Why are Caravan Manufactures making the same Mistakes?

This is one of the longest voideos iv'e done so far, but i think it needs saying, why are the caravan manufactures just making the same mistakes year on year and not addressing the issues, i talk about some common issues we see on a near daily basis and ask why the manufactures seem to just be repeting the same problems year on year.
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[@AshC-s8b]

Another courageous video! I'm glad someone is telling it as it is. In my experience Swift seem to put more effort into defending their Trustpilot reputation than correcting design faults. I'm surprised you are still there mind and have not been paid off by the caravan manufacturers to retire and not make any more videos. I just hope they are not around if you have to cross that railway line to get home. 😮 Joking aside, your videos are invaluable to the public and you working in the business provides incredible insight and qualification. I was in the market for a 10 year old van but these vans are not cheap these days when you take into account you are out of warranty and caravans have the same problems they have always had. I appreciate what you say about manufacturers having to balance weight, waterproofing and warranty whilst waging war on component costs but all I say is look at boat manufacturers. You can get a mortgage on a 30 year old boat, because they succeed in building them waterproof. Why is this secret exclusive to boat manufacturers? I was last looking at Coachman but you have almost put me off those as well. I appreciate your honesty, I think you are the only dealer I would by a van from. Great stuff.

[@iamsimontodd]

Brilliantly said Darren. After 2 new Swifts (one of them from you in 2013) we moved over to German caravans. You were an honest guy to deal with and I can see that hasn’t changed. Last year we bought a new Hymer (now badged Eriba) Nova Lite and in 18 months, no faults and seems so much more robust. Yes the design is not really fancy and the equipment is more tried and tested but honestly, how many times do you really need to use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to adjust a light or heating. It pains me not to buy British but while our manufacturers sell this years new fashions but in a shell that has no longevity, my money will be going to Germany every time. Keep it up Darren, we really appreciate hearing your thoughts

[@Meggy6571]

Hi, New to the channel, watched some of your older vlogs. Well how nice it is to see someone talk about van issues and not cover them up good on you. We had a 2007 compass as our first van no issues 👍. 2011 bailey no issues 👍. Luckily we have had 2 swift vans upto our present van, hopefully we have chosen well. Either way the manufacturer's do need to do more to resolve the issues. Please keep this kind of vlog coming and maybe the manufacturer's will listen to people who buy them. Thanks again. 👍

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

Hi, thanks, I did feel a bit strange talking about this stuff, but if the manufacturers want to gain consumer confidence, they could do with at least acknowledging the issues publicly. Don’t forget to subscribe, and share this if you can.. thanks again.

[@shaunthornley1881]

Well said. We had a Coachman VIP 520 for 9 years. Lovely caravan, but not without issues. We had water ingress picked up on the first service. It went back to the factory to be sorted. Due to other issues and me being fussy, it had several more visits to the factory, but to be fair, Coachman repaired issues and did extra upgrades like the tv aerial while they had it. They even replaced a front window that had picked up a stone chip. It has just come back from the factory for a water ingress issue around the awning light. When I got it back, they had replaced awning rails on both sides, resealed around the panoramic window, buffed scratches out of the windows and replaced skirt trims. They did know we were changing it for a new Coachman on it's return though. We have been frustrated at times with the brand, but I feel they looked after us with the way they dealt with the issues. Hopefully, the issues of old have been ironed out on the new one. Time will tell!

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

That’s good to know, was it an easy process to get sorted?

[@shaunthornley1881]

This last time took about 10 months to get a slot at the factory. Very frustrating given they had refused my repairer a 10 hour warranty claim to repair the damage. I believe they were having some work done at the factory whichhad slowed things down. When it came back, you could see they had spent some time and money on it, but they did have it for six weeks. We're just hoping this new one will be trouble free!!

[@paulfriedrich5356]

I am looking to purchase a brand new VIP 675 here in New Zealand, the dealer says that the van will have a 10 year warranty on water ingress which is comforting to know. To me the Coachman is of a far better quality than that of Swift and Bailey. I have a 2008 Bailey Louisiana which I bought a year ago and have no found that the floor underneath is rotten in two places and the van has failed its road worthy until repaired.

[@philipvayro6293]

Great video .. about 6 years ago me and the wife bought a brand new Explore 402 it took most of our savings about £14000. What a load of rubbish this caravan was from day one leaking pipe work in the bathroom..leaking tap in the kitchen that eventually rotted the floor in the off side corner . Water ingress around the front window all in the space of 3 years . Then the rear panels started to crack around the awning rail area Elddis didn't want to know wouldn't warrant the panel repairs consequently we got rid bought a Eriba troll 430 no issue's . I wouldn't touch a British made caravan with a barge pole .

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

Elddis have a golden opportunity to get it right, because, funnily enough, the people that own Eriba, now own Elddis, you’d have thought they would have gone into to factory and applied what they know about building caravans to the Elddis product..

