ABBEY GRP SIDES

[craig_374227538]

Hi EVERYONE,

Could anyone tell me about the GRP sides that Abbey did on its 2006 models? Has anyone had any problems with them,as we are thinking of buying a 2006 Abbey!! Many Thanks in advance

 

[LMH]

Hi

I have a 2003 model. We haven't had any problems with ours. You can punch the sides with great force and it won't make an impression.

Lisa

 

[gavin_5121842]

Hi

I have a 2003 model. We haven't had any problems with ours. You can punch the sides with great force and it won't make an impression.

Lisa

I suppose thats one way of relieving stress, but doesn't it give you sore knuckles Lisa??,

Gavin

 

[LMH]

Hi

I have a 2003 model. We haven't had any problems with ours. You can punch the sides with great force and it won't make an impression.

Lisa

Yes, but it is a great stress reliever. Wish I hadn't typed it now!! LOL

Lisa

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Craig we have a 2004 Abbey GTS Vogue with GRP sides and have had no problems. I'm told by those in the know the reason they have gone back to aluminium is because it's lighter.

 

[Stephen1956]

Great selling point much better then aluminum for dent resistance it set them apart from other vans pity they don't do them any more means they have to compete with other makes on a level playing field and this year they don't cut the mustard for me

 

[trucker]

Stephen, mustard has been cut well. I have a 2007 Abbey vogue and have been away in it for 10 nights so far. I must say the fixtures and fittings seem much improved on the aventura we had.

build quality seems very good (no niggles yet) but i suppose time will tell. I must say though that I did prefer the GRP sides to the aluminum and would have liked this again

Kevin H

 

[ThePlotter]

The fittings etc are probably better because you have moved up the range away from the Aventura.I have a 2004 Vogue 416 with GRP sides and before that had a dealer special Freestyle also with GRP I think they are excellent they are very forgiving and much easier to keep clean ,black streaks seem less of a problem.Like one of the other contributers I too am not hapy that they have moved back to aluminium with all its downsides(not possible to repair,weaker,harder to keep watertight joints etc etc)

 

[Jeff-Pontypridd]

Craig,

We have a 2 year-old Aventura with said sides - no problems whatsoever!

 

[trucker]

Plotter, the Vogue is the direct replacement for the aventura, they have split the gts vogue name for 2007 to gts range and vogue range.

Must agree fully with all you are saying with the grp sides, now abbey have not got a usp as its the same as all the rest of the Swift brand caravans

Kevin H

 

[ThePlotter]

Kevin H sorry you are right must have been the vin rouge muddling the brain,but yes it is a great pity that after all the fuss made by swift when introducing the grp sides and the fact I have never heard an adverse comment on them they then decide to withdraw them they say because of lightness call me a synic but maybe cost also had a bearing,they have never worried about weight when fiting cd players ,microwaves etc.

 

[Guest]

A huge percentage of articulated trucks have GRP sides and roof.

And in one piece in sizes that are about 13 metres long and can be 3 metres + high.

If you take a trucks mileage against the average caravans why should caravans ever have a problem with GRP.

 

[Roy2]

Have had 3 grp abbey spectrums. 2002 model started cracking within the gel coat,3 areas re-done by a mobile company at the dealer,then it was stolen!!

2003 replacement-huge cracks appeared on nearside at the bottom,checked by the same mobile company,advised it had been bodged up at the factory as he pointed out different colour (very slight) paint.Advised would need sending back to factory for several weeks.Totallly rejected van,and after a fight recieved a new replacement.

2004-side walls ok,but front had stress fractors all over it.traded in this year for the alluminium version,as could not be bothered with all the hastle again.

New model looks much better and alloy seems heaver gague,the grp version never seenmed to gleam, a bit like paper mashae,but agree easier to keep clean and very good when the awning poles give it a bash

Roy

 

[MrsHitchlock]

We were talking to the Swift Group's Technical Director at the NEC last month. He said that one of the issues with the Abbey GRP sides is that although they are more resistant to denting etc, they are also much more difficult to repair when they are damaged.

Added to that, the fact that they are not as glossy as the aluminium sides is also a downside.

That they say is why they have introduced the thicker aluminium sides accross their brands. We studied one of the new models at the show, which had been bashed (squashing the trim strip badly) - however the aluminium skin either side of the damaged strip was barely marked, so it does look promising for dent-resistance.

 

[Stephen1956]

Thats a strange comment for the technical manager to make not 2 years ago a Swift representative told me they use fibreglass for the front and rear mouldings as it is easy to repair I am sure people in the boat building industry will agree, the problem with Aluminium is that when it is dented it stretches so is difficult to get flat again.

I think you will find the real reason is down to cost now every range uses the same sides per model production costs will be lower.

 

[ThePlotter]

I would agree and reiterate my previous comments,this is purely down to cost and not for the benfit of the end user.GRP is easily repaired where the accepted if not the only way to repair aluminium panels is to stick another on top of the damaged one ,very tachnically invotive (not).GRP has been used on lorries and extensively on motorhomes for years very succesfully.So why the sudden change of heart by Swift after they announced its arrival a few years ago as the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[MrsHitchlock]

I would agree and reiterate my previous comments,this is purely down to cost and not for the benfit of the end user.GRP is easily repaired where the accepted if not the only way to repair aluminium panels is to stick another on top of the damaged one ,very tachnically invotive (not).GRP has been used on lorries and extensively on motorhomes for years very succesfully.So why the sudden change of heart by Swift after they announced its arrival a few years ago as the best thing since sliced bread.

I probably need to add to my previous post about the Technical Manager's comments.

Yes, for sure that one of the reasons for abandoning the GRP sides is the cost of producing them.

In terms of their repair - the 'difficulty' is in obtaining a satisfactory finish. Apparently, it is very difficult to blend the repaired area, so that the repair is not visible.

I hope that helps!