All the issues with our new caravan

We love our Bailey Ridgeway and we are looking to spend many more years with it. However, we have had a few snagging issues. In this video we discuss all the issues we have had with our caravan. Some of them are trivial some of them are issues that have thankfully now been resolved. If you are considering purchasing a Bailey Phoenix 640 caravan or a dealer special, i hope this video will give you some pointers to look at.
All the issues I have raised in this video have been resolved by Swindon Caravans Group via the after sales team.

[@alinherts5414]

Very useful video Dan. Also very good to see the problems that others have encountered when reading the comments. We picked up a new Bailey Unicorn Cartagena last year. The major issue we had was that the toilet flush tank was split. When filling it we found that after about 1.5 litres was added if started pouring all over the floor of the bathroom and bedroom. So those picking up their van may want to add filling the flush to their check list!

[@markrobinson7866]

Another great video Dan. We have just brought a new Bailey Vigo and although very pleased so far have identified a few issues that can be easily fixed. The big test is how well it goes after a year or so. Your report so far is very enlightening and we will check for the same issues so thanks.

[@malcolmqua9226]

Very fair and balanced observations Dan. Did notice my window latches very tight as well. Some things I just put right myself and get on with it.

[@Warrior6504]

I’ve had my Bailey a year and I have a squeaky floor and brakes I’ve only used the van 5 times. Back to the dealer then. Thanks for that. 👍🏻

[@MyBigTOW]

Excellent video Dan. It's good to see you discussing these issues with new caravans. It's sometimes all too easy to get a bit despondent about our caravans when we get niggles with them. Your comments and video show that most of these can be overcome very easily by simple steps you can take yourself or by contacting the dealership. We too have slight issues with a squeak where the dividing wall between the bathroom and caravan bedroom area join, like you mentioned this is an intermittent thing, and I just wondered whether you would think we could rectify that ourselves? I did mention it to the dealers (not where we purchased the caravan from) when we had the Caravan serviced last year. Guess what, it was in intermittent mode and they couldn't find the source of the noise, which was a little annoying. However it has come and gone at various times since and it would be good to sort it once and for all. Enjoyed this video very much as it showed us, and everyone else, that minor niggles, that can be addressed very simply, don't have to spoil the enjoyment of your Caravan.

[@tonks1968]

Another great video Dan and I’m really looking forward to seeing your future video on caravan construction. We’re picking up our new SWIFT Challenger 480 Alde in a few weeks time so will definitely keep an eye out !

[@LatitudeAdventures]

Hi Dan another great video and great to see you sharing the positives & negatives. I appreciate theses things are hand built but there is a high need for manufacturing companies to have a strong quality control before products leave the factory. Loose screws will happen in any wobble box as they do move about. Thanks for sharing

[@masterliver101]

Great video. Especially the new section at the end. All too easy to go off deep end. Dealerships are for the most part a great place to get things sorted.

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

Great video, very honest and not too down on the issues. Like you our teething issues with the motirhome were mainly loose screws. I always put them back with a spot of gorilla glue on them.

[@guythompson4541]

Keep watching your videos as we went out this weekend in our new to us Bailey Cadiz . Other than freezing pipes. We love it but we are aware of issues. Thanks Dan.

[@andy44646]

Fantastic video dan. We want this caravan too.

[@davidmbell]

Re-watching this and all seems very much more relevant now. Some funny design choices by Bailey, things that slowly get changed over the revisions.

[@thomaswatt1658]

Hi dan.great vlog.we have had the same issue with screws coming loose which i think is down to them being put in with screw guns.the external socket issue,i think its on that side so you can use appliances in your awning.anyway its been good watching you back on doing what you do best.cheers for now

[@affinitycaravanning78]

Great video Dan. Spot on with your attitude to the issues. Our window catches are still very stiff on our 2016 Elddis Affinity. When it went for service the guy used some silicon spray line on the sky lights to make them run smoothly, I think I may try some on the catches.

[@paulmcguire6397]

Hi Dan good video, we are getting a new swift elegance in a few weeks and they are allowing us to have a check round the van inside and out so we can raise any snagging issues with them before they do their own pdi check which I think is quite helpful.

[@adammullock9984]

Awesome video as always Dan! Spot on with the comments. These are occasional use vehicles built to weight and budget targets. We have had 2 new vans with a mix of experiences. Both had issues similar to this. One even a cracked shower tray! I took the manufacturer to task every time (not the dealer), I believe in direct feedback. Of course the dealer rectified my problems. Both vans were repaired quick enough not to cause too much inconvenience.

[@alanalan1406]

Another great video - spot on with your comments Dan. Our new van had a few issues too - resolved by the dealer and we are looking forward to many years with it. "Unrealistic expectations" is a phrase the British Public will need to start getting used to ;-)

[@bessie2275]

Very good Dan eye opener.

