Dare_Devil_Dennis
Free Member
For owners of 2017 Swift escape based motorhomes PLEASE READ...
I bought a dealer special Escape based 684 which was delivered in March. I was impressed with the push to operate window stays on the main windows that you do not have to tighten a pinch knob to secure the window open. They fall back to a preset open setting depending on how far you push it open. gravity holds it in the open position against a mechanism inside the stay. you reset it to close the window by pushing the window out as far as it will travel, then it returns to the closed position. Takes longer to explain than to understand it first time and to use it. A nice design. They are great for "top hung" windows.
However, Swift have used the same design of stay on the roof mounted panorama window over the cab, which is a massive mistake which resulted in the window blowing out, breaking along the bottom across the hinge area and ending up on the ground in front of the m/h. Check out the pictures. Why did it happen?
The window was open on the first (smallest opening) setting. The Thule awning was fully deployed as was the Heki roof light at the rear of the roof over the beds. It was a little breezy, but nothing "exciting". Now, please recall that the stays are free to move against a push of a hand and have no means of locking in position. A gust of wind passed over the roof and picked up the window. The window is "bottom hung", (the hinge is at the bottom) and the window sits, normally at 45 deg on the sloping cab roof. Once the window started moving, it accelerated to the almost vertical where the wind force was at a maximum- like a sail on a boat, the inertia of the window and the forces exerted broke the stays and the window continued its trajectory until it snapped at the hinge and landed on the ground in pieces. The awning and the Heki windows were not affected by the gust. The Heki roof light has a catch it locks in to when partially open so is restrained.
A call to my dealer resulted in a quote for over £450 + fitting + VAT for a new window and an assurance that this could not be a warranty issue. A very disappointing response.
After writing a full report and forwarding it to the dealer Customer Service Manager it was submitted to Swift for a warranty claim - rejected on the grounds that "you should not be driving with the windows unsecured"!!! An amazing response as the report I submitted explained that the awing was deployed and I was sitting outside the m/h at the time. After this was pointed out, they conceded that they would accept the claim and the window has been replaced. It took from mid June to early August to get the new window fitted.
The replacement window has the same stays! No way to secure the window when open. It will happen again without a doubt. The dealer assured me they had never heard of this before, but when I spoke with the technician who replaced the window, I asked him if he had seen this before he said to me "oh yes, we had one in a couple of weeks ago".
As far as I can see, only Swift use these stays on a bottom hung window like this. all other manufcturers have the clamp knob type. At one point I was ready to involve Trading standards as the window is not fit for purpose, but just in time, Swift stepped up to the mark.
If you have one of these set ups, PLEASE be careful how you use it. Thank goodness for Gorilla tape and super glue. took me best part of an hour to patch it up and refit it so I could get home. (yes, it was about to rain which started just as I finished!
This matter needs an open discussion with Swift and their dealers, but I fear that will not happen.
I bought a dealer special Escape based 684 which was delivered in March. I was impressed with the push to operate window stays on the main windows that you do not have to tighten a pinch knob to secure the window open. They fall back to a preset open setting depending on how far you push it open. gravity holds it in the open position against a mechanism inside the stay. you reset it to close the window by pushing the window out as far as it will travel, then it returns to the closed position. Takes longer to explain than to understand it first time and to use it. A nice design. They are great for "top hung" windows.
However, Swift have used the same design of stay on the roof mounted panorama window over the cab, which is a massive mistake which resulted in the window blowing out, breaking along the bottom across the hinge area and ending up on the ground in front of the m/h. Check out the pictures. Why did it happen?
The window was open on the first (smallest opening) setting. The Thule awning was fully deployed as was the Heki roof light at the rear of the roof over the beds. It was a little breezy, but nothing "exciting". Now, please recall that the stays are free to move against a push of a hand and have no means of locking in position. A gust of wind passed over the roof and picked up the window. The window is "bottom hung", (the hinge is at the bottom) and the window sits, normally at 45 deg on the sloping cab roof. Once the window started moving, it accelerated to the almost vertical where the wind force was at a maximum- like a sail on a boat, the inertia of the window and the forces exerted broke the stays and the window continued its trajectory until it snapped at the hinge and landed on the ground in pieces. The awning and the Heki windows were not affected by the gust. The Heki roof light has a catch it locks in to when partially open so is restrained.
A call to my dealer resulted in a quote for over £450 + fitting + VAT for a new window and an assurance that this could not be a warranty issue. A very disappointing response.
After writing a full report and forwarding it to the dealer Customer Service Manager it was submitted to Swift for a warranty claim - rejected on the grounds that "you should not be driving with the windows unsecured"!!! An amazing response as the report I submitted explained that the awing was deployed and I was sitting outside the m/h at the time. After this was pointed out, they conceded that they would accept the claim and the window has been replaced. It took from mid June to early August to get the new window fitted.
The replacement window has the same stays! No way to secure the window when open. It will happen again without a doubt. The dealer assured me they had never heard of this before, but when I spoke with the technician who replaced the window, I asked him if he had seen this before he said to me "oh yes, we had one in a couple of weeks ago".
As far as I can see, only Swift use these stays on a bottom hung window like this. all other manufcturers have the clamp knob type. At one point I was ready to involve Trading standards as the window is not fit for purpose, but just in time, Swift stepped up to the mark.
If you have one of these set ups, PLEASE be careful how you use it. Thank goodness for Gorilla tape and super glue. took me best part of an hour to patch it up and refit it so I could get home. (yes, it was about to rain which started just as I finished!
This matter needs an open discussion with Swift and their dealers, but I fear that will not happen.
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