Caravan & Motorhome maker (Swift UK) announces up to 175 job losses

[Bustup15]

Just back from Caravan Salon. The 4 main manufacturers in the Premium Hall including Morello and Concorde ALL had a very good show and exceeded their expectations and quota targets. They say that some manufacturers, especially of van conversions, were struggling and had poor years sales. Concorde said that they came into the show feeling quite nervous and half expected a much tougher year, but were very pleased with the result.

Must be plenty of money about at the upper end of the market?

 

[Dutch 68]

Just back from Caravan Salon. The 4 main manufacturers in the Premium Hall including Morello and Concorde ALL had a very good show and exceeded their expectations and quota targets. They say that some manufacturers, especially of van conversions, were struggling and had poor years sales. Concorde said that they came into the show feeling quite nervous and half expected a much tougher year, but were very pleased with the result.

Must be plenty of money about at the upper end of the market?

There always is, cost of living crisis doesn’t exist for their target group, will never happen

 

[Jonno1103]

Both Swift & Bailey are struggling to shift units and have slowed production. There's a certain company in Grimsby who are expanding & building a third production line. All 3 will be for their own brand as the PVC's for Benimar, Roller Team & Chausson have now moved to Trigano's dedicated panel van site.

I'd certainly drop them a CV.

 

[The Wino]

Both Swift & Bailey are struggling to shift units and have slowed production. There's a certain company in Grimsby who are expanding & building a third production line. All 3 will be for their own brand as the PVC's for Benimar, Roller Team & Chausson have now moved to Trigano's dedicated panel van site.

I'd certainly drop them a CV.

If they can take over a firm with questionable reputation for water leaks etc and turn it around it sort of proves that management and design are big factors in the failure of a lot our industry

 

[EuroTrotters]

very sad

But the Germans Prosper

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[SpeedyDux]

Just back from Caravan Salon. The 4 main manufacturers in the Premium Hall including Morello and Concorde ALL had a very good show and exceeded their expectations and quota targets. They say that some manufacturers, especially of van conversions, were struggling and had poor years sales. Concorde said that they came into the show feeling quite nervous and half expected a much tougher year, but were very pleased with the result.

Must be plenty of money about at the upper end of the market?

Every manufacturer jumped into the van conversion market. Which is more difficult because converting panel vans takes longer than building furniture on a coachbult chassis then fixing walls and roof. I wonder how many PVCs the new entrants needed to shift to break even.

After Hymer, who will be next to be bought up by the Americans? Knaus-Tabbert group possibly?

 

[Jonno1103]

If they can take over a firm with questionable reputation for water leaks etc and turn it around it sort of proves that management and design are big factors in the failure of a lot our industry

Maybe one of the issues facing Bailey is that their motorhomes are not built under one roof, not even at the same location. The coachbuilt homologation is transported over distance to a secondary location where the chassis cabs live. There's countless reports and insurance claims for the rear panels of both caravans & motorhomes basically falling off.

Elddis have some similar issues with their SoLiD design - So Loose it Detaches.

 

[Lenny HB]

Swift have always had a roller coaster history of taking on and laying off staff, nothing new there.

 

[eddie]

very sad

But the Germans Prosper

Hymer were bailed out by American RV manufacturers Thor Industries last year!

 

[denisejoe]

It’s not just recent the quality has been poor about 20 years ago bought a twin axel caravan at Birmingham show it arrived in December sat on drive until we went away for a week end in march set up an an hour later it started raining very lightly a short while later Denise went to the toilet and called me in and showed me that half the toilet and shower area wall had water running down it .Denise took the criss no and the dealer sent his chief engineer out to look at it and his damp meter went of the scale and asked if it was anywhere else we said don’t know but want a new van. When we took it back Denise gave the owner a letter saying we did not want the van back but a new one.
Swift repaired it and sent it back but the owner said don’t take it off a I can’t sell it and the customer won’t accept it . Took 6 months to get a new one looked inside and opened a cupboard door and one of the hinges fell off .
We sold it and bought a hymer

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[jongood]

very sad

But the Germans Prosper

I agree, Imho its because they invest for the long term, that why they have wood free strucures and decent quality. Uk are always balancing this years budget/target

 

[Lenny HB]

Hymer were bailed out by American RV manufacturers Thor Industries last year!

Your memory is going boy, it was 5 years ago.

 

[eddie]

Your memory is going boy, it was 5 years ago.

Ah I retired so years, months and weeks become meaningless lol

 

[funflair]

I agree, Imho its because they invest for the long term, that why they have wood free strucures and decent quality. Uk are always balancing this years budget/target

And a home market with more disposable income possibly.

 

[The Wino]

And a home market with more disposable income possibly.

But why does that home market have more money? I think it's because they produce high quality goods and have a better education system

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[Northernraider]

But why does that home market have more money? I think it's because they produce high quality goods and have a better education system

Because the British people let our government do what they like with no resistance.

