Avan Cruiseliner 4 Bunk 2018 Review

A lot has changed in the Australian RV manufacturing industry over the past 25 years: relatively new caravan brands like New Age and JB have risen to prominence, as dozens of once thriving local camper trailer manufacturers have withered and died.

However, one constant throughout has been the popularity of Avan’s A-shaped folding-wall camper – a clever design first pieced together down under in a small factory in Hallam, Victoria in 1993.

While Avan in the years since has grown to become one of Australia’s biggest RV manufacturers, pumping out as many as 2000 caravans, pop-tops, camper trailers and motorhomes annually at its sprawling Pakenham, Victoria headquarters, it’s the entry level A-liner models that continue to sell strongly.

At Melbourne’s Avan Supercentre, for example, A-liners comprise around a third of all sales, although the range has greater appeal these days with as many as 16 different layouts available across four body sizes, and catering as much to families and off-road adventurers as the traditional couples.

Plenty of choice

Buyers can now choose from five model lines  – the original A-liner and even smaller and lighter Sportliner; the slightly larger Cruiser that gets more road clearance and Cruiseliner with additional front boot, and the range-topping Adventure Plus off-roader.

So depending on your budget and ambitions, you can spend as little as $23,990 for a super-light Sportliner week-ender, or as much as $41,990 for the specced-up, dirt ready Cruiseliner Adventure Pack Plus.

For this review we chose one of the more interesting variations – a Cruiseliner 4 Bunk family model that retails from $28,990. Despite a body that measures just 3615mm long and 2075mm wide, this particular layout manages to house up to four people in reasonable comfort, thanks to two generous sized fixed bunk beds at one end and a lounge/dinette that converts to a big double bed at the other.

Squeezed in between is a small kitchen with a sink and mixer tap, two gas burner cooktop, 90 litre fridge freezer and microwave, with a few small cupboards, drawers and underseat storage for your non-perishable food and clothes.

Easy set up

You don’t have to spend too long with the Cruiseliner to understand why this now relatively old design remains relevant. Despite the growing number of canvas-free hybrids, there’s still little else available that's so easy to tow (and store), put up and down, and protect its occupants from the elements, for the price.

The A-liner brochure promises a set-up time of “under 30 seconds” and while we didn’t quite achieve that, with a little practice I’m sure we’d get close.

It’s a relatively easy one-person job: just flip down the jockey wheel and wind down the stabiliser jacks (if unhitching), unclip the two roof clips and lift the roof halves into position (elevating one lifts the other into position).

With the roof in place, it's a matter of stepping inside, lifting the walls up, and performing a tricky little manoeuvre with the split door to make that fully functional.

Airy interior

At 2.16m high at its peak, headroom is surprisingly good inside the little Cruiseliner, even where it tapers towards the ends you'll struggle to bang your head.

It also feels more spacious than it is, thanks to the light modern decor and plenty of natural light from the sliding side windows and optional acrylic tinted windows at each end.

Power options

When not plugged into the grid at a caravan park, there's a 100Ah battery and charger to power the two main lights, as well as optional reading lights around the bunks and dinette. There are also a handful of 240V and USB sockets to power phones and small appliances.

We didn't measure the bunk beds, but they looked surprisingly large, so while in most cases the Cruiseliner will house two parents and a couple of younger kids, there’s no reason why four adults couldn’t sleep comfortably in here.

The dinette easily converts to a large foam mattress base that should be long enough for a couple of taller adults.

Another benefit of choosing  the larger Cruiseliner model is the additional storage box at the front of the camper, which is plastic lined and looked strong enough to carry a fair bit of 'wet' gear. The other large onside locker will comfortably hold camp chairs and a picnic table.

Also adding to the Cruiseliner's all-round appeal are small touches like the 10m-long retractable 240V cord located next to the hot water outlet on the offside wall. And with a fully loaded weight of just over a tonne, the front and rear grab handles on the Cruiseliner can actually be used to man-handle the camper into place -- unlike most caravans.

Downsides?

OK, so there are some obvious downsides to the Avan Cruiseliner. While headroom is great, the limited floorspace and benchspace means you’ll be bumping into each other if you have a hyperactive family or like preparing meals together.

There’s no toilet, so you’ll have to carry a portable toilet if you don't plan to always stick to caravan parks. There's an external shower option available for washing, but you'll want to keep it short with a small 63 litre water tank.

While most of the windows have curtains, some sort of privacy curtain around the bunks would be nice.

Our Cruiseliner 4 review camper also came fitted with close to $7000 worth of options. While most of these, including radio, microwave, window domes and reading lights are worth it, I'd question paying another $1450 for electronic stability control, when the chance of sway for such a lightweight camper would be minimal.

And while the Cruiseliner seemed sturdily built overall, we’d prefer less flimsy wheel spats than the glossy black plastic ones fitted.

Summing up

If you're looking for an entry-level family camper and don't want to fuss with canvas, are nervous about towing, have a small tow vehicle, or plan to stick mainly to caravan parks, the Cruiseliner 4 Bunk makes a lot of sense.

Even after 25 years the original Avan continues to impress...

Specs: Avan Cruiseliner 4 Bunk

Overall length: 4000mm
External body length: 2680mm
Internal body length: 2390mm
Travel height: 1610mm
Interior height (maximum): 2160mm
Width: 2075mm
Tare: 950kg
ATM: 1250kg
Wheels/tyres: 15in alloys/205/70R15 LT
Chassis:  Hot dipped gsalvanised steel
Body: Aluminium composite panels
Suspension: AL-KO independent beam
Hitch: 50mm ball
Fresh water: 63 litres
Gas: 2 x 4kg
Hot water: Electric
Cooktop: Dometic two-burner gas
Fridge: Thetford 90-litre
Microwave: Optional Midea
Audio: Optional Finch CD radio with two internal speakers
Lighting: LED
Options fitted: Adventure pack ($1800), radio/CD ($610), microwave ($400), reading lights ($180), front/rear window domes ($2120), AL-KO ESC ($1450)
Price: From $28,990. As tested: $35,550
Supplied by: Melbourne Avan Supercentre, Campbellfield, Victoria
More info: Avan, Pakenham, Victoria