Don't fit dog caging to your Vito ...

[BTB 500]

Some of you know that the rear compartment of our Vito is fitted with caging for the dogs:

Just had a call from the dealer to say that they are going to have to remove it all, in order to do a 5-minute warranty repair! A union on the pipe to the rear screen washer jets has come undone ... and the only access is by removing the interior pillar trim.

So while the repair is free, we are going to have to pay for the removal & refitting of the caging ... estimated at 2 hours' labour

 

[mattc]

Unlucky - but could you not do that yourself?

 

[fuzzer]

That is quite unlucky. Can't be unusual for a commercial to be refitted tho , id imagine most vito's are ply lined.

 

[BTB 500]

Unlucky - but could you not do that yourself?

Possibly, but the van is already at the dealers ... we've got a 450 mile trip starting at 07:00 Saturday ... and I have to work tomorrow.

I was half expecting this - I'd taken the rear light clusters off and the interior panel that covers the jack/toolkit to see if I could find the pipe that way, but no luck.

The dealership have been pretty good, they've spent some time seeing if they could do it with the caging in place but failed.

They also think it could take more than 2 hours, but that will be the max. charge we will have to pay. And if they do it in less they will bill for the actual time.

The company that did the caging is an M-B appointed van converter, might have got them to remove & refit the caging but they're too far away.

 

[mattc]

Your back is against the wall on this one! Lets hope they put it back as well as the original installation.

 

[A210AMG]

Think I'd just wait and do it myself in a spare few hrs?

Its not like its your brakes or anything, a rear washer jet pipe? hardlly crucial for driving.


Seems too late now though shame as a few hundred quid would buy some nice wine....

Also make sure its not damaged in anyway when you collect it and it all works as it should.

 

[BTB 500]

That is quite unlucky. Can't be unusual for a commercial to be refitted tho , id imagine most vito's are ply lined.

Ply lining would also be a problem, I imagine. Ours has the 'comfort pack' so came fully lined with trim panels and roof lining. Once you get access to it removal of the pillar trim panel is simple, then it's just a case of replacing the union (20p plastic part probably).

 

[BTB 500]

Your back is against the wall on this one! Lets hope they put it back as well as the original installation.

Yup that's a bit of a worry as it has been totally rattle-free since we got it.

 

[Mudster]

When they eventually get to it, ask them to cable tie it together, it's a design flaw, the piping is simply push fit and it can't cope with the pressure the system produces.

Once the pipe in my 2004 Vito went once, it then went regularly (weekly) but was an easy fix in a van with twin doors instead of a tailgate.

 

[BTB 500]

When they eventually get to it, ask them to cable tie it together, it's a design flaw, the piping is simply push fit and it can't cope with the pressure the system produces.

Once the pipe in my 2004 Vito went once, it then went regularly (weekly) but was an easy fix in a van with twin doors instead of a tailgate.

My guess is that the nozzle was iced up (the front ones are heated but the rear isn't), and the pressure from the pump popped the joint apart.

Used to happen on one of my cars ... as you say, the solution was a thin cable tie round the pipe to hold it onto the nipple.

 

[ringway]

That's some set up.

Bill,
That's a very professional looking fit-out! How expensive was it? I have 3 dogs and the look of your set up is very smart.

Paul.

 

[BTB 500]

Bill,
That's a very professional looking fit-out! How expensive was it? I have 3 dogs and the look of your set up is very smart.

It was £2011 incl. VAT!

We have 5 Border Collies ... 6 as of Saturday

 

[ringway]

It was £2011 incl. VAT!

We have 5 Border Collies ... 6 as of Saturday

I thought it was just me that was mad

We have 1 Border Collie (14 and feeling it) and 2 Lurchers.

If I hadn't imposed a ban on my visits to the dogs home I would have more.

It does looks worth the money, very impessive.

 

[BTB 500]

I thought it was just me that was mad

We have 1 Border Collie (14 and feeling it) and 2 Lurchers.

If I hadn't imposed a ban on my visits to the dogs home I would have more.

It does looks worth the money, very impessive.

We also have a 14 year old, the others are 11 (she is competing at Crufts in March!), 10, 7 (also going to Crufts this year), and 2. And we get the 7 week old one on Saturday

The dogs live in the van when we're away at (agility) shows, so we wanted a good setup

The pull-out deck at the back is handy for changing the baby, too

 

[ringway]

We also have a 14 year old, the others are 11 (she is competing at Crufts in March!), 10, 7 (also going to Crufts this year), and 2. And we get the 7 week old one on Saturday

The dogs live in the van when we're away at (agility) shows, so we wanted a good setup

The pull-out deck at the back is handy for changing the baby, too

LOL


Picture: Luck you! Fantastic looking dog, markings are superb

 

[BTB 500]

Mrs BTB is into blue merles, this is her 7 year old

Our others are all black & whites

 

[A210AMG]

That is a neat cage set up and with pull out but also, very usefull.

Although it was exspensive it does look like a proper job and you / your rodents get the use out of it.

Do the top dogs have ramps up?

 

[ringway]

Mrs BTB is into blue merles, this is her 7 year old

Our others are all black & whites

Superb Images!
Picture postcard the bottom one

 

[BTB 500]

That is a neat cage set up and with pull out but also, very usefull.

Although it was exspensive it does look like a proper job and you / your rodents get the use out of it.

Do the top dogs have ramps up?

No, they jump from the ground to the deck, and from there into the top cages. They all compete in agility, so this is no problem. The only exception is our 14 year old who we have to lift up onto the deck now (he has a bottom cage).

The pull-out deck is rated for 180 kg, so very useful. It's mostly there for the dogs in the top cages but it protects the painted bumper too, and we sit on it (under the tailgate) when it rains! The vertical dividers are removeable, so we can have one big cage or two smaller ones on each level.

There are front and rear doors to each cage (8 in total), all lockable. So we can leave the van in a public car park with the tailgate up; the dogs have shade and plenty of air but are completely secure.

 

[C43AMG]

Great looking Puppy Bill, look forward to seeing him at the next GTG.