We just bought the 2023 144 Select in New Zealand. Have to say that at NZ$170k, the build quality is a little disappointing. Wall linings are spongy, door panels rattle, sticky cover patches over screws etc. Maybe I bought a Friday afternoon model but compared with some of the domestically produced models it falls short in my view. Shame.
Hi rubytuesday. Thanks for taking the time to help others with your feedback. Sorry to hear of your disappointment in your Swift quality. Can I ask, how do you feel three months later?
@@Threadexpress Thanks for the follow up. 3 months in and around 1,500km later, my thoughts are as follows. Please note however that I am new to campers and some of my comments may apply to other brands. The Good: 1. I love the teal colour. It’s such a refreshing change from the usual white campers and always gets complimented. 2. Storage is well thought out and there is a lot of it - some well hidden under carpets for example. 3. The Fiat cab and power train are great and it seems very economical on fuel. Somewhere between 7-8 L/100km. Very nice to drive and plenty of power. 4. The layout of the 144 is good and works well for a couple and medium sized dog. 5. Really nice to have opening windows with bug screens and blinds in the twin rear doors. None of the other campers we looked at had these. 6. The main sliding side door has an integral bug screen that covers the whole opening. 7. Headroom in the camper is good. I am 6’3” and I can move relatively easily inside. 8. I can sleep straight out across the back but another inch taller and it would be a different story. The Bad For a company with a long and respected track record such as Swift, the poor attention to detail is staggering For example: 1. About 50% of the plastic screw caps used to fix the internal wall and ceiling linings have split. This is because they have used countersunk screws and over tightened them. The wedge shaped screw head has caused the plastic cup to split. This would be obviated by using pan head screws at manufacture. 2. On my camper, the hot and cold supplies to the shower were reversed. This is basic QA 101. 3. The bracket attaching the dining room table to the camper wall had completely missed the timber blocking behind the wall lining. The result was that the table was flapping about. Basic QA. 4. I spent about a month wondering what was wrong with my solar panel charging system before finding out that the dealer had forgotten to re-fit the 40amp fuse under the drivers’s seat that is removed for overseas delivery. Seems like a an odd thing to forget if it’s removed on every camper delivered. 5. The control panel on the front of the fridge is touch sensitive. Even if you brush against it, it operates the controls. In a narrow galley kitchen this occurs every half an hour. This needs a cover to prevent accidental adjustment. 6. The laminated wood-effect composite panels that are used to build the cabinets are screwed together at corners. The screws are countersunk and the heads covered with cheap-looking wood grain effect circles. They look cheap and nasty and should not be used on a $170,000 camper. These peel off in hot climates and there any many alternatives. 7. Angled trim used on the step between front and rear areas and under the grill are stuck on with double-sided sticky tape. See 5 above. 8. The water supply stopped on the second trip. This turned out to be caused by debris in the water tank blocking the pump. Even though I washed out the tank, this still did not remove the factory debris. Again, poor QA. 9. On delivery, it was noted that many of the storage lockers were still littered with saw dust from manufacture. Similarly, door rubbers and door channels still had lots of (rusty) metal swarf in them from fabrication. Poor QA. I did contact Swift about these issues and they issued the usual corporate twaddle about taking QA seriously but in my mind actions speak louder than words. In spite of the above issues, we’re still very happy with the Swift and love the freedom it gives us.
@@rubytuesday1345 Thank you so much for taking the time to give that reply! Both good and bad news. I worry that the obvious lack of care and quality methods during assembly will translate into long term issues such as leaking, corrosion, assemblies loosening etc. Yes, it is hard to believe PC twaddle when there are multiple issues on multiple vans. Sounds like Swift are or have been having staffing issues. Well, I guess that is ultimately management issues. But good to hear you like the van overall.
Oh, one more question. Have you noticed, or can you see, by looking at edges, if the majority of the internal panels are plywood, or some king of particle board? EG 12mm ply.. or pressed board?
