah the factory are really difficult to deal with which makes the whole process harder. Once its all fixed we will be happy with the van but the experience has been beyond stressful :( We have been watching your videos for awhile, its horrible that you guys have gone through so much crap as well but also let us know we weren't the only ones. Hopefully we will run into each other on the road sometime :)
@@trippinaroundoz we’re both in the same boat for sure. I watched your caravan tour last night. Your bunk beds are nice and easy to access. We got rid of the ladder otherwise the opening to the bottom bunk would be too small. I miss the club lounge so much! Thanks for watching too.
OMG! I'm actually at the stage where I'm about to look for a new off road caravan and SUNSEEKER is my number 1 choice. I made this choice after reviews from great blogs and videos like TIAV etc. This now has put me on the back foot and I'm going to hold back and see what eventually happens to you good people. Shame to Marvel and whichever other company is involved with them. I'm praying for you!
Thanks Theo - appreciate the support! Probably worth mentioning that Sunseeker sells both Sunseeker vans (built by titanium) and Marvel vans (built by great aussie). So if your wanting the Sunseeker brand - it will be built by a different company in a different factory. From all accounts titanium vans are very good (we didnt know they were different at time of ordering).
@kevviekevvie8440 actually I disagree with your TIAV comment as I followed them for a while and they are one of the more objective and my number one channel for more objective reporting. I visited places they recommended (just got back from Rapid Bay), use companies and products they recommended ie Anaconda etc. I doubt they would recommend anything that's a "lemon". It wouldn't help them either. One has to be a realist and know sometimes things can go wrong and that is why I don't comment normally as issues get fixed. But in this case, these Marvel issues are so bad and there's so many of them and especially the way they treated the customers that I had to say something in their support. But I can't start bad mouthing everyone, especially an excellent channel like TIAV
Kinda makes you understand, why those who update their vans every couple years!!!Other than batteries life has neared the end given they only have certain amount recharging life, I’m guessing these are some of the other hidden issues. Feel so sorry for you, we’ve had to re- seal our van due to water leaks.
Everyone bags out Chinese made but there is obviously as many vans with issues that are made here in Australia that come with a massive mark up in price, and the service you can get from some of these "Aussie" companies can be just as bad. It's poor workmanship that causes all this and just because something is made here, doesn't mean it's made well. Sorry to see the distress this has caused you. You actually have been more patient than most people would have.
We had similar issues, eventually worked through them all. The manufacturer was zero help though even though we had the warranty. I dropped it in for some warranty fixes and asked for a service too, they did the service (I had to pay) then told me they were too busy and short staffed to do the warranty fixes. You might be better finding a private repairer to fix the issues and just accept the additional cost. I remember when I picked it up after purchase it had no D shackles and they acted like they were doing me a huge favour by giving be one. Caravanning is a great experience but the industry is run by dishonest people.
I agree with you there, we will have to get it looked at by another company. I will be sending them the bill (and hoping they pay it!). Its such a shame that its the norm for brand new vans to need so much warranty work so soon and to have such a struggle to get it sorted
@Trippin Around Oz I doubt they'll pay, for us it was in the contract that all warranty repairs must be at one of their approved centres which make up every excuse in the book to get out of it. Ours has a 2 year warranty and I can tell they're just trying to buy time until the 2 years is up. Sad because it's a great caravan now but the experience has left a sour taste in my mouth. It's not common for this kind of thing to happen in Australia so we're not used to having to be so vigilant. I suspect this behaviour is ordered from the top down because they all do it. A class action lawsuit would probably wake them up if it ever happened until then they will just take the money and not care about their customers.
There are a lot of articles about the sloppy construction and warranty problems in the van industry today but seeing this really brings it home. I hope those watching this take the time to post an appropriate comment in the Google reviews so others are aware of that companies cowboy customer service.
