Bessacarr 2008 E495 - Nothing but problems (1 Viewer)

[walnut]

I've been as patient as a saint with this motorhome but it now becoming a joke.
Problem after problem nearly every time we take it out.
Shower tray still not sorted - reported easter 2009.
Water tank guage still not sorted - reported Nov 2008.
Control panel switching itself off in cold weather, fridge blows itself out on gas (flashing blue led in the morning, food defrosted).
Bathroom mirror rusting.
Generic known fault with the headlining between cab and habitation causes puddles of condensation to drip onto the cooker/floor.
Head cussions warped so the always fall of whenever you break, 3 yr old baby with a sore head.
Latest and the straw that broke the camels back, battery charger faulty, not charging leisure battery while on hookup.
Contacted swift who told me this this a known issue with a batch of chargers, I need to take the van to dealers who will send of charger for repair, Weeks without a motorhome yet again.
If this is a known issue why has it not been already sorted??????????

Because it's to much like hard work.

deap breaths, keep calm it's only a toy.

give me a tent, no a hammock any day.

 

[Blisters]

You have our deepest sympathy, its horrible when these things happen although i can't speak from experence

But at the risk of sounding harsh, why oh why do people continue to buy a Swift/Bessacarr, every thread you read is about them falling apartoh:

I wish you well only wish we could help, I think its terrible that someone can spend 50-60k and get nothing but trouble

 

[hilldweller]

But at the risk of sounding harsh, why oh why do people continue to buy a Swift/Bessacarr, every thread you read is about them falling apartoh:

They do seem to have a Quality Control manual written by British Leyland, with supplements by Trabant.

This is one case where Facts ( Oh did I say that ) might be the better place because the boss, Peter, logs on there and once he's involved the problems get sorted. People on there have gone to extraordinary lengths to get them fixed or get rid of them.

But it has to be said that if you don't get a Monday or Friday one people do seem very satisfied with them.

I once "bought British", car spec what I wanted, so why not. Well, I found that the hard way, naturally Rover inherited the British Leyland QA manual. I used to enjoy the chats with fellow sufferers whilst delivering it or collecting it from various re-builds, many such conversations involved car partially dismantled so the welding cold be completed. In mine the roof was loose.

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[Douglas]

You have our deepest sympathy, its horrible when these things happen although i can't speak from experence

But at the risk of sounding harsh, why oh why do people continue to buy a Swift/Bessacarr, every thread you read is about them falling apartoh:

I wish you well only wish we could help, I think its terrible that someone can spend 50-60k and get nothing but trouble

I dont think you are being harsh, in fact, and I speak as a Swift owner, I thing you are being very generous.

Doug..

 

[DESCO]

The only motorhome I have had that leaked was a Swift due to poor build and was recalled by them. Then they would not extend warranty to cover repair. Would never buy another.



Dave:thumb::thumb:

 

[Jim]

This is one case where Facts ( Oh did I say that ) might be the better place because the boss, Peter, logs on there and once he's involved the problems get sorted. People on there have gone to extraordinary lengths to get them fixed or get rid of them.
.

Hi Brian no need for such drastic measures. Swiftgroup log in here most days

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[stagman]

I've been as patient as a saint with this motorhome but it now becoming a joke.

Control panel switching itself off in cold weather, fridge blows itself out on gas (flashing blue led in the morning, food defrosted).

Is the fridge a Thetford with combined freezer ie the one with the large door which gives access to both . If so there has been a lot of problems with the PCB and Thermistor they were used on a lot of other vans including Autotrail .I have also noticed that whilst at the NEC show non of the new vans used this fridge instead opting for the one with seperate fridge door .I am sorry to hear of your problems with Swift it,s a shame the manufacturer can't sort these issues out after you spending all your hard cash .Don't they understand or do they not want to the effort people put into purchasing these luxury items .

