Mission completed - New Motorhome received and Weight Upgrade completed to plan!

[596]

Now arrived home, drop down bed issue work carried out by Lowdhams this morning, motorhome drives like a dream and more importantly fits perfectly on my driveway, all tucked up now ready for July next year

Engineers report received today together with new DWC at 4,850kg giving me a payload of 1,422kg 400 more than required but useful all the same. The upgrade required the fitting of air suspension and new rear tyres with a load rating of 121.

I also fitted new Al-Ko corner steadies as I have an overhang of 2.4mtrs, but to be truthful having used the van over the last few days and weekend I didn't notice any movement when in the very back, handy to have and not concerned about the extra 10kg as I have loads of payload.

I hope this is useful if anyone else is looking at doing the same, there is another post on the DVLA upgrade thread elsewhere on the forum which is similar to this one, that thread is useful in that it details what is required by the DVLA for the upgrade too be added to the V5C.

 

[Figaro]

I`m suprised you didn`t go for hydraulic levelers whilst your at it.
Cranking the handle on the corner steadies seems a bit manual for you

 

[Jo662]

Now arrived home, drop down bed issue work carried out by Lowdhams this morning, motorhome drives like a dream and more importantly fits perfectly on my driveway, all tucked up now ready for July next year

Engineers report received today together with new DWC at 4,850kg giving me a payload of 1,422kg 400 more than required but useful all the same. The upgrade required the fitting of air suspension and new rear tyres with a load rating of 121.

I also fitted new Al-Ko corner steadies as I have an overhang of 2.4mtrs, but to be truthful having used the van over the last few days and weekend I didn't notice any movement when in the very back, handy to have and not concerned about the extra 10kg as I have loads of payload.

I hope this is useful if anyone else is looking at doing the same, there is another post on the DVLA upgrade thread elsewhere on the forum which is similar to this one, that thread is useful in that it details what is required by the DVLA for the upgrade too be added to the V5C.

i saw a Swift like yours coming down the M11 this afternoon!
Was M11 your way home?

 

[596]

I`m suprised you didn`t go for hydraulic levelers whilst your at it.
Cranking the handle on the corner steadies seems a bit manual for you

No cranking for me, I have the drill attachment adapted for my impact drill that I use for awning pegs and storm straps

 

[596]

i saw a Swift like yours coming down the M11 this afternoon!
Was M11 your way home?

A1 for me

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[PJGWiltshire]

An 8 month layup is not very sensible with regard to the serviceability of your brand new low milage very little used MH. Yes you have had a few days run out after you collected the van, and as you found, not all was well after one or two night of use in that the bed failed to work as described. Heading off in July to the South of France for the once a year outing is going to cause major headaches when, 1. The bed packs up again, 2. the water pump fails, 3. something else goes wrong. Its no use then ringing the dealer demanding a fitter be sent to the S of F so that the faults are immediately repaired. I think the dealer would be in his rights to say, Please drop in in on Monday and we shall sort all those problems. No good when you are in the S of F.
Do your self a favour and over the next 20 days knock the crap out of the van and give everything a workout that way you can reject the van as not fit for purpose. If everything works then its sound as a pound then put it to sleep till the Summer

 

[596]

An 8 month layup is not very sensible with regard to the serviceability of your brand new low milage very little used MH. Yes you have had a few days run out after you collected the van, and as you found, not all was well after one or two night of use in that the bed failed to work as described. Heading off in July to the South of France for the once a year outing is going to cause a major headaches when, 1. The bed packs up again, 2. the water pump fails, 3. something else goes wrong. Its no use then ringing the dealer demanding a fitter be sent to the S of F so that the faults are immediately repaired. I think the dealer would be in his rights to say, Please drop in in on Monday and we shall sort all those problems. No good when you are in the S of F.
Do your self a favour and over the next 20 days knock the crap out of the van and give everything a workout that way you can reject the van as not fit for purpose. If everything works then its sound as a pound then put it to sleep till the Summer

I think your right you know, I think we may give it a run at Christmas and New Year. I just came home to my speedy new V5C and a letter from Swift warning of a recall danger of the bed collapsing and cables coming loose, that is what happened to us! If they can send out the letter why do they not inform the dealer so the recall can be done at the PDI, I think I will call Swift and ask them that!

