Swift Kontiki 2023: Water Loss Issues (1 Viewer)

[k11ngy]

We have a swift kontiki 2023 plate and at least 12 times I go over a speed bump or slight incline and both hangers get torn off and I lose all water. Waiting for swift to reply but to me it seems a very bad design and my engineer friend in Spain also states the same and compile a report. Has anyone had similar problems ?
Driving us mad
Steve

 

[k11ngy]

We have a swift kontiki 2023 plate and at least 12 times I go over a speed bump or slight incline and both hangers get torn off and I lose all water. Waiting for swift to reply but to me it seems a very bad design and my engineer friend in Spain also states the same and compile a report. Has anyone had similar problems ?
Driving us mad
Steve

Help

 

[Fatboy]

My 2022 Kontiki is with Swift at the factory as we speak, this was on my list of stupid designs, along with getting soaked when it rains and I open the hab door. I hope there is a fix for this.

 

[Otter Spotter]

You would have thought that Swift would have got their act together by now, but sorry I cannot help.

 

[Guigsy]

What's the issue? That it's got very poor ground clearance?

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[DT]

Take a look at Atlantic Caravans on YT. Swift curse happened to ours a few years back.

 

[Jev88]

Write a letter threatening to reject it ...... see if Swift reply then as it is so new!

 

[bigtwin]

It’s a crazy design (the freshwater drain is the LOWEST point under the vehicle!). How anyone signed that design off I have no idea.

Ian

 

[Lenny HB]

Are you say Swifts flagship model has an underslung water tank.?

 

[Roger S]

We had a 8.1 mtr bessacar 597 and the water outlet was very low and was easy to knock off. I took of the bracket which held the electric opening dump valve and made it 25mm shorter, worked a treat.

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[Guigsy]

It’s a crazy design (the freshwater drain is the LOWEST point under the vehicle!). How anyone signed that design off I have no idea.

Ian

My Geist's tanks are both underslung. It's pretty busy under there! And as water doesn't like travelling uphill, so the outlets have to be lower. I've scrapped the bottom of tanks on speed bumps before, but not clobbered the pipework yet.

 

[bigtwin]

Are you say Swifts flagship model has an underslung water tank.?

They set the bar very low. Oh, no, wait a minute, it’s the drain pipe that they set very low!

Ian

 

[Harvey1956]

We have a swift kontiki 2023 plate and at least 12 times I go over a speed bump or slight incline and both hangers get torn off and I lose all water. Waiting for swift to reply but to me it seems a very bad design and my engineer friend in Spain also states the same and compile a report. Has anyone had similar problems ?
Driving us mad
Steve

Yes like you got a Swift Kontiki 2022 model and the fresh water drain pipe is so low to the ground, one speed bump and the bloody bracket gets knocked off and the pipe is then hitting the road. Not a great design for a motorhome that costs £100k

 

[k11ngy]

My 2022 Kontiki is with Swift at the factory as we speak, this was on my list of stupid designs, along with getting soaked when it rains and I open the hab door. I hope there is a fix for this.

Thank you, we are in Spain as we speak and fortunately we tracked down 2 independent engineers at campsite and one compiled this report to Swift. It seemed to wake them up so hoping that when office opens today I might see some action. They have emailed and replied by phone after seeing the report. I thought is was just us who were suffering but seems not? Do you think it will go back to dealer or Swift in Hull? Thanks all for comments and guidance
Steve
Report attached

 

[k11ngy]

What's the issue? That it's got very poor ground clearance?

It seems to be the problem as per attached engineer report

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[k11ngy]

My 2022 Kontiki is with Swift at the factory as we speak, this was on my list of stupid designs, along with getting soaked when it rains and I open the hab door. I hope there is a fix for this.

Do you thing Airbag suspension would solve the problem?

 

[k11ngy]

What's the issue? That it's got very poor ground clearance?

Yes, its dreadful, never seen anything lke it and to be honest, not the sort of thing I thought about checking on purchase. Report from engineer attached and hope I am not duplicating things? Just getting used to forum techniques
Cheers

 

[k11ngy]

My Geist's tanks are both underslung. It's pretty busy under there! And as water doesn't like travelling uphill, so the outlets have to be lower. I've scrapped the bottom of tanks on speed bumps before, but not clobbered the pipework yet.

Ours are both underslung and the dealer did re-route fresh water closer to grey was at back wheel but tanks and pipe brackets still getting clobbered. The engineer who is with me in spain even said its bending the brackets that hold tanks on. Even one bolt has sheared off on grey waste causing it to leak and believe it or not, the only way I could fix a £100,000.00 motorhome was with bubble gum. Seems to be holding but ridiculous Thanks for help guys

 

[MR BLO]

Air suspension will help lift the rear over obstacles and may trim up the arse end a couple of inches. Maybe getting Swift to fit a shallower tank ?? And tank straps rather than the brackets so that you are not reliant on the strength of the tank material. All at their cost of course. Plus the air will improve your ride, especially if on low Alko chassis like mine.

If it were me I would reject it. If the tank had fell off, I would have used my Breakdown recovery to send back to factory and then go from there. The argument that the tank must be empty to travel may be levelled but I would push vociferously for a resolution based on safety, practicality and the fact that it’s a motorhome and not a caravan- I.e. designed for camping and campsite autonomy.

