Traveller targets itself squarely at the quality end of the market. It’s not there to cut corners in a race to the bottom, but to build the best quality vans it can.

I picked up a test van from Caravans ’R’ Us in Geelong, where Kean showed me around. He said he loved being a Traveller dealer, as the vans were so well sorted. He gets very few warranty problems, and when he does, he says the Traveller team resolve the issues immediately. At the time of writing, Traveller was paying to have a van come to Melbourne from South Australia in order to do some warranty repairs. Unheard of!

The key to the success and brand name of Traveller is quality. Kean gave me a few examples of what this means. Over 40 tubes of silicone are used to seal each van, and it can take hours to pull a panel off if repairs need to be done. And apparently, after a roo caved in the front corner of one Traveller van, the shell was still intact and sealed.

There is a downside, sort of, to having a high-quality build – you’re going to get charged more for repairs since the damn things are that much harder to pull apart and put back together.

Traveller builds to standard plans and can also accommodate customisation. You can pick every last detail if you choose, down to the door handles and cupboard latches. For this review I took out a 23ft Serenity with a bit of a different floor plan.

EXTERNAL

The Serenity is your classic aluminium-sided caravan built on a Meranti timber frame.

What’s not classic is the number of extra screws, fittings and sealants used to keep everything rock solid. Underneath there is a solid, raised, 6in Duragal chassis that is one of the tidiest I’ve seen; there is an absolute minimum of trailing wires and loose ends. The only letdown was a screw that had penetrated the floor.

A Traveller is a big investment, so along with quality you should expect a number of bells and quite a few whistles.

And they’re there, ring-a-ding-dinging away. There is a really nice stainless steel slide-out BBQ that even has a roasting hood. I reckon there will be those who leave it out as a message to fellow ’vanners – “Check out my bling, peeps!”.

There is also a fold-down picnic table and a slide-out step. The wheel arches are galvanised, the coupling is lockable, you get a 130W solar panel and two 120Ah batteries, there is a good amount of chequerplate protection front and sides, and the windows are double-glazed and tinted. And of course, there is air-con and a Winegard antenna.

The Serenity has all the makings of a great ‘outback’ van. With the twin battery and solar set-up, independent camping would be a breeze. To extend your camping range, you can option in independent coil suspension. And if you want, you can go berserk on the options and throw in the likes of an external TV, reversing camera, generator and so on.

EXTERNAL FEATURES

Chassis: 6in Duragal
Frame construction: Meranti timber
Window: Galaxy double-glazed
Insulation: Foam
Corner jacks: Drop down
Waste water common outlet: Yes
Water tanks: 2 x 90L
Water tank covers: Galvanised sheeting
Coupling: AL-KO 50mm ball
Suspension: Rocker-roller leaf suspension
Clearance: Semi off-road
Brakes: Electric
Wheels: 15in alloy
Tyres: Dunlop Road Gripper
Awning type & model: A+E Dometic
Boot(s): Tunnel boot
Stone guard: Chequerplate
Gas cylinder size/s: 2 x 9kg
Hot water: Suburban gas/electric
Battery: 2 x 120Ah
Battery charger: Yes
Inverter: No
Solar panels: 1 x 130W
Solar provision: Yes
Entrance door/flyscreen: CAMEC tri-lock
Tap on A-Frame: Yes

INTERNAL

This is the sort of van you step into and immediately think, ‘This is very nice’. It’s bright, airy and open, and has a sophisticated colour scheme.

Some of that open feel is achieved using a clever tri-fold table that collapses out of the way in the dinette; there are also no less than three skylights.

A standout feature of this van is the palatial ensuite. It’s one of the biggest you’ll find in an RV, and there is more floor space here than in the last apartment I lived in. No longer do you need to line up to use the sink, as twopeople will fit without a problem.

I’d be extremely surprised if Traveller owners with this size of ensuite ever use the amenities block. You couldn’t swing a cat, but you might be able to swing a kitten.

The ensuite excels in other ways too. There is a huge amount of cupboard space, including a tall linen press or coat cupboard. There are loads of mirrors (I guess that could be a positive or a negative...) and the shower cubicle is fully moulded. And best of all, there is a washing machine fitted.

The Serenity is a reasonably big van, which means it accommodates loads of cupboard space. The finish on the cupboard edging almost gets a gold star, but not quite. Plastic trim was used for some shelving, and all the edges were well sanded and painted; however, it’s still not as good as a complete timber or plastic finish. What was great to see was the double-height slide-out pantry and the pot drawers in the kitchen.

The dinette incorporates a café-style lounge, which is not a layout you’ll see in the brochures. The seats were nice and deep – perfect for a lazy breakfast.

Some nice touches were a power point provided beneath the table and drawers to access the under seat storage. Something different with this van is the use of halogen downlights. If you don’t mind the extra energy consumption, they look and light great.

It would be interesting to see if you can get as good light using the same design with LEDs instead.

INTERNAL FEATURES

Fridge: Dometic 185L
Television: 19in Soniq
Antenna: Winegard
Music system: JVC DVD/CD/MP3
Cooking equipment: Swift four-burner (three gas, one electric) grill and oven
Microwave: Sharp Carousel
Heating: Aircommand IBIS
Cooling: Aircommand IBIS
Rangehood: NCE
Lighting: Halogen
Smoke alarms: 1x
Gas leakage detector: No
Cupboard finishes: Timber and glass
Latches: Push button
Lounge configuration: Café
Seating capacity: Four
Upholstery: Cloth
Sink: Deep, stainless steel
Sleeping configuration: Double
Berths: Two
Bed size(s): Queen
Mattress: Pillowtop I/S
Under bed storage: Yes
Privacy screens: No
Bathroom configuration: Large ensuite
Privacy door: Yes
Toilet: Thetford
Toilet roll holder: Yes
Shower head: Water saver
Washing machine: Dometic front loader
Clothes dryer: No
Towel racks: Yes

RATINGS:

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

WORTH BUYING?

Traveller has a great reputation and most owners speak very highly of them. A Traveller is a big investment, but it’s also the sort of van you’d keep forever. The Serenity is definitely a van that should be on your shortlist.

TECHNICAL SPECS

Make and model: Traveller Serenity 22ft 6in
Chassis number: TC10028
External body length: 23ft
External width including awning: 8ft 2in
VIN Tare Weight: 2480kg
VIN GTM: 2720kg
VIN ATM: 2880kg
Ball Weight: 160kg

CONTACT/THANKS

Contact person: Kean Walker
Company name: Caravans ’R’ Us
Address: 176–180 Bellarine Hwy, Newcomb VIC
Phone: (03) 5248 5115
Fax: (03) 5248 1115
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.caravans-r-us.com.au

MANUFACTURER

Contact person: Vesna
Company name: Traveller Caravans Pty Ltd
Address: 4 Freeman St, Campbellfield, VIC
Phone: (03) 9357 0163
Website: www.travellercaravans.com.au

Please Note: Prices were correct at time of review.

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN CUMMINS