Compass Custom Caravan 2005 Review

By Tony and Denyse Allsop

This is not just another caravan review. For something a little different, read on to discover why we chose our particular van, what features work (and don't) and whether they would benefit your caravan.

Our custom-built Compass pop-top caravan is almost four years old. We were looking for a van in which we could live comfortably for up to eight months at a time while we toured Australia, yet one small enough to get into national parks and forestry reserves (where overhanging branches and washouts could be a concern) and strong enough to handle corrugated dirt roads.

We did not however require a heavy, fully offroad van. These criteria, we believe, are what the majority of caravanners want. Our tow vehicle is a 4.0 litre Ford Explorer XLT 4WD, purchased new at about the same time.

We chose a pop-top as our touring is mostly in the hot north of Australia. Pop-tops are cooler, have less wind resistance (in very bad weather you can put the top down and still be comfortable) and it had to fit in our garage.

The plan we chose was a 15ft (interior), single-axle, with a conventional front kitchen. We had it lengthened by one foot to give us a bigger and more comfortable dinette and table, and to seat four when we entertained.

The van is built on a conventional Duragal heavy-duty chassis. The frame is entirely aluminium, strong and light. We have seen meranti timber frames in the north that get dry rot from the hot and damp climate - condensation gets in and ants attract moisture. Our whole van, walls and roof, is insulated.

Probably the first thing you would notice about our unit is that the roll-up awning is fastened to the actual caravan, not the pop-top. This was made possible by choosing a high profile pop-top and a low door.

The many advantages of this setup include not pulling the top over when the awning is up; not having to loosen the awning when putting up the pop-top; and not having so much wind resistance when it is out, thus less of a tendency to flap. The awning doesn't cover the pop-top 'window', so there is a breeze through the van from all directions, and hot air from the awning is not funnelled up.

The large rear window has a stone shield/shade over it. This enables us to open the window in all types of weather, have shade over the bed and protect the window from stones. All windows are the wind-out, hopper-type for plenty of ventilation. The lower-than-average door did not cause us a problem - we are ex-yachties and not very tall, so we feel it's a small price to pay to be able to attach the awning to the top of the van itself. As a preference, we changed the traditional blue vinyl front stone guard to white.

Suspension is Simplicity independent heavy-duty offroad with 1600kg parallel bearings, 12in brakes and offroad brake magnets - this may seem like overkill, but we have been glad of it at times. Wheels are heavy duty six-stud, shod with 14in 195R radial light truck tyres. Water is carried in an oversized 83-litre tank protected by a stone guard.

A Trail-A-Mate jack (now fitted as standard to all Compass vans) was the only one we could find that conforms to Australian Standards, ie, that it should be capable of lifting the van high enough to replace a flat tyre in one operation, without the use of a second jack.

Although possibly too heavy for us to use routinely in place of the jockey wheel, (but excellent on sloping sites where the A-frame has to be significantly elevated to level the van), the Trail-A-Mate has proven very useful and functional to change wheels. It is much safer (and cleaner) to manage the whole operation from beside the van, rather than crawl underneath to position the second bottle jack.

We also purchased two roof rafters to help rain run off the awning and to reduce flapping, but we have never needed them and actually felt they may be stretching the awning. That said, with an older, stretched awning they would be very useful to stop rain pooling in the centre.

We carry one 9kg and a smaller 4kg gas cylinder on the A-frame, in case we run out when offroad - it also saves on gas refills, as we only fill up when empty and do not have to pay for a full refill when some is left in the cylinder.

An Eze Eye TV fitting was used (through the side of the van) and it was far less troublesome than the usual type that you have to plug into. In our case the TV antenna lead plugs straight into the TV and the signal is not reduced by corrosion in the fitting.

In the boot there is a 120ah gel battery, charged by a 25 amp, 240V charger or via the Carlee charging system. This is a computerised system, working from the towing vehicle, and controls charging the vehicle and van batteries. After a few days offroad, the battery is recharged by less than an hour's travel.

We have found this method suits us much better than solar panels, which we had on our last van, and allows us to stay in one place for at least six days before charging the battery. We can also stay in the camping area of caravan parks, saving money as we don't require power.