Good that you have got a third party report and identified others with same concern. Can’t imagine the stress that you are under with the situation, puts a dampener on the whole experience. I love a strongly worded letter but calling out people as idiots even when such actions are well represented is not very professional IMHO, language that may cause more acrimony than empathy.

Really hope that you get the problem fixed sooner rather than later and at no cost to you so that in years to come you can laugh about it at a Fun rally

 

[k11ngy]

My 2022 Kontiki is with Swift at the factory as we speak, this was on my list of stupid designs, along with getting soaked when it rains and I open the hab door. I hope there is a fix for this.

Hi, was one of your issues same as mine with the tanks and pipes too low. Did they have a solution? They asked me for measrements from wheel arch to ground which mine was 720 MM laden. On their diagram it showed 749 MM but not sure if that measurement is when built, as in Unladen? Appreciate help and hope all goes well wit the fix mate. Cheers Steve

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[k11ngy]

Air suspension will help lift the rear over obstacles and may trim up the arse end a couple of inches. Maybe getting Swift to fit a shallower tank ?? And tank straps rather than the brackets so that you are not reliant on the strength of the tank material. All at their cost of course. Plus the air will improve your ride, especially if on low Alko chassis like mine.

If it were me I would reject it. If the tank had fell off, I would have used my Breakdown recovery to send back to factory and then go from there. The argument that the tank must be empty to travel may be levelled but I would push vociferously for a resolution based on safety, practicality and the fact that it’s a motorhome and not a caravan- I.e. designed for camping and campsite autonomy.

Good that you have got a third party report and identified others with same concern. Can’t imagine the stress that you are under with the situation, puts a dampener on the whole experience. I love a strongly worded letter but calling out people as idiots even when such actions are well represented is not very professional IMHO, language that may cause more acrimony than empathy.

Really hope that you get the problem fixed sooner rather than later and at no cost to you so that in years to come you can laugh about it at a Fun rally

Thank you so much. They got the engineer report which ruffled some feathers so I can only wait now and see what happens. Thank you for help, much appreciated

 

[Mzracer]

They set the bar very low. Oh, no, wait a minute, it’s the drain pipe that they set very low!

Ian

Bar low in general.

 

[TheBig1]

Sadly this is not a new issue with incompetent designs by swift. My last ever swift I bought new in 2004 and sold it into the trade within 6 months as it had so many faults that both swift and marquis refused to fix, stating that they are all like that

 

[k11ngy]

Hi

What's the issue? That it's got very poor ground clearance?

Hi, yes its dreadful

 

[Mzracer]

Sadly this is not a new issue with incompetent designs by swift. My last ever swift I bought new in 2004 and sold it into the trade within 6 months as it had so many faults that both swift and marquis refused to fix, stating that they are all like that

Not all like that.

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[TheBig1]

Not all like that.

I realise that, but having bought and sold many motorhomes as a side business, I can categorically say the ones without faults are in the minority. Assembled on a productionline with poorly trained staff is bad enough, but the customer service matched the incompetence and trumped it by not giving a shit

 

[Fatboy]

Hi, was one of your issues same as mine with the tanks and pipes too low. Did they have a solution? They asked me for measrements from wheel arch to ground which mine was 720 MM laden. On their diagram it showed 749 MM but not sure if that measurement is when built, as in Unladen? Appreciate help and hope all goes well wit the fix mate. Cheers Steve



View attachment 869252

They wouldn't relocate it, they say it is as per design, I figure I'm going to remove it and just place a manual valve near the tank

 

[Suzukikettle]

We have a swift kontiki 2023 plate and at least 12 times I go over a speed bump or slight incline and both hangers get torn off and I lose all water. Waiting for swift to reply but to me it seems a very bad design and my engineer friend in Spain also states the same and compile a report. Has anyone had similar problems ?
Driving us mad
Steve

Hi we have the same problem with ours the fresh water pipe it has been knocked off four times, We returned it to Brownhills the last time and they told me that Swift would not allow them to change the design and fitted the old design again.
I have now removed the pipe work and dump motor and plugged the drain at the elbow on the tank.
I saw a new 784 in Brownhills show room when we returned ours for the repairs and they have totally revamped the design.
I think the overall build quality of what is the basically the flagship range of the Swift range is shocking,

 

[k11ngy]

Hi we have the same problem with ours the fresh water pipe it has been knocked off four times, We returned it to Brownhills the last time and they told me that Swift would not allow them to change the design and fitted the old design again.
I have now removed the pipe work and dump motor and plugged the drain at the elbow on the tank.
I saw a new 784 in Brownhills show room when we returned ours for the repairs and they have totally revamped the design.
I think the overall build quality of what is the basically the flagship range of the Swift range is shocking,

Thank you, drives us mad. Our dealer actually re-routed fresh water drain to rear, next to grey waste. till had some mishaps but not as many. If all else fails I will remove it and block it at tank as you have done. Never use it anyway. I am the 5th person that dealer has had into workshop to re-route so must be a design flaw. Appreciate help. Steve

 

[joner8888]

Here's me looking now to buy a Kontiki 635 2018

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