Hang on, I thought Sunliner made motorhomes, not caravans? Well, for the last 30 years and until mid-2009 that was true. But no longer! Sunliner looked at the caravan market and realised its most popular motorhome layouts could be the starting point for making caravans.

In a media release, Sunliner General Manager, Nick Hunter, explained, “There seemed to be a lot of the same vans out there, and we thought we could bring something new to the market”.

Sunliner’s motorhome construction techniques have been proven for decades, so it was confident it could make caravans to the same high standard.

Sunliner incorporates many clever European design features – like the independent suspension – while keeping important components – like the chassis – Australian made. There are currently four caravan models in the Sunliner line-up, ranging from the petite 17ft Holiday to the stately 21ft Provincial. In between are the Advantage and Kinder models.

I took out the Holiday’s bigger brother, the Advantage. Would it really work to have a motorhome-themed caravan design?

EXTERNAL

I immediately loved the modern look of the Advantage (I realise it’s probably a Holden vs Ford thing whether you will also like the smooth fibreglass or prefer aluminium panels, though). The design is very distinctive, and I’m betting it will be nicknamed the Spaceship Van in every park you visit. “The amenities are next to site 42 – just look for the Spaceship Van.”

The frames of Sunliner’s caravans are made from a revolutionary product called ‘thin air’ – that is to say, there is no frame! The furniture, roof and walls provide all the structural strength required. If you’re feeling dubious about it, take a factory tour and discover how it all works.

The fully insulated sandwich-panel walls are by no means exclusive to Sunliner, but something the company believes it does better than most is producing a straight piece of fibreglass.

Look along the length of a wall and look for any dips, bumps or ripples: you shouldn’t see any. It’s also worth mentioning that in the recent Melbourne hailstorm at the Caulfield show, the Sunliners came through unscathed despite being right next to another manufacturer who copped hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage.

The chassis is built to fit an 18ft van, but the Advantage is actually a 19.5-footer. This mathematical wizardry is achieved by building the extra length, which equates to the boot, over the drawbar. This delivers a more compact combination and a class-leading sized boot. The damn thing had an echo it was so big.

Check out that build quality! Flawless The Advantage comes with many quality inclusions, like independent suspension, alloy wheels, a pullout barbeque and – my wife’s favourite – an electric awning.

The trailer coupling is an AL-KO sway control coupling, which will give you superior performance over the standard fixed couplings you see on so many vans. A clamping system grips the sides of a specially designed tow ball and resists any movement in the trailer. This reduces the dreaded caravan-sway, which can occur when being buffeted by trucks or picking up speed going downhill. Because there is no sway, there is no need for accessory swaybars and the like.

EXTERNAL FEATURES

Chassis: UltraGal
Frame construction: Frameless
Window: Dometic double glazed
Insulation: Yes
Corner jacks: Drop down
Waste water common outlet: Yes
Water tanks: 120L
Water tank covers: Galvanised
Coupling: AL-KO
Suspension: Independent leaf spring
Clearance: Std
Brakes: Electric
Wheels: 15in alloys
Tyres: Dunlop
Awning type & model: Dometic Electric
Boot(s): Yes (huge!)
Stone guard: No
Gas cylinder size/s: 2 x 4kg
Hot water: 240V/gas
Battery: 100Ah
Battery charger: 30A
Inverter: No
Solar panels: 1 x 80W
Solar provision: Yes
Entrance door/flyscreen: Camec tri-lock
Tap on A-Frame: No (option)

INTERNAL

Insert wolf-whistle here. The interior of the Advantage is beautiful. It’s sleek, modern and has a real luxury feel to it. It has big windows throughout that create a wonderful sense of openness and space. I could definitely see the family resemblance to Sunliner’s motorhome interiors and it really works to the Advantage’s... advantage.

