Evernew E Series 2007 Review

By Matt Soccio

It’s been a long time since Bruce Bailey saw the first Evernew caravan roll out of the gates of his Heidelberg, Vic, lot many years ago.

Since then, the Evernew name has spread around Australia, and its association with quality-built custom-made caravans is strong – in fact Evernew has been producing an average of three vans a week for the past 40 years, according to Bruce.

When Bruce contacted CW about a custom 21ft 3in (6.5m) Evernew E-Series caravan with a bucket-load of extras, we were eager to take a look at what had transpired.

“We got a request from a NSW couple who liked the E-Series layout and wanted to add to it,” Bruce told CW. “They had plenty of ideas and we worked with them to have a layout that would suit.”

Built on the proven strength of a Meranti timber frame and incorporating a fibreglass insulated roof, this custom shower model has some modifications for offroad travel, including adding an extra 6mm to the chassis, a more rugged Control Rider dual axle suspension, and 16in wheels to withstand tougher travelling conditions.

The front underside of the van has protective checkerplate and a stoneguard has been fitted to the drawbar. Also on the drawbar is the jockey wheel and two 9kg gas bottles to ensure an uninterrupted supply when free camping.

Wind-down levellers on all four sides will keep the van stable when stationary, and the extra option of an exterior shower attachment has been added to the van’s rear offside. On the nearside next to the door, a drop-down table will come in handy when entertaining guests under the A&E 8500 awning.

Two 90L water tanks are beneath the van, with two bolt-on jerry can holders and the spare wheel attached to the rear bumper. A Winegard TV antenna is also part of this E-Series package.

To keep the van’s interior cool on a scorching day but still filled with natural light, the E-Series has Camec tinted bubble-windows all around, and the door is a tinted Camec triple-locker.

There are three externally accessed hatches on the nearside of the van: the rear-most hatch provides access to the sullage tanks from the ensuite toilet and the front one is a right-through storage bin.

A HOMELY TOUCH

Stepping into the van, you instantly feel the comfort and homeliness. The layout has been built around the NSW couple’s ideas of what sort of conveniences they would like to take on the road with them.

The cushy L-shaped dinette, situated along the nearside, will seat four people comfortably and is directly opposite the kitchen area. This would mean the height-adjustable dinette table can be used as an extra bench during meal preparation.

However, that may not be necessary as the kitchen bench is as long as the dinette, thanks to a hinged cooktop cover that matches the rest of the bench area and can be used as a splashback.

The cooktop is a Caprice four-burner with a grill and oven, with a Swift rangehood above and a stainless sink to its immediate left which has a flick mixer tap and filtered water tap.

Storage cupboards and drawers surround this part of the bench area, alongside the Dometic RM 2553 fridge. Built into the cabinetry to the right of the cooktop is the Sharp Carousel microwave, which sits at a reasonable height.

Above the fridge is a flatscreen LCD TV on a swivel arm so it can be viewed from either the bedroom or the dining area. There’s also a Pioneer radio/CD player with four speakers fitted inside the van and two fitted externally, so you can listen to your favourite songs under the awning.

Toward the front of the van is the bedroom, with a 6ft 5in × 5ft (1.92m × 1.5m) queen sized bed that lifts up on struts to reveal a storage box and drawers. On both sides of the bed are mirrored cupboards with more storage hatches above the bed.

Down the other end of the van is the ensuite and laundry area. It has been designed so that the moulded fibreglass shower (which has a flexible hose shower head and a roof hatch with an exhaust fan) sits in the offside back corner, while the rest of the bathroom contains a Dometic vacuum-flush toilet, ensuite vanity and Lemair washing machine.

Using some clever cabinetry design, the washing machine is hidden under a hinged benchtop which is also doubles as the bathroom bench.

To beat the heat, a Dometic CAL136 roof-mounted air-conditioner has been installed, alongside a Remi skylight hatch which allows an excellent amount of natural light into the van.

The van is powered by a 12V battery and Smart Charger system, with a 64W solar panel attached for extra boost.

This is monitored from a control panel containing the fuses, water-level indicators and solar regulator, which is conveniently located inside a cupboard next to the foot of the bed.

The Bottom Line

While this Evernew has the typical E-Series base available to everyone at the good price of $54,000, it’s the mind-boggling selection of optional extras that will be the real drawcard.

The dedicated team at Evernew are happy to help you create your own dream machine, limited only by your imagination.

For more information contact Evernew Caravans, 101 Bell St, Heidelberg West, Vic 3081,

(03) 9459 7516, fax: (03) 9457 4641.For your nearest Regent dealer call (03) 9408 7400 or visit

We liked

• Open and well-lit layout

• Chic cabinetwork

• Washing machine built into a laundry/bathroom section

We would have liked

• Choice of lounge fabric, but that can be changed