Evernew E1000 Series

Ready to roll

Evernew Caravans' E1000 has rough-road cred and on-road class. The company has been a player in the Australian RV industry for 45 years. Although not a high-volume builder, the company manages to produce three vans a week out of its factory in Heidelberg, Vic.

There are a number of advantages to being a custom builder without a dealer network, Evernew's assistant manager, Darren French, says. For one, customers get a more "personalised" service.

"We find our customers really respond to the opportunity to deal directly with the people building their caravan, and this is reflected in the results," he says.

Evernew, a family-owned and operated business running out of the same premises since it was established, also builds pop-tops, but its specialty lies with vans best suited to 4WDs. And the E1000 Series - the subject of this review and the first one off the production line - fits in that category. Of course, with Evernew being a custom builder, the E1000 is quite flexible in terms of fitout and design.

ON THE INSIDE
The interior of the E1000, as presented to us for review, is very liveable. While the layout is somewhat standard - full width rear bathroom, amidships kitchen and dinette, and forward bedroom - there are some details that set it apart.

In this two-person tourer, storage space is plentiful. There are three overhead lockers above the kitchen and nine drawers of various sizes.

The 'drawer' in the upper right-hand corner, though, is actually the façade of the slide-out ironing board - a nice touch that adds to the sense of 'home'. The kitchen benchtop provides generous dinner-prep space, but if you need some more, there's always the tri-fold dinette table directly opposite.

Cooking facilities comprise a Swift four-burner cooktop (four gas burners, one electric hotplate) with grill and oven, and a Samsung microwave set into the overhead woodwork at the forward end of the benchtop. The stove is recessed slightly into the bench, as the section of bench covering the stove lifts up to create a splashback - a popular and welcome design.

There's a dual cartridge water filtration system, with dedicated tap at the stainless steel sink for drinking water. Sink water otherwise comes from the mixer, and water is heated by a Suburban gas/electric hot water heater.

Depending on travelling intentions, the Dometic 175L three-way fridge/freezer (with two small lockers above), positioned between the dinette and bathroom, should be more than adequate for two people.

Yes, the leather dinette chairs are comfortable, and the previously mentioned tri-fold table doubles as a drinks stand when in the 'closed' position. The roll-out baskets under the dinette chairs make for easy access to this storage area, although space is limited beneath the forward chair - the standard 100Ah deep-cycle house battery is kept here. The battery, charged by a 25A CTEK charger, can also be charged by the tow vehicle via an Anderson plug, or the 64W Unisolar solar panel on the roof. Access to the battery will require you to remove the chair's cushions.

The antenna point for a TV at the forward end of kitchen bench (a flatscreen TV is an option), and the fact the bedroom is separated from the living quarters by a concertina door, means one person can watch the late-night news while the other sleeps. To my mind, and overall quality and price aside, it's this kind of thinking - how a couple or family will manage their daily routines in relatively close quarters - that's the deciding factor when purchasing.

Three lockers and a shelf above the bed, and wardrobes (with mirrored doors and matching bedside tables) on either side comprise the bedroom storage. A Four Seasons ventilation hatch is fitted into the roof above the bed, and there's a Heiki hatch outside the bathroom door, too. There's a roof-mounted, reverse-cycle Aircommand Ibis air-conditioner to keep things cool.

The electrics panel is neat, with everything clearly labelled. It's positioned above a waist-high cupboard at the foot of the bed, in the offside corner. In terms of lighting, the van has a spread of LED reading and ceiling lights, as well as round, fluorescent ceiling lights. LEDs are used for the tail lights and indicators, too.

The bathroom has a Dometic vacuflush toilet on the offside, vitreous china basin with mixer in the middle, and a separate, fully moulded shower with flexible shower hose on the nearside. The bathroom is well presented, with a reasonable amount of space for towelling dry after a shower.

A Lemair top-loading washing machine - tying in nicely with the ironing board - forms part of the vanity unit. For access, a section of the bench lifts on piano hinges. A three-shelf linen cupboard rests on the offside.

In terms of ventilation, there's no shortage in the bathroom. There are two wind-up hatches (with fans): one above the toilet, the other in the shower.

One bathroom surprise: access to the reversing camera's cabling is via the mirrored cupboard doors above the vanity. As fitted, it doesn't look particularly pretty, but it's certainly serviceable and the logical location for it.

SOLID AND STEADY
The E1000's payload of 950kg (Tare 2500kg, ATM 3450kg) is well above the more standard 400kg for tandem-axle caravans, and will no doubt be welcomed by those who like to pack heavy. Such a payload is achieved through the use of trailing arm coil suspension, and a 6in hot dipped G&S chassis with 2in risers at the axles and 4in risers running from the front of the axles to the drawbar. Brakes are 12in electric.

For those who prefer to pack a little lighter, but would like to make use of the extra payload available, there's an option to upgrade the water tanks from the standard two 95L tanks to four 95L tanks - a supply that will stand you in excellent stead for longer trips away from civilisation.

In terms of build, it's solid. The deep-profile aluminium cladding of Evernew's E1000 is glued to the meranti timber frame, as are the internal ply walls. Internal flooring is 12mm waterproof ply, glued and riveted to the chassis. Galvanised steel sheeting beneath the ply is an option.

Two 9kg gas cylinders are kept on a steel mesh frame on a horizontal beam welded to the A-frame, and are protected by a stoneguard. Two jerry can holders sit on either side of the A-frame, which is fitted with a breakaway switch and a freshwater tap.

With the house battery inside the van and the gas cylinders on the drawbar, the front boot is yours to fill. Evernew's Darren French was quick to point out that the galvanised sheeting lining the boot has a minimum of joins - it's folded instead and, where necessary, seam-joined.

There are a number of other great-to-have items outside, namely the slide-out barbecue - perfect for summer-evening dinners beneath the A&E Dometic 8500 awning, served on the fold-down picnic table. And while you're cooking, you can listen to your favourite tunes, thanks to a couple of Fusion external speakers, or watch a portable TV, thanks to a nearby 12V powerpoint.

Aside from the front boot, external storage comprises one locker on the rear offside for smaller items, and a bin on the front offside which, if not being used as an access point for the front boot, could be used to store a generator.

THE BOTTOM LINE
Evernew's new E1000 Series has all the essentials covered, making it a worthy proposition for long-term trips. The solid build adds to its appeal, and the impressive payload will raise a smile on the faces of those with a lot of must-take gear.

Overall, Evernew has produced a quality van with a popular layout. The bathroom is spacious and the living area well suited to couples. There's rough-road potential here, too.

I WOULD HAVE LIKED:

Evernew Caravans
101 Bell Street, Heidelberg, Vic 3081
(03) 9459 7516.

For more information, visit www.evernewcaravans.com.au