Coromal Princeton 713

WE LIKED
>> East-west bed and ‘dressing table’
>> Grey cladding
>> Clean and streamlined look

NOT SO MUCH
>> Not enough exterior storage
>> More LED lighting would be good

After having been thoroughly impressed with the last Coromal Princeton we tested in the middle of 2011, I have been keen to get back into one and see if the WA-based manufacturer could again make an impact.

Last time around, the Princeton P635XC proved an excellent tower with a raft of features, not to mention a striking new grey cladding.

The Princeton 713 of this review is also great under tow, and has the same grey cladding, but there are some different features that immediately drew my attention.

EAST AND WEST

While the basic layout for the 713 – front bedroom, middle kitchen/dinette, rear bathroom – is similar to the P635XC, there's one fundamental difference in the bedroom: the queen bed sits in an east-west configuration.

This design has its pros and cons: detractors don’t like the idea of one ‘inside’ sleeper; while supporters like the extra space the setup can create.
According to Rob Butler of Coromal Caravans Adelaide, it’s that extra space that makes this design bed so appealing.

“With our east-west bed, there are no wheel arches in the way, so there is plenty of room to move around,” he said.

And for those worried about an inside sleeper, there's no such problem in the Princeton 713 because there's space to walk around on either side of the bed, so nobody will have to climb over their partner to get to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

The rest of the bedroom is an impressive space, with windows at the foot and head of the bed, as well as side cabinets and overhead lockers.

The other key feature, though, is the huge storage setup across the front. This is home to a pair of two-door hanging wardrobes, as well as copious drawers and cupboards, but the key characteristic of the whole thing is the centre ‘dressing table’, complete with large mirror and deep shelf.

This striking bedroom design goes a long way in creating a real space for luxury when on the road. 

There's also the standard under-bed storage and a foot-of-bed TV arm, as well as two overhead lights, reading lights for each sleeper and a strip light over the mirror.

One negative, however, is the relative lack of natural light. While the aforementioned windows do their best, no roof hatch or front window mean the space can seem a little dark, especially on an overcast day.

IN THE MIDDLE

The offside kitchen is home to almost everything you could need: stainless steel sink and drainer, four-burner cooktop/grill/oven, rangehood, slide-out wire pantry and plenty of storage above and below.

Bench space is adequate, but not huge. And as with the P635XC I reviewed last year, I have a gripe with the plastic sink cover, which doesn't sit flush. It seems to me a flush-fitting timber cover would make life much easier for the travelling chef. The cooktop cover, however, does sit flush.

A very generous 184 litre two-door fridge sits to the right of the kitchen, with a microwave safely tucked above.

Opposite the kitchen, the café-style dinette has two comfortable red leather seats, each with the always welcome wall cushions. I am especially partial to the café dinette – I prefer to sit opposite people and have a conversation – and this one works very well, especially with its versatile bi-fold table.

There are four overhead lockers, a small cupboard underneath the table and under-seat storage accessed via either drawers or lifting up the seats.

There's also a handy extra little shelf running below the overhead lockers and, as in the bedroom, reading lights on either side to go with the overhead downlights.

The full-width rear ensuite has you covered, with a Thetford cassette toilet, large moulded shower cubicle (with fan hatch and moulded sink) and top-loading washing machine.

The vanity has a huge mirror and floating sink for a bit of extra bench space. There's more than adequate storage space, as well as a towel rail and window over the toilet. 

STRENGTH TO WEIGHT

Aluminium frames are a major selling point of all Coromal vans. The manufacturer uses extruded aluminium for its frames, which it says is lighter, stronger and more flexible than timber.

The frame is interlocked using a high-tensile rivet system, designed to ensure the rivets always stay in place. Using aluminium also helps to keep the van’s Tare at 2220kg, which is relatively light given the length of 7.1m (23ft 3in).

The frame sits on a 6in SupaGal chassis and independent suspension, and all furniture is screwed in, rather than stapled. And according to Rob Butler, there's no medium-density fibreboard or chipboard anywhere in the Princeton 713.

Up front, the van’s drawbar is a clutter-free space, with only a tap and the jockey wheel taking up any space. This is a nice change from drawbars often bordering on looking overloaded, but a mesh rack and some protection for the tap would be welcome.

Having a free drawbar means the front boot will have a few extra passengers, but in this case only two 9kg gas cylinders are stored there, leaving plenty of room – which is good because the front boot is the only external storage.

The van’s 115Ah deep-cycle battery and 25A Projecta charger are kept in a dedicated front offside bin. 

The huge awning covers the slide-out barbecue and fold-down picnic table, both of which come as standard, as well as three lights, two speakers and a 12V power outlet.

And as a nice extra touch, the awning has a centre support piece that more firmly secures it to the side of the van when not in use.

The lighting on this test van was a mix of LED (for the tail lights) and 12V, but I was told that from this year all models will feature a full LED system.

VERDICT

It’s no surprise to anyone that when considering the fundamentals of interior caravan design, manufacturers have a limited number of options.

People want the essentials, and comforts, and there are only so many ways they can all be fit inside. That’s why it’s so refreshing to see something like the bedroom in the Princeton 713.

Its east-west bed is a break from the more standard designs and the large dressing table and storage unit makes it feel like more of a personal space, rather than just somewhere to sleep.

It’s these touches that help make people feel more at home in their van, and make RVing a more personal kind of travel.

The Princeton 713 is a solid van made for touring over long distances, with all the creature comforts you could want. By no means a small unit, the 713 would be ideal for a travelling couple who plans to spend long periods away from home.

COROMAL PRINCETON 713

Overall length: 8.5m (27ft 10in)
External body length: 7.1m (23ft 3in)
External width: 2.4m (7ft 10in)
Internal height: 1.98m (6ft 6in)
Travel height: 2.9m (9ft 6in)
Tare: 2220kg
ATM: 2810kg
Ball weight: 190kg
Frame: Aluminium
Chassis: 6in SupaGal
Suspension: Independent
Cooktop: Four-burner/grill/oven
Microwave: Sharp Carousel
Fridge: Dometic 184 litre two-door
Lighting: 12V, LED
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Fresh water: 2 x 80 litre
Price: $85,680 (tow-away, SA)
More info: Coromal Caravans