Swift Challenger SE 480 2013

Swift Challenger 480 SE 2013

The SE’s great spec included barbecue and exterior mains points, a 40W solar panel, ATC, alloys, a sunroof, Status TV aerial, an alarm, microwave, a full oven, a dual-fuel hob, Alde heating and an AKS hitch stabiliser. But weights were kept realistic, adding to its appeal.

The Swift Challenger SE 480 is based on an Al-Ko chassis, with an AKS 3004 stabiliser and the ATC trailer stability system fitted as standard. The button-free handbrake is easy to apply and release, and the heavy-duty steadies are readily accessible.

The battery box houses the hook-up point. As you’d expect of a luxurious mid-market tourer, it’s also fitted with external gas and three-pin electric points.

One of the key kit upgrades is Alde’s wet heating system, which features radiators in the front seat boxes and a heated rail in the washroom. Alde’s touch control panel is easy to use, as are all other aspects of setting the Swift up.

Living

The lounge space in this two-berth is comfortable and cosy for up to four people. A sunroof is fitted as standard and does a good job of flooding the lounge area with light by day. At night, over-locker lighting creates a classy internal ambience. The reduction in overall width is barely noticeable in terms of legroom for anyone seated on the sofas.

The centre chest is standard and the pull-out top provides sufficient space for two people to enjoy a meal without being too cramped; a well-proportioned free-standing table has space for four. LED corner spotlights provide battery-friendly illumination for reading.

All the windows get full pleated blinds, flyscreens and curtains. The sofa backrests also get backboards to reduce condensation against the interior walls in cooler climes.

Kitchen

It’s the kitchen area that bears the brunt of the 34cm reduction in internal length compared with last season’s model: there’s less fixed food preparation space, although a hinged extension has been introduced as a space-saving measure.

The tweaked kitchen now includes a second cutlery drawer between the fridge and the worktop. The area has also been restyled, with an attractive new LED-lit splashback, and LED strip lighting underneath the work surface’s leading edge. When combined, this gives the kitchen plenty of showroom appeal.

The fridge is the latest 110-litre model from Dometic, with an easy-to-use, push-button control panel. The hob retains three gas burners and an electric hotplate, with a separate oven and grill, and a microwave sited above.

A welcome addition to the kitchen is a three-speed, two-way Omnivent extractor fan for banishing cooking smells and cooling the interior. Storage here is a little squeezed, but if you keep your plates and cereal bowls to a minimum, everything can be accommodated.

Washroom

The full-width end washroom houses the wardrobe, which gets a new light that switches on when the door is opened. The main mirror gets new backlighting, too, which does wonders for the showroom sizzle of the van.

There’s plenty of legroom around the toilet, and a heated towel rail alongside it. There is also a large – if rather shallow – handbasin, and a spacious, fully lined separate shower cubicle, that features a hanging rail for drying.

Beds

The two lounge beds in this Swift Challenger SE 480 may well be long, wide and comfortable enough to accommodate single occupants: the nearside one is 1.86m long, the offside’s is shorter at 1.76cm. Alternatively, it makes a large transverse double – with the slide-out slats retained on a track.

Storage

The rounded, aircraft-style lockers of the outgoing Challenger are replaced by flat-faced ones on this model, which reduces their capacity slightly.

The under-seat storage in the front lounge can be accessed by raising the self-supporting seat-box lids or via the drop-down flaps at the front.

Technical Specifications

Berth 2

MiRO 1161 kg

Payload 121 kg

MTPLM 1282 kg

Shipping Length 7.25 m

Width 2.25 m