Lowdhams
Spotted this on the Bailey Owners Facebook page.
"Phoned Lowdhams’s at Huddersfield today to book caravan in for service to be told they are closing in July and if I needed any warranty work would need to contact Nottingham branch."
Is this a sign of things to come? It is service and repair centre only, however there must be some major concerns within the company for them to decide to close this department with the ever increasing number of LVs out there. Have they got rid of too many experience mechanics during lockdown and can't employ decent replacements, are also having problems sourcing spare parts and are having many more of the newer units being returned because of major faults, as seen to be the case these days?
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I thought this was on the cards pre-covid. I called in about Eriba's and was told they were no longer selling them but moving towards a service centre as opposed to sales. I took this as being Eriba but it sounds as if it relates to other makes.
Colin
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Sounds like it might be one of the first signs of the bubble bursting.
Didn't we have a thread discussing that?🤔
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Those thoughts did cross my mind, TW.
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There’s a storm coming in
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My local motorhome dealer has to be booked several months in advance for servicing.
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Including Lowdhams, it seems. I tried to book my van into Lowdhams, at the Lowdham branch, for a job recently. They refused telling me that they are only accepting work on vans that they had sold - whether warranty or otherwise and irrespective of age. Annoying.
I ordered my van at a show and ended up getting it from a dealer on the south coast. A bit stupid given I live in Leicester!
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Just bought a Swift dealer special from Birmingham show, the dealership is a 250 mile 4hr round trip away. Hope we don't live to regret it.
Multiple issues with workmanship on collection, dealers sorted majority of them out, others need to return for warranty repairs. Dealership has been helpful and professional, manufacturer quality control not controlling quality. Backward step in my mind if we have to buy local, purely based on the possibility of poor workmanship, servicing and warranty issues, this would result in a reduction in choice and competition on pricing.
Last year bought a used Kia from a Seat dealership, again about the same distance away. Local independent garage carries out servicing for us, warranty issue on last service, Kia main dealer sorts it, F.O.C. Happy Days.
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Just bought a Swift dealer special from Birmingham show, the dealership is a 250 mile 4hr round trip away. Hope we don't live to regret it.
Multiple issues with workmanship on collection, dealers sorted majority of them out, others need to return for warranty repairs. Dealership has been helpful and professional, manufacturer quality control not controlling quality.
Am I missing something here, tp? Have you taken delivery of your dealer special and have already had to take it back to the dealer to get things fixed, or was that what you see as having to be done on new fans where ever they are purchased? There is a lot of complaints of things wrong with new Bailey and Elddis caravans, so is it the same with Swifts?
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Morning
From my experience NTH there isn't a stand out brand. All manufacturers vans have problems from little niggles as you'd expect to major "shouldn't have been sold like that" vans. I've seen some shocking examples of brand new outfits that are almost unlivable. That applies to both motorhomes and caravans unfortunately.
As to your op. It's pretty much widespread the staffing issues and it's getting worse. Our local caravan repair shop is down to two engineers and the backlog is so huge they've stopped taking work.
Where is all the workforce in this country??
JK
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Where is all the workforce in this country??
They all went back to their respective home countries following Brexit and Covid furlough, would be my guess. Either that or they can get more from the government for not working than they can earn in the caravan trade, be that at the factory or a dealer's workshop.
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This is the email I received from Lowdhams this week ,site has been sold for housing.
Lowdhams Huddersfield Update
Dear valued customer,
We hope you are keeping well.
Towards the end of last year, we advised you concerning further changes we were having to make to our Huddersfield branch. Most of these changes were not our ideal option, and we know not all of them were popular, but we are having to adapt to an ever-changing world which has been bad news for our industry.
Unfortunately, today, we must inform you that our staff are on a 30-day consultation period with a view to close our Huddersfield site.
We are devastated and have been doing everything we could, but it has proven too difficult to prevent this. It is dreadful news for all concerned including you, our valued customers.
As you know we have been trying to relocate the Huddersfield business for some time but with no vehicle stock to sell from last September the business has no meaningful income and in these difficult times we are unable to sustain these losses any longer.
