Bailey Rangefinder Astro

With its front island bed and full rear ensuite, the new Australian designed and built 20ft 5in Bailey Rangefinder Astro ticks all the boxes beloved by Australian caravanners.

But when it comes to the purchase crunch, it adds three more features none of its rivals can match: a tare weight of just 1796kg; a class-leading 500kg payload and a fresh water capacity of 210 litres.

The Astro is one of three new

Australian-designed and built Rangefinder models launched at last month’s Melbourne Leisurefest as Bailey Australia’s first major strike on the homegrown caravan market.

It and its Rangefinder siblings, including the

top-spec Nebula we reviewed in prototype form are being sold side-by-side with the existing range of fully-imported, but already substantially ‘Australianised’ and

even lighter British Bailey models.

But with their combination of sturdy local underpinnings and unique interior fit-out, it’s a good chance the local versions could ultimately prove more popular with local buyers.

TICKS THE BOXES

The Astro is a point-by-point checklist of most things Australians expect of a local touring caravan with some unique features thrown in to clinch the deal.

Its length, for example, is what the majority of buyers want: long enough to live with, yet not too long to fit into most caravan parks which many, in case you haven’t noticed, were designed to accommodate the 16ft vans that were the norm 15-20 years ago.

But while the average fully equipped tandem axle local van of this length tips the scales at more than two tonnes empty and when fully laden exceeds a Toyota Prado’s 2500kg legal towing capacity, the Astro fits this tow car and its ilk like a glove.

The secret is in the core thinking behind the Rangefinder – the combination of patented British lightweight caravan construction know-how and the weight saving that results when you combine its structural savvy with proven Aussie underpinnings.

Quite simply, because Bailey’s five-part body structure and its unique interlocking extruded aluminium framework relies on the strength of its super-thick 44mm floor, you can use less steel in the chassis to achieve the same rigidity.

In Bailey Australia’s case, Managing Director Adrian van Geelen’s past experience starting up Austrail chassis manufacture played a valuable role here and his redesign of its traditional ‘tram rail’ design has effectively shaved around 400kg off the weight of its local equivalent.

Yet by offering a standard 500kg payload on all Rangefinder models, compared with the industry standard for a tandem axle van of 400kg, Bailey Australia has effectively answered the question of strength for local conditions, something its extensive pre-launch testing has only underscored.

It’s not that the fabricated steel underpinnings of the Bristol, UK-built Baileys were wanting, but the sight of a solid piece of local steel is reassuring, rather than essential.

GOOD OL’ ROLLER ROCKER

Traditional ‘roller-rocker’ seven-leaf spring load-sharing suspension is something we Australians like to see under our vans, not just because it works well on all but the most corrugated services, but it’s also easy to repair in remote areas if something breaks.

So it’s comforting to see it under the Astro, although if you opt for the rough road pack you’ll get locally developed Vehicle Components’ independent CRS trailing arm coil and telescopic shock absorber suspension.

Less expected is the smooth fibreglass undershielding of the floor for improved water resistance and stone protection.

This is specially laminated to the Rangefinder’s underfloor in the UK and then shipped to Australia along with its pre-cut sandwich panel walls and one-piece front and roof to Bailey Australia HQ in Campbellfield, Victoria where it’s built on the local chassis and suspension.

One thing you notice from the outset is the Astro’s excellent ground clearance, with plenty of room for its standard 15-inch wheels and good approach and departure angles that combined would not be out of place on some so-called ‘off-road’ caravans.

Yet thanks to its integrated floor and chassis, the step up to its interior via its rear door doesn’t require oxygen and its overall height for a full-height caravan is a very reasonable 2.8 metres.

CLEAN CUT LOOKS

The van’s styling is very clean-cut with little adornment and its front panel is relatively upright, which means that all the space inside is uncompromised and fully useable.

The exception are the two hatches for the full front tunnel boot that travellers will find ideal for storing all those things you need to access from outside, such as hoses, power cords, bucket, folding chairs, the awning mat, etc.

It’s also good to see impact resistant fibreglass used as the outer skin of the composite walls and roof, as it is on all UK-built Bailey vans, as this means the van will keep its new look longer.

Its Grade III classification thermal insulation also means it will remain cooler in hot weather and warmer in cold weather than conventional caravans. Little surprise you find Bailey caravans and motorhomes with similar wall structures plentiful at European winter hot spots.

Unlike the top-spec Nebula, the Astro breaks from traditional Bailey ‘face’ styling in having a single panoramic central window. However to retain a family resemblance, it’s flanked by black vinyl ‘faux windows’ that also serve as stone protection.

Simple black styling flashes on the van’s sides break up the white space, while unique corner moulds made from flexible new-age ‘Bear-X’ serve the same body protection job as bumper bars.

