Sprite build quality

[ReverendJT]

Hello,

I am thinking about buying a new quattro Fb and had a look in a few new Sprites at a local dealer. There were a few bits on them that weren't finished/designed well like the cutting of some of the plastic parts to meet up with other bits and the 'wood' around the microwave left big gaps which allowed you to see the mountings and empty space behind.

What are peoples experience of the overall build quality? I know they are at the cheaper end of the market and you get a lot for your money but I expected them to be at least well finished. Maybe I just happened to come across a couple of Friday afternoon at the factory ones?

ReverendJT

 

[Craigyoung]

Hi there , like I said before there is a few of us on here with sprites , I have the Major 6 td and there's a few with the same and major 4s etc but for all the Sprites and everything between us we've all had a few niggly bits that have needed to be sorted after sales which has been no bother for me ; if like we were are interested in the van and see something that you don't like tell them ; make a little snagging list like what we did . And haggle for as much as you can get , outside sockets , gas BBQ point , we got a bike carrier put on the back of ours, see what do you can get .
But overall we are really happy with ours and itself is a great van.

Good luck

Craig

 

[Thingy]

Hello,

I am thinking about buying a new quattro Fb and had a look in a few new Sprites at a local dealer. There were a few bits on them that weren't finished/designed well like the cutting of some of the plastic parts to meet up with other bits and the 'wood' around the microwave left big gaps which allowed you to see the mountings and empty space behind.

What are peoples experience of the overall build quality? I know they are at the cheaper end of the market and you get a lot for your money but I expected them to be at least well finished. Maybe I just happened to come across a couple of Friday afternoon at the factory ones?

ReverendJT

Pretty standard fare Im afraid these days. If you look closely at a brochure, you will pick up misaligned drawers, badly adjusted hinges, materials cut too short, and they use these things to advertize.

I would be careful with anything made Monday or Friday, and look closely at anything from a Tues, Wed or Thurs. I have a Continental, supposedley top of the range, yet it is just as badly finished as my previous Challenger Sport. I am still going round it replacing screws that dont bite, putting screws in that they have missed, and swapping out those that the fitter chavied the heads on. I have had to reset about half the hinges, and pack out the catches on the lockers with washers so that they connect properly. I wont mention the see through roof, again.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello JT.

I'm sorry that you have found poor finish in the caravans you have looked at, and sadly that is all too common regardles of price point in UK caravans. And that's a sad indictment on the state of the UK caravan industry.

As Craig has suggested point the flaws out to the dealer, preferably before you purchase, as that is more likely to focus the dealers attention if they think they may be about to lose a sale. Its sometimes more difficult to get their full attention when they have your money!

The industry still doesn't seem to have grasped the fact that they do have obligations to customers enshrined in the 2015 Consumer Rights Act, which basically says goods must be described accurately. That means If goods are "brand new" they should be in perfect condition with no design, material or manufacturing faults. They must also be of merchantable quality and reasonabley durable. That applies to all price points.

The consumer also has some responsibilities which basically comes down to ensuring the goods will do the job they want it to do.

The same act applies to all retail purchases including second hand items, the principle difference being if goods are described as second hand then the buyer should expect ther to be some signs of age or wear. But the description and information offered by the seller should include any known issues.

The buyer should always be beware, and ask as many questonas necessary and get satisfactory answers before the contract is agreed.

 

[otherclive]

We went looking for a slightly larger but pre owned van a few weeks back. We looked at Swift Challenger 2014, Sterling 2914 and a 2015 Coachman. All had things such as misaligned doors, non firm catches, loose taps and bits of trim missing or peeling. And these were all one owner and cared for. Needless to say we are sticking with the Sprite.

 

[Danuk]

Regarding the microwave. Do you mean gaps between the wood and microwave at the top and bottom. If so this is to allow venting. As on top of the microwave is a metal shield to direct hot air from behind.

I have a 2017 Sprite and overall very happy with the build quality. Only one misaligned door under the oven which I sorted out

Maybe it was a particularly bad one you look at. Before I bought this I went to look at a Bailey pursuit and I considered the Sprite to be miles ahead in build quality.

 

[ReverendJT]

Not having bought a new caravan before I was a little disappointed in the attention to detail. Having read your comments it appears pretty standard and that snagging is crucial to get it in the order you want, not unlike a new build house.

Danuk, yes that is what I meant. I would have expected plastic vents to have been put into the panels and the panels to be fitted flush. I suppose that's something I could do later down the line if it really irks me.

Prof, you make a good point about the consumer rights act and using it to ensure everything is ship shape before accepting it in the first place. My wife has used it before, I stand well away when she is returning goods that have an issue or when she is in 'bargaining mode'. We once test drove a car and when we handed back the keys she told them we had already bought it from another dealer in the chain via the phone while on said test drive. I'm surprised we don't have more salesmens shirts.

Thingy, my children asked what I was laughing about when I read your comment regarding taking a close look at those made on the other days of the week.

Thank you to everyone for your comments, I'll try not to get too hung up on the small things.

 

[Parksy]

.....Thank you to everyone for your comments, I'll try not to get too hung up on the small things.

