2017 Swift Elegance and Sterling Continental

SGC
SGC Forum Participant Posts: 8
edited May 2017 in Caravans #1

Will owners of the above caravans with side lockers with central locking position check that from inside the van they can not see daylight through the doors on the side of the support stay, we can not believe that as Swift say this is NOT a problem on these vans ~ below is our experience.

We took delivery of our van in early April, had a week-end at a local CL to get to know the van and check everything worked (it rained hard all week`end but thats caravanning) two weeks later we set of for Cornwall and all the way we had heavy rain, but then the sun shone and we had a pleasant 10 day holiday, and found some niggles with the van, but nothing major OR SO WE THOUGHT!

When we arrived back home, we set about emptying the van and I knelt down on the carpet at the front, this was soaking wet, everything in the locker was the same, dripping towels, soaking boxes etc. My first thought was leak from the water pipes, but the pipes are on the opposite side of the van, must be the heating but the water in the locker was clear, the heating fluid is blue! On closer inspection I could see daylight around the locker seal and assumed I had not closed the locker fully, but it was totally secured. I then went and checked the rear locker to find exactly the same ~ locker with water in and a wet carpet and daylight through the door!

Swift assure us the water ingress will not affect the structure of the van and say this is not known problem so please check if you own one of the vans, I would be interested to know if our van is unique ~ Swift have now agreed to have the van back to the factory rectify the fault.

Comments

  • N1805
    N1805 Forum Participant Posts: 1,092
    1000 Comments
    edited May 2017 #2

    Good to know that Swift will rectify the problem at the factory.  I guess if there is a Swift Caravan Owners Forum you could possibly post on there to see if any other owners have had this problem.   Hope it’s sorted soon.  Good luck.

  • young thomas
    young thomas Club Member Posts: 11,357 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited May 2017 #3

    our small lockers are a bit different in that they are bottom hinged and dont have 'stays' (as there is no need for them to 'stay' in any particular position) and they have double sealed compression locks, which is what  keeps the water out.

    however, the most striking difference is that, when closed, our lockers fit flush with the inside bodywork.....the hatches are cut from the original side panel....whereas the one in picture two appears to be almost an inch away from what i would describe as the 'fully closed' position.

    i am assuming picture two shows the gap while in the fully closed and locked position?

    if this is the case, then either the retaining catch is extremely poorly adjusted, so that it doesnt pull the door fully closed, or the 'design' just doesnt work....perhaps the 'door' doesnt fit into the gap properly.

    either way, good luck with your resolution, the forum Swifttalk will undoubtedly reveal if others have had this issue...

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