[@nevwood]

Refreshing to listen to straight talking honesty well done !!,I watched your video on looking out for damp brill . Ive got a 2018 plate buccaneer (Eldiss)oh dear i had two repairs done professionally on the roof .had my service done in may again more damp found One, front window one small screw causes chaos,Two, another roof problem!!! picking up on what you mention about doing the same repair i decided to do it myself ,the trim connecting the front and rear roof panels is way too slim i bought the wide weather proof gorilla tape stuck down all way across ,so even if crack appears which it will !! its covered working a treat however its disgraceful from manufactures my first house was £21000 i paid £26500 used for this bloody thing ,speaking to my mate last week he has a Eldiss guess what yes same roof problem.this video should be shown on a loop at caravan /motorhome show they would listen then .

[@gazdon6793]

Our new Bailey GT75 purchased in January has been nothing but a problem. We are currently on our 8th trip and we have to take it back to the dealer on our return. That will be 8 x back to the dealer and we still have to return it in Sept to repair delamination in the side wall. Shocking quality but the one good point is our dealer who have been great. With 60 more nights booked this year we just don't know what's going to happen next. Roll on 2025

[@raymondporter2094]

Some common sense being talked! Good to hear. I agree with all that you have said.aybe I have been lucky with my caravans.

[@grantrandall1674]

As a recently retired aircraft engineer I fully appreciate what you're saying and as a prospective first time caravan buyer for retirement, I'm very interested in your comments. Aircraft engineering, in it's early days was very similar until the likes of the Comet crashes. Since then of course aircraft manufacturers have to have an advanced testing program that stresses test airframes, engines and components well beyond the current working life at any given time and if that advanced testing stops, then those aircraft have to retire from public service at a finite life. The trouble with caravans is the price sensitivity and with advanced r&d and the cost of advanced materials or techniques to solve the problems, the resulting caravan cost might price out to the market. At the moment I'm weighing up the cost of a caravan and new tow car versus the cost of other holidays and accommodation for the next 10 years available body life! Your review would make a second-hand caravan buyer think twice about buying used provided the new ones are no more expensive. This, of course, keeps the new market buoyant! How on earth would you get from the current state of affairs to one where use caravans can be bought with problem-free confidence and the new ones still affordable for those prepared to pay? Perhaps a good starting point would be to have an open reporting system such as aviation has for customers and dealers to share concerns? It is said: Necessity is the mother of invention. Perhaps manufacturers will invent new ways to fix these things if they need to respond to open discussions about defects! You could be the one to invent that reporting system!😊

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

I’d expect the stakes were a bit higher in the aircraft industry, planes falling out of the sky I would have thought is a bit more problematic than having water dripping on your head.

[@grantrandall1674]

@@atlanticcaravansUK Absolutely but the principle remains and I'm not suggesting that it's appropriate for caravans but aviation does have excellent reporting systems and maybe that's where you need to start?

[@davidday2947]

Been caranaving since 1974 got 2013 Eddis been in warranty repair over the ten year period got bit sick of it so I am keeping it till it’s scraped never buying another caravan not just the caravan it sites fee are stupid prices deisel expensive and can’t get new tow car as mostly electric it’s across the whole caravan industry that killing the pleasure of owning a caravan

[@raymondporter2094]

Forget site fees. I'm sure you're aware that the Camping & Caravanning Club (and probably other clubs) holds regular weekend District Association meets, long weekend meets (4 nights or so) as well as Temporary Holiday Sites all over the country which can last for a week to almost 4 weeks (no need to stay all that time, though!). I realise there may be different prices etc but in my DA in the north east/Yorkshire, it's usually £10 per unit per night. Usually the only facilities provided are a drinking water tap and an Elsan point to empty your toilet cassette, but SOME have a hook up for an extra charge and, with modern Caravans having proper washrooms, kitchen and bedrooms, who needs any services? Gas bottles and solar panels mean you can power your needs endlessly! Surely £10 per unit per night is affordable? What (legally) can you do for £10 these days...?

[@chazsach6594]

If British caravan manufacturers are not careful they will go the same way as the car industry.

[@boombox2661]

We used to purchase Landrover products and the lady at the customer service said to us and I will never forget the look on her face, "Never own a LR product out of manufactures warranty as they are terrible for reliability problems. We sold all the LR's and went Japanese.

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

I’m not sure about that, there are no European manufacturers seriously interested in our market I tried to get hobby to listen and builds UK spec caravan but A, they didn’t believe me when I told them what the UK market needs, and B, the market wasn’t big enough for them to bother. I tried with Adria as well.. there is no viable competition, I even had conversations with a Chinese manufacturer, that was funny.. and another story.

