On picking up our new swift charisma 570 in July 06 we loaded it next day and headed off on the 110 mile journey to our favourite site.On arrival we set up and found that we did not have the aquaroll handle. After accusations about who had/had not packed it we eventually came to the conclusion that it had been left at home.Imagine our horror when on making up the beds that night we found one section had pierced the floor of the front locker narrowly missing the tyre,gas pipe and wiring loom and was still hanging with 4 inches stuck inside the bed locker!. I could not understand how this had happened as I was sure it was in the front locker along with the gas bottle etc. On close examination I discovered that there are 2 slots-presumably gas drop slots at the front of the locker measuring about 12 x 2.5 inches - not apparent unless you stick your head inside the front locker just behind the front panel. All 3 parts of the handle had worked their way down through the opening ,2 being lost along the route and the other bounced back up from the road ripping through the floor . Imagine what could have happened if it had hit another vehicle or cyclist . This is easily fixed by stapling a small grill or chicken wire over the holes to stop items going through-like all other caravans we have owned up until this van have had applied at the factory. I personally would much rather have 1 fewer downlighter and a small piece of mesh/grill stapled on to stop this happening again with what could be serious consequences . Elddiss caravans apparently have a large hole between the gas bottles but this is obvious- not as in the case of swift vans. I reported it to swift and they promised action but today , a year later ,while my van was in for service I saw that the 2007 vans are STILL THE SAME.! please beware of this problem if you own a swift group van around 2006 as the thought of a rock peg ,corner steady handle , pole from awning or aquaroll handle dropping through the unprotected holes and possibly causing a blowout or striking another vehicle as it is ejected from the front locker on the move is a worrying thought.As it is we were left with a caravan with a ragged hole in the floor on its first outing ,having caravanned for 16 years without as much as a scratch to our vans previously.
warning for swift owners
- Thread starter theresa_374315551
- Start date
Damian
Moderator
Theresa,
Whilst what happened to you is not good, please do not lay the blame at the manufacturers.
They have to provide what you quite rightly presumed, but should have known, gas drop holes in the GAS LOCKER, which is where you stored the items, along with gas drop holes wherever gas appliances are fitted, and for a very good reason,your safety!!!
These drop holes, as with ventilation holes MUST be kept clear at all times and not obstructed by mains hook up cables, chocks, etc etc etc.
Whilst what happened to you is not good, please do not lay the blame at the manufacturers.
They have to provide what you quite rightly presumed, but should have known, gas drop holes in the GAS LOCKER, which is where you stored the items, along with gas drop holes wherever gas appliances are fitted, and for a very good reason,your safety!!!
These drop holes, as with ventilation holes MUST be kept clear at all times and not obstructed by mains hook up cables, chocks, etc etc etc.
i agree but the chap we spoke to from swift technical department at the time, agreed that as a fellow caravanner, he stored these items there as well !
I don't think theresa was saying that the van should not have these holes Damian, she was saying that swift have been foolish to not cover them with mesh like most other manufacturers.
All of my coachmans have had a protective layer of mesh over the drop holes but the 2005 ace we had did not (another swift van).
We noticed this with the ace and covered the hole with chicken wire ourselves but we should not have had to, it should have been done at the factory but then so should the many other faults this van had hence the reason we got rid after only 8 months.
All of my coachmans have had a protective layer of mesh over the drop holes but the 2005 ace we had did not (another swift van).
We noticed this with the ace and covered the hole with chicken wire ourselves but we should not have had to, it should have been done at the factory but then so should the many other faults this van had hence the reason we got rid after only 8 months.
Damian
Moderator
I was not intimating that theresa had said the holes should not be there, merely pointing out that with the amount of kit people store in the gas locker, it is very likely that the gas drops are covered and not able to do their function.
Yes I agree that they should have an anti vermin mesh over them,and that it should not be the customers responsibility to do this, to save the space becoming a mouse over wintering home.
Yes I agree that they should have an anti vermin mesh over them,and that it should not be the customers responsibility to do this, to save the space becoming a mouse over wintering home.
Well done Theresa
I have an ACE van and while i love the van its our first and i have noticed these large gaps in the front locker.Through your post i will cover them in mesh of some kind.
You should post it in the top tips on this site.
Sean
I have an ACE van and while i love the van its our first and i have noticed these large gaps in the front locker.Through your post i will cover them in mesh of some kind.
