2008 Swift Challenger Electricals

[PeterinPenarth]

Lovely van, but currently staying with Discover Newport for a lengthy warranty list. Two items are going to be interesting, both concerning electrical equipment:

1. The electric water heater, which is apparently automatic (ie. no 'on' switch apart from on the 12V circuit-breaker board) has never worked properly and stopped altogther at the beginning of August. Discover suggested it might have 'tripped' because we emptied the hot water tank when it was hot (doesn't everyone?) and described a complex procedure for putting it right, which made no difference whatsoever. None of this is mentioned in the manual - as far as Swift are concerned, it simply works.

2. The refrigerator has a worrying habit of failing on a mains connection and defaulting to 12V, which is an excellent recipe for losing food if you're out for the day. This is not an isolated event and I wonder if other 'fridges default in this way, regardles of whether they fail as frequently as ours does.

I get the impression that caravan electrics are getting over-complex and I'd much prefer the level of manual control I had with my previous 'van. Anyone else had similar problems?

 

[mealsonwheels]

Hi Peter,

We too have a 2008 Swift Challenger and we are also working our way through a lengthy warranty list.

We've only had the caravan since March and already the front centre window has been replaced. Various other problems have surfaced, resulting in several 120 mile round trips back and forth to our dealer to get them rectified.

We are currently waiting to take the 'van back to our dealer yet again, this time to get faulty blinds replaced and the kitchen worktop replaced, due to delamination.

Touch wood, our electrics seem to be ok, but yesterday the Hartal door lock has become very stiff to open from outside and it looks like another problem has arisen.

All the excitement of getting our lovely new Challenger has now been wiped out by all the problems we've had.

 

[PeterinPenarth]

Hi Peter,

We too have a 2008 Swift Challenger and we are also working our way through a lengthy warranty list.

We've only had the caravan since March and already the front centre window has been replaced. Various other problems have surfaced, resulting in several 120 mile round trips back and forth to our dealer to get them rectified.

We are currently waiting to take the 'van back to our dealer yet again, this time to get faulty blinds replaced and the kitchen worktop replaced, due to delamination.

Touch wood, our electrics seem to be ok, but yesterday the Hartal door lock has become very stiff to open from outside and it looks like another problem has arisen.

All the excitement of getting our lovely new Challenger has now been wiped out by all the problems we've had.

Don't get me started on the rest of the problems, I just thought these two were the most, shall we say interesting.

The centre front window has developed internal mould and will probably have to be replaced and several of the window catches are ill-fitted and fouling the rubber seals.

The door lock has always been stiff, but works, just about.

No problems with lamination on the work surface (yet).

.. and, oh yes, the flashy new blinds don't go smoothly down the runners.

A lot of the problems are new designs just not working properly.

Weird.

I'll post the results when Discover report back; at least they're only 12 miles away. Good luck.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

We have the Ace Award Nightstar and there is a 230V switch for the water heater in the wardrobe alongside the one for the fire and the mains charger

The water heater should reset itself if left switched off at the main switch for a short while

Draining while hot should be OK if the mains is disconnected

We had a problem with the Thetford fridge which was replaced under warranty and from what the dealer tells me several fridges of both makes have been faulty this year

Appart from that we have had no warranty claims at all

 

[mealsonwheels]

Peter,

The 'mould' you mention in the window. Does it appear between the two panes?

There is a known fault and is a window manufacturers defect which will be covered under your warranty.

We were on site in Scotland in June and a Swift Conqueror and another Challenger (both 2008 models) within 20yds of us had the same problem with the centre window.

 

[RichardJ]

Hi Mate

Water Heater: This can be a problem, we too have a swift, but the problem is easliy solved or at least it was for us.

Our van came out of Discovery, Newport after the annual service, we arrived in Cirencester to discover the water heater did not work.......

Panic and alarm, no hot water...... we went through all the procedures according to the manual, spoke at length to another discover agent.... no luck.

Sat back, simply thought it through, working when it was taken for service, not working went it came back, we switched off the trip, ran cold water through the heater system, switched on the heater, hey presto it worked.

It appears that the overheat switch had cut in, hence no hot water, by dis-connecting the supply the bi-metalic switch cooled and remade the circuit, the running through of the cold water may have helped, no one came up with that, it seemed like common sense.

Thinking back when we collected the van the trip switched were all in the on position!, the water tank had been drained, hence the problem.

Hope that this helps.

 

[J.Lo]

Water heater will work again if you switch off the power source,Hartal door lock can be sorted easily take it apart remome the circlip from the barrel,cirlip pliers

 

[SwiftGroup_374327846]

Peter

The comments from Richard(Monmouthshire) regarding the overheat switch confirm the method required to reset the 230v element in the heater.

If the 230v switch on the consumer unit (marked water heater) is on, the element will heat up. If no water is present the element will overheat and the overheat stat will switch the element off.

Turning the water heater switch (on the consumer unit) off, waiting for the element/stat to cool and then switching the supply on again should resume normal operation.

From the description of the long term lack of 230vheating the element may have failed.

Your dealer should be able to resolve the fridge - sounds like a possible fault with the fridge.

Regards

Kath

 

[full timer]

we have had numerous faults with our ace (supreme)twinstar, to date we have had one new fridge,we are on the second kitchen worktop due for a third to be fitted, one set of cooker facias cracked finish,now waiting for a second set, saggy front cusion,scatter cusions fell to bits within days, various doors fell off,catches not working,boiler wasn't plumbed correctly with non return valve,one blind fell to bits,had to have another shower tray fitted as there was a sharp object protruding into it from behind,rear corner of shower walls had to be welded (it only had a bead of mastic),Swift are meant to be looking into it,waiting to hear from them before writing to the dealer.It seems that most of the faults are common ie worktops delaminating,fridges,etc.The quality is certainly NOT upto the standards I would expect for near on

 

[PeterinPenarth]

Peter

The comments from Richard(Monmouthshire) regarding the overheat switch confirm the method required to reset the 230v element in the heater.

If the 230v switch on the consumer unit (marked water heater) is on, the element will heat up. If no water is present the element will overheat and the overheat stat will switch the element off.

Turning the water heater switch (on the consumer unit) off, waiting for the element/stat to cool and then switching the supply on again should resume normal operation.

From the description of the long term lack of 230vheating the element may have failed.

Your dealer should be able to resolve the fridge - sounds like a possible fault with the fridge.

Regards

Kath

Kath,

The replies (and other input outside this forum) all point in more-or-less the same direction and I'm reasonably optimistic that it can all be resolved. My complaint to Swift group, however, is that NONE of this was covered in the manual or the handover instructions. As far as your documentation was concerned, the water heater could only be switched off at the consumer unit and there was no indication a) how you should drain the hot water, b) that the heater could be 'tripped' or c) how you should proceed in the event of failure. Since I never had any problems with my previous caravan (with a manual water heater switch) I fail to see how the automation has helped.

 

[Lisa_374342718]

Hi Peter

Thetford Customer Care would be more than happy to discuss your Thetford refrigerator problem. If you contact our Customer Care Department on 0114 2738157 or email us at infogb@thetford.eu with your contact details and we will be happy to contact you direct.

Anyone experiencing difficulties with any Thetford appliance is always welcome to contact Thetford Customer Care on the telephone number above.

Kind Regards

Thetford Customer Care