Squeaks rattles and banging.

[izwozral]

I have now spent the best part of 5 hours tightening, screwing, bolting, taping, adjusting, and even fitting air assist suspension to our, new to us, Swift Bessacarr 412. It really is a fur coat and no knickers MH. It looks really nice inside and out but when you start to really look, it is pretty flimsy and poorly put together. The lay out is pretty much what we want and the insulation is superb but there is an acre of flimsy plastic trims and an oven door that had more movement than a cow with diarrhea. All the door catches have been replaced, felt pads behind doors and drawers [thanks TJ for the felt]
Anyway, it is quieter now but I shouldn't really need to go this expense and trouble to make it more like a MH rather than a shaken biscuit tin full of nuts and bolts

Would I recommend a Swift MH? No way.

It's something when Charlie who bought our Rimor says that it is the quietest MH he has owned so far. And that is a just an entry level MH, cheap as chips but seemingly put together far better than one from a company with decades of building experience.

Shame on you Swift.

 

[Robmac]

Fill the cupboards with expanding foam Ral. Squirt a couple of cans around the engine as well.

Sorted.

 

[jeffmossy]

I have now spent the best part of 5 hours tightening, screwing, bolting, taping, adjusting, and even fitting air assist suspension to our, new to us, Swift Bessacarr 412. It really is a fur coat and no knickers MH. It looks really nice inside and out but when you start to really look, it is pretty flimsy and poorly put together. The lay out is pretty much what we want and the insulation is superb but there is an acre of flimsy plastic trims and an oven door that had more movement than a cow with diarrhea. All the door catches have been replaced, felt pads behind doors and drawers [thanks TJ for the felt]
Anyway, it is quieter now but I shouldn't really need to go this expense and trouble to make it more like a MH rather than a shaken biscuit tin full of nuts and bolts

Would I recommend a Swift MH? No way.

It's something when Charlie who bought our Rimor says that it is the quietest MH he has owned so far. And that is a just an entry level MH, cheap as chips but seemingly put together far better than one from a company with decades of building experience.

Shame on you Swift.

I was wondering why you was wearing that fur coat Ral :scared::scared:

 

[trevskoda]

I have now spent the best part of 5 hours tightening, screwing, bolting, taping, adjusting, and even fitting air assist suspension to our, new to us, Swift Bessacarr 412. It really is a fur coat and no knickers MH. It looks really nice inside and out but when you start to really look, it is pretty flimsy and poorly put together. The lay out is pretty much what we want and the insulation is superb but there is an acre of flimsy plastic trims and an oven door that had more movement than a cow with diarrhea. All the door catches have been replaced, felt pads behind doors and drawers [thanks TJ for the felt]
Anyway, it is quieter now but I shouldn't really need to go this expense and trouble to make it more like a MH rather than a shaken biscuit tin full of nuts and bolts

Would I recommend a Swift MH? No way.

It's something when Charlie who bought our Rimor says that it is the quietest MH he has owned so far. And that is a just an entry level MH, cheap as chips but seemingly put together far better than one from a company with decades of building experience.

Shame on you Swift.

Well im glad you got felt after all that screwing & banging,things should get qt now.:hammer:

 

[izwozral]

Fill the cupboards with expanding foam Ral. Squirt a couple of cans around the engine as well.

Sorted.

Should squirt some between my buttocks, it may stop them squeaking next time I get a massive LPG leak!

 

[QFour]

We bought a new one few years ago and that was similar. When you look at them in the showroom they are all shiny and have all the bits you think you will ever need. Drive it for a couple of thousand miles and you realise how badly put together they actually are. Letting the tyres down from the 80 psi it came with stopped the teeth rattling. The woollen side of velcro for rattles and a selection of tools and screws for every trip. We also had a water problem. Not from outside but condensation. As you moved off it would run down the front sun visor and soak the passengers knees. I took all the trim off round the over the cab window and the rock wool insulation was soaked. It also had a large chunk of it missing where they must have run out. Cleaned round everywhere and packed in some extra insulation and put it all back together. Bet it's still got a similar problem with lots of wet rock wool.

They seem to cater very well and fit everything you need. They have a vast range with lots of different layouts and trim levels all done to trap the unsuspecting buyer.

..

 

[GWAYGWAY]

One would expect while BANGING, for thas van to rattle and crash, probably rock as well.

However drawer liners help and also something in the oven to stop the rattling bits, The natural was of loose items is to make a cacophone???????? hell of a racket.
We drive off and the noise is very bad dropping off after the end of our road, then unless we are on a particulaly bad road it is bearable..
However the A1303 in Spain was the exception to the rule as there had never been a surface as bad as that.. Sod you TomTom for doing that to me. At least I know the body is bolted on now.
The biggest drop was when I phoned Continental Tyres and got the correct Tyre pressues dropped from 80 psi all round to 44psi in the front and 66psi in the rear ,to make the railway truck wheels feel a bit more compliant to the actual surface. However!! you must expect it.

 

[QFour]

Same here as when I took the junction box for the solar panels apart on the roof it was all black inside on a nearly new Swift, I first thought Oh no we have a leak but by further investigation it turned out to be condensation on the section over the cab :scared:
I hate to think what they will be like at 10 years old ?

