We had considered this caravan, thank you for taking the time for this detailed review. We have now crossed it off our list and glad you’ve successfully resolved the situation. Good luck for your future caravanning......
You may have just saved the day for me. My wife and I had decided on an Airstream and then it was no longer available. Swift bring it back but at a ridiculous price. So Buccaneer was on our list, not any more. Back to the drawing board, thank you again.
I have just taken delivery of the Knaus Star Class 690.the only thing to say is German Quality they certainly have the know how We found them at the NEC you will not regret just looking at then
I collected my Buccaneer Cruiser last July (around the 20th I believe) just in time for our trip to France after ordering it at the NEC in Feb. It hasn't been a great experience and we are still trying to sort out lingering problems. The sunroof surround started to fall off, the mains locker door was hard to operate, the fridge stopped working on gas (now not working a tall!) self-levelling set on the skew, a bunch of plastic screw covers missing, leak from water inlet when used with mains water, bent jockey wheel, bent jockey wheel locking clamp (kept dumping the van on its front when moving it with the motor mover!), bloody bed hard as nails, bed not aligned on frame and cupboard next to cooker popping open in transit. I asked the dealer to collect, sort out and return but they refused saying it was my responsibility to get the caravan back to them (140 mile round trip) so I awaited the call to say the parts were in and I took it back. I got the call to say the repairs had been completed so I went to get it only to find that the sunroof surround had been “stuck back up” on the wonk and the jockey wheel and clamp was from an Alko so I refused to accept it back and the salesman agreed that the repairs were not acceptable and agreed to cover my diesel costs for the trips. Went away at Easter for a week - the water in still leaks, the sunroof surround has started to droop again, the car stereo stopped working and the fridge went off after the first day not to come back on - like it was unplugged! I hope that now Hymer have purchased them they can sort out their quality control issue because this is the caravan we want - you don’t spend circa £32k on these without being pretty damn sure and if another manufacture matched the layout and dimensions of this van I would be popping in to chat about a part-ex! As you said ~ they must work there other times that are NOT Friday afternoons!!
Thanks for the update ......my van is no where near the cost of yours but I totally see your point, a hell of a lot of cash to pay for a faulty product.......some are very minor in my eyes ....but you only want it to work and be safe .....good luck with sorting it out . Keep us posted on how it turns out .....
Thanks for great review ... you deserve compensation too! Certainly made my mind up about quality from this manufacturer ... will be looking elsewhere and taking more care. Well done for taking the time to fight back against poor tradesmanship. Amazing difference to the glossy adverts they make themselves. Will be taking my 30K elsewhere.
I must update that last weekend the Alde heating leaked and ruined the bathroom. The dealer has now agreed to accept a rejection which I'm in the process of documenting.
I went to the 2015 Brum show to buy a Buccaneer and found the quality lacking to such a degree I walked away. I then came across the Vanmaster stand and realised what I wanted was something where the guys making it were craftsmen and the guy running the company was customer focussed. I've had my Vanmaster for just under a year and it's simply beautiful.
Picking up an new Elddis 866 this weekend, so I'll be on the lookout for faults. Thanks for the heads up on Explorer Group - will be going in with my eyes wide open!
I have just seen your review 'albeit' a litte late in the day.. I had purchased a used sterling Eccles sport 3yr old.. for over 15k and within 8 months I returned the caravan with a list of faults like you.. . I too had owned several bailey caravans but decided to have a change.. I thought by buying a sterling Eccles sport I would have seen more style and superior finish but this was not the case.. I traded it in and bought a 1yr old swift conqueror 560 over £20,000 cost. The Conqueror that we've bought is top spec to me & my wife.. Just a few minor faults which the dealer put right without delay..I think once you've returned a van the dealers listen to your questions more !! We didn't want to have a fight with the dealer but we were unhappy with the quality of the previous van.. Now we are very happy and travel without worrying what's gonna fail next.. Just as a sort of overview we have had six caravans over 35 years and enjoyed all of them immensely, however with every trade in or purchase your caravan will have some faults..I hope you managed to get your bailey and continuing to enjoy your holidays with the family.. Cheers..Dave
To everyone who has commented. I did get the outcome I wanted with this and will be looking to replace when I visit the NEC show in October 2017. Thinking maybe Bailey Segovia or Palermo GT70 spec.
