# Swift Sundance 630L rotten floor



## phil4francoise

ROTTEN FLOOR SWIFT SUNDANCE 630L on 55 plate Registered in Jan 2006Yesterday 21st June I went about investigating why the steps on my M/H were feeling very spongy and appeared to sink when standing on them.I laid underneath the nearside of the M/H and to my horror I saw rot rot and more rot the wood was like a sponge starting from the front and working back to the steps hence the collapse.My first thought was a long term water leak as the kitchen area is above but I could find no signs of any leaks and in any case the upper flooring appears to be perfect.I then looked at the off side and again to my horror this was the same but not as bad and again fro the front edge working back.I have 6 months warranty left thank God but what would happen if this went undiscovered for another 7 months I would have been left with a M/H worth nothing .I urge everyone with a swift to check it very carefully as this is clearly a design or manuacturing fault and reading this forum I am far from alone.I will return the M/H to my dealer John,s Cross on Monday morning and keep you all posted


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## JohnsCrossMotorHomes

Good morning Phil,

Very sorry to hear of your problem, please bring the Sundance back to us and we will investigate and take the apropriate action in conjunction with Swift.

Peter


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## maddie

Hi Phil, lucky you found it in time, :lol: and that Peter / JCM is your suppling dealer :lol: Has yours been undersealed ? It is suggested that the undersal may be the cause stopping any water leaving the van ?,but I doubt that and in any case how did it get in the van in the first place ?At the moment it is all sheer speculation.
I await Charisma's report has to what Swift found to be the cause on his ?
No doubt Peter (Swift) will ensure a speedy fix for you,after all they have already done one. :wink: 
terry


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## gm6vxb

Not the best thing to happen, suprised that the floor is still made from plywood, be it marine grade or not it is a point of weakness.
The bottom floor on my Lunar is 15(ish)MM plastic material, top floor is wood, so less chance of water damage unless it comes from above.
At least you have a good dealer to look at the problem, but wonder if the £2500 warranty limit applies to the repair ( thread elsewhere and cannot find it).

Martin.


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## SwiftGroup

*Floor Problem*

Phil

I am sorry to hear of this. Please do not worry about it, I can assure you that we will resolve this for you.

If you want to talk to us please ring us on 01482 875740.

No limit on the cost of repair to your vehicle will be applied.

Regards
Kath


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## hilldweller

phil4francoise said:


> to my horror I saw rot rot and more rot the wood was like a sponge starting from the front and working back to the steps


Another one !

If you do a search ( either pay your tenner and search here or use google ) you'll find details and be able to compare notes.

Are we seeing a pattern forming here ?

I can hear the patter of tiny feet as hundreds of MH owners go rushing out to their vans.


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## Charisma

I absolutely sympathise with you. I had a feeling of dread that I was going lose thousands on the value of the van, but fortunately Swift stepped in and have done a brilliant job of repairing mine.

I was without the van for nearly 4 months though while it was all sorted out (due mainly to Brownhills being involved and dragging their feet)

I hope that you get yours fixed quicker. I am sure JC will do all within their power to resolve it and I see Swift have already picked up on it.

Dave


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## Charisma

JohnsCrossMotorHomes said:


> Good morning Phil,
> 
> Very sorry to hear of your problem, please bring the Sundance back to us and we will investigate and take the apropriate action in conjunction with Swift.
> 
> Peter


Any update on this one Peter? I am still waiting for report from Swift on my repaired Suntor (Sundance in disguise!)

Same year of manufacture though which sounds a bit suspicious.

Dave


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## Charisma

Any update from anybody on this one?


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## stewartwebr

Any updates on this issue? I have read a number of vans effected by this problem. Can Swift give us Swift owners some assurance update on what is causing this issue please?

Regards,

Stewart


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## SwiftGroup

*Floors*

We have investigated the matter of the omni-step pulling away from the floor of the motorhome.

