The problem was reported to Swift and Swindon Caravans and whilst the dealer was quite happy to take responsibility for the repair (under the 10-year body shell warranty) neither wanted to either a) Approve the van as safe to tow or b) Provide transport of the caravan back to Swindon caravans.

I wasn’t happy to tow the van, fearing that we would cause yet more damage as the front end oscillated up and down, slowly detaching further from the chassis – so initially decided to proceed with a DIY repair. That way we could salvage many of our early trips – although given the persistent cold and wet weather which has blighted the UK this year, maybe that wasn’t the greatest of plans! This bulkhead detachment is a known problem and there’s a very clear Swift procedure about how to rectify it, along with a full menu of products required.

For information, the Swift procedure is attached below.

The items were all available on eBay but it would take a few days before they all arrived. The most important item, the specialist construction adhesive / sealant never arrived. Apparently the Hermes driver couldn’t find Sainsburys in Paignton (click and collect) so presumably tossed it into the nearest field.

Anyhow, whilst waiting for products, Swindon Caravans called and the Service agent had escalated the issue internally and with Swift and they conculded that Swift would collect and Swindon Caravans would repair. Collection took place on the final day of our 3 week stay at Ramslade – all very professional and courteous.

Collection was handled by CADS Caravan Transport from Wigan and if I needed caravan transport in the future, I’d be sure to give them a call.

Aware that caravan dealers are extremely busy post Covid-19, our repair slot at the end of June seemed acceptable. We booked a Static caravan in the New Forest for 10 days (in fact, not much more expensive than at pitch with the Caravan and Motorhome club!) and on day Two, recieved a call from the Service Manager at Swindon Caravans to say Ruby was fixed and ready to go!

The service we have received from Swindon Caravans has just been fantastic over the 6 years we’ve owned this van. Yet another great result turned around super-quick.

Thursday 27th May 2021 was the earliest date we were able to collect the van. Everything appears to be in order with all the conrner steadies properly aligned and it’s also clear that the repair has been performed on both the nearside and offside front bulkhead.

Other than that, there really isn’t anything much to see.

First trip of 2021 and only nine months since our Sterling Eccles Ruby SE had a replacement rear panel and there’s a problem with the front bulkhead.

Arriving on-site, Moe noticed the front nearside winding nut had drop and it was difficult to locate the winder onto it. Also, there appeared some damage to the trim as if there had been vertical movement of the front end as we travelled down from East Devon to Stoke Gabriel.

As I keep a close eye on the various caravanning forums this movement alerted me to the front bulkhead problem with some Swift Caravans. The same problem as the caravans recalled from manufacturing year 2017 but the cause slightly different (allegedly).

Next was to examine the angle bracket securing the caravan sidewall to the bulkhead. On our 2015 Sterling Eccles this is hidden behind two cosmetic panels which have been stuck to the side wall of the caravan. These are glued with mastic and were easy tease away from the side panels.

You can see the cosmetic cover lying flat in the picture. Difficult to see in the image but EVERY single screw in the sidewall has sheared off.

In the inside of the van, the securing screws between the front shelf and vertical panels were also loose. In the case of the nearside screw, this had completely fallen out, the offside screw just loose.

On the offside of the van, the decorative panel within the gas locker was also removed and this revealed all screws were loose to varying degrees. However, non had sheared off and damage seems very limited in this area.

I haven’t got any pictures from underneath the caravan but there is movement between the sidewall and the floor. This is highly suggestive of that a number of the screws securing the sidewall to the floor have also loosened and sheared off.

This nearside will require the full attention of the Swift procedure on rectifying this problem (see next post).

Discovered during her last service in January, a large 150mm crack in the ABS back panel. The crack originated from under the seal between the roof and the back panel around a third of the way across the panel.

The fault looked significant and given only minor water staining on the bathroom ceiling board, we concluded that we had caught the problem early on. In fact it must have split during our Christmas and New Year visit to Hillhead CMC site.

The mobile tech was not expecting the van to be in warranty and was already preparing a quote in excess of 3k to rectify and replace the back panel.

The van is a 2015 Sterling Eccles Ruby, purchased from Swindon caravans at new but since we have now moved to East Devon, this isn’t the closest dealer to us any more. A quick call around the nearer dealers indicated no appetite whatsoever for undertaking the warranty work although Highbridge caravans were helpful in reviewing pictures and agreeing with the mobile tech that I should accept nothing less than a new panel.

The panel had other cracking at both corners – probably beyond the scope of repair with the Swift “corner caps”. The corners appearing to be something of a weak spot on these ABS panels.

Swindon caravans have always provided us with excellent service and a quick call and photo share and their service manager agreed to place a claim for a new back panel, awning rails (back section) and decals.

These arrived at Swindon Caravans from Swift within 10 working days – impressive. Of course, we were about to set sail for Spain as an added complication although the workshop was also fully booked until the 5th June.

We patched up the cracks with a clear sticky tape, long lengths of white gaffa tape and copious amounts of sealant and would check frequently within the intervening months for any signs of water ingress or failure of the temporary repair.

Everything held good and having returned from Spain during the lockdown we waited patiently until Swindon Caravan Group re-opened. Shortly before the official re-opening, our 5th June slot was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A week later we received a new slot, still within the month of June.

The journey to Swindon caravans was easy as we were still under lockdown and the motorways were clear. The repair took just three days and initial impressions are fantastic. The bathroom ceiling has gained a finishing strip along the middle where the stained ceiling board was replaced and we have a brand new, shiny rear panel.

We have been assured that as the replacement is of GRP construction, it is not prone to the same cracking issues.