You should post it in the top tips on this site.
Sean
The idea that items can drop out on a motorway etc at speed is horrific but yet another example of lack of practical detail in design
It seems to be more important to have things that can be seen in the showrooms lke a chrome paper towel holder!!
Bailey for example fit no fuses for the 12N road lights/flashers etc .
Most vans we have had have had small fuse box where the black 12N cable enters the van.Bailey don't fit one
We lost the hitch lock security ball out of the front locker on the Bailey on one motorway journey because of poor fit in an unseen area of the front locker.
I now use a plastic bucket and sports bags for small items that can drop through but its time that manufacturers adopted amore safety conscious approach to basic design
It seems to be more important to have things that can be seen in the showrooms lke a chrome paper towel holder!!
Bailey for example fit no fuses for the 12N road lights/flashers etc .
Most vans we have had have had small fuse box where the black 12N cable enters the van.Bailey don't fit one
We lost the hitch lock security ball out of the front locker on the Bailey on one motorway journey because of poor fit in an unseen area of the front locker.
I now use a plastic bucket and sports bags for small items that can drop through but its time that manufacturers adopted amore safety conscious approach to basic design
Hi..
I have been watching this conversation develope but not as yet put fingers to keyboard. However JohnG I have some good news for you I,ve found your AL-KO ball ( red wih a triangle sticking out )could have been on the M6 south around Wigan. You see I work on the motorways and you would not believe what ends up on the hard shoulder Tents, sleeping bags, shoes, coats I even found a Bulldog Stabilizer on the M1 a few yeas ago. People don't check the security of their load and out it falls. Sits in the lane for a while being hit by anything and everything and filcked around until it finally reaches either the central reserve or the hardshoulder. Anyway a quick question for Teresa you said in your origanal posting "Imagine what could have happened if it had hit another vehicle or cyclist" How do you know it didn't ?? and more apropriately been hit by..
The gaps you mention are I believe between the front plastic moulding and the locker floor tray. Now just suppose you over cook your reversing angle and touched your front panel with you rear bumper. Without these gaps you would now need a new front panel and floor tray however as there is a small degree of flexability in the front panel no damage is done.
I agree that this could be an issue but where does it all stop? and with all the gaps filled and everything else done that people moan about and say "why don't they just" who would be able to afford the finished product or the car to tow it with..
Best just to put the small bits in a bag or two.
Don't mean to offendbut there are two side to everything.
Regards Brian.......
I have been watching this conversation develope but not as yet put fingers to keyboard. However JohnG I have some good news for you I,ve found your AL-KO ball ( red wih a triangle sticking out )could have been on the M6 south around Wigan. You see I work on the motorways and you would not believe what ends up on the hard shoulder Tents, sleeping bags, shoes, coats I even found a Bulldog Stabilizer on the M1 a few yeas ago. People don't check the security of their load and out it falls. Sits in the lane for a while being hit by anything and everything and filcked around until it finally reaches either the central reserve or the hardshoulder. Anyway a quick question for Teresa you said in your origanal posting "Imagine what could have happened if it had hit another vehicle or cyclist" How do you know it didn't ?? and more apropriately been hit by..
The gaps you mention are I believe between the front plastic moulding and the locker floor tray. Now just suppose you over cook your reversing angle and touched your front panel with you rear bumper. Without these gaps you would now need a new front panel and floor tray however as there is a small degree of flexability in the front panel no damage is done.
I agree that this could be an issue but where does it all stop? and with all the gaps filled and everything else done that people moan about and say "why don't they just" who would be able to afford the finished product or the car to tow it with..
Best just to put the small bits in a bag or two.
Don't mean to offendbut there are two side to everything.
Regards Brian.......
Thanks Brian you can have it as a bonus
The point at which it escaped had nothing to do with the plausible reason you give but everything to do with a nice curve in the front panel the size and shape of the Alko ball.
It probably was mine as we lost it en route to Blackpool
There are two sides to everything but unfortunately in this instance the sides don't come far enough forward.
Wink wink
Regards
The point at which it escaped had nothing to do with the plausible reason you give but everything to do with a nice curve in the front panel the size and shape of the Alko ball.
It probably was mine as we lost it en route to Blackpool
There are two sides to everything but unfortunately in this instance the sides don't come far enough forward.
