One Review written for “Swift Sundance”

1. chris on April 28th, 2008 2:17 pm

   Review of the Swift Sundance 630l

   Six months ago my wife and I knew we wanted a Motorhome but had no idea what to get, the advise on here has been fantastic , so I thought I would add a review that might help someone else in the future.

   We looked at a lot of motorhomes before deciding on the Swift. The requirements were a 5/6 berth because we have two young teenage boys who will share a double at the moment but anticipate problems with this in the future, so a four berth would not suffice!
   With four of us and a small dog living space during the day was also important ,and on looking really ruled out a fixed bed model for us.

   By a process of elimination we really liked the rear lounge layout, this allowed the Motorhome to be split into two when required also. We liked the idea the boys could be playing a game in the rear lounge, while we could have a meal in peace and quiet at the front dining table. We also liked the fact that at bedtime we could pull the curtain and have privacy in bed and with the bathroom also enclosed, privacy when going to the bathroom. This has had the added benefit that when we have guests it is a private area for a shower and change. Theses assumption at the beginning I am glad to say has worked out exactly as we thought and is the perfect layout for us.

   So after searching the Swift seemed to tick all the boxes and off we went to search for one, we found that the latest model had a larger rear lounge than the previous one and after some serious bidding managed to buy one new for a couple of thousand more than a two year old one, I think this was because of the forthcoming restyle, but we were pleased with this deal. We also fitted the reversing camera (a must), TV aerial, rear steadies, alarm, awning, 4 bike rack, safari room, ladder, rack and box.

   Cab/Engine

   On first picking it up the nervousness of driving something nearly 25ft long disappears quite quickly . The fiat engine provides plenty of torque and easily allows you to keep up with all traffic, the cab position is nice and high and the thing actually goes around corners very well. The one we bought has air suspension and I am not sure if this is an add on, but while driving nothing really rattles or bangs except the inevitable thing we have stowed wrongly. It is more than happy at 70/80 mph and very stable when passing other vehicles. The only thing I don’t like is the handbrake which is far to low but I think you can buy extenders to get around this. The fuel consumption is good and I reckon around 25mpg. The radio is rubbish, I am not sure if it is the aerial or the radio but the speakers are also poor and something I will be updating in the future. We also had a swivel fitted to the passenger seat as this is not standard and is well worth it as I can look into the wife’s eyes as she washes up (a joke)!

   Kitchen/front lounge.

   It comes with the sink, a cover , draining board, gas cooker and fridge that runs on gas and electric all pretty standard stuff. The fridge is ice cold and the cooker excellent. Don’t buy the optional microwave it is a rip off. We bought one from comet for £60 and secured it in place with Velcro strips in a dedicated locker overhead.. The dining area has a table that we leave up all the time and seating for 4. It also has 4 seatbelts which is excellent and the kids love travelling here. It also has a couple of spotlights that run off the van battery for rear light when travelling. The overhead cupboards in this van are plentiful and of a very good build quality, they are modern and I think attractive.

   Bathroom

   The bathroom is basic and I don’t think look as good as some, there is just enough storage for all our bits and bobs and the sink is on the small side. The shower is an ingenious design and needs to be seen rather than described but this is the reason for the compromise on the bathroom design. But overall for a shower, wash and other necessaries we have found it excellent, the toilet has a flush linked to the main water supply, the cartridge is easy to empty and we have had no smells yet. The water tank on this van I do feel is too small, as a family of four we can manage about 2 maybe 3 days before a refill is required being very careful, this has not been a problem as yet because if we are staying longer we normally book a pitch with water, but this would be a nuisance if you had to keep moving. I have solved the problem by buying a collapsible bucket that I use for refills if needed, and another for the waste.

   Rear Lounge

   There is plenty of room in the back here for watching television and is a huge double bed that is very very comfortable, at least we haven’t managed to get up early yet from it. It could if needed sleep 3 young adults. It takes about 2 minutes to put the bed up via a slide out frame and there is storage under all the seating that is also accessible from the outside.
   Storage is the other compromise on the design, the under seat storage is ok, we manage to store chairs , safari room, poles, fishing equipment, blocks etc but knew we needed more and hence the roof box. Using the roof box ended any storage problems and is a must for us.
   The rear lounge also has its own table stored in the wardrobe and you can easily sit 6 around the table for a meal or a game of cards. We purchased a little flat folding stool so the end of the table is utilised. In the summer though the table tends to be used outside under the awning.

   There is an area dedicated for a TV and DVD player with 24/12v connections and plenty of overhead locker space, there is also a nice drinks cabinet that secures bottles and wine glasses. There is a large cupboard under the television and this tends to be our pantry, you could store enough food for 10 in here. Another thing we loved in this area is the huge skylight and the amount of light it allows in. All the windows and skylights have blinds and fly screens including the door.
   The heating is excellent and is electric or gas, the hot water is always piping hot.

   Outside

   The locker is small but you can get most essentials in here, we have the privacy room which is excellent and also an added sleeping area in the summer. You have no problem for 4 adults and 4 kids to stay in the Motorhome for a couple of days.

   Summary

   We have found the build quality good and have had no problems so far with the Motorhome except a control panel that needed replacing, dealer backup has been excellent and I must say it has been a very positive experience so far.
   The Motorhome is ideal for our needs, but I think if you buy one budget for a roof box if you intend to store as much as us. I think it is an excellent choice for families but also a good choice for a couple who like to take away friends. I wish it had a bigger water tank, but with planning it is not an issue. For our needs and budget I would give it 8/10.

   Hope this helps someone.

   Chris

Review Swift Sundance