In the boot we have also fitted an ammeter (so to work out the current flow of each appliance, or total flow) and voltmeter (telling the condition of the battery) - this setup gives us all we need to know about the 12V power system.

As we stay mostly offroad an air-conditioner was impractical, so I painted the roof with 'It's So Cool' by Insul Pro. This has proven to be a great product, and definitely lowers the temperature inside the caravan.

What we wanted
Denyse and I insisted on a firm innerspring mattress for the island double bed, similar to the one we have at home. Beside the bed we opted for mirrored wardrobes with three drawers under each, instead of the customary long hanging space, and we find this to be much more functional.

Above the bed are two 12V fluoro reading lamps that are easy to reach and turn off. All lighting is 12V fluorescent, suppressed for radio and TV reception. These may be used on one to three tubes each light.

Fluoros burn cool and use very little power - unlike halogen they have low UV ray emission, a consideration when you are reading in bed close to the light.

In the kitchen, near the TV, and also near the bed are 12V outlets, enabling us to use fans, 12/240V TV/video or any other 12V appliance within the caravan.

Practical couple that we are, we requested that the optional 12V electric water pump be replaced by a marine-type pedal pump which works on both the up and down strokes. This screws onto the floor of the cupboard with only the pedal visible, and does not protrude below the caravan floor as some models do, saving it from possible damage.

These Whale Gusher-type pumps are very serviceable on the road if you carry a kit with spare O rings and diaphragms, though we have used them for many years in boats with very few problems. Denyse or I can use both hands in the sink while pumping water, unlike with a hand pump (and it does not leak either!). It also ensures access to water in the tank if the battery fails.

There are 240V double powerpoints on each side of the kitchen - behind the TV and each side of the bed - but no 240V wiring in the roof. The only 240V lights are in the rangehood, along with a 240/12V light outside.

All 12V lighting runs direct from the caravan battery with no complicated transformer. The original battery is still going well, and I expect several more years' use out of it.

A lounge opposite the dinette was replaced by a large storage cupboard and small pantry, and the three-way fridge was also located on this side, under the awning for shade.

The 12/240V TV/video sits atop the cupboard and will face the bed or dinette. Above this is the car radio/CD player. We have a remote control for both so that these may be operated from the bed.

Denyse dislikes getting hotplates out of the microwave at eye-level, and she does not like bending down for the controls, so we had it fastened to the benchtop.

This has proved to be a good decision, as there is ample bench space, and when it needed repair it was only a matter of undoing four screws to remove it.

We had a sail track put on the offside of the van and made a shade cloth awning to cover this side in the afternoon sun.

In the bottom hem of this awning is sewn 6mm cord that will slide into the spare track in the roller of the main awning, thus giving shade for either side of the van from one shade cloth awning.

Vinyl covers for the gas bottles are made with an opening at the back to enable us to get a hand in, and for necessary ventilation. These protect from the weather and stone chips.

We also use one of our two water hoses clicked into a funnel to collect rainwater off a corner of the awning and run it straight into the tank. 'Jack Dangles' supports for the caravan legs were bolted on two years ago - this product has been most efficient.

The Tare weight of our van is 1300kg and the ATM (fully laden weight) is around 1700-1800kg (1800 is our allowable maximum), with towball weight approximately 180kg laden.

Delivery time was six weeks from placing the order, and we were happy with what was then a very reasonable price for a custom-built van.

Compass has a list of all available options, although we added a few of our own, such as the foot pump.

As mentioned above we received no jack, wheel brace or tools although a Trail-A-Mate jack is now supplied as standard.

When we had a tyre blowout, it took two bottle jacks to lift the van, but with the Trail-A-Mate we can lift it easily and safely.

So far we are very happy with all the options fitted. Our custom-built Compass has turned out to be a very comfortable and strong van, and as you read this, Denyse and I will be on another 'round Oz trip.

I believe more manufacturers are now fitting some of the items as standard, eg, the 'through the van' TV cable fitting from suppliers such as Explorer RV or Mini Compact; and I would expect to see other items too: fluoro lighting is much more power-economical, cooler and has less damaging UV rays than halogen; a foot pump is a better option than a hand pump ... the list goes on. We'd love to know what CW readers think.