I remember that bit. I fitted the solar panel and then went to wire it in. In the box was a cable with a connector and a couple of very thin wires which were the wrong sort so decided to pull it out and fit the one I had. The cable in the box left the box at the front. It then turned 180 degrees and headed off backwards and then down behind the Sargent distribution panel :scared: The lid of the box was just stuck on with a load of mastic. No screws nothing just loads of mastic.

I often wonder who bought it :lol-053:

 

[Pauljenny]

I have now spent the best part of 5 hours tightening, screwing, bolting, taping, adjusting, and even fitting air assist suspension to our, new to us, Swift Bessacarr 412. It really is a fur coat and no knickers MH. It looks really nice inside and out but when you start to really look, it is pretty flimsy and poorly put together. The lay out is pretty much what we want and the insulation is superb but there is an acre of flimsy plastic trims and an oven door that had more movement than a cow with diarrhea. All the door catches have been replaced, felt pads behind doors and drawers [thanks TJ for the felt]
Anyway, it is quieter now but I shouldn't really need to go this expense and trouble to make it more like a MH rather than a shaken biscuit tin full of nuts and bolts

Would I recommend a Swift MH? No way.

It's something when Charlie who bought our Rimor says that it is the quietest MH he has owned so far. And that is a just an entry level MH, cheap as chips but seemingly put together far better than one from a company with decades of building experience.

Shame on you Swift.

I ticked the thanks button,only because there isn't a " You poor sod" button.

As if you hadn't enough on your plate?

The thanks was for the diarrhea/ cow reference.

Keep bravely soldiering on.

 

[jagmanx]

Cheapo stuff

coloured holey rubber/plastic matting.
Such as non-slip stuff in halfords but from poundland or the like.
Easy to cut, light, replace every 2 or 3 years if dirty.
stuff in cardboard boxes with plastic bottle "socks" (as in many Duty free outlets)
Or simply old socks or again cheapo poundland or primark items.
Elastic bands

None of the above impact on Payload

as has been mentioned felt pads also mounting tape.

Try to buy foodstuffs that come in plastic bottles or transfer from glass to a plastic container
eg we keep sugar in an "ex Ovaltine" plastic jar ... no need to buy

Worth buying good quality "Real Plastic" glasses and similar

Other options include avoiding twisty and hilly roads !!!
:lol-049::lol-049::lol-049::lol-049:
No fun in that !

 

[Wooie1958]

Many many years back we considered buying a brand new Autotrail Chieftan so we did a factory tour of their place over near Grimsby.

Our 5 year old grandson would have more care, consideration and skill at building / assembling a motorhome than them clowns that work in the factory :scared:

At one point i thought Jeremy Beadle was going to jump out and say it was all a set up :rolleyes2:

 

[Pauljenny]

Yes.
Tyre pressure.

We had the wheels removed, crossed and front to backed by a Portuguese version of Quicksave.
It turns out the bloke had inflated all tyres to 5 bar. We run on 3.8,front,4.2 rear..
2000 miles of mainly back roads, later, we developed a rattle and loss of grip on slippy raods.
It turned out that the tyres had gone convex... Get em checked,lad.

 

[Deleted user 48797]

If the radio works turn the volume up... works every time :lol-053:

 

[REC]

Thanks, Izwozral! You have made us feel better about our new van and it's persistent rattle! We have done exactly the same, padding, removing & reorganising to try and isolate the one really annoying noise. The latest revelation is that carrying three 8. X4 sheets of plywood leaned through the middle of the van stops the noise!! Pressure on the floor at the one spot.....have found a bracket holding the water tank in place which seems securely​ fixed but moves up and down! The local fiat garage are sorting a dashboard light problem tomorrow and have said they will put it on the ramp and try and do something ( kind as they are doing work under fiat warranty not the "habitation" one!).
Fingers crossed, otherwise we will be driving with a quiet van but unable to sleep in it due to large sheets of wood in the way:lol-053:

 

[izwozral]

Thanks, Izwozral! You have made us feel better about our new van and it's persistent rattle! We have done exactly the same, padding, removing & reorganising to try and isolate the one really annoying noise. The latest revelation is that carrying three 8. X4 sheets of plywood leaned through the middle of the van stops the noise!! Pressure on the floor at the one spot.....have found a bracket holding the water tank in place which seems securely​ fixed but moves up and down! The local fiat garage are sorting a dashboard light problem tomorrow and have said they will put it on the ramp and try and do something ( kind as they are doing work under fiat warranty not the "habitation" one!).
Fingers crossed, otherwise we will be driving with a quiet van but unable to sleep in it due to large sheets of wood in the way:lol-053:

Bloomin heck, I hope we don't have to resort to carrying sheets of plywood, it'll mean we will have to remove some of the 3' x 2' paving slabs!

