TWO Swift Engineers at my home now - Brand new Motorhome and sloppy work!

[Jenka]

Most of the drop down beds particularly the mechanism are made in Italy ,not sure of their name or if swift use them.
I wish someone can define quality as it's so it and miss many many years ago it was British quality now it seems German is the leader !
I am an engineer in terms of qualifications and yes I can have letters after my name but to be honest I can't even wire a plug ! But I know plenty of people who are fantastic engineer's but not in name .

 

[34127]

I am about to do something many feel is not "appropriate" including (normally) myself ie use capitals to SHOUT:.

However as QUALIFIED engineer. I OBJECT TO EVERY TECHNICIAN BEING REFERRED TO AS AN ENGINEER.

In the UK anyone who picks up a tool, refers to themselves as engineers. Sorry guys but JUST because you did a modern "shorts course" you are NOT a fully qualified engineer, and in my view will never be. Go and get your degree, (or equivalent) and the Fellowship, or at very least "member".

Rant over!.

Quote from the Engineering Council
The words engineer and engineering have both been in common use for centuries in the UK. Neither is legally defined and in everyday language the term engineer is very often taken to mean anyone who is in some way associated with engineering, including the design, manufacture, maintenance or operation of a technical product or system

Definition from the Cambridge Dictionary
a person whose job is to repair or control machines, engines, or electrical equipment:

 

[596]

Had a stand off with Swift, things were getting uncomfortable, not for me for them so I took action

 

[TCG]

Had a stand off with Swift, things were getting uncomfortable, not for me for them so I took action

Are you going to enlighten us.... im sitting on the edge of my seat and have bitten my finger nails down to the quik

 

[nicholsong]

Had a stand off with Swift, things were getting uncomfortable, not for me for them so I took action

You have rejected the MH?

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[Vipar]

Austin Powers springs to mind Man of mystery

 

[596]

OK if you are ready for the story I will begin!

A short recap, some of you will know my drop down bed collapsed first time we went to use it, we then had it repaired at the dealer, we then also had a recall on it as it could collapse, the recall was carried out yesterday which involved fitting extra brackets and straps to the system as shown in post #27.

After the engineers left my wife arrived home and had a look she asked me why the cupboards attached under the bed did not align with the side cupboards, I looked and could see a drop of almost 2" which I hadn't noticed, what I did know was that on the showroom model we looked at they were nicely aligned as they were designed to, I say that as why would you design them with that curved profile not to align? I have attached both pictures below, aligned is showroom model and off alignment pics of each end are mine.

SO I contacted the engineer who's number I had to ask him if it should be aligned, he said it should and had never really noticed himself before as they just fitted the recall kits, I explained what I was seeing as in the bracket pictures shown in post #27, he was concerned that he had done something wrong, so much so he called me later that night and said they would come back this morning to double check. Well they both came back this morning and could see the cupboards were misaligned, they checked their work and measured the position of the last ratchet and checked it using masking tape to see if the catch broke the tape showing it had engaged, it had, so they confirmed that it could not possibly go any higher than it did and the ratchet mechanism was out of line. Now I only had the last picture of the showroom model to go an as I had none of that area of mine in the upper most position, I say upper most position as there is another position about 8" down that allows you to leave bedding on it, strangely you can't use the new recall transit straps on that position only the full up position.

The engineers contacted their head office and were told to leave it as none of their cupboards ever lined up, I couldn't really believe what I was hearing so I called my dealer, he went and looked in a motorhome on the site and said yes they are dead level BUT that was a 2020 Kontiki Sport (the newly named version of mine), the dealer also said that he was certain all lined up as if they were not you would automatically go to push it up thinking it wasn't in position, my thoughts as well! I asked the engineers if we could take off the kit just to make absolutely sure, they said that once the kit was fitted they were not permitted to take it off, I then had a call from Swift customer services to tell me that all their cupboards were wonky and it was normal, I had sent them a copy of the straight one I saw as the showroom model and they suggested that was a fluke being level, I then told her the dealer had just checked and the one he had was level, she said Oh! that's the new 2020 model we have corrected it on that! I then told her I could not be absolutely certain what mine looked like as it had been broken since we got it and again asked, that just to make sure could they take the recall bracket kit off to see if that was stopping the bed going up, she said no they are too busy and I was lucky really they had come back to see me, they had lots of other customers waiting. I said OK that is absolutely fine, as soon as they leave I am stripping it all off myself and to please note that on my file, she said that was my choice!

SO off they went and I removed the whole kit and guess what, the engineers were right the cupboards are still wonky, it seems the ratchet mechanism has been fitted in a wrong position meaning that it will not line up, the ratchet is on the last hole so can't go any higher, my question is WHY the F... would you make matching cupboards at each side if they never lined up? I have just ordered new locking nuts for the recall brackets and will fit them back tomorrow when they arrive, I am waiting for a call from Swift to explain why the are so sloppy with a lot of things they do, I will also be telling them I want my cupboards level, how can I walk into the motorhome and see wonky each time, it will drive me nuts!