Wink wink
Regards
Hi again JohnG.
Many thanks I'll keep it as a spare. ( a result there!! )
You are not wrong but in the overall scheme of things caravans are small fry, almost a cottage industry compared to other consumer items.
A car will be designed and have a life of many years before a significanly new design is done and will be manufactured in the millions and sold world wide.
A caravan will be built to a spec for a price and models changed anually therefore you simply cannot afford to change every mould for such a small production run. Leave a standard floor tray where no one can see it and change the front panel to achieve a super new look for a fraction of the cost.
Harsh reality of life but there you go..
Regards Brian....
Many thanks I'll keep it as a spare. ( a result there!! )
You are not wrong but in the overall scheme of things caravans are small fry, almost a cottage industry compared to other consumer items.
A car will be designed and have a life of many years before a significanly new design is done and will be manufactured in the millions and sold world wide.
A caravan will be built to a spec for a price and models changed anually therefore you simply cannot afford to change every mould for such a small production run. Leave a standard floor tray where no one can see it and change the front panel to achieve a super new look for a fraction of the cost.
Harsh reality of life but there you go..
Regards Brian....
hi Bri-c, you asked for a reply so here goes- firstly you missed the point, the slots talked about are not some miss-match of floor to front panel or a crumple zone cleverly designed in to save damage by poor driving but a deliberate designed - in means of venting the locker floor as confirmed by Swift at the time.To say that you should not carry anything other than a gas bottle in the front locker as Damian suggests is all very well but a better question may be -Who does this?-even the chap in Swift technical department at the time admitted that as a caravanner he carried all sorts in the front locker on his way to a site including rock pegs which you may imagine would make great ammunition! After speaking to one owner on a site earlier this year he admitted that he had been losing his rock pegs -9 inch nails! that were in a bag but due to vibration had been working their way out of the bag and down the large slots at the front of the locker floor unknown to him until we pointed out the slots- he assumed kids had been playing with them and left them on site.
We as a family take our caravanning safety very seriously and although heaven forbid we end up in a total nanny state where the -'watch out this coffee cup may contain hot liquid' culture prevails I wrote this message as a genuine concerned warning to other Swift owners as a tragedy could occur.Everyone talks of the caravan industry being this quaint cottage industry but perhaps it is time that they were brought out of the dark ages! I personally would be prepared to forgo the 16th chrome led downlighter in the lounge, stacking cd system or the chrome plated bog roll holder and feel safe that 5 pence worth of mesh had been applied to cover the slots in the locker floor as has been the case in all our previous caravans-from an old abi marauder 16 years ago to our previous Crown 524- there as a vermin barrier as Damian pointed out with the added bonus of retaining any item in the locker . At the time I contacted Swift who promised to investigate, informed our dealer ,wrote to both practical caravan and the caravan and camping club and waited for a reply and to see if the warning was published . A year later , I am still waiting-in fact ,the following month C and CC ran an article on how to get rid of bad smells from your fridge when someone left an egg to fester for months! Perhaps bad publicity and big advertising revenues do not go hand in hand? Perhaps if the makers do not feel it worth applying 5 pence worth of mesh to a
We as a family take our caravanning safety very seriously and although heaven forbid we end up in a total nanny state where the -'watch out this coffee cup may contain hot liquid' culture prevails I wrote this message as a genuine concerned warning to other Swift owners as a tragedy could occur.Everyone talks of the caravan industry being this quaint cottage industry but perhaps it is time that they were brought out of the dark ages! I personally would be prepared to forgo the 16th chrome led downlighter in the lounge, stacking cd system or the chrome plated bog roll holder and feel safe that 5 pence worth of mesh had been applied to cover the slots in the locker floor as has been the case in all our previous caravans-from an old abi marauder 16 years ago to our previous Crown 524- there as a vermin barrier as Damian pointed out with the added bonus of retaining any item in the locker . At the time I contacted Swift who promised to investigate, informed our dealer ,wrote to both practical caravan and the caravan and camping club and waited for a reply and to see if the warning was published . A year later , I am still waiting-in fact ,the following month C and CC ran an article on how to get rid of bad smells from your fridge when someone left an egg to fester for months! Perhaps bad publicity and big advertising revenues do not go hand in hand? Perhaps if the makers do not feel it worth applying 5 pence worth of mesh to a
Theresa
I agree with what you are saying and when I lost the Alko rubber ball the dealer from whom I purchased the replacement told the story of one of his customers who lost a leg winding handle through the holes in the locker floor
He was said to have found it when he opened the van door as it had hit the ground at such an angle that it had pierced the van floor and was sticking up inside
In these days of health and safety its amazing that there are no regs about holes in caravan locker floors that are able to so easily let a potentially dangerous item on to the motorway.
