life time water ingress warranty

Feb 9, 2009
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Swift are using SMART 3 timberless construction on Elegance and the new Elegance Grande ranges and are offering a life time water ingress warranty. Is this the breakthrough that we have been waiting for or will their be many terms and restrictions ?
Still no details on the Swift web site which still shows 2018 models.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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FrintonMike said:
Swift are using SMART 3 timberless construction on Elegance and the new Elegance Grande ranges and are offering a life time water ingress warranty. Is this the breakthrough that we have been waiting for or will their be many terms and restrictions ?
Still no details on the Swift web site which still shows 2018 models.

There should only be the need for servicing in accordance with the makers service schedule, as that is what has happened so far as body structures and build techniques have improved against damp. It will no doubt filter down to other models in Swifts range, and could be a winner if it is transferable to a second, third owner etc. But Suspect for second owners onwards there will be a time limit of the transfer warranty to say 10 years old. Otherwise caravan sales might dip as it is damp, or the fear of, that often makes people change vans.
 
May 7, 2012
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With no timber in the construction I assume Swift have concluded that any repair bills will be far smaller than before, so they can risk it. It will be a requirement that the caravan is serviced to their schedule, so even if it can be passed on, I suspect that after five of six years very few will still have a valid guarantee and by ten they will be safe.
There is also the point that the Elegance is an expensive caravan and there is more chance of hiding any additional costs in the price.
 
Jun 20, 2005
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Intrigued.
Water ingress will still damage the wallboards and furniture? Smart or timber? Mmmm. I always thought the water ingress-was caused by failure of the sealant used?
Have they improved that much?
If yes. Then it gets my vote.
 
Jun 17, 2011
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Isn’t the elegance an 8feet wide model that will probably be seasonally pitched. Damp issues come down to workmanship quite often. Friends had a Swift and on second service damp was found in the bathroom. Turned out to be the cassette door. Mastic on the top and bottom but none on the sides!
 
Jul 18, 2017
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waffler said:
Isn’t the elegance an 8feet wide model that will probably be seasonally pitched. Damp issues come down to workmanship quite often. Friends had a Swift and on second service damp was found in the bathroom. Turned out to be the cassette door. Mastic on the top and bottom but none on the sides!

Why do you think it will be seasonally pitched as they are legal to tow on UK roads?
 
Oct 12, 2013
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Buckman said:
waffler said:
Isn’t the elegance an 8feet wide model that will probably be seasonally pitched. Damp issues come down to workmanship quite often. Friends had a Swift and on second service damp was found in the bathroom. Turned out to be the cassette door. Mastic on the top and bottom but none on the sides!

Why do you think it will be seasonally pitched as they are legal to tow on UK roads?

Exactly ! :blink:
Ours is just under 8 foot wide and tows beautifully and legally and I have no thoughts about putting it onto a seasonal pitch. If i had wanted a seasonal pitch I would off purchased a static.
 
Sep 29, 2016
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FrintonMike said:
The lifetime guarantee is for first owner only. See attached video for 2019 Swift vans
https://youtu.be/8zZp1UM4c6o

The distracting hand motions of the presenter made me wonder if I was watching Niall Hampton in drag :eek:hmy:

Tin hat time :p
 
Jul 18, 2017
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Anseo said:
FrintonMike said:
The lifetime guarantee is for first owner only. See attached video for 2019 Swift vans
https://youtu.be/8zZp1UM4c6o

The distracting hand motions of the presenter made me wonder if I was watching Niall Hampton in drag :eek:hmy:

Tin hat time :p
Well you never see them both at the same time :p
 
Jul 18, 2017
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FrintonMike said:
The lifetime guarantee is for first owner only. See attached video for 2019 Swift vans

Probably because Swift know the chances fo any one keeping a caravan for a lifetime is zero! Caravan probably would not last even 25 years!
 
Mar 14, 2005
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I do find it alarming that caravan manufacturers make these warrantee offers, band tie it up with such strict and limited access. Why should a change of ownership suddenly make a lifetime warranted product more likely to fail?. Cynically I suspect Buckman is correct.

If they genuinely had faith their product would remain waterproof for life they would not need to make a song and dance about it. They'd only need to sit back and watch their warrant costs reduce as claims deminish.

But Joe and Josephine Public are being hoodwinked again, you can have a lifetime warranty but you must pay for it, by agreeing to have it checked at your expense. As we haven't seen all the details yet, but essentially for a manufacturer to be prepared to make such a dramatic offer which implies they have unfailing confidence in their design, materials and workmanship strongly suggests it's not even a serviceable item. There is no regular maintenance so it will ether be good or if it does leak it's automatically faulty goods, so why the need to inspect?

You can buy cutlery with a lifetime warranty, do you have to have it serviced and inspected?
 
Jul 18, 2017
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ProfJohnL said:
I do find it alarming that caravan manufacturers make these warrantee offers, band tie it up with such strict and limited access. Why should a change of ownership suddenly make a lifetime warranted product more likely to fail?. Cynically I suspect Buckman is correct.

If they genuinely had faith their product would remain waterproof for life they would not need to make a song and dance about it. They'd only need to sit back and watch their warrant costs reduce as claims deminish.

But Joe and Josephine Public are being hoodwinked again, you can have a lifetime warranty but you must pay for it, by agreeing to have it checked at your expense. As we haven't seen all the details yet, but essentially for a manufacturer to be prepared to make such a dramatic offer which implies they have unfailing confidence in their design, materials and workmanship strongly suggests it's not even a serviceable item. There is no regular maintenance so it will ether be good or if it does leak it's automatically faulty goods, so why the need to inspect?

You can buy cutlery with a lifetime warranty, do you have to have it serviced and inspected?

Our Buccaneer as a 10 year warranty as per the brochure however on reading the warranty terms in the owner's manual, the 10 year warranty only applies to sealed joints so damp around windows, doors, lockers etc is excluded. Other manufacturers also have similar exclusions so not just Elddis.
 
May 7, 2012
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You do wonder if that would stand up in court. If the salesman says there is a 10 year warranty against damp without clarifying it, you could reasonably assume it includes the excluded items and a contract is made. They cannot then adjust it later so the sales staff should be precise or they leave the dealer at risk.
 

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