Collecting our 2009 Swift Conqueror!

[James_374408700]

Well the day had finally arrived to collect our £16500 Swift Conqueror and you can imagine how we had looked forward to today with an outing due at Easter. Unfortunately from there it just went downhill and we find ourselves totally knackered and disgusted at the quality of our purchase having spent some 6.5 hours at the dealer!

Pre-delivery inspection ......ha ha what a joke.

Quality control inspections after manufacture......not what I would call QA.

So here is the list of faults:

1. BBQ gas tap that I can't move with my fingers.

2. Awning rail filler strip crumpled.

3. Battery box door where 1 catch doesn't catch.

4. The old squeaky bathroom floor (shower screen problem)

5. Small 'dink' in side wall.

6. Marks in front window (still) and scratched.

7. Entrance light and awning lights not working.

8. Worst of all ... the screws that hold the coat hooks on, are

too long and have protruded through the wall and almost come

through the other side and have damaged the panel.

I was told 'the lights worked when the PDI was done' funny that because after 2 hours it was found that the wires were not connected to the switches!!!!.

We can accept that mechanical and electrical devices will go wrong but we cannot accept these sorts of problems on a brand new van that are not the results of a malfunction.

We know these problems will eventually be sorted but this will be at our travelling expense (approx 190 miles) and another lost working day, or are we expecting too much!!!!!!!

Where's the bloody MALT!!!!

 

[James_374408700]

Oh......... I forgot (haven't got to the malt yet) The Alko hitch lock which fitted my old van easily wont go on the new van without a hammer!!!

Where's that Scotch!

 

[Paul_374413659]

Wait until you have problems with the charger - understand they are a weak point, poor build quality.

 

[LippyChick_374407160]

Hey Parksey

Your post to me from a prevoius thread....

Lippychick wrote:

' "This ensures the work is done by Swift Group trained personnel" which gives the impression that dealer staff at the Swift Approved Dealers are Swift Trained. I suggest to you that many are not.'

Can you substantiate your suggestion that Swift Approved dealers staff are not Swift trained Lippychick?

Do you have any facts?"

I suggest that this is one to look at !

I am sure Swift would be dissappointed in this level of PDI from "Swift Trained personell"

Are there any more out there ?

 

[SwiftGroup_374327846]

James,

Clearly, the issues you have raised needs addressing, and it sounds like you have raised them with your dealer already. However, if you need us (Swift) to look into these for you, or need assistance with your dealer, please send me an e-mail with your chassis number to: enquiry@swiftgroup.co.uk (marked to the attention of Ash), and I'll make sure our Customer Care team become involved.

Thanks,

Ash

 

[LippyChick_374407160]

Fast response Ash - impressive

Go and get 'em Ash - Check out the Swift training at that dealership too.

Any news on the 2009 charger fiasco ?

 

[SwiftGroup_374327846]

Lippy Chick,

I fail to understand why a small batch of chargers, that has the potential to fail, has become a "fiasco", which suggests we intended them to fail, hid from the problem and ignored our customers. We have done none of those, and without hi-jacking James post, this is the statement on another forum, posted by The Swift Group:

"The Swift Group has been made aware of a small batch of chargers that have a potential to fail. If any customer has an issue with their charger failing, please contact your dealer, as they will be able to arrange a replacement charger."

If we have failed our customers, in any way, they we will make sure the situation is corrected as quickly as possible, with the minimum amount of inconvenience, and this includes James's Conqueror.

Ash

 

[LippyChick_374407160]

Chill Ash

You wrote....

"I fail to understand why a small batch of chargers, that has the potential to fail, has become a "fiasco", which suggests we intended them to fail, hid from the problem and ignored our customers. We have done none of those, and without hi-jacking James post, this is the statement on another forum, posted by The Swift Group:"

Not suggesting for one moment that you (Swift) intended these chargers to fail (strange statment). The "fiasco" is a very real problem to your customers who are out on holiday with these problems and who have no electrics - no availability of replacements and the supplier have very limited stock - apparantlly its a manufacturing issue from your supplier Nordelectronics.

The main thrust of the post is to do with the quality of the PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) or lack of it. I am sure sure James would like to know how these issues were not picked up by trained service personel - your (Swift approved dealer) - that's where your efforts should be aimed.

LP

 

[Parksy]

It would appear that James has been badly let down by the dealer who was supposed to carry out the pdi on his new caravan and it will be interesting to see what excuse if any the dealer comes up with.

I'm sure that when it comes to the annual service for his new caravan he will bear in mind the standard of work carried out by the dealer in question, I know that I would.

Lippy person

Also not wishing to hi jack James's thread your earlier comments re Swift training of their dealers is still a sweeping generalisation based on hearsay.

 

[James_374408700]

To All who have posted,

Everyone seems to be aiming blame at the lack of a PDI whereas it seems to us that all these issues should have been picked up at the final inspection stage after manufacture. I bet Swift have ISO 9000 accreditation etc.

Apart from the lack of a PDI the service guys did their best to sort us out.

Will contact you ASH when time permits.

 

[Lutz]

One must free one's self of the illusion that "ISO 9000 accreditation" guarantees good quality. ISO 9000 is only supposed to ensure that a quality plan is adhered to and the results adequately documented. However, if certain checks are not included in the quality plan, then even strict compliance with ISO 9000 won't reveal related defects.

 

[Parksy]

Hi James

I hope that the malt went down well

This is where the caravan industry shoots itself in the foot. Niggling quality control issues such as those on your caravan just shouldn't happen but of course your dealer sold the caravan to you and they should have picked up the faults even if no one at the factory did.

Either way it's a shame that after spending sixteen and a half thousand pounds that you had problems of this nature.

