I have just noticed a crack in mine because I have seen condensation in my Swift Major 4 2022. We have always been careful with not leaving the Blind down during the day. It’s about a 2” crack in the top left corner ( looking at it from the front). Going to get in touch with my Dealer today tomorrow.
Hi, the blind thing I think is a load of rubbish, I’ve had dometic refuse a cracked window claim saying the customer must have used the wrong cleaning agent.. the plastic isn’t thick enough for the stress created by the gap.
Most issues with caravan water ingress are directly attributed to weather exposure..if you can't afford to buy a cover or store your caravan under cover during the time you're not using it then sell it and holiday in a static..these things are made to last 20 years maximum because of the pounding they get well towing and the weather exposure it's going to leak sooner or later!!.😎
Brilliant informative video. I have a question, when it rains I have noticed a small amount of water dripping into the front locker on the nearside. it drips above the locker hinge. Also a bit of condensation on the bottom of the nearside front window but no actual pools of water. is it likely the sunroof is leaking or could it be the sealant on the window hinge bar? Cheers.
@@atlanticcaravansUK no, the main outside front gas bottle locker, it's a 2018 Sprite alpine 4 dealer special caravan, sorry I didnt explain properly. cheers
Great videos. Do these sunroofs have the same issues in other makes. Looking at either a 2018 Swift Sprite 2 or 2018 Compass Casita 462, both of which have them?
The sprite is made by Swift and has the same problem, not sure about the compass, I’m not a huge fan of the Elddis group of products in general at the moment.
Another interesting video. Can you give a rough idea what it would cost to replace the floor on a 2015 Bailey serville 2 berth. I know it’s how long is a piece of string but just a guide price .
We've got a 2018 alpine 2, sunroof is fine, the front middle window split, being sorted under warranty, having a new window rail and window, would I care about a sunroof not really, if it's dark lights go on, if it's nice weather get outside. But I guess whichever brand of caravan u buy it's liable to have an issue at some point.
We have just changed our van. We had a 2006 Abbey Aventura 315 which had the large Heki rooflight that let in loads of light and on a hot summers day was a dream when opened fully. After taking the new van away for the first time, which is a Sprite Major 4 SB, I really cannot see the advantage of the sealed sunroof with a tiny rooflight to open and try and let the heat out of the van.
@@atlanticcaravansUK Just a thought Darren. How many people actually drain down the Truma water system before travelling as we always have. I believe it holds around 15 litres and doing a search the weight is approximately 1kg per litre and so 15kg right in the front offside corner. Now I may me talking rubbish, and I'm no structural engineer, but that weight slopping around when travelling must twist the front of the van. Your thoughts?
@@anthonylawrenson217 I don’t think that will make any difference, people have been leaving water in the heater since the cascade mk 1 in the 80’s with no detrimental side effects as far as I can see.
Hi There. Thanks for the great video. I've a question. It seems that all caravans if left outside over the year eventually let water in at the seams. So, if I was to buy a new caravan and tape up the seams every year with clear Gorilla tape - that should help extend the life of the caravan. My understanding is that this tape is UV resistant ...so it will create a physical barrier as well as a UV barrier right where it's needed. The window rubbers are then the only weak point - and these could be replaced as and when they fail. Do you think this would be a good idea?
Hi, I’d say it would be a bit of a pain to do, you’d be better off with a full cover (cover the windows with something as they can get marked), and if it’s new just keep an eye on it and keep the service updated so if there is a problem it’s under warranty.
Cant Swift yet build a caravan that doesn't leak. How long have they been doing this? Cracks and obligatory dealer Services. It's a good job they don't build boats, they would all sink. We had a old 10 Yr old 1997 swift challenger when the kids were young and it had damp. I had to replace the front seal and fix everything in it. But it cost us nothing and was fun. We then bought a yacht and went sailing. However recently we have been considered buying another nicer van for mainly off season and winter months. However since being informed of these caravan problems, the industry is no further forward, in fact I think going backwards as a cheap and simple means of recreation. It only has to be towed and keep you dry when parked. I think we will stick to boats.
Unfortunately it is a bit customer lead, they could build caravans like the old days which were simpler, and there are vans out there like that, probably is people don’t buy them. I can’t understand why an issue like this has not been addressed though, don’t put them in would be my vote. It’s not just sunroofs though, I’ve not done a video on the cant rails yet..
This (stress crack) has just literally happened to us now. And it's currently tipping down with rain. Wife is off out for some all weather extreme gorilla tape. The caravan also hasn't moved (only for servicing) and stayed on the seasonal pitch. The van is only 2.5 years old and appears to have been induced through heat.
How did you remove the Gorilla tape ? I would have thought it would damage the black surround on the roof, as it says you have to mechanically remove it. Thanks for your insight into this issue.
