Swift Escape Wins Caravan Club motor caravan awards! (1 Viewer)

[ChrisG46]

A new coachbuilt, the Escape 686 from the Swift Group, took overall honours in the tenth Caravan Club Motor Caravan Design and Drive Awards last night (Thursday 14th May

Testing took place at Newark Showground at the end of April; a panel of four driving judges and six design judges evaluated the vehicles for excellence in design, construction and handling characteristics.

The Swift Group picked the perfect time to launch a coachbuilt budget range, in the shape of its new Escape models. Relatively inexpensive it may be, but the Escape 686 is still a top product, with build quality matching the rest of Swift’s ranges. One of the competition judges commented, “The Escape 686 sets the benchmark for budget family motor caravanning.”

Thirty four vehicles were split into six classes and evaluated. Awards went to the East Neuk Fifer Touring SE (van conversions up to £34,000); Murvi Morello (van conversions over £34,000); Escape 686 (coachbuilts up to £36,000 and also Overall Winner); Excel 590 EK (coachbuilts between £36,000 and £45,000); Swift Kon-Tiki 679 (coachbuilts over £45,000) and the Carthago Opus 5.6Q (A Class).

In depth report with more photos by 1pm, at Link Removed

 

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

Well done Swift, first one we had delivered lasted 7 days on the forecourt before some one snapped it up and bought it:thumb:

Peter

 

[hilldweller]

with build quality matching the rest of Swift’s ranges.

Hey YOU. Smith minor at the back, stop grinning like that.

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[mondo]

After Swift announced the Escape range I looked every where for one as I was going to get one as I wanted a fixed bed motor home tried Lowdhams at Huddersfield no joy they said they couldn't get hold of one even had a look round at the Peterboro show no joy.............and now it wins this ......oh well

 

[lele]

Mondo,

They have a 686 at Don Amotts in Hilton, Derbyshire. I saw it there today, I think it was up for £35,534 OTR, we have just bought the baby brother of the range a 624

Good Luck

 

[mondo]

Mondo,

They have a 686 at Don Amotts in Hilton, Derbyshire. I saw it there today, I think it was up for £35,534 OTR, we have just bought the baby brother of the range a 624

Good Luck

Is that the fixed bed one??

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[buccaneer]

Swift coat hanger

In the new swifts they have nice round chrome plated coat hangers anyone know where I can buy these from or a similar one.

 

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

In the new swifts they have nice round chrome plated coat hangers anyone know where I can buy these from or a similar one.

Yep theres some in our next Escape, June delivery

Peter

 

[buccaneer]

Can you just whip them out and stick in a jiffy bag,they are also in all the new models so you should have plenty.:thumb:

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[Peter JohnsCross MH]

In the new swifts they have nice round chrome plated coat hangers anyone know where I can buy these from or a similar one.

Hi,

SPECIAL SALE

One set of round chrome plated coat hangers £34995 inc VAT and get a new Escape FREE

Peter

 

[silverfox60]

Escape 686

Just taken delivery of a 686 from Dyce Caravans, Aberdeen. Nice people to deal with! For once, it pays to live in the 'wilds' of Scotland!! No chance to try it yet.

 

[hilldweller]

No chance to try it yet.

Not acceptable.

Drop everything and get on with it.

Funster directive 0771786652/qq1a The Usage Directive. "New motorhome must be used immediately"

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[vava1]

and on a Fiat chassis too! oh:

 

[vava1]

Have they fixed the gearbox problems yet?

 

[Autoquest]

Well done Swift, first one we had delivered lasted 7 days on the forecourt before some one snapped it up and bought it:thumb:

Peter

I think I saw it at Camping Cala Gogo near St Cyprien in June, they were pitched a few blocks away from us - Spotted your name on the No Plate. Very nice it looked too

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[Autoquest]

Just taken delivery of a 686 from Dyce Caravans, Aberdeen. Nice people to deal with! For once, it pays to live in the 'wilds' of Scotland!! No chance to try it yet.

Nice to see another ATPL(H) on here

 

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

Nice to see another ATPL(H) on here

PPL(H) and PPL(IR) in my time

Peter

 

[evans88]

It is disingenuous of the Caravan Club to dish out awards for motorcaravans based on a Fiat chassis when so many of their members are having such difficulty with Fiat in connection with their defective gearboxes. Its pretty scandalous that people spend their hard earned cash on vehicles that will become the subject of such hassle and, now seemingly, the Caravan Club are promoting them through their award scheme.

Interestingly, some dealers (no names mentioned) claim there is no problem with Fiat but the thousannds of complainants here and elsewhere with experience of using these vehicles cannot be wrong. I nearly bought one..........thank gawd I didn't as even the 3 litre version which previously was thought to be OK is now proving troublesome according to the unmentionable site which requires a subscription.

In my view the Caravan Club are serving their members very badly. Perhaps Caravan Club members with defective gearboxes should complain. In my book the converters should dump Fiat and build their vehicles on a more reliable chassis.

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[Peter JohnsCross MH]

I don't and neither do any of our staff have a problem driving X250's.

If we did, I can assure you that I would be the first to complain, I buy enough of them even for our own use on the Hire Fleet.

Peter

 

[evans88]

Peter. You are a decent bloke because you are putting your head above the parapet. But who would buyers prefer to believe........... a dealer or very many fellow motorhomers.

I have experienced this judder first hand in two vans and I can tell you it was not pleasant. Furthermore the many tales of early gearbox and clutch failure cannot be wrong and the difficulties being experiencied with the manufacturer cannot be discarded with a "no problem" response. On just a couple of forums (you know where they are) there are at least 3000 posts on "juddergate".

Because you are on here to be counted I would consider buying a van from you but definitely not a Fiat. I can't recall a single complaint about your organisation and you have received many compliments on the service you provide. However, I don't think you can be doing your reputation very much good by denying there is a problem when the evidence seems to point the other way.

 

[Autoquest]

Fair to say not everyone seems to have a problem... My little 115 has reversed half a mile up a hill from hell in Greece - Wiffy clutch at the top but no other problems, perhaps a small cadence on the clutch pedal but nothing of note. Just thought I would mention it:Cool:

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