Swift Voyager 494 overcab motorhome

An island bed, 7.5-metre motorhome is nothing unusual, except that this one has an overcab bed, too

The Swift Voyager 494

Words and photos: Peter Vaughan

Overcab coachbuilts were once the dominant force in motorhome-land and they’ve been kept alive, mostly at entry-level prices, by just a few brands, such as Rimor and Roller Team, whilst most others defected to the more aerodynamic, more attractive forms of a low-profile body. 

Of course, the luton – with its ever-ready bed – has advantages for family buyers and Swift first sought to woo them back with its Fiat-based Edge range, launched for the 2020 season.

The Edge always seemed a bit too back-to-basics, so its replacement for the 2024 season by the Ford-based Voyager 4 Series is a welcome move, not least because the newcomer undercuts its forebear – when did that last happen? 

The 4 Series (which supplements the existing Voyager 5 Series low-profiles) comes with a choice of three layouts, each of them costing under £70k.

This 494 model’s £68,995 list price is a very keen figure these days, especially as it’s a ‘real’ price, not a base cost that escalates as you add this pack and that option. In fact, the only factory-fitted extra listed is Ford’s six-speed automatic gearbox and even that only adds £1,795. 

What’s included

With its Magnetic Grey metallic cab, alloy wheels and front fog lamps, the Voyager also avoids looking like a budget model. And, apart from perhaps an awning, you won’t find gaping holes in the spec. 

It comes with a 100W solar panel on the roof, bike rack mountings on the rear, blinds on the cab windows, Truma’s Combi 6 gas/electric heating, and central locking for the habitation door.

There are also external barbecue and shower points (cold water only – poor Fido!) and the bodywork uses Swift’s wood-free SMART construction with GRP skins inside and out, including a heavy-duty black GRP finish on the motorhome’s underside.

The cab spec

Fiat’s near complete dominance in the motorhome market is well and truly over and the Voyager 4 Series is yet another new range that switches allegiance to the Ford Transit. Here, it comes with the 155bhp motor and six-speed manual gearbox, while the cab spec includes everything you’d expect. 

Cab air-conditioning and cruise control are taken for granted but you benefit from ESC with Curve Control, Load Adaptive Control and Roll Stability Control, as well as Emergency Brake Assist. 

Stop/start and cornering lights also feature, while the most obvious upgrade is the Zenec Xzent 9in touchscreen that’s linked to a reversing camera. That unit incorporates Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, although it seemed reluctant to talk to my Samsung. 

The cab seats not only come with twin armrests but have tiltable squabs and variable lumbar support, while you sit lower, with more adjustment for the steering column, than in a Fiat.

Performance from the 2-litre turbo-diesel engine is more than adequate and the gearshift is pleasant and easy.

The ride is softer than a Ducato’s, so there’s more lean when cornering but, overall, it strikes a comfortable balance for a vehicle of this size. 

Impressively, the furniture doesn’t rattle en route, although there were annoying squeaks and creaks coming from around the cab. And, what I first put down to increased wind noise from the luton, seemed to actually be quite intrusive road noise emanating from the habitation door’s step well.

The exterior

Externally, the Voyager does a good job of concealing its overcab bedroom, the peak over the windscreen being quite discreet compared with more traditional designs. It’s quite a tall motorhome, at almost 3m, and a little wider than most rivals, too (2.37m). 

The habitation windows aren’t flush or framed but they don’t bulge out as obviously as some, while the habitation door (with bin, flyscreen, window and brolly holder) offers a nice low entrance to the living area without an external step.

The gas locker holds two 6kg cylinders but these stow one behind the other, which is less convenient for changing, and the compartment is around a metre off the floor, so you may need to eat more spinach!

The garage

At the rear, the garage has large doors on either side but, without a dropped floor level here, the loading height is, again, loftier than in some of the competition (72cm off the ground). 

Immediately inside those doors there is headroom of 1.11m but this only extends around 32cm from each  side; the majority of the garage is restricted to a height of 73cm – enough for folding bikes but not full-sized cycles. 

There is no mechanism to increase the garage headroom but four fixed lashing points in the floor and a light at each end are plus points. 

There is also a facility to stow the dining table in the garage but, although that’s a good idea for passenger safety, how many owners will lug their table out of the motorhome to travel, especially as this isn’t a table that you can also use al fresco?

The interior

The Voyager’s half-dinette lounge does feel more spacious, however, if you do remove the table. The extra interior width of this motorhome, its huge headroom (up to 2.31m!) and the lack of a side seat all contribute to the extra roominess, too, while more floor space is good news for dog lovers. 

Where you might normally expect an inward-facing pew, the 494 instead has a shallow cabinet containing two deep drawers – above is the perfect position for your telly and 12V, 230V and aerial sockets are provided.

So, this dinette has just four seats – the cab chairs and two on the comfortably shaped, forward-facing bench, which has Isofix. Add the table and only three of you can reach your grub as there’s no extension leaf to accommodate the person occupying the swivelled passenger seat.