[@MikkosAdventure]

Oh man, that's a lot of issues. I hope you work it out. I have an RV KZbin channel also, so I'm super excited to see what the colleagues are up to. Subbed your channel.

[@annethompson6867]

Enjoyed this video and your feedback.

[@Caravanningwiththehoopers]

Wow it’s been 7 months already, doesn’t time fly, glad your still loving the van and as you say a lot of the issues are very minor and easily fixable. I think most of the issues these days are down to the internet, people seem to moan about the most silly little things that are easily fixable, they also say vans were better built in the past but they simply were not, it’s just that we didn’t here about the problems, I was quite nervous about buying our first caravan from reading all the forums but am glad to report that 3 months in we have only come across 2x issue, one was down to the dealer not tightening the motor mover bolts and another is down to some screws coming loose, both I fixed easily myself

[@stevehanshaw2729]

yep my 640 has now popped off all the air duct pipes and I have to wedge the bedroom door in place as the strap fitted is not fit for purpose! Still I love this van and im very happy with it, I have seen much worse problems from some very expensive vans.excellent vid dan.

[@simonmcgill2097]

Good video, as always. We bought the Elddis Crusader Mistral two years ago, brand new. We've had both kitchen and bathroom sink fail and empty their contents into the spaces below (Pipes not connected). Whole section of pipe missing from under the van. Myriad of sticking buttons. Window catch broken,. Roof light replaced as recalled. sliding bathroom door come away from the ceiling. However, it took nearly a year for all those issues to manifest and, touch wood, all ok now. Our last to outings have seen no issues at all. We love the van and, after all the trouble we've had don't want to replace. Wandahome at Castleford were brilliant in fixing all the issues and had several conference calls with Elddis themselves over our van and others. I mentioned to the chief engineer at Wandahome about Elddis and it's poor quality and he said, "It's not just Elddis I'm afraid, demand is outstripping production and majority of makes are now not paying enough attention to smaller details" Mind you, the price we pay for new vans, you'd think they'd have the wherewithal to ensure quality control is much higher.

[@simonlakin5067]

Thanks for the video Dan. My experience is not with a caravan but a motor home. Hired for a Easter break 120 miles on the clock. During our five day trip. I had to repair the toilet cassette in the first two hours of our trip.Various loose screws and a constant pile of sawdust appearing on the floor from under the cupboards etc. Also stickers left on wing mirrors. the We were only renting so we weren’t required to take it back to the dealership. When I mentioned this to family and friends who have motor homes and caravans they weren’t surprised. It seems it’s up to the end customer to continually return the motor home or caravan to the dealer to deal with the faults. Repaired for free but not without cost and time for the owner.

[@brooklynroad8581]

good video. yes we had noisey brakes and widow latches tight, but silly problems like not connected tv sockets, wrong mattress fitted to one side (Rimmini version). Both missed on PDI check and cooker plug working lose. This is our third Bailey and if it last as long as the last one (12yrs) i will be very happy. The dealer stowfords has been very good and fixed all the problems, but some of them should not have happened. keep up the good work

[@nicolaringrose1624]

A long time ago my dad who is not with us know worked for cosalt caravans and built the inside of them. as kids and know We are very proud of him.

[@meknownothing]

Hi I've been watching your video and found the very useful so I have decided to follow you

[@TheCaravanNut]

Great honest review Dan, I think you will always find some faults with any van you buy from any manufacturer. Thanks for sharing, Martin

[@johncooke2739]

I have to agree with your comments at the end Dan. Our experience has been very similar in that as we have gone on, we noticed minor faults which have needed resolving. When you consider our Buccaneer and how much it is in use, the minor faults are just that. Our dealer has been brilliant and have had it back twice to fit our diary. They have completed the work very speedily and to out satisfaction. If we find anything else, I am so confident that it will be rectified easily. We love our caravan and wouldn't change it.

[@noretreat6910]

Thanks I’m a new at this and this helps,and your right always problems 👍🏻

[@lostweekendscaravan]

Hi Dan your are correct expectations are high. I do feel that vans should be brought in after three months and checked over to correct any issues be them major or minor a little like a snagging period you get with a new house. We had a few issues such as carpets, fridge control panel like we addressed these in our update video. Like you our Dealer has been very good and all issues were resolved very quickly. Thanks for sharing Phil👍🙂

[@malcolmsmith408]

Sorry,it's a case of having to accept poor workmanship. Friend bought a new caravan from well known British manufacturer. Various problems including cooker problem and the final straw ,the floor has started to suffer delamination. Van now replaced with different manufacturer, hoping they have better results. I will stick with my 14 year old van where everything works every time.

[@lostweekendscaravan]

Malcolm Smith if it’s not broke don’t fix it. You enjoy your van. We have been lucky I guess. Only minor issues. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this issue. Phil 👍🙂

[@stendecstretcher5678]

We bought a new Jurgens Sungazer here in Australia. Some minor issues we have fixed ourselves. Like you say hand built so never going to be perfect. By doing minor fixes myself helps me to get more familiar with the vans workings .

