new caravan on the way :)
- Thread starter Kaznamy
- Start date
Hi,
I can relate to your excitement.
What you getting?
However, be very wary, I took delivery of our brand new Sterling in July. There have been numerous "issues", see my thread comment of last night, many of which are down to very poor build quality by Swift, in my opinion....and others by the sound of it.
I must say their after sales/customer service leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion.
Have a good look round it when you pick it up. Keep a note of everything, but I'd say you are likely going to have issues.
Enjoy though. They are gteat, I just wish Swift committed more to build quality and materials.
I can relate to your excitement.
What you getting?
However, be very wary, I took delivery of our brand new Sterling in July. There have been numerous "issues", see my thread comment of last night, many of which are down to very poor build quality by Swift, in my opinion....and others by the sound of it.
I must say their after sales/customer service leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion.
Have a good look round it when you pick it up. Keep a note of everything, but I'd say you are likely going to have issues.
Enjoy though. They are gteat, I just wish Swift committed more to build quality and materials.
- Aug 23, 2009
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The very best of luck with your new van. However as Kev says PLEASE take the time to carefully inspect every last inch inside and out when you collect it and make sure that everything is working as it should be. Do not allow the dealer to rush you and if it takes all day, then so be it, you're paying. Do not take delivery if there are any issues, however minor.
Enjoy your new van. We bought a brand new Swift two years ago and are pleased to announce we have not had a single issue with ours, I am afraid you only ever hear of vans with problems yet there are plenty that are just fine. Have lots of fun and happy times!
- Nov 11, 2009
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Good luck with your new caravan. We recently returned to caravanning after three-year break and will be taking ours out for its first trip very shortly. And I am really looking forward to it again. Its a 2013 Sprite Musketeer TD which has been cherished by its previous owner and when I bought it in January the dealer had all systems running to show that they worked, and the Sprites do seem to have good reputations.
- Jul 11, 2015
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DavenGill1 said:
Are you saying that the 27% of owners of poor quality caravans, figures from the most recently available surveys on PC and the CC / camc / wotever, should not make buyers aware of the reality of the abysmal state of the caravan industry?
Modern manufacturing works to six sigma or 3.8 parts in 1 million, non compliant.
What would you do if your £25k + caravan had over 30 faults ranging from wrong cushions and window blinds not fitted securely (found on a pre PDI visit), locker door catches failing, electrical control units failing, heating failing, battery box doors failing, taps failing, kitchen walls delaminating, roof lights falling off, omni vents falling off and on and on; stay silent??
Are you certain there are plenty that are just fine? Or is it more a case of buyers have accepted the poor quality time after time.
To the OP, take off those rose tinted glasses, inspect and check your caravan thoroughly before paying over the money. Hope you have put the deposit on a credit card. Do not accept any single fault be it a cracked light switch or non working locker door catch.
Kaznamy said:I've just been and signed the paperwork for my first caravan, its due 9th may! i'm so excited and can't wait to start gathering bits.
Exciting news!
KeefySher, I have not at any point said that the OP should not inspect their caravan as thoroughly as you have explained and not to accept a faulty van, i have said that we have had no problems with our caravan, I would be as upset as you are if my caravan had the issues you have described and I would want retribution for the poor workmanship/quality.
- Jan 29, 2017
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i'm getting a swift challenger 590 with the lux pack and alde heating from Glossop caravans
keefySher, I don't think DavenGill meant that the buyers who find fault shouldn't mention it, I think what they were saying is you always hear about the bad points but you hear less when people don't have problems.
what things should I be looking for when checking through the van? I can think of the obvious of making sure everything works but what else?
keefySher, I don't think DavenGill meant that the buyers who find fault shouldn't mention it, I think what they were saying is you always hear about the bad points but you hear less when people don't have problems.
what things should I be looking for when checking through the van? I can think of the obvious of making sure everything works but what else?
- Nov 16, 2015
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Kazammy, Congrates, as the others have said Give it a really good look over, I missed small dent in the fridge door, but my wife didn't but too late the van was at home. Just hopeing to sell a Friends van for him and noticed that the hand book was signed for a pre delivery check and signed by a named person, what a good move,
Kaz,
Enjoy your caravan I had a Challenger 470SE years ago and it was a really good caravan, hopefully Glossop caravans don't sell Lemons,
Enjoy your caravan I had a Challenger 470SE years ago and it was a really good caravan, hopefully Glossop caravans don't sell Lemons,
I understand your position entirely, and pleased you have one of the "good/better ones". I guess we, the not so lucky ones, just feel aggrieved.
