Boroma Di Lusso Grand Tourista 2005 Review

When a company is sold or taken over there are always concerns of a substantial change in either the product range or the product quality. However, in the recent change of ownership of Boroma Caravans, this does not seem to be the case.

Some years ago Boroma went through some very turbulent times, but under the guidance of former owner Mark Whitaker Boroma moved steadily ahead on a very even keel. Unfortunately Mark had to sell out of Boroma due to ill health, but under new ownership Boroma is continuing full steam ahead, producing the custom-built vans that it has become well known for.

Not all is changing: design manager Peter Russell is still guiding the team along, joined by design consultant Judie Groves, who has had more than a few years' experience in the caravan industry.

'Luxury and purpose-fitting' is very much the theme at Boroma and it's not hard to see this in the streamlined, comfortable yet functional vans that leave the factory. Potential buyers and owners-in-waiting are welcome at Boroma, not only to see vans moving along the production line but also to spend time selecting a myriad of features - upholstery, colour schemes, flooring, lighting, curtains, fittings, et al, that come together in a Boroma caravan construction.

CW recently spent a little time watching production at the Boroma premises before borrowing one of the latest Di Lussos and giving it the once-over.

Smooth moves
The Di Lusso is an effortless tourer. When travelling undulating roads, there is very little of the usual fore and aft pitching, even without weight-distribution gear. When going around corners, there is a minimal amount of sideways sway. Of course with a van of this weight, a Nissan Patrol or similar is de rigueur for towing.

At 24ft (7.4m) long, our test model was not a small van, but it did allow for a very spacious interior design. Like all Boromas, it was built on a hot dipped galvanised box section chassis. The tandem axles are a load-sharing leaf spring arrangement, which Boroma calls its "Cruisemaster suspension". Electric brakes are fitted to all four wheels.

The exterior of the van has a very streamlined look, which is partly due to the drawbar (bare minus the jockey wheel), but more so because of the body shape - the Di Lusso has a one-piece moulded fibreglass unit that makes up the front, roof and rear. This not only looks good, giving the front a smooth appearance and shaping the rear nicely, but it keeps the possibility of water leaks to a minimum. Aluminium cladding is used for the side walls.

Windows are the tinted Galaxy wind-out variety and the door is a Camec triple-locker security item. External lighting is provided by two annexe lights, as well as a grab handle light.

In addition to the normal front boot, there is also a right-through storage area directly behind the boot, although the nearside is mostly occupied by a handy slide-out barbecue. Boroma has also added a second storage bin at the nearside rear, which is quite useful for ready-to-use items.

With this particular Di Lusso, the A&E awning comes with walls as well, thus making a full annexe if required.

Out of sight under the van are not two but three 65 litre water tanks. Two are the conventional kind, but the third has its own pump and water filter.

Also out of sight in the front boot are two 9kg gas cylinders, screw jack and wheel brace.

Finishing first
Boroma has opted for a fairly open plan layout, which features the bedroom at the front end of the van and a full bathroom/laundry at the rear. Occupying the mid-section of the Di Lusso are the kitchen and dinette/lounge.

The combination of a large window area, two Heki roof hatches, light timber stain and white ceiling has created a very airy interior. All the windows have slimline Venetians and nothing else, which does make it very quick for opening and closing the blinds. As with all Boroma vans, the timberwork and general finish is well done.

With a 24ft van, there's plenty of design space for a decent kitchen, including a lengthy bench complete with three-burner Smev cooktop, plus grill/oven and a stainless steel sink and drainer.

Under-bench storage is impressive: four drawers, large pots and pans drawer, plus the space-saving slide-out pantry. Overhead, five lockers (a couple with extra shelves) give plenty of storage space.

The Vitrifrigo two-door fridge/freezer sits opposite the kitchen bench between the lounge and bathroom. Something of an oddity in the kitchen layout, the Sharp microwave oven sits above the entry door step. I'm not quite sure why this is so, and since it has a left-hand hinged door, I suspect microwave users will find it slightly awkward - although it will certainly be convenient for meals eaten outside.

It's not quite a kitchen item, but at the end of the bench is a flat screen TV on a folding arm so it can be seen from both the lounge/dinette and bedroom.

Lighting in the kitchen is supplied by a twin fluorescent above the sink plus a halogen downlight fitted into the fume extractor. Additional fluorescents in the ceiling supply all the necessary light.

The leather lounge is ideal for exactly that: in addition to a high level of comfort, it doesn't take a minute to whip out the 4ft x 1ft 8in (1200 x 510mm) fold-up table. Above the lounge are four overhead lockers, with a cupboard above the fridge. There is also a drawer in the underseat area, plus the usual storage compartment, which contains the house batteries.

Halogen reading lamps are fitted at either end of the lounge, along with a ceiling-mounted fluorescent light.

Although a queen bed fills most of the bedroom, two large windows on either side, together with a front window, Heki hatch and mirrored doors, all create the impression that there is room to move in the bedroom (as indeed there is).

Storage space is plentiful in this area, with bedside cabinets and wardrobes plus overhead lockers. A nice touch are the pelmet shelves above all the windows. Ceiling downlights in front of the bedside wardrobes are another plus - these complement the halogen reading lights and overhead fluorescent lights.

In both corners at the foot of the bed are top and bottom angled cupboards, with a small shelf in between - just another of those extra features that make all the difference.

CW was very pleased to see there was no shortage of space to move in the Di Lusso bathroom. Complete with a separate shower, swivelling Thetford cassette toilet and well equipped vanity sink, there is still room for loads of cupboard space and, drumroll please… an Electrolux front loading washing machine! This has to be the largest RV bathroom I have seen in quite a while and it is certainly the best fitted out and equipped.

Getting technical
As you might expect, this is a sophisticated van with three solar panels, in addition to the battery charger, for powering up the three absorbed glass mat deep-cycle batteries. Lighting is all 12V, entertainment is available via a Kenwood AM/FM radio/CD player and a Truma gas/240V heater supplies hot water.

The bottom line
Our review Di Lusso came with just about every conceivable extra you could want in a luxury van and that is not surprising, given the price tag.

The fit and finish of this van is quite something - everything from the solid timber furniture to the leather upholstered lounge reflects a quality feel. For the long distance traveller who fancies the comfortable lifestyle but still likes to spend time in out-of-the-way places, the Di Lusso has much to offer.

Contact Boroma Caravans at 17 Quarry Road, Stapylton, Qld 4207, (07) 3382 0033, or visit the website, www.boroma.com

Boroma Tourista Grand Di LUSSO
Nameplate ATM: 3500kg
Nameplate Tare weight: 2740kg
Nameplate GTM:  3300kg
External length: 24ft (7.4m)
External width: 7ft 9in (2.4m)
Frame: meranti timber
Suspension:  tandem-axle, load-sharing leaf spring
Chassis: hot dipped galvanised
Cooktop: Smev three-burner
Grill/oven: Smev
Fridge: Vitrifrigo DP2600 with Danfoss compressor
Microwave oven: Sharp
Lighting: 12V
Gas: two x 9kg
Hot water: gas/240V
Price as reviewed: $96,970

We liked:
Comfortable and spacious interior - this van has everything yet it does not feel cramped inside.
Lighting - plenty of fittings and are well located.
Smooth towing of van with little fore and aft pitching.

We would have liked:
Microwave oven in more convenient location for inside use.