GC Washroom Panel Replacement

[DonGraham]

Info for those who have the washroom wall crack from the area around the heater vent.
I have just had the panel replaced under warrantee. It is now done, and overall it looks ok. I can see it's been replaced, mainly due to bright white silicon, but anyone else looking wouldn't know.
A huge, huge job though. On the job card it took around 38 hours, it was in the dealership workshop around 4 weeks. Just imagine the price of that at dealership rate if it wasn't under warrantee?! Everything has to come out of the washroom! Toilet, sinkunit, shower tray. It took over 2 full workdays just to remove the old panel! Then to clean off all the old silicon and re-assemble!
I am still waiting for a new washroom door. I have had 1 new door fitted due to original being warped at the bottom. The replacement was not much better. Since then, 4 more doors have arrived and been sent back, not even fitted, all either damaged or warped! The service manager has ordered 2 more doors in the hope that at least one will be ok to fit. So at least 7 washroom doors will eventually arrive in the hope to get a good one! The doors are £1400 each, not sure if that includes vat!
Somehow, I don't think VW will be making much profit out of my GC! The front radar unit now seems to be playing up, so that is on the list to be fixed now too. But, I still love the van, even with the grief it has given me, and with luck now getting to the end of the issues.
I insisted that only one person worked on the washroom. There is one guy at the dealership who seems clued up on the habitation area. It could be the reason that it was at the dealership for so long.
My hope is that the replacement panel is "modified and improved" and will not crack again! Keeping fingers crossed!

 

[Coachella]

good luck

 

[DonGraham]

Regarding washroom doors.... Last 2 have arrived damaged, dropped!
Now going for the 8th washroom door. Dealership are keeping the doors now, so they do not send the same ones back again! So far it's around £11,200 in washroom doors at £1400 each, not sure if vat included or not.
All I want is a door that is not warped and not damaged. Is that too much to ask?
Truly unbelievable!!

 

[bromleyxphil]

Don, would that be our local dealership who have one guy clued up? Is this issue that the hole cut for the outlet is too small so the expansion cracks the veneer?

 

[DonGraham]

Hi, I use Lookers VW at Carlisle, who do not have the best reputation! But, there is one guy Callum who does all the California habitation work. Any habitation work I insist that only Callum does it, and for such a major job it has worked out well. There are a couple of bits of sealant to re-do that will be done when new door fitted.
I'm not sure what causes the veneer to crack, but it must be heat related as it always starts fom the heater vent hole. When I fitted the Ecoflow Alternator Charger and had the bench seat top removed I disconnected the washroom heater vent to have a look with the old panel, and the outlet was actually quite a lose fit in the hole, so I don't think the hole is too small. People have commented that it may be due to the heater outlet vent being in the closed position, causing a build up of heat, and some have fitted an "always open" type vent. I haven't yet, but I will now make sure the vent is in the open position if using the heater.
I am not sure if the new panel is modified or improved? You would hope so! The washroom design of the new GC is basically the same as ours, so will cost VW a small fortune if many more panels require replacement during warrantee. So now keeping fingers crossed that things are ok now!
BTW, the latest washroom door arrived last Monday. It also arrived damaged, a squash type dint on the edge as if it had been dropped! I have now lost count of the doors that have been ordered, I know they have at least 3 they haven't sent back yet. Unbelievable!