Evergreen Ultima RK

WHAT WE LIKED

• External design and colour scheme
• Generous living area and bedroom ceiling height
• Interior can still be used with slide-out closed

NOT SO MUCH

• Obtrusive pelmets
• Energy inefficient lighting
• 'Unbalanced' water tank set-up

Many fifth wheelers imported from the US in recent years have some typically 'American' characteristics about them; in particular their size, construction and look, both inside and out.

An interesting aftershock of the recent global financial crisis was a considerable rationalisation in the US RV industry, including an increased interest in market requirements outside of the US, like nearside entry doors.

One of the results of that rationalisation is the Evergreen Ultima. We first noticed this fifth wheeler at a New Zealand RV show, where it stood out not only for its streamlined look, but its glossy bronze colour scheme.

Seeing the Ultima at a New Zealand show wasn’t really surprising given it’s been specifically designed for right-hand drive markets – Australia, Britain and, rather surprisingly, Japan.

Our review Ultima came from Caraworld on the Gold Coast, and dealer Paul Greaves seemed pretty excited about the big American.

"Fifth wheelers are a bit new for us, but we like the concept, especially the bigger living area," he said.

The Ultima we tested had a length of 9.14m (30ft), and with something like a Mazda BT-50 tow vehicle the total towing length is about 13m (43ft). However, a 7m (23ft) caravan with a Prado tow vehicle has a similar length.

OUTER REACHES

One of the differences between an Australian and American RV is that most Aussie chassis are galvanised in some fashion, while most from the US are painted in some way. The Ultima, with a powder-coated finish, is no exception.

One surprise is that the steel chassis is fully enclosed, giving protection from both the weather and road damage. The Dexter load sharing tandem axle suspension is a more familiar arrangement and, according to the importer, has been tested in the Australian outback and is warranted locally.

The Ultima is constructed with a composite material called ComposiTek, which is used for the walls, roof and floor. ComposiTek is a seamless thermoplastic material comprised of polypropylene resin reinforced with continuous bi-directional fibres.

Walls, floor and roof are vacuum laminated to an aluminium frame. Giving the streamlined look at the front is a moulded nose cone, which is shaped for better articulation and comes with LED lights for night time hook-ups.

According to the manufacturer, not only is this body structure strong and lightweight, but uses minimal old forest timber, resists rot, corrosion and mildew, and isn’t affected by cleaning chemicals, road residue, or exposure to the elements.

The usual US-style glass windows are fitted, each opening at the lower half. The door is done in the Hehr-style with a separate (non-security) screen door.

There are several external storage bins, with two 9kg gas cylinders in a bin at the nearside rear, rather than the usual under-overhang bin.

Alongside the front offside bins are an external shower, plus connections for fresh water, and black tank flush and power. One of those bins contains the water pump and filter – very handy for servicing.

STEPPING INSIDE

Not surprisingly, the Ultima’s interior décor has what could be considered an ‘American look’, albeit considerably toned down from some rigs we’ve seen.
Coming out from the body a little more than 1m, and making a considerable difference to the already significant interior space, is the offside slide-out. But instead of the more usual dinette and small lounge setup, the slide-out has one long lounge.

The kitchen is set across the rear and along the nearside, leaving just enough room for a desk by the door complete with an optional 22in flatscreen TV.
The bedroom is up front in the overhang, with a bathroom between that and the living area. Lighting is all 12V with mostly incandescent-style, apart from a few fancy style fittings in the slide-out.

Other little comforts include ducted air-conditioning and an AM/FM radio/DVD player.

Within the living area, the feeling is one of spacious relaxation. The stretch-out-and-put-your-feet-up lounge doesn’t have a fixed table. Instead, a free-standing table is available, stored under the bed when not being used.

Above the lounge seats are overhead lockers, and underneath are good-sized drawers at both ends. Although the windows are actually quite large, the large pelmets might be a little obtrusive for some.

WELL CATERED FOR

Built into the nearside rear corner, the kitchen bench offers the best of everything. A twin tub stainless steel sink is set at an angle in the corner and adjoining that along the nearside is a Smev four-burner cooktop, grill and oven. A Multistar microwave sits in the overhead locker.

Refrigeration comes courtesy of a two-door 186 litre three-way fridge slotted into the same cabinet, which acts as something like a cross between a broom cupboard and a pantry with drawers.

General kitchen storage is provided across the rear wall and consists mostly of cupboards and overhead lockers, with a couple of drawers. A look through the cupboards revealed that most of the cabinetry is both screwed and glued, while the drawers have ball bearing guides.

Bathroom facilities are more than adequate, with a separate toilet cubicle on the nearside and a shower cubicle opposite. Instead of a cassette toilet, the Ultima has a 120 litre black water tank.

Speaking of storage tanks, it’s interesting to note that the grey water tank capacity of 240 litre is larger than the fresh water capacity of 160 litre – it’s usually the other way around. No problem with self-containment here.

Also in the bathroom are a vanity sink next to the shower and a wardrobe beside the toilet cubicle. A good-sized step gives access to the bedroom and doubles as a storage compartment, as do the bins on either side.

While the ceiling isn’t the full height, it shouldn’t be a problem for most. The queen-size mattress measures in at 2.03 x 1.52m (6ft 8in x 5ft), and good use has been made of the nose cone for the bedhead lockers and side cupboard.

In regards to towing, this Ultima has a very reasonable payload of around 740kg. It can be legally towed by something like a Mazda BT-50 (GCM 5500kg), but given many RVers’ propensity for overloading, something like an Isuzu DMax/Holden Colorado (GCM 5900kg) might be a better option.

VERDICT

Times have changed in the Australian fifth wheeler caravan scene. Once oddities, fifth wheelers are increasing in numbers including locally manufactured versions and the imports are looking much better. The Ultima RK is a good example.

It still shows some of its American heritage, but all the essential items, like entry doors on the correct side and other compliance matters, have been taken care of. And given its size, the Ultima offers plenty of internal living space, but can still be towed by a good selection of readily available local vehicles.

EVERGREEN ULTIMA RK

External length: 9.14m (30ft)
External width:  2.24m (7ft 4in)
Tare: 2750kg
ATM: 3490kg
Pin weight: 460kg
Frame: Aluminium
Chassis: Powder-coated steel
Suspension: Leaf spring
Cooktop: Smev four-burner, grill and oven
Fridge: Dometic RM4601 186 litre
Microwave: Multistar
Shower: Separate cubicle
Toilet: Separate black tank
Lighting: 12V fluorescent/incandescent
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Hot water heater: Suburban 23 litre
Fresh water: 160 litre
Grey water: 120 litre
Black water: 120 litre
Price: $109,000 (tow-away, Qld)
Supplied by: Caraworld, Qld
Website: ultimarv.com.au