swift ace roma full timig

[judyf]

I have just put a deposit on an ace roma motorhome. I am going fulltiming on my own and hope to get a scooter to use while parked for long periods. Has anyone any comments on the roma? Does anyone know of any problems? There doesn't seem to be much information, does that mean not many are sold or people hang on to them? I am buying it mainly for the fixed bed and garage but also for the storage space. I would appreciate any comments while I can still get out of the deal. I would rather lose the deposit than buy a van that I am not going to like. Thanks very much to anyone who can help Judy

[Derek Uzzell]

My concern would be over the Roma's relatively low level of insulation/winterisation. This may not be a problem for you if you anticipate limiting yourself to warm climates (eg. spending the summer in the UK and the winter in Spain), but the Roma's not really designed to be lived in for extended periods at sub-zero temperatures. (I note that Which Motorcaravan reported on the Roma in the October 2002 issue.)

[David Dwight]

Hi judyf, We have an Ace Milano 05 model. I imagine it is basicaly the same build as the Roma other than lay out. We are very pleased with it. There were one or two teething problems. The Carpet had been laid with the press studs out of place which meant a small ruck in the carpet. We had to have a new Vehicle Battery after 4 months. We have spent quite a bit of time in it since last May, it is going infor its Habitation Warrenty service Tomorrow. We had a week in March by the Severn it was bitterly cold Snow Rain and Wind, but we found that we were nice and warm inside, as a matter of fact we realized that we were still using our Summer quilt. We left the Electric side of the heater on low overnight. During the day when we were in we used the med setting on electric. We retire next year and intend using it for long periods, not quite full timing. What size engine are you having? We wanted the 2.5 but the wait was too long, so we settled for the 2.0 which we have found OK. We used it in France last year with lots of big hills, no problems. Lots of people knock the 2.0 version. As we say we aint in no hurrry when on holiday. When we needed to it just ate up the Autoroutes. If you have already paid your deposit , you must like it to have gone so far. Enjoy. David

[judyf]

Thanks Dave I don't intend to go anywhere that is really cold. It is a new van that I am buying and the water is inside and if I use propane I assume I will be ok for a winter in this country. I am fairly new to this although I have had a Peugeot Symphony for a couple of years and I can't wait to get started fulltiming. I was a bit worried that there seems to be a shortage of Romas either new or used

[judyf]

Hi David Thanks for reassuring me. It is a 2.8 TD and the reason I really like it is that it has a garage and fixed bed. I am retiring next month have sold up and can't wait to get going. I expect it will eat up the diesel but I intend to take my time and make my way round England and Scotland for a while

[judyf]

Hi Derek Sorry I called you Dave. Thanks for your info

[David Dwight]

Judyf, I drive a sevil based Minibus at work its a 2.8 it is actualy quite good on fuel consumption, just keep the old right foot light. When we retire next year thats one of our intentions to go round the UK, not all in one go though. David

[Derek Uzzell]

Judyf: Although the Roma's fresh-water tank is inside the vehicle, the waste-water tank and the pipes leading to it are external. This needs thinking about if you want to be certain of spending a trouble-free UK winter, as there's little profit in having a functioning cold weather fresh-water system if the wash-basin/sink/shower won't drain because the pipes from them are frozen and the waste-water tank is a giant freezer-pack. Assuming you will be staying on campsites with shower facilities, the usual ploy would be to avoid using the motorhome's shower altogether and drain the wash-basin/sink directly into a "WasteMaster"-type container (or a bucket) in the traditional caravan manner. On your point about there being not many Ace Romas around, two possibilities suggest themselves: a) Motorhome buyers tend to be couples and few will require a vehicle with the ability to carry and sleep six people. b) The Roma is a clone of the Swift Sundance 630G and, as Swift is the better known name (and probably has a larger dealer network), I suspect potential buyers of a 'Roma design' motorhome will opt for the 630G instead. If you wanted more feedback on the Roma (or the Ace range) via the various motorhome forums, you could try asking about the 630G (or the Swift Sundance range) as well.

[Dave Newell]

Hi Judyf, There is a letter in the current issue of MMM (May) from a lone female traveller who bought a Swift motorhome for full timing and apparently the "terms of the Swift warranty specifically state that the motorhome is not intended for continual use and therefore the manufacturers warranty will be void.........." As the Ace is built by Swift and as Derek says a "clone" of a Swift model I would check with Swift regarding warranty issues arrising from continual use. D.

[judyf]

Hi Dave Thanks for the information about the warranty. I have emailed Swift Leisure and await their response. I wonder how long you have to be out of the van during the year before it is not classed as continual use Thanks again

[David Dwight]

Hi judyf, I spoke to a salesman I know at the Southern Motohome show today, re warrenty and Swifts. His reply was yes he was aware of what they said re continuous use, What is continuous use, and it would be up to Swifts to prove it. If you lived in your van for 364 days, had a day off then started again that is not continuous use. A bit like having to move after 28 days move 2 feet and thats it. David.

