New Swift Caravan - checks at factory and checks by dealer

[Lagerorwine]

With the sub zero weather at present, and  new vans awaiting collection from dealers, but delayed due to lockdown, does anyone know

 

When new Swift roll off the production line, would they have checked the water system for leaks (with water not a pressure test)?  If so, would it be fully drained down afterwards.

 

If not, during the so called dealer PDi, will they add water and check the system prior to or during the handover?

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Lagerorwine said:

does anyone know

Why not ask the manufacturer/dealers as the rest of us will only be guessing, or stating what we would do?

[Fenester]

The question is do manufacturers specify a standard PDI schedule whether it is a actually carried out  by individual dealers is another matter, I suspect it is variable.

[Martin]

In the case of my dealer the PDI definitely covers checking all systems. In normal times the handover process is also used to demonstrate everything working such as gas, fridge, water, heating etc.
 

Dan’s video here is an insight in the case of a new Bailey FYI.

https://youtu.be/K8N3YeodHKg

 

Is there a reason you ask, are you concerned about frost damage?

[Lagerorwine]

2 hours ago, MartinJB said:

In the case of my dealer the PDI definitely covers checking all systems. In normal times the handover process is also used to demonstrate everything working such as gas, fridge, water, heating etc.
 

Dan’s video here is an insight in the case of a new Bailey FYI.

https://youtu.be/K8N3YeodHKg

 

Is there a reason you ask, are you concerned about frost damage?

Thanks Martin -very watchable video.

 

The caravan is brand new but last years (2020) model, hence its been sat around some months. We were supposed to be collecting  shortly, so PDi could have been done - hence after the recent weather, why I asked about water in system. 

 

I'll contact dealer to check, as we have put back collection till lockdown ends

[joanie]

 When something comes off the production line  it is quality controlled to whatever standard they have, I wouldn't think the system would change because of covid  .  We have bought a few new vans , different makes and different dealers and the hand over has always been very similar with every thing working so that they can show you how to work it all.   However things are not what they were , therefore if I were you  I would  contact the dealer and ask your questions, but saying that I would wait until the lock down ends before I collected the van. 

[compact]

As soon as you get the van home, check everything rigorously , that`ll be the first  though inspection it will have, for that reason I would agree with Joanie wait until lockdown is over if you find any problems you can go straight back to dealer.

[Wildwood]

There is no reason not to check the water system at the factory whatever the weather as long as it is fully drained afterwards. We have had new caravans with traces of water in the systems so someone had done it, but I cannot say if it was at the factory or the dealers. It is worth checking when you get the caravan home though as it is far better to be able to get any problem fixed then than when on a site miles away.

[xtrailman]

On 12/02/2021 at 12:13, Lagerorwine said:

With the sub zero weather at present, and  new vans awaiting collection from dealers, but delayed due to lockdown, does anyone know

 

When new Swift roll off the production line, would they have checked the water system for leaks (with water not a pressure test)?  If so, would it be fully drained down afterwards.

 

If not, during the so called dealer PDi, will they add water and check the system prior to or during the handover?

 

What do you mean by the "so called PDI "?

I saw the state of my caravan straight from the factory and it was a disgrace IMO, screws wood cutting dust and muck all over the inside , and the outside was covered top to bottom in mastic.

 

When the dealer presented it to me it was immaculate with just the odd job I asked them to do.

The main complaint was a minor area to the rear GRP with hairline cracks, sorted after to visits.

 

My dealer is excellent and only 8mins away.

 

 

[Lagerorwine]

PDi - pre delivery inspection. We had screws and sawdust after picking it when we got home! 

 

Not really a problem, as everything else was fine.

Edited February 13, 2021 by Lagerorwine

[David McIntyre]

Do many manufacturers or dealers? 

Even NZ made caravans seem to have bits falling off, and Aussie made ones with electrical short circuits.

That's my friends experiences.

 

We have a 2019 Eccles 100 Anniversary 645.  We do love it.

I was a little disappointed that the brake rod support bracket wasn't attached properly or even in the correct place.

Out of line enough when brakes applied the rod pulled it sideways.  That was on the trip home.

Fixed that - covered that in Swift Talk.

 

Shower leaked.  Dealer couldn't sort it.  I finally found the door had no sealant around the frame.

Dealer provided sealant and I fixed it.

 

Found a few loose screws.  Traced to the Oven not installed correctly.  Nearly all screws stripped out.

Swift cut the space in the bench too big, so I'm working through making spacers to pack it in securely with longer stainless screws.  Luckily it didn't rip out like a fellow Swifters Explorer - and fly across the gap and smash the fridge.

Dealer had some warranty work to do there!

The battons that run down the side of the oven too thin so screws missed them.

May need a gasfitter to reconnect and re-certify.

 

Alde system was on pump speed 5, not bled so full of air.  Sorted that out ok, thanks to Swift Talk and a nice member who sent me the bleed point PDF.  I've since shared that with a few here in NZ to help them do the same.