Have to admit, we have a 2020 Aruba bought used in 2021. We have no defects other than a toilet door that hit on the frame. But the build quality leaves something to be desired, there's cupboard doors that don't line up, and a general flimseyness compared to our previous 2010 Bailey Pegasus. Didn't look at a new Bailey as they don't do a high spec 6 berth, but notbsure I would buy another Irwin Hymer product.
I also have a Bailey and the build quality is excellent. If I had just paid £32,000 for this van it would be going back. Good luck you have a good case. Clearly they will try and put right the problems first to save face, but looking at your problems I would ask for my money back and choose another bailey. I wish you well with your endeavours.
Hi we also got the exact same galera as you have. We also had a few problems with ours wi doors not fitting correctly and Windows not sealing. As you £32000 is a lot of money it's our first ever van so have nothing to compare it with. We love our to bits but I can fully see where you are coming from. I'm off to check our LED lights and gaps!
I am so pleased that I found this review and all of its comments. I had heard (as you do) that Buccaneer had gone downhill since they were taken over by swift. I was thinking about replacing my 27 year old (1991) Buccaneer Elan 15 as things are now starting to get a little worn out, with a new Buccaneer. I am not going to bother now. I will pay a lot less out and get my old girl fully refurbished. I'm pretty sure I can get this done to an even higher spec than a new one including changing all the sealant (still has no damp) and still have a substantially lower bill to pay. I have previously had a Swift caravan which my wife often referred to as "The Sponge", I don't think she meant cake either.
Absolutely shocking at any price point but especially at over £30k. We took delivery of an Xplore 586. Brand new just over £15k with no issues other than a few small gaps between a few panels, similar to yours. The gap between the bathroom door and it's frame is almost that wide it's not always possible for the door to shut tight without springing back open. Understand now why my parents always bought Bailey caravans!
Hi there, we bought a new Galera from our dealer at South Lincs Leisure at Boston in Lincolnshire and we had the hand over a couple of weeks ago. We have since been both weekends to it, as it is sited, and touch wood we havent had any problems and we are really pleased with it, everything works ok and nothing has caught our attention regarding the finish or quality, and my partner is a man of perfection in everything! After seeing the video of yours, and comparing to the finish quality of ours, i really do think you have ended up with one of a bad batch and not an expensive book cover! The team at the dealer you bought from obviously havent carried out proper checks, or the problems would have been seen as they are quite obvious ones. The people we dealt with at our dealer were fantastic and are very well known for there customer service and i do feel they went above and beyond to make sure our caravan was perfect for the hand over and made us feel like we had just bought a 32k caravan! I definately dont think you are being too picky and i would be taking it back to your dealer and request they sort the problems out. Emma.
Bere in mind....people pay less for a house....you should be finiky and want everything fecking perfect. Hope you got everything sorted and up to spec :-)
Well done. I believe that poor design is at fault for some of the issues you raise and poor build craftsmanship for others. But, as you say, for that amount of money, those issues should not happen.
Nice review from a fairly balanced perspective I'd say. The only words of comfort I could offer is that others with the same van seem to have suffered even more than you! We have toyed with changing to Buccaneer for a few years now but I have heard from many, many sources how terrible the customer service from Elddis is and this gives me no faith in their products at all. I just don't get how a company in this day and age thinks that they can turn out such slipshod products and then completely ignore their customers when they complain. How are we as consumers allowing this to happen?I wish you the very best of luck in whatever you decide to do with the van, I fear you may be in for quite a bit of frustration just yet...
You are not being fussy in the slightest, I would be livid if I was in your shoes. Everything you have pointed out is valid. Stick to your guns. Buccaneer - shame on you, and I've just thought twice about buying a new Elddis 866....
