I’ve not owned my current campervan – a 2017 Autocruise (Swift) Select 144 – for too long – it has only been in my ownership for a few months.
In that time, I’d not really had much of a chance to give it much of a run out, beyond a couple of local trips, so what better way to test it in a bit more depth than to drive to Alsace (somewhere I had long wanted to visit) in France during the early summer?
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Stunning scenery
Inspired by a trip I’d taken about 10 years ago (that time in a VW California), we decided to drive to Alsace via Belgium and Luxembourg – it’s not much further than travelling directly through France, and the scenery is stunning. Heading to Europe means choosing between the ferry or Eurotunnel, and I settled for the former.
So we booked a crossing with DFDS from Dover to Dunkirk, including access to the excellent Premium Lounge – it costs from just £18 each way and offers a fantastic respite from the hubbub of the ferry journey (as well as complimentary food and drink!).
I always prefer aires over campsites, so for our first night, we rocked up in Tournai, Belgium, where there was a promising-looking stop. It cost €15 for a night’s stay including water and electric.
The latter was useful because having an oven in this particular Swift was a cost option, the box for which the previous owner of my ’van didn’t tick. That suits me fine, though, freeing up as it does more storage space in the kitchen. I also have a Jackery power pack, a brand you’re likely to be familiar with if you’ve looked at buying one for the best portable power stations for a campervan, which we can use to run our air fryer when not on hook-up (see: “can I use an air fryer in a campervan?” for more on this.
After a great morning spent in Tournai, we headed on south into Luxembourg. This truly stunning country offers many attractions, not least that of cheap fuel. We were quick to stop and fill up when we spotted diesel at the equivalent of £1.20 per litre.
We motored on towards Alsace (via a quick diversion into Germany), the Fiat Ducato-based Swift covering the miles with ease.
The lack of an oven in the back also means that there are fewer rattles than you might hear otherwise, although we did have to stuff some cloths into the side blind cassette to dull a bit of vibration. We also needed to make a stop at a supermarket to buy me a cushion, to make the slightly flattened cab seat more comfortable.
On site (or aire), though, the ’van is a hugely comfortable place to spend time. The rear seats are belted, so feel a little upright, but the cushions here remain well sprung and the
fabric is very hard-wearing. I was concerned that we might find the corridor between the rear seats and the kitchen a little narrow, but this was never a problem during our week away.
Once we reached Alsace, we stayed at the lovely Camping de l’Ill on the outskirts of Colmar; it was otherwise full, so we were lucky to grab a pitch.
There was no hook-up available, but the solar panel fitted for us by the dealer (and our Jackery, the Jackery Solar Generator 1000 with its portable solar panels) meant we were never short of power when needed, not least because the weather was so sunny (and hot).
Relaxing in the shade
As such, we were glad of the Autocruise’s roll-out awning, which provided some welcome shade when we wanted to relax outside the ’van.
We also had more than enough room for our outdoor camping chairs and compact barbecue, which we can stow away easily in the area between the two rear sofas (or under the bed when it’s made up).
During our trip, a couple of small niggles did emerge. First was the lack of any shelving in the rear bedroom area – it would be useful to be able to stash a phone or glasses near the bed. I’m going to have a think and see what I can come up with to solve this – perhaps a temporary, suction-pad mounted shelf, similar to the one I’ve already installed in the washroom?
The other niggle – a little more concerning – was the fact that the Ducato’s engine management warning light lit up a couple of times during the trip. We weren’t overly concerned – it’s an amber light and extinguished itself promptly after the engine had been turned off – but it’s something that we planned to get checked out on our return to the UK.
In the meantime, though, we had a wonderful couple of days in Colmar and thoroughly enjoyed our taste of beautiful Alsace.
Over a drink at Camping de l’Ill’s delightful bar, we decided that, seeing as we were fairly close to Switzerland, we would “pop there” for a night, which we duly did, before returning home – and absolutely wonderful it was, too.
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