Paramount Caravans Studio

Just love it – We purchased our Studio in December 2015 from Burpengary, we just love it. Easy to tow, plenty of interior space. Have travelled to South Aust. and" off roaded" quite a lot, and yes it all works comfortably. Whenever a problem or query has arisen, the staff at Burpengary have been very helpful. we have had dealings with other caravan companies… Read more

that left a lot to be desired, so it was refreshing to meet this team of professionals.

Thank yo, Mary and Doug.

Great Van – Bought our van in August 2013 to travel around Australia. Have travelled over 20,000ks so far with no issues. Great van with plenty of storage. Even considering in taking it back to NZ with us.

paramount problems – Are you sure its a paramount? It sounds more like my van, the twin sister from hell,, newage! Had all the same problems and few others, like shattered glass in bed from exploding thetford stove griller door. Wet feet from, hot water, cold water, rain water, washing water and toilet (water?). First approach to newage suggested I trade it in! In… Read more

their defence a lot of the problems are created by simply poor design of out sourced fixtures. Such as thetford, dometic, alco, camec, spinflo, axis and casale. A big thankyou must go to Pro Vista and Projecta for keeping my batteries charged, the shower screen factory for keeping me clean and last but not least, ibis for keeping me warm in Strathbogie and cool in Meekatharra!! Most of any vans problems could be solved with a bit of care and workmanship. I offered (in writing) to help newage with some of these issues, no reply, fancy that. in sympathy, greg e

Paramount Intrepid – My wife & I have just returned from a trip shortened by the severe weather we had just done approx 5,000k's in our new 20'6" Intrepid which we took delivery of in Dec. 2012. Leaving newcastle up through Tumit, Mt. Kosiosco to Echuca, Lake Eildon & all the way to Wilson Prom to name just a few 95% of the trip was on corrugated dirt, windy, narrow… Read more

& sometimes very steep tracks, the return trip was the tester torrential rain gail force winds if we were going to encounter a problem it would be now instead we were so happy with the van not one problem, it tracked beautiful did not miss a beat & free camping was made easy with the solar & 12v fit out. Great to tow, comfortable go anywhere van.

bad service – We purchased a new Paramount caravan in 2011 We have been away in it twice in a whole Year . We have had nothing but trouble with the battery charger since we got it. We are not happy with the service we recieved from the place we purchased it. We rang the boss in Melbourne and told him the story and he agreeded to have the battery tested, but… Read more

when we got it back the man that delivered it back to us was told only to hand it over and not to install it or give us any advice. We find that a bit sus. It all started back in April 2012 ,still under warrenty, we had to waite 6 mths for an appointment to get it seen to , do we get that 6 mths back . My advice don't buy one or anything from Paramount or Burpengary RV The layout bad warrenty service when the had to replace it

I call it a lemon – An expensive paramount studio caravan - which I prefer to call a "lemon" This is an accurate story about a caravan manufactured by "paramount caravans" in Melbourne - and purchased 1st june 2012, for well over $90,000 from a dealer called "The Caravan Company" in Hexham nsw.  This page will shock you. The following is :- Firstly: "my… Read more

conclusions"

Secondly: fifty two of my complaints and the results of a trip to the Melbourne factory to get them fixed. Some are more serious than others.

Thirdly: still more problems in november 2012

My conclusions

I thought that I deserved an apology from paramount. I did not get one.

Paramount paid for accommodation whilst my caravan was at their factory. I paid for the cost of travelling to melbourne and staying there for close to a week.

My recent three months of annual migration was cut short and the first month was a nightmare of problems. Almost all of the problems were the result of poor quality control with obvious signs of a rushed job. A few of my complaints reflected my desire for "value for money" and it could be argued that they were not warranty.

Making the details of more than forty complaints with my paramount caravan available on my web page is not "cyber bullying", if it were, then I would have offered to remove it when all my complaints were satisfied. Instead, I have exhausted the likelihood of getting anything else fixed .... And I now explain the results here.

