Coromal Atlas 567S XC

WE LIKE:
>> easy set-up and towing
>> increased headroom
>> increased benchspace

NOT SO MUCH:
>> only one dinette reading light
>> rear cutaway cuts into underbed storage
>> some poor-fitting interior trim

Coromal Caravans has revamped its popular, pop-top caravan range for 2014, with fresh styling, revised and roomier layouts and a new name – Atlas – to replace the old Magnum.

As Coromal’s second biggest selling range after the budget-priced Element caravan, it’s no surprise the long-standing West Australian manufacturer has taken an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach with its latest update. But that’s not to say all changes are merely cosmetic.

In essence, the Atlas has all the successful elements of its predecessor, including full-length pop-top roof, sturdy aluminium frame and cladding, galvanised chassis and Coromal’s trusty ‘EzyTow’ independent swinging arm and leaf spring suspension.

With a choice of five body sizes and 12 layouts with either north-south double beds or dual singles, the range kicks off with the pint-sized, single axle 4.3m long x 2.2m wide Atlas 431, topping out at the 6.1m x 2.3m 612S with full rear ensuite.

In a bid to keep pace with ever-improving pop-top ranges from the likes of Jayco and Coronet, Coromal has boosted body length and width by up to 30cm and 10cm respectively on most variants. Interior height with the roof raised has also gone up by 7.5cm to 205cm.

The subsequent increase in interior space (as well as overall weight in most cases), has allowed Coromal to re-jig most layouts to deliver more bang for your bucks, as is the case with the 5.6m long Atlas 567S reviewed here.

The tandem axle, combined shower/toilet model is 20cm longer and 9cm wider than before, and 115kg heavier in standard trim. But even with the second longest body in the range, and fitted with the optional ‘rough road’ pack, it’s still towable by a range of vehicles including the popular Toyota Prado with an ATM under 2500kg.

SMOOTH OPERATOR

After picking it up from Coromal’s only Victorian dealer, the Bendigo Caravan Centre, the Atlas 567S pop-top proved a good match for our Mitsubishi Pajero tow vehicle.

With a 1782kg Tare, 183kg on the ball and a towing height of 2.445m, it followed obediently at highway speeds behind the big Japanese four-wheel drive, which has a maximum towing capacity of 3000kg but a ball loading of 250kg or less.

Thanks to the optional RTV and XC packs fitted, which together add around $4000 to the price, we also felt confident dragging the Atlas over some dirt roads to a grassy riverside campsite for our photoshoot.

As well as bigger 16in alloy wheels with all-terrain rubber and a cut-away rear end boosting road clearance and departure angles, the ‘rough road’ package adds suspension upgrades including 50mm axle and parallel bearing set, Al-Ko off-road brakes, beefier 150 x 50mm A-frame and chassis bearers, extra furniture fixing, a roll-out awning, and Treg off-road hitch.

A quick peek underneath during our rain-sodden shoot revealed other off-road attributes like a sealed underfloor, galvanised sheet covers for the two 80 litre freshwater tanks, galvanised wheel boxes and plumbing neatly tucked up out of harm’s way within the chassis.

Up front the A-frame sports two 9kg gas bottles and an unprotected water tap, with padded vinyl and a window cover protecting vulnerable frontal areas from stone damage.

In a refreshing move, Coromal has eschewed the ubiquitous (and largely unnecessary) checker plate armour found on most rough road caravans for a classier, 'carbon-fibre' strip along the sides to complement the company’s trademark ‘light grey’ aluminium cladding.

External storage options are limited to a reasonably spacious, gal-lined front locker which incorporates a small, enclosed slide-out for the 105Ah house battery.

Other external items of note include two speakers (to go with two internal speakers) for the CD/radio unit, 240V inlet/outlets, Winegard antenna, LED annex light and optional picnic table and Carefree awning.

EASY SET-UP

Setting up the Atlas is a breeze. After lowering the corner stabilisers, the roof simply unclips and is raised easily by pushing two internal handles. We were impressed with how little effort was required in comparison to other, recalcitrant pop-tops we’ve tried recently.

Despite constant drizzle during our photo-shoot, it was no problem unzipping the four, screened windows in the gusset to let more light and ventilation in than that provided by the combination of ‘fixed’ wind-out and sliding windows below.

The extra headroom, boosted around the middle of the van by a slightly convex roof, will make most taller people feel at home moving around the van. 

Illumination at night is taken care of by three LED ceiling lights, together with three reading lights (two in the bedroom, one in the dinette), although an extra reading light around the dinette would have been nice.