Hello. These problems are disappointing, but should be sorted by the dealer and you will be happy. If not, then reject it for a full refund. I think you have 30 days to reject it for a full refund. You now have to give the dealer the opportunity to get everything put right as it should be. We have a 2016 Cruiser and we too were disappointed but your problems are superficial compared to ours. We are a year down the line and still having repairs done to get it to how a new caravan should have been delivered. We have had new panels put on floor repairs done and much more. We didn't reject it as we loved the caravan and just wanted it as it should be. I am convinced there is no quality control at Elddis and they leave these problems to the dealerships to sort as they haven't got time at the factory. You will also have the backing of Black Horse to help you get things done. I've been told by my repairer who is an independent that all the caravans makes are the same. Elddis isn't that bad compared to some! As for the internal water tank, make sure you don't have water in it whilst travelling, but they are very useful when your barrel runs dry when you least expect it, like halfway through a shower! Probably not worth filling for a weekend, but longer periods it will be useful. Hope you get these annoying problems sorted soon so you can enjoy your caravan.
The boss at Newport 'Rob' is a cracking guy so I'm going to let him come back to me after his honeymoon. I will keep you posted. thanks for the feedback.
I've always loved the interior design of British caravans. They're very beautiful but seeing you point out the bad work, especially on that bunk for the children, is very disappointing. It's unbelievable!
I definitely think you have every right to be disappointed. The build quality looked so flimsy especially on the bunk bed side and those external flaps! It wouldn’t be acceptable on a 15k van let alone a 32k one!
Mate feel your pain.. We had 2 disgraceful Galera"s arrive and we refused to accept so finally gave up and withdrew from the deal, just like you found the finish on a so called top end van appalling. and the response from Elddis group was just as poor, although we did finally receive a free service for the caravan we did buy in its place, which by the way was a Pearman Briggs magnum addition of the Elddis 866 same lay out as the Galera and its fantastic, just how the Bucanneer should have been, better still it was £7k less which makes the problems with the Buccaneers seem even more unacceptable as they can get there vans right !!..Keep fighting it and personally i would park it back on there forecourt because if they are anything like the dealer we bought ours from they will do whatever they can to past the buck from the manufacture and they do the same back to the dealer and there starts the merry go round!! good luck
Funny enough all of your comment are the same I have made on my xplore Half the price but same trouble Elldis do not care or will not speak to you They are not good I will not buy from them again I guess you will not either !
I do not like people who have over expectations and are too fastidious to ever find anything acceptable. YOU HOWEVER ARE NOT ONE OF THESE PEOPLE. Whatever the price you have a RIGHT to expect a build to the spec of the show caravan. If you paid oh I dont know ..... say more than £15000 then those expectations and therefore OBLIGATIONS of Explorer Group are to provide an exceptional finish. Note they are impling this by having the price your van is. By posting this video you are highlighting build issues but also to validation that it is them and the build its not picky you. Well ITS NOT YOU . you complain away - you are right to feel aggrieved. so glad your update said your making progress rejecting it.Hope you make progress but it does leave a bad taste in the mouth after all the money spent. good luck. ps. it is them not you .
Forever 2059 I did get my money back in the end - apologies this has not been updated. Reason for the video was two fold. Firstly I don’t want others paying top end for poor quality and secondly because at the time the manufacturer kept wanting to do warranty work, when like you say, I wanted my money back. I don’t think anyone wants to burn money on things that don’t meet the value they cost. Thanks for the message.
That's how they make their money the manufacturer having to come back I live In Scotland I go to my caravan dealer Danny ducans caravans they are great .they also say save money and buy a six months to a year old caravan as you save money and all the little problems are usually fixed
We had considered this caravan, thank you for taking the time for this detailed review. We have now crossed it off our list and glad you’ve successfully resolved the situation. Good luck for your future caravanning......
You may have just saved the day for me. My wife and I had decided on an Airstream and then it was no longer available. Swift bring it back but at a ridiculous price. So Buccaneer was on our list, not any more. Back to the drawing board, thank you again.
I have just taken delivery of the Knaus Star Class 690.the only thing to say is German Quality they certainly have the know how
We found them at the NEC you will not regret just looking at then
I collected my Buccaneer Cruiser last July (around the 20th I believe) just in time for our trip to France after ordering it at the NEC in Feb.
It hasn't been a great experience and we are still trying to sort out lingering problems.
The sunroof surround started to fall off, the mains locker door was hard to operate, the fridge stopped working on gas (now not working a tall!) self-levelling set on the skew, a bunch of plastic screw covers missing, leak from water inlet when used with mains water, bent jockey wheel, bent jockey wheel locking clamp (kept dumping the van on its front when moving it with the motor mover!), bloody bed hard as nails, bed not aligned on frame and cupboard next to cooker popping open in transit.