Noooo!!!!!!
Definitely get 'hung up on the small things' when the sales person is showing you the caravan and hoping for a sale.
As they go through the sales spiel point out every singly 'niggle', misaligned drawer or door that you can find.
The way to successful bargaining is to never do the salespersons job for them.
The biggest mistake that you can make when buying a caravan is to enthusiastically reinforce the good points that the sales staff will use to persuade you to buy from them.
A caravan is an exciting purchase, but save your excitement until you have received a great trouble free caravan.
Be at best non-committal as the sales patter commences, don't be afraid of 'awkward silences' because the silence is a sales tactic to get you to speak first in favour of buying.
To drive a real bargain point out every negative that you can find, make that sales person work really hard for the sale and try to obtain extras such as a leisure battery, an awning, or maybe even a motor mover as part of the deal. They can only say 'no' and if you don't ask you won't get.
Part of the purchase price will include a PDI, so insist beforehand that it's carried out fully to your satisfaction, don't accept second best because you'll have paid for that inspection so they should be prepared to do it.
If you do pay a deposit of any sort it's best to use a credit card just for the deposit, because if things go drastically wrong the credit card company will become involved on your behalf.
If, after you've finally signed on the dotted line there are sales staff curled up in a ball on the showroom floor weeping then my work here is done! :evil:
Good luck, and let us know how you get on.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Parksy has mentioned the PDI.

It seems that this has become an necessary evil, though why the customer should be expected to pay someone to to look for faults and to finish a job the business have already been paid to do beats me.

Can anyone explain to me why this is so?

 

[Thingy]

Can anyone explain to me why this is so?

Yup. They hope that the customer won't notice or it doesnt matter to them. Its like everything else nowadays, Quality Control is strictly the domain of the end user. Basically, I think they realise they will get away with quite a lot if the employ the LB tactic. For LB substitue lazy b******.

 

[ReverendJT]

Is the PDI a standard thing that is offered with all sales of caravans or something that you need to ask for? I.e. Forget to ask and you won't get it. Although it seems that you have to actively encourage them to do the job anyway.

You have my word that we will leave the sales person crying on the floor wandering what happened. We are probably going to hold off purchasing until the NEC show in October-ish.

I was going to ask about the battery coming with a new van. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised and assume its because you might want a larger one fitted dependant on extras. However if you got a new car without a battery you'd be upset!

PS, I just noticed the thanks button on the forum. Is that just a quick way of thanking people for their comments or will it also give some kind of points that are nice for helpers to have or alternatively will it donate my bank account to the recipient?

 

[Craigyoung]

It's just a quick way of saying thank you to someone making a good point that you agree with and or appreciate or someone giving feedback after getting a result from a previous question/problem .

 

[ProfJohnL]

Is the PDI a standard thing that is offered with all sales of caravans or something that you need to ask for? I.e. Forget to ask and you won't get it. Although it seems that you have to actively encourage them to do the job anyway.

You have my word that we will leave the sales person crying on the floor wandering what happened. We are probably going to hold off purchasing until the NEC show in October-ish.

I was going to ask about the battery coming with a new van. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised and assume its because you might want a larger one fitted dependant on extras. However if you got a new car without a battery you'd be upset!

PS, I just noticed the thanks button on the forum. Is that just a quick way of thanking people for their comments or will it also give some kind of points that are nice for helpers to have or alternatively will it donate my bank account to the recipient?

The last time I was involved with a new caravan purchase ( and that was more decades ago than I'd tlike to remember) the PDI was an item line on the invoice. And it was not an option.

Do be careful about using the caravan show as a place to strike a deal. The reason is that warranty work whether its the CRA or some items in the manufacturers warranty package can only be done by the supplying dealer. If your supplier is a hundered miles away, then the saving yo make can easily wiped away if you have to tow your caravan back to the remote dealer that sold it to you. It's not just the cost fuel, what about loss of your personal time, or even loss of earnings. wear an tear on the tow vehicle etc.

Just to clarify as far as know the exfactory caravans do not have batteries fitted. It is up to the customer to decide which battery to fit. It's not quite the same as car, A car would not start without a battery, a caravan is not reliant on a battery before it can be towed. It could even still be used for accomodation without a battery, as most new caravans have mains powred power supplies that will run a limited number of 12V applainces without the caravan battery being connected.

 

[ReverendJT]

Thank you for the info CraigYoung. I will use it wisely in future!

Prof, thanks for the advice. I am aware that Sprite will allow other specific dealers in their network to carry out warranty work but it wouldn't, of course, be the case for additional dealer fitted bits

You make a good point about the time and money I might waste getting to the dealer for repairs. Hopefully I can get a decent deal from one of the dealers near me, not revealing that I live down the road until a deal is done.

The battery will have to be added to the list of things to buy. Has anyone bothered buying an AGM battery over a conventional one?

When buying new does the dealer insist on you bringing it back for servicing with them to keep the warranty going or can you take it to any other dealer in the manufacturers network?