[@boushal]

Hi Dan i just turned my table over to stop scratching worked for me

[@davidsalkeld742]

You’re absolutely right. To expect perfection just because something is brand new is unrealistic. However, expecting good after sales service is realistic both from your dealer and the manufacturer Thanks

[@richarddouglas9403]

as always a great video. I am now on my third Bailey. The Senator had water ingress in year three at the rear where rear fibreglass panel met the roof. Pegasus (all-tech) had water ingress at front lockers on both sides again year three service. My latest Unicorn Cadiz just had its third service and guess what, 60% damp reading at front (awning rail?) both sides. All caravans bought new by me and were repaired under warranty as the ‘vans were less than three years old. I am now waiting for latest repair. Maybe look at another manufacturer in future. Sad as reasonable caravans but at some £26k poor quality not helped by service dealer saying seals fail because they move. I also keep finding screws which have come out but hey thats an easy fix.

[@barbsdee3831]

Great review Dan and we love our Bailey. Compared to a swift which we saw that was 6 months old and it was so tatty it looked 5 years old! If you think about it bumping down the roads no wonder little screws come loose. Btw we have a squeaky seat at one end of our Bailey Cadiz 🙄

[@holidaysinthehumma5108]

Hi Dan, totally agree with you with regards everything we buy new nowadays ( new cars,houses etc) they all have their niggles or serious problems. We bought our new caravan same time as yourself ( coachman) and had snagging which the dealership has been good with since we bought it and with a new problem. We had a new motorhome ( Elddis )before the caravan and we had serious faults apppeared the 1st time we used it ( 6 different cracks) and it ended up back at the dealer and the factory separately for 6months out of 1st year we owned it and had Similar with a bailey caravan before motorhome. It seems to be all manufacturers have same or similar issues no matter who we use, just a lot of snagging. My only gripe would be that caravan manufacturers be more like car manufacturers where we could use other dealerships for repairs etc not only the one you bought from The problem is our contract is with the dealership not the manufacturer. It doesnt matter which manufacturer we choose its the same all over as you said and have similar issues. I met a wise old man on a site last year and he said he’s caravaned for 30 yrs and never bought new, he said I always buy 1-2 yrs old so the person before me has went through the stress of snagging 🤔 Why do I never listen...Ha Nice Video Dan All the best Rob, Amanda & Robbie 👍

[@supergroups]

Dan, I take your point about the production proccess but I bought a Bailey Olympus nine years ago and we still have manufacturing swarf shaking out of the roof construction into the ceiling light covers after every journey. Just placed an order for a Pegasus Grande and find that Bailey's fix for this problem is to not fit any ceiling mounted lights! Now that's lateral thinking. Just discovered your channel, it's been fun catching up.

[@TheMeanieuk]

We have Pegasus Grande Messina, 3 design faults we noticed so far, light switch in bathroom pull cord behind door so you have to go in the bathroom to turn on light also pullout bed in lounge area handle will scratch or cut back of legs need to be covered finally as already said electric hook up point not only should be on the other side why doe's it have to poke right out. Other than those great van.

[@busterboy7505]

Cheers Dan, not being a caravaner are self’s, but hopefully will be soon, I would expect things coming loose and falling off,because it’s being towed so going over bumps in potholes and uneven ground things will move, thanks again for your video they are much helpful,👍👍.

[@Mamazeta]

I had to laugh at your comment about the marker light and being careful not to rip it off when pulling an awning on... We did exactly that with our heavy Kampa Frontier air awning last summer despite efforts not to do so! Hopeful we can find a slimline alternative to prevent repeat occurrences. (We upgraded to our Bailey Pegasus Rimini GT65 in June 2018 and we love it) 😊

[@chazsach6594]

I once worked with an old chap who said "Near enough is not good enough" maybe this should be ALL caravan manufacturers motto.

[@RollingwithTheRobsons]

Interesting video on the little niggles. Obviously, we have only used our van once in 7 months. Hopefully, when we get ours back we can see no issues I am hoping. I think all new vans do have some niggles.

[@Arbitrator207]

I bought a 2 year old top of the line Unicorn, hardly used. All teething problems sorted by the previous owner and more importantly the biggest chunk of depreciation taken care of. Seemed the sensible option to me.

[@athewake]

Very happy with my Vanmaster 640 occasion, proper job.

[@andrewell9552]

Caravan and hopefully if I win it will make my caravan look as clean and tidy as yours cheers Dan👍🏼

[@colinmew6695]

Hi Dan you are correct about being hand built and odd things going wrong. However last February I had the axle fault neither Bailey or Alko wanted to know and said it was my fault overloading or going over speed humps too fast. So i paid £1400 and had it fixed myself. Between February and now i have done 4 tows to Doncaster, Ilminster, Dorset and Morn Hill Winchester and axle gone again. No not paying for another fix so traded last friday to a 2015 Coachman VIP 565/4 where weight is more even over chassis not all over axle as Bailey have made them.