I have a 2014 Swift Elegance it’s never missed a service always has a cover on it when not in use to protect it from UV rays yet I had a large crack appear on the large front roof window which I had to wait 1 year for my repair shop to find and replace while at the repair shop they called me to say I had 2 splits in the top rear panel which is a common problem with all swifts because the ABS panel is too thin. Swift didn’t want to know as it was out of warranty so I had to fork out 1k for the front sky window and to have the rear panel replaced is 4K so I have had it repaired. It’s absolutely disgusting that caravan manufacturers can’t build something that can last..
I have a new 2024 van and I wondering if when i park the van up at home should I leave my van parked "level" as not to cause any stresses to the caravan frame and possible misaligned of the structure as this could cause a stress point around this weakened aperture were this panoramic sun roof is fitted .? When I say level I use the wheel ramps .
@@miked8623 hi, no, that won’t make any difference, it is a good idea to either put the nose up or down a bit to allow the water to run off, but don’t worry about leveling across the axle too much.
We bought a 2018 swift panoramic panel was replaced before we picked it up after 5mth it's cracked again and not covered £1900 to replace. Surely swift need to sort this
My Swift van had water pouring in and it had to go back to the factory because the heat had distorted the window rubber it took 8weeks to fix , then had new seat cushions and curtains that didn’t match plus new window rubber, Swift in in name only but not when it comes to repairs.
hy is there any improvement in this sunroof problem ? im wondering if it can be replaced by a fixed panel or if anyone has come up with some alternative to the crap window
No, it’s the fixing in of anything that’s as much the issue as it relies on sealant. The best solution is for Swift to not fit one in the first place..
I also had screws coming out, trim dropping off, shelf’s falling off so after making a claim through Visa the van was taken back and money refunded at a great loss.
I wouldn’t buy the van without the sunroof, so I would like them to make it better. Fitting the sunroof in a door like frame that isn’t stressed with torsional movement and that can be opened would be nice. Plus a blind inside that allows heat to escape on sunny days, as I’m sure that can cause damage too.
I would rather not have a sunroof personally. Great for extra light coming in but potentially it’s asking for trouble in the long run, the less penetrations in the roof the better.
had ours replaced on a 2016 model they are crap swift should avoid fitting them as they are really usless bailey caravans have the better option with the big opening window if i bought a new caravan it would be adria much better quatily
I agree on the quality and I asked them to produce the layouts that work in the uk (basically copy the sprite range with the Adria quality) but they were happy with the small numbers they were doing in the UK, shame, if they were to produce a UK specific caravan for our market, they’d clean up.
Hi, thank you for the info. We had the sunroof crack through both sides of the double glazed unit on our 2019 Challenger. Ours has the acrylic panel running across the full width of the van. It was repaired under warranty by a Swift technician at our dealer. He visited the dealer and repaired 2 other vans. It seems Swift has mobile technicians moving around the country. Both Swift and my dealer stated they didn’t know the cause or had developed a countermeasure. As you will be aware there’s loads of social media on the issue, on one post it was stated that the dealer had said the issue was a lack of clearance between the double glazed unit and the hole in the roof panel, and that the countermeasure was to cut the roof aperture larger. When I look at my repaired van, I can see the roof aperture has been cut with a saw, there’s lots of burrs. I believe the manufacturing method is water jet, which leaves a smooth finish. I can also see there is a significant clearance between the double glazed unit and the roof. I don’t know the situation before the repair. I’ve looked at later models and the trim prevents you looking at the clearance, what’s you take on my observations? Many thanks from John.
@@gnarlyboot477 Hi John, I’ve not heard of that before, and certainly not seen that as an issue, yes there are Swift technicians traveling around the country replacing them, we don’t take on the large sunroofs in the conquers because we don’t want to put our name to them.
What would be nice is to see an official response from Swift and Dometic. Is there an issue? What are they doing about it.
I have just noticed a crack in mine because I have seen condensation in my Swift Major 4 2022. We have always been careful with not leaving the Blind down during the day. It’s about a 2” crack in the top left corner ( looking at it from the front). Going to get in touch with my Dealer today tomorrow.
Hi, the blind thing I think is a load of rubbish, I’ve had dometic refuse a cracked window claim saying the customer must have used the wrong cleaning agent.. the plastic isn’t thick enough for the stress created by the gap.
Most issues with caravan water ingress are directly attributed to weather exposure..if you can't afford to buy a cover or store your caravan under cover during the time you're not using it then sell it and holiday in a static..these things are made to last 20 years maximum because of the pounding they get well towing and the weather exposure it's going to leak sooner or later!!.😎
Brilliant informative video. I have a question, when it rains I have noticed a small amount of water dripping into the front locker on the nearside. it drips above the locker hinge. Also a bit of condensation on the bottom of the nearside front window but no actual pools of water. is it likely the sunroof is leaking or could it be the sealant on the window hinge bar? Cheers.
