British better than Continent vans (1 Viewer)

[Minxy]

My autocruise was not made by swift .swift only took over autocruise around 2006 ,and unfortunately the quality took a nosedive ..too many corners were cut to save pennies ,tbh I wouldn't buy a swift motorhome now until I had a full survey and at least a five year warranty on the body..

?? the poster was asking about a Bessecarr.

The Autocruise coachbuilts were better built when still done in Mexborough and NOT by Swift, but the Autocruise PVCs have always been built in Mexborough, and still are:

http://www.practicalmotorhome.com/reviews/motorhome/31820-autocruise-alto

Broken Link Removed

Having said that there are some bargains to be had with buying British..you cannot compare like for like when you can buy a new British built moho for circa £40k and a German or French one costing upwards of £80k ..so you pays your money and you get what you pay for .. Roy

You don't have to spend £80k for a German or French built one either ... you can buy cheap in the UK, you can buy cheap abroad.

 

[Khizzie]

?? the poster was asking about a Bessecarr.

The Autocruise coachbuilts were better built when still done in Mexborough and NOT by Swift, but the Autocruise PVCs have always been built in Mexborough, and still are:

http://www.practicalmotorhome.com/reviews/motorhome/31820-autocruise-alto

Broken Link Removed

With due respect.@minksygirl I was in my convoluted way talking about the quality of swift built motorhomes ,irrespective of whether they were bessecar or autocruuse before 2006 . Roy

 

[Judge Mental]

?? the poster was asking about a Bessecarr.

The Autocruise coachbuilts were better built when still done in Mexborough and NOT by Swift, but the Autocruise PVCs have always been built in Mexborough, and still are:

http://www.practicalmotorhome.com/reviews/motorhome/31820-autocruise-alto

Broken Link Removed


You don't have to spend £80k for a German or French built one either ... you can buy cheap in the UK, you can buy cheap abroad.

Yes Mel...You can buy a dodgy RHD conversion German A class here for approx £25,000 more. Now that financial clear thinking!

Swift?...Leaky Kontiki's springs to mind

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[Minxy]

With due respect.@minksygirl I was in my convoluted way talking about the quality of swift built motorhomes ,irrespective of whether they were bessecar or autocruuse before 2006 . Roy

... I don't do 'convoluted' ... is that some new 'foreign language?

 

[Khizzie]

... I don't do 'convoluted' ... is that some new 'foreign language?

REALLY ??"""

 

[Judge Mental]

REALLY ??"""

sarcasm so unbecoming...Still waiting for the list of leaky Hymers

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[Khizzie]

sarcasm so unbecoming...Still waiting for the list of leaky Hymers

Now now mental judge ,wasn't sarcastic. Was just a question . Seems like the hymer boys and girls have bribed Jim to remove all threads relating to water ingress into the habitation areas except for where it comes through the skylights and windows. Haha. Also remember rule one also applies to all funsteds ,even if they are deluded or frustrated owners of foreign vans and want to break into the British market but are spoilt for choice.

 

[Judge Mental]

Now now mental judge ,wasn't sarcastic. Was just a question . Seems like the hymer boys and girls have bribed Jim to remove all threads relating to water ingress into the habitation areas except for where it comes through the skylights and windows. Haha. Also remember rule one also applies to all funsteds ,even if they are deluded or frustrated owners of foreign vans and want to break into the British market but are spoilt for choice.

FYI most Heki skylights have problems with washers degrading on fixing screws which let in water ...This irrespective of manufacturer, takes 30 minutes to resolve.....

I will add delusional to your list of quality's......I agree with your Hymer conspiracy theory though, moi has never had one......Do you perchance watch X files?

 

[Khizzie]

FYI most Heki skylights have problems with washers degrading on fixing screws which let in water ...This irrespective of manufacturer, takes 30 minutes to resolve.....

I will add delusional to your list of quality's......I agree with your Hymer conspiracy theory though, moi has never had one......Do you perchance watch X files?

Thanks ...you're right I am deluded ...silly of me ......however although its nice chatting to you ,its not helping the poster find his ideal van. ..

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[sedge]

You'd have to be buying a pretty OLD Kontiki to get one that leaked now and hadn't been fixed, I rather think.

Yes it appears they had indeed had a run of them unfortunately - but that was more or less over with when we bought our Bessie in 2009 - that was EIGHT years ago Eddie and I do think it's about time people stopped whingeing on and on and on about them any time anyone ever dares to mention the word Swift. (Pete's just added he thinks the cure was available in 2006)

Swift just happen to sell a LOT of vans so you do get more comments about them generally - for every one with a prob, there will be 50 that haven't. They don't actually claim to be perfect.