Unusually for a core British body design, the Astro’s twin 9kg gas bottles sit out in the breeze on its A-frame rather than tucked away in a side locker and this was a deliberate decision by Bailey Australia to endow the van with its distinctly ‘home grown’ look.

However in a concession to style lovers, the gas regulator and its bottle selector are protected from stone strike behind a neat clip-on fibreglass shield bearing the Bailey Australia logo.

ROOM TO MOVE

The van’s aluminium folding step (which can optionally be power-operated) and its solid, quad-locking new Dometic security rear entry door set the right tone for what lies beyond.

Five huge windows bathe the interior of the Astro with light, which on the review van was accentuated by its off-white walls and light-coloured woodwork and cabinetry.

Meanwhile the absence of full-length upper cabinets along each wall leaves the front island bed splendidly uncluttered and adds to a feeling of surprising space for a caravan of its modest (by today’s standards) dimensions.

The walking space around the bed itself is exceptional and I found myself mentally redesigning the layout or adding more length to benches until I realised that I would be tampering unnecessarily with one of the Astro’s biggest assets. Its space is an asset that should be celebrated!

The tall central front window exaggerates the effect in a positive way, as do the twin hanging robes, each with a built in chest of drawers below and handy bedside shelves, each with twin USB charging points.

If you want extra storage in the right place, the area under the lift up bed is virtually unencumbered except for its single, central partition.

Perhaps the front window lets in too much light, but like its long flanking side windows it’s double-glazed and opens wide for great flow-through ventilation.

If you don’t like the light or the bugs, there are sliding block-out blinds and fly mesh.

The kitchen, which is immediately to the left of the entry appears impressively large, but some of this is due to the bench-matching cover for the three gas/ single electric hob cooktop with grill below. However there’s a handy flip-up bench extension on the bed end when it comes to plating-up.

Novel concealed LED strip lighting above the cupboards does a great job of illuminating the entire caravan at night and has the added advantage of lighting the inside of the overhead cupboards when they’re open.

The microwave is set into the cabinet below the bench and the two large flip-up cupboards above – each partitioned to stop items banging about when travelling – have their lids supported by strong, domestic grade Dutch Blum hinges.

A slide-out pantry on the left hand side, good-sized plate and pot storage and a nice big window behind the stainless steel sink with its single pedestal mixer tap and drainage board are other user-friendly features.

Opposite the kitchen the Astro buyer has a choice of popular café dinette or L-shaped lounge seating at no additional cost, both upholstered in quality Warwick fabrics unless the $2500 optional leather is specified.

The dinette has almost enough room for two a side, thanks to the relatively small intrusion of the Astro’s skinny wheel boxes.

For the same reason is good storage beneath the left-hand seat bench once you remove the cushions, although its opposite is fully occupied with the Astro’s single AGM battery and its major electrics, which can be accessed via a drop down hinged cover.

A handy light makes night-time inspection a lot easier, if required.

Interestingly, the Astro has two tables – a small coffee bench that remains in place, while the dinette table can be removed for outside use when on site.

When not required it stores in its own designated cupboard between the dinette and its Dometic 185-litre three-way fridge/freezer, opposite the door.

STRETCHY SHOWER

To your right as you enter – just where Australians expect to find it – is the van’s separate shower, toilet and vanity ensuite.

Here, the standout feature is the huge moulded shower cubicle that is amongst the largest we have seen in any caravan, let alone one of this van’s dimensions.

Space around the ceramic bowl Thetford swivelling cassette toilet opposite is not so generous, thanks to the inroads into the ensuite of the Astro’s top-loading 2.5lkg Sphere washing machine.

However on the plus side there’s plenty of cupboard storage for linen and other things and the vanity, with its proper-sized ceramic bowl, good shelf space and acrylic splashback is well sited. However, I think many users would prefer a larger, full-width vanity mirror.

These are relatively small details, but they can factor in the purchase decision of fickle buyers in this sub-$60,000 market hot spot.

Those who look at the bigger picture and take the Astro’s class-leading weight, carrying capacity, storage space and general liveability into account, will probably consider them insignificant, as we do.

As you’d expect, the Astro tows easily behind anything legally able to haul 2500kg, meaning you may not need to change your tow car to enjoy its big caravan touring experience.

VERDICT

Although the entry model to the new Rangefinder line-up, the Astro gives very little away in its clever design and features to its larger Gemini and Nebula brothers.

Like them, this is an impressive new take on a true ‘Australian’ caravan and with its ability to accommodate a couple in style and comfort on a long touring trip, combined with impressive towability, we can see Astros finding their way to far reaches of this Continent in years to come.

WE LIKED:
>> Great sense of space
>> Prado friendly
>> Excellent payload and water capacity

NOT SO MUCH:
>> Somewhat tight ensuite
>> Solar panel an option
>> TV should be standard at the price

Bailey Australia, Campbellfield, Victoria