Cell Estate

Cell calls it ‘apartment-style living in a caravan’ and we can’t disagree with this description of their

new 26ft Estate model with its opposing sliding walls.

You would expect a lot of caravan for a recommended retail price of $99,850, but you also get a lot to like in The Estate if you want your travelling wheels to match the size and comfort of a five-star resort.

Let’s start with the obvious: it’s American, big and looks different. Many people who saw our review van called it ‘smart and stylish’, but that’s in the eye of the beholder.

The bulb-shaped, gelcoat fibreglass nose-cone is a unique and distinctive styling feature shared by all 10 models in the revised 2015 Australian range, that has swapped its former cream and brown tonings for white and grey.

But it also serves an aerodynamic purpose, helping this behemoth with its ATM of 3450kg to slip through the breeze behind its mandatory 3500kg braked-trailer capable tow vehicle.

However The Estate’s flat fibreglass sides and tail ensure that it doesn’t impact on the caravan’s interior space or functionality, unlike the curved walls of its fellow-American Airstream.

Another good reason for the straight back and sides is to allow the opposing lounge room and kitchen walls to glide out under 12 volt electric power in less than 30 seconds. They need to be rapidly deployed when setting up or for roadside stops, as otherwise with both slides closed you can’t really move around the main body of the Estate to get to the toilet, for example.

Left-side sliding walls are rare on Australian caravans for the obvious reason that they intrude into under-awning space, but The Estate is so vast and its massive (power) operated awning is so long, that this isn’t really a problem.

Pull into any caravan park and expect to be the centre of attention as you uncouple using the power-operated A-frame stand and power corner struts.

This is ideally a two-person task as the corner legs can take up to two minutes to deploy, two at a time, so it’s best to leave your traveling companion’s finger on the button while you deal with other things.

Given that (a) it’s American and (b) the wall slides and most other things are power operated, it’s curious that the tri-fold aluminium folding step has to be pulled out manually, meaning your hands may get muddy before you enter The Estate.

But regardless, the interior set-up will be completed, the power awning out in another 10 seconds and you’ll probably be flipping the top off a second beer, or serving the wine and cheese, by the time the legs are down.

Once inside via the extra-wide American-sourced door, you’ll be amazed at the space that the double-slide opens up and you’ll soon tire of playing guide to your fellow caravanners.

Unusually compared with other kitchen slides, the Estate’s central island double sink, mixing tap, separate filtered water tap and adjacent preparation bench doesn’t move; it’s the kitchen itself that glides out nearly a metre to give access to its 185-litre Dometic AES three-way fridge-freezer, gas cooktop and its adjacent serving bench area.

Strangely, considering there’s no complementary outside kitchen, the gas cooktop is quite small and has only three burners and no grill or conventional oven, although in its favour the Daewoo microwave is located at a sensible access height above it.

Perhaps equally strange for Aussies (but welcome) is the huge pantry to the left of the fridge with its enormous shelf space behind its full-sized door. However as the shelves have only small retaining lips, you’ll need to pack most items away into containers when you’re on the move on Australia’s often bumpy inland roads, as the shelves look more suitable for smooth American turnpike travel.

Further rearward across the tail of The Estate is the expectedly-roomy ensuite, with a front-loading Dometic 4kg front-loading washing machine beneath the vanity with its glass island bowl and satin chrome mixer tap on the left, a water-flush toilet straight ahead and the hexagonally-shaped glass-fronted shower to your right.

It all works well enough, but I wonder if Estate buyers would prefer a little more floor space – and certainly a larger vanity mirror – at the expense of less pantry space?

The right hand side of the van is a one-piece slide out section reserved exclusively for relaxing and dining.

The dining table in the U-shaped leather lounge can be removed and with the help of re-arranged cushions can form a large single bed for guests who refuse to go home, while next to the dining area are two plush reclining lounge chairs that allow you to watch the large-screen wall-mounted LED in indecent comfort.