 

[gixermark]

Hope you get it sorted out soon ......... e.mail to the CEO of Swift and let him have it politely but firmly...... has worked on both occasions for me after months of lousy customer care with Vodafone and Sky Tv. Both were sorted out witin hours of them receiving my e.mail. If it's a legitimate complaint they will take note !!:thumb:

Blimey, reading threads such as this makes our latest decision to stick with our 2001 Arapaho ( no leaks, everything working at mo 100% ) and not trade upto a newer model (was looking at the Autotrail 700SE 2007) even more reassuring for us both! Currently looking at a new upholstery upgrade to spruce the interior up and have been quoted a very reasonable price from A1 Trimmers in Yorkshire.:Blush:

Is it me or are Motorhome quality builds going backwards instead of forwards, seems to be a lot of complaints from various owners over different new makes?

Maybe it's just that we now have forums such as these to 'air' our views and niggles when 10-15 years ago this would have been just a pipe dream ?????

 

[Jim]

I've had a couple of Swift motorhomes. Never had a problem that was not sorted quickly with either of them. That said, I have never bought a motorhome from Swift, I would never let a dealer blame the manufacturer as a cop-out. I have always bought from a dealer, my contract has always been with the dealer, the dealer should put things right.

Choose the right dealer and if things go wrong you make the right noise at the right volume with the right smile or growl and you should never have to go over the head of the dealer to the manufacturer. Always worked for me, I hope you are sorted soon.

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[wanttobeaway]

The thing is you keep getting problems and every time you take it to a dealers something else happens and the dealers make a right mess of it. Ive come to a point where I would try to sort it myself and pay rather than let dealers do a half job are completly mess it up .

We love our mh the layout is just what we wanted but we will never buy swift again because of the problems we have had and are still having

 

[hilldweller]

Hi Brian no need for such drastic measures. Swiftgroup log in here most days

My apologies.

My excuse, *our* guy is in deep poo so I risked all to help him.

Many times I said to Peter on Facts "why oh why don't you improve your QA, to fix a fault in the factory is expensive, to fit once it's left is extortionate. The UK needs you to keep manufacturing".

Presumptuous of me I know but I know this to be true in both cases. BTDTGTTS,

Most of the problems were really so trivial at build time, floors wrecked for the lack of a squirt of silicon, collapsing beds - known fault leaving factory without known modifications, lack of insulation in luton - "some need it". If I was Peter I'd be shouting a lot and probably on medication. I know the policy is to knock with great care here but all these, and more, are recorded facts on Facts or here.

The most astounding case of disgruntled client was the one who had his Swift lettered up with DON'Y BUY SWIFT BEFORE TALKING TO ME, handed out leaflets with this on in Germany, he did a piece on YouTube showing the faults and eventually it all went very quiet and YouTube was withdrawen, when we assume he was silenced on way or another. He did get a bit overexcited and some faults weren't faults at all but he did show us Brits how to complain.

 

[SwiftGroup]

Hi Walnut,

Sorry to hear about your issues. Can you please drop me a PM with some details (VIN, Name, Dealer, etc.), and I'll look into what has gone wrong and come back to you.

Thanks,

Ash

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[Terry]

My apologies.

My excuse, *our* guy is in deep poo so I risked all to help him.

Many times I said to Peter on Facts "why oh why don't you improve your QA, to fix a fault in the factory is expensive, to fit once it's left is extortionate. The UK needs you to keep manufacturing".

Presumptuous of me I know but I know this to be true in both cases. BTDTGTTS,

Most of the problems were really so trivial at build time, floors wrecked for the lack of a squirt of silicon, collapsing beds - known fault leaving factory without known modifications, lack of insulation in luton - "some need it". If I was Peter I'd be shouting a lot and probably on medication. I know the policy is to knock with great care here but all these, and more, are recorded facts on Facts or here.

The most astounding case of disgruntled client was the one who had his Swift lettered up with DON'Y BUY SWIFT BEFORE TALKING TO ME, handed out leaflets with this on in Germany, he did a piece on YouTube showing the faults and eventually it all went very quiet and YouTube was withdrawen, when we assume he was silenced on way or another. He did get a bit overexcited and some faults weren't faults at all but he did show us Brits how to complain.

