motorhomes caravans servicing repairs gas safety damp repairs workshop

2012 Scottish Caravan & Outdoor Show

Well Its that time of year again and we are busy planning our stand to display at the Scottish show.

This year we will be occupying the same spot as 2011, in Hall 4, Stand I 18.

We will be displaying a wide range of accessories and consumables suitable for motorhomers/caravanners alike.

solar panels I TV I satellites for motorhomes and caravans I Bike Racks I Awnings I Air Conditioning I Cruise Control I Air SuspensionI Reverse Cameras and more

As usual we will be offering fantastic show offers with may products at discounted prices.

REMEMBER you can also BOOK your annual motorhome habitation or caravan service at the show, we will be taking bookings over the four day event.

Also NEW for 2012; Motorhome Monster Hire.

motorhome hire scotland

Visit www.motorhomemonsterhire.com to view our motorhomes for rent.

Our online shop - Motorhome Monster is almost ready for the final touches.

We look forward to seeing you all soon, a fab day out for all.

K

Winterisation and Storage Advice

Winterisation & Storage Advice - Swift Motorhomes & Caravans

Winter is just around the corner!

MacPhails Motorhome & Caravan Workshop would like to remind our customers how to prepare their caravan or motorhome for storage during the winter months to prevent frost damage from occurring:

As a Swift Group Service & Repair Centre please see below the manufacturers guidelines for winter:

Servicing
Arrange (in advance) the yearly service and habitation check.

Plumbing
Open All tank drain valves to drain onboard and external tanks and leave open.

Open the safety drain valve (yellow handle) next to water heater and leave on.
Fully open all the taps and shower mixer, move mixer position to the middle and leave all taps in the open position.

Unscrew the shower head and shower hose, shake out remaining water and allow water to drain.It is advised to leave the shower head and hose disconnected.

Run pump for a short time until all water is expelled.
Disconnect the inlet pipeto the onboard water pump, mesh filter and outlet pipe, and re run the pump for a short time to ensure all the water is removed. Leave the system disconnected during storage.

Fit the cowl cover to the Truma Ultrastore.

Clean waste pipes and tanks using a sterilising fluid.

Electrical
If the vehicle is being stored while connected to 230v Mains Hook Up:

Ensure that the leisure battery is connected and the 20A local fuse(s) is connected.

The isolator switch on PSU (where fitted) should be in the 'ON' position however the control panel should be switched 'OFF'.

If Alde system is installed, there is a frost protection setting which can be used.

Vehicles can be left in this condition for external periodswith the charger operating to maintain the battery. However periodic maintenance and inspection is HIGHLY recommended, this will include the battery condition.

If vehicle is being stored not connected to 230v mains Hook Up:

Charge the leisure battery for 24 hours prior to placing caravan in storage.
Ensure the isolation button on PSU (where fitted) is in the 'OFF' position.
Ensure leisure battery is connected and 20A local fuse(s) is in place only if an alarm or tracker device is fitted.
The alarm/tracking device will eventually drain the leisure battery - Swift recommend regular (monthly) inspection/ re charging of battery.
Remove the leisure battery and store in a dry place,if an alarm or tracker device is not fitted.
The battery should not be adversley affected by winter temperatures but the level of charge should be maintained to maximise the life span of the battery. This can be achieved using an automotive type battery charger as and when required.

Gas System
Ensure the gas supply is isolated at the gas bottleand ensure that the gas manifold taps are off.
Check the age and condition of high pressure gas hose and regulator and replace if required.

Appliances
Check the battery expiry date on the smoke alarm and replace or remove as required.
Ensure the fridge is turned off.
Clean the inside of the fridge.
Prop the fridge door open and if possible the internal freezer compartment door for ventilation.
Fit fridge vent winter covers (if available).
Ensure all hob/oven/microwave surfaces are clean.
If the caravan is going to be left connected to 230v supply while not in use ensure the microwave is unplugged.

