GORV - Digital Magazine Issue #7 | Page 27

RV REVIEW | caravans. Here’s an example: the wiring loom that connects to the tow vehicle can be disconnected from the caravan via a plug on the drawbar – a simple anti-theft system. Just take the cable with you when you leave your campsite for the day and there’s no way anyone could tow that van away because hitched behind would be a 3000kg-plus unbraked dead weight. Having said that, this system relies on thieves having a modicum of common sense. What’s that material used for the front stone guard? you might ask. It’s stainless steel – one of the many upgrades fitted to our Bathurst Off Road Series. At the front nearside, you’ll find a slide-out kitchen, with the bayonet connection integrated with the wall of the van, rather than hanging off the chassis rail. On the roof is a satellite dish and five 150W solar panels. These, coupled with the upgraded 600Ah lithium battery system, not to mention the 3000W inverter with 120A charger, mean your power needs are taken care of. The Bathurst Off Road Series employs upgraded independent trailing arm Cruisemaster ATX airbag suspension with twin air tanks and twin compressors onboard. Ultimately, the exterior of this caravan leaves very little to be desired. A big front boot with LED light bar above, a hot/cold shower on the offside, a generator locker, and an extensively protected underside… the list goes on. HAND-BUILT INTERIOR The interior is modern, the layout effective. The fit and finish is all the more impressive considering Halen Vans does not use CNC machinery to build its cabinets or locker doors. In fact, the company makes the flat-panel cabinetry by hand. Although the external kitchen impedes the space beneath the bed’s pillowtop mattress, there still seems to be a reasonable amount of storage space here. The dinette has a tri-fold table, a USB charging point (there are a number of these scattered throughout) and heaps of storage, though beneath the forward lounge is where the lithium battery system is kept. The kitchen, meanwhile, is thoroughly modern, with a decent amount of cupboard/ pantry space and lockers above, a microwave neatly integrated with the cabinetry, a wine cooler, a number of 240V gorv.com.au 27