Hi Brian I remember the thread very well I believe his name was ROCLARIE ?? He may well have got a replacement that also gave trouble then ended up with a refund ??
terry

 

[hilldweller]

Hi Brian I remember the thread very well I believe his name was ROCLARIE ?? He may well have got a replacement that also gave trouble then ended up with a refund ??
terry

The very one. I don't know if he was serving soldier or ex-soldier but not someone you'd want to mess with. In fact I think the dealer sent a couple of "heavies" to ask him to remove his lettered van from outside their premises - he didn't If I remember correctly the dealer played a big part in the trouble so it's just as Jim says, "choose the right dealer", easier said than done it seems.

 

[DESCO]

If I remember correctly the dealer played a big part in the trouble so it's just as Jim says, "choose the right dealer", easier said than done it seems.

How are we supposed to know which is the right dealer at the start, you would think that a recognised franchise holder had been vetted by the manufacturer to obtain his franchise and you could rely on this but this does not always seem the case.



Dave:thumb::thumb:

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[lesleyjean]

Well, I am the lucky one. All I can say is that I am extremely happy with my Swift Kontiki, I love everything about it, size, layout, drive etc. No complaints at all from me.


Lesley

 

[DandG5515]

Reading the comments about Swifts makes me glad we didnt wait to buy one. We were gonna buy an Escape and by the sounds of it we had a lucky one.

I worked for 21 years for a caravan company in Huddersfield ( before they went bust ) and Swift were our best sellers so its a shame to hear about your problems, and no it wasnt because of problems with Swifts that caused their demise.

 

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

Hi Walnut,
Sorry to hear about your issues. Can you please drop me a PM with some details (VIN, Name, Dealer, etc.), and I'll look into what has gone wrong and come back to you.
Thanks,
Ash

Any one know of any other converter that responds to complaints on an open forum and sorts the problems?

Ok some of the problems should not happen, but many of them are caused by bought in apliances which are common to most motorhomes whether British bulit or foreign.

Peter

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[hilldweller]

How are we supposed to know which is the right dealer at the start,

Well Jim didn't say, he says neatly dodging the question.

I had not found the forums when we bought so it was just good luck. I was near Barrons, went for a look round, fell in love with a used Burstner. Sales service was faultless. After service has amounted to replacement sidelight lens, from Germany for coppers and the window recall done as well as they could when the parts were made available from The Netherlands.

I did do the job properly, made a checklist, they spent a good hour going through the van and the list with us, *then* asked for the cheque. From our experience I hope they survive, they deserve to.

Had I read some of the horror stories before I'd have paranoid.

One thing is clear, a good dealer miles away is *not* a good dealer. That is a common mistake, buy on price and quality but ignore the warranty issues should they occur.

We did have two minor Fiat recalls. Both handled perfectly by Mangoletsi in Knutsford.

So the only moaning I've done on the forums is third party at Swift for wasting so much of their own money. And of course that was only possible because they monitored the forums,

 

[Blisters]

Yes, occassionally the problem can lie with bought in appliances, unfortunately, Swift seem to get more than their fair share of these

However, virtually every thread I read about poor build quality of new or nearly new vans, relates to a Swift Group van.

Many of us on this forum own European built vans, but I don't seem to see may complaints about the build quality of those (even at the cheaper end of the market).

Some people on here feel the need to defend Swift for whatever reason, but why should they? If the problems weren't there in the first place, there would be nothing to defend.

It seems to me, that if you want a chintzy style British van, you have limited choice, but as the European vans are similar prices if not cheaper than Swift, I know what I would go for every time.