But they are absolutely lovely people to deal with - when they say 'We'll sort it!' - they sort it - AND pay all your travelling expenses to get it to them and back home again. They're generous with their rate per mile too - I have to say we were in profit. We had some extra things done whilst we were up there (a plastic panel had jumped out of the housing in the corner of the bathroom and we asked how to fix it, expecting just to be told - instead of which they did it, as well. A roofline warning light on the outer overcab had filled up with water during a deluge somewhere in France at some time - dry by the time we got there so you couldn't see it, and not repeated, so no evidence - but they replaced it and said they'd reject it back to the mfr as the seal must have been faulty. They also noticed that there had been evidence of leakage in a side locker, as there was the remains of a paper label off something we'd put in there stuck to the floor, clearly visible in the empty locker so they had replaced the whole door seal with a new one. Yes there was indeed evidence of a 'leak' - but not because the locker leaked ! - Pete had actually accidentally put the hose back in there with a bit of water still in it, that was why! It had become firmly stuck to the floor, and we'd tried scrubbing it off - more water!

Plus they completely replaced something electrical - it worked fine but they had had a few glitches reported from elsewhere with whatever, so were replacing anything that happened to come back to them for other reasons whilst they were there. If that ain't pro-active I dunno what is?

 

[sweetie]

You had a far better experience with swift than we had!
Although our 2006 Bessacarr E745 motorhome was out of warranty when we had the dreaded rotten floor which Swift had repaired 100s FOC even when out of warranty.
At first rejected the request but as dealer sold new Bessacarr m/h they reversed there decision and would carry out repairs if dealer paid £2000 as part of cost, but I had deliver m/h to factory at my cost.
When we arrived at booked time had to wait 1hour before we where seen.
When paperwork was completed asked if any one could take us to station which was over a mile away, no was the answer there is a bus stop 1/2 mile away, busses every 2 hr. Walk or get a taxi.
We had to change trains four times and took five hr to get home.
They took a month longer than they said it would take and needed two weeks to inspect work and valet.
Well dealer paid to get m/h transported back and collected from them.
When we got it home well the rear wiring loom was dragging along the road the electric step had nuts missing from fixings the outside had black mastic finger prints everywhere, none of the sealer finished around gas locker. And the inside was filthy covered in dust even over walls and windows. The door central locking not working as they had broke cable.
The dealer spent a day putting defects right and valeting
Needless to say the van was sold about eighteen months later as I had no confidence in the repairs they had carried out.
Would I buy another swift product

 

[Dave and Ginny]

Thanks for all the input to everyone that has contributed to the thread. Not really any the wiser but my concerns are raised a little on the subject of quality. In all honesty I cannot really fault in terms of quality what we currently have, just wish they were not so pricey!

We will be back in the UK soon so will go out and have a look around , including the Peterborough show.

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[Richard Mason]

We were told by a 2nd hand dealer to steer well clear of British vans as they "dont know how to make them watertight"! We only took the advice as when we contacted Swift they couldn't even be bothered to defend the view point. Since cancelled order for Bessecar and bought a Rapido which is warm, watertight and wonderful. Perhaps the advice was wrong but for a British company to ignore a request for clarification cost them £46k!

 

[jongood]

The point is that with a quality german van, if a heki seal fails it doesnt matter because the nature of the construction means that there is no way for the water to do damage, the contruction is basically an allumininium and styrene sandwich.- nothing to rot.

Many Uk vans even now have wooden framework. even the baileys do not have a solid construction.

 

[ojibway]

Of course the best van is the one that suits you so it doesn't come down to British or Continental but to your specific needs.

Before you leave the Hymer/Continental camp for good have you looked at the Hymer duo. Broken Link Removed

That's some pretty fancy photography! Looks like an ocean liner.
I think if you saw the brochure first you'd be disappointed when you saw the real thing!!

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[busby]

We were told by a 2nd hand dealer to steer well clear of British vans as they "dont know how to make them watertight"! We only took the advice as when we contacted Swift they couldn't even be bothered to defend the view point. Since cancelled order for Bessecar and bought a Rapido which is warm, watertight and wonderful. Perhaps the advice was wrong but for a British company to ignore a request for clarification cost them £46k!

Well i have a 20 year old Autosleeper and not a sign of damp or water ingress anywhere and the quality of the furniture is exceptional. Still original upholstery and it is mint even armrests on front seats. Have seen many 10 year old continentals that need re-upholstering ..BUSBY

 

[funflair]

The point is that with a quality german van, if a heki seal fails it doesnt matter because the nature of the construction means that there is no way for the water to do damage, the contruction is basically an allumininium and styrene sandwich.- nothing to rot.

Many Uk vans even now have wooden framework. even the baileys do not have a solid construction.

Hi Jon

You are of course right when talking about a Niesmann+Bischoff, Concorde, Morelo, Phoenix etc but there are also a lot of German vans that are not built to these standards and are still susceptible to damage by water ingress.

Martin

 

[funflair]

That's some pretty fancy photography! Looks like an ocean liner.
I think if you saw the brochure first you'd be disappointed when you saw the real thing!!

Agreed, but they are a very spacious layout for people that like a big U lounge.

Martin

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[Easyliving]

You'd have to be buying a pretty OLD Kontiki to get one that leaked now and hadn't been fixed, I rather think.