[@andyr5029]

Hi Dan, when you mentioned squeaky brakes a chill went through my bones. We had an issue with squeaky brakes from Day 1 with our new Swift caravan. It went back to the dealership (2 hour drive away) and they said although brake adjustments weren't part of the warranty they had sorted it as a good will gesture. Not sure how much good will there was as they were exactly the same when I picked it up again. When we met up with friends they would be laughing at us because they could hear us arriving on site and put the kettle on. My local independent caravan service engineer took the brakes apart and soon found out what the problem was. Poor brake shoes with very hard bits causing the noise against the drum. They had ruined the drum on the offside by creating large score marks around the drum. The quote to replace and fit new drums and shoes was £400+ so I made a claim to Alko. Eventually after photographic evidence and a local dealership report they agreed to the claim and replaced them. All the hard work and persistence paid off but it really shouldn't have to be that hard to get things sorted. It took me 6 months to book it into a local dealership because unless you've bought the caravan from them they're not interested. That's a totally different issue which I'll not get stoked up about again now!

[@nigejones9233]

Our 2011 Pegasus Milan needs constant screw tightening. Every trip we have screws fall out. Randomly, similarly to yours the front seat slats fell off at the end of our latest trip during the post holiday clean... I just think screws always gonna come lose... Frankly after a 500 mile round trip, plus the three of us slouching over all the furniture for over a week, it holds up pretty well considering. Might just see if our heating vents are attached next time I'm in the van though - good tip to check them with a torch... Cheers Dan.

[@andyintegrale]

Good video Dan. We had a new 2013 Unicorn Barcelona and had lots of similar issues to you in terms screws and screw covers falling out and loose pipes etc. If you walked round the outside there was sealant everywhere and poorly fitted trim pieces front and back. Awning rail was a nightmare to clean out. To top it all it had to go back to the factory at 1 year old for 6 weeks to attend to a damp floor. If you search Bailey Factory Tour on you tube and do the same with Adria you will see two set ups in terms of production facilities that look night and day to me. Adria looks far more akin to an automotive production line with sealants etc being applied by robots and lots of QA inspections etc. We have a 2017 Adria Adora now, our second Adria, and the number one priority when purchasing was quality of product. You can even feel it in the quality of the cabinetry let alone the fit and finish of the shell. I know you looked and were unimpressed by the layouts and design but I’m lucky that I like the IKEA minimalism so it was a very easy purchasing decision.

[@stoff4963]

Hi Dan the problem is these days most tradespeople are working on price work and price work is the death of good tradesmanship, and that comes from a tradesman who has been there Great channel love the content still looking forward to the nighthawk Mk 2 review 👍

[@vicdunni]

Really good review. We have a Black Edition Unicorn Cadiz and our only issue has been the seating went flat straight away and we replaced it ourselves. Nothing else yet except very minor bits which our dealer will sort at our convenience ( Couplands at Louth-- cant recommend them enough, excellent in every way) Im trying to talk to Bailey about the seating in the unicorns as it has effected hundreds of people ( i have a group on fb) but apart from that we love it 😍

[@guythompson4541]

Can you please explain “went flat?” Did the booster fail? Sorry f thats a daft question

[@Threelinkdave]

Dan - re the jockey wheel. On our Pegasus Rimini the screw in the jockey wheel was a nightmare to wind. it took ome effort which we had not suffered in previousvans. I saw an add for the C & MH club on line shop. Fitted it and its silky smooth. The AL-CO one went to the tip

[@noohall9213]

Hello dan “ last year we were in the process of looking for a caravan, we decided a new one was for us, we wanted everything new to us. Our budget was approximately £18k . Having looked at lots of Caravans’s at many dealerships we just didn’t like the look of the very latest types to us a lot of them look less like caravans & more like spaceships 🚀 Finally we found a 2011 Bailey Pegasus Verona 2 which was looked after (private sale) immaculate condition paid 8k for Peggy. Has mover & we love her, From our original budget we had enough money to have new roof on 🏠. We also bought new luxury mattress for french bed and a rally air pro 390, And still had money’s in purse 👜 Tomorrow we gonna checkout the Cirencester site which looks very nice 👍

[@grahamsellers9295]

Good honest video, we've bought a Swift dealer special from Wandahome, we had one heating duct not connected properly under the oven, and the habitation door wasn't catching on its keep, which Wandahome sorted while we waited, so I can't fault them so far. You're right sometimes little things are missed, especially in a piece work inviroment like caravan manufacturing.

[@kevinbrown6261]

Graham Sellers I used to recruit hundreds of contract trades to build the interiors of portable cabins, similar to caravan interiors, on a rolling basis and most of them preferred to work indoors during the winter and left to go onsite in summer. This often left the factory short of skilled trades in the summer as the guys chased better money onsite. This left me with a pool of generally lower skilled guys who could not get enough summer work so they wanted the lower paid rates of production lines - moral of the story... beware of product quality for vans leaving the production line in the Summer!

