# Habitation door



## duds

I have 2008 Autocruise Starburst. The habitation door has started to show signs of the paint bubbling up at the bottom and around the edges.
As still under warranty, I will have this door replaced with a new one. 
Anyone had similar problem ? What causes it?


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## richardjames

Is it paint or is it gel coat?? Can you give more detail 8O


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## duds

yes it may be the gelcoat not clear to me but I notice an outside locker door has started to go the same way at the bottom.


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## 124788

*Replaced Door.*

Hi,

We have just had the door replaced on our Autocruise StarSpirit.

We had ours replaced due to the door not closing properly, as it was
out of line with the frame.

I know this is slightly out of context with your post, but I want to make you aware of a problem you may have.

The replacement door may not match your existing motorhome colour as existing van will have slightly faded with age and also slightly different batch colours.

Regards 
Stu


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## richardjames

It may be that your door is suffering with osmosis which is blistering of the gel coat due to the fibre mat getting wet because the gelcoat is porous.
Unfortunately the gelcoat is the waterproof coat. I have experienced this in boat and the remedy was to grind back the gelcoat and two pot coat the surface. See what could be happening with your door is that grp strands are siphoning the moisture and it is gyrating to the bottom. If you burst one of bubbles you may see liquid. This problem very often exists with grp urinals. A new panel in your door would be the simplest repair


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## duds

having now taken the Autocruise Starburst to my supplying dealer for inspection of the problem he reports to me that the door is made of aluminium and painted and the paint has and is failing on this door and the doors of two of the outside lockers.

Therefore a warranty claim is being lodged with Swift but he says they are very slow at handling these .

I recommend folk out there to check their habitation doors and lockers to see if the piant is failing like mine which are only 16 months old. Very dissappointing for me.


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## time-traveller

duds said:


> having now taken the Autocruise Starburst to my supplying dealer for inspection of the problem he reports to me that the door is made of aluminium and painted and the paint has and is failing on this door and the doors of two of the outside lockers.
> 
> Therefore a warranty claim is being lodged with Swift but he says they are very slow at handling these .
> 
> I recommend folk out there to check their habitation doors and lockers to see if the piant is failing like mine which are only 16 months old. Very dissappointing for me.


Getting paint to stick to Aluminium, or any alloy, is difficult and necessitates special pre-treatments such as etching primer. The problem is the way the aluminium oxidises. You only have to look at the alloy castings of your door mirror mounts - or even the aluminium Fiamma fittings on awning legs and security bars - to see the process. A thorough polish and wax would have prevented it.
Disappointing, I am sure, but not terminal ...


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## MaxandPaddy

Hi,
We had a 2008 Autocruise Starblazer and the habitation door dropped and was catching on the bottom of the door frame.
The paint bubbled on the exterior of the door quite badly and the locks for the doors were very worn due to the door being out of line.
We part exchanged it this year as it had too many faults to mention but I think the door took at least a couple of months to arrive at the dealers.
Check your locking mechanism on the door,our was nearly sheared through at one point due to the bad fit of the door,if yours is the same you need your dealer to chase Swift up as it could be compromising the security of your Motorhome.


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## Briarose

duds said:


> having now taken the Autocruise Starburst to my supplying dealer for inspection of the problem he reports to me that the door is made of aluminium and painted and the paint has and is failing on this door and the doors of two of the outside lockers.
> 
> Therefore a warranty claim is being lodged with Swift but he says they are very slow at handling these .
> 
> I recommend folk out there to check their habitation doors and lockers to see if the piant is failing like mine which are only 16 months old. Very dissappointing for me.


Hi why don't you PM Swift on here to chase it up for you..........they have been brilliant with us. We have just had a new door on the Bolero because of the closing problem and happily the colour seems fine too.


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## richardjames

I'm glad it wasn't the GRP problem


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## duds

I am grateful for all these comments. 

The door and locker surfaces have been throughly and regularily polished so that is not the reason.

The lock has been sticking at times but frame appears OK.

You just do not expect these type of problems with a van so new and legally not fit for purpose.

The colour of the door and lockers has changed to that of the rest of the van as well due to air and sunlight.


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## SwiftGroup

Duds,
I am sorry that you are having problems with your door.

If you want to PM me or email me at [email protected] your details and vans details and who your dealer is I can check on the status of the warranty claim and get back to you next week,

Thanks
Andy


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## Briarose

SwiftGroup said:


> Duds,
> I am sorry that you are having problems with your door.
> 
> If you want to PM me or email me at [email protected] your details and vans details and who your dealer is I can check on the status of the warranty claim and get back to you next week,
> 
> Thanks
> Andy


Hi Duds you are in safe hands now with Andy.........I promise :wink:


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## rrusty

duds said:


> The habitation door has started to show signs of the paint bubbling up at the bottom and around the edges.


I have just noticed that the bottom of my habitation door is doing the same.

Rusty


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## SwiftGroup

Rusty,
Sorry to hear this, you should ask your supplying dealer to look at this for you, they will liaise with ourselves on this, thanks
Andy


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## rrusty

Thanks Andy I will contact them next week.

Rusty


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## Williamt

*Habitation Door*

We have a 2006 Starspirit which developed the same problem 2 1/2 years after we purchased it new. Water is also getting into our van through the door in bad weather. Unfortunately when Autocruise went into receivership Swift refused to take on existing warranties. We have approached Marquis, the retailer, about this problem and suggested that the door was not of marketable quality but they are claiming that it is due to 'fair wear and tear'!! It looks like our only course of action is to take Marquis to court as they are proving totally unreasonable and intransigent.


