New Caravan Advice - Coachman vrs Swift

[peter_374422719]

Hi there,

Can anyone please offer a first time buyer advice on whether a Coachman Highlander 5 berth 2008 (New)£11,500 or a Swift Challenger 5 berth 2008 (New)£13,100 is the better buy/better van. Thanks a million. Pete

 

[markw]

WE have just changed to a new Coachman a 560/6, the build quality is excellent and have had no problems so far and looking around it I dont expect any.

 

[peter_374422719]

WE have just changed to a new Coachman a 560/6, the build quality is excellent and have had no problems so far and looking around it I dont expect any.

Thanks for your reply Mark, enjoy your new Coachman.

 

[carolynS]

We were first time buyers in feb this year and love our Coachman vip 545, heavy but so well built and comfortable.

 

[DianneT]

You cannot go wrong with a Coachman much better van than Swift.

 

[Guest]

Rubbish, take a look on the caravan talk website, at least Swift tecs active on the forums to help customers with any faults.

http://www.caravantalk.org.uk/index.php?s=661a6ae98ec9abe6c60657fba150f4e4&showforum=18

 

[Icemaker]

coachman are the very best made british van you can buy without going to the hand built levels of carlight etc.

ive had 4 coachmans now and never had one single fault, ive had 2 swift vans and both where very poorly built and too numerous faults to list here, the last one a ace twin axle was purchased new in 2006 and sold just 8 month later as it was so troublesome.

i have never read anything bad about coachman vans in the press and they are allways regarded as extremely well built and specified allthough this is reflected in the weight and price, however if you want quality then price and weight are minor conciderations.

one lady on this forum did seem to have a problematic coachman however i think a lot of the problem was the dealer who seemed incapable of repairing the van to coachman standards which unfortunately is the norm with a lot of dealers.

read between the lines, very few coachman owners will complain about theire vans as they have nothing to complain about, the ones that complain usually dont own the marque !.

 

[Icemaker]

quote" le croc

10 May 2009 07:21 PM Rubbish, take a look on the caravan talk website, at least Swift tecs active on the forums to help customers with any faults".end quote.

do you not concider the reason for swifts activity to be becouse they have so many complaints ?.

i dont see any participation by ANY manufacturer other than swift which i tend to think is becouse they have no need to !. at the end of the day if no complaints are forcoming then the manufacturer need not participate.

 

[xtrailman]

I won't be looking at replacing my Bailey with a coachman, not until i know that company is using STAINLESS STEEL external trim screws.

At lest Swift use stainless steel screws.

Anyone who has had a Avondale will know what i am talking about, not a problem if you sell on after 5 years, but my 7 year old Avondale had two hundred badly rusting screws, hidden away under the rubber insert!

 

[S-MaxJon]

Coachman every time!! We are on our second Coachman and just love the build quality and overall feel of the van.We have looked at other makes including Swift and frankly the build quality is no match for the Coachman even in the "luxurious" range.

A good benchmark for us is the quality of the overhead cabinets and the materials used.The only problem with Coachman's quality is external sources - i.e Door locks and gas regulator valves !!

Up the Coachmans !!

 

[Icemaker]

quote" RAY

11 May 2009 09:02 AM I won't be looking at replacing my Bailey with a coachman, not until i know that company is using STAINLESS STEEL external trim screws.

At lest Swift use stainless steel screws.

Anyone who has had a Avondale will know what i am talking about, not a problem if you sell on after 5 years, but my 7 year old Avondale had two hundred badly rusting screws, hidden away under the rubber insert!"end quote.

here we go again, have you got that comment permanently copied and pasted in your pc ray ? every single time coachman is mentioned you come up with exactely the same coment then blame your avondale for your concerns, you have never once given any proof that these screws are a problem to coachman and no coachman owner has ever reported a problem, in fact you are the only person i have ever heard who has a concern and its starting to sound like a bit of an obsession of yours to blame coachman for your problems with avondale !.

as ive said many times ive had various coachmans for 12 years and one coachman in our family is just aproaching 6 years old and not one spot of rust on any part of it even the hidden areas, now is that becouse coachman maybee do use stainless steel screws or is it just becouse they are so much better quality in the first place ? no one will know but it does not matter as its not a problem coachmans suffer with.

 

[xtrailman]

Icemaker

You are correct, it is an obsession!

I just whish someone had warned me, before before i bought my Avondale. I had no intention of changing that van, and would have kept it much longer.

But the cost of having the entire van resealed and replaced with stainless screws was cost prohibitive.

I did consider doing the job myself, but i had no cover for the van, and at the time was still working long hours.

So i'm sorry if you have a Coachman, i know they are very nice inside, and it is your choice what you buy.

All i am trying to do is supply people with the knowledge, so if they do buy, they are aware of any future problems.

I have taken you advise a saved this copy.

 

[Guest]

"More Woes - Split In Front Panel" off the coachman forum caravan talk.

I'm not saying swift are perfect but neither are the rest.

 

[Dave_374330759]

Which one do YOU like best, coz it's YOU that will be using the van. Everyone has an opinion and those that have had a problem shout a lot louder than those who are happy. There's probably not a lot to choose bewteen the two so choose the one YOU like and feel most comfortable with.

(I don't have an opinion on either as I am a very satisified BAILEY owner)

 

[xtrailman]

"More Woes - Split In Front Panel" off the coachman forum caravan talk.

I'm not saying swift are perfect but neither are the rest.

I am starting to wonder what vans DO NOT surfer from cracked panels?