 

[PJGWiltshire]

Go for it. From all your initial postings about the quality of the beast, now you have it , from the pics I've seen it looks great. Get out there and use it.
I mention the 20 days. I am sure you know that the Consumer law allows you to reject a faulty item within the first month of ownership. Its only by using the van over the next four weeks that any issues are going to come to light. Winter weather is the best. Cold and wet. That means heating and lights on and all appliances in full use. Get out over the next few weeks and give the beast a good shake down. That way if it falls apart we can then hear the ongoing issues of you rejecting the beast or be invited to the blessing ceremony of eternal love and devotion( to the van) you are already hitched. Good luck

 

[596]

This is how the seating looks and after the bed collapsed, there are lockers at each side that come down with it, notice how they would land on the head of the passengers nearest the window, luckily only one cable gave way and this one jammed at an angle against the back shelf unit, if it had come straight down it could have killed one of my children or grandchildren, these are very heavy units! What annoys me is that Swift new about this and still sells them WITHOUT the recall being carried out, that just can't be right.

 

[596]

I`m suprised you didn`t go for hydraulic levelers whilst your at it.
Cranking the handle on the corner steadies seems a bit manual for you

I did ask about the levellers and they were £5,000, they add 55kg to your weight therefore reducing your payload, when I worked out the math, if I went to France for the next 50yrs, each press of the leveller would have cost me £100, we are on the same pitch every year which is dead flat anyway, so after a millisecond of thought I said no thank you

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[Minxy]

This is how the seating looks and after the bed collapsed, there are lockers at each side that come down with it, notice how they would land on the head of the passengers nearest the window, luckily only one cable gave way and this one jammed at an angle against the back shelf unit, if it had come straight down it could have killed one of my children or grandchildren, these are very heavy units! What annoys me is that Swift new about this and still sells them WITHOUT the recall being carried out, that just can't be right.

What's the maximum weight for the bed and contents of the cupboards then?

 

[h1ghway1]

As above..dont leave it on your drive... have 1 or 2 night trips away .. don't let the early nights put you off as nothing better than being snug as a bug in a warm van .. anywhere ..

 

[Southdowners]

Do many motorhomes have lockers attached to the underside of the bed? The combined weight of bed, lockers and their contents could be extremely heavy.

 

[138go]

I agree with other posters. Motorhomes need to be used, it won’t do it any good leaving it on your drive until next July. Keep taking it out for a drive and an overnight somewhere.

Good luck with Swift and Lowdhams.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

This is how the seating looks and after the bed collapsed, there are lockers at each side that come down with it, notice how they would land on the head of the passengers nearest the window, luckily only one cable gave way and this one jammed at an angle against the back shelf unit, if it had come straight down it could have killed one of my children or grandchildren, these are very heavy units! What annoys me is that Swift new about this and still sells them WITHOUT the recall being carried out, that just can't be right.

Did they just collapse on their own or were you deploying them? . I had assumed from some swift vans we looked at that the beds had a max payload of arpundx100kgs and were only suitable for children or 1 adult.

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[Lenny HB]

fits perfectly on my driveway, all tucked up now ready for July next year

About the worst thing you can do to a van. If not using it you need to take it for a 15 to 20 mile drive every few weeks.

 

[596]

About the worst thing you can do to a van. If not using it you need to take it for a 15 to 20 mile drive every few weeks.

I have had 9yrs experience of my routine and just sold a stunning van that had done just that, I did mention in another post I gave it a run round the village, also the dehumidifier was of paramount importance, my interior was dry and immaculate, but obviously there are some who know better. I have posted my MOT’s showing my mileage so when it comes to having low use of a motorhome and it being so well looked after maybe I did do things right.

Also when you buy a new motorhome do you know how long it’s been lying in a field, 6mths, 1yr, 2yrs even? With your experience then what is the longest time you have left a vehicle and how did you look after it? I have a final product after 9 yrs doing it my way, would be interested in the experts opinion and their practical experience, or wherever your info came from ?