[@hankcuccina5260]

What is a habitation door?

[@grahamsellers9295]

The main entrance door

[@hankcuccina5260]

Okydoke, thanks.

[@jomoore2161]

We had a few of the same problems in 2014 with our new van, awning rail full of silicone, good step of steps and a knife soon sorted that, the biggest problem was the mattress, Bailey wanted 600 to upgrade to the next model, got one on line for 300

[@markb5985]

Love our new Bailey unicorn Valencia, apart from the fact the tv intrudes into the doorway. Only two trips in it so far but love it 🙂

[@kevinbrown6261]

Mark B Encouraging Mark - we are going for a Bailey Unicorn Valencia, hopefully after the summer, and scrutinised one at length today. We were looking at the same issue you mention with the TV and doorway noting that a tv fixing wall bracket was not present by the door but was on the bed area wall. Looks like a common complaint of where best to locate a multi directional bracket so you could fold tv close to the wall when using the door. We decided that we would use this position for nighttime viewing when the door would be used less as it is our favourite with our feet up in lounge area and move TV to front window area for daytime as necessary (not sure if it is easily placed on a flat worktop with wall bracket on, or you have to faff about removing and replacing bracket and stand to make it work as we haven’t seen a suitable TV yet but it would be over indulgent to have two TVs in such a small space! ) 🙃

[@stephenb5560]

Getting a new??? Bailey, check the electrical build sheet which you should find in the van, it has the real date it was built. If it's not there ask and demand the dealer shows you it. Check the date of the tyres, they can be already over two years old on a Bailey, they were on ours. Just a warning that we found people had not told us the truth until after we paid and collected. Don't take it unless you get new tyres and know the true age, ours was 9 months old and been in a field in Bristol. Buy a Bailey?? Never again !

[@jasonjuggler3457]

@@stephenb5560 haha sucker that's what you get for buying a bailey

[@michaelfulton9048]

We have had our 1980 Cheltenham Puku caravan for 29years. It cost us £2300 but when new it was over £6000. We were only the second owner. To date it has traveled the UK and Europe over the years. It has never leaked, creaked, nothing has come unscrewed . It has been a joy from the moment we bought it and is beautiful to look at. We have had it resprayed last year and now looks like new again. When traveling to France on the ferry last year we found so many people admiring it. I don't mean for this chat to sound smug and I do feel very sorry that that you have so many issues. I do wonder however how many of these modern caravans will still be being enjoyed in 30 years time. Take a look at the Cheltenham Owners Club on Facebook. X

[@dtkirkwood]

Hi Dan, great vlog again!! We have a 640 in our sights and was Just wondering if you ever did a follow up video re replacing the Duvalay mattress for the island bed with etc? Many thanks.

[@davidkidner6648]

I did mention the front marker light position and the difficulty in installing an air awning to one of the directors when we went on a factory tour. He said that they were aware of the problem, but to date nothing has been done to rectify the problem. I am suprised that you did not mention the stupid location of the pull cord for the lights in the bathroom, it should be on the shower side, so you can turn them on as soon as you open the door.

[@peterhall2122]

Ha ha. Same here Dave. Table brackets , windows and squeaky brakes the same on my unicorn. Still think the Bailey is better than others but maybe quality control could be better

[@stuartrich2499]

Due to collect our brand new Swift Dealer special tomorrow. Lets see what we find!!!

[@jonnmedds]

Bought two new caravans, A Lunar Quasar in 2013 and a Bailey Pegasus in 2016. Both had to be returned to the dealer a few months later due to issues. It seems to be a common occurrence which as buyers we seem to accept.

[@yawnguy94]

Glad you afford one

[@dgbourdon1325]

Thanks fella

[@jonnieboy63]

Hi Dan Been watching your videos since we ourselves bought our first caravan three years ago. You and your family have provided us with mountains of good advice and tips to make the caravan experience a safe and enjoyable one. I feel a little uncomfortable and sad with your conclusion you come to about unrealistic expectations after the list of issues you have with your new caravan. I can accept that a caravan is built to operate in a hostile environment (Bailey took one to the arctic circle!) and as such it is no real surprise that screws may come out and the life of components shorter compared to domestic equivalents. However in the competitive age we live in it should be fit for purpose and as the comment below outlines if we accept this then competitors will steal the show like they did with the car industry in the 1980's. Doe you remember the Austin Allegro? Unfortunately our caravan trips are taken gingerly at the moment as we've been told our 2017 Unicorn 3 Vigo has a collapsed axle which seems to be a problem that's wider than accepted by manufacturers. Bailey and AL-KO have a policy of only inspecting the axle under warranty once the wheel -wheel arch clearance is below 25mm and no guarantee of replacement. At this late stage some owners have already experienced damp in their Bailey caravans since the wheels wear through the plastic wheel arches. It seems to apply to the larger single axle caravans such as yours and mine and built within the last 3 years. Some owners have been successful in having their axles replaced under Warranty with axles that look almost identical to the one on your caravan which AL-KO insist is a like for like replacement. This doesn't instil me with confidence when the axle has failed after just 2 years. These owners are now reporting the same brake issue as you after as little as 150 miles which are then replaced on warranty. As you can imagine the usual accusations of overloading and pothole damage has been levelled to owners without any evidence or facts to support this and leads to an atmosphere of mistrust. Dealing with facts is much more useful to both customers and manufacturers to maintain and improve quality in the future. At the moment the facebook group Bailey axle problems have identified 247 owners with problems but this is only for members of the group who follow facebook. I wonder how many more of the caravaning population are affected? Wouldn't it be good if someone posted a video on how to measure your wheel arch clearance?