We have heard there is a lot happening behind the scenes to try and get the industry regulated. Hoping this is true for all future buyers of caravans - there are so many horror stories across the board
My god, how do you guys stay so calm! They are totally disrespecting you guys as customers. I would loose my sh*t by now after waiting so long to receive it and having these serious issues! 😡
We would have pulled out of the contract already when the first few delays and lies were surfacing. We certainly would not have waited that long. And we did it - we pulled out from a contract after waiting for 12 months already last year because we realised the company just doesn't care what the customer wants, ignores upgrades and appliances that are signed and fixed in the contract and just changes the things the way they wanted - with no information to the customers, they have to find out by themselves and take it or leave it. The dealership tried to cover that but really we lost trust in both during the process. And yes we were already living on the road with no home to go back to. Although we had a caravan to live in and just wanted to upgrade. Trippin Around OZ - we wish you all the best and hoping that the rest of the issues will be sorted in no time so the stress for your family is history soon. Feeling for you ♥
I constantly hear of all these caravan builders who don't honour their product. I consider myself incredibly fortunate in that the Fantasy hybrid I purchased is almost perfect. The two minor problems I had with it were fixed without a drama and on the same day. I hope you three now can enjoy your caravan the way you hoped and come and see our great West. Bon voyage!!!
It’s horrible to be exploited by bad people - I’m a senior now and have been a victim of crime four times (burglaries, attacked) sold a vehicle that was welded from two halves, ripped off by a car dealership for repairs and so on - there are good folk out there but a lot of them will take anything they can get without any sense of social responsibility - I’ve learnt now to do as much research on anything before committing - these dodgy companies should not be in business - all the best with your outcomes, look after each other and enjoy our beautiful state of SA.
Thanks John - we did a heap of research prior to ordering. Covid seems to have caused a multitude of issues including shortage of skilled labour - its not good enough but its how it is :( also sorry to hear you have had your share of horrible things. SA is absolutely beautiful - we are very much enjoying ourselves!
Hi Guys, I have brand new Vision Hybrid - had some issues which were quickly fixed over the phone, a few others fixed by a sparky under warranty. I've forwarded your clip to the warranty manager for Sunseeker. Hopefully it works out. PS: don't buy a Marvel, ever.
Hey guys Marvel are aware of this video, they sent it to the factory. The problem is we have to go through Marvel who then have to go through Great Aussie for warranty stuff. Vision is straight through Sunseeker I believe. We finally got some approvals through yesterday so hopefully we can wrap up all these issues very soon.
It sucks when you trust someone to deliver a quality product and they don't. When there's a multitude of minor or some major faults, you're legally entitled to a replacement or refund by law. I had 18 faults on my new van 16 minor and 2 major. After waiting over 12 months for the build all they were offering was a refund, thinking I'd go away by dragging it out for six month's. The same van was 10k more to buy after waiting so long, so I wasn't budging and demanded a replacement. They said they couldn't rebuild in a reasonable time and were forced to replace it with one from a dealerships yard of equal or above value. I did well in the end, hold fast and don't give in. Water leaks cause structural damage and is classified as a major fault due to the structural damage it causes down the track
Hey Guys, With your door issue, I have one that has 4 locking points from the screen to the van and also have the same locking issue. After looking at the door I noticed ours was slightly bent out in the middle of the screen. My current work around was a simple stick on rubber bumper (8mm Surface Gard from Bunnings) and used two (one on top of the other) between the inner and outer door right at the locking point that I felt was not aligning correctly. This pushed the screen closer to the locking point and now works better without the need to slam the door or hang out of the window and push from the outside. Hope you also have some luck with this.
That really sucks. But typical. Makes my nine year old Jayco look good. It’s been everywhere and only had the odd loose screw here and there. I hate how everyone just wants to muck you around these days.
Its so sad that its become the norm. Glad your Jayco has been good for you! Must have been built back when there was more pride in building a quality product!
I really think it’s a “MARVEL” what you have both put up with. No purchaser of any goods bought in good faith let alone an expensive caravan needs to go through what you have. You really do need to seek out some legal advice. You have all your RU-vid vids to back up your claims and don’t forget to include all your out of pocket expenses for accomodation etc seeing as it is your home. From what I have seen you would have a very strong case. You also don’t know what issues that ingress of water and other issues you will have down the track either All the very best for your future travels.
Thanks Jeff - we will be getting the water leak looked at for sure, we would rather know either way. Hopefully we caught it early enough and there is no internal damage.