Any advice or views welcome

 

[596]

You have rejected the MH?

NO not yet, I stripped out all the recall brackets they had fitted! See above

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Had a stand off with Swift, things were getting uncomfortable, not for me for them so I took action

You put the kettle on for a brew

 

[Yorkshirelad175]

Do you mind if I inquire as to which Swift model you have purchased 596 ?
From the photographs it looks very similar to the Bessacarr 524 I am contemplating buying. This worries me !
Although Bessacarr are made by Swift, I was hoping the Bessacarr brand were of a higher finish !

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[Lanerboy]

Yet another cryptic clue from 596 with no definitive answer, this is all too common in his posts

 

[596]

Do you mind if I inquire as to which Swift model you have purchased 596 ?
From the photographs it looks very similar to the Bessacarr 524 I am contemplating buying. This worries me !
Although Bessacarr are made by Swift, I was hoping the Bessacarr brand were of a higher finish !

Mine is as my forum name a 596, the Bessacarr name has now been replaced by the name Kontiki Sport, the new Kontiki Sporty 596 is absolutely identical to mine except for 3 items, different decal name, two side opening fridge and grey upholstery, I had a choice of both as a few Kontiki Sport 596 were produced on the Euro 6B engine but the interior was not too our taste and the double side opening fridge is a purse gimmick and if you pull both at once the door falls off! Decals don't worry me and the grey upholstery which you will see in another of my posts was too cold looking and dark for our tastes.

 

[596]

Yet another cryptic clue from 596 with no definitive answer, this is all too common in his posts

I think you are making yourself look a little daft, maybe read the thread properly

 

[Southdowners]

I agree with you. I’d find it really irritating if the lockers didn’t line up. The fact that the 2020 model now has aligning lockers shows that it wasn’t a design feature...

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

The incorrect line up of the cupboards would irritate me also every time I went into the van. Maybe you can get your dealer to measure the end cupboards on the 2020 version and see if they are any lower than yours, allowing the alignment?
Just checking on line, Brownhills have some internal pictures of the 596 cupboards and they are not perfectly aligned but not as far out as yours,.

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[Campervan_man]

Hi,
I haven't seen your model van, I'm a self-employed Motorhome Technician tech.
If your bed is an electric bed I think that they need calibrating electronically so that they know where 'up' is and where 'down' is.
I had to calibrate a Burstner Electric Bed a few years ago.
All that involved was pressing certain buttons on the remote control in a sequence { as detailed on the van instructions }
If they are not calibrated properly they will 'park' in the wrong position.
Maybe this is the issue with your bed?

 

[596]

Hi,
I haven't seen your model van, I'm a self-employed Motorhome Technician tech.
If your bed is an electric bed I think that they need calibrating electronically so that they know where 'up' is and where 'down' is.
I had to calibrate a Burstner Electric Bed a few years ago.
All that involved was pressing certain buttons on the remote control in a sequence { as detailed on the van instructions }
If they are not calibrated properly they will 'park' in the wrong position.
Maybe this is the issue with your bed?

Thanks for your input, no Swift started with electric beds but they ran down the battery so went to manual ratchet type system, it is this ratchet type system I have. When the engineers saw the the cupboards were not lined up they thought it was not catching on the last ratchet, but further examination and by using a bit of masking tape over the last hole the the ratchet could engage in they found it was engaging, the only thing that could be wrong is that the ratchet system that is actually fixed to the bed under the slats is slightly out of alignment, I would have thought they would use a jig so as everything was right, but ten its Swift so who knows!

I have just been onto the head of operations and they are looking into the issues I have, even this evening though they did say wonky was normal, but I don't do wonky, why have lovely cupboards with chrome trim out of alignment, how can I sleep at night thinking about that? The other thing is you keep thinking the bed is not in the locked upright position so go to put it up but it won't lock as the ratchet is not set right, maybe its me that needs to be reprogrammed by Swift to not see certain things!

 

[596]

I agree with you. I’d find it really irritating if the lockers didn’t line up. The fact that the 2020 model now has aligning lockers shows that it wasn’t a design feature...

Thanks Oh I asked the head of operations that this evening when I was called, that was after a girl told me earlier it was a new way they were doing things, only for the head of operations to say they had been in a meeting with the design team today and they said that wonky was normal, well they had tolerances, I told them you go away and look into it as I don't do wonky and I have no tolerance for sloppy work!!!!!