[@Dusty2feathers]

I used to work for the UK's leading motorhome manufacturer and also Cotswold caravans when I left school 1988-90. I can honestly say the Cotswold brand was coach built and 95% of trims and extrusions were screwed to the body. Today every manufacturer is bonded construction. Why do you think everyone went to polyurethane for internal framing and plastic wallboard,.like bailey have done? I'll tell you why, THEY SIMPLY CAN'T STOP WATER INGRESS. It's as simple as that. Thus even damp vans don't smell like they used to. Also what are most of external doors, windows and roof lights made of. PLASTIC i hear you cry. And plastic being exposed to direct sunlight WILL degrade and crack especially as the modern construction methods mean the bodyshell has little flexibility in its design. Elddis vans have had an endemic problem with Rooflights since they introduced the Solid construction method owing to the fact they were using sealant that literally set ( like concrete) and not using flexible tape to seal the outer frames, the main problem being the large heki rooflight 960 x 600 aperture. The industry is on its knees I'm afraid.

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

They need to look at it in a different way, manage the water instead of trying to stop it. I think it was Bruce Lee that said, ‘Be like water’ I had a mini years ago, couldn’t stop the windscreen leaking, so I drilled a hole in the floor..

[@Dusty2feathers]

@@atlanticcaravansUK Weren't Bailey doing this at the bottom of the back panels?

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

@@Dusty2feathers not sure, might be on the newer ones, the problem was the the rear panel rests on the extruding floor panel and was only sealed, this allowed water ingress into the floor panel when the sealer degrades. It might be different now though.

[@carmadme]

Sounds like a poor quality or wrong sealant to me I'm more knowledgeable of marine stuff than caravans there's so much sealant in boats there's even holes going through the hull directly into the water all held in place with sealant windows are another big one although they're all bonded nowadays they don't use those old aluminium things with the internal fret anymore

[@boombox2661]

Good information. 👍🏻 What caravan do you own or want to own or recommend with the best construction? 💦 German?

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

Having sold German caravans where to build is a bit better, they have other issues that prevent them making any noticeable impact on our market, as I said in the video, the first manufacturer to combine the European ethos of manufacturing with the style and layout choice of the uk will clean up.. Adria is close, but not quite.

[@boombox2661]

@@atlanticcaravansUK Thank you. I have been looking for a honest Fair opinion for years by an expert. 👍🏻🤩.

[@lucodeath]

Bailey roofstraps leak then drips down the wall into the floor.

[@jackmchammocklashing224]

Companies charge 60% Over the cost of production for mugs who want to buy one,,Buy a tent and trailer for £200

[@nick10018]

Perhaps because it would seem that all manufacturers, at least British ones, build fairly poorly, they feel no need to improve because we have to buy them..............or buy German etc?

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

A lot of people are saying buy German, I’m doing a video on that soon..

[@ThatMicro43Guy]

When I was trained as an engineer in the RAF it was always stressed to “fix the source first , then the symptom”. It does seem that the manufacturers are ignoring this in both their repair solutions and their new product design and development.

[@stehume]

have to say I like the fix the source first then the symptom .... have to remember that one

[@user-Tortured-soul]

. Unfortunately those caravan manufacturers don’t care they are taking customers for granted,because the traders get the flack for all the issues. Those Manufacturers are continually disappointing customers. The roof designs are causing water ingress I don’t know why they don’t change the design to a lid type and do away with those huge windows and sun roofs When we purchased our first Caravan in 2011 for £ 15,000 we noticed that every year thereafter they were increasing the price by £1,000 every year. 13 years on and the same Caravan with poorer build quality would cost between £28 & £29,000. Some are priced at £45,000. Well it is coming back to bite them because people can’t afford those prices. Our wages don’t go up by a thousand pound per year.

[@user-Tortured-soul]

OMG! Thor has a terrible reputation their build quality in America.

[@user-Tortured-soul]

Thank you for giving an honest appraisal of caravan manufacturers. Honesty is a rare quality today. Those Manufacturers need to show their customers more respect and listen to you.❤

[@kentwindowfilms1809]

FINALLY!!! someone from the industry that is talking sense and saying things need to change. Hit the nail on the head with the statement '1st Manifacturer to build like a German but style it like an English van will mop up' so true. Anyone with sense would buy one of those, hold onto it for years, customers would flock to them and they destroy all the competition. Pity about the Eldiss /Hymer collab as I to had high hopes they would produce something industry leading. Wake up British Caravan manufacturers before you go the same way as the British Car industry and pretty much ALL other British industries!

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

The Elddis thing is odd, they have such an opportunity to change how they build caravans, unless the change would cost too much, I’d does make me wonder why they bought them, but they have in turn been bought, so perhaps it’s big business tactics, over my head that..

[@paultraynor5085]

I think you are spot on l agreed with everything you said why don't the manufacture license 😉

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

Thanks for this, I don’t know, but I think the time is coming when they are going to have to.

[@ScudoCamper]

Well said mate. Our bailey was rotted out back in 2004. Was out of warranty so had to repair the damage myself. Shame the issues are still a problem 20 years on.

