Guest Patrick Posted May 30, 2005 Share Posted May 30, 2005 We have been out hunting today looking at motohomes and on two separate occasions derogatry remarks were made about Swift workmanship, which is a pity because we like the look of them. Can anybody comment on their own experiences. Also can anybody tell me if there is any difference between the Bessacar/Ace/Swift models. One person who was critical of Swift had praise for Bessacar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest David Powell Posted May 30, 2005 Share Posted May 30, 2005 Search:- New Fiat Swift. A real eye opener. Loads of reasons from lots owners why you should read through all the postings on this subject. We have a family owned Swift in my name, unfortunately. Took a year for the dealer to correct most of the build faults. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stuart Posted May 30, 2005 Share Posted May 30, 2005 I have a '99 Gazelle which had a water leak round the Heki rooflight. When it was stripped it was easy to see the gap in the sealant where water penetrated. That said, are they any worse than the rest. I think it is more important to find a dealer who will sort things out without hassle than hope to find the perfect van. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stuart D Posted May 30, 2005 Share Posted May 30, 2005 I guess the tendency must be to reply to these postings if you have had problems - it's not very interesting to say you haven't had any. Well, I bought a Swift (2nd hand) about 18 months ago and I'm delighted with it. I haven't had any problems with build quality (maybe all the problems were sorted out by the original owner) and I find the Fiat 2.8 TDI engine powerful, economical and reliable and (touch wood) absolutely no problems with the gear box. Although it has only done 24k miles, it is 6 years old and I have just had the cam belt renewed to be safe. It cost £150 to do this - not that expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Patrick Posted May 30, 2005 Share Posted May 30, 2005 Good and bad reports are much appreciated. Stuart's comments make me believe that a pro-owned van is better than a new one because all the problems will have been sorted out by previous owners. Right or wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eddied Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 In my opinion a low milagew pre-owned van is a much better buy, as you're letting somebody else take the high initial depreciation. Bought a pre-owned Bessacarr E645 two years ago, and have had no significant problems with the habitation side, and only one minor niggle with the cab side - FIAT 2.8 -just can't seem to get the horn to work! rgds - eddied Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RonB Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 We had so many problems with our (new) Kon-Tiki that we had a survey done. Eighteen faults found on the habitation side including two major ones. We've since bought foreign and the build quality is like comparing chalk with cheese. Swift recently made a great play over having built a new inspection facility. I wonder why - did it badly need broadcasting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike C Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 Hello Patrick, To answer your question, the Swift, Ace and Bessacarr models are virtually identical with minor changes, mainly trim and colour. Bessacarr have larger capacity engines as standard eg. 2.3 or 2.8 JTD as against 2.0 in Swift and Ace. See adverts for all three in MMM, the Sundance 590 RS, Milano and E435. My Sundance had one minor fault on delivery, a noisy and surging Shur-Flo pump. Was I lucky? The build quality is way above the previous Compass Avantgarde. I agree with the opinions on variable quality. The Caravan Club survey of caravans found that approximately 25% of caravans were delivered with damage and/or faults. This does not necessarily mean that Motor Caravans will have the same poor level of quality but the Caravan companies surveyed are also the main players in Motor Caravan manufacturing and there is also the additional possible problems with the base vehicle to take into consideration. There are many postings on the forum about choosing a motor caravan have a good look at these before making a decision. Regards and good luck, Mike C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Royston Gallagher Posted May 31, 2005 Share Posted May 31, 2005 Hi we have brought the swift sundance 630G and we looked at the Ace roma etc but our choice was the many extras thrown in by Marquise of lower upham near winchester. As yet we have found no faults. Good luck with your choice. Regards Royston Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SimonG Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 Hi Patrick We bought a new Bessacarr E445 from a dealer located not too far from the A1 near Newark early last year. We have not been back since, not because we were unhappy, just the opposite, as we have had no problems with the van at all. There were only a couple of niggles on delivery which were sorted out then and there. Sure, its not an engineering masterpiece, but it all functions, is comfortable to live in and is weatherproof,( at the moment ).On this range provided you take into account the length of the rear overhang and its effect on axle loadings, for us, can take a reasonable payload. Could do with some gutters though. Hope this helps.. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest David Powell Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 Hi Simon...To deviate slightly to deal with your desire for gutters:-Fiama DRIP STOP 300, £18.99 for 3M length in a box with instructions, self adhesive, white plastic guttering with aluminium reinforcing srips, also available in 75Cm & 6ooCm & 2500Cm lengths. This may be what you are looking for. WWW.fiamma.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joy Posted June 4, 2005 Share Posted June 4, 2005 Swift and Bessacar are the same model with different trim. I have a Swift Kontiki 645 which I purchased new and am more than pleased with. The corresponding Bessacar motorhome was £500 dearer and had a microwave fitted which I didn't want - the interior wood was also darker. Having purchased 3secondhand and 1new Swift caravans I then purchased a Compass motorhome secondhand which when I rejected it under the Sale of Goods Act [within a month] had 8major faults. I then purchased a secondhand Swift Kontiki which I enjoyed so much a year later I purchased the new Swift Kontiki which I have had for almost 2years. Which is a long time for me! Unfortunately nothing is manufactured perfectly today so making sure you purchase your motorhome from a good dealer is paramount. Joy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter Lawton-Harris Posted June 7, 2005 Share Posted June 7, 2005 I solved the multitude of problems I had with my Swift Motorhome. I got rid of it and bought a Hymer. Life has been a lot easier since Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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