Paramount did ...

Provide a wheel mounting bracket (for the rear bumper) at no cost.

A panel repair job for me at a rather cheap price.

Mailed two spare cupboard latches when I had trouble with them.

Provide a few minor spare parts to help me to carry out some of the "improvements" that they did not consider to be warranty (noisy pumps, noisy fans etc).

After my experience I strongly recommend that before buying any caravan.

You should study the warranty but don't assume that all of the warranty terms and conditions are enforceable without doing your homework. They can be easily over ridden by consumer laws. Do some research on this.

Example: as of the time of writing, the warranty responsibilities rest firmly and entirely with whomever you purchase your caravan from and cannot be assigned to anybody else - not even the original suppliers of the "problem items". Some warranty terms contradict this and invite trouble for the author.

Anything slightly unusual may confuse the assembly line and may not get installed correctly. Check it, then check it again.

Document every possible detail that you are expecting, and have your documentation signed by the sales people.

Don't leave anything out, or accept anybody's word for anything. This will avoid disappointments like getting a vitrifigo fridge without a defrost cycle, or not getting a wiring diagram, or getting 95 litre water tanks that only let you access 70 litres of the water.

Look inside everything in show caravans (behind drawers, under seats, under bench tops, wiring, plumbing etc. Etc.) and note the amount of rough work - then decide how much of that rough work you are prepared to accept.

It seems to me that the factory workers are not given enough time to do anything properly. By contrast, components that are manufactured outside the caravan builders factory are generally of reasonable quality.

If you are not technically competent, pay someone to look over your new caravan for you.

Good luck

Allan jeal

My list of complaints

This one first, because it is the most recent and has consumed more of my time than anything else -

The water tanks are specified on the plans as "4 tanks x 95 litres" - exactly what I asked for.

I have now measured them and have found that I can only access 65 to 70 litres of that water from each tank.

The biggest problem is that the air bleeds were not positioned at the top of the tanks (13 litres is wasted there - of course a small amount is often lost this way).

The next problem is that the pump pickup tubes are not close enough to the bottom of the tanks (10 litres is wasted there - of course a small amount is often lost this way too).

Paramount's response was that this problem had nothing to do with them, and should be referred to the water tank manufacturer - contradicting consumer laws!

In fact, this problem should be referred to the seller, the caravan company at hexham.

It has taken me three days labour plus $150 in parts to correct this problem.

The "warranty terms & conditions" were not disclosed to me until after I had taken delivery of the caravan.

When I first mentioned warranty to staff at paramount, I was told very firmly that any warranty regarding appliances installed in the caravan must be directed to the appliance manufacturer/supplier - not paramount.

I promptly questioned this with the department of fair trading who advised me that this is not legal and a complaint to D.of F.T. Could result in paramount being fined.

It was made perfectly clear by staff at paramount that if I had problems outside normal business hours, no matter how serious, I would not be given an after hours contact number.

The dealer from whom I collected the caravan was "The Caravan Company" in Hexham NSW. 

At the time of hand-over, one of the spare wheels and its mounting bracket was missing, half of the rear vision video camera system was missing and the trail-a mate jack was missing.

After some complaining on my part, these were taken from another new van.

The manager of The Caravan Company tried to force me to accept the caravan with a tyre that had been damaged by a heavy piece of fencing wire which had pierced the tyre.

He wanted to repair it and put it back on my new caravan!

I objected strongly and continuously, until one of the employees elected to take a wheel from another new caravan that was in the yard and exchange it.

On delivery, the battery charger was displaying a fault condition and was not working.

The Caravan Company manager said they would ring the electrician at Paramount Caravans to find out what it meant.

If they received an answer - they didn't tell me or do anything about it.

The next day, when I had the caravan home, I rang and left a message at paramount requesting that the electrician contact me because I had a "fairly urgent" problem - I never received a reply.

The receptionist advised me that the electrician had got my message.

