This comfortable four-berth is well specified and offers a bright and airy front lounge, with plenty of storage
Words and photos Peter Baber
THE CHALLENGER has been a stalwart of the Swift line-up for so long now that rumours of its impending final demise seem to resurface every year or so.
This season saw the introduction of the higher-spec Challenger Exclusive. But that is only available at certain dealerships.
For all its dealers, Swift is still continuing with the four-model SE range. We thought it would be worth seeing what that has to offer, too. We took a look at the 560 SE, with an inline island bed and a central washroom, at Stewart Longton Caravans in Chorley, Lancashire.
Pitch and set-up
This van is well equipped on the outside. Even for what might be called a mid-weight caravan, you get heavy-duty corner steadies. You also have a barbecue point, mains socket, TV point and cold-water shower point, all on the exterior.
This is one tourer that is really well set up for an awning, or at the very least for plenty of outdoor living.
Unusually, you get a garage of sorts, as well as external access to the nearside underseat locker. Two doors at the rear of the side panel lead to a shallow area – also accessible from the bed locker inside – that would be ideal to store chairs or a parasol, although you would need equally weighty items up front for balance while towing.
Lounge
The entrance door has a proper handle, a bin and a window. Two little shelves up high provide a useful place for keys and fobs, while there is a small mirror and a coat hook here, too. The sideboard below could serve as a place for a TV set.
Light floods into the lounge through the large sunroof, side windows and Heki. At night, two LEDs in the housing for the sunroof and four spotlights, in addition to the ambient light, keep things bright.
Many of these are individually switched, so you can really experiment with lighting. There is good electrical connection, too, with a mains socket on one corner of the front sill, two USBs in the other corner and a USB in each of the spotlights.
However, this is not the largest of seating areas. It would seat four comfortably, but no more. Added to that, the foldaway table is stored in the nearside wardrobe in the bedroom. If there are just the two of you, you’re more likely to use the pull-out shelf above the central chest.
Kitchen