[@grahambex5829]

Very good explanation regarding R&D on caravans. It's the same with a very large UK 4x4 manufacturer. An insider told me a couple of years ago that this company , and probably others, let the customer do the R&D for the vehicles sold. The dealer is not interested in any warranty work as the labour repayment from the manufacturer is so low and he the dealer can make more money from service work. This is simular in the caravan trade.

[@breeze1472]

Surely there are much better materials available today that should stand the test better and why the hell are caravan spares so damn expensive? smells like monopolisation to me

[@garycripps7503]

I have been a CAD designer in the Automotive industry for over 40 years so fully Conversant with materials usage and costs. We have a Swift Sprite Major and the rear panel is started to crack where it meets the rigid roof Why on earth are caravan manufacturers still designing caravans using the wrong materials put together! There is CAE CAD software out there that show you the areas of stress and fatigue, before they even get their mastic guns out! This software is not expensive these days and in the long run will potentially save them tens of thousands of pounds in warranty claims and make your customers a lot happier and make them stay loyal to the brand …👍 Also a tip from a R&D Design Engineer have you ever thought of going to boat builders to see how they do their construction you may learn a thing or two about joining to GRP Shells together successfully without any leaks 👍😂

[@Dusty2feathers]

Elddis claimed its Solid construction method was based on boat construction. IT'S NOT.

[@razork1976]

Go to any French site in July and August and you’ll see a lot of eriba, LMC, Fendt, and other German and French models well over ten or so years old. They are al built to last more than our brands it seems

[@johnwoodruff3487]

Within 6 months of owning a new Bailey Phoenix I had a massive warp on an internal panel ,it was so bad it ripped the fixings out of the wall.Got it fixed under warranty, the replacement panel looks no different to the original so may be I will see the same defect again.Door latch fell apart after the third trip, absolutely crap design.

[@daletinsley2954]

A friend of mine bought a brand new elddis Avanti 550 in Jan 19. In march 19 I had to convince him it's really not a good idea to set fire to it ( honestly) I doubt it would have burned anyway because it was too damp. The whole front panel was leakier than a sieve in a swimming pool. Apparently elddis was aware of it. I doubt they're any better built now. Caravans are not engineered to take the vibration abuse from being towed on British roads. I'd guess that smaller units leak less than 23ft models.

[@greensidemags]

They only leak less because there's less surface area

[@davidhartley2373]

I've had 2 Elldis vans and had the same problems with cracks in the panels. So now I've gone with Swift and hoping I have a better experience

[@paulbower5274]

got money here for a new caravan. want a swift ,( got a front locker and fridge not vented into awning). but the problems you are talking about keep my money in the bank, sticking with my 2010 ranger gt60. got small ingress issues here and there but keep on top of it. Great info again , thankyou.

[@boombox2661]

Why don't they make a flexible fibreglass moulded roof with overlapping on sides and a raised upstanding built into the mould of the roof for sunroof lip to bond to. and raised lip holes for vents and solar entry? I will only go for German, as the UK products manufactured are not fit for purpose.

[@mikebro2557]

Thanks for the informative video, very interesting. So far our 2023 Bailey Phoenix 644 + has had no water leaks (that we are aware of) but we can’t bare the stickers covering the screws as they keep falling off, and the blinds have a mind of their own, they are forever flying up when you don’t expect them to! But now you have made us aware of possible problems and we will check regularly for these, best be safe than sorry. Thank you.

[@merv690]

you have shown so much common sense, I do not understand as you say year on year the manufactures keep churning out the same problems, didn't someone once say it is a sign of insanity to keep repeating the same thing and expecting a different result ? . my thought is if, say Swift did cure these issues they would be market leaders more or less over night, it really isn't impossible in this day and age

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

I know, I don’t get it, I was a bit nervous putting this out there, but I do tit has to be said.. if you could share this on your socials, that would be very helpful. Regards Darren

[@paulfriedrich5356]

Brilliant report thank you, I am in New Zealand and there are a huge amount of UK caravans in the country, the models I have seen I would say the Coachman is by far the better build quality that that of Swift and Bailey. I have a 2008 Bailey Louisiana which has floor rot, this has never been seen or sorted out by previous owners. In NZ we have to have a warrant of fitness done every 12 months and there is a new legislation brought in that if there is floor rot underneath the caravan will fail the warrant this is now going to be highlighted with all caravans which I think is now going to pose a major issue with repairs as insurance companies do not cover this damage. The damage repair cost that will now have to pay out is around NZ$5000.00. Your ideas on how the roof should be attached and using composite flooring is exactly what should be done especially when one is investing a lot of money for these caravans. I would really like to know more about the Coachman build regarding the sealing and the flooring although the dealers here give a 10 year warranty on water leaks.

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

Hi, I’ve been to the factory, although some years ago, and the build quality is probably the best, but they still do some daft things like using panels in the caravan walls so they still rely on wall board tape which always without fail peels off.. but on the whole they are good. Check out my floor video if you haven’t already. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIbFhaqPa5ipfZosi=NO-O6pueVDxs_G2O

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

I think I sent a Louisiana over there a number of years ago, what’s the chances it’s the same one..