I contacted the distributor of the battery charger in brisbane and received some guidance regarding "resetting" the charger. The "xantrex" dealer in brisbane was extremely helpful.

I finally succeeded in resetting the charger so that the fault was no longer apparent.

After correcting the fault with the battery charger I noted that the power provided by the battery charger was not being measured by the solar panel controller - and that is one of the key functions of this controller. There are a number of other measurements that the controller is supposed to measure and display - but it didn't.

Result: I spent some time trying to get answers to questions about the circuitry with only limited success. A simple request for a switch to turn off the fridge was refused. After more than one request, the inverter (and the battery charger) were finally rewired correctly so that the power they use (or generate) is now measured by the pl60.

The "show caravan" was fitted with a remote monitor for the pl60 solar panel controller and the salesman said that my caravan would have exactly the same.

But it was not installed.

Result: the readout on the solar panel controller is located in an accessible place. I do not consider the remote monitor to be critical and did not pursue this.

The pl60 was replaced in an effort to correct the electrical mistakes, but it was replaced with a refurbished or reconditioned one. This replacement had a faulty programming button.

The button has fallen to pieces twice and I don't have the patience to reassemble it again.

Result: I referred this problem directly to plasmatronics (the manufacturer) and a replacement unit was sent to me promptly with an apology. The replacement has a modified button. The service and assistance received from plasmatronics has always been great!

I was told by staff at the caravan company that the "battery protectors" should be left switched off!

They told me that this was necessary otherwise the "main" switch in the caravan will not work.

Result: the so called "main switch" in the caravan was later identified as a remote switch for two battery protectors in the boot. It has a similar effect as a master battery isolation switch but it does not provide the same protection if a fault occurs somewhere in the wiring between the batteries and the two battery protectors. The electrician could not, or would not agree, and I eventually decided that I would need to fit main battery isolation switches myself.

When the caravan was ordered, I told Paramount that I wanted a particular dc-dc charger installed. It was a model from GSL at Seven Hills in NSW. Somebody at Paramount decided to install a C-Tek instead. The C-Tek charger does not start charging the caravan batteries until the tow vehicles batteries are close to fully charged - that is perfect for most situations but it is not what I wanted, and not what I asked for.

Result: I have decided to accept the installed dc-dc charger and I have not pursued this.

I have found a patch of wiring that is obviously not finished beside the water heater.

I found it, in a cupboard, several days after the caravan was handed over.

Result: plastic zip-ties were used by Paramount staff to bundle the wires and keep them up from the floor. The result is not pretty but it is no longer obvious or in danger of getting wet.

I have also found a set of screws that were obviously supposed to attach a small bench top to the top of a cupboard frame - but had been screwed in about one turn and forgotten.

Result: I corrected this myself.

On several occasions, I asked for the gas heater (under the bed) to be positioned so as not to waste this useful storage space. My request was ignored and almost half of the space is now useless.

Result: it was agreed that little advantage would be gained by moving things in this area. Paramount offered to install an access door in the wall of the caravan to provide easier access to the space. I chose not to accept the offer.

The staff at the caravan company had no idea where to mount the tv bracket.

They attached it to the front of a cupboard. It looked absolutely horrible. It was not fitted properly and the tv "wobbled" all over the place. They advised me to remove the tv from the bracket when travelling. Why mount the tv on a bracket at all - if it has to be stored elsewhere when not in use? It may as well simply sit on a bench top. All "the caravan company" achieved was to damage the front of a cupboard.

Result: coloured plugs were inserted into the screw holes in the front of the cupboard to partly hide the damage to the cupboard face. The plans for the caravan showed that reinforcing for the tv bracket was supposed to be installed in the wall but it was somehow omitted. As a remedy one of the workshop staff did a good job of gluing a white panel to the wall with a screw from above and below. The tv swivel bracket is now attached to the panel. I only have to fit a safety strap.