Please rest assured, as valued customers, all existing caravan and motorhome customers will be given alternate options for their servicing requirements – for those who are close to our Nottingham branch you are welcome to contact us or alternatively there are NCC approved mobile technicians or indeed, there is the option to use another suitable motorhome or caravan dealer.
Due to past redundancies, we are currently running Huddersfield with a skeleton staff so please be patient during this time. Please email any queries regarding servicing requirements or parts on order to info@lowdhams.com with the subject heading of “Huddersfield Help” and we will endeavour to get back to you as quickly as possible.
Our hearts go out to all our dedicated staff and their families who will be impacted by these required changes.
Thank you for your past business and support.
Yours sincerely
Steve Sharpe
Group Managing Director0 -
Hi Nellie
Story so far
Collected van from dealer and stayed overnight on their campsite, multiple quality issues found, lockers not opening, window stays not operating correctly, varios dents and scratches on fitments, heating not working correctly, incorrect alko wheelclamp issued by swift. Dealer did solve some of the problems but will have to return for others to be repaired/replaced under warranty. On returning home started to place personal belongings into van, locker door catch came loose, and the overhead bedroom downlighter fell off, screws threads strippeed on both, I managed to fix both problems. Spent this weekend away on a nice CL near Welshpool and the hand towel rail fell off the wall, thats a repair job for me today. Have contacted Swift and no one of authority has contcted me over these issues.I really dont think they care, because we just keep buying the junk.
I know some would class these as 'niggles' but in my mind it is a lack of pride in workmanship and no control of quality.
My concern is what happens if theres a problem I cannot fix, will this result in a 250 mile round trip to the dealer. Are we going to be confined in our choice of vans by having to buy local because of quality and warranty issues.
I fear I have made a rod for my own back.
Would I buy another swift? based on my experieces over the last 4 weeks, ita a big no from me.
The general opinion seems to be buy German. Maybe we need foreign intervention to bring the industry upto speed, Look what happened to the complacent British car industry.
Thats my moan completed, looking forward to our next foray, with slightly crossed fingers.
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I’d reject that van, get my money back and look elsewhere closer to home.
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thats something ive considered
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Thanks, tp, for the update. I think that anyone considering buying a Swift would be put off after reading of your experiences. The whole of the British caravan industry seems to be in a pitiful state, as there have been similar complaints about Baileys, Elddis and Coachman. Perhaps naming the dealers who should carry out proper PDIs and don't, as well as those LV makers that are not producing habitable units, might result in the major improvements required by the industry to give confidence to we, the end users, in the units they sell.
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The general opinion seems to be buy German. Maybe we need foreign intervention to bring the industry upto speed, Look what happened to the complacent British car industry.
correct me if I’m wrong but doesn’t the Hymer group own Elddis. Perhaps someone who has brought a recent model
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We are 'following' a family on youtube that are experiencing problems with a new MH that has a buckled floor, apparently a known problem with that assemblers products.
They have had the warranty cancelled by the dealer and assembler. As they funded it via a finance company, the finance company have now been involved. Vehicle inspected and assessed. Appears rapid resolution is afoot.
Leisure vehicles, be they caravans, MH, PVC are just common poor quality parts thrown together by luck. As decades of buyers have accepted this poor quality in order to have their pre booked holiday that dealers are aware of punters get what they deserve.
The moral appears take finance, even a tiny amount to get support of the finance company behind you.
As well known we have a heap of carp of common poor quality parts thrown together by cowboys in a circus that has had loads of faults including new rear panel, front skylight window, battery box replacement, 3 battery box doors, heater faults, roof vent faults, plumbing faults, electrical faults, the list is too long to recall everything. We expect to have an issue each time we use our heap of carp, not been disappointed so far
its all part of this camping lark.We have decided to run our heap of carp into the ground and claim on the warranty for the whole period of validity. With a new rear and skylight this year that gives a few more years life
Fortunately we have a great dealer that expedites warranty claims and repairs.
In fairness Swift do eventually fix the faults, just takes an inordinate amount of time that reduces our use of the 'van. If only they put it together properly in the first place
Does their reputation no good. As often remarked 'lovely looking caravan', by prospective customers at dealer and on site, but as replied 'its a heap of carp, with countless faults, wouldn't buy another'.We won't be buying (we paid deposit on a credit card, balance in cash) another caravan, not value for our hard earned.