 

[596]

Did they just collapse on their own or were you deploying them? . I had assumed from some swift vans we looked at that the beds had a max payload of arpundx100kgs and were only suitable for children or 1 adult.

There is a recall on the bed as it runs on a complex cable system, it’s a double bed although it narrows at one end so I would say a comfortable single, I have asked 5 times for the weight limit mainly because of the lockers attached, I doubt we will ever use it as a bed but if it was it would be for a 10yr old. I would suspect as a passenger is deemed in the motorhoming world to be 75kg then a double would be 150kg, the dealer did say 200kg but had to confirm and still waiting, locker contents could easily add a few kg, we use the rear lounge as the main bed making it like a fixed bed van, we then have all the front lounge to use, once I get the figures I will let you know but I certainly wouldn’t use it as a main double bed personally ?

 

[Minxy]

I have had 9yrs experience of my routine and just sold a stunning van that had done just that, I did mention in another post I gave it a run round the village, also the dehumidifier was of paramount importance, my interior was dry and immaculate, but obviously there are some who know better. I have posted my MOT’s showing my mileage so when it comes to having low use of a motorhome and it being so well looked after maybe I did do things right.

Also when you buy a new motorhome do you know how long it’s been lying in a field, 6mths, 1yr, 2yrs even? With your experience then what is the longest time you have left a vehicle and how did you look after it? I have a final product after 9 yrs doing it my way, would be interested in the experts opinion and their practical experience, or wherever your info came from ?

You have a routine that works for you which is useful information for anyone who wants to do it too, but it's not all about the interior - the mechanicals won't take kindly to being stood for a long time, neither will the tyres, and a run round the village unless its for quite a while and up/down the gears, won't do much good, however if you're happy to do as you say then that's the choice you make.

Hopefully I won't end up in 'Coventry' for saying this as I can't think of another way to do so nicely but here goes ... what I don't like, and I think is what gets other people's backs up, is the 'other' unnecessary remarks you put into the conversation which do not enamour you to others.

 

[Onemanandhisdog]

"reject the van as not fit for purpose " after adding all the extras, changing tyres, weight limit etc ???

The 20 day run around should have been in the van as delivered if you were going to do that.

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[596]

You have a routine that works for you which is useful information for anyone who wants to do it too, but it's not all about the interior - the mechanicals won't take kindly to being stood for a long time, neither will the tyres, and a run round the village unless its for quite a while and up/down the gears, won't do much good, however if you're happy to do as you say then that's the choice you make.

Hopefully I won't end up in 'Coventry' for saying this as I can't think of another way to do so nicely but here goes ... what I don't like, and I think is what gets other people's backs up, is the 'other' unnecessary remarks you put into the conversation which do not enamour you to others.

Your fine and I do know that there are different situations, some may park on grass or in areas with rodents, mine is on a paved driveway plugged into power.

With regards to vehicles I own 6, I can't drive them all at once, two are sports cars so I am well aware of how to maintain vehicles and have vast experience of that in the way I keep them, and the climate where I live, up north it may be a different matter. There are numerous vehicles kept as investments or summer cars that are well looked after so a motorhome is no different, its just a box on a chassis, but the box is the unknown so that needs the extra care which I give it with a dehumidifier.

What you have to be careful of is that some people talk without any practice experience and that is dangerous as they can mislead others, I cringe at certain things I see posted on here which I know for a fact are plain wrong, but that's the nature of the beast, people have to decide who they trust and who are talking out their backsides

Hows the new van? My Ghost II immobiliser is being fitted today, lets hope I can start it tomorrow

 

[Minxy]

"reject the van as not fit for purpose " after adding all the extras, changing tyres, weight limit etc ???

The 20 day run around should have been in the van as delivered if you were going to do that.

I've come to the conclusion that I need to take more than 'a pinch of salt' when reading certain posts!

 

[596]

"reject the van as not fit for purpose " after adding all the extras, changing tyres, weight limit etc ???

