We have a lovely Swift Speedbird 490, 2000 model - with fixed end bed, side shower cubicle. It's a 'wrong-side' door because it's the continental version of a Swift Challenger and was based on the Toscane, sold in Holland. It has no oven, just a huge amount of cupboard space - but it does have a corner missing on the bed. However, in practical terms, you never notice this at all when you're actually sleeping. Ours is 7ft 6 wide, too, which makes the bed area wider than a lot of British vans so this helps, too.
It does have u-shaped seating areas - but we'd actually prefer a chest in the middle as the middle section is really too narrow for anyone except a very small child. It has a proper partition to section off the bedroom during the day (not a folding screen).
It weighs in at 1120 MIRO with MTPL of 1350. It has a large single front window, blinds, flyscreens, and also net curtains and has a very continental feel about it.
We are actually looking to replace it with a new caravan, which will last us well into retirement - and have looked at Senator Indiana, and also Adria, Caravelair, and TECs - all less traditional than British made vans. Generally these are now being 'anglicised' with ovens, and other bells and whistles which we don't want.
Last year we were going to go to the Dusseldorf Caravan Salon at the end of August to look at vans there. We'd previously been to the Rai in Amsterdam and were amazed at the different models available in Europe - but we never got there. We're still thinking about it for August this year.
The Sprite range does a model with a fixed bed (but does now have an oven, though the first ones to be released didn't) - and you may be able to get a new van for the price you're quoting - especially if any dealers have 'last year' models still available when the new models come out.
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