Cut a dash on site with the 2016 Sterling Eccles 565. To read our review and see it for yourself, please click here.
2016 Sterling Eccles 565 review
- Thread starter LizziePope
- Start date
We saw them at an exhibition earlier and they look a nice van. The colour scheme is not for us but we would be happy with the Swift equivalent.
We have the 590 version, 3 weeks we've had it now, but so far so good.
Decor/colour scheme seems to split opinion with the Swift Challenger stablemate taking a more traditional timber look, but for us the more contemporary Sterling, inside and out, sets it apart, with modern white interior and smoked oak details as well as grey textured feature walls. Externally the grey gas locker and wheel skirts lift the appearance and set it apart from the usual "white box" whilst remaining in keeping, and the side graphics are again a little more current.
We went for Alde Heating and also external BBQ and Electric Points, as well as ATC Trailer Control, the last three really should be standard!!!
Decor/colour scheme seems to split opinion with the Swift Challenger stablemate taking a more traditional timber look, but for us the more contemporary Sterling, inside and out, sets it apart, with modern white interior and smoked oak details as well as grey textured feature walls. Externally the grey gas locker and wheel skirts lift the appearance and set it apart from the usual "white box" whilst remaining in keeping, and the side graphics are again a little more current.
We went for Alde Heating and also external BBQ and Electric Points, as well as ATC Trailer Control, the last three really should be standard!!!
Just an update.
The van style and layout I still cannot fault, and it still excites me
BUT
Build quality is quite alarmingly SHOCKING. Issues so far:
Split bulkhead panel
Misfit shower room door and frame
Door seals coming off
Loose electric connection caused by poor workmanship shown in item below
Electric/fuse box not fitted down properly (only one fixing point used, other left with no screws, presumably saved Swift 2p and 5mins on the [ridiculously slow already] production line).
Faulty bunk bed touch lights.
Blinds with holes in
Fly screens with holes in
Faulty solar panel
Drawers dropping.
These have now been fixed under warranty (wait for it mind) but with massive lead in times for parts (6 weeks plus), as well as them being completely incompetent and sending the wrong blinds and lights out for replacement.
All in all out of action and at the dealers for 3 months!! Initially Swift gave me a derisory fuel contribution, as I had to take the van a 90mile round trip twice to get it repaired. Note I had to ask for this however, I wasn't offered it. After more and more fiasco from them, sending wrong parts twice and having my van 3 months, I had to suggest it might be fitting for them to cover the cost of the first service. However, speaking to various levels, ending with the "Deputy" Managing Director, this was flatly refused. Poor customer services in my opinion.
Since the above, have just returned from a weekend away and discovered the following issues:
Positive overhead locker catches, numerous, now sticking and thus not catching
Cooker knob (which was another original item fixed) fallen off (again) without touching it!
Shower room door still sticking.
My advice, whilst it pains me to say it having been a Swift advocate for sometime, the build quality of these vans is poor now and, in my opinion, Swift are concentrating on volume and speed (ironic as the production speed and defect rectification speed appears slow) and not on quality. I'd recommend looking at an older model, that's had everything fixed or, sorry to say it, try another brand (Clubman. Ellis, Bailey??).
The van style and layout I still cannot fault, and it still excites me
BUT
Build quality is quite alarmingly SHOCKING. Issues so far:
Split bulkhead panel
Misfit shower room door and frame
Door seals coming off
Loose electric connection caused by poor workmanship shown in item below
Electric/fuse box not fitted down properly (only one fixing point used, other left with no screws, presumably saved Swift 2p and 5mins on the [ridiculously slow already] production line).
Faulty bunk bed touch lights.
Blinds with holes in
Fly screens with holes in
Faulty solar panel
Drawers dropping.
These have now been fixed under warranty (wait for it mind) but with massive lead in times for parts (6 weeks plus), as well as them being completely incompetent and sending the wrong blinds and lights out for replacement.
All in all out of action and at the dealers for 3 months!! Initially Swift gave me a derisory fuel contribution, as I had to take the van a 90mile round trip twice to get it repaired. Note I had to ask for this however, I wasn't offered it. After more and more fiasco from them, sending wrong parts twice and having my van 3 months, I had to suggest it might be fitting for them to cover the cost of the first service. However, speaking to various levels, ending with the "Deputy" Managing Director, this was flatly refused. Poor customer services in my opinion.
Since the above, have just returned from a weekend away and discovered the following issues:
Positive overhead locker catches, numerous, now sticking and thus not catching
Cooker knob (which was another original item fixed) fallen off (again) without touching it!
Shower room door still sticking.
My advice, whilst it pains me to say it having been a Swift advocate for sometime, the build quality of these vans is poor now and, in my opinion, Swift are concentrating on volume and speed (ironic as the production speed and defect rectification speed appears slow) and not on quality. I'd recommend looking at an older model, that's had everything fixed or, sorry to say it, try another brand (Clubman. Ellis, Bailey??).
SterlingWhiteRose said:
Get back onto the MD of Swift, Mr J Turner, e-mail jturner@swiftleisure.co.uk and request the gratis next service. We were reimbursed travel to and from the dealers and a gratis service. We had considerable issues with our Sterling Continental, and only got it back a few weeks ago. On the shakedown trip at the end of the half term holidays we too have the useless overhead locker catches that don't work properly, despite being changed.
I know of one other Sterling buyer who has recently rejected their caravan after 4 remediation visits. Needs more people to reject as their rights.
So much for the lauded improvement programme supposedly put in place after our thrown together common poor quality parts went through the circus at Cottingham. Prices have gone up again this year, but it appears quality is downhill. This will be our first and only caravan due to the abysmal quality. We are not getting mugged again buying these shoddy items.It takes the same time to assemble a good un as it does for a bad un. There must be too much fat in the price to continue to throw them out at such poor quality.
Our MH after over 9 years had one cracked casting replaced on our first trip, and a frozen water pump where I forgot to drain the system once. It was a sad day when we sold her for the caravan. Still you live and learn. Lesson is don't buy a caravan thrown together in Cottingham
Why can the senior guys at all the caravan manufacturers take a leap in the dark and get involved with the more serious complaints into new vans. Forget all the goodwill gestures and get out there among the dealers / customers and evaluate what is going wrong in the factory. They may have full order books today but look to the future and create a reputation of quality. Hopefully the new owners of Elddis will be doing something similar very soon.
I am afraid the as the saying goes "Pigs might fly", the track record of the industry in these cases is abysmal. The general consensus seems to be they just do not care, although I hope the prove me wrong.s
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