I asked the dealer to collect, sort out and return but they refused saying it was my responsibility to get the caravan back to them (140 mile round trip) so I awaited the call to say the parts were in and I took it back.
I got the call to say the repairs had been completed so I went to get it only to find that the sunroof surround had been “stuck back up” on the wonk and the jockey wheel and clamp was from an Alko so I refused to accept it back and the salesman agreed that the repairs were not acceptable and agreed to cover my diesel costs for the trips.
Went away at Easter for a week - the water in still leaks, the sunroof surround has started to droop again, the car stereo stopped working and the fridge went off after the first day not to come back on - like it was unplugged!
I hope that now Hymer have purchased them they can sort out their quality control issue because this is the caravan we want - you don’t spend circa £32k on these without being pretty damn sure and if another manufacture matched the layout and dimensions of this van I would be popping in to chat about a part-ex!
As you said ~ they must work there other times that are NOT Friday afternoons!!
Thanks for the update ......my van is no where near the cost of yours but I totally see your point, a hell of a lot of cash to pay for a faulty product.......some are very minor in my eyes ....but you only want it to work and be safe .....good luck with sorting it out .
Keep us posted on how it turns out .....
Thanks for great review ... you deserve compensation too! Certainly made my mind up about quality from this manufacturer ... will be looking elsewhere and taking more care. Well done for taking the time to fight back against poor tradesmanship. Amazing difference to the glossy adverts they make themselves. Will be taking my 30K elsewhere.
I must update that last weekend the Alde heating leaked and ruined the bathroom. The dealer has now agreed to accept a rejection which I'm in the process of documenting.
Horanmeister Various
For £32k I would be seething. I think you’ve been very reasonable in your criticism.
I went to the 2015 Brum show to buy a Buccaneer and found the quality lacking to such a degree I walked away. I then came across the Vanmaster stand and realised what I wanted was something where the guys making it were craftsmen and the guy running the company was customer focussed. I've had my Vanmaster for just under a year and it's simply beautiful.
Picking up an new Elddis 866 this weekend, so I'll be on the lookout for faults. Thanks for the heads up on Explorer Group - will be going in with my eyes wide open!
I have just seen your review 'albeit' a litte late in the day.. I had purchased a used sterling Eccles sport 3yr old.. for over 15k and within 8 months I returned the caravan with a list of faults like you.. . I too had owned several bailey caravans but decided to have a change.. I thought by buying a sterling Eccles sport I would have seen more style and superior finish but this was not the case.. I traded it in and bought a 1yr old swift conqueror 560 over £20,000 cost. The Conqueror that we've bought is top spec to me & my wife.. Just a few minor faults which the dealer put right without delay..I think once you've returned a van the dealers listen to your questions more !! We didn't want to have a fight with the dealer but we were unhappy with the quality of the previous van.. Now we are very happy and travel without worrying what's gonna fail next.. Just as a sort of overview we have had six caravans over 35 years and enjoyed all of them immensely, however with every trade in or purchase your caravan will have some faults..I hope you managed to get your bailey and continuing to enjoy your holidays with the family.. Cheers..Dave
Thanks so much for this I’ve been thinking of changing to this model and I’m so glad I seen this. Sticking with swift or might go for the Bailey’s
To everyone who has commented. I did get the outcome I wanted with this and will be looking to replace when I visit the NEC show in October 2017. Thinking maybe Bailey Segovia or Palermo GT70 spec.
Have to admit, we have a 2020 Aruba bought used in 2021. We have no defects other than a toilet door that hit on the frame. But the build quality leaves something to be desired, there's cupboard doors that don't line up, and a general flimseyness compared to our previous 2010 Bailey Pegasus. Didn't look at a new Bailey as they don't do a high spec 6 berth, but notbsure I would buy another Irwin Hymer product.
I also have a Bailey and the build quality is excellent. If I had just paid £32,000 for this van it would be going back. Good luck you have a good case. Clearly they will try and put right the problems first to save face, but looking at your problems I would ask for my money back and choose another bailey. I wish you well with your endeavours.
Your first defect - the gap between wall and ceiling turned me right off - and then it all went down hill. Quicky - what a disaster.