Somebody at The Caravan Company or Paramount decided to order a "vast satellite tv decoder box". Why? I already have one and don't need a second one. I did not ask for it - but it was added to the price. A waste of [my] money! It is not necessary to purchase a vast decoder box when purchasing a satellite dish.

Result: paramount did not offer to take back the extra set top box or provide a refund.

I complained several times about a drain under the back of the caravan passing from one side to the other. It is exposed to damage from stones and rocks flying under the caravan. It is also in danger of damage from curbs when the wheels drop into gutters (reversing into sites at caravan parks). It was mentioned a number of times but it seems that it was simply "too hard".

Result: Paramount did not offer to correct it.

There is no toilet roll holder in the toilet space.

Result: paramount said that they never fit them.

There is no way to turn off the 12 volt fridge other than to remove a fuse or disconnect the batteries.

Result: Paramount considered that the "main house switch" was sufficient and refused to install a specific switch for the fridge.

Result: I will have to do this myself.

I have been asking for a wiring diagram from the day I agreed to buy the caravan and I was told "no problem" - but since I handed over the money nobody wants to talk about it. I still do not have a wiring diagram or even an indication of which fuse belongs to each appliance.

Result: Paramount have now said that they could not provide wiring diagrams, as every caravan is different (which is precisely why a circuit diagram is essential). I asked the electrician to explain a number of things about the wiring and he was able to provide only a few of the answers. Numerous issues will result from not having a circuit diagram. I am not happy about this.  

Water that runs down the inside of the shower door is supposed to collect in a channel (that is fixed to the inside bottom of the door) and directed back into the shower recess. It is only glued in a couple of points and water leaks between the channel and the door then onto the vinyl floor outside the shower.

Result: I had no choice but to correct this myself as soon as the problem appeared.

The tap fitting for the washing machine was found to be flooding water into the cupboard and out onto the vinyl floor. The fitting was not tightened. In fact the fitting appears to be badly chosen because only two or three threads are engaged on the tap. The fitting has now been tightened to the point where it is on the verge of stripping the thread.

Result: there was no offer of help with this from Paramount.

The water pumps were jammed tightly between the metal wheel arch and a cupboard door - causing a loud drumming throughout the caravan. There was no flexible pipe installed between the pump and the [semi] rigid water pipe on either side of the pumps (wrong). I specifically asked the plumber to avoid noisy pumps. When I commented on this to The Caravan Company, they said "they are all the same" - rubbish.

Result: Paramount advised me that their plumber considered the pumps to be satisfactory and in any case there was not enough room to change the fittings. The plumber was unwilling to attempt any improvement to the installation of the pumps. I'm not happy. This is yet another project that I have had to correct myself. There was room for different fittings and room for flexible pipe. I purchased the fittings and the flexible pipes and I installed them. It would appear that I am more competent at plumbing work than the plumber at Paramount?

There were two bedroom drawers (in a corner) that clashed when either one was opened. One needed to have 4 or 5 millimetres shaved off one side of the front panel (the caravan company had to do this). Fortunately the resulting odd shape of the drawer front is not obvious. I had to find this problem and tell the staff at the caravan company how to fix it?

There is no terrestrial tv antenna input socket. I have never seen a caravan without a standard tv antenna input or a "wineguard" antenna. Satellite dishes are not always appropriate and a standard terrestrial tv is sometimes needed as a backup.

Result: Paramount installed a "through the wall" socket to which a tv antenna can be connected.

The plumber would not accommodate my plumbing requests and I finished up with a several major problems. He did not wish to directly connect all four tanks claiming that they were already "indirectly" connected - that is not the case. He has in fact connected tanks 1 & 2 as a pair, and tanks 3 & 4 as a pair. There is no interconnection between the two pairs. The first time I filled the tanks and then started to use water, it became obvious that something was wrong - one tank in each pair appears to empty long before the other and the pump may be in danger of drawing air. A "pair" of tanks should behave as a single tank. At the very least, each pair of tanks should naturally equalize. Strangely, the air bleed from the top of the tanks has been brought down below the tanks - creating a perfect siphon. After filling the tanks and disconnecting the filling hose, one of the air bleeds creates a siphon and drains 95 litres of water from it's paired tank onto the ground ! ! !

