GORV - Digital Magazine Issue #26 | Page 30

Let’s face it: if you see much free-camping in your travelling future, the Z-Series pack would be worth fitting at the factory, rather than trying to retrofit many of these items. I was impressed with this van’s performance under tow. Behind my MU-X, the Metrolink 19- 1R was like a well-trained dog, always keeping to heel. I towed it without a weight distribution hitch and at no stage did the van feel unstable or poorly balanced. It’s fitted with Al-Ko ESC as standard, by the way. In terms of construction, the Metrolink features Nova’s Pro-Al sandwich panel walls and a one- piece fibreglass roof – it certainly appears fit for its intended purpose. All wiring is run internally – there is no wiring running through a framed wall. I’d personally prefer to see some protection fitted to the grey water plumbing, but I recognise that this is not a hardcore offroad caravan. The coupling fitted to our review van was the Cruisemaster DO35; however, Al-Ko’s 3.5-tonne offroad pin coupling is standard fitment for Z-Series Metrolinks. 30 \ METROLINK FITOUT It’s getting harder and harder to fault the cabinetry workmanship of the more-reputable caravan manufacturers, Nova included. The Metrolink’s interior fitout is up there with the best of them, though one small detail bugged me: the black silastic used to seal the cabin exit holes for the sink’s drain and the gas line for the four-burner cooktop. That aside, this is a lovely, spacious interior. It seems that Nova has emphasised kitchen bench and dinette space over bathroom space – a good move. The bathroom isn’t overly cramped, by the way. The kitchen bench provides lots of food-prep space, more so when you include the hinged lid over the recessed cooktop/griller. While our review van had a cafe-style dinette, an L-shaped lounge with table is standard fitment. “ I WAS IMPRESSED WITH THIS VAN'S PERFORMANCE UNDER TOW. ”