RANT -Timewasters

[archoak]

I am selling our lorry and like everyone have had a couple of timewasters but yesterdays really took the biscuit! On Wednesday a girl and her mother came to view the lorry as they had see the ad in local tack shop and rang to say they wanted to look at it right away but could only come now, which was invconvenient but of course we agreed - to cut a long story short they turned up in summer skirts and flip flops and when my OH said would you like to drive the lorry they said 'oh no not today' FFS

So waste of time! Yesterday a man came, my OH again showed him the lorry, took him out for a long drive (and diesel is expensive) and after 1 1/2 hours said he wanted to bring his wife to see it, fine - we told him we would be at the yard that pm. 2 hours later he rings and says my wife can only come now so OH drives to the yard again (we live 1/2 hour away) and they turn up with wife and her father who is apparently a 'mechanic'. Now they had already spoken to our lorry mechanic who builds horsesboxes (one of his clients is Tim Stockdale) and he had told them that our lorry was mechanically sound and safe. The father then pokes around our lorry checking the oil and water then asks if he can start it up - OH says yes fine, the next thing my OH realises he is draining the air from the brakes (don't ask me about this I don't understand

) and tells him to stop, my OH was furious and said 'please don't do that to my lorry especially without asking first and bloke stomps off to his car and tells his daughter he is leaving, she then runs after him saying please don't go Dad. Bear in mind that these people didn't even ask if they could bring a mechanic, of course we would have said yes but would have expected someone qualified and they had already spoken to ours who is known to them through their pony club. Seriously ****** off, cookies if you got this far

ETS: Before they left they said 'well the lorry ticks all our boxes but we don't understand how to get into the engine (he's a so called mechanic). My OH suggested they ring ours as he services it and he will explain, they said they would go and see him and then perhaps ring to discuss a price. Needless to say they rang today to say it's not the lorry for us

 

[carthorse]

You should drain the air from your brakes after use each time you use it.
It is a pain selling things , my thoughts are with you

 

[archoak]

Maybe, but that would be upto us not some stranger.

 

[carthorse]

Sorry, just you didn't seem to understand that the air brakes need draining everyday.

 

[archoak]

Actually when he did it my OH rang Highbury Horseboxes and asked him and he just laughed and said it was completely unnecessary.

 

[ddd]

Only ever drained air from my breaks if for some reason they locked on after starting. In 30 years of driving HGV and 7.5 only ever had to do this myself 3 times other than that it was only done on its twice yearly service.

Had same problem selling our horsebox had some come back three times, brought their machanic who said it was a super lorry and they phoned back to say it was not for them, the machanic however put another one of our clients on to us as he liked the lorry so much and they bought it.

 

[henryhorn]

I've never drained the air in 10 years, how are you supposed to do it and why?
I feel so sorry for you with timewasters, we had a right family a while back viewing a horse, and after two and a half hours the cheeky devils asked to take it on trial despite me already telling them before they came no way..

 

[archoak]

We are mechanical dunces (although my OH used to have an HGV licence

) which is why we pay for recovery/breakdown/homestart and have a super mechanic who services our lorry and answers all our stupid questions politely and with a smile (sometimes a laugh).

 

[carthorse]

Hope this works. See 5.1.4
http://www.dot.state.ia.us/mvd/ods/cdl/section5.pdf
It is to clear the oil and moisture that gets stuck in there . It is more important in the winter as it can freeze.
Also it is question 9 on this test paper but as most people drive these vehicles on a car license they aren't aware of it.
http://www.testprepreview.com/modules/air_brakes_endorsement_ii.htm

I have always been advised to do it.

 

[kanter]

crikey - had my lorry 12 years and never drained anything from anywhere (apart from money from my bank account

)

 

[dieseldog]

Everyones Lorry brakes gets the air drained out of them as part of the MOT. They do it when they test the lights etc at the start.

 

[horseygirl28]

I had timewasters, they drive me mad. Had two out to view a horse over the last week and they have been awful. One said oh her head is too big, bearing in mind the mare is a draft horse so obviously built big and the others said she wasnt the right colour they wanted - grhhh even though they had seen photos of her on horsemart and then had the cheek to make a stupid offer.

Some people are really on another plannet and dont realise what a bl**dy pain they are.

So totally sympathise with you.

 

[Bubblegum]

O I really feel for you. We had such a horrid time once selling a trailer with timewasters... when it came to selling our beloved pony last year I grilled every phone call so much that 99% of people I refused to see! In the end... the only person I allowed to come and try her, bought her.
Time wasters are such a pain... they are actually soul destroying!!!
Good luck with selling your lorry...

 

[maggiehorse]

horse box checks before we drive ;
drain air brakes ,, theres a nozzle on each tank , ( or on some it does them all ) just give it a push ( we use a flat metal bar ) and lots of black wet air will come out , no need to drain tanks completly just till gunk clears ( when we start the lorry the tanks automaticly refill , we drive only when guage says they are fully pressured )
check tyres , pressure and condition ( looking out for any perishing , or splits )
check lights are working
most horseboxes are only driven once a week at most and standing around does them no good , as for draining the air brakes , my husband consulted rac commercial and that was the advice given , he couldnt accentuate more the need to drain the air out , brake faliure in horseboxes is far higher than in fleet vehicles we were told and this is a contributing factor alongside poor maitenance

as for the timewasters , you get them everywhere i,m afraid , i advertised a foal once and two different people rang up to view and wanted to see it ridden , one viewed and didnt like the colour , it was the same colour as the pic she saw before viewing , and one loved the foal but wouldnt wait till oct when the foal would be weaned , wanted it there and then at 3 months!!!!

 

[Bella3puff]

Also if you drain the air out it takes a few minute before it will move so when its being nicked the lorry will need running for 5 mins and hopefully wake someone up in time to stop them nicking it..... teeteetee

Ok maybe not but you never no