 

If a caravan or motorhome owner, it certainly helps to be a bit handy so you can fix a lot of things yourself.

[Guest]

Re the Missing shower door sealant - must have been the same ‘master craftsman’ that installed mine in our 2020 Eccles ! I accept items can get missed in production but i do find it frustrating that widely reported problems (that in some instances are subject to recalls) such as kitchen waste coming loose, the bulkhead screw problem  etc etc still do not get picked up. Some of these problems only become apparent in use too which is additionally annoying when that necessitates a return to dealer. 
when we picked up our new van last summer we went through a check list and delayed collection to the following day so poor fitting doors and catches could be adjusted. However the missing sealant, poor DAB, copiuos free screws and loose cooker lid only became apparent in use. All i can suggest to the OP is hope for the best, (most caravans are ok) go with a check list of items that are ‘known’ faults to go through and check carefully for leaking plumbing. The dealer should connect a water supply so taps etc can be checked - if not insist they do so. 

[fred]

1 hour ago, David McIntyre said:

Found a few loose screws.  Traced to the Oven not installed correctly.  Nearly all screws stripped out.

Swift cut the space in the bench too big, so I'm working through making spacers to pack it in securely with longer stainless screws.  Luckily it didn't rip out like a fellow Swifters Explorer - and fly across the gap and smash the fridge.

Not the first story of an oven in a swift group product coming out during transit.  

[Silversurf]

Accepted that a faulty outside sourced component fault is not the manufacturers fault, unless it has been fitted incorrectly, these are a very small proportion of the van faults reported  both here on CT and elsewhere.

 

The remaining faults, in some cases multiple faults in one van, as has been seen time and again, are down to the following.

 

1) Poor design from the outset.

2) Wrong choice of materials, sealant, screws, fittings etc.

3) Slipshod and poor assembly staff and methods.

4) Quality process at the factory, both during  the build and at final inspection, not fit for purpose.

5) Dealer PDI in many cases not done thoroughly, if at all in some cases.

6) Manufacturers, when multiple instances of a fault show up, at first deny it, bury their heads in the sand and yet still churn vans out with the same built in fault.

 

Yes there are a lot of good vans, good staff, good dealers out there and some will say that the mention of faults on such as forums outnumbers those with good ones, is because folk tend to whinge rather than give praise, forgetting that there must be goodness who knows how many other vans are out there where the poor owner doesn't voice his problems on such as forums so the total is unknown.

 

With the leaps and bounds over the past few decades in all walks of life, in such as CAD, materials science, new materials, tools, assembly methods, fixings, sealants, etc. the majority of the re-occurring faults should not occur, but they do time and again.

 

What other item could you buy costing up to £30,000 or more and potentially have a similar number of faults, some of which when taken for repair under warranty, the repair won't be a final fix because the manufacturer and dealer both know, but in most cases won't tell you that " Oh they all do that "

 

There is actually no valid excuse other than the attitude of ' get them out of the door and sort them out later. '

 

Thankfully, non of them build sailing craft.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 16, 2021 by Silversurf

[Guest]

Well said silversurf,  i hope you do not get the criticism i had elsewhere on here for listing all the faults (many repeat problems) on my Swift vans’.  Apparently it is being deliberately anti Swift. 

[Jezzerb]

Or aircraft Silversurf, oh wait maybe Boeing are going into van making now they've been practising on the new 737series. Oops! My brother who is in the industry was ringing alarm bells about their practices 10years ago.  

 

When we went to collect our new Buc it was all up and running. Heat on water attached and they showed us how it all worked. We were handed an in depth psi shhet that itemised every item checked, tbh everything I can think of from  hinge and drawer operation, tightness of battery connections solar panel operation and wheel nuts. Superb dealer imo, Robinsons of Worksop.

 

Even the radio was on, making a special experience. They even stopped the traffic on the road out,as it was my wife's first ever tow, with me having broken my heel at the time.

Edited February 17, 2021 by Jezzerb

[Silversurf]

1 hour ago, Flatcoat888 said:

Well said silversurf,  i hope you do not get the criticism i had elsewhere on here for listing all the faults (many repeat problems) on my Swift vans’.  Apparently it is being deliberately anti Swift. 

Thanks Flatcoat, I'm not bothered in the least about criticism or if I get any red crosses or not, it shows someone has read my post. ?

 

Ref.the things you have highlighted with your Swift van, it is obviously directed at them, it has to be, they built the thing, warts and all, it can't be directed at anyone else, who else is to blame for the faults ?

 

What you state is not anti, it is facts pure and simple and whatever a particular marque of caravan a person likes and may have had several without problems, the facts/faults should be shown and not hidden, how else can progress be made and corrections to the whole process from manufacturer to, and including the dealer be addressed.

 

[Mr Plodd]

I think some are being a bit unfair on the dealers and the thoroughness of a PDI.