Hi we also got the exact same galera as you have. We also had a few problems with ours wi doors not fitting correctly and Windows not sealing. As you £32000 is a lot of money it's our first ever van so have nothing to compare it with. We love our to bits but I can fully see where you are coming from. I'm off to check our LED lights and gaps!
👌👌👌👍......Great review...Craftmanship at it very worst 😱
I am so pleased that I found this review and all of its comments. I had heard (as you do) that Buccaneer had gone downhill since they were taken over by swift. I was thinking about replacing my 27 year old (1991) Buccaneer Elan 15 as things are now starting to get a little worn out, with a new Buccaneer. I am not going to bother now. I will pay a lot less out and get my old girl fully refurbished. I'm pretty sure I can get this done to an even higher spec than a new one including changing all the sealant (still has no damp) and still have a substantially lower bill to pay. I have previously had a Swift caravan which my wife often referred to as "The Sponge", I don't think she meant cake either.
Buccaneer are manufactured by Elddis part of the Explorer group which were bought out by the Hymer group last year.
Nothing to do with Swift Caravans.
Absolutely shocking at any price point but especially at over £30k. We took delivery of an Xplore 586. Brand new just over £15k with no issues other than a few small gaps between a few panels, similar to yours. The gap between the bathroom door and it's frame is almost that wide it's not always possible for the door to shut tight without springing back open. Understand now why my parents always bought Bailey caravans!
Hi there, we bought a new Galera from our dealer at South Lincs Leisure at Boston in Lincolnshire and we had the hand over a couple of weeks ago. We have since been both weekends to it, as it is sited, and touch wood we havent had any problems and we are really pleased with it, everything works ok and nothing has caught our attention regarding the finish or quality, and my partner is a man of perfection in everything! After seeing the video of yours, and comparing to the finish quality of ours, i really do think you have ended up with one of a bad batch and not an expensive book cover! The team at the dealer you bought from obviously havent carried out proper checks, or the problems would have been seen as they are quite obvious ones. The people we dealt with at our dealer were fantastic and are very well known for there customer service and i do feel they went above and beyond to make sure our caravan was perfect for the hand over and made us feel like we had just bought a 32k caravan! I definately dont think you are being too picky and i would be taking it back to your dealer and request they sort the problems out.
Emma.
Thank you for your comments and I'm glad you have had a much better experience than we have. Enjoy the van
I've watched another video about this van, I knew that safety thing on the bunk would be no good just by looking at it
First of all good review and points well made. Have you had an outcome to this yet?
Close enough is good enough for bucaneer..... but they look premium when out on the road
Bere in mind....people pay less for a house....you should be finiky and want everything fecking perfect.
Hope you got everything sorted and up to spec :-)
what a cracking review, I feel Disappointed for you, Friday afternoon caravan
Mark Campbell
Thank you for your kind comment
Well done. I believe that poor design is at fault for some of the issues you raise and poor build craftsmanship for others. But, as you say, for that amount of money, those issues should not happen.
Nice review from a fairly balanced perspective I'd say. The only words of comfort I could offer is that others with the same van seem to have suffered even more than you! We have toyed with changing to Buccaneer for a few years now but I have heard from many, many sources how terrible the customer service from Elddis is and this gives me no faith in their products at all. I just don't get how a company in this day and age thinks that they can turn out such slipshod products and then completely ignore their customers when they complain. How are we as consumers allowing this to happen?I wish you the very best of luck in whatever you decide to do with the van, I fear you may be in for quite a bit of frustration just yet...
You are not being fussy in the slightest, I would be livid if I was in your shoes. Everything you have pointed out is valid. Stick to your guns. Buccaneer - shame on you, and I've just thought twice about buying a new Elddis 866....
Hello. These problems are disappointing, but should be sorted by the dealer and you will be happy. If not, then reject it for a full refund. I think you have 30 days to reject it for a full refund. You now have to give the dealer the opportunity to get everything put right as it should be. We have a 2016 Cruiser and we too were disappointed but your problems are superficial compared to ours. We are a year down the line and still having repairs done to get it to how a new caravan should have been delivered. We have had new panels put on floor repairs done and much more. We didn't reject it as we loved the caravan and just wanted it as it should be. I am convinced there is no quality control at Elddis and they leave these problems to the dealerships to sort as they haven't got time at the factory. You will also have the backing of Black Horse to help you get things done. I've been told by my repairer who is an independent that all the caravans makes are the same. Elddis isn't that bad compared to some! As for the internal water tank, make sure you don't have water in it whilst travelling, but they are very useful when your barrel runs dry when you least expect it, like halfway through a shower! Probably not worth filling for a weekend, but longer periods it will be useful. Hope you get these annoying problems sorted soon so you can enjoy your caravan.