[@marklovell2933]

Most Bailey caravans have similar issues, which should have been quality controlled.

[@peterd0147]

Our Coachman is 5 years old Dan.Average use about 10 weeks per year.Total amount of faults or problems absolutely a big zero! Its called quality control at the factory!Why should you accept that faults are inevitable.Love your channel though as I have learned a few tips from you keep up the good work.

[@chrisc9406]

Comparing apples with pears! Coachman make quality vans which are fitted out to a high spec.

[@jimf4748]

You should have bought another Clubman. That would have had the superb Alde heating which is much better than any blown air system. Once you have had a quality van its hard to go a bit more down market.

[@MrGethevs1980]

Had a problem with our bailey pursuit 570/6 with the front bed slats collapsing a bit of 3/4 inch plywood cut down to size did the job !!

[@Mark-wx1ho]

The front slats in my 560-5 kept on collapsing. All the dealership did was fit a plastic catch to stop them moving back into the front of the van. Where did you place the wood?

[@MrGethevs1980]

@@Mark-wx1hothey did with mine but it was dipping in the middle and giving my wife a bad back so I use the plywood aswell nice flat bed now with no problems I'm happy coz the wife happy 👍👍

[@SH-xq4dq]

Good balanced video Dan, I’d like to ask what exactly was / is the mattress issue? We have a swift 480 elegance as we felt it was easier to manage and tour with being smaller than fixed bed models. Sometimes we think a fixed bed 580 would have been a better choice BUT if it’s a case of fixed bed yet still mattress problems we’d like to know what the issue and solution is that you have found ? Many thanks Stuart Ps think the swift 589 has Duvalay mattress but which one we don’t know

[@andysroadtrips7770]

Hi Dan, good video. I had a new bailey 2016 Pegasus Modena and from the start that front curved window leaked. it was never opened due the fact its shape didn't follow the roof curve. sometimes in heavy rain nothing then a bit of drizzle it came thru. was back and to the dealers but never cured. the bailey front window looks appealing but is it practical or maybe I had a dud. last year bought a 2018 swift Eccles with non opening front window. few niggles but all sorted. that fridge door is a real pain opening wrong way round tho in your van. my design faults are only 1 socket in kitchen bailey had 2. sink set too far back in counter bailey was spot on. my fridge linked to control panel ( swift command) sometimes doesn't connect and gives out error codes. what are your views on internal or external water pumps. my bailey had external one which I much preferred because of noise. when using a direct feed from tap on the Eccles I still have to have the pump on which kicks in when water drawn. could you do a short video of internal external pumps for viewers pls and include set up for direct connection to tap using a whale kit. keep up the good work. oh lastly any news on the a/c fitting? not got round to mine yet tho will go to a&e leisure in Northwich for a chat with those guys recommended by the happy travellers wendy and steve.

[@GG-gotr6]

An interesting update Dan; are you saying brakes should not squeal at all. My Coachman is 10 months old and the brakes are squealing on hills now, should I be talking it back to the dealer under warranty for a fix? If this is free repair have AL-KO fitted faulty brake shoes to their recent chassis production?

[@lindaleitchman8927]

Its not just caravans and not just British workmanship. We bought a brand new VW Golf which from day one had an irritating rattle/vibration coming from under the steering wheel. Turned out that the bracket holding the air bag was not screwed up properly - nobody's perfect.

[@WestcountryYokelOnYoutube]

Sorry you had a few issues mate. At least it wasn't rotten. :)

[@kevandrews4699]

Hi dan good honest review can I ask is your van a mid bathroom if so how do u find using the shower as half the floor space in the shower as the wheel arch there do u find it a problem when using it as when I went to view a mid bathroom van I couldn't turn round in the shower as the wheel arch was in the way thanks .kev

[@theslimun]

It would be nice if the manufactorers asked for feed back from their customers at the first service that way design faults and niggles could be reported back like your fridge door giving them chance to change things on the new model. It would also help them to target problem issues such as Alko brakes squealing because I doubt Alko would take notice of just a couple of dealers but they would if the likes of Swift, Bailey and Lunar were to tell them to sort the issue or we change supplier of chassis. Everyone would win from this the manufactorers would have happy customers, the designers would know what works and customers like and also what they don't like so can create better caravans.