Toilet

Drain the toilet reservoir.
Empty the toilet cassette.
Leave toilet caps removed and apply acid free vaseline or similar to the seals.
Empty the fresh water tank using the drain tube/fresh water tank level indicator (level indicator on electronic models only).
Pull the lever indicator/drain tube down from top plug position and outward through door opening to drain water from the tank.
Empty the water fill funnel by pulling the bottle away from tank.
Remove the small water cap on the filler bottom, allowing water to drain from the water funnel (Not C-200 toilet).
Do not tighten caps this helps in keeping the unit dry. The pour out spout and vent plug can be removed. Seals should be greased if neccessary.

Exterior
Ensure that all windows, skylights and access doors are closed and secured.
Ensure that all fixed ventilation points (high and low) are clear from debris and obstructions.
Ensure the vehicle is not parked where falling debris (i.e. leaves, tree sap) could cause damage.
Avoid leaving the vehicle parked in soft ground, long grass, or a potential area where standing water may form.
Lubricate relevant points on the chassis.
Remove road wheels using the correct jack points and suitable axle stands or if being left on road rotate wheels (every 2 weeks) and ensure the correct tyre pressures are maintained.
A purpose made cover maybe used, but please ensure the cover is good fit,breathable and securley fitted. Note: A poorly fitted cover can rub and damage the bodywork. Non breathable covers will encourage mould to grow.

Interior
Open all lockers and internal doors to ensure circulation.
Remove cushions and store them in a dry location or ensure all cushions are placed in a well ventilated area.
Close all blinds and curtains. Customers are reminded to check the tension on blinds after storage if left closed for long periods.
placing water absorbent crystals in the van during the winter months will help reduce moisture levels and mould growth.

Workshop Update November 2011

Well i cannot believe it has been nearly a year since i last posted!!

A lot has been happening.....

Again the workshop has been incredibly busy and we have continually been booked out for several weeks at a time.
Yes, this is good for business but not for customers who require a service or repair fast.
To alleviate this problem we hope to expand our workshop bays for next year and create a fast workbay.

Since we exhibited at the show in February 2011, we have increased our sales and also have been preparing motorhome monster to re launch. This is our online shop.
I have been working behind the scenes trying very hard to get this working and i hope that very soon i will have been able to list all the lines of goods neccessary.

Our plans to move to a new workshop this year did not happen! We were let down at the last minute!! However we are now preparing to expand into the adjacent field beside our current workshop, create new bays, install a ramp, open a shop and increase sales of second hand caravans and motorhomes.
Oh and on top of that we are preparing for the 2012 Glasgow Caravan & Outdoor Leisure Show in February.
Basically, we never stop!!!

Soon we will be introducing a new shareholder to our business and we look forward to welcoming our new Workshop Manager.

We are proud to announce our partnership with CI and Rollerteam in Italy.

We are now the official CI Service Centre in Scotland

We hope you all are still happy with our services and we thank you for your continued custom.

Hopefully speak again soon (if i get the chance!!! :) )

Karrena
Business Manager/Director

Time for the the 'Glasgow Show' 2011

Well its been a while again! We have been so busy, time has flown by! Only 2 days until show time and we feel exhausted before we even commence.
The past quarter has came and went and a lot has happened since we last posted.

Karrena returned to her post as Business Manager after it was established that the workshop could not run without her!
Joe has been working as hard as ever and the workload has been heavier than normal for this time of year. (We are not complaining!)

We are now pleased to inform all customers that we are now 'Elddis' approved. This means we can carry out transient warranties on all Elddis models.

Once again MacPhails have passed their Annual NCC Inspection for the workshop for 2011.

We would like to welcome our new 'Trainee Motorhome Technician', Jack Richardson. Jack has been working with us for over 1 month now and is enjoying the varied amount of work that we have inside the workshop at the moment.

