Bessacarr E480 - Practical Motorhome

Practical Motorhome reviews the Bessacarr E480 – as well as a generous fixed bed, what more can it offer?

Verdict

Our testers were very pleased with the E480 and thought it was well made – apart from a few niggles – well–equipped and available at a sensible price. The underslung, relatively small water tanks and the small gas locker capacity mean that it isn’t ideal for ‘heavy duty’ distance touring, though.

Pros

A well-made and sensibly priced motorhome for a touring couple

Cons

The small water tanks and small gas locker capacity mean it isn’t suited for long-term touring

Living

The ample clearance provided around the swivelled cab seats allows up to six people to lounge comfortably in the E480’s lounge. With this new E400 range Swift Group has been very conscientious about its occasional tables, so we weren’t surprised to learn that our testers really liked the one in the E480, which is stable and light, and resides in a dedicated secure spot in the wardrobe. It’s easy to retrieve and stow, and can be used for al fresco dining as well.

The light veneers on the furniture and light upholstery garnered a lot of praise from our testers. Peter felt that it helped create a greater sense of space in what is already a sizeable lounge.

On the other hand, our testers singled out the lack of arm-rest bolster cushions for the lounge sofas as a negative point. However, this is an inevitable side-effect of a design that seeks to create as much clearance and space in the lounge as possible, particularly for those lounging in the swivelled cab seats.

Kitchen

Our testers were “very impressed” with the E480’s kitchen. There were no complaints about the levels of equipment provided – a three-burner hob with an electric hotplate comes as standard, as does an oven with a separate grill and an eye-level microwave.

Our testers found the sink to be highly useable as well. It’s very deep, although it’s so big that it eats into workspace a bit. They also liked the fact that it comes with a separate clip-on drainer that stows in a dedicated slot under the sink when not in use.

They did have one complaint about the kitchen, though – the 107-litre fridge/freezer provided only just enough space for all the sundries that they used during their tour.

Washroom

Unfortunately, the space allocated to the E480’s roomy facing-sofa lounge appears to squeezed space in the washroom, which bore the brunt of our tester’s criticisms.

They thought it was too small for the size of the ’van and comes across as a sea of white plastic. They also didn’t like the fact that you have to rely on the pull-out shower head to supply water to both the sink and the shower. They also found the fittings – such as the sink and toilet – to be a little flimsy, and the shower curtain is likely to do little to keep the toilet seat dry.

Beds

The fixed bed is a generous 6’8” in length, which means even taller occupants should find it comfortable. The height of the garage means there are two steps up to it, however, which could pose a problem for some.

Once you get up there, though, you find a cosy area with numerous amenities: a TV point, a power socket and shelves for mugs and books.

Swift’s designers have proved quite adept at designing lounge beds, and the E480 is no exception. The two sofas join easily to form a flat bed and spare bedding can be stored in the generous locker above the cab, too.

Storage

Swift has positioned the fresh-water tank under the ’van which means that the space under the two lounge sofas is largely free for storage. Beneath the farside sofa is where the boiler is located, but even there there’s significant room for storage.

Our testers found ample locker and cupboard space around the ’van, although the half-length wardrobe wasn’t entirely to their liking.

They were big fans of the garage, though, which has lots of cubby holes in which to store cables, levelling blocks, walking boots and other paraphernalia.