Swift sits out Melbourne show

Swiift, which sits alongside Bailey as Britain’s top caravan and motorhome builder, was a notable absentee from the recent Victorian Caravan, Camping & Touring Supershow, joining Elite caravans and Pioneer camper trailers among major ‘no-show’ nameplates at what has traditionally been Australia’s top public RV display.

However Swift Australia’s National Sales Manager, Alex Kammerlocher, said the British brand’s absence was simply the result of waiting until new 2018 model stock arrives this month (March), with its first public outing scheduled at the NSW Caravan, Camping, RV & Holiday Supershow in Sydney from April 24-29.

Kammerlocher said up to five new Swift motorhomes and most of the Australian Swift caravan range of eight different models and layouts would be on display in Sydney.

Full fibreglass for Swift

The big change over their 2017 counterparts across the Swift range is that all RV models are now built with full fibreglass composite walls, including their inner lining to ensure even expansion and contraction in climatic extremes. The majority of Swift models previously differed from their Bailey counterparts in sticking to marine-grade aluminium outer skins.

The lightweight, single-axle Sprite Alpine 2 and Alpine 4 models that open the Australian Swift range, will retain similar layouts to their 2017 progenitors, but feature new décor, while the larger Explorer 580 and 645 models are both completely new designs.

New Escape motorhome coming

Kammerlocher said the new single-axle 580 is expected to become a Swift best-seller in Australia, combining an island bed layout with an ensuite and a new 190-litre fridge in response to local buyer demand.

He said all Swift caravans were specifically specced for Australian conditions at the factory and for the past three years have included wanted local features like under-floor fresh water tanks and a raised chassis for better ground clearance.

Also coming in March is a new Swift Escape motorhome (pictured) that for the first time in the Swift range will come with a north-south island double bed, a drop-down bed above the dinette and a full tunnel boot.

Euro models still on show

In Swift’s absence in Melbourne, it was left to Adria to make hay with prospective British/European caravan buyers, with the full range of the Slovenian-built caravans on display on the Apollo Caravans stand.

Bailey Australia did not have a single Bristol, UK-built caravan on its site, despite the British parent’s 70-year Anniversary being celebrated in 2018, preferring to concentrate public focus on its expanded, locally developed and built Rangefinder models.

These included the new Asgard family bunk van and the Capricorn, which is a reverse layout of the top-selling Nebula, with the model’s signature U-shaped club lounge surrounded by panoramic windows located at the rear, rather than at the front, of the caravan.