Ok, I accept that most MH's will have some noise issues, the odd rattle or squeak but when you get a multitude of them all at once and with a whacking great thud if you drive over a matchstick, surely there is something terribly wrong with the build quality?
We had done all the usual things as Jagmanx suggested and deflated the tyres from 69psi down to 58psi, fitted air assist and things were 80% better, it was when we went over the hab in detail that I found the shoddy and very poor quality trims and the pivoting oven door. When I say pivoting, imagine a square, you put a hand on either side of the square and you steer it like a steering wheel, there was 5% play either way! This is because the door is fitted on hinge pins but instead of the pin going through a hole it went through a slot, so the pin moved within the slot. WHY? There is no need for a slot and there is no adjusting mechanism so why PUT A FRIGGIN SLOT IN THE FRIGGIN HINGE!!!!!

Phew, that's better.

Breathe. Ommmmmmm

Hope you get yours sorted out. Ours will go on a test run next week to see if I have cured at least another 10% of noise.

 

[barge1914]

Squeals rattles and rolls

I have now spent the best part of 5 hours tightening, screwing, bolting, taping, adjusting, and even fitting air assist suspension to our, new to us, Swift Bessacarr 412. It really is a fur coat and no knickers MH. It looks really nice inside and out but when you start to really look, it is pretty flimsy and poorly put together. The lay out is pretty much what we want and the insulation is superb but there is an acre of flimsy plastic trims and an oven door that had more movement than a cow with diarrhea. All the door catches have been replaced, felt pads behind doors and drawers [thanks TJ for the felt]
Anyway, it is quieter now but I shouldn't really need to go this expense and trouble to make it more like a MH rather than a shaken biscuit tin full of nuts and bolts

Would I recommend a Swift MH? No way.

It's something when Charlie who bought our Rimor says that it is the quietest MH he has owned so far. And that is a just an entry level MH, cheap as chips but seemingly put together far better than one from a company with decades of building experience.

Shame on you Swift.

As you know we’ve got one of those, but 2013 model. Had to go through the same process with foam and stuff. Not too bad now everything’s been padded and stuffed, things refixed, softer all season tyres, air assist etc. or maybe we’ve just got used to it! I don’t have the silly great window over the driver to toast or freeze, a useful big cupboard instead to accommodate big stuff and get some weight over the front wheels.
On the subject of weight, have you had it on a weighbridge yet? I’d be interested to know what your axle loadings are working out at.
Whilst the ‘rear kitchen’ models are great at maximising living space in a short van, the downside is a large overhang relative to a short wheelbase. Which means poor weight distribution, and that every thump on the rear axle transmits around 1.66 times the dynamic force when transferred to all the cupboards, cooker, bathroom fittings etc perched on the overhang. That heavy tow bar assembly you have dangling off the back can only make it worse, small wonder things rattle and bang!
I was thinking of replacing my van for the newer model, but amongst a lot of other reasons I was not happy with the even longer overhang (2m overhang on a 3m wheelbase is stretching it somewhat), and the fact that the new models come out of the factory not surprisingly 200kg heavier on the rear axle and 100kg lighter on the front than our shorter old model (even worse for front wheel traction). It is difficult enough on mine and to achieve the 3500kg max loading without overloading the rear axle first. Since you have no storage over the front wheels I’d be interested how you get on loading up and with full tanks for a long trip.

 

[izwozral]

As you know we’ve got one of those, but 2013 model. Had to go through the same process with foam and stuff. Not too bad now everything’s been padded and stuffed, things refixed, softer all season tyres, air assist etc. or maybe we’ve just got used to it! I don’t have the silly great window over the driver to toast or freeze, a useful big cupboard instead to accommodate big stuff and get some weight over the front wheels.
On the subject of weight, have you had it on a weighbridge yet? I’d be interested to know what your axle loadings are working out at.
Whilst the ‘rear kitchen’ models are great at maximising living space in a short van, the downside is a large overhang relative to a short wheelbase. Which means poor weight distribution, and that every thump on the rear axle transmits around 1.66 times the dynamic force when transferred to all the cupboards, cooker, bathroom fittings etc perched on the overhang. That heavy tow bar assembly you have dangling off the back can only make it worse, small wonder things rattle and bang!
I was thinking of replacing my van for the newer model, but amongst a lot of other reasons I was not happy with the even longer overhang (2m overhang on a 3m wheelbase is stretching it somewhat), and the fact that the new models come out of the factory not surprisingly 200kg heavier on the rear axle and 100kg lighter on the front than our shorter old model (even worse for front wheel traction). It is difficult enough on mine and to achieve the 3500kg max loading without overloading the rear axle first. Since you have no storage over the front wheels I’d be interested how you get on loading up and with full tanks for a long trip.

The weighbridge is next on the list once we get the Gasit system sorted. We haven't used the back box for the last two mini trips and found we don't actually need it, may be different on a longer trip though. I hope to keep the tow bar on, if only for a crash barrier! The twitchy steering is no more now that i have dropped the psi, we also have more than one penny's worth of tyre making road contact - 69psi is way too high even with a full load imo.

 

[Pauljenny]

Interested in how he goes on, on a long trip?


Poor old s0d won't make a long trip... He couldn't even get to Anglesey, last time he tried.

Boots sell six-packs' of foam ear plugs.