Interesting point about the break away system needing to apply brake lights (IAW ADR13) . I have trawled through the ADR, and could find no reference for the light activation. There is also nothing in the Vic trailer regs ( all these are available on line.. The ADR basically defines the standard the various lights must meet) .. Having brake lights come on when the breakaway is activated makes sense, and is an easy mod to construct, only needs a length of wire and a suitable in-line diode.. I thing the guy who weighed the caravan may have been told about ADR13, but hadn't checked it him self. He should be able to give the exact reference if he is going to declare / suggest the van unroadworthy.. As a side note, I looked at a number of breakaway kits, and none ( and these included some big names, though the Redarc unit activates the brake lights..) As for the shock at the tap, 12V DC will not give you a shock (28 volts in an aircraft can give you a slight tingle..) 240Volts is dangerous, and an extreme Safety concern and must be rectified as a matter of priority.. (P.S. I am a retired RAAF Avionics tech/ Electrical fitter {Aircraft} of 50 years experience..)
Hi Brock Thanks for your comments. I am not sure exactly what the reference was in the ADR - he did mention it but I didn't write it down. We got him to tell the factory the reference point and that was when they all of a sudden could fix it. We are hoping the 240v issue has been fixed, they have recertified the van.
We are picking up our van in two days. I really hope we don’t have the same problem you guys have because I honestly don’t think I could be as patient as you guys are being
Thats exciting!!! Don't let our experience damper yours, some vans are completely fine, we just seem to have drawn the short straw. Happy caravanning!!
Oh my Dog… you both have far better restraint than me… I… I don’t have words to describe it. You’ve been treated as an annoyance not a customer. Since they can’t fit disc brakes with the emergency brakes… I guess it wouldn’t matter if the relevant state bodies were advised of this… Also, I’d reach out to Carafan and let them know the kind of muppets that are installing their product.
Feel sorry for you guys hope you recorded or filmed their factory.The Accc or ombudsman and maybe current affair to stop these people doing the same to someone else.Should not be treated like that and should be bending over backwards to rectify everything 🙏 all the best on a outcome.Keep up the good work on the vids cheers 🦐🐟🦈
I hope they removed the OLD silicone before re-sealing the Carafan as New silicone doesn't adhere to Old silicon very well and leaks would reappear. The Stop light connection on the Breakaway is a single wire to connect to the stop light circuit to activate the stop lights when the breakaway switch is operated. As for the getting zapped in the rain by the tap, might pay to do an Earth Leakage Test in the next rainfall, you can get a tester most places and plug it into one of the GPO's . Bunnings have a cheap "Deta Power Outlet Tester Plug" for $13.67, you can also use this to test the caravan park power outlets before plugging you c-van into it. Hope you enjoy SA (and the rest)
Hi Peter Thanks for your comments :) It appears they just put new silicone over the old stuff - but we had previously had the old stuff checked and the patch job we did had stopped the leaks. We will have to look into the tester you mentioned.
That was the biggest OMFG I have ever heard off. That place needs to be shut down, words escape me in describing the absolute lack of customer service, I would have said you fix everything NOW or I go to some higher people and demand my money back. You definitely purchased a lemon, sorry to say. Hopefully what they did claim to fix, is fixed and you can start to enjoy your adventure. ❤❤
Hi Karen, the day we went to pick it up and they said the breakaway couldn't be fixed - we sat in their office from around 10.30am til 3.30pm - fighting with them to get it fixed and then waiting around for it to be completed. Its beyond frustrating
@@trippinaroundoz I honestly think that through all your problems, that they didn’t know how to fix them, kept coming up with excuses and hoping you would just take it away out of frustration and go somewhere else.
It’s all well and good if you’re prepared to accept what has occurred with your van and that you’re mostly happy with the outcome but what about the next time the same thing happens to someone else? You guys ought to be taking those clowns to the cleaners IAW Australian Consumer Law so that someone else doesn’t suffer the same buffoonery. That said, I get that you don’t have the time or headspace for that whole rigmarole but it’s almost like you’ve totally let them off the hook.
You need to go to consumer affairs and they will handle it. If I was you I'd get my money back and get a new van. The water damage alone should secure that. We used consumer affairs with a second hand car we brought and everything got fixed quick smart after they got involved.
Haha oh dear. We aren't trying to discourage people from travelling, just trying to show real life not only the good stuff (though we have plenty of videos on the good stuff as well) 😊
I'm sure all brand ambassadors get treated really well. Worth noting though that TIAV ordered a Sunseeker van which is built in a different factory by a different company
Wow 😱 absolutely disgusting experience, how can they be in business. I can't believe how calm you both are, i would've lost my shit. The least they could've done was pay for your accommodation.
