Owners blow a fuse over DIY repair kit after safety recall

By DENNIS AMOR

JAYCO owners are blowing a fuse after being sent do-it-yourself repair kits following a safety recall of Campers.

They say Australia's biggest builder of caravans and other RVs is courting disaster by asking owners to carry out the electrical work themselves.

The Melbourne-based company issued a product recall after fears that Campers fitted with auxiliary batteries, or wired for their provision, had no safety protection and could result in a fire in the case of a short-circuit.

In a statement, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said: "These Campers require the fitment of an inline fuse to the power lead connected to the battery. This fuse will ensure the supply of power is disconnected should a short be evident in the wiring system."

But some owners complained that Jayco has sent them DIY kits so they can do their work themselves, with a request they return a signed form when completed.

"I'm gobsmacked. No electrical task should ever be attempted by unqualified people," one concerned owner told Caravanning News. "I would feel very uncomfortable about tampering with cables because I know how easy it is to make a mistake and cause a fire, which could be fatal if it broke out in the middle of the night."

And on a web-based site, another wrote: "I'm not sure of the legal implications, if any, by doing the recall work yourself. I am wondering if the letter to be retuned to Jayco would get them off the hook should anything go wrong with any of the electricals after a DIY recall fix."

But Jayco defended its action, saying it had provided "an option" for Camper owners in remote areas who felt capable of doing the work themselves using the simple step-by-step instruction guide supplied.

"But our primary advice to customers clearly provides for them to take the part provided to their closest dealer or repairer to have this installed at no cost to them," a spokesperson said.

"In relation to our request to sign and return the form, it simply allows us to confirm the work has been done. Jayco is certainly not attempting to remove itself of any responsibility, but rather to meet the broad needs of our customer base."

He said Jayco took its commitment to after-sales service extremely seriously. "I believe our record of putting our customers first speaks for itself." he added.

BACK TO CARAVANNING NEWS MAIN PAGE