Yes it appears they had indeed had a run of them unfortunately - but that was more or less over with when we bought our Bessie in 2009 - that was EIGHT years ago Eddie and I do think it's about time people stopped whingeing on and on and on about them any time anyone ever dares to mention the word Swift. (Pete's just added he thinks the cure was available in 2006)

Swift just happen to sell a LOT of vans so you do get more comments about them generally - for every one with a prob, there will be 50 that haven't. They don't actually claim to be perfect.

But they are absolutely lovely people to deal with - when they say 'We'll sort it!' - they sort it - AND pay all your travelling expenses to get it to them and back home again. They're generous with their rate per mile too - I have to say we were in profit. We had some extra things done whilst we were up there (a plastic panel had jumped out of the housing in the corner of the bathroom and we asked how to fix it, expecting just to be told - instead of which they did it, as well. A roofline warning light on the outer overcab had filled up with water during a deluge somewhere in France at some time - dry by the time we got there so you couldn't see it, and not repeated, so no evidence - but they replaced it and said they'd reject it back to the mfr as the seal must have been faulty. They also noticed that there had been evidence of leakage in a side locker, as there was the remains of a paper label off something we'd put in there stuck to the floor, clearly visible in the empty locker so they had replaced the whole door seal with a new one. Yes there was indeed evidence of a 'leak' - but not because the locker leaked ! - Pete had actually accidentally put the hose back in there with a bit of water still in it, that was why! It had become firmly stuck to the floor, and we'd tried scrubbing it off - more water!

Plus they completely replaced something electrical - it worked fine but they had had a few glitches reported from elsewhere with whatever, so were replacing anything that happened to come back to them for other reasons whilst they were there. If that ain't pro-active I dunno what is?

Some good points there. We have had no major problems with our Swift which we bought new in 2012. Bodywork has been fine, only the electric step and rooflight - both made by other manufacturers, have caused problems.

I can't claim to be an expert on the pros and cons of British versus continental vans but our only other van, a 2008 Burstner, was no better made than our Swift. There were plenty of signs of poor workmanship inside with shelves and shower curtain coming unscrewed etc. I think motorhome interiors are bound to appear a bit flimsy as they are made as lightweight as possible.

Paul

 

[funflair]

Well i have a 20 year old Autosleeper and not a sign of damp or water ingress anywhere and the quality of the furniture is exceptional. Still original upholstery and it is mint even armrests on front seats. Have seen many 10 year old continentals that need re-upholstering ..BUSBY

Hi Busby

The common theme is whether it be British or Continental, the older ones are the best.

Martin

 

[MC 55 FUN]

We have recently purchased a damp free 2010 Elddis 145 Autoquest with a full hab' service history & no evidence of any water ingress

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[jongood]

Hi Jon

You are of course right when talking about a Niesmann+Bischoff, Concorde, Morelo, Phoenix etc but there are also a lot of German vans that are not built to these standards and are still susceptible to damage by water ingress.

Martin

Hi Martin

Not wishing to nitpick, but I did say 'Quality german van'

Overall I just wish the brits would make more effort to catch up. Only RS seems to be making an effort.

 

[funflair]

Hi Martin

Not wishing to nitpick, but I did say 'Quality german van'

Overall I just wish the brits would make more effort to catch up. Only RS seems to be making an effort.

Hi Jon

I know and understood what you said but wanted to make it clear that not all German vans are the same, you notice I missed of Vario Mobil from the list, that is only because they are fibreglass outside and alloy inside an even better option IMO as they are not prone to dinks and deep scratches from trees and things blowing/falling against the sides.

Did you see my post with the Stauber in!

Martin

 

[Dave and Ginny]

We've had a look around a few vans here at El Raco, easy to strike up a conversation and we all like to talk about our vans. Looked at both British and Continental, likes and dislikes on both. But I stll kept coming back to our Hymer, and sorry, but it just exudes quality build and wormanship that I know I would live to regret parting with, except for another Hymer!

We looked at a b634 that someone has here, Spacious and so light and airy feeling. There's a couple on sale in the uk on autotrader. The dropdown bed is slightly bigger and more headroom than ours, and of course the lounge could be used as singles or made up to very big double. I know I've gone right off the island bed idea! But I stll like these medium sized vans!

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[jongood]

Hi Jon

I know and understood what you said but wanted to make it clear that not all German vans are the same, you notice I missed of Vario Mobil from the list, that is only because they are fibreglass outside and alloy inside an even better option IMO as they are not prone to dinks and deep scratches from trees and things blowing/falling against the sides.

Did you see my post with the Stauber in!

Martin

Yes I did. I have seen them on Mobile.de and they seem well specced but so butt ugly!!

Where are you now,? Have you seen our spot on the morocco 2016 post?

All the best
Jon

 

[funflair]

Hi Jon

I do keep dipping into the Morocco 2016 thread but it makes me want to be there even though we are enjoying where we are and have been, just leaving Totana today for L'Albir/Benidorm.

I will tell you about he Stauber when we catch up.

Martin