The 20 day run around should have been in the van as delivered if you were going to do that.

Exactly what I say about a little knowledge is dangerous I had a discussion with the dealer when I bought mine and the programme of changes that were in place, I told him I was taking extra care on the handover as I knew for a fact that after spending thousands of pounds on upgrades that it would be almost impossible to reject without major financial loss, as it turns out it is 100% better than I ever expected, I am over the moon with it and may even use it one weekend or two I still have quite a few upgrades being done over the next few days from LED lights, extra polishing being done all over, a Ghost II alarm being fitted today and the main alarm tomorrow, tow bar next Tuesday and removal of the bike rack which I didn't ask to be fitted but bought anyway, it looks so unsightly and blocks the rear view, it also means you can't open the rear window, well you can but you have to dismantle the pistons to close it. I washing the interior takes out and having it re done, but you know what having seen the interior in person rather than pictures it really does look very nice, so may keep it for a few years, we have removed the carpets as they are totally pointless, we did that with the old van, we have replaced then with turtle mats and sheepskin rugs for the dog who loves them.

This will be a unique personalised van for our use just like my last one, I guess that's why if you find the right person who like the 'extras' and sees them as a bonus, it would sell immediately like my last one did

 

[596]

I've come to the conclusion that I need to take more than 'a pinch of salt' when reading certain posts!

Just remember what I said in my other post, a little knowledge is dangerous, just because someone types it in a post DOES NOT mean it is correct, ALWAYS double and triple check things unless you have total faith in someone. It is plainly clear to me there are some keyboard experts about with little or no real experience of the subject they are preaching about, they just regurgitate rubbish some other similar person has written elsewhere on the internet, ALWAYS do your OWN research as well, if they know what they are talking about they will back it up with REAL fact and REAL experience otherwise beware, don't be afraid to ask them

 

[Minxy]

Your fine and I do know that there are different situations, some may park on grass or in areas with rodents, mine is on a paved driveway plugged into power.

With regards to vehicles I own 6, I can't drive them all at once, two are sports cars so I am well aware of how to maintain vehicles and have vast experience of that in the way I keep them, and the climate where I live, up north it may be a different matter. There are numerous vehicles kept as investments or summer cars that are well looked after so a motorhome is no different, its just a box on a chassis, but the box is the unknown so that needs the extra care which I give it with a dehumidifier.

What you have to be careful of is that some people talk without any practice experience and that is dangerous as they can mislead others, I cringe at certain things I see posted on here which I know for a fact are plain wrong, but that's the nature of the beast, people have to decide who they trust and who are talking out their backsides

Hows the new van? My Ghost II immobiliser is being fitted today, lets hope I can start it tomorrow

Thank you for saying I'm fine ... I don't think I've ever been to Coventry so wasn't sure what to expect if I went there, however I'll risk it again ... there are ways to get your view across without belittling others who have a different view, make your 'case' as it were for why you do something but please don't have digs at others as it does you no favours.

I have 23 years of experience of motorhome/campervan ownership, having built my own previously back in 1996 when forums etc weren't readily available and subsequently bought 'manufactured' ones (new and used). I know only too well how difficult it can be to find out what you need to know in order to do 'stuff' with motorhomes, even the basics, if you've never had one before, or even if you have, it doesn't mean you know it all/best practice etc, I certainly do not, but I do have some experience of what I have done and also learned a lot from others. Most wouldn't think of fitting through the roof aerials, bike racks, etc themselves; my husband has kittens everytime I go near the van with a drill so escapes and takes the dogs for a walk as he's not DIY minded. This doesn't mean I'm an expert, but have experience of a fair few things, however I do occasionally need help and rely on others to advise me, which they do nicely. I fear that if I did not 'ask' nicely, or made less than favourable comments the help would soon stop.

I'll have to leave it at that for now as I'm off to the market and car boot sale to see what little treasures I can find.

Oh, nearly forgot, I'll update regarding the motorhome in a while on a new thread.

