Hilo Roof Recall...

[DaveyB]

In fairness to @Deaky's report most if the issues you two are experiencing is down to the installation from @Dean@VanDoc

From HiLo's explanation corners have been cut, or should I say haven't been cut.

We’ll soon find out. Let’s be honest VanDoc rushed @Deaky ‘s van and turned it round in just 7 days after he found it still sat outside 4 weeks after dropping it off, with nothing done to it. They had mine for 3 weeks, doing nothing to it for the first 7 days.
This last week has been a nightmare, stuck in Scotland with rain cascading in and 4 of us in the van. Oh the joys of camping.

 

[Insert Coin]

I originally had my van booked in with Revampavan, at the last minute he decided he didn't want to fit 'just' a roof, he'd only fit a roof as part of a bigger conversion.

I suspect he was having issues with HiLo but was being diplomatic about it, he knew I wouldn't have any other type of roof fitted so it was probably easier to let me go and find someone else to fit it.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my roof (fitted end of April) is going to stay water tight and issue free.

@Sup Man , if you have any further issues and want somebody local to assess the roof you could always try Alan @ Old Harry Camper Co, he fitted my HiLo roof and to date it's been perfect.

HiLo clearly lost a valued member of staff (production manager type role I think) a while back and have struggled ever since to replace him. The Sport and Surf appear to be incredibly popular and it's obviously affecting their ability to deal with fitting issues, it's a shame the owner/s don't step back in and take control to steady the ship.

I'd love to see @HiLo Roofs pop on the forum and make a comment about the issues that some owners are having.

 

[czmate1999]

Perhaps it would be useful to post any details of those considered to be good HiLo installers on this thread?

 

[Deaky]

That will be a short list

 

[czmate1999]

That will be a short list

That's what I am worried about

 

[Skyliner33]

Talk to Jaibow. Seems a decent guy and his installs I've seen look good.

 

[DaveyB]

That will be a short list

Good one @Deaky

 

[Ads_Essex]

Perhaps it would be useful to post any details of those considered to be good HiLo installers on this thread?

I’ve had no issues with my HiLo which XtremeVan fitted.

 

[DaveyB]

Just been talking to Lee at Hilo.
Dropped my van off on Monday at the factory in Preston, after a 3 hour drive to get it there. Lee wasn't there so discussed the issues with a lad called Jake. He was aware of @Deaky's issue having seen his the week before, so when I said it had started leaking his response was "if VanDoc fitted it, I know exactly where I am going to start looking for that particular problem!".
With the roof elevated he instantly spotted that the frame sits too high at the front, meaning it had not been put on properly.

So Lee has confirmed these points now that they have been able to strip it all back a bit. The leaking is definately down to how it has been sealed around the bottom of the fabric. Lee says that the installer is given instructions to grind the paint off the frame to ensure the sealant keys properly. VanDoc had not done this with mine (or Deakys) and so the sealant was now lifting so water was getting in under the fabric. They have also looked at how it could have rubbed to cause the fabric to hole as a result of friction. He says this is due to the J-rail that holds the fabric in place not being trimmed properly (not sure if this is a supply issue or a fitting issue). So they are sorting this out so they don't sit proud, which should then take them away from the point at which the roof closes, meaning it can't rub. As to the holes in the fabric he claims that once they put it all back toegther, due to all of the tweeks, the holes will actually be above the framework, so will not be at all visible or cause any problems.

Fingers crossed I'll be picking it up week Thursday. Will let you know what I think after getting it back.

I did spend some time conversing with Lee about how lots of people were voicing concern over their customer services. I explained that people accept that things go wrong, but not being able to get communication to discuss the issue is what was making Hilo owners very frustrated.

 

[Deaky]

Great news @DaveyB I'm glad it's getting sorted, must be a massive weight off your mind. I've had mine open today in the torrential rain we're having here and I'm glad to say it's all dry. I wonder how many other VanDoc installs are having problems

 

[DaveyB]

Great news @DaveyB I'm glad it's getting sorted, must be a massive weight off your mind. I've had mine open today in the torrential rain we're having here and I'm glad to say it's all dry. I wonder how many other VanDoc installs are having problems

That's really positive for you.
I said to Lee that even with all of this I do fundamentally still think that theirs is the smartest roof on the market, but they are getting a really bad reputation which (with regard to the sport roof) if he is being accurate in his appraisal, is down to the failures and poor workmanship of their installers. He said that yours and mine were not the first VanDoc vans that they have had to complete warranty work on. I suggested that maybe they need a smaller, more rigoursly maintained and trained network of installers.

 

[Dean and toni]

Bad reputation is an understatement !!!

The story so far....first week in feb they asked for a payment of £2500 upfront befor they would even entertain giving me a fitting date. I knew at the time good companies don’t do this but I did like the surf roof and was stupid enough to part with the money.

Fitting date was early may.... along time away but again I was willing to wait. Fast forward to may 1st and I get an email saying they can’t do it next week and it will August maybe September due to manufacturing problems !

This is now a problem because the roof was first then dates for everything else is booked lining, bed, floor, upholstery, electrics ,etc.