Coromal has reduced the overall number of interior colour/trim options for its 2014 range, but there’s still a good range to choose from including nine cloth patterns for the bedhead and lounge.

Incorporating a pleasant mix of greys, beiges, and a light timber-look for the floor and furniture, the interior had a contemporary albeit conservative feel that shouldn’t put anyone off. Also available is a darker Elm vinyl-wrap for the furniture, for those who want to get away completely from the traditional timber look.

MORE WORK SPACE

Squeezed tight against the 2.2m wide wall at the front of the van is the kitchen galley along with a combined shower/toilet. Previously that meant very little benchspace for food preparation, but in this revised layout a good-sized benchtop has been added along the offside wall which should please caravan chefs.

The kitchen comes with a stainless steel sink with dryer and mixer tap, alongside the four burner cooktop with glass lid ‘splashback’ and grille. There's adequate storage options here including cupboards, cutlery drawers and a deep drawer suitable for pots and larger items.

Our van had the optional 150 litre fridge/freezer fitted instead of the standard 90 litre, above which sat at a practical height the microwave.

At more than 1.0metre wide, the offside benchtop serves a utility role: as well as a handy food prep area, it’s a good spot for the supplied 19in TV/DVD as well as any other appliances like a coffee machine. The TV aerial plug and various 12V/240V sockets (seven in total) are also located here.

There are also more cupboards, both above and below the benchtop, although one contains the 14 litre Truma gas/240V hot water system and another electrical items including the fuse box, Projecta battery charger and transformer. 

The well-cushioned L-shaped dinette comfortably seats three adults (or four at a pinch), with plenty of legroom under the sturdy, swivel-top table. More items can be stored under the seats, although the wheel arch cuts into some of the available space.

While small by modern caravan standards, the shower/toilet combo in the front corner is a workable solution considering the restrictions posed by a relatively compact layout. It has a hard door to external wall height as well as a vinyl gusset with a zippered door to keep the water in when showering. 

The cubicle contains a Thetford cassette toilet and a variable height shower hose, along with a small basin, soap dish and shelves for shampoo, etc. There’s also a roof fan hatch but no mirror.

Coromal has also done well to get a full-size, 150cm wide north-south queen bed in the rear, although the walkaround aspect is compromised by one corner of the bed butting up against a cupboard. And most of the underbed storage area is taken up by the Denso reverse-cycle air-con, which ducts hot or cold air into a central unit directly above the bed.

One potential pitfall of this set-up would be its close proximity to sleeping quarters if running overnight, although Bob Considine from the Bendigo Caravan Centre assured us it’s a quiet unit. Best try before you buy if the location is of any concern...

There’s also a half wardrobe and drawers for each side of the bed, as well as overhead lockers. The only thing ‘missing’ is a window in the rear wall, probably omitted because the spare wheel on the rear bumper would block the view.

VERDICT

Coromal has close to 40 years’ experience building pop-tops, camper and caravans, and it shows in the latest Atlas pop-top.

Some tweaks to the old Magnum layout in this case have certainly delivered a more practical layout, with most of the boxes ticked despite relatively compact dimensions.

Overall fit and finish was hard to fault, although we did notice some removable sealing in the shower and benchtop areas already working loose on our test van.

Even in rough-road trim the Atlas 567S remains competitively priced and should appeal to adventurous couples who want to feel confident when heading off the bitumen.

COROMAL ATLAS 567S XC

Overall length: 7.49m (24ft 11in)
External body length: 5.6m (18ft 5in)
External body width: 2.34m (7ft 9in)
Travel height: 2.445m (8ft 2in)
Internal height: 2.05m (6ft 10in)
Tare: 1782kg
ATM: 2404kg
Ball weight: 240kg
Frame: Aluminium
Cladding: Aluminium
Chassis: Galvanised steel
Suspension: Leaf spring, independent
Brakes: 12in Al-Ko off-road
Wheels/tyres: 16in alloy/Bridgestone Dueler A/T 265/75
Fresh water: 2 x 80L
Battery: 105Ah
Air-conditioner: Denso underbed reverse cycle
Gas: 2 x 9kg
ESC: Optional
Cooking: Smev four- burner (three gas/one electric), grille
Fridge/freezer: Dometic RM 2555 150L
Microwave: Camec
Toilet: Thetford cassette
Shower: Shower/toilet combined
Lighting: 12V LED
Hot water: Truma 14L gas/electric
Options fitted: RTV/XC pack, picnic table, 150 litre fridge/freezer
Base price: $48,000. As tested: $54,465 (towaway, Vic)
Supplied by: Bendigo Caravan Centre, Bendigo, Vic
More info: Coromal Caravans