Result: the plumber claimed that the problem was more to do with the fitting of the sensors in the tank. However, this could not be the problem - sometimes the tanks emptied evenly and at other times they did not. I finally rearranged the air bleeds myself, to prevent siphoning.

The handbook for the thetford cooking stove/oven describes a different set of controls to those on the stove itself? Regarding oven temperatures - the control has six graduations but the handbook describes ten graduations on the dial. This is not a big problem - if the handbook is otherwise the correct one? I requested information from thetford but was ignored.

Result: a further problem became apparent with the stove (the top half was not attached to the bottom half). Whilst it was at the Paramount factory a technician was sent by the distributor to correct the new problem as well as fit the correctly calibrated knob for the oven. As you will see later, Thetford created more problems than they fixed.

Somebody at Paramount sent me a set of photographs of the outside of the caravan before the aluminium sheeting was fixed, so that I could see the location of wiring. In those photos I noted the very sparsely spread pieces of insulation and I asked them to install the insulation properly. It has already become evident that this request was ignored.

Result: I have not pursued this issue because the damage that might occur while more insulation was being installed could be worse than the initial problem.

The choice of the vitrifrigo refrigerator was a big mistake. I had never heard any previous comments about vitrifigo, but I was told by the salesman that it was the size that we wanted, and it had a defrost cycle - I believed the salesman and said ok. However, the door of the refrigerator cannot be opened wide enough to allow the shelves to be taken out (and repositioned at different heights). We have now found that the freezer cannot keep ice cream firm. The stainless steel door frequently attracts condensation on the outside surface and it drips onto the floor – indicating poor insulation. We have also discovered from the hand book that it does not have an auto defrost cycle – this was a criteria that we specified when we were inspecting the van at the show. When the time came to defrost the fridge, we discovered even bigger problems! There is virtually no way to defrost it without creating a mess in the caravan. Water runs down the walls [and into the light fitting!]. Water drips down through all the food in the fridge compartment. The vitrifigo DP2600 was a big mistake, however Camec were helpful when we wanted to get the unit serviced.

Result: Paramount would not consider changing the fridge. An employee at Paramount discovered that by using mild force, the shelves could be removed. Recent warranty work on the refrigeration unit included speeding up the compressor and replacing the thermostat. The effect of these repairs will not be known until we go on another trip. Nothing has or will be done to reduce the condensation that runs down the outside of the doors in wet weather . We will have to purchase another fridge if we want one with a defrost cycle - and which does not produce pools of condensation on the floor in wet weather.

Some external sockets mounted on the outside of the van (for connecting additional portable solar panels) were earthed to the aluminium siding and should not have been. This stupid error disabled the solar panel controller allowing the "solar panel voltage of 18-20 volts" to appear directly across the 12 volt [420 amp/hour] batteries.

Result: I had no choice but to immediately purchase and fit the correct external [insulated] sockets. The batteries were later tested by battery world at penrith and they appeared to be ok. It was pointed out however that their lifespan may have been reduced.

I discovered that the 1 kilowatt inverter was a “modified sine wave” type. i.e. It is not a “pure sine wave inverter”. It cannot run the washing machine. The on/off switch for the inverter is in the boot and is not accessible from inside the caravan!

Result: Paramount replaced the inverter with a pure sine wave inverter of the same capacity and with a remote control. I installed the remote control inside the caravan.

We have found some razor sharp screws that are protruding through panels inside the caravan cupboards - very dangerous.

Result: I replaced these myself with small nuts and screws.

Dozens of screws protrude down through the floor and some are 2 or 3 centimetres too long. One was seriously close to piercing a water hose.

Result: Paramount cut some of these off in the workshop.