[@DavidWilson-eu3dq]

Great video, now regretting selling my 2009 coachman which was bone dry and everything worked perfectly. Was considering buying British but now leaning towards an Adria. My only issue with the Adria now after watching this video is that the shower cubicals are built with separate boards with sealant being the 1st line of defence. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

Hi, it’s not so bad in the way you’re thinking about it, if water can move it doesn’t do the damage it does once it stops. I’d have no issue with Adria showers, it’s only on for a short time and evaporates quickly anyway. We very rarely get water damage from showers.

[@DavidWilson-eu3dq]

Thanks for the reply. Thats good to hear, it’s just a shame I’m having to consider European built vans over British. I’ve not ruled out another coachman yet as I think they are the best of the British built vans 🤔

[@thegagsy1]

Well, your videos are really informative and helpful, I am/was looking to move on from my old 2009 elddis Crusader and really like the Swift Sprite major 4sb, but you just scared the life out of me 😮 if I do go to look at one I'm certainly well informed as to what and where to look now. Thank you for doing these KZbin videos.

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

I’m aware I’ve scared the bejesus out of everyone, I’ll be doing a video putting this into context.. called, ‘so, what caravan should I buy?’

[@steve1962]

Brilliant - this should be sent to all the manufacturers and they should reply.

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

There is a massive opportunity to build confidence with customers which is lacking at the moment. They need to look inward and be upfront in what they are doing to resolve these issues.

[@neilisherwood7358]

I think the main body should of one complete mould which is lowered onto the chassi so that no water ingress can accur.

[@hedgerowpete]

Caravan manufactures and accessories makers are extreamly behind the design patterns and its purely due to greed and laziness and utter contempt for their customers

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

I’m going to talk about this issue in the next video..

[@paulbird3235]

The simple answer to your question is yes they continue to make the same mistakes. In January my wife and I decided to downsize from our 2019 Baley Cadiz (I am nearly 70). After reading a few reviews wa settled on a new Bailey Phoenix GT 75. We picked up the caravan on the 13th Jan, all looked ok. Four weeks later after a night of heavy rain I decided to look under the caravan (we did have wet floor issuea in the Cadiz). Upon inspection I was AMAZED to see water pouring from INSIDE the caravan via a floor vent, further inspection showed that water was coming from below the windows either side of the pull-out table. water was also coming from the sides of the bulkhead (we had pools of water on the floor either side of the table which was draining out of the caravan via the floor vent. Upon further inspection water was also running down either side of the door getting down the back of the awning rail and soaking the floor edges.( also had this problem in the Cadiz). I noticed later expandable foam had been run along the inside of the caravan at floor level (someone was aware of the problem and done a bodge job!.I have NOW SOLVED ALL OF THESE ISSUES MYSELF ( I know what has been done). The standard of finish and build quality of this caravan is SHOCKING!. Buyer BEWARE.....................

[@petergarbett8195]

Well described. I have had nearly all the manufacturers caravans over the last 40 years and I cannot think of one which did not have some sort of water ingress issue. But because of their old fashioned construction all problems were permanently fixed. Including my latest 2011 Lunar. Have recently looked at a new caravan but your posting only confirms my thoughts.

[@paulbird3235]

@@petergarbett8195 Hello Peter, seems incredible that we can't make a square box watertight doesnt it!. I don't think we can expect any caravan manufacturer to sort it's problems anytime soon, especially as we continue to buy these sub-standard products. Yes stick with what you have!.

[@derekt7606]

Swift issues caused us to move German and we bought a Burstner. Sometimes I think it is cheap labour and the guy with the mastic gun has no pride other times I think Swift just put claim costs on the next years van prices. Swift Bailey don’t care a hoot about anything other than short term profit.

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

See, that’s where I struggle because I know the people who own and run it, and it’s just not the case. Something is going wrong in the process, you think that and so do countless others, I see it in the forums all the time, if that was the case they don’t deserve your custom, we are going to have to get to the bottom of this..

[@raymondsotheby5045]

Bought swift elegance 2022 model new. £40k and nothing but trouble from day one. Pipe came off alde heating tank omnivent replaced fridge freezer came loose in housing alde boiler combustion fan failed. Poor quality of cabinets and doors. Fly net on main door faulty and replaced. All leather seat cushions faulty and replaced with far better quality ones. It’s a 845 model and seems to us that all light switches are poorly positioned. Wish we’d never bought it. Sick of taking it back to dealers for repair and no compensation for travel Would not buy swift caravan again. There very poorly put together and tradesmen not taking pride in their work. No quality control whatsoever

[@Mike-fw1td]

Great vid this. Bought a new Swift last year and we've had a number of minor issues. The dealership have been great and logging the issues via Swifts website is easy. But none of the minor issues should have occurred in the first place - basic things like missing screws that I could have fixed myself. Shower screen was broken at manufacture, so shouldnt have been fitted. Shower leaked from underneath the tray. No water ingress at first service, but then a week later the magnet fell out of the door retainer whilst in transit - been waiting for the replacement part for 6 weeks when it can be bought on eBay with delivery in a couple of days. Nearly every time we use the caravan I file another warranty claim.