The floor is sourced from a well established composite panel manufacturer in Europe who supplies a large number of Motorhome manufacturers with this design. They are a well known supplier within the caravan and Motorhome industry. Their specification of flooring as supplied and fitted to the Motorhomes consists of vinyl faced plywood on the underside of the composite construction

This material provides excellent moisture resistance to the underside of the floor, however, if any moisture infiltrates the floor structure the vinyl face materials will then prevent trapped moisture from escaping easily. In this instance if not rectified the internal floor materials can deteriorate and result in the damage that people have reported on the forum.

Swift have the expertise and are confident that the floor can be successfully repaired to prevent a re-occurrence of this problem, a blackened WBP ply can be used as a recognized alternative which will allow the materials and the floor structure to breathe.

We have changed our production and changed the flooring from the composite material to ply so that it is breathable.

Regards
Kath


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## bid

*Swift Motorhomes" - Swift Sundance 630L rotten floor*

Hi Kath

When did Swift change its production and the flooring from the composite material to ply so that it is breathable and is it now the same on all Swift motorhomes?

Regards 
bid


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## Charisma

*Re: Floors*



SwiftGroup said:


> if any moisture infiltrates the floor structure the vinyl face materials will then prevent trapped moisture from escaping easily


Hi Kath

My question is how does the moisture get in between the vinyl cover and the ply floor?

My van has just come back from Swift following floor repair for this problem. One thing I noticed is that the side skirts appear to now be sealed along the top edge all round. I am sure there was no sealant there before.

Any water seeping down between the side skirts and the wall would have nowhere to go except out near the edge of the floor. If the vinyl sheet stopped it escaping, then it would sit there for a long time.

Several sections of my floor have been replaced (on both sides of the van), not just around the step area, but that would fit with water leaking between the side skirts and wall all around the outside.

Surely if this problem is potentially going to affect all vans of this vintage, then a recall should be made to remove the vinyl sheet and seal the side skirts on all models affected?

It would certainly be cheaper than having to replace dozens (hundreds) of floor sections.

Dave


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## mhaze

I was thinking of having the van waxoyled tis Autumn. Would this affect the brethabilty of the Plywood? I was planning to use before-n-after for the job.

Any comments swift or others?

Mick


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## Charisma

mhaze said:


> I was thinking of having the van waxoyled tis Autumn. Would this affect the brethabilty of the Plywood? I was planning to use before-n-after for the job.
> 
> Any comments swift or others?
> 
> Mick


Have you had a look at your floor underneath to see if it is covered in vinyl or can you see black woodgrain? The Vinyl is shiny and the wood is matt.

I think that as long as there is no vinyl covering it should not need extra protection.

Dave


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## mhaze

It's plywood and may not need protection but the metal chassis will - my question is will the waxoyl increase the likelyhood of damp damage to the plywood - perhaps swift could comment?

Mick


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## SwiftGroup

*Feedback*

Charisma

I am going to get someone to give you a call with more details about the specific issues with your vehicle, we clearly have not satisfied you.

Regarding your other points. It is not the floor that has initially caused the problem, it is the fact that the leak has occurred elsewhere, which could be the skirts or the exterior door for instance but because we have used this composite material rather than breathable ply then the deterioration to the floor occurs quicker than it would if the floor was breathable.

We cannot do a recall because it is not specific enough to tell the dealers what to look for. Furthermore, the failures are still extremely low in comparison to the vans built.

The vans that have failed so far have all been in the warranty period.

When this occurs it is very distressing for owners, but you all know that Swift will not walk away from our responsibilites and will repair back at our factory.

Regards
Kath


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## JohnsCrossMotorHomes

Charisma said:


> Any update on this one Peter? I am still waiting for report from Swift on my repaired Suntor (Sundance in disguise!)
> 
> Same year of manufacture though which sounds a bit suspicious.
> 
> Dave


Hi,

Sorry for delay, thought you meant Peter from Swift! It does get confusing sometimes.

Anyway update:

Phils MH is booked to go to Swift in September at his request so he can carry on using it until the end of the season when it will be fully rectified at no cost to him.

