Sagging Seat Cushions on 2022 Swift Challenger 480

This problem isn't confined to Swift - it's common throughout the UK industry.  We had exactly the same issue with our Bailey Barcelona when it was about 9 months old.  A discussion with the dealer revealed that all they could do was get a like-for-like replacement under warranty which was only going to reveal itself again in a further few months.

I decided to get the foam replaced by a local firm who specialised in caravan upholstery. They told me it was a very common problem across all makes and when they took the foam out to show me, I couldn't believe how flimsy the foam was.  It was constructed on a sort of honeycomb fashion and had no substance to it whatsoever so there was no surprise that it wasn't going to last long.

It cost me £250 to have the two front seat bases re-filled with top quality foam with a ten year guarantee and the difference was dramatic - so was, unfortunately, the increase in weight - which is probably why the cushions were so flimsy in the first place.

That said - it was money well spent and totally cured the problem.

Our current van (Knaus) has seats with interior springs and is in a different league entirely!

Our 2016 Elddis Affinity 550 had the same problem. Within our 2 years of ownership from new, we could feel the hardness of the slats beneath the cushions. It was so uncomfortable.  We got rid of our Elddis due to several, far more serious issues, and thankfully found our current Knaus Starclass 480. As R&R stated above, the Knaus seats are brilliant and clearly made to last.

Our previous van to the Elddis was a 1998 Avondale Mayfly. The seats were always extremely comfortable and remained so until we sadly changed it for the new Elddis in 2016. The Mayfly was a lovely caravan.

Why is it that the UK caravan industry has slid so far backwards? Surely a new caravan should be comfortable and not let in water?

Yes, we have had this and many other problems with our Swift Conqueror 580 resulting it being returned to Swift for 5 weeks for major problems in the shower room.

However, when taking delivery of the caravan we noticed the cushions were all out of shape and rucked up. These were replaced but after using the caravan a few times they again had the same problem. It was agree with Swift that when returned for other problems they would rectify the cushions but on return we found this had not been done. I have asked them, if they are not capable of providing decent cushions that I take them to a reputable upholsterer locally and they foot the bill but to date I've had no response to by email request.

This is my 4th Swift and the most disappointing one. Although a nice looking van with a great design it has been thrown together in a rush to meet demand.

We have same problem with our Eccles 580 (same van, different colour decor). We were told the cushion filling would be replaced with same (inadequate) quality foam so decided not to bother. We intend getting them refilled with a more dense/supportive foam that is actually fit for purpose. The downside is a denser higher quality weighs more which is why they use the rubbish they do in the first place. Have to say the build quality doesn’t impress especially when compared with the 3 previous Swift vans. After getting yet another leaking shower sorted by Swift I am dealing with faults myself - the warranty claim process is just too time consuming and eats into too much of my annual leave. 

we also suffer from this in our swift elegance 650. In particular there is a marked difference between the nearside and offside front settees. The offside one is very squidgy/soft at the front end which means the fabric gets ruffled.

Personally, I think this is caused by heat rising from the Alde boiler which is situated directly under the slats in this area affecting the foam. This year i think I'm going to try some reflective foil under the cushion base like the stuff you use behind wall radiators to deflect the heat down/around. I'm sure the heat will escape up the back vents which is where it should be anyway.

We took delivery of a brand new Bailey Alicanto Gande Evora on 1 March this year. We took it out for the first time this weekend and after one day the cushions on both sides were sagging.

I called our dealer on Monday and a warranty claim has now been submitted to fix the issue. This means that the cushions will have to go away and the expected turnaround is approx 3 weeks.

We have trips booked nearly every weekend so I’ve told the dealer that I expect them to provide temporary replacement cushions while ours are away 

from what I’ve seen on social media and Bailey forums this is not an uncommon problem, £39400 for a caravan and already issues!!!! 

Is anyone really surprised that most manufacturers simply use a cheap foam and that it fails quite quickly?  

We have a 1984 built Cotswold Windrush caravan where the side bench seats make up into a double bed. We bought it in 1996, and the bench seats were still sound then, but we decided to renew the van’s interior, and as part of the revamp, researched good quality foam, of sleep quality. Cost us a bit more, but 27 years on, that foam is still sound and comfy to sit and sleep on. Granted, it hasn’t been used much in last seven years, as we have a MH as well, but the comparison is still there.

New (British) vans look all sparkling and shiny, but the build quality and components used are often cheap and not fit for long term wear and tear. But folks keep buying them🤷‍♀️

Decent quality foam weighs more. They are trying to keep the weight down so that they can sell them for a greater range of cars. That's why the payloads are rubbish.

Update on the seat cushion saga for those of you who may be interested......

The dealer sent the seat cushions back to Springvale at the request of Swift. Springvale had them for around 5 weeks then sent them back to simply say the foam was up to specification and no work was needed! 

Needless to say I am not happy! Even the dealer said they were highly surprised nothing was done and they agreed the foam had gone very squidgy at one end of each seat! They are taking it up with Swift but I won't hold my breath. In the meantime, the cushions are back in the 'van and we are looking forward to our first outing later in April.

This just sums up the depths to which the British caravan industry has sunk. Surely comfort should be a basic requirement for a touring caravan? It really isn't rocket science and modern Caravans are not cheap by any means.