Sugoi Campers vans - check your electrics

[tarvos]

Hi all,

 

If you have a Sugoi Campers (south coast) converted van, like us, as Keith Bishop once said, "word of warning"...Get your electricals checked out, seriously...

 

I've just spent the afternoon pulling out some horrors which means I'm now in a rush to reharness all of this before an upcoming trip, so I'm seriously unimpressed. Yes this is partially venting but also it's safety related info and I gather they converted a few Alphards (and Elgrands) down here. 

 

Some highlights:

• A completely unfused 16mm2 live wire, straight from the leisure battery, no conduit, running down the full length of left hand side of the van through several steel bulkheads. A survivable side impact could very easily have shorted this and burnt the van to the ground.
• The leisure battery ground cable was 16mm2 when the total load for the leisure circuits was 210A. This should have been 35mm2 minimum. Again, burning the thing to the ground is a very achievable outcome here. In a way they knew this needed to be more, as the outgoing live cables were a 16mm2 and a 25mm2. "Black cables aren't dangerous" clearly.
• The 1.5kW inverter input cables terminated with thumb screws, that were...thumb tight...

 

Maybe we got unlucky but we had many issues with their work (not just electricals - lots more body and mechanical issues that I'm restraining myself from "just moaning about") which we made clear, and duly returned it for rework many times, up until they went...into...liquidation...I rather hope they've tweaked their workshop practices somewhat in the new conversion company I'm super excited to see they've started...

 

Cheers

[Rojie]

13 minutes ago, tarvos said:

Hi all,

 

If you have a Sugoi Campers (south coast) converted van, like us, as Keith Bishop once said, "word of warning"...Get your electricals checked out, seriously...

 

I've just spent the afternoon pulling out some horrors which means I'm now in a rush to reharness all of this before an upcoming trip, so I'm seriously unimpressed. Yes this is partially venting but also it's safety related info and I gather they converted a few Alphards (and Elgrands) down here. 

 

Some highlights:

• A completely unfused 16mm2 live wire, straight from the leisure battery, no conduit, running down the full length of left hand side of the van through several steel bulkheads. A survivable side impact could very easily have shorted this and burnt the van to the ground.
• The leisure battery ground cable was 16mm2 when the total load for the leisure circuits was 210A. This should have been 35mm2 minimum. Again, burning the thing to the ground is a very achievable outcome here. In a way they knew this needed to be more, as the outgoing live cables were a 16mm2 and a 25mm2. "Black cables aren't dangerous" clearly.
• The 1.5kW inverter input cables terminated with thumb screws, that were...thumb tight...

 

Maybe we got unlucky but we had many issues with their work (not just electricals - lots more body and mechanical issues that I'm restraining myself from "just moaning about") which we made clear, and duly returned it for rework many times, up until they went...into...liquidation...I rather hope they've tweaked their workshop practices somewhat in the new conversion company I'm super excited to see they've started...

 

Cheers

 

Hello George,

 

Thank you for reporting this to The Membership

 

I need to do some research on this company.

 

We have had several complaints about certain companies in Southampton; NOT necessarily convertors.

 

I will try to investigate this company to ascertain whether there is any connection with other 'suspect' companies in that area.

 

My standard response on issues like this is take photos, gather evidence, and report your findings to Trading Standards; and any motoring organisations the company may claim to have membership of. You could, possibly, seek the advice of a solicitor with a view to suing the company for all your additional expense.

 

Finally, perhaps you should have returned the vehicle to the convertor (as supplied) and demanded some form of restitution.

 

However, I fully understand why you may not feel that is an appropriate course of action.

[tarvos]

Thanks Rojie, have DM'd you. Sugoi is now in liquidation. Comically they were members of the Guild of Master Craftsmen but the Guild is not really an Ombudsman of any sort I found after contacting them. Redress wise, it's all in the past now unfortunately. Just hoping someone may see this and will save them an expensive result after they try their new camping kettle like I did, but didn't think to waggle their arm around behind the battery to test the temperature of the cabling. It was a bit hot.

[Rojie]

I have received your DM, thank you.

 

As far as I can tell this company is not connected, or affiliated, to any other companies that have been reported to this Forum.

However, I did find another company which appears to have close links with the now defunct Sugoi Campers.

 

If you have gas installed I would get a Gas Safety Certificate for your van; mainly to check the integrity of the installation.

 

There is much advice I could offer prospective purchasers, of vans and /or conversions.

The main one is Do Your Homework.

 

Companies House is an excellent resource for facts (as opposed to opinions).

Trustpilot is excellent for both facts and opinions.

 

 

[tarvos]

Yes if I was to do this again I would have a full spec written down and agreed in writing ahead of placing the deposit, all the way down to cable and fuse sizes. We were in too much of a rush and busy with work and family during the build and left ourselves wide open unfortunately. 

Since going through this palaver I've wondered whether the community, perhaps led by a group of reputable conversion co's could come up with an "Open Source Contract" van conversion requirements or specs template that could be branched and tweaked to suit individual needs. I don't think it would need to be that complicated or wordy to give lay customers something to negotiate around.

We don't have gas, thank goodness, but good point...

[Rojie]

30 minutes ago, tarvos said:

Yes if I was to do this again I would have a full spec written down and agreed in writing ahead of placing the deposit, all the way down to cable and fuse sizes. We were in too much of a rush and busy with work and family during the build and left ourselves wide open unfortunately. 

Since going through this palaver I've wondered whether the community, perhaps led by a group of reputable conversion co's could come up with an "Open Source Contract" van conversion requirements or specs template that could be branched and tweaked to suit individual needs. I don't think it would need to be that complicated or wordy to give lay customers something to negotiate around.

We don't have gas, thank goodness, but good point...

 

 

These vehicles are impressive, to say the least.

Naively, a test drive can lead to a compulsion to own one.

 

It is all too easy to get carried away in excitement with the prospect of all those travels in luxury and comfort.

 

I did, but I was very fortunate to choose the right vehicle, for which I paid the AA for a thorough Inspection Report, from a better suppler, and was extremely fortunate to select a convertor who knew his trade, a Master Carpenter, and did exactly what I asked him to build. Every piece was precision cut an a huge routing table).

 

As it turned out, a marvellous combination of his skills,  knowledge and experience and some interesting requirements specified by myself.

 

In my personal opinion, drafting a 'set' of Terms and Conditions is vastly beyond the scope of the Club.

 

I have considerable experience with Ts & Cs BUT, and it is a huge but, getting the parties to agree without significant alterations can be nearly impossible and is always very time consuming.

 

Isn't that why most of us just sign them. Some may read them, fewer understand them, most just sign them unread !

 

HAPPY CAMPARDING.

[tarvos]

I decided to play Youtuber and made a 15min video to explain what I found, I hope it's useful. Would be interested to hear if others have these issues or if it's just us. Some bonus problems I haven't mentioned before including a serious electric shock risk from the inverter