Beneath the TV on the solid wall that separates the living areas of the van from the very private front bedroom, are the controls for all The Estate’s main electrical functions, the TV and sound system. There are storage cupboards below, but strangely, the lower ones open to blank panels. Hmmm.

The front bedroom is fairly conventional and plain by Cell standards, with twin hanging robes beside and three overhead cupboards above the queen-size bed-head and another (standard) TV on the opposing wall. A Fantastic fan in the ceiling supplements the Estate’s standard reverse cycle Ibis III air conditioning and (hooray!) ducted central hearing.

The nice thing about this bedroom is that it’s totally separate from the living area, so someone can go to bed while the other occupants party on.

While Cell caravans are fully imported from the United States and fitted with much of their proprietary equipment locally, like the Dometic cooktop and Air Command air conditioner, things that aren’t changed include some of the ‘clunky’ American hardware, such as the unusual entry door, with its sliding plastic panel to access the separate fly wire door handle. While some of the cupboard hardware looks a little ‘low-rent’ on a $100,000 caravan.

But, as the expression goes, ‘feel the width’ and Australian travelers who choose the Cell Estate will have plenty of wide open spaces – both inside and out – to enjoy their caravan in.

The only limiting factor here is that The Estate only comes standard with a single 105Amp/hr AGM battery and no solar panels – although an additional battery and solar are optional – which limits its life as a free-camper if you want to power all its features.

Yet it comes standard with both 144-litre black and grey water tanks for environmentally responsible over-nighting.

The other limiter for serious rough-road travel is its fairly basic, standard leaf spring suspension, although trailing arm coil spring/shock absorber, independent Cruisemaster XT or Simplicity suspension is available as part of the optional $15,000 ‘Yabbie Tail’ package.

This pack also includes a compressor fridge, an extended A Frame, Hitchmaster DO35 off-road hitch, additional 136 litre integrated water tank, twin 150W solar panels, additional battery, upgraded Pirelli tyres and 1000w inverter, turning The Estate into a much more capable ‘Aussie’ traveler.

Add a power step ($1600) and you truly have a ‘hamburger with the lot’.

WE LIKED:
>> Space, glorious space
>> Rapid set-up (with the exception of the corner legs)
>> Separate master bedroom
>> Comfortable all-season living

NOT SO MUCH:
>> Corner legs take too long to put down
>> Some ‘clunky’ hardware
>> Items like second battery, solar panel and power step should be standard at $100k

VERDICT

Large, American-designed and built caravans aren’t for everyone, but The Estate makes a good fist at being an Aussie-friendly grand tourer.

By ticking the option list, such as the Yabbie Trail pack, you can configure it for long-term rough-road travel, but you must then question what else is available in the $115,000-plus market.

Some may find there are similar-size caravans – a number with single sliding walls – more suited to their needs and taste. However, if size (and space) matters, you can't go past the 26ft Estate.

CELL ESTATE 26FT 

Travel length: 8.4m
External body length: 7.92m
External body width: 2.31m
Travel height: 3.2m
Interior height: 2.07m
Tare weight: 2840kg
ATM: 3450kg
Ball weight: 260kg
Body: Aluminium welded frame with moulded fibreglass front and gel-coated fibreglass wall cladding
Chassis: 150mm x 50mm ‘I-beam’ with 125mm x 50mm A -Frame  – both hot dipped galvanised steel
Suspension: Tandem leaf springs and 4000kg-rated axles
Brakes: 12-inch electric
Stability Control: optional
Wheels: 15in alloy with 225/75 tyres
Fresh water: 1 x 136l plus 1 x 144l grey water
Battery: 1 x 105Ah AGM
Solar: Optional
Air-conditioner: Air Command Ibis 3
Gas: 2 x 9.0kg
Cooking: Three gas burner cooktop
Fridge: 185-litre Dometic AES three-way
Microwave: Daewoo
Toilet: Waster-flush with 144-litre black water tank
Shower: Separate cubicle
Washing machine: Dometic 4kg front-loader
Lighting: LED throughout
Price (Ex Melb):  from $99,850
Supplied by: Cell Caravans, Somerton, Vic