[@anthonywhitehouse2295]

swift bailey lunar are the same company

[@robwestley7370]

@@anthonywhitehouse2295 Sandra Westley no they are not, Lunar went into liquidation 2019 and have since been bought by a foreign caravan place. Swift and Bailey are competitors.

[@davereynolds3682]

Hi Dan, I whole heartedly agree with you on design faults with caravans in general, Julie had said that that the layouts would work better if a female designed them! To which I have to agree. All the best Black Country Dave

[@martincole188]

This "issues" thing... These are FAULTS. Same with our caravan a Swift now 9 years old. Good job I like DiY. I would have spent a fortune in money and time taking it back to the dealers 50 miles away.

[@graemeroberts5730]

Good video. You are totally right....even now I expect new to be perfect whether car, house or caravan. Never is and never will be! Regarding new mattress....have you considered a “topper” for the bed........we are seriously thinking of one. Your thoughts would be most welcome. 😃🍺

[@TheTrudgians]

Hi, we did think of a topper - that would help in the hardness, but the foam sagging would remain. we will cover this off in a future video. Thanks

[@graemeroberts5730]

Muchas gracias! Appreciated the reply. 🍷🍺

[@sandrapearson728]

I’ve always wondered why the tall fridges in Bailey vans open either side. Now I know why

[@keithhicks1750]

I agree with a lot of what you said but the fridge door would bug me forever, and taking a van back to the dealership is not a two minute job.

[@Mrfort]

do the fridge not have dual hangers? l/h r/h hinge???/

[@steveblack728]

I've , been a Caravanner since 1983, and have had a few Caravans, I've always been adamant that the designers are not Caravanners, because I have very rarely found zero design faults, I have only had one brand new one, and we stored that inside over winter, getting it out the following season it absolutely poured in, after contacting the dealer and manufacturer, we found that they used water based sealant and it shouldnt be stored indoors at all, thankfully after a lot of wrangling we got it fixed thanks to the CCC. back to today I have yet another leaking Caravan, sadly I cant see it being fixable without it costing more than it's worth, but hey ho, lets keep accepting these poorly designed overpriced boxes and they will keep producing them

[@paulpringle8263]

Hear is food for thought. A Japanese company selling engineering parts to the Uk. Won’t say which company it is. The uk costumer stipulated that only 2 faulty parts per 100 would be excepted.the Japanese company sent a email saying the parts have been dispatched.along with the 2 faulty parts. Then asked why do you won’t 2 faulty parts. Maybe in the uk we should except quality workmanship with products we purchase !!!?

[@jasonjuggler3457]

Tell me what company it is you prick

[@cliffordbradley5579]

It’s not unrealistic to expect a product to be right first time. By accepting that products will be faulty will result in manufacturers lowering there standards.

[@davidmbell]

RE the fridge I noticed this same issue on viewing this layout/model. I know on older fridges you can swap the hinge side around, assume it’s not so simple or the layout makes it physically impossible? Assume you’d have checked this Dan?

[@weddingmemories1]

Hi, we have a squeeky floor in our pegausus palermo, and i forgot to mention it in the last service just done. van is one year old, did the dealer suggest how long a squeeky floor fix is covered under the warranty? thanks.

[@pete1927]

What a great video Dan, never came across as a whinge and you have a great dealer, it is just the bug bear of having to take the bloody thing back 😂.we ended up with a £50k Moho, no different, no major problems but snagging, yep still at it. Users just need to be prepared to help yourself, like you do and not relying on a dealer to tighten a few screws then moan about how long it takes to get the van booked in. These vans need to settle in. I agree why not have all the utiliy inputs on the opposite side to the door, same on my Moho there must be some design logic why the EHU is near the door and waste and water on the correct side. Next job for me is try to get our wardrobe door to open 180 and not just 90.

[@AndyClarke1]

Just addressed this issue on our Valencia. If you have a Bailey the alternative hinges are part no 1341916 on the Prima Leisure website. Use same screw holes👌🏼

[@davesouthall3834]

A pdi should cover every part of the caravan including the awning rail.

[@johnallfrey7947]

Hi dan we have a bailey Rimini we find the seats all ways slip forwards in to the caravan have you any suggestions on how to cure this problem thanks john jean also luv your blogs

[@Goji_gaming_loves_god]

We have this problem on our Pegasus also. Another really annoying thing is one of the sofa backs squeaks like hell when sat on

[@Ruckus223]

The dealers must get fed up with the small niggley problems which should of been sorted in manufacturing. They get the ear bashing. I think our dealership over looked the scratches on our van and thought it would be ok for us to take, don't think there was a PDI done apart from " yes it's in the yard"

[@Mark-rc1gj]

It’s a Bailey what do you expect? I’ve had mine for eight years now when ever we go away there’s always a problem or two.You should be looking happy after buying a new caravan not moaning about it so get used to the problems because you’ll always have them.Good luck 😄

[@Mark-rc1gj]

Dave Bennett cheers

[@Ian-Egerton]

Hi Dan. Thank you for this video. We are possibly thinking of buying a Phoenix 640.

