Can You Get Camper Van Services at Kwik Fit?
Bradley Jando | Monday 19th April 2021 3:45pm
With over 600 centres around the UK to choose from, you may be wondering whether you can get your camper van serviced at a local Kwik Fit centre. After all, we’re always only a stone’s throw away from wherever you are!
The short, perhaps disappointing, answer is: maybe.
Whether you can get your camper serviced, and what services you can get for it, are dependent on a few factors.
What if you have a small camper or van conversion?
If you’re more of a weekend warrior with your camping and you’ve invested in a compact camper, such as a traditional VW split screen or an Auto-Sleeper, then you may be in more luck! Because these tend to be smaller and lighter, they can be accommodated in more garage spaces.
This is definitely the case with camper conversions, too. If you have a Volkswagen Transporter conversion, these can usually be serviced because of their short roof and relatively low weight.
Van conversions in hightop, long wheelbase vans like Mercedes-Benz Sprinters or Peugeot Boxers, however, are likely to face the same problems as those faced by motorhomes.
How big is your van?
If you have a large RV, such as a Swift-Talbot, Hymer, or Winnebago, then it becomes significantly harder to offer services for them because of the difficulty associated with lifting them. They’re usually in the 3.5tonne weight category, which means that 5 tonne lifts need to be used in order to safely and securely lift them. Not to mention that the larger a motorhome is, the taller it tends to be. Most garages are only equipped to lift a vehicle a few meters off the ground, and most cars are only a meter or so tall, so a relatively low garage space can be used. But, in order to lift a motorhome to a safe working height, you need at least 8 meters of headroom – and often significantly more!
The other way to get around this, and a method that many commercial vehicle garages use, is to drive the vehicle over a ‘pit’. This is because it’s easier to get into a hole underneath a huge lorry than it is to lift it on a hydraulic lift. A lift also makes it easier to walk around a workshop when you need to retrieve different tools or parts.
Unfortunately, this is quite a niche requirement, so auto repair shops will usually specialise in either heavy-goods commercial vehicles or domestic vehicles.
How can I check?
The best way to check whether you local Kwik Fit can service camper vans is to call them up! However, if you know that they don’t, you can check out our specialist, van service centres here.
If you have a large RV, then you may need to go to a specialist RV mechanic for your servicing.
Please note, however, that a Kwik Fit camper van service will only be a mechanical service. We cannot service internal “hab” elements such as gas cookers, fridges, and electrical systems.
Any facts, figures and prices shown in our blog articles are correct at time of publication.
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