@@MartinBlackmore-e1j is it the overhead side locker?
@@atlanticcaravansUK no, the main outside front gas bottle locker, it's a 2018 Sprite alpine 4 dealer special caravan, sorry I didnt explain properly. cheers
Just had ours replaced on a brand new van after 6 months. Massive crack 8 inches. We noticed water on the cushions and the sunroof full with water.
Great videos. Do these sunroofs have the same issues in other makes. Looking at either a 2018 Swift Sprite 2 or 2018 Compass Casita 462, both of which have them?
The sprite is made by Swift and has the same problem, not sure about the compass, I’m not a huge fan of the Elddis group of products in general at the moment.
Another interesting video. Can you give a rough idea what it would cost to replace the floor on a 2015 Bailey serville 2 berth. I know it’s how long is a piece of string but just a guide price .
Yes it’s a tricky one, a significant strip out job could run into 4.5, to 5k if done in a workshop charging £75 per hour.
We've got a 2018 alpine 2, sunroof is fine, the front middle window split, being sorted under warranty, having a new window rail and window, would I care about a sunroof not really, if it's dark lights go on, if it's nice weather get outside. But I guess whichever brand of caravan u buy it's liable to have an issue at some point.
We have just changed our van. We had a 2006 Abbey Aventura 315 which had the large Heki rooflight that let in loads of light and on a hot summers day was a dream when opened fully. After taking the new van away for the first time, which is a Sprite Major 4 SB, I really cannot see the advantage of the sealed sunroof with a tiny rooflight to open and try and let the heat out of the van.
Yes, I agree, it is a style over practicality type of thing.
@@atlanticcaravansUK Just a thought Darren. How many people actually drain down the Truma water system before travelling as we always have. I believe it holds around 15 litres and doing a search the weight is approximately 1kg per litre and so 15kg right in the front offside corner. Now I may me talking rubbish, and I'm no structural engineer, but that weight slopping around when travelling must twist the front of the van. Your thoughts?
@@anthonylawrenson217 I don’t think that will make any difference, people have been leaving water in the heater since the cascade mk 1 in the 80’s with no detrimental side effects as far as I can see.
Hi There. Thanks for the great video. I've a question. It seems that all caravans if left outside over the year eventually let water in at the seams. So, if I was to buy a new caravan and tape up the seams every year with clear Gorilla tape - that should help extend the life of the caravan. My understanding is that this tape is UV resistant ...so it will create a physical barrier as well as a UV barrier right where it's needed. The window rubbers are then the only weak point - and these could be replaced as and when they fail. Do you think this would be a good idea?
Hi, I’d say it would be a bit of a pain to do, you’d be better off with a full cover (cover the windows with something as they can get marked), and if it’s new just keep an eye on it and keep the service updated so if there is a problem it’s under warranty.
Cant Swift yet build a caravan that doesn't leak. How long have they been doing this? Cracks and obligatory dealer Services. It's a good job they don't build boats, they would all sink.
We had a old 10 Yr old 1997 swift challenger when the kids were young and it had damp. I had to replace the front seal and fix everything in it. But it cost us nothing and was fun. We then bought a yacht and went sailing. However recently we have been considered buying another nicer van for mainly off season and winter months. However since being informed of these caravan problems, the industry is no further forward, in fact I think going backwards as a cheap and simple means of recreation. It only has to be towed and keep you dry when parked. I think we will stick to boats.
Unfortunately it is a bit customer lead, they could build caravans like the old days which were simpler, and there are vans out there like that, probably is people don’t buy them. I can’t understand why an issue like this has not been addressed though, don’t put them in would be my vote. It’s not just sunroofs though, I’ve not done a video on the cant rails yet..
Fantastic informative video. Thank you .
No problem, cant rail next, another source of water ingress..
This (stress crack) has just literally happened to us now. And it's currently tipping down with rain. Wife is off out for some all weather extreme gorilla tape. The caravan also hasn't moved (only for servicing) and stayed on the seasonal pitch. The van is only 2.5 years old and appears to have been induced through heat.
Oh dear, you will be able to get it sorted up warranty..
@@atlanticcaravansUK - We hope so.
Your video helped identify what we thought had happened....👍.
How did you remove the Gorilla tape ? I would have thought it would damage the black surround on the roof, as it says you have to mechanically remove it.
Thanks for your insight into this issue.
That’s why we recommend gorilla tape, it comes off easily, we have never had to mechanically remove it, unlike the duct tape most people want to use.