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[596]

Thank you for saying I'm fine ... I don't think I've ever been to Coventry so wasn't sure what to expect if I went there, however I'll risk it again ... there are ways to get your view across without belittling others who have a different view, make your 'case' as it were for why you do something but please don't have digs at others as it does you no favours.

I have 23 years of experience of motorhome/campervan ownership, having built my own previously back in 1996 when forums etc weren't readily available and subsequently bought 'manufactured' ones (new and used). I know only too well how difficult it can be to find out what you need to know in order to do 'stuff' with motorhomes, even the basics, if you've never had one before, or even if you have, it doesn't mean you know it all/best practice etc, I certainly do not, but I do have some experience of what I have done and also learned a lot from others. Most wouldn't think of fitting through the roof aerials, bike racks, etc themselves; my husband has kittens everytime I go near the van with a drill so escapes and takes the dogs for a walk as he's not DIY minded. This doesn't mean I'm an expert, but have experience of a fair few things, however I do occasionally need help and rely on others to advise me, which they do nicely. I fear that if I did not 'ask' nicely, or made less than favourable comments the help would soon stop.

I'll have to leave it at that for now as I'm off to the market and car boot sale to see what little treasures I can find.

Oh, nearly forgot, I'll update regarding the motorhome in a while on a new thread.

Have a great day, and look forward to learning about yours and others real motorhome experiences, that's why I am here, there is lots of really good advice and experience on here it's just sorting out the wheat from the chaff

 

[138go]

Just remember what I said in my other post, a little knowledge is dangerous, just because someone types it in a post DOES NOT mean it is correct, ALWAYS double and triple check things unless you have total faith in someone. It is plainly clear to me there are some keyboard experts about with little or no real experience of the subject they are preaching about, they just regurgitate rubbish some other similar person has written elsewhere on the internet, ALWAYS do your OWN research as well, if they know what they are talking about they will back it up with REAL fact and REAL experience otherwise beware, don't be afraid to ask them

You did plenty of research on Swifts and Lowdhams, I take it? ?

 

[596]

You did plenty of research on Swifts and Lowdhams, I take it? ?

Yes, I have owned a Kontiki for 9yrs and never missed a beat, beautiful van that drove like a dream with its 2.8JTD, as for Lowdhams I did do my research, I met and spoke to one of the directors Steve, he’s a really nice guy who has been in the business since he was 17, he is running a huge operation, I met him again on Monday while my bed issue was being sorted and had a great chat, he even bought me a coffee.

it’s good to talk, communication is key! I say again, a little knowledge is dangerous ?

 

[138go]

Lowdhams Nottingham

This thread is for the general discussion of the Motorhome Dealer . Hit the Review Button at the top of the page to leave a proper review. Feel free to discuss it below.

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[596]

Lowdhams of Huddersfield

Read 26 customer reviews of the Lowdhams of Huddersfield Campervan & compare with other Campervans & Motor Homes at Review Centre

www.reviewcentre.com

As I said a little knowledge is dangerous, take reviews with a pinch of salt and use your own skills if you have them to work out if a person or company is reliable.

I would give Lowdhams 5 stars out of 5 for EVERYTHING, I must say that your salesman or woman is KEY, find one you can work with and who has the same standards as you, I struck gold with mine, he answered 97 emails almost immediately or within an hour, it sounds a lot but if you really are interested in getting the van you want then you need to ask questions and get answers especially if you aren’t near or not see what your buying.

I have been open on this forum from the start, you have seen the end result of my research and the extras I had fitted, better to get the dealer do it as you have some comeback if it goes wrong, no good a week later wishing you had a solar panel, outside shower/BBQ point/ 240v outlet, tow bar, bike rack (ok you could fit that yourself on the new modern vans with the Pre fixed brackets), extra leisure battery, extra USB points, lights in your garage, Sat Nav, rear view cameras, leather steering wheel, TV aerial and power points and aerial points, gaslow system (and choose filler point location), upgraded tyres, cruise control, air con, auto bathroom light or right size engine for your needs etc etc.

I am one over the moon customer that has been delivered EXACTLY what I wanted but it doesn’t do it Itself it takes interaction and communication ?

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