We have a relative who lost an aqua roll handle on the motorway.
This didn't happen to me recently as I left it at the site in Cheddar Gorge and only found out when I rang to thank the owner for having us !!
I agree with what you are saying and when I lost the Alko rubber ball the dealer from whom I purchased the replacement told the story of one of his customers who lost a leg winding handle through the holes in the locker floor
He was said to have found it when he opened the van door as it had hit the ground at such an angle that it had pierced the van floor and was sticking up inside
In these days of health and safety its amazing that there are no regs about holes in caravan locker floors that are able to so easily let a potentially dangerous item on to the motorway.
We have a relative who lost an aqua roll handle on the motorway.
This didn't happen to me recently as I left it at the site in Cheddar Gorge and only found out when I rang to thank the owner for having us !!
You are quite right to highlight this obvious danger Theresa.
The design is also obviously at fault but as the driver you have a duty to stop anything 'falling' from your moving vehicle, that would include the caravan and regardless of 'why' it may have happened.
The possible consequences do not bear thinking about, from the drivers pint of view, the fines for allowing an 'insecure' load are rightly draconian and imprisonment for causing death a real possibility.
The design is also obviously at fault but as the driver you have a duty to stop anything 'falling' from your moving vehicle, that would include the caravan and regardless of 'why' it may have happened.
The possible consequences do not bear thinking about, from the drivers pint of view, the fines for allowing an 'insecure' load are rightly draconian and imprisonment for causing death a real possibility.
I discovered the referenced slots in my 2007 Challenger floor after loosing various bits and pieces in France. I had previously checked the van on delivery in December for unprotected vent holes and missed them - they are well out of sight. The reason I checked for them was that my previous Swift Corniche was trashed by mice that entered through the gas bottle vents below the gas bottles, then crawled through the 1 inch diameter hole in the bulkhead (intended to carry a single wire!) into the caravan. I didn't discover this for 3 months during the winter during which time they did untold damage throughout the interior. Chicken mesh is essential and I am amazed Swift have not realised this yet. I also sealed round the edges of the floor (not the ventilation slots) with expanding foam to keep the vermin out.
I once drove all the way from Bournemouth to lancashire with my electric hook up lead trailing behind me. It had dropped out of the locker vent slot & was only retained by the plugs on the ends. No wonder other motorists were looking at us strangely. The van was a early 90's lunar in that case.
Had a reply from Lisa Clappison at Swift re this problem. She says she will investigate and send me a full response shortly. I will copy this to this page when I receive it. Lisa may do so also as she regularly visits the forum.
We have just taken deivery of our new Odyssey 505 and the front locker is the same. I have overcome the problem bycovering all openings with fine wire netting. Will still let gas out but not my goodies.
Lets hope that this time we have more luck in getting something done about this potential problem. As stated above ,we informed Swift at the time (July 2006) and spoke to their technical dept. who promised an investigation but no reply! Interestingly my mail to PC editor Carl Rogerson has also been read- not even with the courtesy of a few words of reply.C+CC were also informed at the time but chose not to warn members by including a warning in the club mag.Perhaps advertising revenues and adverse publicity do not go well together.
If you are so concerned about the whole issue why have you let it lie for over a year before highlighting the problem. I suggest you contact Peter smith, MD at Swift and have a chat with him. I am sure that the issue will be resolved at that point.
If you read the forum item from the start you will see that after reporting the problem to Swift over a year ago, action was promised and only after viewing the new 2007 vans at our local dealer when in for 1st service a year later did we note that the lockers were still of the same design hence the warning item on this site.Thank you for the name of the MD at Swift ,we shall try contacting him personally.If we dont all stand together as consumers of what can be a costly item how will we ever get an improved product for our hard earned cash! Many thanks....
Sorry misunderstood the first bit about the complaint being submitted. Let us know how you get on after you have spoken to Peter.
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