Full review

IT sleeps four and has four travel seats. There’s an over-cab double bed and, at the rear, the option of sleeping in two single beds or a massive double that makes across the whole width of the motorhome. So far so predictable.

But there’s something amazing about this motorhome’s bed option: you can widen the single beds by pulling out the base which has a single U-shaped leg assembly – it’s a really easy operation.

Pulling these bed bases fully out from under each settee forms the base of the double bed in seconds. It is this spacious lounge-bed area that is the 695 EL’s strong appeal; there’s plenty of space to relax – and you have a separate dining area at the front as well.

At night the rear section can be partitioned from the rest of the motorhome by a pleated blind.

Just forward of the lounge is, on the nearside, a wardrobe that gives you half-length hanging space with two shelves beneath; the wardrobe shares its space with the gas bottle housing, which is why the hanging space is curtailed, but the gas bottle box doesn’t occupy the full depth of the wardrobe, so there’s space for two narrow shelves at the base  of the wardrobe – perfect for shoes. It’s a clever used of space.

Opposite is the washroom. Here again, the designers have made ingenuous use of small space. The shower is almost circular, and with a wooden slatted base. Remove it when you have a shower; when the shower is not in use, this base extends the floor area as you can step into the shower base, creating enough space in which to dress.

A wall cupboard and an under-washbasin unit take care of the shampoo paraphernalia, together with three triangular shelves tucked away between toilet and shower – useful when you’re on a site but remember to pack away things from here when you drive.

If there’s one criticism of this motorhome it has to be lack of lower kitchen storage space.

Apart from the good-sized Thetford fridge and under-oven pan department, there is only one slim unit, which contains two wire basket shelves, between oven and fridge. Upper kitchen storage space, though, is excellent. Above the sink and workspace is a cupboard that attractively forms part of a curved unit which gives you two central open shelves and curves onwards to the right to form the microwave housing – very neat.

And over the dining table is a surprise: two more head lockers, one with a splitter shelf and the other fitted with a moulded plastic unit with recesses for cups and plates – with a web of elasticated mini-bungee-type bands that enables you to secure your tableware. Importantly , because they’re fixed in place, this minimises rattles.

Hob cooking comes courtesy of three gas burners and a mains hotplate. And kitchen surface area, while not large, is very workable; put the chopping board cover over the sink and you have doubled your surface space instantly.

The refinements of this £50,000 motorhome put it into a luxury class rather above its price station. Its upholstery is part suede-effect, part high quality weave fabric with a slight chenille feel. Window trimmings are simply lovely:  panels about 30cm wide, with permanent, wide pleats are topped with an angled section of shiny suede-look fabric and the whole panel is lined, so it hangs neatly.

You also have fine voiles – and the pleated blinds, have a cream and fawn obscure pattern that keys in with the creams and fawns of the upholstery and curtains.

The styling count goes on climbing the more you look at this motorhome: Marking the edge of the dome that gives you head space in the over-cab bed area is a metal-effect strip running between two spotlights – and on each end are speakers (the radio CD player has iPod connectivity).

Standard equipment includes built-in awning, recessed into the roof edge so that it’s hardly noticeable.

The refinements list extends to the cab windows, where there are pleated blinds, so cleverly housed that they’re barely noticeable when fully retracted.

A useful option is that you can have fresh and waste water tank heaters and waste pipe insulation. Also on the options list is cruise control and a reversing camera that’s integrated with the rear view mirror.

Power comes from a Fiat 130 Multijet diesel unit; you have the option of choosing a 160 with automatic gearbox.

On test drive from the Swift factory near Hull to Burton Constable Holiday Park it proved as easy to handle as we had expected – and excellently taut; roll is kept to a minimum by the wide track. Cornering is more like the ease of driving a big 4x4 car than a motorhome; praise indeed!

For those who like to be self sufficient, most of the lighting is LEDs, saving your battery power – and wiring is installed for solar panels, together with the necessary roof strengthening.

If you’re thinking of towing a small car, the 695EL has catered for that, too; heavy duty chassis extensions are in place ready for you to have a towbar fitted.

The heating system is a Combi boiler, operated by gas or mains – and the great thing is that you can use it on gas when you’re on the move; blown air ensures the whole motorhome is warm at all times; you’re not just relying on the cab heating.

The boiler is under the rear seating area, taking care of both water and space heating in one unit.

Storage space is great – six head lockers over the lounge plus under bed storage under the two rear side settees and under the forward-facing table seat.

Verdict:
Well styled with lots of finesse especially in the window-dressing area, as spacious a lounge as you’ll find anywhere in mid-sized coachbuilt territory and a good-sized separate dining area – this motorhome has a lot of family appeal.

We like the option of tank heaters and we like even more the ease of driving this motorhome, brought about by excellent mirror visibility and a small amount of through-view via the large lounge window.

This review was first published in Go Motorhome magazine.