Hi. Most of the panels look like particle board to me. The wall linings are 3mm hardboard with an adhesive covering. No expense spared! @@Threadexpress
We just bought the 2023 144 Select in New Zealand. Have to say that at NZ$170k, the build quality is a little disappointing. Wall linings are spongy, door panels rattle, sticky cover patches over screws etc. Maybe I bought a Friday afternoon model but compared with some of the domestically produced models it falls short in my view. Shame.
Hi rubytuesday. Thanks for taking the time to help others with your feedback. Sorry to hear of your disappointment in your Swift quality. Can I ask, how do you feel three months later?
@@Threadexpress Thanks for the follow up. 3 months in and around 1,500km later, my thoughts are as follows. Please note however that I am new to campers and some of my comments may apply to other brands.
The Good:
1. I love the teal colour. It’s such a refreshing change from the usual white campers and always gets complimented.
2. Storage is well thought out and there is a lot of it - some well hidden under carpets for example.
3. The Fiat cab and power train are great and it seems very economical on fuel. Somewhere between 7-8 L/100km. Very nice to drive and plenty of power.
4. The layout of the 144 is good and works well for a couple and medium sized dog.
5. Really nice to have opening windows with bug screens and blinds in the twin rear doors. None of the other campers we looked at had these.
6. The main sliding side door has an integral bug screen that covers the whole opening.
7. Headroom in the camper is good. I am 6’3” and I can move relatively easily inside.
8. I can sleep straight out across the back but another inch taller and it would be a different story.
The Bad
For a company with a long and respected track record such as Swift, the poor attention to detail is staggering For example:
1. About 50% of the plastic screw caps used to fix the internal wall and ceiling linings have split. This is because they have used countersunk screws and over tightened them. The wedge shaped screw head has caused the plastic cup to split. This would be obviated by using pan head screws at manufacture.
2. On my camper, the hot and cold supplies to the shower were reversed. This is basic QA 101.
3. The bracket attaching the dining room table to the camper wall had completely missed the timber blocking behind the wall lining. The result was that the table was flapping about. Basic QA.
4. I spent about a month wondering what was wrong with my solar panel charging system before finding out that the dealer had forgotten to re-fit the 40amp fuse under the drivers’s seat that is removed for overseas delivery. Seems like a an odd thing to forget if it’s removed on every camper delivered.
5. The control panel on the front of the fridge is touch sensitive. Even if you brush against it, it operates the controls. In a narrow galley kitchen this occurs every half an hour. This needs a cover to prevent accidental adjustment.
6. The laminated wood-effect composite panels that are used to build the cabinets are screwed together at corners. The screws are countersunk and the heads covered with cheap-looking wood grain effect circles. They look cheap and nasty and should not be used on a $170,000 camper. These peel off in hot climates and there any many alternatives.
7. Angled trim used on the step between front and rear areas and under the grill are stuck on with double-sided sticky tape. See 5 above.
8. The water supply stopped on the second trip. This turned out to be caused by debris in the water tank blocking the pump. Even though I washed out the tank, this still did not remove the factory debris. Again, poor QA.
9. On delivery, it was noted that many of the storage lockers were still littered with saw dust from manufacture. Similarly, door rubbers and door channels still had lots of (rusty) metal swarf in them from fabrication. Poor QA.
I did contact Swift about these issues and they issued the usual corporate twaddle about taking QA seriously but in my mind actions speak louder than words. In spite of the above issues, we’re still very happy with the Swift and love the freedom it gives us.
@@rubytuesday1345 Thank you so much for taking the time to give that reply!
Both good and bad news.
I worry that the obvious lack of care and quality methods during assembly will translate into long term issues such as leaking, corrosion, assemblies loosening etc.
Yes, it is hard to believe PC twaddle when there are multiple issues on multiple vans.
Sounds like Swift are or have been having staffing issues. Well, I guess that is ultimately management issues.
But good to hear you like the van overall.
Oh, one more question. Have you noticed, or can you see, by looking at edges, if the majority of the internal panels are plywood, or some king of particle board? EG 12mm ply.. or pressed board?
Hi. Most of the panels look like particle board to me. The wall linings are 3mm hardboard with an adhesive covering. No expense spared! @@Threadexpress