 

[jongood]

But why does that home market have more money? I think it's because they produce high quality goods and have a better education system

Because they take a longer term view.

 

[Hirsch]

Because the British people let our government do what they like with no resistance.

And our culture tends towards wanting it as cheap as possible. So bloody short sighted.

 

[Northernraider]

And our culture tends towards wanting it as cheap as possible. So bloody short sighted.

Having witnessed German motorhomers in action so do they.

 

[Jonno1103]

Let's face it the obstacle in UK... and it's unique to us, is brand snobbery. No other country is badge obsessed and we're exploited for it.
Over 70% of what goes into constructing a motorhome & RV from any of the 5 groups who build them is fabricated in China.

You could put a German brand name on a turd and us Brits would pay through the nose for it.

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[Dutch 68]

Having witnessed German motorhomers in action so do they.

How many German motorhomers do you know who bought a cheap swift instead of something German, everyone likes cheap but quality first

 

[Dutch 68]

Because they take a longer term view.

Yep look at our railways , it’s a shambles of the biggest order , the rest of Europe is full of high speed railways and has been for decades, here we don’t even manage to get them electrified, big talk about banning ice cars but still relying on mass polluting slow diesel trains, some of them entering or nearing clean air zones, it’s laughable and sad at the same time……

 

[Northernraider]

Let's face it the obstacle in UK... and it's unique to us, is brand snobbery. No other country is badge obsessed and we're exploited for it.
Over 70% of what goes into constructing a motorhome & RV from any of the 5 groups who build them is fabricated in China.

You could put a German brand name on a turd and us Brits would pay through the nose for it.

That clearly isn't true or no one would buy eldiss, swift, Bailey etc . And no one would buy skoda, kia etc.

And the supermarkets wouldn't sell any of their own brand products.

 

[funflair]

Let's face it the obstacle in UK... and it's unique to us, is brand snobbery. No other country is badge obsessed and we're exploited for it.
Over 70% of what goes into constructing a motorhome & RV from any of the 5 groups who build them is fabricated in China.

You could put a German brand name on a turd and us Brits would pay through the nose for it.

I think you are correct to a point but I am sure that is not the only reason we bought a N+B or Morelo over a Swift or Autotrail.

I don't agree though with your 70% figure, I assume you discounted the chassis in that figure we even still, Alde is made in Sweden, Dometic Fridges Thailand, Thetford fridges the Netherlands, E&P or any other hydraulic levelling the Netherlands, the glass on our van comes from Turkey etc etc, I am sure there are products in that list that have components from China and of course other smaller parts that I have not looked at will be Chinese.

 

[Dutch 68]

That clearly isn't true or no one would buy eldiss, swift, Bailey etc . And no one would buy skoda, kia etc.

And the supermarkets wouldn't sell any of their own brand products.

Come to think of it, a family member of mine who lives in Belgium has decided that after a lifetime of buying luxury German caravans he wanted to try something new, he just bought a rather expensive Sprite

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[Northernraider]

How many German motorhomers do you know who bought a cheap swift instead of something German, everyone likes cheap but quality first

Just a different way of doing things .

Pay more for the important stuff and everything else buy it cheaper.


Much the Same as myself , I'd rather buy a quality older vehicle whether it was motorhomes or cars. But when it comes to food shopping, clothes shopping etc then I'm not one to splash out on brand names

I think the UK is more age related than quality related ... I think we've allowed ourselves to be manipulated in always replacing things and everything must be new . New cars , new sofas, new kitchens every 2 or 3 years.

So as a result manufacturers don't bother making things to last. And governments push that agenda , replace cars , windows , kitchens , boilers blah blah blah

Only now they use the environment as an excuse and people fall for it hook line and sinker

 

[Northernraider]

Yep look at our railways , it’s a shambles of the biggest order , the rest of Europe is full of high speed railways and has been for decades, here we don’t even manage to get them electrified, big talk about banning ice cars but still relying on mass polluting slow diesel trains, some of them entering or nearing clean air zones, it’s laughable and sad at the same time……

Because the owners want maximum profit for minimum investment.

 

[SpeedyDux]

That clearly isn't true or no one would buy eldiss, swift, Bailey etc . And no one would buy skoda, kia etc.

And the supermarkets wouldn't sell any of their own brand products.

One of the things I noticed when touring in France this summer how few and far between Audis on French plates are.

Plenty of brand new Peugeots, Citroens etc.

In the UK I see dozens of Audis (new and old) on the roads every time I drive. Including the S3 (drug dealer favourite), S4 and S6 rockets. More than cheaper equivalent VWs, Skodas, and Seats (although the Cupras do seem to have a growing following among the boy racers). You do see more Skodas with taxi plates.

Badge snobbery.

 

[Hirsch]

Having witnessed German motorhomers in action so do they.

Was thinking it when I was typing

 

[Dutch 68]

Because the owners want maximum profit for minimum investment.

Ah back to greed again

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