[@fy7chris]

I’ve got a 2018 Buccaneer that I bought brand new and every time it goes in for service it’s not a case of has it got any damp, it’s how bad is it this time. I have even had stress cracks on both the front and rear panels that had to be repaired at my cost due to Eldiss rejecting the warranty claims stating that front and rear panels are only covered for the first year. I previously changed my caravans every 3 years but there is no way that I will ever buy another Elddis product and I have decided to put up with this one for a couple more years and then get rid before the 10 year warranty runs out.

[@barryduncan8555]

I had a 1 year old swift challenger 530 caravan, had it for 2 years twice i had in for warranty issues due to damp. I now have a 2020 elddis riva gold motorhome. Already i have re-sealed the poor workman ship round to whole van. Maybe i should be looking to trade it in for an older hymer. 😮

[@kevinlawrence2127]

I bought a new Swift challenger 560- 2021 model. The build quality and quality control is somewhat lacking. I have had issues from day one.

[@keithhooper6123]

Watching videos of caravan manufacturing,seems to me the roofs are poorly designed. I would make a moulding \ pressing that overlaps,and turns over at 90degrees,overlapping the sides.

[@danmiddlehurst6462]

Also just done 2 major damp repairs myself using genuine wallboard and joining tape all because of window rubbers failing. If anyone needs to buy genuine pattern to match wallboard and tape ( Halesowen caravans does every board from 2000 year onwards). I also ended up doing a moisture barrier before replacing the wallboard. The R&D depts aren't great in UK brands

[@metasudans]

When changing the trailer model from Chateau La Car (1998) to Hymer Nova 545 (2005), in both cases I aimed at "old" trailers, from the times when they were built very solidly. The Hymer (2005) that I have owned for two years is built rock-solid, all installations and devices work perfectly, drawers, doors, flaps, hinges, no leaks, no suspicious smells, etc.

[@steamdrivenandy6880]

After so many years it surely has to be that the cost of warranty repairs is less than the cost of fixing the issues. Either that or they don't have a proper eye on warranty cases and don't get feedback on where there are lessons to be learned. To be fair Bailey have applied some changes to ranges as they refresh them, though not the major timber floor issue. As a for instance after 5 years producing Phoenix 420 with a miniscule empty noseweight they shifted the battery box from behind the axle to up by the central chest in the GT75 420's. That will improve the empty noseweight by around 20kg. In addition on the GT75 Phoenix vans they moved the EHU socket to the offside from the nearside which most owners weren't happy with. So some lessons get learned. What I'd like to see is interviews with caravan designers, not the frilly 12 year old girls who do the fabrics and interiors but the people that do the basic body design. I have a feeling they hardly exist, in that marketing folk say which layouts to make, frilly young ladies tart them up and the basic construction method is fixed and not altered, therefore no need for such designers.

[@danmiddlehurst6462]

I had my sunroof crack on my swift... £1600 on insurance. And now the top has been mastic to hell. Luckily I saw it early and drilled a stop hole at the end of the crack and then 2 holes at the bottom to drain the water until the van was booked in. The dealer advised me to keep the interior shade up when not in use so the screen didn't bake in the heat... Also had roof stringers overheat and the whole roof bow upwards... Not great

[@darrenfox9769]

It’s incredible in this day and age in a multi-million pound industry that manufacturers aren’t resolving these systemic issues. Sunroofs, door barrels, taps, window seals - leaving themselves wide open to a decent manufacturer taking over aka the Japanese car manufacturers on the 1970s.

[@nick10018]

An interesting video that almost certainly is highlighting issues found by the vast majority of us, thank you! It will be interesting to see if any manufacturer responds to this. Will they engage with you on this type of video? I have to assume, disappointingly not.

[@sparkmeister4706]

im on my thrid caravan, 1st was a bailey with the wet floor issue you mentioned. second was another bailey with loads of doors and interior finishing issues. and the third being an elddis which is better but i've had component issues.

[@mavicsteve9275]

We the customer do the PDI as we go along. Most of the small job warranty work we do our selfs due to we wish to make them stronger and better, also it takes far to long for the dealer can see to it.

[@roblee4731]

Totally agree with your comments, but the manufacturers are reluctant to change these issues for what ever reasons , however in the long run reputations will be tarnished thus reducing sales on the basis of substandard workmanship and lack of design improvements on new releases. They just do not listen to the customers , no customers no business you've been warned all you manufacturers take notice of videos like this and listen to the people who pay alot of money for your units , however the moon is made if cheese isn't it ?

