Evernew releases hardcore off-road caravan

Victoria’s Evernew, which for 56 years has been building and selling solid all-road custom-built caravans in suburban Melbourne’s Heidelberg, has launched its first all-new model since its recent ownership change – specifically targeting the top-end luxury off-road market.

The aluminium composite-clad and steep rear cut-away 2000 series RTX is specifically aimed at this niche, but growing premium segment, inhabited by gold standard brands including Queensland’s Bushtracker, Kedron, Sunland, Spinifex and Zone RV and Victoria’s Trakmaster and Van Halen.

However, while matching its rivals in bush cred, the new Evernew RTX comes fully-loaded with equipment that is an extra-cost option on most of its rivals, for an all-inclusive price of around $134,000 – or up to $30,000 less than some of its competitors.

Evernew has been able to undercut its key rivals since the early 1980s, when it eschewed dealers to go factory-direct, while the company decided to stop attending expensive caravan shows in the late 1990s.

Built on an immensely strong, custom-built G&S hot-dipped galvanised chassis that varies in diameter from 150mm x 40mm at the Cruisemaster DO-45 coupling-equipped A-frame and upswept tail. to a massive 300mm above its tandem independent trailing arm top-spec Cruisemaster ATX airbag suspension (including a 50mm riser). With its Meranti-framed walls are clad in smooth aluminium, the RTX looks as tough as they come.

The initial 20ft 10in (internal) display van built by Evernew is no lightweight, tipping the scales at a Tare of 3155kg, with a 4000kg ATM, meaning that remote area travellers will need something like a Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series with a 4000kg Lovells GTM upgrade, or an American pick-up if they want to take full advantage of its 255 litre total fresh water capacity, plus travelling food and clothing.

Conscious of this, Evernew is currently working on a sub-3000kg Tare version that is expected to retain the same chassis and suspension, but could incorporate a more compact version of the RTX’a Enerdrive Lithium battery and a slightly smaller capacity version of its corresponding 3000W inverter to bring its ATM down to 3500kg.

This will put it within the legal towing range of the majority of large 4WDs and dual-cab utes currently sold in Australia, with a corresponding cut to the RTX’s very competitive fully-inclusive $134,000 price tag.

Look out for our full review of the new Evernew RTX in coming days...