We have just recently been appointed as Service & Warranty centre for Tracvision land mobile systems, here in Scotland. We are the first and only centre to offer sales, service and warranty under the one roof for these high valued products. (We will be showcasing the Tracvision mobile satellite sytem at the forthcoming show).

Oyster Satellites have appointed us as their preferred service centre for mobile satellite equipment here in Scotland. Again, we are able to offer sales, service and warranty on these products. (We will be showcasing the Oyster system at our stand from the 3rd -6th February 2011).

We are now an approved Webasto Sales, Service and Warranty Centre, specialising in Diesel Heating systems.

We are now Scotland's only retail outlet for Dunlop Air-Suspension Assist kits. We supply and fit air suspension to all commercial vehicles.

Our new product website has been launched, please visit www.motorhomemonster.co.uk

We will once again be exhibiting at ''The Scottish Caravan & Outdoor leisure Show, 2011'' at the SECC, Glasgow. This year we can be found at Stand I 18 in Hall 4.

The workshop diary has been booking out fast!
We are nearly all booked out 8 weeks in advance and are proud to have bookings in our diary right throughout the year!

We look forward to seeing all our existing customer's who are coming along to the show and welcome all new ones.

New for 2011

We are now happy to announce our new Loyalty Reward Scheme. Card issued to all new customers who book a service with us.
Existing customers - we will stamp your card up to date in order for you to earn your well deserved discount.
(For further information, please give us a call or email us at the usual numbers).

www.motorhomemonster.co.uk ''For All Your Motorhome Needs''

And lastly for the now; ''A big thank you to all customers who have all been fantastic in their own way, if it were not for you guys we wouln't be here today!'

Motorhome & Caravan - Winter Servicing

Winter is coming

The winter months are now on our doorstep; dark nights and cold frosts are just around the corner and you must ensure your motorhome or caravan is properly prepared to protect it from the fierce winter elements

If you are not planning to use your motorhome or caravan over the winter, take the time to carry out checks of your vehicle to ensure yourself that when spring comes around again, that you have not had any rodent destruction, cracked taps or bigger still, serious damp problems.

Call the Motorhome & Caravan workshop if you are unsure about winterising your vehicle and we will be happy to assist or why not book your annual service with us during the winter months and we will do it all for you!

Call 01555 870023

Workshop News

It is now mid October 2010, and we don't know where all the time has went! What a year we have had since we first occupied this workshop this time last year. We have been fully booked out all year and every time we think we are about to slow down, we have yet another wave of motorhome traffic calling on us!
To allieviate this, we are now advertising for extra hands in order to reduce customer waiting time for next year.
We also anticipate putting our wheels back on the road with a new Customer Support Vehicle ensuring that wherever you are; we can always assist you.

New for 2011

******* Launch of new website *******

www.motorhomemonster.co.uk

''Watch out the monster's coming!!!!!''

Exciting new accessories website from MacPhails. Ready to view; February 2011.

LOOK OUT FOR US AT THE 2011 SCOTTISH CARAVAN & OUTDOOR LEISURE SHOW

We will be exhibiting again at the Scottish Caravan & Outdoor Leisure Show at the SECC, Glasgow on the 3-6 February 2011. A limited number of complimentary passes are available. Please contact us if you would like to meet us at the show.

August 2010

Hello to all our existing customer's and hopefully new.
Well we have been so busy in the workshop all year, we have not had the time to add any posts!!

We cannot believe that it is now August, and the autumn leaves will soon be falling.(And it's still raining!!)

We have had an incredible 8 months in the workshop, since we first opened in January, and have not slowed down! We are exhausted!!

A big Thank you to all who booked with us and we do hope to see you all again for next years service or repair.

** Due to illness, we unfortunately could not exhibit at the forthcoming Camping & Caravnning, National Feast of Lanterns 2010 in Balado, Kinross, Perthshire, commencing August 19th 2010 **

September is already booking out fast and we will do our best to accomodate all calls.

