Bravia Mobil Swan 636: luxury horse from Slovenia
Since the beginning of this year, ROADVIP from Drenthe has been appointed as an importer of Bravia camper vans. The company is therefore the only Bravia dealer in the Netherlands. You can also buy and/or rent other brands of camper vans there. For this test, we are looking at the Bravia Mobil Swan 636, one of Bravia Mobil's top models.
Slovenian Bravia started 30 years ago with the production of furniture and interiors for hotels and luxury office buildings, among others. Since 2005, the family business has also been building camper vans, with the expertise in interior construction built up over three decades clearly visible.
Exterior of the Bravia
Bravia Mobil's portfolio starts with a compact Swan 495 on the Peugeot Traveller, followed by the Swan 599 and the Swan 636, both built on the Peugeot Boxer. And finally, within the Swan family, there is also a 699, on a Mercedes Sprinter.
For this test, we are looking at the Bravia Mobil Swan 636, the almost 640 cm long camper van with the popular single beds lengthwise, which can easily be converted into a wide double bed. The Swan is built on the Peugeot Boxer and equipped with the modern 2-liter HDI diesel engine. By using AdBlue, among other things, this engine effortlessly meets the strict Euro-6 environmental standards. The Swan 636 has its own 'face' due to its modified bumper, modern striping, and for those who still don't think that's enough: the vehicle is available in no fewer than nine different colors, including four metallic colors.
Living, eating, sleeping
Inside, it is immediately apparent that Bravia Mobil Swan 636 has a lot of expertise in interior construction. We see rounded shapes on the overhead locker doors, curves on the single beds, and a beautifully upholstered wall in the sleeping area. 'Blonde' wood colors have been chosen in combination with light color panels, which gives the camper van a fresh, modern look. The upholstery of the furniture is also in a duo-tone design. For the furniture, Bravia chooses plywood and multiplex, where other camper manufacturers usually use fiberboard. Corner joints are solid, and this also applies to intensively used surfaces such as the table top and the kitchen worktop.
Of course, the front seats are swivel-mounted, creating a cozy living space for four people – the dinette can also be converted into a third sleeping place. The kitchen is compact, with a two-burner Dometic gas hob integrated into the worktop and a stainless steel sink. As is usually the case with camper vans, not much workspace remains during cooking, but Bravia solves this with storage space above the 70-liter refrigerator.
The toilet/shower room is equipped with a swivel Thetford toilet and a beautifully built-in storage unit with a small sink. The single beds, at 182 and 190 cm respectively, are not excessively long, but because you can convert both beds into a double bed with an intermediate piece, you can also sleep widthwise. Then you have 197 cm at your disposal.
Installations
Striking in the Bravia Mobil Swan 636 is the luxurious standard level. Cruise control, navigation and engine air conditioning are standard, the entry step under the sliding door likewise, LED lighting, space for two 11-liter gas bottles, Dometic awning, you name it. It is special that the tested model has a Truma 6E combi (heater/boiler) installed, whereas with other brands it is a Truma 4, with a lower capacity. The advantage of the 6E (with the addition 'E') is that it heats not only with gas but also with electricity – which saves a lot of gas bottles in winter. It's nice that the waste water tank can also be heated in winter periods.
Conclusion camper test Bravia Mobil Swan 636
Bravia Mobil is a relatively young brand in the camper van world. But one with ambitions, if you look at, for example, the equipment level, the styling and the quality of the furniture. Among the wide range of other brands, Bravia has sufficient distinctive power, but that first needs to be explained to you. And for that, you are at the right address with Siebren van der Weide and Wim Brandsema of ROADVIP Nederland.
Pros & Cons
+ solid furniture
+ standard equipment
– no automatic transmission available
Technical data
CHASSIS/ENGINE
Chassis Peugeot Boxer
Engine test vehicle 2.0 liter HDI 4 cylinder
Maximum power kW/hp 96kW/130hp (optional 120kW/163hp)
Maximum torque 320Nm at 1,800 rpm
DIMENSIONS
Length: 636 cm
Width: 205 cm
Height: 259 cm
Headroom: 189 cm
Wheelbase: 4,035 mm
WEIGHTS
Maximum mass: 3,500 kg
Ready-to-drive weight: 2,940 kg
Payload: 560 kg
SEATING* & SLEEPING
Number of seats/berths: 4/2
Rear beds: 191/182 x 80 cm
(*seats with seat belts)
Price of tested version: € 72,900
More info: www.roadvip.nl and www.bravia-mobil.com
ROADVIP Campers
Meulenakker 8C
7841 EP Sleen
phone (0591) 764 321
Curious about the current range of ROADVIP Netherlands? View the offer on our website here
