Swift Smart Construction reveals a timberless future for caravans

by Chris Jefferies
In recent years several caravan manufacturers have revealed their own alternative construction methods, and the latest company to do so is Swift Group.
Announced today (7 August), Swift Smart Construction is a new way of building a caravan, which uses PURe (a type of polyurethane) instead of wood to create the framework.
This all-new technique will be employed in every Swift, Sprite and Sterling caravan that rolls off the company’s Cottingham production line in the 2014 season.
Swift claims that this new process will have five key benefits, each of which contributes a letter to the Smart Construction name.
“Smart is based on proven technology and provides a Strong timberless bodyframe with Modern desirable looks and a leading Aerodynamic shape that is Resilient to moisture, all wrapped up in a caravan that has undergone the most comprehensive Testing,” the company explains.
These claims are backed up by a comprehensive testing programme, including rigorous towing at the Millbrook proving ground and atmospheric tests at the Truma cold chamber, where the prototypes endured temperatures as low as -15 degrees centigrade.
What’s more, as PURe is an engineered material the Swift team can more accurately predict how it will react to the stresses and strains of regular use.
As a result, the amount of material needed can be precisely calculated, which has allowed for weight savings of 10-14kgs in the framework.
But what should really win over sceptical customers is the water-resilient nature of this material, which means that even if moisture penetrates the exterior and tracks along the screws, it cannot permeate into the caravan.
Such is Swift’s confidence in the effectiveness of this new construction process that the company is retaining its industry-leading ten-year water ingress warranty for 2014.
Nick Page, Commerical Director at Swift Group, said: “Smart intelligent construction bears the ethos of what we want to achieve for all our products going forward.
“The introduction of PURe is a simple change that will make a big difference to moisture resilience and has already been proved through use.”
To watch a video explaining how Swift came up with the idea for Smart Construction, click here.