 

[Campervan_man]

I had a manual up and down { Autoroller from memory } bed at a dealership. On the bed mechanism under the mattress was lots of 'C' type washers 6MM thick at the pistons. Some had 'pinged' off during bed use and I had to make solid nylon type washers instead. The washers 'set' the height of the bed. Call them shims if you like.
This bed mechanism worked with a complicated piano wire, pulleys and 2 piston type arms.
..................................................................................................................................................................................................
Bedding, pillows touching the ceiling will stop the bed going all the way up but I'm sure that you have checked this.
......................................................................................................................................................................................................

 

[34127]

Can you not reject this van under the consumer act and ask for your money back. If more customers did this then I am sure they would put some effort into improving quality.

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[596]

All I want is a van like in the brochure, Oh wait a minute that old chestnut! Well who would have believed it, Swift referred me to their brochure to show me WONKY was normal, check out the lockers in this brochure picture, although the one I saw in the showroom was perfect!

Showroom v Brochure - which wonk would you wonk?

 

[Servo]

596 story line???

 

[596]

Can you not reject this van under the consumer act and ask for your money back. If more customers did this then I am sure they would put some effort into improving quality.

I'm afraid I have added thousands and thousands of pounds worth of stuff to it, yes I realised it was a risk but took it, in truth its just a few cosmetic things that are not right, but trust me they will be right by the time I am finished!

 

[596]

I had a manual up and down { Autoroller from memory } bed at a dealership. On the bed mechanism under the mattress was lots of 'C' type washers 6MM thick at the pistons. Some had 'pinged' off during bed use and I had to make solid nylon type washers instead. The washers 'set' the height of the bed. Call them shims if you like.
This bed mechanism worked with a complicated piano wire, pulleys and 2 piston type arms.
..................................................................................................................................................................................................
Bedding, pillows touching the ceiling will stop the bed going all the way up but I'm sure that you have checked this.
......................................................................................................................................................................................................

Mine runs on cables and trust me these two engineers were checking everything, you push a button that releases a ratchet, the bed goes up you release and the ratchet engages in a slot, so many positions, BUT there is only one top position and this is where the ratchet was in the top slot but not lining up, seems the ratchet mechanism which lays flat on the bed is not fitted correctly, as I mentioned before one would think they would use a jig so its perfect but on this occasion it could have been sloppy work. I want to make hot clear that at this point they say sloppy/wonky is normal, the only proof I have is the showroom model pics, as mine broke the first time I used it I didn't have the luxury of viewing my sloppy alignment, it was only last night when it was fixed that wonky came into full and unobstructed view, I had an OCD attack, I couldn't even type to post, it was awful!

 

[M-J]

If the 2020 model is identical and they have not made the under bed cupboards smaller to make them align maybe the bed can be switched out to the 2020 spec to solve the problem?

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[596]

If the 2020 model is identical and they have not made the under bed cupboards smaller to make them align maybe the bed can be switched out to the 2020 spec to solve the problem?

Its not the physical bed, there is a frame/plate attached to the bed with a cabling system running through it, I guess they could change the mechanism frame/plate but quite frankly there are so many cable in there under tension it would be one pig of a job. The cables release the mechanism from the hole and counterbalance the bed, its the hole that is not high enough although laid flat if that makes sense.

 

[M-J]

Obviously the whole system would have to be swapped if it has changed for 2020.

Is it possible the 2020 model roof lining can be retrofitted if it includes a larger recess for the bed to sit?

 

[596]

Obviously the whole system would have to be swapped if it has changed for 2020.

Is it possible the 2020 model roof lining can be retrofitted if it includes a larger recess for the bed to sit?

I'm not sure, in all fairness Swift are on the case, they met with the designers today who I guess were backed into a corner, how on earth can you design what they have to be wonky, if you knew it was going to be wonky why have a matching profile for it to butt up against, a plain bit of wood would have done. I wait with baited breath but there is nothing impossible even if I have to get my own engineers in to fix the problem, pay them and they will do it

 

[gus-lopez]

From wiki: Engineer
A person whose job is to repair or control machines, engines, or electrical equipment:
We aren't in the U.S. so whats your point?

We should have the same though as I stated ,it should be world wide. A nurse doesn't call herself a doctor. Same in Germany as well.

Back to the OP. It would not only drive me mad but unhinge me.

All I want is a van like in the brochure, Oh wait a minute that old chestnut! Well who would have believed it, Swift referred me to their brochure to show me WONKY was normal, check out the lockers in this brochure picture, although the one I saw in the showroom was perfect!

Showroom v Brochure - which wonk would you wonk?

If they are pictures of the same moorhome then the first one has them misaligned high & the other side misaligned low. If It was mine & someone told me that was acceotable I would knock them out.It isn't. Not in any way & anyone attempting to justify it should be put to death.

 

[Campervan_man]

The bed should be a design feature not a design eyesore.
Sort of , How clever is this bed ?

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