plople Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Hi All, we have been looking at a lot of motorhomes to find our preferred layout and have found the Swift Bolero 680 to be the one we would like the most. i did a google search for costings and found several forum entries that the swift Bolero's are notorious in having damp floors form manufacturer. has anyone else had this issue? should we stay clear of this model? im concerned as its the exact layout we would prefer. thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Be sensible and steer clear of any British built van. I wouldn't touch anything British built after having problems with British caravans, play safe buy German you won't regret it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 lennyhb - 2017-01-26 4:06 PM Be sensible and steer clear of any British built van. I wouldn't touch anything British built after having problems with British caravans, play safe buy German you won't regret it. I'll bear that in mind should we ever have to find a replacement for our 27 year old British built camper :D .......... Although I am currently having issues with Sikaflex made by a German company......and I'm not that impressed with our new Dometic fridge made by a Swedish company *-) ........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Brown Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 I have to say that is a bias answer. I have a swift, with knowledge of previous problems, and have not had any problems. There are some steps you can take to help, put some underseal on the floor as one of the problems is that there is very little protection under the van. Damage depends upon use so used in dry conditions will have a dry floor whilst use in wet conditions may result in floor dampness. The short answer is that there were problems with swift floors to the extent that they replaced some free of charge. However, I think Swift have enough off to address problems as and when. I have an earlier model of fixed bed layout and cannot praise it enough. I think it is the same as the Bolero 680 in terms of layout. Send me a PM if you want further input. I may be in the market to sell but it would have to be a good offer as I am not yet convinced I want to leave this way of life. Whilst I have no argument about the quality of German, or other makes, I think it is a little harsh to say British is rubbish (or words to that effect) I could give you a page or so on complaints about German/French etc build vans. They are what they are. Arthur Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 David (plople) There’s a useful “Bolero” buying guide here http://www.practicalmotorhome.com/advice/34509-used-van-buyer-swift-bolero-fixed-bed-models-2007-2016 As has already been said (and you are clearly aware) potential problems with damp have been well advertised https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=swift+bolero+damp If you do decide to buy a Bolero, you should be particularly careful to ensure that it is thoroughly damp-checked, that you have confidence in the vendor and that the vehicle has a warranty that covers damp problems. Such precautions apply to any secondhand motorhome, though, and the older the vehicle the more care should be taken regarding possible damp issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plople Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 Great answers everyone, very useful. our main layout is the french bed and double couch at the sides and hopefully a separate shower so if anyone could suggest alternates that would be fantastic. its a minefield out there looking at all the different models etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 plople - 2017-01-27 9:59 AM ...our main layout is the french bed and double couch at the sides and hopefully a separate shower so if anyone could suggest alternates that would be fantastic. its a minefield out there looking at all the different models etc. David, Have a look at AutoTrail's! They certainly have a wide range of layouts and several include french beds. For example, our 2004 Cheyenne is the opposite layout with bed on the O/S and shower on the N/S, and more recent Dakota's seem to offer a similar layout. What is your approx budget and what age and/or make of base vehicle are you looking at? It will help us make better suggestions. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Everybody starts off by looking at layouts and it's only after you've had some experience that people see the importance of payload, external lockers, resistance to damp, mechanical reliability and so on. French beds are a minority taste and impose similar inconvenience to transverse doubles when someone need a pee at night. Don't expect to get evrything right first time you choose so plan to have to change within a couple of years experience - so consider hiring to gain holiday experience or buying used to start with, to avoid an expensive error. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 StuartO - 2017-01-27 12:10 PM ...French beds are a minority taste and impose similar inconvenience to transverse doubles when someone need a pee at night. Don't expect to get evrything right first time you choose so plan to have to change within a couple of years experience - so consider hiring to gain holiday experience or buying used to start with, to avoid an expensive error... I’m not sure who makes up that minority where taste is concerned, but I strongly suspect that the majority of reasonably-recent Europea-built low-profile motorhomes will have their sleeping arrangements include a ‘French bed’. It is true that this type of bed will - to a greater or lesser degree - complicate the person sleeping next to the motorhome’s wall making a toilet visit, but the bed in a Bolero 680FB looks pretty ‘open’ (and wide) at its foot. http://www.marquisleisure.co.uk/motorhomes/stock-item/swift-bolero-680fb-32785 To sidestep the nightime peeing-constraints and have beds that aren’t constructed from seats or that drop down from the roof wiil require fixed single beds or an ‘island’ bed, both types having their own cons and pros. What there won’t be too many of are motorhomes with the 680HB’s layout (drawing attached) that David is keen on, as much as anything due to the inwards-facing settees reducing belted travel-seating to the cab seats. (I’m pretty sure that production of the Bolero 680 model ceased in 2012, so David would be buying secondhand.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthur49 Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 plople - 2017-01-26 3:51 PM Hi All, we have been looking at a lot of motorhomes to find our preferred layout and have found the Swift Bolero 680 to be the one we would like the most. i did a google search for costings and found several forum entries that the swift Bolero's are notorious in having damp floors form manufacturer. has anyone else had this issue? should we stay clear of this model? im concerned as its the exact layout we would prefer. thanks. You could register with Swiftalk https://www.swift-talk.co.uk/user/login and have a trawl through there for issues There are a lot of what I would call 'happy back slappers' there ie very pro-Swift, but its worth a look Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sakofox Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 We had an Auto-Trail excel with the layout you want. It was/is a great van. We have just swapped it for a slightly longer auto-trail with a similar layout. There is nothing wrong with british build vans. Any van, car,truck can get problems no matter where it is made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plople Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 Our Budget will be around £30k to £35k. The more we look though the more i think we need a higher budget. The newer the better but i think budget will determine that. Any thoughts on trader or end user buying would be a big help. Should i go and buy a damp tester? thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Using a damp tester isn't entirely intuitive, so best to get an expert assesment if you have found a used MH you are seriously considering buying. Dealer's margin on a MH in your budget range will be around £5K so that's what you'll spend to change MHs once you have mounted your learning curve. That's also what you should save buying privately. Consider using a firm like Bundesvan to help you choose and find a suitable MH. They are primarily engaged in importing MHs from mainland Europe to order and do this extremely well but they have extensive trade knowledge and contacts and might help with buying within UK too. For your stated budget you could look at an approx 8-10 year old A Class Hymer or similar and that could be an excellent first MH. Don't be frightened of age or even higher mileage as long as it's not an ex-rental vehicle. These are much higher spec than any British coach-built MH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sakofox Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Our auto-Trail excel was 2011, 6mtr long and worth around £30-£32k. Personally I would always buy from a dealer. You then get a warranty etc. Don't buy from eBay because most are scams. An approved workshop, some are mobile, will do a thorough damp test for less than £50. Good hunting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Derek my working cocker is on display of your posts. How we should transfer him to the right intended position? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Moisture is our biggest enemy in a motor-home parked in years. Not in California USA. Just take the right care of your Baby. Our live is too short in my case to worry about this. Just drive as much as possible and enjoy your mobile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 monique.hubrechts@gm - 2017-01-27 4:44 PM Derek my working cocker is on display of your posts. How we should transfer him to the right intended position? Unfortunately, although I have Forum Moderator privileges I cannot copy the photo into your Profile. I‘m not sure what is the simplest way to do this but you could try the following procedure. 1: Put your curser on the photo of the dog on my posting and ‘drag’ it into on to your desktop. Then copy the file (dog.jpg) to somewhere on your computer. 2: Go into your Profile via the “Forums Control Panel” and, if there is anything in the “Images” section, delete it. 3: In the "Upload profile image:” part of the “Images” section click on “Choose File”. 4: Find the the dog.jpg file on your computer and choose it. 5: Confirm that the file-name now appears in "Upload profile image:” and then click on “Go”. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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