camper trailer hire - poor service and poor materials

[katrx7 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close katrx7]

gday, just a quick note for the SA prado drivers, i hired a camper trailer from 'discover campers' in the barossa for the easter weekend, and what a mistake. when the jocky wheel bent (4 experienced campers couldnt move the wheel) and when trying to position the camper trailer it bent like it was sheet metal and not steel, i was charged $200 to repair it, as well as $3 for not leaving behind the scrubbing brush - yuk i wouldnt want it if i was next. after all was explained, and that i was happy to wear some of the cost i was told to pay full amount with no compassion. I would NOT recommend this company to anyone, especially with that attitude and poor service. what was an awesome weekend away in the flinders to be ruined by poor materiels and service.

hope this helps the next happy wanderers

[Mick081 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Mick081]

If you are ever in QLD the best value we got from a camper trailer was towtal touringjust google them for more info. Highly recommeded

[Matty80 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Matty80]

$200 for a jockey wheel on a trailer? seems pretty steep... !!!
At least it hasn't spoilt the entire weekend, although, it would sure put a dampener on the finish...

Thanks for the heads up to though.

We use Challenge campers down on near the south road/daws road intersection - good service and products!

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

$200 for a jockey wheel on a trailer? seems pretty steep... !!!

Not if you have to remove the old one and reweld the new one

Did you move the trailer with the jockey wheel wound up?

[craigm Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigm]

If you are ever in QLD the best value we got from a camper trailer was towtal touringjust google them for more info. Highly recommeded

Thats reassuring to know Mick081. We have just booked a Jayco Discovery for two weeks in Sept school holidays through Towtal. (Road trip up to Winton, across to Townsville and back down to Brissie via Airlie beach for a couple of days). No real off roading so a road van for this trip.

[120D4D Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 120D4D]

hope this helps the next happy wanderers

Good to know. I was considering a hire myself to find out what all the fuss is about with camper trailers!

Micheal

[alternative Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close alternative]

Heres a great place to hire campers in SA - www.coolabahcampers.com . I hired a Kimberley a couple of times from them a few years back before buying my own camper.

[NevDickens Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close NevDickens]

Just curious, Did you bend it while the trailer was hooked up to the car whilst you where positioning it, as in was it in the down position just as it would be after it would be taken off of the car? Because not to many will bend if they are folded up out of the way, or taken off. If it was in the down position it would bend pretty quick as they are not designed to work like that, they are only supposed to be used when the trailer is disconnected from the vehicle ie: so you can position your trailer more easily. $200 bucks is a fair price to remove and replace the bent jockey wheel considering the time involved. As for the the scrubbing brush, why would you take it? it would not matter what condition it was in....leave it ...it belongs to the firm hiring out the trailer.
Fair enough bag a hire mob that gives it customers a hard time, but somehow I dont think we are getting the full story.

[William Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close William]

200 bucks for a jockey wheel replacement is very steep indeed. At most $50 for jockey wheel and bracket/bolt and about 10 minutes to swap the broken one for the new one. If what you are saying is true, you have been shafted. However I do have my reservations about the story you have told. What kind of camper was it?

[lockedup Member Find all posts View Profile Close lockedup]

200 bucks for a jockey wheel replacement is very steep indeed. At most $50 for jockey wheel and bracket/bolt and about 10 minutes to swap the broken one for the new one. If what you are saying is true, you have been shafted. However I do have my reservations about the story you have told. What kind of camper was it?

doesnt that depend on how it is attached? it may be welded, bolted through draw bar or u bolts...

[NevDickens Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close NevDickens]

Thats right, not every jockey wheel replacement is a 10 minute job, Comes down to things like - is it a fold up type(not cheap), a simple clamp on,. bolted or welded to the draw bar. Sometimes these are welded to the inside of the drawbars and are hard to get at etc.. Labor costs are a factor as well.

[teamdevo Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close teamdevo]

Hey guys just thought i would put my two cents worth in for what it is worth. As a owner of a caravan hire business myself there is more to this story than is being told there always is. $200 is not a bad price and i would say that would be around the money i would charge as well it is not just the replacment of the jockey wheel (swing up around $80) but the labour and inconvience of having to take the camper somewhere to fix it (unless you can do it yourself) this all takes time i charge $60 an hour for any inconvience like that also you need to think did they have to cancel another booking as you had damaged there camper making it unusable for the next person. Customers need to read the terms and conditions carefully. Just for the record i havent ever charged anyone for small items eg scrubbing brush thats just crazy but i certainly have charged for damages done to my vans. Go and hire a car and see what they charge you for damages its the same thing. Moral of this is Read the terms and Conditions and look after it as if it was your own then you wont have issues. As a further note Towtal Touring company in brissie is a very good company i work with them on a regular basis.