By Malcolm Street
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In the world of caravans, there is something for everyone and most budgets. Being a larger manufacturer allows Compass Caravans to build a variety of vans – everything from small pop-tops to large, luxuriously appointed tandem axle models.
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Our review van, the Navigator Sextant, comes from the Compass upmarket range and was supplied by Abode RV, based in Caboolture, Qld. Proprietor Peter Constantinou was enthusiastic in his praise for this caravan, especially considering it is not the top-of-the-line Compass Hermitage model (and therefore priced accordingly), but it is still very well appointed.
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GOOD DIRECTION
Built on a SupaGal chassis, our van was 21ft 5in (6.53m) long and reasonably weighty, with a nameplate Tare of 2253kg. It’s interesting to note that the chassis itself, built by Australian Hitec Engineering, has a Tare of 785kg, giving some idea of how the van weight is portioned out. 
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That weight means a mid to large sized 4WD is required for towing. In our case, a Toyota LandCruiser was used. 
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The van was reasonably well behaved along the road but we’d recommend a weight distribution hitch and a vehicle with plenty of kilowatts under the bonnet.
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Being a rear-door entry, the drawbar rails ran back to the suspension mounts. In keeping with the upmarket theme of the van, polished alloy wheels are fitted to the tandem axles, which are fitted with Simplicity independent suspension.
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Chassis attachments include the two 80L water tanks, quick-release corner stabiliser legs, rear bumper bar with spare wheel, two drawbar-mounted 9kg gas cylinders and a centre-mounted jockey wheel. A look underneath the van revealed that things were where they should be, and that there’s gal sheet protection on the water tanks and drain taps on the tanks.
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Distinctive features of the Sextant range are the front and rear fibreglass mouldings, which make quite a difference to the appearance of the van. Integral parts of the moulding are the window protectors (although in the back of this caravan with its rear bathroom, there isn’t a window to protect).
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The front boot lid is larger than normal, providing easy access. The boot lid lock has a large, distinctive key, which means it will stand out on a keyring.
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In keeping with most Compass vans, Meranti timber is used for the caravan frame and aluminium cladding for the sides and roof. Completing the outside fixtures are tinted hopper windows, triple lock security door, and an A&amp;E awning. 
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MODERN CONVENIENCES
Mirroring a trend in contemporary van design, this particular layout has a large full width rear bathroom, front bedroom, nearside dinette and offside kitchen. Again reflecting the current trend, an attractive curved timber look prevails. The cabinetwork and the upholstery have a bright colour scheme called Banksia Royal, while the curtains are Kakadu Brass.
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Preference in layout design is very much a personal thing, but this particular setup left me with a slightly ‘closed-in’ feeling. 
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There is nothing wrong with the layout, but we concluded that the large rear bathroom in a 21ft van compresses the rest of the space somewhat, and the tall fridge in the middle of the van further divides the interior. That’s one of the compromises in caravan design – in this case, a big bathroom resulted in less space elsewhere. 
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It is a nice bathroom, though, featuring a separate shower cubicle on the nearside, Thetford cassette toilet on the offside and an extensive vanity cabinet area along the rear wall next to the shower. 
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In addition to the wash basin, there are three cupboards, two with sliding doors and four overhead lockers, ie, no shortage of bathroom storage space. The shower rose is something of an oddity because its angle can’t be varied. 
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Ventilation was via a fan hatch above the shower and small window above the toilet. There were two towel rings on the wall beside the door. Electric lighting in the bathroom was the same as through the rest of the van – a triple halogen ceiling fixture.
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The Sextant’s catering was handled by a well equipped kitchen bench, which featured a Swift cooktop, grill and oven, stainless steel sink, NEC microwave and Dometic 150L three-way fridge. Both tank and filtered water were supplied to the sink.
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There is some benchtop area and the cooktop flush lid can be utilised if there is no cooking being done. 
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Three cupboards, one containing two drawers, a floor locker and four overhead lockers comprise the storage area. In the electrics department, there’s one double powerpoint at the right-hand end of the bench, and a fluorescent and rangehood halogen for lighting.
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Above the fridge is a flatscreen TV, which can be swivelled around so as to be seen from either the bed or dinette seats. There is, of course, a powerpoint and antenna connection behind the TV. In the end overhead locker is an AM/FM radio/DVD player for alternative entertainment. 
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Two people will sit comfortably at the dinette; four would be a squeeze and the wheel arch does intrude on space. The contoured cushions help relax weary legs and we appreciated the high seat backs. 
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Above the dinette are five overhead lockers and there’s no shortage of lighting with a triple halogen ceiling fitting, two halogen reading lights and a single downlight directly above the table.
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Access to the under-seat areas is gained by lifting the seat cushions or by floor hatches on the seat ends. 
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Up front, the extendable double bed occupies most of the partitioned-off bedroom. In its shorter form, the bed length is 5ft 9in (1.75m) but a mattress insert will add 10in (25mm) to that. The only downside is there isn’t much room at the foot of the bed. 
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Around the bed are the usual wardrobes, cupboard and overhead lockers, but there aren’t any bedside shelves.
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Instead there’s a small shelf under the front window. There are diagonal cupboards at the foot of the bed in both corners; the offside one is half height and the nearside cupboard runs from the floor to ceiling.
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Double powerpoints are located on either side of the bed, one toward the front and one toward the rear, and the reading and ceiling-mounted lights in the bedroom are halogen.
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In addition to the windows, general ventilation is handled by a Four Seasons hatch above the bed, Seitz hatch at the rear and a Dometic air-conditioner in the middle. 
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As listed above, there’s no shortage of interior lighting. Externally, there’s two wall fittings and one grab handle light.
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THE BOTTOM LINE
The words compass, navigator and sextant all have nautical associations, so perhaps we could regard this Compass model as a land yacht.
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What’s in a name, though? This ‘land yacht’ has a lot going for it, especially for some long-term travel around Australia. 
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Since it’s fitted out with all the essentials and quite a few luxury items as well, all you’d have to do is pack the personal items and a ‘compass’, aka the GPS unit (bit easier to use than a sextant) for your navigation, and you’re away!
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For more information contact, Abode RV, 1/75-77 Lear Jet Drive, Caboolture, Qld 4510, (07) 5495 5404.
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For your nearest Compass dealer call (03) 9308 3411 or visit www.compasscaravans.com.au
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I liked
• Exterior look with moulded fibreglass ends and general fit and finish of the interior
• Easy to access front boot – with some designs it is difficult to lift things in and out
• Energy efficient lighting throughout the van
• High seat backs on the dinette
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Now I’m being picky
• A powerpoint near the dinette would help – the nearest is at the other end of the van
• I’d probably settle for a smaller bathroom and a larger kitchen area in the basic design - but that’s personal taste
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Compass Caravans Sextant 

External length 21ft 5in (6.53m)

External width 7ft 8in (2.35m)

Interior height 6ft 4in (1.93m)

Nameplate ATM 2653kg

Nameplate GTM 2506kg

Nameplate Tare weight 2253kg

Frame Meranti timber

Chassis SupaGal box steel

Suspension Simplicity independent

Cooktop Swift four-burner

Fridge Dometic RM2553 150L

Microwave NEC

Shower Separate cubicle

Toilet Thetford

Lighting 12V

Gas supply 2 x 9kg

Fresh water tank 2 x 80L

Price as reviewed $63,709 
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Compass Caravans Sextant

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