Evernew 50th Anniversary

WE LIKED:
>> Long-life, custom-built construction
>> Massive one tonne-plus payload
>> Value for money

NOT SO MUCH:
>> Checkerplate protects van, but not tow vehicle
>> Mounting arm for outside TV would be good
>> Second spare wheel should be part of ‘Outback’ spec

If you’re new to caravans, or do your furniture shopping at Freedom, you may not ‘get’ Evernew’s 50th Anniversary model.

It’s not fashionably flashy, has traditional style, inside and out and will take from four to six months to build, depending on how busy the Heidelberg, Melbourne factory is once you settle on a model and your personal requirements.

It’s also designed to be your reliable travelling companion for many years, rather than be fashionably updated on a regular basis to match your tow vehicle.

But if you’re looking for a truly solid caravan (it's built to last at least 30 years), constructed to the specs you want and with the status of a ‘special edition’ model, then the latest Evernew may just be what you are looking for.

TEST OF TIME

There are only a handful of Australian caravan manufacturers that can claim to have been in the business continuously for 50 years or more, and only one that I can think of whose founder is still actively involved after all those years.

Bruce Bailey formed Evernew with his father John in 1963 and has been building caravans to much the same set of ideals since. For the past eight years he’s been joined by his son-in-law Darren French, a former electronics engineer who specialised in robots, as General Manager.

The company survived the gloomy times for the industry in the early 1980s by eschewing dealers and becoming a custom builder dealing direct with buyers, and they haven’t gone back.

For the past decade they haven’t even been to caravan shows, preferring to rely on word of mouth endorsement, while passing the ‘middleman’ savings on in the form of prices that can be up to 30 per cent lower than you might expect to pay for a similarly equipped caravan from a larger company with a hungry dealer network to support.

50 YEARS KNOWHOW COMBINED

The 50th Anniversary Evernew is not so much a new model, but a suggested specification based on feedback from customers.

Based on Evernew’s most popular E900 Series shower/toilet series, the 19ft 10in internal length 50th Anniversary model is immediately identified by its shiny new silver Camec aluminium cladding and matching centre-entry door, black checker plate front and side protection and extra large Camec double-glazed windows all round.

Although all Evernews are tough enough for all marked Australian ‘roads’, an even beefier off-road chassis is fitted as part of the package, including Cruisemaster 3.5 tonne coil spring independent suspension and two telescopic shock absorbers per wheel, 12-inch Al-Ko brakes, a Hyland Off-Road coupling and twin jerry can holders.

All this is visually set off by tough-looking black alloy wheels shod with 265/75-16 General Grabber AT2 off-road tyres.

Customers can also specify other types of independent, leaf spring and even airbag suspension depending on their intended usage.

Like every Evernew, the Anniversary model employs a galvanised G & S steel chassis custom-built for Evernew with sturdy 150mm x 50mm A-frame and main bearers, fabricated cross braces every 18 inches, and with additional steel plate welded to areas subject to the greatest flex, such as the section where the A-frame joins the chassis proper and around the door opening.

One look at the naked chassis, as we did in Evernew’s humble workshop, will tell you that these are the underpinnings of a caravan built to last.

TIMBER TOUGH

Evernew continues to use Meranti timber framing because of its proven combination of light weight, combined with long life and flexibility, but its large roof beams are made of Oregon -- double the size of most competitors and checked into the walls to create a substantial and rigid structure.

The floor is also tongue and groove sheeting, rather than the but-fitting used on many vans.

Fibreglass insulation in the 70mm thick ceiling (almost double the thickness of the industry standard), plus up to five layers of moisture protection in vulnerable areas, are other unseen features missing on many mainstream vans.

One of the benefits of selling direct is that customers get to see these features before signing up and are welcome to follow their van’s progress during building.

Ribbed aluminium cladding is also used for its combination of design flexibility and light weight. As Evernew explains, you cannot have the luxury of pre-cut composite walls if you’re building anything from a 14ft pop-top to a 35ft tri-axle caravan for different buyers, with every variation in between.