[@dominobeauty]

Another great video. Thank you, I am going to buy a Bailey single axel in Feb 2021 used, with rear fixed bed. I caravan alone with dog. Is there any advice you can give me. I live in Norfolk.

[@TheTrudgians]

If you caravan with a dog, in minds eye, look where the dog will sleep, but most importantly where the dog will sit / rest during the day or when you are washing up / getting dressed. With a labrador that likes to be under our feet, we have to send him outside especially if i'm cooking or washing up, he will always get in the way.

[@olliebodman2570]

The part at the end just seems like bailey have spoken to you and you’ve had to change your wording 🤷‍♂️😂 Either that or bailey crossed you palm with some money money 💰 Going well until then love the vids by the way! Keep um coming

[@MrG.42]

Hi Dan and family, Any chance of an update on anything else that has gone wrong since you made this video? We have a 2019 Bailey Phoenix Vogue 642, and have had several small problems including me getting locked in the bathroom due to a faulty latch.

[@TheTrudgians]

Well, to be honest not a lot. only the mains sockets that needed rotating and thats it. The caravan has been really good to us.

[@caileanmoore2835]

I don't know if this is possible, but caravans should have service intervals just like the cars that are towing them, with each service addressing issues relevant to the age and usage of the caravan as well as an all over general service.

[@raypearse5210]

I have the same caravan as yourselves Ridgeway 642. my only on going problem is the Fridge makes a roaring noise like a small blowtorch.This sound is annoying and can be heard from over a meter away from the grills. I have fitted the fan modification as per your earlier video which has improved the cooling. This not had any effect on the noise situation. is your fridge quite on gas or does make the same sort of noise? Dometic are trying to say that this normal!!!!! but friends with other fridges working on gas make very little noise, Dometic literature state the operation is silent!!. Any comments you can make will be appreciated.

[@gbwildlifeuk8269]

Sorry Dan but I cant agree! I accept you will find a few odd screws on a few caravans but it seems to be more than a few. Your sealer/awning rail problem is exactly the same problem I had and that was a different model in 2014, so it appears the "sealer department" hasnt learned! There is simply no excuse for having to change your "uphill role" mattress because it behaves like a 20 year old mattress. Thats a lack of quality in the materials! The fridge door is, well lets be honest, a design joke not unlike the shower in our cadiz that left a gap between it and the wall, which was impossible to reach into to clean. There was no shelf and in the next model the design comedians struck again. They fitted the shelf with the mirror below so now you had to stoop to look in the mirror! These problems are not the result of hard building they are poor design borne from trying to rush out the next model. A typical personal computer attitude, "put it out and we can email a patch when they tell us where the bugs are"! Or in the caravans "take the money now, when they find our errors the dealer will sort it later"! Theyre 30 years behind the motor trade, charging an arm and a leg for their product and its not good enough. A new car with squeaking brakes? Pretty rare. A coach with a squeaking floor after 100 miles? I dont think so. A new bed with an uphill mattress after a few weeks? I doubt it. Remind them when you buy cheap you buy twice - you didnt buy cheap! And if staff are missing things, when you pay peanuts, you get monkeys!

[@rockingr]

Totally agree, I can see what Dan is saying, but the trouble is it's the old British stiff upper lip and 'we don't like to complain'. I am a carpenter by trade and a bit old school also I pride myself as a perfectionist. the problem with that is, if I paid so much money for a brand new item, I would expect something nearer to my standards. The issue with the table is poor at best. If the manufactures could be bothered to give the vans a stern road test, most of these problems would be sorted out. Why should it take 'a member of the public' to spot that the table holder needs protection ie. felt pads to protect it, it's not rocket science for god sake!! Unfortunatlely in todays world it's all about profit and less about care. Ps. glad you made this video Dan.

[@gbwildlifeuk8269]

@@rockingr they do give them a stern road test, but only the one! Thats the one caravan prototype that has been put together as they all should be. After that its off to production, were theyre thrown together as fast as possible and the "quality check" only goes as far as if it looks ok.

[@jhtech5807]

gbwildlife uk 100% agree with u , think Dan is Trying to talk him self around!!! If it wer me I’d be pissed ,

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

The other thought is, until you've actually lived in a 'van, it's difficult to know what might annoy you - like that fridge door.

[@alanpostma5861]

I got a Quasar 524 brand new in 2013 we had problems with it in are few outings bathrooms door handle fell off plus the cupboard door didn’t shut probably