Regards

Peter


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## Charisma

*Re: Feedback*



SwiftGroup said:


> Charisma
> 
> I am going to get someone to give you a call with more details about the specific issues with your vehicle, we clearly have not satisfied you.
> 
> Regarding your other points. It is not the floor that has initially caused the problem, it is the fact that the leak has occurred elsewhere, which could be the skirts or the exterior door for instance but because we have used this composite material rather than breathable ply then the deterioration to the floor occurs quicker than it would if the floor was breathable.
> 
> We cannot do a recall because it is not specific enough to tell the dealers what to look for. Furthermore, the failures are still extremely low in comparison to the vans built.
> 
> The vans that have failed so far have all been in the warranty period.
> 
> When this occurs it is very distressing for owners, but you all know that Swift will not walk away from our responsibilites and will repair back at our factory.
> 
> Regards
> Kath


Hi Kath

I did get a call from Jenny today, but she has not been able to speak with your Repair Centre Manager yet, so it does not appear that Swift actually know what the CAUSE of the water ingress is yet.

My comment re a recall was IF it was caused by unsealed side skirts, then this is something that should be attended to BEFORE floor damage occurs.

Just because a small number of vans have been identified so far as having a problem does not mean that only a few are affected. It could all be just a matter of time.

I DO appreciate Swifts response to my (and others) problems and the way that they have reacted courteously and professionally in a difficult situation. However, surely if a CAUSE of the problem has been identified, it is better to recall vans and fix them rather than wait for further damage to occur.

There is also the safety aspect - what would happen if somebody fell off the step while entering or leaving their van if it collapsed at that moment? There could be a nasty accident.

My van is fixed (hopefully) but my concern is for other motorhome owners who may have a problem that just has not appeared yet.

Lets see what the Repair Centre Manager has to say first before jumping to too many conclusions though.

Thanks again for your interest.

Dave


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## ian57

*bessacarr E425 floor*

Glad I found this thread, having just got back from 2 months abroad, whilst there, one morning stepping out of the van I felt the step drop slightely, later I removed the fitted entrance mat & unscrewed the plastic tray from the floor it was sat in, I found the front L/H step bolt pulled through the floor about 10mm & a large area of the floor that is hidden under the entrance mat/tray slightley raised.
Also pushing down on the step made the whole floor move!!
Concerned the step may come away suddenly & cause a accident to one of us, I called in at a small motorhome dealer to have a closer look he confirmed the floor area was wet & rotten from above!!
He made a temp repair by making a large washer to go around the top of the bolt to give more support above, so we could still safely leave through the hab door!!
This is also on a January 2006 built bessacarr E425, so did swift have some bad floors delivered & how can a floor be patched & still be strong, how is this fault repaired & rectified?
Ian


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## 96410

Has my September 2008 model got the same floor??


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## Charisma

*Re: bessacarr E425 floor*



ian57 said:


> Glad I found this thread, having just got back from 2 months abroad, whilst there, one morning stepping out of the van I felt the step drop slightely, later I removed the fitted entrance mat & unscrewed the plastic tray from the floor it was sat in, I found the front L/H step bolt pulled through the floor about 10mm & a large area of the floor that is hidden under the entrance mat/tray slightley raised.
> Also pushing down on the step made the whole floor move!!
> Concerned the step may come away suddenly & cause a accident to one of us, I called in at a small motorhome dealer to have a closer look he confirmed the floor area was wet & rotten from above!!
> He made a temp repair by making a large washer to go around the top of the bolt to give more support above, so we could still safely leave through the hab door!!
> This is also on a January 2006 built bessacarr E425, so did swift have some bad floors delivered & how can a floor be patched & still be strong, how is this fault repaired & rectified?
> Ian


Hi Ian

Sorry to hear your sorry tale. Please see my post on one of the causes of the rotten floor. http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-48804.html

The other cause identified is a leaking door frame at the bottom corners, so you could check to see if there are any cracks in that area. The good news is that being a January 2006 model, it is still in warranty.

The floor is repaired by replacing sections and it may have to go to the Swift factory, but I expect Kath or Peter will advise on that one. Probably best to talk to your dealer first.

Hope you get it fixed quickly

Charisma


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## Charisma

subaru said:


> Has my September 2008 model got the same floor??


Hi Suburu

Apparently Swift have changed the floor design and removed the plastic floor covering around the step area underneath which traps the water. Might be worth having a look though to check.