Hey Kiro Yeah it was a really disappointing experience. We will get the next lot of repairs done somewhere else and hopefully get some better service 🤞
my caravan servicer and repairs - only does warranty on Jayco because they pay - majority of other vans they will repair under warranty and charge the owner who can then claim a refund rather than them having to chase the builders
Sounds like you have a wiring issue in your 12v were your fans are, would be very very unlikely 4 fans would be faulty, also sounds like the chassis isn’t earthed on the 240v side, or your RVD or RCD would trip off because of leakage, if your van has an RCD I would swap it out for a RVD, but I would be also checking not sure what inverter you run, if it’s an enerdrive inverter there should be a earth cable from a stud
We have actually now spoken to a lot of people and it seems that Fresca fans all do this - so just a sub-par product. We now have sirocco fans and they are working perfect :) The inverter does have an earth and they have now put in a new RCD so hopefully its all sorted now.
@@trippinaroundoz those fans must be really crap I’ll definitely avoid them, did they say the rcd was faulty? Seems really sus to me I think they forgot to earth the chassis or there was a nuetral fault
I had a small issue with my caravan, called fair trading they said itll be 1 month by the time they look at it, and the way they talk is if you dont have a leg to stand on, thats where i call lawyers, dont care how much they charge.
OMG, the drama's you couple have gone through. Not good for Sunseeker or Great Aussie Caravans. I wonder if it is better to buy a 2 or 3 year old van with the hope that any issues have been dealt with???? Not sure if you are in SA yet but I can give you some hints on where to go/ things to do if you like. Oh and still happy to give your car a wash lol.
Once second hand caravan prices go back down to normal it's a really good option. We were going to get second hand but at the time were only around $5000 more for brand new, we thought that was a good idea at the time 😅😅 We are in SA - all ears for any secret spots 😊 You might regret the offer to wash the car, it's been about a month and it's filthy 🤣🤣
@@trippinaroundoz Cockle Train at Goolwa. There is also a petting farm on the airport road. there is also the Coorong spirit that leaves the wharf area and takes you through the Barrage and up into the Coorong, you get out to walk over the sand dunes to an Aboriginal settlement, very interesting trip. Victor Harbor has the Causeway to Granite Island. If you have the time Kangaroo island is great. Second valley has a jetty that is good for Squid and I have heard a couple of Kingfish being caught there but its maybe a bit late for them. The Yorke Peninsular has some great beaches and good Whiting fishing. Maybe I $10 to go to the car wash lol.
All too common these days unfortunately. I thought there was supposed to be some sort of "standard" applied to the caravan industry 🤷♂️! We have some major headaches with our caravan manufacturer🤬😡
Not good. They should have given you a loan van for the duration of the repair, but the poor communication and lack of enthusiasm to make good on their defects is two massive red flags
Hi Stephen Yeah it was a really disappointing experience. We were hoping to be done with warranty stuff after giving the van too them for such an extended period but its still ongoing for a few things.
Carafan install water leaks seems a problem amongst a lot of caravans? I have read forums of more expensive vans having the same issues. It does seem the carafan just does not replace a hatch but that also extra support in framing is needed also?
Question: Because you live in your van full time would your insurance cover your accommodation whilst your van is in getting fixed? Is that a possibility?
Hey Thanks for your comment :) If the van had been in an accident, then yes, we could get accommodation covered by insurance but not for it going in for warranty work 😞
Wow that's really bad ,and the mess left behind that's not good service either .. probley cost you an arm and leg for that as well ,, makes you kind of loose confidence and love from you van .. they should have bent over backwards for you fixed everything asked no questions and given you back a nice clean van..it's amazing they are in business still
What a nightmare. I’m an electrician and the electric shock your receiving is more than likely from a faulty neutral “somewhere”. Did it happen all the time or at one particular place you where at? I ask because it could be the supply to the van rather than the internals of the van. The earth stake suggested fix is laughable if it wasn’t so serious.
Hi Greg We only had it happen at one place, however we aren't hooked into power often. They did mention it may have been an issue with the power where we were however we still wanted everything checked thoroughly especially because of the water leaks we had - we thought maybe that was causing something to earth out.
Hi Bill. Thanks for that. Great Aussie Vans built our van (Marvel order their vans through them) and the factory we took it too for the warranty work was back to Great Aussie Caravans factory.
