Coromal Thrill Seeker 2021 Review

Coromal can truly claim to be an all-Australian caravan brand – born in Western Australia in 1977; raised in Queensland after Brisbane-based Apollo Tourism & Leisure bought both the Coromal and Windsor caravan brands for $1 million from the Perth-based Fleetwood Corporation, and matured and now re-invented in Melbourne, where its latest Thrill Seeker all-road models are built by experienced Campbellfield, Victoria-based Majestic Caravans.

It was a logical move for Coromal, as Majestic also builds a range of Active caravans for its major Apollo-owned Queensland dealer, Kratzmann.

It's an interesting concept to sell mainstream Meranti timber-framed caravans to Queenslanders, who have for years been brainwashed into thinking that aluminium frames were essential in tropical areas to avoid rot.

But rot only occurs where caravans are not properly sealed and both Coromal and Majestic have both been in business long enough to ensure this doesn’t happen.

Timber treatment

Besides, there are some very good reasons why your next caravan should have a timber frame.

Less weight is one, as timber frames are usually lighter than aluminium, although with the Coromal Thrill Seeker vans this advantage is largely cancelled out by the use of hail-resistant 3mm thick white Dibond aluminium composite exterior cladding.

Timber also flexes, which is a good thing in an off-road caravan, as too rigid a frame leaves no room for energy to dissipate and can lead to fatigue cracking over time. Light aircraft need routine frame inspections for this reason.

Finally, timber framing allows easy size variation, so there are four separate models with six different layouts in the Thrill Seeker range, ranging from a 18ft ‘couples’ single axle model to the range-topping 21ft 6in, dual axle family caravan.

All have a 100mm Supergal chassis with additional 100mm raisers and a 150mm diameter drawbar with 10-inch or 12-inch brakes depending on the model, with AL-KO Cross Country Enduro coil trailing arm independent suspension and bush-ready Cruisemaster DO-35 couplings on all models.

All roads lead to Coromal

Coromal’s aim is to target the dominant ‘all road’ caravan market that most Australian love, although the suspension, solar and battery power of Thrill Seeker models will be adequate for most buyers, but marginal for those wanting extended remote rough-area free camping.

Our review Thrill Seeker was Coromal’s 18ft 6in model, fitted with a front-centre door, a north-south island front queen bed, an L-shaped lounge and a roomy separate shower and toilet rear ensuite.

It’s a layout that is popular with many caravanners for good reasons, as it maximises exterior size for off-road nimbleness, while its layout liberates interior space and makes everything very accessible.

There are some thoughtful features here that show Coromal has been listening to its customers.

A pillow-top mattress is standard on all Thrill Seeker models, ensuring you get the best possible sleep, while the orientation of the L-shaped lounge with its long rectangular table creates a feeling of space in the shorter Thrill Seeker models with this layout, while the return of the L-shape lounge buts up and strengthens the ensuite’s wall.

Coromal has further supported the ensuite wall with a metal frame for its solid sliding entry door, while the recess for the large 182-litre Thetford 3-way fridge backs onto the remainder of the ensuite wall and enhances the privacy of this noisy area in a relatively compact van.

This is important, as the review van also housed its standard top-loading NCE washing machine in the bathroom, while on the other side of the central vanity basin there's a large storage bin to accommodate dirty washing.

Nice and airy inside

The other nice thing about the interior layout of this Coromal Thrill Seeker is that it makes it feel larger than its actual dimensions, with the very large windows flooding the predominantly white and grey interior with light.

Two other interior colour combinations are also offered, but the eye-catching white exterior colour-scheme with its distinctive black decals and black checkerplate remains unchanged on all Thrill Seeker models.

Further evidence of modern thinking inside is found in the combined hot/cold mixer and drinking water pedestal tap in the kitchen. Meanwhile, USB charging points are cleverly incorporated in the flexible-stalk spotlights above the lounge and bed, while there's also a generous supply of 240v power points.