Enjoy your vans. We do ours, once it's fixed, and I've got over the anger and annoyance at whatever ADDITIONAL fault I've found this time.
Enjoy your vans. We do ours, once it's fixed, and I've got over the anger and annoyance at whatever ADDITIONAL fault I've found this time.
- Jul 11, 2015
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Kaznamy said:i'm getting a swift challenger 590 with the lux pack and alde heating from Glossop caravans
keefySher, I don't think DavenGill meant that the buyers who find fault shouldn't mention it, I think what they were saying is you always hear about the bad points but you hear less when people don't have problems.
what things should I be looking for when checking through the van? I can think of the obvious of making sure everything works but what else?
Check everything, go through it with a fine tooth comb. We found incorrect cushions and window blind frame not affixed on our pre PDI visit. Over time we had locker door catches that don't lock and stick. Cupboard doors where the foil delaminates. Vanity panels above microwave that don't have sufficient magnetic restraints. External locker strike plates not fixed solidly. Battery locker doors that have faulty catches. Omni vents that have been hammered in and fixings fractured. Heiki roof vents that have failing frames. External door catches that fall apart. Tail marker lights that fall out. Kitchen walls that delaminate. Taps that fall apart. Toilets that the flush tank sensors don't work. Dry joints in PCB's. Switches that are cracked.LED lights that don't work continuously.
All of the above are common parts fitted across caravans.
Whilst there are a few reports of poor quality online that some owners have the face to tell the world about, there are multiples more where people are ashamed to have been duped when buying such poor quality products they don't go public. Example, on our first rally, trip number 5 with the caravan and our first night to actually need the heating on, we suffered complete electrical failure due to a dry joint on a PCB. When we returned from the dealer after they swapped the control unit from a stock caravan to the rally, people attending then went through the faults they had all suffered with their caravans. Not a single caravan was fault free. In some cases those people had bought multiple caravans time after time. Self same people didn't use forums on the internet. They were pleased we returned to the rally though and not threw the towel in
When we suffered failures of the omni vent and heiki units we were at a wedding anniversary for our friends whose Sterling persuaded us to buy a caravan. As we recounted the list of issues they admitted they had suffered considerable failures of bits and had been embarrassed to tell us after we had placed the order. But their Sterling was better than the 6 previous caravans made by a firm in the Bristol area who employ temporary assembly staff using the 1 head, 2 arms, 2 legs assessment criteria.
We are quite open with the issues we have suffered. Swift admitted they had failed us badly. They also told us they had implemented a Continuous Improvement programme after our caravan was thrown together. Clearly given the report on the 2016 year Sterling on here, that programme is failing to deliver improvement. When people ask us about our caravan, be it on site, at a fuel station, at home etc we tell them as it is. If we as humans took the view to not inform and improve we would still be living in caves
The most recent surveys illustrate 27% of caravans are faulty, by any measure that is appalling and should be improved.The advent of the JDPower surveys led to improvement in cars, where buyers made informed choices.
If making people aware of the reality i.e. there is a greater than 1 in 4 chance of getting a faulty caravan, then it may just lead to the assemblers of poor quality common parts improving, then that is a good thing, surely.
A caravan purchase from new is probably now the third highest price purchase after a home and a car. That puts some perspective on it. Ours is certainly the worst purchase ever made during my lifetime. The reality didn't meet the hype.
Hope you get a good un, but as always buyer beware.
Kaznamy.
We have the Sterling version of the same van. It's a great van, just Swift (including their other brands, Sterling et al) have shoddy workmanship.
What I'd say is expect some issues, it's gonna happen, and hopefully the dealer will sort them (I think Glossop are good from what I hear). We go ours from Lowdhams and they have been good so far, Swift, not so great (though they've fixed things, not rapidly mind, they just are awkward at times, a bit incompetent IMHO sending wrong things out, and also this amount of stuff shouldn't occur)Hi, how are you?