That is absolute crap, they have a legal obligation to fix the van especially the breakaway and the 240v. Maybe you need to go to the Melbourne 4x4 Show and hang out around their stand and let others know how poorly the van was built and how bad the warranty process and the actual repair work is…… Name and shame
The breakaway is fixed now (what a fight that was) and the 240v issue is supposedly sorted - fingers crossed!! I am hearing horror stories about warranty work across the board in the caravan industry at the moment :(
There "good" reviews are from guys who are over excited when picking up their vans, instead of waiting a few months, some have even down graded their reviews, make sure you leave one.
Your man is seething below the surface, and I do not blame him, from exageratted pricing on fitting a battery, to all the faults, you should be entitled to a full refund, not a good advertisement for sunseeker.
TBH I wouldnt bother going back to the idiots who created the drama, Id go to a caravan shop that does the maintenance, tell them whats happening, see if they can help with a quote and soft booking. THEN id go see a solicitor and get them to write a letter telling them If these things arent fixed ASAP. Stuffs gunna happen. legally. All these companies are putting idiots on that have no idea what they are doing. If that didn't get the ball rolling, I would be contacting the office of electrical safety and standards, workplace health and safety, the accc, and the onbudsman. I had a mate who ordered a brand new Jayco a few years ago. picked it up with his brand new cruiser. bloody thing wasnt straight on the frame and he almost rolled the cruiser but smashed up the van. These guys sound dodgy. If theres a 240v leakage problem and the RCD isnt picking it up thats a serious problem. Dont blame you about the fans too, they just cut corners and didnt tell you.
Thanks for your comment. We will most certainly not be sending the van back to them. Just trying to secure a booking with another repairer as the wait times are insane at the moment.
Send a letter with across the top...."Letter of Demand " this becomes a legal request for them to fix the problems. This "Letter of Demand" stands up in court. PS. Never ever buy a Avan .
It seems there are so many vans with issues at the moment. Fixing the issues is an ongoing process but we are doing everything we can to keep on them about getting it all sorted.
Just take all your vids to the ACCC and demand money from the company that you bought the van off, and then they can get a refund off the builders, it would be within your rights.
@@trippinaroundoz sorry I don’t mean to return the van, I mean to inform the ACCC of YOUR account of how you’ve been treated by this company, with their excuse of it’s not our company that built the van, because this electrical situation could of been fatal, and think of others in the same situation, with that company, I would of because it’s the right thing to do.
Every new manufactured product should be issued with a quality assurance check certificate of all the items tested/check, date/time and person responsible. I’ve had electrical systems installed that did not work because the wiring polarity on a solar input plug and the 12v fridge was back to front. How does a product assembled on a gig and tested, not work on delivery to a customer? Too busy and lazy to complete quality assurance!
We got told our van failed quality control so it was delayed being delivered (and they said they fixed those issues) and it still had problems - so yeah maybe they need an independent person to be completing the QA
No sympathy I’m afraid. Alarm bells should have gone off way before pick up when you had issues with contract. You had a contract with them you should taken them to court for a full refund.
The company we had the contract with (Marvel) are not the same people that built the van (Great Aussie) we were not anticipating once the contract issues were sorted to receive a van with quite so many issues. No one deserves that.
After seeing what you people have been through I beleive there are a few common problems which keep poping up and no1 is the customer(you) are too easy to get on Please dont change No2 there are companys out there that refuse to understand how to treat the customer with respect .After all ,the customer Is paying for there wages I think we as customer try to get on with each other but today we have to show for some reason that we are mates and the service provider thinks they are doing you a favour.I do believe we have become to privilage And it is a pity that the customer is turning out to be more knowledgble than the trader We are being taken advantage of because we are too lazy to argue back because we all know if we affend the trader he will just become more difficult to work with. Would it not be fantastic if we could go back to the days when the trader would say You have a problem with your product ,can you bring it around now.The rubbish in the van were made by people who doesnt understand what a tradesman is. Glad you mention the traders as there are plenty of others we can deal . Hoping things will improve
You guys are too tolerant of absolutely piss poor service. They should have fixed that in a few days not weeks. Marvel should be ashamed of such poor quality and service.
Unfortunately its a battle because we deal with the warranty department at Marvel then they have to deal with the warranty department at Great Aussie. Its coming together - the marvel warranty department have been really helpful.
Wa to nsw. Park the car. Central door locking will not lock. Then smoke comes from the car. Toyota. 1 years old. Your not alone. But your experience and time. What a fallout of fault that you have is a sad. And it goes on. You pore people ( sevice is a failure ( my God.