I recently purchase a 2014 Swift Celebration 584 form Glossop Caravans and have had nothing but problems.
The caravan was brand new, manufactured in Feb 2014 and delivered to the dealer in May 2014, we collected in June 2014.
The sealant over the front windows was cracked, the cooker was rusty inside, the bedding gets damp, the cupboard trims don't match or line up, the fridge is fitted on a slant, the blow air heating doesn't have enough power to get hot air to the rear vents... the list goes on.
I have talked to Swift, they are very rude and just not interested and tell me I have to speak to the dealer (even though they supplied the dealer with this P.O.S. caravan) so I then deal only with Glossop Caravans and a guy called Ralph Thorman and aks them to replace or repair my caravan. Sadly theyve only been able to repair the sealant over the windows and replace the rusty cooker... the rest has been a nightmare as Swift claim the other issues are not actual faults and are just the way the caravan is made.
So I would like to know anyone who has a 2014 Swift made caravan with blow air heating issues, poo construction issues and damp in a new caravan. I would like to get a little more power being my claim to Swift and hopefully get enough voices that they will listen to their customers and fix things or re-design things so they actually work and look nice.
To date Glossop caravans have not been able to get Swift to repair or replace the caravan either. I would also like to hear from anyone who has had problems with Glossop Caravans in the hope they too will listen if we can get enough people to complain.
IF you can reject a brand new car if the car has significant faults then how come nobody seems to bother when you try and do this with a caravan?
The answer is yes you can reject a new caravan & buyers have done it. It would depend on the faults on the caravan.
Can you explain fully the faults that Swift are claiming are not faults? You say that bedding gets damp but condensation under mattresses in caravans while in use is not unusual if bases are solid rather than slatted. As for accuracy of fitting in manufacture of a mass produced product then yes this can leave something to be desired & is a common cause of disputes but usually not grounds for rejecting caravan.
Here's a brief list of the issue:
· Tape on roof between roof panel joints, water pools at the joint at the rear of the van.
· Rust on oven door, inside of oven door is rusty
· Blow air heating doesn't blow hot air out of rear vents.
· Sealant cracked over front windows
· Water comes through roof vents even when shut, there's no seal.
· Wheel lock thread crossed, it’s very difficult to fit the alko wheel lock
· Scratches to side windows
· Brakes squealing
· Error on heater controls
· Bedding gets damp during the day, lots of condensation inside the van.
· Jockey wheel seems to drag on grass or gravel, the wheel doesn’t seem to move freely enough.
· Bed slides out when towing.
· Mirror door comes open in bedroom when towing.
· More worrying is when towing the van snakes around far too often, we have towed many caravans and this one just feels very unstable, it can start to snake for no reason and take a lot of effort to get it under control.
· The speakers are very poor, they only produce a mid tone and mean we just can’t listen to the radio.
The bed base is slatted but the dampness is on the pillows and sheets.
Swift say the heating system design and it's operation is normal, so they are perfectly OK with the fact the rear vents get no air pressure and therefore no hot air gets to the bedroom or washroom. Swift are also OK about the fittings, they say they cannot guarantee all wood will match or align.
Post your problems on SwiftTalk that seems to get their attention
Our windows were the same it turned out that the rubber seals had been incorrectly fitted in the top corners of every window and thus leaking in
Our mirror cupboard door used to come open and that was the fastener which is held on with double sided tape was in the wrong spot
The air blowers in the back of the van have been mentioned before as not being as efficient. But within i confined space we found the temperature = out pretty quickly.
Our dealer told us the speakers were pretty average and need playing round with treble/base to get it to sound ok. I guess Caravans are designed without acoustics in mind.
Scratches on windows is there words against yours, you accepted the caravan on handover. They would most likely argue you could have done them whilst traveling.
Can you not just take the tape off?
Some of the other faults such as error codes etc, video them with your phone so you have evidence especially if its a hit or miss fault.
Your contract is with Glossip Caravans, who will then go to Swift for anything Warranty related. It seems to me they have done what they have been allowed to do thus far.
I know some of the items in isolation seem petty, however when it's brand new and you've spend £20k you really don't expect things not to fit/work/leak etc.
The tape is their answer instead of putting the aluminum strip over the panel joints on the roof.
The poor heating isn't something we could live with as we use our 'van all year round. It doesn't even blow cold air out of the rear vents, the fan just doesn't have the power/pressure to do it as all the vents are open and with no way of sealing off the front vents you're stuck with having no heat at the back where the washroom is and bedding, the places you need heat. We were told if we place something over the vents to allow the hot air to get to the back, this would void our entire 10 year warranty!.
The speakers just vibrate and buzz, no matter what treble and bass levels you set. So here my argument is at least £200 of the price was spent on speakers, wiring, plastic moldings and a stereo that I can't use.
The HP company say they spoke to Ralph who said it was all fixed to them so they closed the case, they didn't even ask him to put it in writing like I had to. So I have now had to complain about the HP case team as they took a liars word for it.
Quote: Originally posted by geoff+emmy on 23/9/2014
Well you have got them going on SwiftTalk However for some Swift can do no wrong as you will probably realise
Oh well good luck with it. Obviously with a new caravan it should be perfect but all the faults you mention apart from heating sound easily fixable by Glossop staff in their workshop under warranty but for Glossop to get paid the work has got to be ok'd by Swift.
From what you say though it does appear your relationship with Glossop has broken down though. Perhaps try to repair that relationship? I always find the best way is to be firm but friendly & keep a smile on your face, that way they can't use the excuse you are swearing & being unreasonable. Perhaps try & mend some fences with them & they could well mend your caravan.
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Topic: Glossop Caravans and a brand new Swift
