Tow Vehicle

Roy Dawson at Springvale Caravan Centre believes the Swift range is the way of the future, where weight and construction are major factors in the industry.

As a tow vehicle, the average Commodore or Falcon will be able to handle this 'van easily, which means not having to have two vehicles, one for towing and the other for driving around town. This is a huge bonus in savings on rego, insurance and the like.

On The Outside

The guts of the Swift are built around aluminium sandwich construction walls and roof and an engineered ALKO chassis and suspension package. The basics for this caravan provide the ability to handle many kilometres of long- distance black-top touring.

Up front in the boot is the gas bottle area where one 9kg bottle is supplied - a second bottle can be fitted. Another hatch opens to reveal space for an optional 12V battery with the Swift Charisma pre-wired with an inverter system from factory.

The body of the Swift is neat and tidy, from alloy wheels to moulded fittings, and while it might take some people a while to warm up to the overall look, the boys at Springvale Caravans are sure that people soon will.

Day into Night

At first glance inside the Swift, huge panoramic widows around the lounge dining area at the front of the caravan leap into view. Turning right from the door the kitchen is displayed with cupboards and the ensuite walls on the left. At the rear of the caravan is a queen-size bed with wardrobes.

The dining seats are wide and very comfortable. The dining table is a bi-fold with various options for use, including taking the dining table box out of the equation and using a slide-out base to create another double bed within seconds.

The ensuite is a two-room-in-one affair with the shower having its own fibreglass cubicle and the toilet and basin in its own space so the shower and toilet can be used simultaneously if need be. The Thetford toilet is a hand-flush unit which means nice-smelling chemicals can be added into the flush tank easily.

There's so much to discuss, from the gas electric ducted heating to the injection moulded curved cabinetry, this Charisma is well worth a look.

Keen pricing, light weight and huge amounts of comfort will see the Swift Charisma a very viable touring option for OZ.

Australian Caravan+RV magazine, Issue 9, Feb/Mar 2009.