Plenty of storage room is another appreciated feature, extending from the roomy overhead cupboards that line the walls above the kitchen, lounge and bed, while with the battery located outside in a box on the chassis, the large storage space under the bed is totally unencumbered.

Good bench space is a feature of the galley-style kitchen, plus there's a handy pull-out pantry.

This sense of space is also helped by the location of the van’s principal electrics, from its BMPro BatteryPlus35-II-SI battery management system, fuses, solar and hot water management, to the head controls for its sound system, out of sight in a cupboard above the kitchen.

Concealed catches on the overhead cupboards enhance this clutter-free impression, but the black latch handle hardware on the lower cupboards and drawers make it hard to see at a glance whether they're locked shut or not – an important thing on an all-road caravan that might not always travel on smooth surfaces.

It’s a minor blip on the scorecard of a well-thought-out van that clearly showcases Coromal’s industry experience.

Excellent external storage

Outside, the 18ft 6in Coromal Thrill Seeker offers excellent storage room.

A full, rectangular through-body boot sits up front, behind a spacious checkerplate tool box immediately ahead of it on the A-frame. 

A tray on top of the toolbox to carry firewood would be a nice addition, but the jerrycan holders on each side are very welcome on a van that might wander far from fuel pumps.

Ahead of them, the van’s twin 9kg gas bottles sit out and proud for stone strike behind the central jockey-wheel holder that makes fitting a weight distribution hitch a cinch, not that you’ll probably need it. An A-frame stone-shield guard too please?

As reviewed, the Coromal van towed superbly behind our Ford Ranger tow car, although the Ford’s suspension had been enhanced by an Outback Armour lift kit.

While the Coromal’s suspension looks deceptively simple, it rode corrugations well. Excellent underbody shielding keeps the water tanks safe, while the plastic waste pipes are tucked up high, out of harm’s way.

All this makes me think that the Coromal Thrill Seeker would make a comfortable and easy to live with around-Australia cruiser. If it was mine, I’d be adding another battery and a second solar panel for longer off-grid camping, some frontal stone protection and maybe a wood-rack. Then, I’d be smiling all the way!

Summing up

While not built at the Brisbane factory under the watchful eye of Apollo, unlike the Windsor vans, the Melbourne-built Thrill Seeker demonstrates Coromal’s history and expertise in building caravans for Australian conditions, and is packed with plenty of features for the price.

How much is the Coromal Thrill Seeker 18ft 6in couple's caravan?

Price: $75,990 (as reviewed, drive-away Queensland)
Travel length: 8300mm
External body length: 5640mm
External body width: 2400mm
Travel height: 3350mm
Internal height: 2000mm
Tare: 2284kg
ATM: 3300kg
Ball weight (Tare): 222kg
Body: Meranti timber wall and roof frame with Dibond 3mm smooth aluminium cladding and checkerplate lower body stone protection
Chassis: Lightweight Austrail Supagal 100mm chassis with 50mm raiser and 150mm drawbar with Cruisemaster DO-35 off-road coupling.
Suspension: AL-KO 3300kg-rated semi off-road Enduro Cross Country independent tandem coil suspension with single shock absorbers per wheel
Brakes: 10in electric drum
Wheels: Alloy with 235/75-16 tyres                                         
Water: 2 x 95 litre fresh, 1 x 95 litre grey
Battery: 1 x 100AH AGM
Solar: Roof-mounted 1 x 170W glass panel
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Hot water: Gas HWS
Cooking: Thetford Minigrill 3 gas + 1 electric hob cooktop, plus grill and NCE microwave
Fridge: Thetford 182-litre 3-way fridge-freezer
Shower: Internal and external hot/cold
Lighting: LED inside, with many incorporating USB outlets
TV: Optional (TV arm and antenna fitted along with internal and external TV connections)
Audio: CD/radio/DVD player, plus two internal and two external speakers
Air-con: Reverse cycle, roof-mounted
Supplied by: Kratzmann Caravans & Motorhomes, Burpengary, Queensland
More info: Coromal Caravans