We look forward to all winter work from September - November. ''Was busy''....

We will be closed during December 2010 and will reopen January 2011.

We anticipate exhibiting at the Caravan Show in Glasgow again in February 2011. ''We did!''

We would also like to tell you about some changes that have just recently taken place and offer apologies to those who have been trying to contact us at the workshop during July/August;

Firstly, Karrena, our Business Manager, has recently left the business to pursue a new career; although, Karrena will still actively run and manage the website. We are sad to see Karrena go; as a valuable key player in our business operation, Karrena will be missed...
(Karrena is BACK!!!!)
Also, during the latter month of July, Joe, our key engineer, took ill, and will not be returning to work until Tuesday 24th August 2010 - Business will resume as normal from this date. ''Joe is back fighting fit''

There will be new opening hours as follows;
Monday-Thursday - 09:00 - 16:00
Friday - 09:00 - 12:00
Saturday - By Appointment Only
Sunday - Closed

WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ANNOUNCE OUR AFFILIATION WITH THE SWIFT GROUP, AND WE CAN NOW OFFER ALL WARRANTY AND SERVICING ON ALL SWIFT MOTORHOMES AND CARAVANS. WE CAN ALSO ACCESS ALL PARTS DIRECTLY WITH THE SWIFT SYSTEM .

This is a fantastic partership for us and we look forward to welcoming new Swift customers into our workshop.

The Scottish Caravan & Outdoor Leisure Show Glasgow 4th - 7th Feb 2010

Well, only 3 days to go and we will be exhibiting at the caravan show at the SECC Glasgow. We have been extremely busy organising for the show and look forward to seeing you all there.

Please feel free to come along to our stand @ K23 and say hello. We welcome all.

Who will be on our stand?
Day 1 - 4th Feb 2010
Joe MacPhail
Karrena MacPhail
Sadie MacPhail

Day 2 - 5th Feb 2010
Joe MacPhail
Karrena MacPhail
Elaine O'Kane
Lorna O'Kane

Day 3 - 6th Feb 2010
Joe MacPhail
Karrena MacPhail
Dylan MacPhail
Lauren MacPhail

Day 4 - 7th Feb 2010
Joe MacPhail
Karrena MacPhail
Dylan MacPhail
Lauren MacPhail
Elaine O'Kane
Lorna O'Kane

We are all a friendly bunch and offer free Technical advice and information regarding your safety when caravanning. We will tell you all about the importance of having your vehicle serviced annually by an Approved Workshop and will be taking bookings at the show. We are already booking out fast and are anticipating filling up quite quickly, so if you require your annual service/habitation soon, please do not hesitate to book with The Motorhome & Caravan Workshop while you are enjoying your day out at the show. We look forward to seeing you all and hope you all have a fantastic day out at the 2010 leisure show.
*NEWS NEWS NEWS
We are now proud to announce our affiliation with The Trigano Group and can now offer full warranty cover for, Autotrail, CI, Rollerteam, Tribute and Benimar.

New for 2010 The Motorhome & Caravan Workshop

We are proud to announce the opening of our new Workshop, based in Carstairs, South Lanarkshire. We will be open to the public from January 5th 2010.

New for Workshop -

We are now able to offer Motorhome/Campervan Base Unit Mechanical Servicing.
Water Ingress Repairs
New Dometic Approved Network Service Centre
All Accessories supplied & fitted

Coming Soon -

Accident Damage and Insurance Repair Centre

We welcome all Existing customers and New customers to our large 3,000 sq ft workshop for all servicing and repairs. (Remember we don't care where you purchased your vehicle as we are fully independent and can always deal with your Habitation/Service and Warranty requirements).

Our Workshop is fully insured and all work is carried out in accordance with Industry standards.

Existing Mobile Unit -

We will not be accepting new customers for the Mobile Service at the moment, however we will continue to offer a limited service to existing customers, but please book quickly as spaces will be strictly limited and offered on a first come, first served basis.

