Swift Elegance 580 2018 model
I am going to view a Swift Elegance 580 2018 tomorrow and wondered if anyway who has this model can update me on any problems they have had with this model. Also any feed back on the construction and condensation problems would be helpful.
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I suggest you join Carsvan Talk forum and ask in the Swift section. However in general it is likely any warranty issues have by now been resolved. There is a history of random missing sealant in showers on all Swift vans, leaking pipe under the sink, loose screws, bulkhead recall, rubbish DAB radio ( it may pre date fitting). Make sure it has a documented service history with the 3rd year service carried out BEFORE it was 3 years old, an upto date damp report and given it is now 3 years old, it comes with a 12 month comprehensive warranty from the dealer.
We have the same layout in a 2020 Eccles and love it.0 -
We have an Elegance 480, 2018 model, bought new. Previous to this ‘van we had the very similar, but now discontinued Conqueror 480, again bought new, traded in after 4 years.
Both absolutely lovely ‘vans, no problems whatsoever, other than the odd loose catch on a drawer.
As Flatcoat has recommended, check out the service history etc.
Think you will be well pleased with the Elegance, we certainly are. 🙂
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We have a 2015 Sterling Continental 570, french bed in place of island bed as your prospective Challenger.
At 4 years old we required a rear panel repair due to cracking at top corners. At year 6 we required a complete rear panel replacement, same rear as your prospective purchase. Both under warranty as we decided to keep the caravan despite 34 faults up till then ranging from Alde heating faults, cabinet door faults, handles, 3x battery box doors, new battery box, plumbing problems, drain problems, roof lights replaced, Exterior door catches, rear lights, too many faults to remember.
We are currently awaiting a replacement front panoramic window that the caravan has been in twice for on a booked date to find Swift didn't have the parts so it's currently at the dealers until it gets fixed last week of April.
We have taken the decision to run this into the ground and use the 10 year water ingress warranty to full extent as inevitable faults will occur. We call the caravan our heap of carp of thrown together common poor quality parts at a circus masquerading as a caravan manufacturer.
As you are buying second hand with a minimal warranty that almost certainly won't cover the late manifesting faults either barter £10k off the price to cover their cost of rectification, put a sizeable sum of money aside and hope for the best, walk away, or buy new with a full warranty.
We consider a holiday in our heap of carp without a fault manifesting itself a luxury. On the comedic side it gives us something to do finding the next fault.
Our problems are not uncommon.
A good dealer is another requirement, ours are brilliant and deal with warranty claims rapidly. Perhaps the volume they see gives them plenty of experience.
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Our Elegance 480 is one month out of the warranty period and we have just discovered a six inch crack right in the middle at the top of the panoramic Skylight. The van hasn't moved off our driveway since last September. Contacted dealership immediately and they have just heard back from Swift that this 'window' isn't considered part of the bodywork (even though it is part of the roof!) so is not covered by the bodywork warranty. Have no idea what to do as water is actually dropping through even after we have covered the crack with waterproof tape. My advice? Do not buy Swift. We have heard of two other cases of the same fault from our dealership, and it is pretty major.
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The panoramic window issue can also be found with other makes. There are other threads about it here if you can find them.
As an interim repair, you could slap some duck tape or similar on it. I'd tell dealership to sort it foc, as the responsibility is theirs and they don’t need Swift's permission. You might want to consider speaking to the club's legal team or advice.
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Swift do fix this known problem, eventually. They have a dedicated resource travelling the country to replace cracked skylight windows.
Collected our caravan from being repaired last Friday.
As our post above, the dealer is key to this. Appears your dealer isn't the most helpful.
Use lens repair tape, available from Halfords. Drill a small hole at each end of the crack to stop propagation as advised by Swift when our skylight cracked.
There were 4 Swift caravans at our dealer having the same replacement skylight last week. A clue was the note in the front window with 'surname, Skylight, Swift' on it.
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