[Derek Uzzell]

Dave Newell's "continual use" reference is part of an editorial response to Maureen Reynolds' letter on page 17 of MMM May 2006 and does not necessarily reflect the exact wording of Swift's warranty. The important thing at this point is for Judy to confirm the terms of the Roma's warranty and then decide what action to take. There seems to be a Catch-22 situation here. If Judy has told the Ace vendor that she plans to live in a motorhome and she has been advised that a Roma is suitable for this purpose, then she seems to me to have good cause to walk away from the deal financially unscathed if it transpires that the Ace warranty excludes continuous use. Conversely, if she has warned the vendor of her plans, Judy puts herself in jeopardy of the warranty being made void as soon as she has bought the vehicle and begun to employ it in the way she intends. Whatever the wording of the Roma warranty, Judy's "I am going fulltiming" statement in her original posting is hardly ambiguous. I'm not really convinced by the contention that to maintain "continuous use" requires unbroken 365/365 daily occupancy. My view is that as long as a full complement of personal possessions is being permanently stored within the motorhome (as will undoubtedly be happening in Judy's case) then that vehicle cannot be considered other than a 'home', even if the 'van's owner chooses to vacate it for a day or two occasionally. Motorhome warranties (and purchase contracts) can be linguistic pitfalls and every buyer would be well advised to check the terms very closely before committing to purchase. If important potential problems can be envisaged then forget telephoning to try to resolve them. E-mail may be fine for a quick answer, but it makes good sense to follow up with a carefully-worded letter seeking confirmation of the situation as one understands it. Nothing beats hard-copy if it comes to any future legal confrontation.

[Dave Newell]

Precisely Derek, that is why I suggested Judyf should check the warranty terms with Swift. Perhaps its because I'm lazy but I didn't see the need to expand that much. My point was that at least one solo traveller, who hapens to be female, already appears to be having issues with her dealer and possibly Swift over her chosen use of her 'van and that Judyf could do worse than check with Swift before the deal is completed and she finds herself with a 'van that might prove unsuitable for her chosen use. D.

[Basil]

Hi All, Interesting reply from Derek. Whilst we are not full timers, at the moment, we do keep a full compliment of 'home use' equipment in the van at all times, including clothes, shoes even tinned and dried type food etc.. Whilst in the real use of the words we are not full timers, using Dereks definition for warranty purposes could the manufacturers say we were?

[Mel B]

Just to add my 'view' to the above, I wouldn't think you'd find any manufacturer of a new/nearly new motorhome willing to give a warranty for anyone who was living in it full time, and by that I mean ALL the time, ie as their normal place of abode, except of course maybe some of the major American type jobbies. Your normal motorhome is simply not built or meant to take the hammer of constant daily living, 365 days a year. Just think how much wear and tear your more robust brick built (or whatever) homes take in a year, would you really expect a motorhome built out of thinner and/or flimsier materials to last? I wouldn't so why should a manufacturer be willing to provide a warranty? The other side of this is that if people did expect a warranty to cover their vehicle for these excessive periods of time, how much more would the manufacturers charge for their vehicles in order to be able to provide this facility for the few that need it? We all keep equipment etc in vans, that's the point, they are ready to use when we want them! From experience it takes ages to unpack and re-pack motorhomes, I know I had to do it 3 times last year when we had loan vans for holidays! Even though I have a comprehensive list of what we take with us it still took a good few days to get things out of one and into another, finding places to put everything each time. Keeping items in a van isn't really a sensible way to define 'full-timing', the only time that may come into play is if you have your vehicle stolen with all of it's contents in, then your insurance provider might quibble if you've left stuff of value in it all the time. I'm digressing a bit, but be careful what you do leave in your van. We, for example, had canoe insurance, but it was insured if it was secured to the outside of a vehicle but not if it was inside! We did eventually get it covered for when it was the 'van, but only when we were on holiday and it was out of sight under the fixed bed. What this meant was that every time we came home from holiday we had to remove it and put it in the house or garage (before you ask, it's an inflatable so no, it didn't get stuck in the doorways!). Even though it could safely have been kept in the locked and alarmed motorhome, we had to put it in a locked but unalarmed garage, or have it lurking around the house, in order to comply with the terms of the insurance. Don't just assume that because you've got vehicle insurance that all your lovely bits and pieces are fully covered, you could find out the hard way that they aren't. Back to the point ... warranty and full-timing ... if you are full-timing and subsequently make warranty claims, it doesn't take a genius to be able to see the difference between a new van that's being lived in all the time, or for a substantial amount of time, against a van that is used for just holidays etc, you only have to look at some of the really rough ones on some dealer's forecourts, some may not have done much in the way of mileage but you can still tell how much 'life' a van has seen by it's interior condition. Best bet it to find out the limitation from the manufacturer before you buy (in writing), that way you know where you stand and if you have any problems you know where the line is drawn. If a manufacturer puts a limit on it's warranty they surely must have to give you a proper definition of what they mean by it otherwise I wouldn't think they could refuse to do any warranty work - they can't simply say that you've had your lot. If there is a restriction it should be clear what it is from the outset otherwise how can they enforce it? Anyone any other views?

[docted]

Has anybody actually seen a warranty with either a definition ,in the manufacturers eyes, of what continous use is, or even a clause referring to continous use?

[Derek Uzzell]

Today I had a cursory look at the warranty documentation for a current-model Bessacarr motorhome (another of the Swift Group's brand-names and. presumably with the same warranties as Aces and Swifts) and I couldn't spot any restriction regarding 'continuous use', 'full-timing' or whatever one chooses to call using a motorhome as a sole residence. The only usage limitation seemed to be a 90-day maximum duration for any single trip outside the UK. If there's something in the fine print I didn't notice it.