 

[ProfJohnL]

I think Im correct to suggest that normal service items like lubrication, brakes etc can be carried out by any NCC approved workshop or even accredited mobile engineers, and they should be able to stamp the service book. But there are some items like bodyinspections and warranties where the manufacture restricts who can carry them out and report to mantain the warranty status.

You also need to be aware you need to adhere to the service shedule to retain your manufactures warranty.

 

[CustardAvenger]

Do be careful about using the caravan show as a place to strike a deal. The reason is that warranty work whether its the CRA or some items in the manufacturers warranty package can only be done by the supplying dealer. If your supplier is a hundered miles away, then the saving yo make can easily wiped away if you have to tow your caravan back to the remote dealer that sold it to you. It's not just the cost fuel, what about loss of your personal time, or even loss of earnings. wear an tear on the tow vehicle etc.

Bit late to this thread, but to add to Prof's useful advice, we purchased a 2018 Sprite Major 4SB from the NEC show. This was after much research and deliberation over a number of years. We initially were not aware of the warranty work being done by supplying dealers; however, we were fortunate that one of the dealers who have a major presence on/near the Swift stand is within a 20min drive of my house (but not our closest Swift Dealer) we could then use another dealer at the show to get competitive prices. We also qualified for the show offers from Swift and got a deal we were happy with.

In terms of quality, build or otherwise, I have kept a spreadsheet (one of many) listing faults and if they have been rectified.
Here are the issues I've had over 1 year:

AKS Hitch - Rubber grommets missing
Front lounge end panel - Scuffed veneer
Radio Surround chipped
Dresser lower cupboard doors misaligned
Bathroom sink loose / sealant gap
Water pump very loud
LED lights flash when water pump running
Wardrobe door catches do not engage
Dresser glass door catch screws loose
Thetford Oven & Grill retaining screw fell out
Microwave loose
Microwave trim panel fell off
Shower soap tray sealant failed
EXT Bathroom window hinge end-cap fell off
N/S rear awning rail sealant failed
EXT Bed locker door sealant dodgy
Front N/S internal roof trim cracked
OEM Steady Winder cracked
Kitchen extention flap magnet broken
Shower tray screw cap cracked
Alko Brakes squeal
Hitch creaking

The dealer have been great and have fixed the issues without question. Bur, as the caravan has been back to them 3 times including it's first service) the time/money/effort/mileage that would have been spent hauling the van to a far away dealer would have been considerable.

 

[ReverendJT]

Thanks CustardAvenger, it's really useful/slightly terrifying to see a full set of issues and will be a useful start to use when I check out issues when it is delivered to the dealer. I'm now definitely thinking of buying with a local dealer, I will check them out first and just using the show to reduce the price.

I had read about the Alko brakes being squeaky, I assume they have changed the parts /design

PS who did you avenge? Did someone insult your custard?

 

[Parksy]

PS who did you avenge? Did someone insult your custard?

Clue:
If I used the same criteria to choose my forum name it could be 'Chocolate Avenger'. :lol:

 

[Thingy]

If I used the same criteria to choose my forum name it could be 'Chocolate Avenger'.

Im a man of mystery, I wanted to change to Alfred Hitchlock but it wont let me

 

[ProfJohnL]

PS who did you avenge? Did someone insult your custard?

Clue:
If I used the same criteria to choose my forum name it could be 'Chocolate Avenger'. :lol:

:cheer: I suspect that one of you is really christened Cadbuy Byrds :lol:

 

[ReverendJT]

:shakes head in despair:

You have both earned your dad joke badges today, wear them proudly.

 

[Parksy]

Or Ambrosia Rountree :lol:

 

[otherclive]

Off piste I know but I was very nearly christened “Olive” the vicar misreading his crib sheet. Fortunately my mother picked him up very quickly.

 

[ReverendJT]

I wonder if the name change would have turned you into a fighter like Johnny Cashs' number?

Don't forget Angel Delight! That strange gloop, I'm not sure if it was supposed to emulate custard or not. We weren't allowed AD at home, that and no ITV - it's not for us. My childhood - strange times. Explains a lot :woohoo: :silly:

 

[Raywood]

Thank you for the info CraigYoung. I will use it wisely in future!

Prof, thanks for the advice. I am aware that Sprite will allow other specific dealers in their network to carry out warranty work but it wouldn't, of course, be the case for additional dealer fitted bits

You make a good point about the time and money I might waste getting to the dealer for repairs. Hopefully I can get a decent deal from one of the dealers near me, not revealing that I live down the road until a deal is done.

The battery will have to be added to the list of things to buy. Has anyone bothered buying an AGM battery over a conventional one?

When buying new does the dealer insist on you bringing it back for servicing with them to keep the warranty going or can you take it to any other dealer in the manufacturers network?

In theory you can take your caravan back to any authorised dealer for that make for servicing and repair work but in practice many dealers have all the work they can handle from their own customers and will not take caravans bought from elsewhere. If you buy from a remote dealer make sure what happens if you need guarantee or other work doing and get it in writing if possible.
You can get the work done by any NCC workshop but certainly in Swifts case they will only guarantee work done by their own agents. You will find a list on the NCC website.