Swift roof cracks

our 2009 Swift Conqueror 480 had rear panel replaced in last year of warranty due the crack on R/H top corner. Wish same had happened to the front as it looks quite jaded in comparison!

The dealer informed us that there is a problem with the GRP mouldings around 2012 due to a different supplier of mouldings (cheaper perhaps)

We were offered a fix at next service, but prefer not to wait until there is more damp to rectify.

Now waiting a date for the bonding of strengthening moldings.

I believe your dealer has seriously misunderstood the issue; it is not failure of a GRP moulding, because the problem was they used an ABS plastic not GRP, only changing to GRP for 2016 MY.

ABS is not necessarily "cheaper" but allows more freedom to design contorted stylish panels. It however is much more prone to stress cracking a weakness that increases over time as it is also prone to UV structural degradation.

The caps should allow any later developing cracking that could occur to do so more harmlessly, as they seal them from allowing water ingress, the real issue. Plus they very effectively shield this critically stressed area from further UV damage, and will to an extent ease the stress carrying.

Hi Bluemalaga I am in a similar situation to your daughter.

My Swift Freestyle is a 2015 model. I bought it at a year old from a friend just after it’s first service (it had only been used for one 5 day trip in its first year). Due to illness they wouldn’t be able to caravan again.

As my first caravan I have loved it. However on cleaning it to cover it up for winter I have noticed several cracks and the sealing type strip bubbling up on the roof towards the rear. I have contacted Swift but as I have missed my 2nd service my warranty is invalid. My 3rd service is due end Jan 2018.

I am horrified that I have found these cracks on a van of this age. 

Swift have offered as a gesture of goodwill to pay for parts but not labour. I believe this was also the case for your daughter Bluemalaga. Please would you be able to give me an idea of her labour costs.

My member name is my late greyhounds name I am actually female. 

I don’t believe that missing a service should have any relevance to bodywork defects.

My next step is to contact the dealer who sold the caravan initially but they are on Christmas holidays until the new year.

I would appreciate any helpful suggestions as I am having sleepless nights worrying about this.

In 2013, a replacement full rear panel for a 2011 Swift van was £3500 retail (other parts are likely to be needed including, possibly, awning rails, sealant etc)

The labour for  the repair including some additional internal repairs and paintwork was £2000.

If it's one of the ones where "caps" can be fitted to cover the cracking then it will be MUCH cheaper.

That 2nd panel cracked about 2 years later and was replaced under warranty.

You'll obviously have to get an up to date estimate but I think the retail price of parts is outrageous so, whilst the whole thing may not seem fair, on balance it may be a good offer.

I'd be cleaning the area and adding some gaffer tape to reduce any short term leaking.

If you decide that you don't want to pay the labour, the other option I'd use is:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001BDZH7G/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I3VR6TQSMTOHQP&colid=30IN8HN1379P1&psc=0

and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGiKusd5r8A

This tape is expensive but US RV'ers seem to believe in it. It just depends on the size and position of the cracks. Another important fact I'd suggest is to have holes drilled at the end where the crack is propagating which will reduce the stress intensity and stop it from growing.

IMHO, Swift are generally very fair with their warranties but my First Rule of Caravans is read the tiny print in the warranty and make sure you meet them all.

I'm sorry to hear your story but I think you'll have to resign yourself to putting it down to experience and try to avoid losing too much sleep.

Hope this helps.

Sorry to hear you are having the same issues with Swift selling goods not fit for purpose and then opting out of their responsibility.

However the cost to my daughter was more than the £1000 to repair, she then sold the van to the company that carried out the work and then claimed the van was not worth what she expected. They tried to knock more money off what they originally offered. The original offer was a lowly £8k and then they tried to buy the van for £7.5k which was refused in favour of the original as my daughter had become somewhat disillusioned with the whole business of caravanning and did not want to sell on the van to another in case there were further issues. The dealer then offered the van for sale at a very reasonable £11250.

It looks like a whole new panel was fitted, as the caps were not evident after repair, but I would be taking an educated guess on this. 

We had the caps replaced under warranty but were told that the labour cost would not be much as they only needed bonding. The tape is not structural we were told and should not cause a problem if it bubbled as the van was sealed underneath the tape.

Good luck

Just re-read your post Jimmy. We were assured that the problem only occurred on 2012 models due to the type of panel used in that year. 

I am sure I read somewhere, maybe on this forum, that if you use the KNOWN PROBLEM statement/terminology in your correspondence with Swift, there is some legal clause that would be applicable. It seems that for for up to 3 years this has been a known problem and I have not heard that Swift have notified any owners, which should be an expected action from a responsible manufacturer.

This is not just a problem with Swift. I have a 2015 Compass Rallye bought new. I found when I washed it the rear nearside corner had stress fractures, the dealership got in contact with ECCLES who replaced the whole rear panel under warranty on its 2nd service. I have since found the new panel has a stress fracture on the rear offside corner. Again the dealership has been in contact with ECCLES and this time they are fixing it with mouldings when it is serviced. This is obviously a major manufacturing fault and whoever makes these rear panels needs a serious lecture on quality and stuff being fit for purpose.

I think you mean Elddis, JO. 👍🏻

well jimbo, you resurrected an old en there mate.

Sorry, you are quite right. I realised I had got the wrong name about 11 pm last night. It should read ELDDIS