You should be able to see timber only (black normally) around where the step is bolted to the floor. If it is shiny plastic looking, then check the floor for any sign of spongy wood

Charisma


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## 96410

Charisma,
Thanks for that, mine is black wood, but i have just been under van with torch and noticed that all pipes and fitting going through the floor are sealed with black gunk except where the fridge fittings go through so i can see where the floor has been cut and i can see about 2 inch thick of wood (not black) Should this be sealed as well. It looks like it might not have been picked up by quality control, but not sure?


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## JohnsCrossMotorHomes

subaru said:


> Has my September 2008 model got the same floor??


Hi if you give Glenn a call tomorrow he can explain all to you.

Regards

Peter


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## ian57

*bessacarr E425 floor*

Hi Charisma

Thanks for that info, I will give things a good check tomorrow around the door etc, but I do no there is NO signs of any sealant around the top edges of the skirts!! 
As yet I have not had a close inspection around the other floor areas under seating areas etc, thinking the problem is the entrance area only!!
Have they replaced the floor covering (vinyl) right through as the original always looked like it was fitted before the interior furniture etc is fitted eg on top of the vinyl.
Are there now any signs of a repair ??
It would be easier for me to let swift themselves to look at things than take it to brownhills and be messed about again by them also nearer for me.
Will investigate tomorrow and make contact.
Seems like around the time these vans where built swift mut have been low on sealant??

Many thanks for help.
Ian


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## ian57

*bessacarr E425 floor*

Update on the damp floor,
Brownhills at newark not interested, will not look at a van purchased elsewhere!!
Lowdhams the end of october before they can look at it!!
And they will need it leaving for a day or so to check.
I think this water ingress problem needs sorting before the floor collapses!!
Van came from Cranhams I cannot travel that far!!
This should not happen on a van less than 3 tears old!!
SWIFT can you help.??

Ian


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## Charisma

*Re: bessacarr E425 floor*



ian57 said:


> Have they replaced the floor covering (vinyl) right through as the original always looked like it was fitted before the interior furniture etc is fitted eg on top of the vinyl.
> Are there now any signs of a repair ??


Hi Ian

The repair to mine was all done from below as far as I am aware. You can check the floor underneath very easily by using your finger and pressing into the wood especially near the edges next to the skirts. If it is rotten it will appear very spongy. It should be rock hard. The rot spreads from the edge because that where the water starts to collect. Mine was 2.5 years old before my step collapsed and alerted me to the problem. Swift actually replaced more of the floor than I had found using the trusty finger, so they were very thorough.

Don't know why you have not heard from Swift yet. Perhaps a PM to Peter or Kath would get some response.

Charisma


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## Rislar

Any updates on this as i'm thinking about buying one, well looking! at least i know thats one thing i can check, anymore issues with this van?


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## ian57

Hi Risler,
Thanks for asking

This is our 5th van in 16yrs, our previous was a swift suntor (sundance) 590RL, its a layout that suites us well, good lounging area where you can spread out after a long day!!
So we liked it that much we then upgraded to a Bessacarr version same layout etc but some nice updated improvements to it since. 
Both vans have been the best behaved we have ever had and given us some great holidays, until now!!
This has taken me by suprise bigtime that after such a long time a problem like this would happen!!
So like a few others on here who have had same problem, I am hoping swift will take care of it in a efficiant manner also, as we like to get away most weekends!!


Ian


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## Rislar

ian57 said:


> Hi Risler,
> Thanks for asking
> 
> This is our 5th van in 16yrs, our previous was a swift suntor (sundance) 590RL, its a layout that suites us well, good lounging area where you can spread out after a long day!!
> So we liked it that much we then upgraded to a Bessacarr version same layout etc but some nice updated improvements to it since.
> Both vans have been the best behaved we have ever had and given us some great holidays, until now!!
> This has taken me by suprise bigtime that after such a long time a problem like this would happen!!
> So like a few others on here who have had same problem, I am hoping swift will take care of it in a efficiant manner also, as we like to get away most weekends!!
> 
> Ian


 Bloody hell i hope you get this sorted and quick!! please post back with your findings!!!