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## rrusty

rrusty said:


> duds said:
> 
> 
> 
> The habitation door has started to show signs of the paint bubbling up at the bottom and around the edges.
> 
> 
> 
> I have just noticed that the bottom of my habitation door is doing the same.
> 
> Rusty
Click to expand...

SwiftGroup wrote: ‹ Select › ‹ Expand › 
Rusty, 
Sorry to hear this, you should ask your supplying dealer to look at this for you, they will liaise with ourselves on this, thanks 
Andy

I heard from my dealer yesterday that Autocruise have asked them to get a quote from a local bodyshop to have the doors sorted there.

I am not very happy about that, the MH is 15 months old and I think the doors should be replaced, your views on this, would you accept this.

Rusty

Forgot to add that 4 out of the 5 locker doors have got the same fault.


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## rrusty

Bump


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## rrusty

SwiftGroup said:


> Rusty,
> Sorry to hear this, you should ask your supplying dealer to look at this for you, they will liaise with ourselves on this, thanks
> Andy


Andy could you please contact me I am not prepared to have the Hab door and locker doors re-painted I would like to have them back to the same standard as they were when I bought the MH 15 months previously. I.E. NEW ONES

Rusty


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## SwiftGroup

rrusty,
If you can PM us your details, van details who your dealer is we will talk to them. thanks
Andy


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## petepub

WHO IS ANDY? :?


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## petepub

WHO IS ANDY?


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## SwiftGroup

Petepub,
The Design and Development Director,
Andy


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## Kiter

I have had my habitation door and 3 nearside locker doors resprayed on two occasions after being etched and primed both times. I have also forked out £600 for "Paintseal" and still the problems persist!
Marquis are useless! They did not want to know! It is easy to say, "Go back to your dealer and press them" but traveling time and expenses add up when many visits and phone calls are made.
In my experience, dealers only want your money! Once they have that they just do not want to know!


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## amydan

duds said:


> I have 2008 Autocruise Starburst. The habitation door has started to show signs of the paint bubbling up at the bottom and around the edges.
> As still under warranty, I will have this door replaced with a new one.
> Anyone had similar problem ? What causes it?


We had it on our starspirit 2008 model dont know the cause just had it sprayed.


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## Kiter

amydan said:


> duds said:
> 
> 
> 
> I have 2008 Autocruise Starburst. The habitation door has started to show signs of the paint bubbling up at the bottom and around the edges.
> As still under warranty, I will have this door replaced with a new one.
> Anyone had similar problem ? What causes it?
> 
> 
> 
> We had it on our starspirit 2008 model dont know the cause just had it sprayed.
Click to expand...

I am a qualified painter & Decorator and know about oxidisation of Aluminium. 
My dealer tried to tell me that the start of blisters was where "someone" had touched up with paint!!!!??!!! I don't think so!!

Oxidisation ( Fluffy powdering) is caused by Aluminium that has not been anodised (or not treated correctly!). Paint will bubble up due to the reaction of the powdering of the aluminium which lifts the paint finish. In Autocruise's case the aluminium was of poor quality! I was told this at the NEC last year when I spoke to the Autocruise staff.


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## Spannerman007

*Habitation Doors*

The problem with bubbles appearing at the bottom of habitation doors is well known .
I used to own an Autosleeper which developed the same problem. The supplying dealer told me that the doors used by several manufacturers are all made by the same company who's name I cannot remember.
He did, however, show me a large pile of doors that they had replaced under warranty for several different manufacturers. They all had bubbles at the bottom. 
He also told me that it was due to putting an aluminium skin over a steel frame. The electrytic action causes the aluminium to corrode. Hence the bubbling of the paintwork.


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## Kiter

*Re: Habitation Doors*



Spannerman007 said:


> The problem with bubbles appearing at the bottom of habitation doors is well known .
> I used to own an Autosleeper which developed the same problem. The supplying dealer told me that the doors used by several manufacturers are all made by the same company who's name I cannot remember.
> He did, however, show me a large pile of doors that they had replaced under warranty for several different manufacturers. They all had bubbles at the bottom.
> He also told me that it was due to putting an aluminium skin over a steel frame. The electrytic action causes the aluminium to corrode. Hence the bubbling of the paintwork.


Wow! I haven't heard that one before.

Thanks


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## sooty10

We have a Wentworth, bought in 2008. Earlier this year we noticed the same problem with habitation door and two other locker doors.

We took it back to the dealers South Yorkshire motorhomes in Dinnington. They have been very good and now have the situation in hand. I think we are just waiting for the new decals and one seal.

Where we store our motorhome the next van is a 2008 Autocruise with the same problems. He is also waiting for a new door.

Sooty


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## amydan

*Autocruise habitation door.*



sooty10 said:


> We have a Wentworth, bought in 2008. Earlier this year we noticed the same problem with habitation door and two other locker doors.
> 
> We took it back to the dealers South Yorkshire motorhomes in Dinnington. They have been very good and now have the situation in hand. I think we are just waiting for the new decals and one seal.
> 
> Where we store our motorhome the next van is a 2008 Autocruise with the same problems. He is also waiting for a new door.
> 
> Sooty


Would it be possible to get a new door from swift on a 2008 starspirit even though the warranty has expired.


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