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

This is what I don’t understand, they might well be sorting out the problems, but they need to tell the customers and build the trust, I can’t believe they are not doing anything about the issues, it makes no sense.

[@johntolson5425]

Very insightful, great video

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@peterkane4524]

Just had my 2023 Bailey Evora in for 1st service and found damp in floor under front seating area, no idea how it got in but had it back for a week to "Dry it out" reading now under 15% and told to keep an eye on it. I was not told this is a regular problem but thanks to you video i do now.

[@Roadwarrior92]

Keep an eye on the windows too.

[@lucodeath]

Swift panaramic windows have been leaking for years, swift floating floors re introduced lol. Swift front and rear panels cracking Bailey floors wet through for the last 14 years. Keeps me busy. High retail prices are needed to cover the warranty.

[@nigeltaylor7905]

Agreed - the Swift panoramic windows / sunroofs are a huge issue - simply not fit for purpose and nothing has been done to actually fix it - just various sticking plasters that don't really fix the issue. I've heard of people on their 4th one! So even getting a new one fitted is zero guarantee of it not happening again. I love my Sprite Major 6td but (as an Engineer) I'm really surprised at the low quality of a lot of it.

[@David-kf2rw]

Our Swift panoramic window is cracked and we are still waiting for a response from then. Over two months waiting and counting. Is there anything aftermarket out there to replace this window with?

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

I’d give your dealer a shout, Swift will give the go ahead within 72 hours normally with a yes if everything is in place. If you have had the go ahead but waiting for the parts, it can sometimes take that long.

[@alexrankin8263]

I totally agree with you. Build quality needs to be improved. The styles and layouts are great, but manufacturer needs to act on the feedback they are getting. It’s no good sticking their head in the sand and ignoring it. People will just get fed up and stop caravanning and go to hotels instead.

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

I totally agree, I’ve got a fix for it, but the manufacturers aren’t going to like it.. keep an eye out for my next video.

[@smurf9857]

Interesting and refreshing. I’ve been investigating getting a caravan on a seasonal pitch to act like a holiday home and in my research I’ve seen and heard so many quality issues that it’s put me off the idea. Cars have been water tight for decades (on the whole). There must be techniques that could be copied

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

I’ve heard this a few times people getting put off caravans because of the issue, I’ve not come across this before, it only emphasises the fact that the first manufacturer to really address the issue openly will gain a lot of customers trust and do well. I think with cars in some instances they manage the movement of water in places like the doors and guide it rather than try to stop it. I had a mini once where I gave up to seal it and just drilled a hole in the floor, but I don’t think that’s the answer in this case.

[@Caravanningwiththehoopers]

With the Elddis skylight, they changed the adhesive that stuck the frame down, it was a noticeable change as the old adhesive was black, the new stuff is white, since this change there’s been a noticeable drop in people reporting the issue on the owners forum, it’s in-fact very rare to see it on the forum at all now in the past few years it’s instead been the front window rail coming away, in most cases it came away in its first year, I would say once again if I compare my 2019 Buccaneer to our 2022 Buccaneer, the design and fixing of the rail has been changed and the posts that still come up on the issue seems to be pre 22 models so hopefully this has been resolved. I would agree though, the lack of speaking out on the issue means the public are in the dark on whether they are sorting it and it makes people hesitant to buy one

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

Yes, if they front it up it adds trust, it would be a bold move but if they published the warranty issue each year, I’m sure consumers would respond in a positive way.

[@victorkent768]

Some very wise words.. must now check the corners on my bailey

[@markeames4224]

Coachman do still use the tape on the seams I have just been to look at a brand new laser and the tape had either curled up or was completely hanging off

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

It’s just unbelievable, why carry on doing something that just doesn’t work, it’s not going to inspire confidence in the rest of the build is it..

[@kevanblue]

How can I stop the black streaks on my swift? After 2-3 rain falls the streaks are back…

[@Roadwarrior92]

Clean the awning rails out. Also a good wax coating would help

[@cq44b]

Would love to hear about your experiences with German caravans and whether they are any better than British ones. Great video, thought provoking.

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

Yep, I’ll do one, I did try to get the second in command at Hobby to build a UK van, but he didn’t get how different our market was to Europe, they are okay, not as good as everyone thinks, but just not sellable in our market.

[@jermurphy2167]

Everything u said unfortunately is so true.. adria for me all day long

[@oakey1245]

think i will keep my folding camper good video

[@paulbird3235]

So refreshing to hear someone honest in the caravan industry for a change, iinstead of covering up each others backs. We recently lost our local dealership (Robinsons) which was a family business for around fifty years. (it was taken over by the 'big boys' three years ago) and went into liquidation and closed earlier this year. Could they learn something from this!.

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

I’ve got a bit to say about them which I might do a video on, there is a distinct pattern of this happening and it seems to be inevitable when a hedgefund type business gets involved.. Please share on facebook forums if you could, got to get people talking.

