Swift Explorer 620

WE LIKED:
>> Lightweight but strong construction
>> Easy to tow for its size
>> Everything worked (almost!)

NOT SO MUCH:
>> Marginal 195cm interior height
>> Still needs a bit more road clearance
>> Slightly squashy rear ensuite

Aussie-built or British/European import?

That’s the question increasingly being asked by local caravan buyers, with six major Euro brands now officially available Down Under including Bailey, Swift and Elddis from the UK, Adria from Slovenia, and Knaus (Germany).

Accounting for a relatively small but growing percentage of caravan sales (estimated 800-1000 annually, or around five per cent of the overall Australian market), it’s fair to say Euro vans have never been more attractive to Aussie buyers.

While retaining their traditional ‘selling points’ including lightweight but solid construction and cutting-edge design and features, the increasing availability of unique models designed specifically for the Australian market, make them a serious alternative to similar-sized but heavier and often pricier Australian caravans.

One of the latest examples to hit the country is the Swift Explorer 620, that Caravancampingsales.com.au recently tested on a 7000km, three-week family trip from Melbourne to the Red Centre.

Part of the 10-model, Explorer range offered by Swift Australia, it features numerous upgrades that address most of the ‘free camping’, and durability concerns often expressed by Australian caravanners about lightweight British vans.

Unlike its equivalent British model, the Explorer 620 boasts a tougher, raised Al-Ko chassis, bigger 130 litre underslung water tank, tropical-rated 185 litre fridge/freezer, extra-large roll-out awning, twin 105Ah battery and 120W solar system, external satellite feed-in, roof-mounted air-conditioner and locally-sourced double-glazed windows, roof hatches and security door. 

Of course, all this doesn’t mean much if it doesn’t work out in the real world, so our Red Rock adventure was a chance to see how it fared in typical Aussie conditions and boots-and-all abuse of a typical family road trip.

FUSS-FREE TOWING

All up, the various upgrades add around 100kg to the British-built van, yet it still remains impressively light for a 21ft tandem axle, full rear ensuite van. 

An 'as tested' Tare of 1598kg and 2000kg ATM, meant our mid-sized Kia Sorento Diesel tow vehicle, made light work of towing in a range of conditions while achieving fuel economy as low as 11.5L/100km on the highway.

The Swift's sleek, aerodynamic shape helps, as does the Al-Ko 3004 stabiliser hitch which ‘clamps’ firmly onto a special 50mm ball to minimise sideways movement of the van, even when travelling up to 100km/h in fierce cross-winds.

Combined with responsive 10in Al-Ko mechanical brakes and the back-up of Al-Ko’s ATC stability control, it was often easy to forget the van towing behind us!

With practice hitching and unhitching is a quick, one person job, although the handbrake requires some muscle to manoeuvre into the ‘off’ position and the wind-down corner jacks take a tiresome 50 turns a piece to lower into position or retract.

Fitted with standard 14in wheels and tyres, road clearance was rarely an issue, only scraping the bottom twice over a large speed bump and a big dip in a service station driveway. Reassuringly, both hits were taken on the rear jack ‘skid plates’, preventing any underbody damage. There's also steel plate protection for the underslung water tank.

MKII Explorers arrive soon with an additional 5cm road clearance to make this less of an issue while taller 15inch wheels are also available.

The Swift also stood up well to some dirt road punishment. Riding on Al-Ko independent suspension with telescopic shock absorbers, it soaked up about 20km of road road punishment including light corrugations and big potholes.

The only side effects was some minor dust intrusion through the solitary gas vent under the fridge and otherwise removable strips holding back the window curtains working loose, but these were easily pushed back into place. 

The Australian-made, heavy-duty padded bra ($750 option) also did an excellent job of deflecting any stones flung up onto the shiny front while towing. As a bonus, the main section of the bra is easily unzipped, removed and rolled up for storage when in camp, to let light through the front glasshouse.

While less than some similar-sized Aussie models, external storage was adequate for our needs. The front boot with gas-strut lifting door and drainer was deep enough to store all ‘wet’ items including hoses, cords and muddy boots, with a separate compartment for the two 9kg gas bottles. 

And the large external locker on the rear on-side (also accessible inside under a single bed) easily swallowed our camp chairs and table.

The gas bayonet and 240V outlet were also conveniently located near the onside entry door, for powering a portable BBQ or electric frypan.

We only used it once due to the cool but sunny outback winter climate, but the huge Carefree roll-out awning extended most of the van’s length and provided a sizable shaded area.

The ’620’ is also the first Explorer model to be fitted with the latest Dometic two-part security door;  not only stylish but more sturdy and practical than the two-piece ‘barn door’ with sliding flywire screen usually fitted to Euro vans, although we did miss the door-mounted bin!

And keeping with the Swift’s user-friendly design, it came with just two keys for all external locks.

Another nice touch – and perhaps a nod to Aussie caravanners’ love for checker plate – was the checker plate strip instead of plastic moulding on the front entry floor area to reduce wear and tear.

FAMILY COMFORT

Stepping inside reveals a bright and airy layout, with the tasteful, light-coloured décor including ‘Mali Acacia’ furniture, ‘Maldives’ soft furnishing and French Oak flooring contributing to a relaxed feel. 

The natural colour theme including the cloth upholstery also served to hide the dirt. We wisely chose to leave the standard removable floor carpets at home, as sweeping up the red dust seemed a better option than vacuuming.