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## phil4francoise

The sundance is now back with Swift and the work has started on replacing the rotten sections of flooring.Swift have been very good abot the whole thing although there has been a few issues.I can not seem to get an answer as to what is the cause of the water ingress but it seem that the vinyl coating on the underside of the floor seems to be why the water ingress cannot escape.Swift assure me that the cause of the problem will be corrected but they seem reluctant to tell me what the cause is.does anyone else know ? It does seem to be well known within the motorhome industry about the problem on motorhomes that had this type of floor indeed it seem that Swift have stopped using this type of vinyl based floor.


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## Charisma

phil4francoise said:


> Swift assure me that the cause of the problem will be corrected but they seem reluctant to tell me what the cause is.does anyone else know ?


Have a look at my post http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-48804.html on the cause.

It would seem that it will either be the side skirts not sealed to the bodywork or cracks in the habitation door frame allowing water to seep into the floor and unable to escape because of the plastic covering on the underside of the floor.

I do believe that this is a bigger problem than Swift are admitting to, as more and more vans are coming to light with this problem that are in the 2005 / 2006 vintage.

However, Swift have stated publicly that they will repair any floors that have this problem - even out of warranty.

Well done them I say 

Charisma


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## maddie

8O hmmmm,so Swift have not sealed side skirts to cause this problem ???Sounds a little iffy,how does the water that gets past the side skirts get into the van? are they (the sides) not sealed to the floor ?you have to ask on how many does this affect and is it going to harm residuals? Would it not be lot easyier to get service people to seal the skirts before more damage occurs?It may be cheaper for Swift to get in touch with owners that may be at risk and seal the skirts before more come to light? JUST MY THOUGHT'S
terry


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## phil4francoise

thats wait and see how many more come to light.My sundance is 2/12 years old but it has done a lot of wet miles as we have toured eastern europe and go back and forth to our home in France all the time .My concern is for those who have low milage vans and are parked undercover the problem may not show up for years,way out of warranty.I really think that swift should recall those vans affected.Having said that swift have been very good about the problem


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## Charisma

maddie said:


> Would it not be lot easyier to get service people to seal the skirts before more damage occurs?It may be cheaper for Swift to get in touch with owners that may be at risk and seal the skirts before more come to light?


You would think so wouldn't you :roll:


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## maddie

JUST MY THOUGHT'S again! Swift must know how long they have been making vans in the way they have,so they must also know if it affects all models and numbers of vans involved---from / to? Any Swift owner has got to be worried about future value of there vehicle at this point.
Then agian if I were a Swift owner I would want this hussssshed up and hope it does not affect my van and no more comes to light.
terry


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## phil4francoise

I agree with your comments,however as it appears to be already widespread knowledge within the industry as I have found out when trying to trade it in I am faced with the dilemma of what to do with a M/H which may have now lost thousands off of its second hand value.I will be asking Swift this question when I go to collect my van.


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## Charisma

phil4francoise said:


> I agree with your comments,however as it appears to be already widespread knowledge within the industry as I have found out when trying to trade it in I am faced with the dilemma of what to do with a M/H which may have now lost thousands off of its second hand value.I will be asking Swift this question when I go to collect my van.


Are you saying that Dealers are aware of the rotten floor problems on the Sundance range and are reducing trade-in prices?

How did they find out? Peter at Johns Cross said previously that with an extended Swift Warranty on the repair he would not mind trading in a repaired van.

Would the price change though Peter? Comments please.

Charisma


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## phil4francoise

How did they find out seems a strange question. where is yor first port of call when you discover the rot ? your dealer off course.
I was in France at the ferry port when a fellow sundance owner approached me and kindly suggested that I examend my floor after explaining what had happened to his.He was also very re assuring about how good swift had been.And I must add that Glen at Johns cross has been great.


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## JohnsCrossMotorHomes

Charisma said:


> Are you saying that Dealers are aware of the rotten floor problems on the Sundance range and are reducing trade-in prices?
> How did they find out? Peter at Johns Cross said previously that with an extended Swift Warranty on the repair he would not mind trading in a repaired van.
> Would the price change though Peter? Comments please.
> Charisma


We don't have a problem with any Sundance that has had a factory warranty repair.

