Checks when accepting your Marco Polo

[Epigram]

Having read these useful forum pages it would seem that some dealers are not particularly au-fait with the camper side of the MP, and that various problems have become apparent shortly after vehicles have been delivered. These might have been nipped in the bud if the dealer had been more thorough in his pre-delivery inspection and customer hand-over.
The Mercedes on line instructions are pretty good but there is nothing like a hands on practical demonstration of key points when accepting a vehicle and to confirm that things are operationing as they should.
If we assume that the dealership is familiar with, and able to check and demonstrate, the car-like facilities (sat nav, cruise control etc.), what do forum members think should be checked and demonstrated on the camper van side?

Some items that come to mind are:

1) How can the gas cooker be proved to be operational (or system checked for leaks) without a gas bottle?

2) The water tap and tank drainage and the location/removal/replacement of the water pump fuse.

3) Rear seats not folding flat are/have been a problem, therefore demonstrating the location of the l’usine reset switch would seem sensible.

4)Turning the swivel seat on the drivers side with out getting it stuck (as did one salesman when demonstrating!)

5)Precautions when opening and closing the roof, awning etc.

I am sure there are more and purchasers could benefit from your good and bad experiences.

 

[BabaJen]

Not an MP owner but just with my camper hat on:

1: Never needed to do this. A question of wing it until you get home, pop in a gas bottle and in the highly unlikely event that no gas flows then back to the dealer.

2: Certainly ask where the pump fuse is but otherwise as for 1.

3: Having read a lot of comments from MP owners definitely have a test of locating and using the reset button.

4: It's down to practice. A lot of camper owners mark the spot where the front seat is in optimum position. I have never bothered. It just becomes second nature after a while.

5: Nothing beats mark 1 eyeball. Get out, walk round and check it's not catching when about 2/3 down. Never try and lower without the lee side window or door being open to allow the air in the bellows to escape.

 

[Method7]

Seems like a terrible time to start looking for problems, and what are you going to do when you find one?

One would assume that any issue you might find wouldn’t necessarily effect the drive ability, safety or security of the vehicle since all this would have been checked, And i hardy think a loose jubilee clip would be a deal breaker.

You have a warrantee, as long as it looks fab and has 4 wheels pointing in the right direction sign on the dotted line and get out of there ASAP.

You can then, at least enjoy your purchase without some poorly fitted suit telling you shite and trying to upsell even more stuff you don’t need.

 

[rovimor]

BabaJen and Method7 are on the right track here. Other than familiarising ourselves with the vehicle and fuse locations we have just got on with it. So far - no problems (other than roof paint blisters) and I am very happy with the support from the dealer with the very few queries that have arisen, however that may be due to the fact we did a fair bit of research before we bought the MP and we are reasonably seasoned campers.

 

[Epigram]

Thanks to the helpful posts on this thread and elsewhere I think I now have a good idea of what to look out for.

It seems the consensus is to have fun and enjoy. I absolutely agree and am intending to do this this. After all the primary purpose of our vehicles is to provide a means to pleasure and leisure, however we individually achieve this.

I apologise for my pessimism but past purchases of new vehicles (albeit not Mercedes) has left me somewhat sceptical of the pre-delivery checks performed by some dealerships.

Warranty only covers repair, it does not recompense the inconvenience of a long round trip to and from the dealer to resolve something under warranty.

Camper vans, unlike cars, are more likely to loaded with our personal effects which may need to be removed while the vehicle is at the dealer. This is inconvenient and disruptive. If away trips are planned, providing a substitute vehicle while warranty work is undertaken may not be an acceptable or viable option.

Therefore IMO it’s better to be sure things work first time and not have the the stress and potential argument of returning the vehicle to the dealer to persuade them to do something under warranty. I will collecting my vehicle In the next couple of weeks so watch this space!

Method7, my wife tells me that there is a bigger risk from me in a confined space after several pints of beer than the vehicle failing a gas check. She has made several suggestions for the jubilee clip that are not appropriate to the forum. ;-)