Info needed on a SWIFT CHALLENGER 470/2
J.B.
I'm considering purchasing my first caravan - its a 1991 Swift Challenger
470/2
I would appreciate any comments re possible faults and advice regarding how
and where to check for damp.
Having seen so many references to damp in Swift caravans in this NG I am
more than a little concerned
Many thanks in advance
Regards to all
Jim Burton
barry sykes
--
"J.B." <sa3...@eclipse.co.uk> wrote in message
news:10227870...@ananke.eclipse.net.uk...
: Hi Group,
: I'm considering purchasing my first caravan - its a 1991 Swift Challenger
: 470/2
: I would appreciate any comments re possible faults and advice regarding
how
: and where to check for damp.
: Many thanks in advance
: Regards to all
:
:
: Jim Burton
:
Hi Jim.
Nice to to see you taking up vanning,but do be careful what you buy,with
the age of van your
considering there's a very good chance of it being damp.
The *ONLY* of knowing for sure is to check with a damp meter yourself
(they cost £15 from B&Q and with a slight easy mod works well,was sold as a
Draper damp detector,but I think
B&Q now have their brand on it at their stores).
If you go this route and want the mod then request on the group and will
post.
Once done very easy to check van by gently touching probes to **inner
walls** roughly opposite and below (water runs down) rails are on the
outside and pressing trigger(and praying no ticking or squeals ring out,the
wetter the van,the louder the squeal.
: Having seen so many references to damp in Swift caravans in this NG I am
: more than a little concerned
Well you should be,and better to ask on the concern before buying (a lot
don't but wish they did later )
Not sure Swift any worse than other makes :-) ,they are all on the whole
poorly put together
and the sealing of the rails leaves a lot to be desired,unless you do it
yourself,and if lucky enough to get a dry one resealing is a must do job to
keep it that way.
You may find it will take a while to find one thats dry (I think recent
poster said it took him//her
about six months of looking to get one .
Best of luck ,BUT don't go there without a meter.
: Barry
If it ain't broke-don't fix it
:
david halley
Hi Jim,
Check check and check again, no matter what brand of 1991 van you are
looking at. Also check the serial number, 1991 is the last year before the
registration scheme came into being. The serial number will be stamped on
the 'a' frame on the top surface visible through a slot in the cover. It
should read '91SWOxxxxx'
Any other numbers and its not a '91.
Cheers
David
doc
> I'm considering purchasing my first caravan - its a 1991 Swift Challenger
> 470/2
> I would appreciate any comments re possible faults and advice regarding
how
> and where to check for damp.
> Having seen so many references to damp in Swift caravans in this NG I am
> more than a little concerned
Hi Jim,
As a Swift owner, you are very wise to be, even more than a little
concerned! Personally I wouldn't touch a Swift with a proverbial
barge-pole, new or certainly second-hand. There is far more than an even
chance that a '91 'van will have had, or has, a damp problem. You don't
want to ever know, how extensive!!
The problem is that, as a buyer, they can look very nice and appealing
caravans. I'll just repeat some advice I gave to a Mardon buyer (Mardons
can be even more appealing 'vans to buy at first sight). I've stripped any
specific Mardon references.
So here are a few suggestions :-.
i) You may well be impressed by the 'look' and features of the 'van. But
try to put that initial subjective assessment to one side and don't rush
your decision. Take a more critical friend, who can be a bit more
dispassionate about the purchase. .
ii) Be suspicious if the 'van has been opened up prior to your viewing.
Any musty damp smell will be harder to detect. This is very common at this
peak buying time.
iii) Pull as hard as you can on the handles (front and back) used for
moving the 'van. ANY wobblyness of the handles means structural failure.
iv) Open, wide, ALL the windows, check the integrity of the double glasing,
and gently pull on the bodywork surrounding the window aperture (lower part
of the aperture especially). Any movement of the bodywork, here, can also
indicate structural failure caused by rotting of the timber framing for the
window. This is easily disguised by keeping the window shut!!
v) Run your hand over the interior walls, so you feel the firmness of the
underlying wallboard underneath. Any non-firm wallboard means ROT. Do this
around all the windows, especially the three front ones, skylights, and in
the roof lockers.
Also, (important) if an area of the wall appears colder to your hand
than another, then there
is probably water there, in the lining/wallboard, conducting the heat away
from your hand! Damp meters need a lot of interpreting.
vi) Firmly tread or stamp on the floor to detect any sponginess in the
flooring, and feel the carpet for damp. Swifts, especially, seem to have
been prone to floor delamination.
vii) Check the A-frame of the chassis very carefully, especially if it has
an Aluminium chassis, as these are known to suffer from metal fatigue. Look
for any slight cracking, and you may need to remove the A-frame cover. If
the dealer is't prepared to guarantee it, walk away. Replacing chassis
members is as expensive as rectifying DAMP. Both can cost more than the
value of the caravan!
viii) If, after this, you really are keen on the 'van, then check out the
hitch, tyres, brakes and jacks etc. YOU wind up the jacks; YOU try to move
the front of the 'van left and right, with the brakes ON and then off.. If
it's on level, hard ground and it moves more easily one way than the other
then the brakes aren't working properly.
Check the electrics both internally (get them to put a battery in if
it hasn't got one) and indicators etc. on the 'van.
Check that the taps and water pump etc. work properly, and that there
are no leaks in the 'van's plumbing
Now you can start to talk money. Do some homework on prices for that
'van and don't appear overly keen to buy it. The seller is probably more
keen to sell, than you are to buy. If he is reluctant to give any sort of
decent warranty about damp etc. walk away, however great the LOOK of the
'van. Keep in mind that it's the LOOK they are selling it on, certainly NOT
its structural integrity!!
Remember, Caveat Emptor.
Cheers, and carefull 'van hunting, Doc.
Mike S
a chalky substance in the second year after 6 weeks in France/Spain. I must
give Swift their due they repaired it and gave an extra years warranty. We
thought we had agood deal, but now there 6 year warranties caravan
manufacturers must confidant or mad. Time will tell. We thought that they
had a handle on the situation in th 1990's, time proves us and them wrong.
The reason given for the mastic failure on my swift was that the factory
bought in the mastic in bulk and it dried out before it had been used. well
that was what I was told. What it boils down to is be very careful and take
Docs advice to the letter.
Mike S
"doc" <d...@thedoc.com> wrote in message
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