From experience on our van, which like I say should be identical to yours bar branding and some minor 2016 - 2017 upgrades, is look at:
Door seals
Solar panel working
Check electric box is fixed down
Door alignments (they do drop however)
Bathroom door fitment
Blinds work and holes (different to mine now on yours though)
As above for fly screens
Touch lights in bunks work (and go off) - apparently a regular fault.
But often, some don't manifest themselves till you get home (after a good shakedown) so check again when home and report them immediately, preferably with photos. The bulkhead panel, between sofa and kitchen, on ours split/cracked. Presumably because was fitted too tight to accommodate movement when travelling. It was a big job to repair, necessitating removal of lots of other items.
Give it a good check, report everything, but don't be put off by us moaners (even if we are completely within reason), yours could well be a good one, enjoy it, but be wary to look out for issues.
We have the Sterling version of the same van. It's a great van, just Swift (including their other brands, Sterling et al) have shoddy workmanship.
What I'd say is expect some issues, it's gonna happen, and hopefully the dealer will sort them (I think Glossop are good from what I hear). We go ours from Lowdhams and they have been good so far, Swift, not so great (though they've fixed things, not rapidly mind, they just are awkward at times, a bit incompetent IMHO sending wrong things out, and also this amount of stuff shouldn't occur)Hi, how are you?
From experience on our van, which like I say should be identical to yours bar branding and some minor 2016 - 2017 upgrades, is look at:
Door seals
Solar panel working
Check electric box is fixed down
Door alignments (they do drop however)
Bathroom door fitment
Blinds work and holes (different to mine now on yours though)
As above for fly screens
Touch lights in bunks work (and go off) - apparently a regular fault.
But often, some don't manifest themselves till you get home (after a good shakedown) so check again when home and report them immediately, preferably with photos. The bulkhead panel, between sofa and kitchen, on ours split/cracked. Presumably because was fitted too tight to accommodate movement when travelling. It was a big job to repair, necessitating removal of lots of other items.
Give it a good check, report everything, but don't be put off by us moaners (even if we are completely within reason), yours could well be a good one, enjoy it, but be wary to look out for issues.
- Jan 29, 2017
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My mum and me will be going to pay for it and hubby is fetching it, would I be better to go with my mum first to check it over then arrange a date from there for hubby to fetch it, he'll get grumpy if he has 2 trips across to Glossop (at least 2 hr round trip) especially if one is unnecessary due to faults on the van.
I agree.....take your mum, the more tge merrier. Try not to let the excitement of your new van cloud your judgement, be critical. Small things can be fixed on the spot.
Sadly, if it's new and ordered in/made to order, they sell what they're given....lemon or not. I don't think any dealer QA checks that thoroughly.....God knows Swift don't! A lot of items aren't obvious at first glance/inspection, but I think are the result of shoddy workmanship and cost/time cutting!
- Mar 14, 2005
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Don't be rushed by the selling dealer at your pre acceptance inspection, if you haven't paid the balance you can use that threat of not completing as a lever to give you the time you need to be thorough.
If you find any problems with the caravan make a written note and if possible photos of every issue you find. This will prove useful to check that all fixes have been carried out when you finally collect it. Don't accept the caravan or make final payment until you are satisfied the caravan is sound, or you are satisfied the seller has a copy of the list and has agreed to rectify them all.
Don't forget you have Statutory Rights under the Consumer Rights Act.
Good that fall faulty in teh first 30 days, you have a right to ask for a replacement or a full refund. You may elect for a repair.
I suggest you look up "Consumer Rights Act 2015" on reputable consumer sites to get the full flavour of how this might help you.
If you find any problems with the caravan make a written note and if possible photos of every issue you find. This will prove useful to check that all fixes have been carried out when you finally collect it. Don't accept the caravan or make final payment until you are satisfied the caravan is sound, or you are satisfied the seller has a copy of the list and has agreed to rectify them all.
Don't forget you have Statutory Rights under the Consumer Rights Act.
Good that fall faulty in teh first 30 days, you have a right to ask for a replacement or a full refund. You may elect for a repair.
I suggest you look up "Consumer Rights Act 2015" on reputable consumer sites to get the full flavour of how this might help you.
Wow!! Exciting news ..... new 'van!
Good advice from many about checking it over ...... take the time to do so, after all, it's a big investment and you want it to be right.
Keep us all updated!!
Good advice from many about checking it over ...... take the time to do so, after all, it's a big investment and you want it to be right.
Keep us all updated!!
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