Typical of many British vans, the layout incorporates a large and inviting front lounge/dinette area and central kitchen galley, with the rear section comprising two, adult-sized single beds with coil spring mattresses and full width ensuite.

The narrow ‘alleyway’ up the middle made it a squeeze at times moving about but more of an issue was the marginal 195cm interior height, which meant my 190cm tall frame had to stoop slightly to avoid banging my head on the roof hatch or air-con unit.

The soaring front ‘panorama’ window arrangement and three roof hatches ensured plenty of daylight entered the van, even when overcast, while at night an impressive 12V LED set-up including two-stage main light ‘bar’, six reading lights and various spot and mood lights ensured we were never left in the dark.

Despite 10 windows in total, shutting out the light completely at night was possible with in-built blinds and flyscreens on most windows plus pleated curtains.

It took around five minutes to convert the lounge to queen sized bed, using the slide-out slat base and plush cushion bases, which we found almost as comfortable as our bed at home.

As well as two adults the temporary double bed could easily accommodate three children of various sizes, creating five berths in total.

Otherwise, the spacious, six person dinette has a two-stage table that slides out from the front three-drawer cabinet. A larger fold-up table (that stores under a single bed when not in use), extends the surface area, with conveniently located USB, 12V and 240V sockets for charging or running appliances.

There’s also TV and satellite points to run a TV here, along with a similar set-up including TV swivel arm in the rear bedroom.

The adult-sized rear single beds easily accommodated our two primary school aged children, with a pull-out privacy screen to separate it from the kitchen/living area.
.
While aimed more at grey nomads with its twin single beds, Swift Australia says it’s already sold a few 620 Explorer vans to families. For those preferring a double bed the similar-sized Explorer 645 fits a tranverse island double bed into this area.

While relatively compact, the central galley was more than adequate for whipping up some Masterchef-style meals on the move. It’s well equipped with  four burner cooktop, grille, oven, and microwave, while a fold-out extension increases the bench space.

Also making life easier on the road was the big 185 litre fridge/freezer fitted in the large cabinet opposite, alongside an equally useful, full height three-quarter hanging robe with lower shelving.

The only noticeable omission was a rangehood, but cooking smells were never an issue after popping the small window set into the splashback.

Overhead plate cupboards, cutlery drawers, slide-out pantries and a pot drawer, to go with 10 overhead lockers and generous ‘hidden’ storage areas throughtout the van, also ensured we had enough room for all the other stuff. 

We experienced a minor water leak early on in the trip when the hose for the sink drainer hole unscrewed for some reason. But like the curtain trim that ‘fell off’, it was quickly fixed and never bothered us again.

MARGINAL HEADROOM

The downside from squeezing in a big fridge, full height wardrobe and 192cm long single beds, was a slight claustrophobic feel in the rear ensuite, although there was still enough room to have three people in there at one time if required.

The bathroom was well-equipped with Thetord swivel cassette toilet, basin/vanity, mirror, storage shelves and towel hooks, as well as separate shower with extendable hose and water-saving showerhead.

However, perhaps the one feature most appreciated during the trip was the factory-fitted central heating, which is a regular feature on Euro vans but surprisingly rarely offered by Australian manufacturers despite the sub-zero temperatures often experienced in the Outback.

Powered by gas or 240V, the Truma Combi system boosted both water and room temperatures and apart from some initial whirring on start up was almost silent in operation. With three vents it took about 10-15 minutes to warm the van and combined with excellent insulation, it meant we stayed warmer for longer even when the heater was switched off overnight.

The Swift’s other party trick was a Sargent Singer 310 sensor alarm, which emits an alarm upon detection of intruders. We used a less technical but equally effective $140 Al-Ko hitch lock to secure the van when out and about.

Given their current popularity, perhaps the only thing lacking was a washing machine, which could possibly be a dealer-fitted option at the expense of some wardrobe space.

VERDICT

It’s not often we get the chance to extensively road-test a caravan, but the Swift stood up well to the abuse and was hard to fault for durability, design, equipment levels and overall ease of use.

If we had to be picky, it would be nice to have a little extra headroom and perhaps some more road clearance, although this will be addressed when the new MkII version arrives.

But with the promise of easy towing and extended free camping capabilities, the Explorer blends the ‘best’ of Aussie and British caravans in a relatively affordable package.

>> Thanks to

CIL Insurance

for providing insurance cover during the trip.

SWIFT EXPLORER 620

Overall length: 7.92m (26ft 5in)
Internal body length: 6.27m (20ft 11in)
External body width: 2.25m (3ft 11in)
Internal height: 1.95m (6ft 6in)
Travel height: 2.66m (8ft 10in)
Tare: 1598kg
ATM: 2000kg
Ball weight: 84kg
Body/frame: Aluminium sandwich panel with polyurethane framing
Chassis: Al-Ko galvanised steel with independent suspension
Wheels/tyres: 14in alloy, 185/70R14 (15in option)
Brakes: 10in Al-Ko mechanical
Stability control: Yes
Cooking: Thetford three-burner gas, plus electric hot plate, grill & oven
Microwave: Standard
Fridge/freezer: Dometic RMD8555 185 litre
Toilet: Swivel cassette
Shower: Separate fibreglass cubicle
Air-con: Air Command optional
Central heating: Truma gas/240V
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Lighting: 12V LED
Batteries: 2 x 105Ah deep cycle
Solar: 2 x 60W roof panels
Options: roll-out awning
Price (RRP): $64,990
Supplied by: Caravan Super Centre, Campbellfield, Vic
More info:

Swift Australia