[@brianridley1102]

Know exactly what you mean, luckily I had watched one of your older vlogs when I was looking at caravans. With Swift even some of the new ones had a damp smell. In 1-2 year old I found cracked sunroofs, the front shelf issues etc Thank you for such an honest set of vlogs.

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

I’m glad they are helping in the real world..

[@alancameron8393]

Do the Elddis faults carry over to the Buccaneer range ?

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

Yes I’m afraid so, it’s where we first saw the problem a few years ago. But someone said they had changed the sealant on the newer ones so they might be alright, time will tell.

[@alancameron8393]

@@atlanticcaravansUK Thank you for that, as there is very little to be found on Buccaneer issues. Certainly opened my eye's and changed my thinking.

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

@@alancameron8393 they look a lovely caravan, but they just aren’t put together very well, I wouldn’t take one in as a pt ex if I had to put my name to it.

[@alancameron8393]

@@atlanticcaravansUK So would a Swift Elegance be a better option....

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

@@alancameron8393hi, on balance I’d say yes, there are issues with them but them and Coachman are the best of the bunch.

[@lucodeath]

Swift have a different panaramic on test, bolted in on to rubber. A year or 2 away.

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

That’s good, it doesn’t make sense to keep fitting the same one…

[@alanmuncaster7357]

All 3 Baileys we owned had problems. All related to poor quality control during construction. Baileys take on the problems was just take it back to the dealer missing fully the point that the problems stemmed for their construction process. So 3 vans on Bailey did not change and the problems just got moved on. No longer own a caravan.

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

This is definitely not what we want to hear, people going out of the industry because of frustrations with the products, it’s tough enough as it is.

[@Dusty2feathers]

I feel for you. We have dealt with couplands caravans in Louth over the last 20 years and the late Peter Coupland said to me that bailey are the most popular vans in their workshop.

[@leeby2867]

You make some excellent and considered points here. Thanks for these videos, rational and thoughtful info.

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

No problem, this unfortunately was as easy video to make..

[@Steve-k2c3d]

Liked your talk 👍

[@kenrothon2940]

Great video. It's not just the big issues that is not being resolved. It is smaller things like, Bailey's Phoenix 640's 2019 and caravans around that period - had the Truma Ultraflow smart switch fitted, which seem to be problematic, only to find that you can no longer buy, a replacement and have not for some time. You instead have to buy a Whale In Line Pressure Switch, but this means electrical issues and different connectors being fitted. Why are these companies making things so difficult.

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

I’ve got a couple of those smart switches..

[@kenrothon2940]

@@atlanticcaravansUK Wow - sounds great. Is this new or reconditioned, and how much with p&p?

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

I’ll have a look tomorrow, it’s the black ones I believe isn’t it?

[@kenrothon2940]

Yes

[@Budgie40]

Very informative thank you

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

No problem, just writing the next on actually..

[@darrenfox9769]

Are the new Buccaneers any better?

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

Hi Darren, there is a post on here that suggests they might be, but I don’t know.

[@grahamgallimore5324]

British van are rubbish

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

Stay tuned, I’ll be talking about the German ones next..

[@breeze1472]

whats R & D?

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

Sorry, research and design..

[@retro423]

Do you know about the Swift floor delamination problem? where the underside GRP skin parts company with the insulation in the floor and drops down, I recently bought a second hand 2016 Swift 580 with this problem where it had delaminated between the door and the kitchen, about a square metre, I didn't notice it until it was out of warranty and had to foot the bill for the repair, did some digging and found out that it was a common problem in that year and some had to go back to the factory for a whole new floor

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

No, I wasn’t aware of that issue.. but if it gets fixed and doesn’t happen again, it’s part of the learning curve.

[@KendoNagasaki120]

So what caravan should we buy ?

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

All the caravans have their plus and minus points, the key is maintenance and understanding the issues with each different manufacturer and keeping an eye on them. I'll keep adding information as to what to look for.

[@stehume]

what a total load of fantastic points, this has got to be one of the best vlogs I have ever watched. Last year went to NEC with sister and brother in law, they ordered a brand new ellidis chatsworth dealer special, 8 feet wide. dealer said it will be ready for you to collect in march 2024, got to February and gets a call from dealer saying van not going in to production until April ... in the end they went up to the dealer and chose a new van that was in stock, not an ellidis and also not an 8 foot wide van either. think they had a luck escape Always enjoy your helpful videos

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

I wondered where this was going for a second there at the beginning! Thanks for your kind words. Yes, I’d say it was probably for the best, but I bet it didn’t feel like that at the time..

[@Dusty2feathers]

Production was cut owing to lack of sales and sacked 45% of staff.

[@atlanticcaravansUK]

@@Dusty2feathers I’ve just heard Elddis are planning to produce only 900 caravans next year, ho w they intend to make profit on so few numbers I’m not sure, but it is the right thing to do, there is no point producing caravans for a non existent market.