Derek Uzzell Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Forum members will be aware that it's commonplace for larger appliances (eg. heaters or fridges) installed in motorhomes/caravans to have their own warranties, and that these warranties may have conditions and a duration that differ from the warranties that relate to the rest of the leisure-vehicle. When it comes to refrigerators fitted to 'European' leisure-vehicles, Dometic dominates the market. I believe that (within the EU) Dometic fridges carry a 1-year warranty, but a letter ("Out in the cold") on page 44 of September 2008's Caravan Club Magazine refers to fridges made by Thetford having a 3-year warranty. However, the letter goes on to warn that, although this 3-year warranty period is clearly mentioned in Thetford's fridge handbook, what is made much less apparent is that, to maintain the warranty's validity, the fridge must be "independently serviced every year". The letter-writer says that this servicing requirement is explained in Thetford's handbook but not in the warranty-related section, and adds that there is no explicit statement in the handbook advising that failure to have the fridge serviced annually will invalidate the 3-year warranty. Anyway, if your motorhome has a Thetford fridge, it might be worth you checking its handbook to confirm the warranty terms and conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted August 30, 2008 Share Posted August 30, 2008 Derek, not sure what van was refered to but my Swift has a Thetford fridge and it is covered under the Swift warranty, although i would assume they sort things out with Thetford. The warranty is indeed three years and Swift clearly state you must have a habitation service once a year, this covers the fridge along with everything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 31, 2008 Author Share Posted August 31, 2008 Rupert: The CC letter referred to a Coachman VIP caravan that (apparently) "is serviced regularly". I've read motorhome 'conversion' warranties where major appliances (eg. heaters, fridges) are excluded and, if such an appliance develops a problem, rectification will normally rely on the terms and conditions of the appliance's own warranty as specified by its manufacturer. If the information in the CC letter is correct, I can envisage potential problems arising with Hobby motorhomes, some of which have Thetford fridges. Hobbys have a 2-year 'conversion' warranty that requires no mandatory 'habitation' servicing to be performed and the German dealer from which I purchased my own motorhome gave me to understand that this warranty did not cover the fridge or heater. If this is so, then it would immediately seem to present potential problems should a Thetford fridge develop a fault after 12 months have elapsed and Thetford's own warranty conditions demand that the fridge be (as the CC letter puts it) "independently serviced every year". You'd need to read the CC letter to get the full picture. I haven't got a Thetford fridge myself and no easy access to a Thetford fridge handbook to confirm that what the letter says is right. I'm always wary of the accuracy of what's said in magazine letters but, in this case, I thought it worth bringing the matter to forum-members' attention just in case it might affect them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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