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I was shocked too KS👍🏻, they were quite distraught. Unfair actions getting comeback-excellent😊
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My 7 year old van was bought brand new from Lowdhams in Nottingham. In fact, we've had 4 vans in total and they've all been bought from there and we've always had great service from the sales team. Service side has been ok but nothing special and I've always thought them overpriced. The downside came last year when I tried to book a September service in June and they couldn't fit me in.
As it was out of warranty anyway (except for the 10 year water ingress) I arranged for a mobile fitter to go to the storage place. Did it in a day and cheaper. I could more or less choose any day I wanted except a Sunday. Lowdhams tie you down to a particular day and specific time for drop off and pick up and they usually need it a week!
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I think thats the heart of problem nellie, manufacturers becoming more and more reliant on dealerships picking up their awful workmanship on the PDI. The units should not leave the factory in the first place with such a catalogue of errors
Swifts responses to me have been, we are very sorry you are experiencing problems with your caravan but the dealer will sort it.
No, You sort it before it leaves the factory
Whats the point of a manufacturing QC dept.?
If you are out and about over the jubilee weekend have a good one
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The assumptions about Lowdhams closure in Huddersfield are wrong. The site is owned by the directors of Lowdhams in their pension fund and has been under an option agreement with a house builder for some time. I work in that industry hence I know - and all of this info is in the public domain if you look for it. The site is allocated in the local plan for residential development and so will soon be built on. Any theories about the current state of the market are wide of the mark.
To add to the discussion my mobile caravan service engineer has a Swift caravan….. that tells me all I need to know about the other brands. Having said that my brother has just collected a new Coachman and says it is the best built new caravan he has bought by some margin against previous purchases from Bailey and Eldiss.
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If you are out and about over the jubilee weekend have a good one
Thanks tp, but we won't be out, too many others on sites to suit us.
my brother has just collected a new Coachman and says it is the best built new caravan he has bought by some margin against previous purchases from Bailey and Eldiss.
Fc, it will be interesting to see what he thinks of his new van after as couple of hundred nights away in it, when things have had a chance to be "bedded in". I disagree about the state of the market, new vans are not a patch quality wise on models from 10 yrs ago or so. They are IMO "fur coat and no knickers", you only have to read of the number of faults both in construction and part failures to realise this.
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Nellie, What on Earth have the state of the market (sales levels/demand) and build quality to do with each other? The discussion was on part a suggestion that Lowdhams closure reflects a falling market and demand - all the usual doom and gloom let’s talk ourselves into a recession mentality when the truth is far different. And, I didn’t say anything about perceived quality compared with 10 years ago! Please supply the objective data to show faults and claims as a percentage of sales have risen.
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Flatcoat wrote:
"To add to the discussion my mobile caravan service engineer has a Swift caravan….. that tells me all I need to know about the other brands."
My mobile service engineer told me his van was based on a Renault Master. "What is the conversion," I asked? "Oh, I converted it myself; I was not going to rely on the build quality of modern vans!" I could say: that says it all.
Both examples are anecdotal and add little to the debate. It certainly can never be said to tell you "all you need to know" in the sense that this it provdes definitive evidence of the quality of Swift or any other van.
To add another anecdote, my Swift van has been pretty good!!!!!!!!!!!
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Flatcoat said:
"The assumptions about Lowdhams closure in Huddersfield are wrong. The site is owned by the directors of Lowdhams in their pension fund and has been under an option agreement with a house builder for some time. I work in that industry hence I know - and all of this info is in the public domain if you look for it. The site is allocated in the local plan for residential development and so will soon be built on. Any theories about the current state of the market are wide of the mark."
To be clear from the start, I do not question the veracity of the above. However, it rather makes the email to customers reproduced above, and copied below as an image [sorry a bit small, but you can read it on page 2 above], sound disingenuous at best and misleading at worst. Unless I am missing something.
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Chicken and egg, perhaps? Trade falls off so take option B and sell to the developer, or make sure trade drops by not having stock and sell to the developer. Who knows?
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