Verdict
The Bessacarr 562 offers comfort and refinement in abundance, with a great specification that includes Alde heating. There are no extra travel seats, but if you only ever tour as a couple, this won’t be a deal-breaker.
You can see new and used Bessacarr motorhomes and other motorhomes manufactured by the Swift Group at a large number of motorhome retailers in Britain. To see new and pre-owned Bessacarr motorhomes, just put your postcode into the ‘find a dealer‘ section of the Swift Group’s website to find your nearest showroom.
Pros
Ideal for couples
There’s a spare double bed for visitors
The transverse bed is ideal for a tall person
Deluxe Alde heating
Duvalay Duvalite mattress
Designed to cope with winter holidays
Cons
Four beds but only two travel seats
When it’s not building motorhomes, Swift Group enjoys a successful double life as a manufacturer of touring caravans. It’s rather good at it, too, as 50 years in the leisure vehicle industry testifies.
You can see the tourer influences in the floor plan of the Bessacarr 562, which ports a popular caravan layout into a low-profile motorhome. The layout features a rear fixed bed, offside corner washroom and spacious midships lounge, all planned out over 7.04m on a Fiat Ducato with Al-Ko chassis.
For the 2014 season,the Bessacarr E500 range has lost the ‘E’ in the title but received specification bumps.
You can see the tourer influences in the floor plan of the Bessacarr 562, which ports a popular caravan layout into a low-profile motorhome
Living
On the left-hand side of the kitchen, a circular sink is mounted in a round plinth. This gives the galley a pleasing L-shape, and adds a considerable amount of style to proceedings. A glass partition connects the kitchen worktop to a small shelf; this will prevent water from the sink splashing the occupant of the offside seat bench. At the opposite end of the kitchen, you’ll find a dual-fuel hob and separate oven and grill. On the nearside of the vehicle is a tall fridge with separate freezer compartment – more than adequate for a couple.
Kitchen
The midships lounge picks up on the styling cues set in the kitchen. High-quality seat cushions with stitched-in ‘Bessacarr’ strips look the part, while up above the two-tone lockers have a gently curved profile. The seat benches are just over 6 foot long, so you could easily fit two adults on each side. Rotate the cab seats and a further two people can join the party. A folding-leaf table can be added for mealtimes.
Washroom
Opposite the bed sits the corner washroom, accessed via a door with a smart grey infill and domestic-style handle. There are two discrete areas: as you enter, you’ll find an oval sink and corner vanity unit with half-length mirror. To your right is a shower tray with swivel toilet behind it. A pair of bi-fold shower doors section the shower off, so you can keep spray confined to this area. The shower has an Ecocamel head, which uses less water without a loss of power. The bathroom can be used as dressing room; if it’s too cosy then a caramel-coloured partition can be used to divide the bedroom from the ’van.
Beds
If family or friends are joining you, the lounge seat bases can be used as single beds, or converted into a double by pulling a slide-out slat frame into the middle of the gangway.
The main bed is on the nearside, at the rear, and features a pronounced cutaway to aid access to the corner washroom. Comfort won’t be an issue, as a Duvalay Duvalite mattress is supplied as standard. The bed lifts up on gas struts to reveal a large storage space underneath; this can also be accessed from a hatch on the nearside of the vehicle.
Storage
A total of three overhead lockers are available in the bedroom, together with a half-length wardrobe, on the offside; so there’s plenty of room for a touring couple’s clothes.
Technical Specifications
| Payload | 350 kg |
| MTPLM | 3500 kg |
| Shipping Length | 7.04 m |
| Width | 2.35 m |
| Engine Size | 2300 cc |