The boss at Newport 'Rob' is a cracking guy so I'm going to let him come back to me after his honeymoon. I will keep you posted. thanks for the feedback.
Well that has made my mind up feel sorry for ya pal
Looks like it never had a pre delivery inspection, whatsoever
A new caravan shouldn't have those problems especially at that price point. That is just crazy.
I've always loved the interior design of British caravans. They're very beautiful but seeing you point out the bad work, especially on that bunk for the children, is very disappointing. It's unbelievable!
So much for PDI!!
For a new caravan the quality is bad ,i have a fendt 640 2012 for £10600 and the quality is fantastic .sorry you have these problems .
I definitely think you have every right to be disappointed. The build quality looked so flimsy especially on the bunk bed side and those external flaps! It wouldn’t be acceptable on a 15k van let alone a 32k one!
Mate feel your pain.. We had 2 disgraceful Galera"s arrive and we refused to accept so finally gave up and withdrew from the deal, just like you found the finish on a so called top end van appalling. and the response from Elddis group was just as poor, although we did finally receive a free service for the caravan we did buy in its place, which by the way was a Pearman Briggs magnum addition of the Elddis 866 same lay out as the Galera and its fantastic, just how the Bucanneer should have been, better still it was £7k less which makes the problems with the Buccaneers seem even more unacceptable as they can get there vans right !!..Keep fighting it and personally i would park it back on there forecourt because if they are anything like the dealer we bought ours from they will do whatever they can to past the buck from the manufacture and they do the same back to the dealer and there starts the merry go round!! good luck
Funny enough all of your comment are the same I have made on my xplore
Half the price but same trouble
Elldis do not care or will not speak to you
They are not good
I will not buy from them again
I guess you will not either !
Your not being picky mate poor poor build quality dealer bit suspect I would want my money back Good Luck
I do not like people who have over expectations and are too fastidious to ever find anything acceptable. YOU HOWEVER ARE NOT ONE OF THESE PEOPLE. Whatever the price you have a RIGHT to expect a build to the spec of the show caravan. If you paid oh I dont know ..... say more than £15000 then those expectations and therefore OBLIGATIONS of Explorer Group are to provide an exceptional finish. Note they are impling this by having the price your van is. By posting this video you are highlighting build issues but also to validation that it is them and the build its not picky you. Well ITS NOT YOU . you complain away - you are right to feel aggrieved. so glad your update said your making progress rejecting it.Hope you make progress but it does leave a bad taste in the mouth after all the money spent. good luck. ps. it is them not you .
Joh. n Waite
Id be looking for a full refund....its falling to pieces....
Why didn't you take it back .well instead of moaning about it get it back you must have money to burn. Consumers rights you know
Forever 2059 I did get my money back in the end - apologies this has not been updated.
Reason for the video was two fold. Firstly I don’t want others paying top end for poor quality and secondly because at the time the manufacturer kept wanting to do warranty work, when like you say, I wanted my money back.
I don’t think anyone wants to burn money on things that don’t meet the value they cost.
Thanks for the message.
That's how they make their money the manufacturer having to come back I live In Scotland I go to my caravan dealer Danny ducans caravans they are great .they also say save money and buy a six months to a year old caravan as you save money and all the little problems are usually fixed
That is a sound idea and makes a lot of sense, I'll do that next time if I can ever get the wife back into caravanning.
Disgusting! Not good enough. I was going to buy a clipper but have changed my mind. Appalling standard. I hope you got you money back!
Me too" now looking at ADRIA, HYMER
YOU CAN REJECT this Van !!!
It is NOT OF MERCHANTABLE QUALITY ..... and NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE !!!
They are all crap made m8 for the money we pay...we wouldn’t except a new car like that so why should we put up with it ....
Very poor quality Buccaneer in name only. No better than a budget van.