When I opened the cupboards, I produced a Tourette’s-style burst of superlatives. Proper furniture! Not just 3mm ply stapled over an unfinished frame, but real 12mm boards each immaculately finished. Punch the walls, kick the doors – the furniture won’t notice. And any damage your hands will receive won’t be from splinters inside the cupboards, but from rubbing the skin away due to obsessive stroking of that smooth, smooth finish.

The storage inside the Advantage is excellent. You can struggle and lift the cushions in the dinette to access the space under there, or you can use the thoughtfully provided drawers instead.

Next to the kitchen is a huge floor-to-ceiling length cupboard that you could use for a whole variety of purposes. The kitchen incorporates overhead cupboards and then drawers everywhere else (which I love). There is, of course, a nice, wide slide-out pantry too.

The bedroom comes with some stellar storage as well. The bed is high and rises on gas struts to reveal a huge space beneath. Behind the head of the bed is something I’ve not seen before – sliding doors that reveal more cupboard space. This is achieved with the extra 1.5ft of van built over the A-frame. Space is left above the wardrobes on each side of the bed, which is perfect for throwing frequently used items into, like handbags and camera bags.

In the kitchen, you could say the bench space is quite small. Once you fire up the cook top, there isn’t much available space left (a sink cover would help in this regard).

However, this isn’t a problem but an opportunity for Sunliner’s innovation to come to the fore! The dinette table is mounted on funky rollers that allow you to slide the tabletop in any direction. Not only does this mean you can move it out of the way when you’re taking a seat at the dinette, but you can also slide it over to towards the kitchen. Voila – more bench space.

The bathroom uses a narrow basin and bench to maximise space, and incorporates plenty of cupboard space. The long window makes it feel bigger than it really is. The shower cubicle is made from a single piece of moulded fibreglass, which I think is essential in a bathroom that moves.

A few items deserve honourable mentions, like the dead-easy control panel, the well-positioned TV arm and that wonderful little button that operates the awning for you.

INTERNAL FEATURES

Fridge: 150L three-way
Television: No (TV arm provided)
Antenna: Wind up
Music system: CD player, internal and external speakers
Cooking equipment: Three-burner stove, oven and grill
Microwave: Yes
Heating: Yes
Cooling: Yes
Rangehood: Yes
Lighting: Ceiling and reading
Smoke alarms: Yes
Gas leakage detector: Yes
Cupboard finishes: Timber
Latches: Gripper
Lounge configuration: L-shaped
Seating capcity: Four
Upholstery: Cloth
Sink: Stainless steel
Sleeping configuration: Double
Berths: Two
Bed size(s): Queen
Mattress: Innerspring
Under bed storage: Yes, gas struts
Privacy screens: No
Bathroom configuration: Ensuite
Privacy door: Yes
Toilet: Thetford cassette
Toilet roll holder: Yes
Shower head: Water saver
Washing machine: No
Clothes dryer: No
Towel racks: Yes

WORTH BUYING?

Sunliner puts a huge amount of thought into its products. I loved the quality of the furniture and the layout, and the motorhome-inspired interior gives this caravan a luxurious feel. If you love excellence and innovation, and don’t mind standing out in a crowd, then it really is advantage: Sunliner.

RATINGS

Exterior: 5/5
Interior: 5/5
Layout: 5/5
Kitchen: 4/5
Value for money: 4/5
Overall: 5/5

TECHNICAL SPECS

Make and model: Sunliner Advantage AC4
Chassis number: AS41773
External body length: 19ft 6in (5.94m)
External width including awning: 8ft (2.45m)
VIN Tare Weight: 1998
VIN GTM: 2500
VIN ATM: 2750
Ball Weight: 218

CONTACT/THANKS

Contact person: Taury Adams
Company name: Melbourne RV Centre
Address: 120 Canterbury Road, Bayswater VIC 3153
Phone: (03) 8761 6255
Fax: (03) 8761 6299
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.melbournerv.com.au

Please Note: Prices were correct at time of review.

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN CUMMINS