Regards


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## maddie

JohnsCrossMotorHomes said:


> Charisma said:
> 
> 
> 
> Are you saying that Dealers are aware of the rotten floor problems on the Sundance range and are reducing trade-in prices?
> How did they find out? Peter at Johns Cross said previously that with an extended Swift Warranty on the repair he would not mind trading in a repaired van.
> Would the price change though Peter? Comments please.
> Charisma
> 
> 
> 
> We don't have a problem with any Sundance that has had a factory warranty repair.
> 
> Regards
Click to expand...

WHAT about the ones that have not ????? Would you still give proper value or would this reflect on the trade in price / or would you send it off to Swift for a repair out of g/tee ? which is basically what Swift have said they will do,BUT for how long out of g/tee ? 
All of which need answers to the questions that I raised in the post before the one above. 
how many ? 
what models ? 
what remedy ? 
if it is a simple seal around the skirts ? I would get it done PRONTO. 
I am sure if it is, the above Swift owners would get it done !!! they only need guidance as to if there homes are affected and remedy before this gets out of hand and hurts owners as well as Swift (and possibly owners of Ace and Bessicar ?) I can see why Swift do not want to comment / stay out of this in writing but all owners need reasurance,after all Swift have changed there floor/sealing methods in house so if it needs this it needs remedy for models already sold. 
terry


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## phil4francoise

I have already had this from a dealer who's name a will not mention ,not JC , that have said they would not take my sundance px without the extended warranty from swift that would cover the guarantee period that they would have to give with the sell of a second hand m/home. This is how I know that this problem is well known within the industry.


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## jaks

*rotten floor*

hi all i am so glad i spent my tenner i have just checked my floor of bessie sure enough on one side of the step when you press the wood water actually seeps on to your finger .I phoned swift to ask advice and was told to phone my dealer which i did and the service manager has never heard of the problem he said he would contact swift for advice and get back to me .He did say they would probably have to check all the floor with a damp meter this got me thinking as i thought at first it was just the step area so back outside under bessie prodding with only my finger and lo and behold there is a lot of spongy areas all round the perimeter of the floor so i am no expert but it seems to me to be a mixture of sealant or lack of and the type of flooring used the only saving grace i suppose it is a swift product and it will be repaired but what if i did not have access to this forum and was not fit enough to check this myself the only way i would have found it was when i came down the steps quicker than i went up them as the bolts holding it up slipped through the soggy flooring . I honestly beleive it should be a recall or any of us see the same model as ours to point it out to the unsuspecting owners I apologise if this is a bit long winded but it is the only way to describe what i have regretfully found   :evil: :evil:


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## Charisma

*Re: rotten floor*



jaks said:


> hi all i am so glad i spent my tenner i have just checked my floor of bessie sure enough on one side of the step when you press the wood water actually seeps on to your finger .I phoned swift to ask advice and was told to phone my dealer which i did and the service manager has never heard of the problem he said he would contact swift for advice and get back to me .He did say they would probably have to check all the floor with a damp meter this got me thinking as i thought at first it was just the step area so back outside under bessie prodding with only my finger and lo and behold there is a lot of spongy areas all round the perimeter of the floor so i am no expert but it seems to me to be a mixture of sealant or lack of and the type of flooring used the only saving grace i suppose it is a swift product and it will be repaired but what if i did not have access to this forum and was not fit enough to check this myself the only way i would have found it was when i came down the steps quicker than i went up them as the bolts holding it up slipped through the soggy flooring . I honestly beleive it should be a recall or any of us see the same model as ours to point it out to the unsuspecting owners I apologise if this is a bit long winded but it is the only way to describe what i have regretfully found   :evil: :evil:


Jaks, I am sorry to hear of your problem, but I am sure you are glad you found it before it has got too bad. How old is your Bessie? Is it still in warranty?

I have been fortunate to get mine fixed already by Swift and they have done a great job - very thorough - replacing all the soggy flooring and sealing the sideskirts. So far so good 

I am not sure why a recall is not being made for this fault. Surely prevention is better (and cheaper) than fixing it later?