QUALITY CONTINUES INSIDE

Inside, the 50th Anniversary van is immediately recognisable as an Evernew with its solid timber furniture and cupboards, with substantial bulkheads and bracing to add further rigidity to the whole structure.

However, thanks in part to Darren French’s electronics know-how, the van has plenty of the latest caravan ‘smarts’. These include second generation High Brightness touch LED lighting and a clever power management system.

These are combined with a pair of 95 litre water tanks with separate fillers for drinking and non-potable water that will allow most users to be self-sufficient for up to 10 days with the van’s single 100AH deep cycle battery and 80W monocrystaline roof-mounted solar panel (a second battery and panel are optional).

Also standing out is the china Thetford toilet bowl and separate shower, and top loading washing machine that sits in its own tub with drainage to avoid overflow damage.

Other standard items you find in most vans these days include a roof-mounted Ibis reverse cycle air conditioner, oven and microwave, 19-inch TV/DVD/PVR and a quality Pioneer sound system with iPod connectivity and four internal speakers.

CHOICES, CHOICES...

Buyers can choose from a range of interior layouts, but the café-style four-seater with its soft Italian leather covering and quality foam beneath, contrasted nicely with the blonde solid timber and light grey bench tops.

There’s no front boot as such on this Evernew, something that Bruce Bailey says adds around half a metre to the internal space, but the large tunnel boot, supplemented by access and additional storage under the lift up bed, more than compensates.

Separate hatches on the van’s side provide vented room for a 240 volt generator, a large storage area for chairs and rear access to the standard three-way Dometic 190 litre fridge/freeze, which has both wall and roof ventilation for greater efficiency.

VERDICT

With almost every aspect of every Evernew van open to customer preference it’s hard to pick holes in the 50th anniversary van, but given this van’s likely long term, all-road usage I’d like to see a second spare wheel fitted (currently a $525 option), along with more front stone protection (a stone guard on the drawbar is $350 extra).

And given its special status marking such a milestone, a hatch to allow the TV to be watched externally and Al-Ko’s new ESC Electronic Stability Control as standard (a $750 extra), would round off an already impressive package and still leave more than $2000 change out of $80,000.

As it is, Evernew’s 50th Anniversary caravan represents seriously good value based on its quality, equipment and construction. It’s fair to say the Evernew is a true caravanners’ caravan, built like a bank vault and based on the company’s 50 years continuous experience in the caravan business.

Also worth noting is the massive 1160kg load capacity of this heavy-duty van. While boosting maximum ATM to a LandCruiser-lugging 3500kg, it does put to shame the often paltry payloads that sometimes barely cover water storage, offered on some of its rivals.

EVERNEW 50th ANNIVERSARY

Overall length: 8.38m (27ft 6in)
External body length: 6.19m (20ft 4in)
External body width: 2.36m  (7ft 9in)
Interior body length: 6.04m  (19ft 10in)
Travel height: 3.04m (10ft)
Internal height: 1.95m  (6ft 5in)
Tare: 2340kg
ATM: 3500kg
Ball weight: 255kg
Frame: Meranti/Oregon
Cladding: Silver Aluminium
Chassis: Galvanised 150mm x 50mm
Suspension: 3500kg Cruisemaster with twin shock-absorbers
Brakes: 12in Al-Ko electric
Wheels/tyres: Alloy, 265/75R16
Fresh water: 2 x 95 litre
Battery: 100AH
Solar: 80W monocrystaline
Air conditioner: Ibis roof mounted
Gas: 2 x 9kg
TV Aerial: Winegard Sensar HV
Cooking: Swift oven & Grill with 3 gas + 1 electric cook-top
Fridge: Dometic RM8551 (190L) with separate freezer
Microwave: Samsung S/Steel 1100W
Toilet: Thetford C250 China Bowl
Shower: One piece moulded fibreglass
Lighting: LED
Hot water: Suburban Gas/Elec
Washing machine: Lemair 2.2kg
TV: Palsonic 19” TV/DVD/PVR
Price: $75,950 RRP
Supplied by: Evernew Caravans, Heidelberg Heights, Victoria