Explorer Barra

WE LIKED:
>> Different looking interior
>> Very tidy under chassis area
>> Spacious kitchen bench

NOT SO MUCH:
>> 12V fuses hard to access
>> Cupboard frames have different finish
>> No drawer under the seat

South-east Queensland is the second largest centre of caravan manufacturing in Australia, the outer Melbourne region (Campbellfield, anyone?) being the first. The geographical difference produces quite a diverse range of RVs, especially when you take in manufacturers from the north as well.

One of the newest manufacturers in that region is a company called Explorer, which has recently started producing a range of caravans and moulded fibreglass motorhomes. One of the first caravans off the line was a tandem axle 6.4m (21ft) Barra.

LOOKS ARE DECEIVING

From the outside, the Barra might look like any other caravan but, on the inside, things are a bit different.

For a start, apart from the pseudo-timber floor, there isn’t a piece of stained or unstained wood to be seen, except on the inside of the cupboard and locker doors.

White is the dominant colour and while it might have some reaching for the sunglasses, the darker greys of the bench tops and doors offset it nicely.

All the Seitz hopper windows have the usual integrated blinds, insect screens and slim-line venetian blinds as well.

WELL LAID OUT

The Barra’s interior is split into three areas -- the front bedroom, dinette/kitchen and rear bathroom -- through partitioning and a concertina curtain between the bedroom and kitchen.

There’s a fair bit of space to move around in the rear bathroom, even with a full-sized shower cubicle on one side and a Thetford cassette toilet on the other.

Filling the rest of the rear wall space is the vanity cabinet with a contemporary wash basin and wall mirror, but there are also multi-shelved cupboards to the side and below, along with overhead lockers above.

Completing the picture is a top-loading washing machine with a flush lid, which creates useful bench top space when it’s not being used.

Taking up the whole mid-offside wall, the kitchen bench offers a generous amount of just about everything including storage and bench top space – although a few more drawers instead of cupboards would be useful, and part of one of the lower cupboards is taken by the wheel arch.

Naturally there are all the kitchen essentials like a four-burner cooktop/grill/oven, stainless steel sink and Thetford three-way 184 litre fridge.

A microwave oven is set into the overhead locker space but at a lower level, making it bit more user-friendly than some. Above the fridge, the control panel has a few items like the water tank gauges and hot water switching but the 12V fuses are in the front boot.

ROOM FOR TWO

Opposite the kitchen bench, the L-shaped dinette will seat two persons comfortably. The table is fitted on the usual single pole mount, which means it can be turned around and lifted off if it’s not needed.

Access to the under-seat area is by a floor locker or lifting the seat cushions off.
Windows all around the bedroom area supply a good amount of both natural light and fresh air.

The posture slatted bed base has an innerspring mattress that measures 1.9x1.55m (6ft 3in), and it can be lifted to get to the compartmented storage space underneath.

Wardrobes and overhead lockers form the bedside storage area, along with a couple of diagonal cupboards in the corners. Mounted above the offside cupboards, the swivel-mounted TV can be seen from either the bed or the dinette.

WELL SPRUNG

Built on a SupaGal Preston chassis which uses 100x50mm (4x2in) RHS steel for both the main rails and drawbar, along with a 50mm/2in riser, the Barra rides on Simplicity independent suspension, a tandem axle set up that comes with trailing arms and a common inverted leaf spring.

A look under the van reveals all the pipework and cabling to be neatly strapped up out of the way, while the two 85 litre water tanks, with gal sheet protection, are mounted forward of the wheels.

There are no surprises on the front drawbar, which just has two 9kg gas cylinders and the usual items like the ball coupling, hand brake and centre mounted jockey wheel. Ditto at the rear where the square bumper bar sports two spare wheels.

Above the chassis, the body has a timber frame, insulation and aluminium cladding. One of the benefits of the white and alloy checkerplate finish is that it doesn’t show the dust and dirt as much as darker surfaces.

For storage, there’s a front boot with tunnel storage directly behind it, and part of the nearside tunnel is taken by a slide-out barbecue.

Part of the front boot is taken up by the deep cycle batteries and fuses, although they’re a bit difficult to get at.

Under the Dometic awning, two LED wall lights illuminate the side area very nicely, and additional features include the picnic table and both 240V and 12V sockets plus a TV antenna.

TV watchers might have to think about where they put the TV because there isn’t an external bracket.

On the road, the Barra weighed in with an ATM of 2680kg and a tare weight of 2280kg, giving the usual 400kg load capacity. Unladen, the van has a ball weight of 180kg which makes it towable by a mid-to-large size 4WD.

We found it towed quite smoothly behind our Prado, without any unwanted surprises along the road.

VERDICT

From the outside, the Explorer Barra looks similar to many other caravans but, inside, the general décor is a bit more creative, giving the interior a much more interesting look.

The layout offers plenty of interior living space in what is not an excessively overweight caravan, and the Simplicity suspension offers the possibility of rough road, in addition to conventional blacktop touring. Worth considering.

EXPLORER BARRA

Overall length: 8.2m (26ft 11in)
External length: 6.4m (21ft)
External width: 2.45m (8ft)
External height: 3.0m (9ft 10in)
Interior height: 1.98m (6ft 6in)
Nameplate ATM: 2680kg
GTM: 2500kg
Nameplate Tare Weight: 2280kg
Ball weight (advised): 180kg
Frame: Timber
Chassis: SupaGal
Body external: Aluminium cladding
Suspension: Simplicity independent
Cooktop: Swift four burner/grill/oven
Fridge: Thetford N604 three-way 184 litres
Microwave oven: Sanyo
Shower: Separate cubicle
Toilet: Thetford cassette
Lighting : 12V LED
Gas supply: 2 x 9kg
Fresh water tank: 2 x 85 litre
Price: $69,500 (on road, Qld)
Supplied by:  Getaway Caravans, Kunda Park, Qld
More info: Explorer Caravans