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## phil4francoise

:roll: Hi Jaks, really sorry to hear about your rotten floor believe me I know how you feel I was so distraugt when I discovered the rot on my Sundance, again as yours and many others around the peremeter of the floor.mine has done a lot of wet miles and so the rot was well set in.I when straight back to my dealer who in the first instance said the same thing ,that it was the first case they had seen.I later discovered via this forum that that very same day they had returned a m/home to the owner having just had the floor replaced. In their defense it was a salesperson i spoke to and not Glen who deals with repairs.He has been great as has Carol James at Swift. Do not worry about your m/home swift will repair it without any questions. My problem is getting anyone to atually hold there hands up and say "yes we got it wrong "which is all we want. I am sure you have read all the assossiated links so you know what is happening. I strongly believe that the only way forward here is as a group. I have other issues with Swift which I do not wish to discuss until Swift have had the chance to see the error of their ways. If I can help in any way feel free to contact me . :lol: :lol:


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## SwiftGroup

*Response*

I have already posted an explanation about this problem on this thread, twice.

We do not have anything further to add, our reply is honest and straightforward.

I am sorry that we have caused this upset to our customers. We will continue to be supportive

Regards
Kath


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## jaks

*rotten floor*

Hi charisma my bessie 2/1/2 yrs old and am really happy with it just a bit dissapointed more than anything but compared to the others i think i have been lucky in spotting it in time and all i ask is it gets fixed no more no less we will just wait and see i can only think positive JAKS :lol:  :lol:


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## jaks

*floor in bessie*

Hi folks just to let you know i went to the dealer yesterday to let them check my floor and to cut a long story short i DO HAVE A PROBLEM so apparently they send a report to swift who in turn then decide the best way forward and in their opinion it looks like it will have to return to swift. It looks like a waiting game until a decision is reached which i understand they must check the report etc .JAKS :lol:  :lol:


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## airstream

*Some things change, some don't*

A reminder for those who need it - ie those with a rotten bottom

Ray


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## robinswift

*Swift 630l Lifestyle 2006 Rotten Floor*

Hello

I have a 2006 Swift Lifestyle 630l. I have had this vehicle from new and bought it from Marques Motorhomes in Preston.

I have a serious problem with my motorhome floor. The wooden flooring is rotten. Does anybody have any suggestions on resolving this problem?

I had to take the stablising feet off it within the first year due to them being loose. I didn't realise at the time but the floor was wet there then and the screws pulled out.

I have seen on the blogs numerous people with the same problems. Has anybody got any advice for me as the floor is now getting dangerous.

I have also stored the vehicle in a concrete floored garage when not in use so cannot understand why the floor has gone like this.

Cheers

Robin

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## Davygt5

Unfortunately on my 07 model I have found three patches of my floor underneath that are spongy. All are at the rear, one in the corner and are only a couple of inches long and ingress about an inch. I'm basically wondering if I could get away with cutting these out or even the last 3" over the width of the van and replacing with treated wood. 

Anyone know if the side skirts are easy to get off to seal underneath? Or am I better just biting the bullet (getting the wallet out)  and getting Swift involved


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## Mike48

Swift are now less likely to be involved than they were a few years back. You could try posting on the Swift-Talk forum where Swift are a continuous presence. I wish you luck but don't hold your breath.


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## Davygt5

I'll have a look at Swift Talk and see if I can get a reply.

I'll be getting the repair done one way or the other anyway. I wont have this van for ever and I'll be damned if I'm going to pass this problem on to the next owner.


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## Pat-H

From the mods done by swift on ours (before we had it) it looks like they remove the plastic coating under the wood to let it breath which seems to help. But I've noticed it's a full time job monitoring the seal betweent he skirts and the body to stop rain water running between and then under the lower floor.
I check mine monthly and clean and seal any ingress points.


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## Davygt5

Thank you Pat, and Mike for your replies. I've posted on Swift Talk so I'll wait to see if I get a reply. Not hopeful though.

It's not too bad at the moment so I'll just enjoy my summer in it


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## Mike48

Surprisingly it looks as though you have received a hopefully positive response from Swift on the Swift-Talk website. Keep us posted as that might help others in a similar position.