To make it a complete disaster we had a ferry booked for a wedding in jersey on aug 2nd followed by two weeks touring in France and Belgium.

As everybody will tell you trying to get hold of anybody at Hilo is impossible to say the least. The independent fitter eventually explained our predicament and they gave me a bit of hope and said they should be able to fit befor the wedding and holiday.

Roll on mid June and the next email basically tells me that they are not manufacturing any more surf roofs and they will not be fitting any type of roof to my van. I was pissed of to say the least and decided to find Hilo which I did. Firstly I meet a lad who used to work there in another unit around the corner. All he could do was laugh and explain to me that its a regular occurrence unhappy people looking for the owners of the company.

When he pointed me to the correct unit I marched in telling them exactly what I thought of them and demanded to see the owners. Lee was apparently the only senior person there so he managed to drag me into the container and give me 15 minutes of bull and tell me he would phone me the next day to sort out.

Have a guess he didn’t phone me !!

I have eventually got my money back thank god and consider myself lucky I didn’t have the surf fitted. I think there will be more to the surf story to follow...

As for vandoc I did get a quote from dean but they would not tell me that the scenic roof was free but I knew it was still free as I was at the Telford show the day before....it’s called being economical with the truth...

I did eventually get my new roof last week but from skyline the new aurora roof. No daft deposits and everybody told the truth and I must say the roof looks great.

I bored of typing now....sorry.

 

[PukkaT6]

Hi lo seem one to avoid, cannot be arsed with all that.

 

[Wills]

What a ‘kin nightmare! Conversions are fraught with delays and anxiety but that’s a Mickey Mouse experience to avoid.

 

[Skyliner33]

Glad you happy now, any pics of the Aurora (in a new thread maybe).

 

[True Romance]

Just to balance things out it's worth bearing in mind that with most things you only really read/hear about issues/faults on the internet.

 

[t0mb0]

Just to balance things out it's worth bearing in mind that with most things you only rrally read/hear about issues/faults on the internet.

This is true but I think there’s more than enough evidence on this forum alone about HiLo to make it clear to anyone considering a poptop that HiLo is not exactly a low risk option!

 

[Gaz1971]

I have to say I’m pleased for the people that have had their van doc issues sorted I am in a similar situation poor fitting and numerous faults by a fitter they took my van to as it was booked in with them .All I get from them is other than mainly been ignored is it has to go back to the fitter after 3 months finally had enough of hi Lo I gave the fitter the chance to rectify it that was five weeks ago and heard nothing from him could you please advise me how they are rectifying van docs shoddy work but won’t apply this to any other fitter even when it was them that took the van the van there any advice would be greatly appreciated at the end of my tether with them waiting days and weeks for responses from them. Is the legal route now my only option i do not want my van back to the fitter they took it to as faults should not be there in the first place if he was genuinely interested in rectifying his mistakes I think he would of been in touch

 

[czmate1999]

I have to say I’m pleased for the people that have had their van doc issues sorted I am in a similar situation poor fitting and numerous faults by a fitter they took my van to as it was booked in with them .All I get from them is other than mainly been ignored is it has to go back to the fitter after 3 months finally had enough of hi Lo I gave the fitter the chance to rectify it that was five weeks ago and heard nothing from him could you please advise me how they are rectifying van docs shoddy work but won’t apply this to any other fitter even when it was them that took the van the van there any advice would be greatly appreciated at the end of my tether with them waiting days and weeks for responses from them. Is the legal route now my only option i do not want my van back to the fitter they took it to as faults should not be there in the first place if he was genuinely interested in rectifying his mistakes I think he would of been in touch

Sorry to hear about your issues, might be worth giving hi Lon a visit, but plenty on here to give you some more useful advice.

 

[Martin Stockwell]

It would appear to me, that all this frustration and issues are not down to the product, but poor installation by the installers. The whole point of having a network of installers whereby the manufactures are training other companies to install there product are to avoid needing to deal with the end user as this would require a huge amount of resources and staff to do it directly them selves. this type of setup isn't unusual, but I understand everyone's frustration when it all goes wrong at install stage people blame the product and want some reassurance from the manufacture. I too would probably want to avoid the installer if they done a shit job I guess. but you have to remember, they have intrusted other companies with there product to install it as trained, and as such would have no need for a huge back office of staff to deal with the end user

I'm lucky, I have found an installer local to me that and not just competent, but thorough with there installations. I done a surprise visit one day, and they had a few in a different stages, all having HiLo Sports fitted. I was invited to put on some PPE and inspect all there work on the different vans at these different stages. The attention to detail was fantastic, and the quality of the workmanship (even to the things that would end up being hidden and covered up) was top rate.

All this bad mouthing HiLo hasn't actually put me off having a HiLo Sport installed, as I said above, it would appear to me, the problem is not with the product, but with the installers. However, I would agree that HiLo could do with improving there back office staff in order to handle any installers installation problems more effectively as as you can see from all the comments above, bad news is shouted about a lot more then good. but I recon there are a lot more happy HiLo installation customers then there are unhappy!