We are very exited about our new venture and after a year of hunting premises for the above purpose we were lucky to locate this fantastic workshop. Located centrally between Glasgow and Edinburgh, The Motorhome & Caravan Workshop, is within easy reach from all major road networks. Situated on the A70, Lanark Road, we are only 25 - 30 minutes from Glasgow and Edinburgh. The Historic town of Lanark and Biggar are nearby. If you are looking for a day out shopping while your vehicle is being tended to then the town of Livingston is only 20 minutes from our workshop. We aim to offer all our customers a courtesy drop off in the local town of Lanark or the nearby World Heritage Village of New Lanark if their vehicle is booked into the workshop for a lengthy time - A worthwhile day out, i would say! The scenery on route to our workshop is quite outstanding travelling non-motorway from major Towns and Cities, the country roads are surrounded by beautiful hills and some stunning scenery making your trip enjoyable form the word 'Go'.
The Motorhome & Caravan Workshop will make servicing your vehicle an enjoyable experience rather than a yearly chore.

We Look forward to seeing all our existing customers and welcome all New customers to MacPhails.

Karrena MacPhail
MD
T: 01555 870023
E: info@mlvs.co.uk

Business Update May 2009

Well it has been a very successful year for MacPhails so far. We have been absoloutly run off our feet since we launched at The Caravan Show in Glasgow in February 2009, so much we are now proposing to open our very own, 1st Approved 'Stationary' Workshop, somewhere near you, very soon!!! So watch this space......

We do try very hard to accomodate all customers and we do hope all customers new and old have been happy with the services we provide.

At the moment we are very busy arranging all the services we hope to provide you with when we launch our workshop. Joe, our Chief Technical Engineer, has been travelling the length and breadth of Scotland working extremley long shifts and the response from all our customers regarding the servicing has been tremendous and we at MacPhails would like to thank you all for your continued support.

In the forthcoming weeks ahead, we will be working flat out at full capacity. May, is now fully booked out and we have only a small number of booking slots available for June. Please do not hesitate to call us if you require any technical assistance, as we are more than happy to assist your needs and do what we can to rectify your problems or any issues you may have.

If you require servicing, please call in now, in order for us to accomodate your needs for the forthcoming summer months ahead.

We will list below the areas we are working in, in May and 'if we can' fit you into a time slot, we will try our very best!

W/C 18th - 24th May 2009 - North Lanarkshire, East Kilbride, West lothian, St Andrews, Glasgow and South Lanarkshire.

Weekend 22nd -24th May 2009 - We will be in attendance at The Camping & Caravan Club, Glasgow & West of Scotland, District Association's 100th Centenery Birthday Celebration meet, at Strathallan Games Park, Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, where we will be giving out informal friendly advice to all caravanners who attend and will be taking bookings for summer servicing.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE.

W/C 25th - 31st May - Loch Lomond, Dunoon, Lochgilpead, Oban, and Arisaig, Fort William.

Look forward to hearing from you all and enjoy your summer holidays!

ALWAYS REMEMBER TO USE A NCC APPROVED WORKSHOP, BE SAFE, STAY SAFE, MAKE SURE YOUR VEHICLE IS ROADWORTHY.

" LOOK FOR THE LITTLE RED FLAG"

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Latest Blog Posts

2012 Scottish Caravan & Outdoor Show

Workshop Update November 2011

Winterisation and Storage Advice

Time for the the 'Glasgow Show' 2011

Where to find us

2012 Scottish Caravan & Outdoor Show

Winterisation and Storage Advice

Workshop Update November 2011

Time for the the 'Glasgow Show' 2011

Motorhome & Caravan - Winter Servicing

August 2010

The Scottish Caravan & Outdoor Leisure Show Glasgow 4th - 7th Feb 2010

New for 2010 The Motorhome & Caravan Workshop

Business Update May 2009