 

Its aim is to ensure that everything works as it should (cooker, fridge, heating etc) That windows and doors open and close correctly and there is nothing obviously  amiss. My View is that it unreasonable to expect them to check that every single screw is in place and tight and that screws securing ovens etc are in exactly the right place. On many occasions such fixings are not visible anyway. In addition people need to realise that, for all intents and purposes, a caravan is hand built (well hand assembled) and a human is not like a robot it cannot replicate the same action in exactly the same way 100% of the time so, on occasions a screw is going to get missed, or overtightened. It shouldn’t happen, but it does. 

 

To do a PDI to the level that some feel they should be would take many hours of work, but the manufacturers only pay the dealer a small amount for each PDI.

 

Rather than criticise a dealer for a PDI I would look at how well the deal with any issues that arise once the customer has taken delivery. 

 

On another point that amazes me how pedantic some are. My pal took his new Cabrera on a 55 mile round trip back to the dealers to get a missing screw put into a seat frame. “Why should I do it?” Was his reply when I asked him why he didn’t do it himself (he is a very competent DIY’er) 

 

Like most I found sawdust and a few screws lurking in the recesses of my caravan when I bought it, can’t say it bothered me in the slightest. Likewise I had to remove a few bits of sealant which, to my mind was a good thing, it proved enough had been used! 

 

Each to his own eh? 

[Silversurf]

39 minutes ago, Jezzerb said:

Or aircraft Silversurf, oh wait.....................

Ahh yes, forgot about them. ?

 

Ref. the bit about the dealer, it's great to see such good service, as it should always be for anyone and if one can go to the same lengths as yours did, big question, why can't all the others ?

 

Yet as is seen, year in, year out, for many dealers and customers, but not all, poor PDI's , handovers and service are a perennial and persistent problem.

 

Annoyingly for the good ones, the bad ones put a dark cloud over everyone.

[Stevan]

7 minutes ago, Silversurf said:

Ahh yes, forgot about them. ?

 

Ref. the bit about the dealer, it's great to see such good service, as it should always be for anyone and if one can go to the same lengths as yours did, big question, why can't all the others ?

 

Yet as is seen, year in, year out, for many dealers and customers, but not all, poor PDI's , handovers and service are a perennial and persistent problem.

 

Annoyingly for the good ones, the bad ones put a dark cloud over everyone.

A good PDI and a good handover take time, and time is money!

Not surprisingly dealers who believe in customer service and are willing to spend money providing it are seldom going to offer the lowest prices.

Even though the PDI and handover don't appear on the bill, they still have to be paid for.

[KnausCol]

When you pay £30k for an item you would expect it to have been adequately checked in the PDI before handover. It's good to see some people have had good experiences with dealers who care. I think the pressures brought to bear last year (and will be the same this) by COVID closures meant dealers were forced into delivering their services (both van deliveries and servicing etc.) in a foreshortened period with the inevitable deterioration in quality. This is not to excuse them, just pointing out fact.

I collected my new van and the dealer had to fit a replacement pigtail for the Safefill gas bottle I wanted. On first use there was a massive gas leak - the new pigtail had a missing 'O' ring and the fitment obviously hadn't been tested. If I'd been a novice it could have been very dangerous. This was just one of several faults that were not due to the manufacturer but dealer work I'd requested that hadn't been properly QA'd.

[Stevan]

Faults in anything hand built or hand assembled (such as a caravan) are inevitable because people make mistakes.

That's where a proper inspection process comes in. You can call it a QA/QC process if you prefer, or whatever.

Whether last stages are before it leaves the factory or before handover does not really matter, but some work needs to be left to the last minute anyway such as removing protective covers and a quick clean round, so a final PDI makes sense.

[BOAC]

On 12/02/2021 at 19:38, compact said:

As soon as you get the van home, check everything rigorously , that`ll be the first  though inspection it will have, for that reason I would agree with Joanie wait until lockdown is over if you find any problems you can go straight back to dealer.

 

Why wait till you get the van home. In my opinion, all the checks should be carried out prior to buying the caravan and BEFORE handing any cash over to the seller. That would save you having to go back to the dealer in some cases.

[Stevan]

17 minutes ago, BOAC said:

 

Why wait till you get the van home. In my opinion, all the checks should be carried out prior to buying the caravan and BEFORE handing any cash over to the seller. That would save you having to go back to the dealer in some cases.

Ideally yes, but we don't live in an ideal world.

Even before Covid dealers would want a substantial deposit before ordering a van.

[BOAC]

6 minutes ago, Stevan said:

Ideally yes, but we don't live in an ideal world.

Even before Covid dealers would want a substantial deposit before ordering a van.

 

I had a bad experience when buying a new van, so that's why I buy a good second hand van instead where, hopefully, all the niggles are sorted by the previous owner. That policy has saved me worry, time and money - I like to think.

 

I wonder if buying new is a bad idea.

 

I also wonder if there is any depreciation in price as soon as the van is taken out of the 'showroom' rather like a car?