I have a 2014 Swift Elegance it’s never missed a service always has a cover on it when not in use to protect it from UV rays yet I had a large crack appear on the large front roof window which I had to wait 1 year for my repair shop to find and replace while at the repair shop they called me to say I had 2 splits in the top rear panel which is a common problem with all swifts because the ABS panel is too thin. Swift didn’t want to know as it was out of warranty so I had to fork out 1k for the front sky window and to have the rear panel replaced is 4K so I have had it repaired. It’s absolutely disgusting that caravan manufacturers can’t build something that can last..
I have a new 2024 van and I wondering if when i park the van up at home should I leave my van parked "level" as not to cause any stresses to the caravan frame and possible misaligned of the structure as this could cause a stress point around this weakened aperture were this panoramic sun roof is fitted .? When I say level I use the wheel ramps .
@@miked8623 hi, no, that won’t make any difference, it is a good idea to either put the nose up or down a bit to allow the water to run off, but don’t worry about leveling across the axle too much.
@@atlanticcaravansUK Thankyou this does make sense.
We bought a 2018 swift panoramic panel was replaced before we picked it up after 5mth it's cracked again and not covered £1900 to replace. Surely swift need to sort this
Did you buy privately?
Coachman have a wider sunroof but as far as im aware they dont crack?
But they do leak and there are plenty references on the internet that I’ve seen to that effect.
My Swift van had water pouring in and it had to go back to the factory because the heat had distorted the window rubber it took 8weeks to fix , then had new seat cushions and curtains that didn’t match plus new window rubber, Swift in in name only but not when it comes to repairs.
hy is there any improvement in this sunroof problem ? im wondering if it can be replaced by a fixed panel or if anyone has come up with some alternative to the crap window
No, it’s the fixing in of anything that’s as much the issue as it relies on sealant. The best solution is for Swift to not fit one in the first place..
Has anyone had a go at an infill panel in some other material to do away with the sunroof?
I’m sure it could be done with some thought.. ?
I also had screws coming out, trim dropping off, shelf’s falling off so after making a claim through Visa the van was taken back and money refunded at a great loss.
I would add that if the blind is shut and there is sunshine the heat can rise to very hot ,this is also the problem and causes of the crack
No, they have a much better system with fixings. Don’t know why Swift don’t do that.
I wouldn’t buy the van without the sunroof, so I would like them to make it better. Fitting the sunroof in a door like frame that isn’t stressed with torsional movement and that can be opened would be nice. Plus a blind inside that allows heat to escape on sunny days, as I’m sure that can cause damage too.
How common are these faults.
On the big scale of how many are out there, probably not that many, I wouldn’t let it stop you buying one.
I would rather not have a sunroof personally. Great for extra light coming in but potentially it’s asking for trouble in the long run, the less penetrations in the roof the better.
If it's only two years old .it wasn't put in properly in the factory, so why not take the not so old one out and put it in again properly
It’s sealed in and the only way to get it out is to cut it out. It’s normally only a small bit of the sealant that’s causing the problem.
had ours replaced on a 2016 model they are crap swift should avoid fitting them as they are really usless bailey caravans have the better option with the big opening window if i bought a new caravan it would be adria much better quatily
I agree on the quality and I asked them to produce the layouts that work in the uk (basically copy the sprite range with the Adria quality) but they were happy with the small numbers they were doing in the UK, shame, if they were to produce a UK specific caravan for our market, they’d clean up.
Hi, thank you for the info. We had the sunroof crack through both sides of the double glazed unit on our 2019 Challenger. Ours has the acrylic panel running across the full width of the van. It was repaired under warranty by a Swift technician at our dealer. He visited the dealer and repaired 2 other vans. It seems Swift has mobile technicians moving around the country. Both Swift and my dealer stated they didn’t know the cause or had developed a countermeasure. As you will be aware there’s loads of social media on the issue, on one post it was stated that the dealer had said the issue was a lack of clearance between the double glazed unit and the hole in the roof panel, and that the countermeasure was to cut the roof aperture larger. When I look at my repaired van, I can see the roof aperture has been cut with a saw, there’s lots of burrs. I believe the manufacturing method is water jet, which leaves a smooth finish. I can also see there is a significant clearance between the double glazed unit and the roof. I don’t know the situation before the repair. I’ve looked at later models and the trim prevents you looking at the clearance, what’s you take on my observations? Many thanks from John.
@@gnarlyboot477 Hi John, I’ve not heard of that before, and certainly not seen that as an issue, yes there are Swift technicians traveling around the country replacing them, we don’t take on the large sunroofs in the conquers because we don’t want to put our name to them.
To be honest if having no sun roof would reduce water ingress I would happily have no sun roof . Me being a victim of water ingress I'd go with that.
That’s what the manufacturers have to ask, if they haven’t already.
Caravan 5 year old leak fail did not test.
Id rather not have the sunroof.