Damp van

[StephenD]

I purchased a Swift Conqueror 640 from a private seller some months ago. I then sited the van in West wales thinking that 'life was sweet' When I purchased the van the owner stated that he had a small damp problem on the front interior 'shelf' that spans between the two front side cupboards, and that he had, had it repaired. I thought that he was geniune person (my mistake).

Since purchasing the van the 'shelf' is damp to touch to the extent that the material covering the front of the 'shelf' has now got watermarks on it. I have tried to repair this by replacing the external waterproof mastic that was covering the join on the front external panel.(ie above the windows) BUT the 'shelf' is still damp/wet...where could the water be coming in???? The window seals look in good condition.

Is this a problem with Swift caravans? and am I talking £1000s to repair it?

Is anyone aware of any good caravan repair companies in the Tenby area of West Wales.

SORRY for the length of my enquiry but I am worried that I have been 'caught' for a lot of money.

 

[SwiftGroup_374327846]

Stephen.

If you can tell us the year of the van and the chassis number I will investigate if there were any known issues with your van.

Obviously a lot depends upon how well the repair was done.

If it was done by the dealer or Swift as a warrantee issue we should be able to confirm the original issue.

Simon

Swift

 

[chrisn7]

I had exactly this probelm with a Swift built Bessacrr. I did this repair myself, and found 2 sources of water ingress. The main one was the top front running light, where the wiring passes through the shell. Both these had been improperly sealed at the factory, one being worse than the other. The other was due to the shell above the front window having had a impact such that a piece had detached from the rear, which I found at floor level. Although the outside had been repainted it was not waterproof due the remaining material not being thick enough. Again I suspected the factory as the damaged piece would not have been on the floor otherwise.

The shelf in my case was multi-ply, and badly delaminated. If you are DIY competent, its perfectly do-able, but its a big job and a lot of dismantling is required. You will probaly need to take lots of measurements / photos, as the wet parts could well disintegrate as they are removed.

 

[StephenD]

I had exactly this probelm with a Swift built Bessacrr. I did this repair myself, and found 2 sources of water ingress. The main one was the top front running light, where the wiring passes through the shell. Both these had been improperly sealed at the factory, one being worse than the other. The other was due to the shell above the front window having had a impact such that a piece had detached from the rear, which I found at floor level. Although the outside had been repainted it was not waterproof due the remaining material not being thick enough. Again I suspected the factory as the damaged piece would not have been on the floor otherwise.

The shelf in my case was multi-ply, and badly delaminated. If you are DIY competent, its perfectly do-able, but its a big job and a lot of dismantling is required. You will probaly need to take lots of measurements / photos, as the wet parts could well disintegrate as they are removed.

Cheers lads

Chris I'll have a look at the running lights on the weekend. I replaced the mastic above the front windows last week and I noticed then that the lights were a bad fit. Looks like i'll have to get the jig saw out.

Once again, cheers lads, I thought I would be scrapping the van or it would cost me

 

[StephenD]

I had exactly this probelm with a Swift built Bessacrr. I did this repair myself, and found 2 sources of water ingress. The main one was the top front running light, where the wiring passes through the shell. Both these had been improperly sealed at the factory, one being worse than the other. The other was due to the shell above the front window having had a impact such that a piece had detached from the rear, which I found at floor level. Although the outside had been repainted it was not waterproof due the remaining material not being thick enough. Again I suspected the factory as the damaged piece would not have been on the floor otherwise.

The shelf in my case was multi-ply, and badly delaminated. If you are DIY competent, its perfectly do-able, but its a big job and a lot of dismantling is required. You will probaly need to take lots of measurements / photos, as the wet parts could well disintegrate as they are removed.

Cheers lads

Chris I'll have a look at the running lights on the weekend. I replaced the mastic above the front windows last week and I noticed then that the lights were a bad fit. Looks like i'll have to get the jig saw out.

Once again, cheers lads, I thought I would be scrapping the van or it would cost me

 

[StephenD]

I had exactly this probelm with a Swift built Bessacrr. I did this repair myself, and found 2 sources of water ingress. The main one was the top front running light, where the wiring passes through the shell. Both these had been improperly sealed at the factory, one being worse than the other. The other was due to the shell above the front window having had a impact such that a piece had detached from the rear, which I found at floor level. Although the outside had been repainted it was not waterproof due the remaining material not being thick enough. Again I suspected the factory as the damaged piece would not have been on the floor otherwise.

The shelf in my case was multi-ply, and badly delaminated. If you are DIY competent, its perfectly do-able, but its a big job and a lot of dismantling is required. You will probaly need to take lots of measurements / photos, as the wet parts could well disintegrate as they are removed.

Cheers lads

Chris I'll have a look at the running lights on the weekend. I replaced the mastic above the front windows last week and I noticed then that the lights were a bad fit. Looks like i'll have to get the jig saw out.

Once again, cheers lads, I thought I would be scrapping the van or it would cost me