The vinyl floor covering has a cut in it, and before delivery to me, somebody has attempted to hide it by covering it with some sort of repair material. The repair material has not stayed in place and the cut in the vinyl floor is now exposed.

Result: I elected to ignore this. It is not in a highly noticeable area.

The range hood is excessively noisy and ineffective. Discussions with the supplier indicated that it was never meant to be seriously effective.

Result: after looking closely at it, it has become evident that it can never be effective as a range hood. It is effective merely as an ornament.

Water has been found in both wardrobes after rain.

Result: workshop staff added more sealant to the clearance lights on the front of the caravan.

Water leaks through the join between the awning and the side of the van. It runs down the curb side front window.

Result: workshop staff added more sealant to the joint. Staff at Paramount advised me that if the leak had been from stitching in the awning then I would need to refer to the supplier - not Paramount. Again, it is illegal to pass warranty problems off to somebody else. This is another situation that the Dept of Fair Trading could become involved in.

We still cannot find the cause of a constant annoying humming sound coming from one of the speakers in the caravan.

Result: I discovered that the dvd/radio had a master reset function. I used this to correct a number of problems with the radio. Paramount replaced a speaker.

The hot air outlet from the gas heater is not directed along the centre of the caravan, instead the hot air is blowing against furniture or the flooring. The outlet grille which rotates, does not allow air to flow directly out of the vent - it ensures that the air is directed on an angle. This decorative grille has to be removed to allow the air flow to travel along the centre line of the caravan.

Result: the distributors of the heater do not have a grille that directs the air in a straight flow from the vent. I will have to attempt to modify the grille myself.

The wiring from the water tank sensors has been literally thrown under the caravan and has very little to secure it. If it doesn't fall out and drag along the ground, it will become entangled in something and get ripped out.

Result: Paramount workshop staff secured the wiring with zip-ties.

Water has been seen dripping from some fittings beside one of the tanks.

Result: some of the leaks are known problems with the drain taps and two of them were replaced. Huge amounts of silicone were added to some other joints. Weeks later, water still leaks from one of the tank fittings and two of the drain valves. I later removed handfuls of silicon sealant that had failed to stop the leaks (i assume that was the intention). I then removed the fittings and replaced them with the correct sealant on the threads. I also replaced the four drain taps.

When the sun is in the correct position, gaps become obvious between the inside wall and the window frame in at least two windows. This is not allowing water to enter but it does look bad.

Result: it was agreed that this would be ignored because fixing the problem could end up making it worse.

The "grab rail" just inside the door was so loose that we were afraid to use it. Eventually I decided to tighten it. I found that only two screws had been used instead of three (at both ends). The plate was attached to the rail with a large countersunk phillips head screw. It simply needed to be tightened. I fitted the missing screws.

Result: I corrected this myself.

It has been found that one of the gas cylinders mounted on the a-frame cannot be removed for re-filling unless the jack is first removed. The securing latch fouls the jack.

Result: Paramount refused to take any action to correct this.

The A-frame has been filled in with fine mesh - stones and gravel that land in it do not fall through.

Result: Paramount would not take any action to correct this.

The water tap on the A-frame is behind the jerry cans.

Result: Paramount provided me with a length of plastic pipe and the necessary fittings - I moved the tap myself.

The electrical connectors behind one of the wheels has been left exposed to damage from stones that fly up under the van. The plastic cover on one of the connectors has been destroyed and the brass connector has been rubbing directly on the axle.

Result: paramount removed the connectors and covered the wiring with "heat shrink".

One of the bedside lamps is ready to fall off the wall. One of the two screws was easily pulled out with my finger nails.

Result: paramount secured the light fitting.

Three of the screws that hold the fridge in place are not screwed into solid wood. They just graze the edge of the timber.

Result: paramount workshop staff installed a single screw at the rear of the fridge attaching it to the floor.

One of the latches on one window has jammed.

Result: a new window latch was fitted by paramount workshop staff.

The main 240 volt circuit breaker is either faulty or does not have the capacity required and it occasionally trips out.