It takes the shine off what ought to have been the happy experience of collecting your brand new caravan and I hope that the problems are sorted out quickly.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

I have to say the the PDI that North Staffs Caravans have given our last 2 vans has been exceptional and I have seen the care and attention to detail that staff employ when checking new vans prior to collection

We had Senator from them for 2 years and apart from a cracked chopping board no faults

We have had a couple of faults develop with the Swift now 14 months old

The fridge was quickly replaced and a wheel fell off due to suspected tampering but Swift can't be blamed for that.

We currently are waiting for N orth Staffs to check the brakes after a problem with them not holding when one wheel was chocked

On unhooking from the car with offside wheel chocked on a slope the van fully engaged handbrake was inoperative and the van pivotted through 90deg around the chocked wheel before a chock under the jockey wheel stopped progress.

I feel sure that they will sort it out if its not a design fault withe the Alko brakes that is !

 

[WilliamLX]

I have never owned a Swift Group van as I was put of them by a couple of second hand dealers who told me that vans from this make do not age well and suffer from damp issues far more frequently than other brands. However some of the issues mentioned by the thread starter are not unique to Swift. My new Bailey was in stock, so I seen it before buying, but I had to point out several similar problems to the dealer (and insist they were fixed). Screws used in fitting the shelf at the top of the wardrobe were to long and had pushed through to the outside damaging the outside surface (but not fully braking through), there was some bits of wood around the shelving that had not been finished properly (ie rough edges) and there were scuffs and scratches on the front window and a small ding in the side. So all in all, other than the electrics the Bailey had left the factory in similarly poor condition as the thread starters Swift had left the Swift factory. It is obvious that quality control in the UK caravan industry is at a level seen in the UK car industry in the 1960s and 70s. Really is time they got their acts together.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

I have to say the the PDI that North Staffs Caravans have given our last 2 vans has been exceptional and I have seen the care and attention to detail that staff employ when checking new vans prior to collection

We had Senator from them for 2 years and apart from a cracked chopping board no faults

We have had a couple of faults develop with the Swift now 14 months old

The fridge was quickly replaced and a wheel fell off due to suspected tampering but Swift can't be blamed for that.

We currently are waiting for N orth Staffs to check the brakes after a problem with them not holding when one wheel was chocked

On unhooking from the car with offside wheel chocked on a slope the van fully engaged handbrake was inoperative and the van pivotted through 90deg around the chocked wheel before a chock under the jockey wheel stopped progress.

I feel sure that they will sort it out if its not a design fault withe the Alko brakes that is !

Van pointing uphill

 

[James_374408700]

Hi Parksy (Moderator).

Sadly didn't have anywhere near enough Malt!!

Am still spitting feathers.

Your point you make that the industry needs to improve QA was born out when I raised the issue of the battery locker door the response was "they are all like that" This I know because I had similar problems with my old van (Swift). You seem to have to learn the technique of opening or closing them, pushing here, levering there.

Goodness gracious it's a door with two hinges and two catches......... not rocket science really.

The sad thing is it did ruin our day and at the moment all joy of our new van has gone.

 

[Stephen_374341239]

James

If i had paid

 

[Parksy]

The problem with the battery locker door strikes a chord with me because I could never get the catches on mine to disengage.

The advice that I received via another forum was that the catches are designed in such a way that the locker door has to be held in and then the button pressed to disengage the catches at the same time.

It works, I've had no problem since in opening the external lockers so I presume that this design is to prevent the lockers from opening whilst travelling even if one forgets to lock them with the key.

The dealer told me that this was 'just the way that they are' and wasn't aware of the design feature.

Here is the topic from the other forum

http://www.caravantalk.org.uk/index.php?showtopic=21019

 

[trucker]

If Id have paid 16k for that van I would have left it at the dealers and got my money back.

No way should the van have left the factory let alone the dealers check. This wasnt a misshap, the checks were NOT done full stop, but someone signed to say they were. They could not have been done as the wires were not even connected.

No excuses just poor qa standards

Kevin

 

[WatsonJohnG]

All the key does is locks the release button

I find that sometimes you need to put your knee against the door to compress the rubber for it to catch

It needs to be a tight fit to stop water ingress

To open the door I unlock and press the key inwards to relaese the catch before taking the key out of the lock

Sometimes this may need the knee as well

 

[Gafferbill]

Sorry folks for going off topic.

Watson(JohnG)....Re: your post earlier today.

Alko caution against relying on their hand brake to stop a caravan moving backwards.

They warn to expect a 300mm movement due to the design of the reversing mechanism. They advise chocking both wheels in any case!

 

[xtrailman]

Trucker

I agree, reject the van, ask for a replacement, along with 3 years free servicing for good will.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Thanks for the comment

I know about 300mm but my van was chocked on one wheel and pivotted through 90deg so the free wheel moved about 5 metres

I normally on site use 2 chocks but was just unhooking at the top of the drive ready to move the van into its parking space with the mover .

I've now got it back from the dealer who has adjusted thebrakes They tell me they have had 2 more Challengers on 15 in wheels in this week needing brake adjustment

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Thanks for the comment

I know about 300mm but my van was chocked on one wheel and pivotted through 90deg so the free wheel moved about 5 metres

I normally on site use 2 chocks but was just unhooking at the top of the drive ready to move the van into its parking space with the mover .

I've now got it back from the dealer who has adjusted thebrakes They tell me they have had 2 more Challengers on 15 in wheels in this week needing brake adjustment

Sometimes 4 chocks on the level

 

[Dustydog]

I'm with Trucker and Ray on this one.

In the 21st Century credit crunch and jobs a rare commodity there is no excuse whatsoever from Swift nor the dealer for the, and I choose the word carefully, cr@p, they have given James.

PPP. = Pi$$ Poor Performance.

As my old teacher wrote :- Must do better.

Cheers

Dustydog