I'll go and fetch my German Built Hardhat hardhat

 

[DESCO]

Must say Brian I am the same as you forums did not exist you had only your wits to go by, still we got by and learnt to be careful. Must say took a bit of a punt with last van but have nothing but praise for Laika and dealer, Laika who replaced rear bumper stress fracture and initial problem with Ford, but dealer sent eng. to Ford garage and they sorted between them, most surprised as he had to go about 30miles each way and took 1/2 a day.



Dave:thumb::thumb:

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[hilldweller]

but many of them are caused by bought in apliances which are common to most motorhomes whether British bulit or foreign.
Peter

That smacks of the Nuremberg Defence.

And of course the biggest item they just keep buying in has a FIAT badge on it.

 

[Terry]

Any one know of any other converter that responds to complaints on an open forum and sorts the problems?

Ok some of the problems should not happen, but many of them are caused by bought in apliances which are common to most motorhomes whether British bulit or foreign.

Peter

Hi Peter since you are sticking your head above the parapet Answer None :thumb: BUT how many are having the problems that Swift are ??? leaking roofs and rotting floors can only come down to poor build or poor supply source oh: People are not complaining about small matters like a faulty fridge or boiler that a dealer can fix or send to a supplying agent for replacement.They are joining forums out of desperation / to get to Swift !!!!
terry

 

[Jim]

They are joining forums out of desperation / to get to Swift !!!!
terry

I don't recall anyone joining Fun just to have a go at Swift. Has anyone done that? The OP joined last December.

Please remember Fun is not a Customer Service medium for any company, nor is it a complaints department. If you would like to review a companies product or service then the review section is available for this. Thanks

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[Terry]

Peter from Swift has done a great PR job for Swift not because he wanted to but because he had to He has even supplied David from the other side with a long term test vehicle free !!! Perhaps if we get enough complaint's on here they / he will give Jim one :thumb:
Just how many vans do Swift sell and get complaints about compared to other makers ??
JCM Peter not long ago you were asking about Hobby m/h / thinking of dealing with them ? this would have been very interesting to see what build complaints / comparisons could have been drawn
terry

 

[Terry]

I don't recall anyone joining Fun just to have a go at Swift. Has anyone done that? The OP joined last December.

Please remember Fun is not a Customer Service medium for any company, nor is it a complaints department. If you would like to review a companies product or service then the review section is available for this. Thanks

Sorry Jim not saying people have joined FUN for that reason but I know some have joined F--ts for that very reason
terry
Jim You must have posted while I was typing

 

[Jim]

Sorry Jim not saying people have joined FUN for that reason but I know some have joined F--ts for that very reason
terry

Let's hope it was a tenner well spent

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[Terry]

Let's hope it was a tenner well spent

Hope so :thumb:
terry

 

[walnut]

I understand that a motorhome is a very complicated piece of equipment and that faults do occur.
The main issue I have with swift is about the charger, when I called swift about the fault customer services checked the chassis number then said that my van was one with a faulty charger, I would need to take the van back to the dealers so they could send the faulty one for repair. takes about 10 days to get a replacement/repair.
Question is if they knew the charger was faulty why wait till it goes faulty, surely they should be getting in touch with customers who have the duff charger fitted.

I know this will get sorted, I have thought of a work around by using a separate charger connected to the mains socket and the leisure battery.
Just whenever we go out in the van we will be dreading the next fault, just hope it's not the reverse judder.
The main thing that seems to be a common fault with Swifts is the control electronics, the main control board looks like a proper birds nest of relays and connectors, a real receipt for disaster when the van gets older( dry joints, loose connectors dried out electrolytic capacitors)

 

[david price]

Walnut,sorry to hear about your problems.
I have had a few problems with mine but always sorted out by swift.The dealers were a waste of time but i have found swift custumer care to be very good.Luckily i am quite handy so most problems i can sort myself.
European vans do seem popular but to be honest i have never seen one were we like the layout and fabric unless we had 100k plus to spend.And whenever we go abroad lots of europeans want to look inside and seem impressed.It would be nice if they had a different chassis choice other than fiat but you never know?
Im sure if you pm them they will get it sorted for you.
Dave

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