Result: the circuit breaker was replaced by the paramount electrician.

The two way valve on the top of the gas regulator is leaking.

Result: the complete gas regulator was replaced. However, the new regulator was installed so that it was pressing hard against the front of the caravan and damaging the aluminium panel. I had to spend several hours re-arranging this.

The door of the shave cabinet in the bathroom can no longer be opened.

Result: the workshop staff had to destroy the cabinet door in an effort to open it. The latch had fallen to pieces internally. A worker installed a new door and latch. The cause of the problem is a brass pin that was left loose when the locks were installed. With vibration the pin falls out. I spent a day and a half removing all 46 locks and firmly tightening all of the brass pins.

I discovered that most of the drawers rails are actually supported by a tiny 10 mm screw - one at each side. I am afraid that anything of any reasonable weight in a drawer would simply tear the rails from the inside of the drawer cavity.

Result: I have installed larger screws in half a dozen drawers to give them some support. This entailed another couple of hours of my time.

Interesting. One of the two screws is not there to hold the metal rail in place. It is there to hold the wood behind it in place (for appearances I guess). Remove that screw and the wood falls out!

The filters in the air conditioner - one will not come out, and the other will not go in.

Result: I discovered that the screws that attach the cover had been tightened so much that the cover was distorted.

Early in november 2012

We took the caravan for a four day break to check for any further problems. We discovered that the hot plate on the stove immediately tripped the 240 volt main circuit breaker when it was turned on. This was the first time it had been used since thetford had worked on it. We also discovered that the gas burner in the oven extinguished routinely and this appeared to be caused by a slight draught coming through the caravan. This problem did not exist prior to the repairs by thetford. A phone call to paramount resulted in an appointment with "alternate gas" just down the road at arndell park. They sorted out the hot plate problems but paramount never told them about the oven problems.

Result: alternate gas had to remove the stove from the caravan to find and correct the hot plate problem. The technician who worked on the stove at the thetford warehouse had reconnected some wires to the wrong terminals. A 240 volt circuit was connected to a thermocouple on one of the gas jets!

Our third problem has been outstanding for a long time - the plasmatronics solar panel battery charger (a brilliant device) is not wired up correctly. It is measuring the power drawn from the batteries twice! And measuring the charge going into the batteries once. The end result:- the pl60 indicates that the batteries are almost always flat! While investigating this problem, I found yet another example of "crimp on" connectors that simply "fell off" the end of wires. There are others which have fallen off in the past and which I have soldered back together. The particular wire that has fallen out of the connector on this occassion is not an issue because. It should never have been there to start with!

Not bad for three days eh!

The electrical wiring problem is going to be difficult because (a) I have never been given a wiring diagram (b) the electrician who wired the van is at Paramount's factory in melbourne (c) he did not know how to wire up the pl60 when the caravan was built - and I have no reason to think that he would know any better now, and (d) I have found that there are not many electricians who, after looking at the problem, want to get involved in another electricians mistakes.

16-11-2012 I emailed paramount and asked them for authorisation to take the caravan to an auto electrician. I did not get a reply. Further, my complaint regarding the oven was not passed on to Alternate Gas to be investigated. I assume that paramount have now seen my web page (http://www.jeal.com.au/allan/problems/paramount_problems.htm) and don't like it. I contacted Plasmatronics and described the operation of the pl60. After a couple of phone calls and some tests, they diagnosed the error. I made the suggested corrections and .. at last .. after five and a half months, I now appear to have a fully functioning solar battery charger.

Well done Plasmatronics! Well done Toowoomba Auto Electrics! Well done Xantrex! Well done Alternate Gas! .. and raspberries to Paramount Caravans!

If only profit had been moved down the priorities list a notch, and quality up a few notches, we would have avoided some of the frustration, drama, anguish and finally hatred, of Paramount Caravans. It looks beautiful inside - at first glance. Warranty poor and numerous technical errors.