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## Veitch

*Sundance 630l floor wet at corners*

My 2008 Sundance 630l plywood floor underneath is still getting wet at the corners. I have sealed on the top of all the side and rear skirts but the front left corner especially is still getting damp. I have spent a long time trying to determine where the water is coming from with no luck. Any ideas where this is coming from? Anyone had a similar problem? 
Any helpful comments are welcome.
Thanks


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## Mike48

If you read the last couple of threads you will see that the appropriate place to post queries on Swift is Swift's own forum - Swift-Talk.


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## lipupfatty

I really don't understand why Swift don't use marine ply if they need to use wood at all.
For the small extra cost to them it would solve a whole host of problems.
How many car manufacturers still use wood in their construction ?


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## Pat-H

lipupfatty said:


> I really don't understand why Swift don't use marine ply if they need to use wood at all.
> For the small extra cost to them it would solve a whole host of problems.
> How many car manufacturers still use wood in their construction ?


The wood they use is very thin so not really ply just a few layers.

I suspect it's the weight that's the issue. Use something tougher and the weight may go up.


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## lipupfatty

Hear what you say , but marine ply comes in all thicknesses.


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## DustyR

Just had my Swift Sundance 530LP 2008 back from having spent over £800 on replacing part rotten flooring around the corners just as you describe. I also could not see just where the water was getting in, however the side skirts have been removed and put back and sealed against any possible water coming down the sides of the van.

Only time will tell if they have fixed the problem, I will be looking at the underside with interest after all the rain we have been having lately.

I thought the ply flooring was marine ply obviously I am wrong, I never could understand why they didn't make the underside with something like upvc.


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## listerdiesel

When we built our trailer we were fortunate in getting hold of 3 sheets of 21mm grp/polyester honeycomb at about half price. This is used in truck bodies so you can believe it is very strong and lighter than wood of the same thickness.

The downside is that it is expensive, a recent buy to make up the bathroom walls after we dumped the chipboard (same problem, didn't like water!) cost us £273 plus carriage and VAT for an 8ft X 8ft sheet of 14mm thick.

The upside is that it is ultra-strong and can be used in structural assemblies, the downside is that fixings are a little more complex, glueing being used extensively.

It is completely impervious to water and is non-intercellular, ie water in one part or cell of the honeycomb does not migrate elsewhere in the body of the sheet.

It is going to be this type of material that is going to become more popular as customers demand better quality of construction for their expensive motorhome purchases.

Other formats are available, there is a GRP/Foam sandwich available as well, all produced in sizes to suit trucks up to 13.50 metres per sheet, so no size constraints and the stuff is already here.

A motorhome made of these materials would be stronger and lighter than existing designs, but the manufacturers would need to get their heads around the new methods of construction such as adhesive bonding of panels etc etc.

Our trailer floor is completely glued, no fasteners are used at all in the three large pieces that are in there.

Aalco catalogue:

http://www.aalco.co.uk/_downloads/literature/aalco-road-transport.pdf

Panels are about mid 90's pages.

Peter

Edit:

Here's the chassis with just the floor panels in place:


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## Veitch

*Wet corner*

" My 2008 Sundance 630l plywood floor underneath is still getting wet at the corners. I have sealed on the top of all the side and rear skirts but the front left corner especially is still getting damp. I have spent a long time trying to determine where the water is coming from with no luck. Any ideas where this is coming from? Anyone had a similar problem? 
Any helpful comments are welcome. 
Thanks "

"If you read the last couple of threads you will see that the appropriate place to post queries on Swift is Swift's own forum - Swift-Talk. "

Hmmm well I have read many many posts on MHF and the Swift forum. 
But......I think I will post any motorhome queries where I think its appropriate and where I can get advice and of course offer any if I can.

After the use of a wireless camera on a long stick I found that the front left corner underneath floor was actually getting wet due to the top overcab window. There was a section where the sealant was missing and water was going onto the cab roof and on to the lagging then down the door post behind the passenger seat. luckily there has been no internal dampness and all has been rectified.
I'll check all the other window sealant when the weather improves.


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