GORV - Digital Magazine Special Tests Issue | Page 13

RV REVIEW |
TRAKMASTER CARAVANS’ NEW DIRECTION: A RANGE
OF FIXED-FORMAT VANS DESIGNED TO MAKE THE
BUYING DECISION AS EASY AS POSSIBLE
on the tanks are protected
from errant stones, etc.,
by a gal-steel stoneguard.
Up front, you’ll find
an offroad coupling, a
stoneguard protecting dual
8.5kg gas cylinders, and a
deep front boot. A freshwater
tap is sensibly mounted on the
inside of the A-frame (rather
than the outside, where it
would be more vulnerable to
stone-strike).
The nearside of the van is
relatively sparse. I mistook
the only hatch for an external
entertainment box; it is, in
fact, a service point for the
146L Evakool compressor
fridge-freezer. Because this
fridge is powered by the
onboard AGM deep-cycle
batteries, the Pilbara S Series
has dual 150W solar panels.
It’s also fitted with a Redarc
battery management system,
meaning the batteries will
automatically charge in the
most efficient way possible.
the company’s most popular.
It is the result of years worth
of customer feedback, and I
can see the appeal.
The kitchen is equipped
with a four-burner cooktop,
griller and oven (you can have
a microwave in place of the
oven, however), a reasonable
amount of storage, a small
amount of bench space, and a
slide-out pantry. The pantry is
part of a cabinet immediately
to the right of the entrance.
It slides out into the entrance
step, which some might find
annoying when it comes to
entering or leaving the van;
however, it does make use of
an otherwise ‘useless’ area.
A moulded-fibreglass
bathroom has been tucked
in the front offside corner,
between the kitchen and
dinette. I particularly liked the
external service port to the
shower’s plumbing. Should
a hose or seal spring a leak,
you’ve got easy access.
Finally, the bedroom. Because
of the upswept rear, the under-
bed storage space is somewhat
reduced; however, there is still
plenty of useable space here.
The rear window (above the
bed) seen on this van will be
removed in future models, I’m
told, and a pair of MaxTraxx
will be fitted to the outside, as
seen on Trakmaster’s Pilbara
Extreme model.
The van also gets a roof-
mounted reverse-cycle air-
conditioner, double-glazed
windows with integrated block-
out blinds and flyscreens, a
Winegard TV antenna, and
more. Naturally, you can
T
S
O
M LAR
U
POP YOUT!
LA
POPULAR LAYOUT
The Pilbara S Series is
available in a number of
lengths, from 15ft 10in to 19ft
6in. According to Trakmaster,
the layout that comes with our
16ft 10in Pilbara S Series is
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