There’s no shortage of lighting, however, including excellent reading lights above each cab seat. There are three-pin power points here, too, while double USB ports are fitted above and below the rear travel seat.

All told, it’s a comfy lounge for two or three folk but could feel confined if all four berths are occupied. It’s not as well-lit in daytime as some, because there’s no supersized rooflight overhead and no window behind the TV  cabinet, but some may prefer the more private feel with a modest side window covered by a net curtain.

The kitchen

Aft of the habitation door, the galley at first looks quite modest. It serves up enough worktop, though, thanks to that familiar fitting, the folding flap. A chopping board/drainer cover for the sink is useful, too, and there’s even an inset plastic bowl.

In a British motorhome, it’s no surprise to see an oven and grill (combined here) or a mains hotplate to go with the three gas rings – all served by the Thetford Triplex Plus cooker. Then, above, is a cupboard designed to accommodate a microwave as a dealer-fit option.

Headroom here is still a minimum of 2.10m, so you can come over all Michelin starred and don your toque, but, while it’s great to have the height, it does mean that the uppermost lockers may be beyond the reach of some owners. For example, the cupboard over the microwave (if fitted) is above my head height!

You’ll not be short of storage, though, and most of it is much more accessible. It’s great to see the main kitchen unit devoted to drawers rather than cupboards – four in total, all large and the top one fitted out for cutlery and utensils.

Then, on the offside, the tall ‘n’ slim fridge has automatic energy selection and a door that opens from either side. It’s capacious (139 litres) and at the right height, with another drawer below and a lofty locker above.

The washroom

Between the dinette and fridge is the washroom, an all-in-one design that’s, perhaps, rather smaller than you’d anticipate in a motorhome that’s over 7.5m in length. Slide back its silver tambour door and you’re again struck by the huge headroom, but also presented with its neat, modern appearance.

The marble-effect walls and moulded panel that incorporates two small cupboards (one glazed, one mirror-fronted) avoid an entry-level look and the new design of tip-up washbasin increases the usable room for your ablutions. 

That said, some may find the space to sit on the throne a little tight and others will wish for longer legs as the swivel cassette is too high for me to be comfortable.

The best news here is the lack of a shower curtain. The Ecocamel Jetstorm showerhead provides a decent flow of water (while claiming to use less) and twin drains ensure efficient flow into the waste tank. The only  downside is mopping down the floor and loo afterwards.

Water capacities are good – 110 litres fresh and 85 litres waste, with both tanks underslung and heated. There is insulation on the waste pipe but the small, fiddly drain tap could still be susceptible to freezing.

While you’re peering underneath at these utilities, you’ll note that there’s no spare wheel, just a Fix ‘n’ Go kit.

That’s been done, of course, to increase payload (412kg for the manual model, 382kg for the automatic) and  ensure that you can drive it on a Class B licence.

The beds

Beyond the kitchen, the floor level rises into the bedroom, where comfort is definitely a step up from the norm. 

When my nine-year-old lay on the Duvalay Duvalite Alto mattress it was hard to get him to go indoors to his own bedroom without taking it with him. 

Swift says its bed has a platinum support layer and reflex foam for superior durability, plus a memory fibre layer to increase airflow; all I know is  that you can spend a lot more on a motorhome and not sleep as luxuriously as this.

It wins for comfort but not so much for size; the mattress length is 6ft at most and then only in the centre, as the foot of the bed is curved. There is room to sit up, though, and pigeonholes at either side of the head of the bed are perfect for your phone (there’s a 230V socket one side, USBs the other) or a night-time drink.

You can also shut off the bedroom with a concertina screen, still leaving plenty of room around the foot of the mattress. 

Not only are there the usual wardrobes on either side but a third wardrobe further forward. Then there’s a small chest of drawers (ideal for underwear) in the offside corner of the bedroom (where you could also mount a telly; sockets are provided).

Of course, the 4 Series also has that overcab bed, which just tips out of the way on gas struts during the day. Pull it down (and hope that the ladder hasn’t slid out of reach at the front of the luton) and you have a second double bed that can be left with pillows and duvet in situ.

Unlike drop-down beds in low-profile rivals, the overcab bed doesn’t interrupt the use of the lounge below, but its limited headroom (56cm max, reducing noticeably towards the front of the motorhome) may mean that it’s more suited to kids than adults. 

There’s a single LED lamp in the luton and an opening window at the opposite end of the bed for ventilation. Another Duvalay mattress is fitted here but it sits on an unvented plywood base.

Motorhome supplied by Swift Group
Tel: 01482 847332
swiftgroup.co.uk

Insurance: £566.98
Tel: 0800 975 1307
shieldtotalinsurance.co.uk
For quote details: motorhome.ma/QuoteInfo

The spacious rear bedroom is the star feature of the Voyager 494 (as long as the bed is big enough for you), while the well-designed kitchen is another big plus. 

The overcab will suit some families better than a drop-down bed, but check out the lounge space if you always camp as a quartet. Best of all, this new Swift range is very well priced, with all essentials as standard.