First look: 2018 Concept Innovation

There’s a reason why Toyotas are so popular. They come in packages that most people want. And they work.

The same analogy can be applied to Concept caravans. They’re not overtly fancy and they don’t push few technical boundaries but – to the chagrin of those in the industry trying to move it forward with new construction techniques, materials and technology – they deliver the features that most travellers want.

No slide-out walls; no pop-tops – just ‘stick and tin’ caravans. And they work.

Proven concept

Take the latest 2018 Innovation model pictured here. Concept’s longest couple’s ‘van in its entry-level range is right in the sweet spot in terms of its 6.4 metre (21ft) body length, and layout that features a front north-south queen bed, central kitchen and café dinette lounge and separate shower and toilet rear bathroom.

Plus the ‘basic’ features like solar, reverse-cycle air conditioning, good-sized three-way fridge/freezer, top-loading washing machine, entertainment system and competitive price (from $68,490).

The Innovation 640A (for All-terrain) and its 640S stablemate (which has a smaller 100mm diameter chassis and A-frame and skinnier tyres for $1500 less) are both additions to the current Innovation 620/630 line-up. Both are designed to appeal to customers who don’t want all the bells and whistles of Concept’s top-of-the-range Ascot, but desire a similar layout, with the fridge well away from the bedroom and a front boot.

Without ticking any of the 20-odd option boxes that could take its price well into the $70,000-plus bracket, the 640A is ready in base spec to roll around Australia on a short or long-term trip. Being an uncomplicated caravan, built by people who specialise in keeping it simple, it’s unlikely to give you much trouble.

Of course, you can’t rest on your laurels and for 2018 Concept has rolled out new décor, cupboards and options to keep the Innovation relevant. The review van was loaded with a stylish aqua-coloured Perspex kitchen splashback, twin Hella 12v oscillating fans, leather upholstery and also boasted additional exterior storage via its A-frame mounted checker-plate tool box and slide-out, lined storage drawer.

These items added $3820 to its bottom line, taking its price to $72,310 – still decent value for a comprehensively-equipped touring caravan.

Blending into the crowd

Visually, there’s little to separate the latest Innovations from the crowd of similar looking and traditionally-built caravans.

True, its ‘Diamond Silver’ ribbed aluminium cladding, contrasting with lower black checker plate and new glossy black rear composite tail panel, add a touch of class, but they’re all attached to a conventional Meranti timber frame, with Styrofoam batts placed between the inner ply and outer aluminium for insulation.

It’s not as efficient thermally as a full sandwich-pressed composite fibreglass wall with a dense foam core, but it’s lighter per square metre and arguably easy to repair.

‘What about hail damage’, you ask? Well Concept addresses this in a simple, but effective way by using a stucco finish on the roof and front panel, which are most vulnerable to damage.

Outside, the Innovation continues this conservative theme. The Preston Supagal chassis features a 150mm x 50mm extended A-frame with a 100mm x 50mm return main frame rear of the spring hangers for the tandem roller-rocker leaf spring and beam axle suspension.

What about the latest independent trailing arms, coil springs, or shock absorbers? Nup. And from personal experience crossing the country from West to East on both sealed and unsealed major roads, the higher-tech option isn’t essential.

Out of sight, out of mind

The best thing you can say about the Innovation’s underbody plumbing is ‘it’s there’. Not the tidiest we’ve seen; not the best protected, but this is essentially a bitumen touring caravan with the ability to venture onto well-formed unsealed highways and it’s OK for that job.

It’s also lighter and simpler than its higher-tech independent suspension option and contributes towards the van’s relatively light tare weight of 2273kg

Befitting a touring van, there’s good storage outside via the external front boot and the three-quarter tunnel boot immediately behind, which in the case of the review van was fitted with the carpet-lined slide-out pull-out drawer option. It’s not something you must have, and adds weight, but particularly in the case of a three-quarter boot it makes far-flung items much easier to access.

‘Our’ van also had the optional A-frame mounted toolbox immediately behind the Innovation’s twin 9kg gas bottles and this is the perfect place to store those dirty items like ground matting, water and waste hoses and power cords when travelling.

Combined with the checker-plate lower front panel, it provides reasonable stone protection for the caravan’s façade – adequate for its intended touring.

Our review Concept’s triple-lock Camec rear entry door was unusual in that it was front-hinged, which is comforting if you don’t shut it properly and it comes open when travelling, but meant that the adjacent large lounge window couldn’t be opened properly when the door was fully open. Odd, as it looks as though the door could just as easily be hinged on the right without fouling the awning arm. . .

Inside, everything inside the Innovation is just as the majority of caravanners like it, with the bedroom up front, lounge and kitchen amidships and the bathroom at the rear, where it’s readily accessible and well away from the sleeping area.

The 21ft length is ideal to accommodate all this comfortably, with more storage available under the bed and room for just about everything else you’d care to take on your travels in the twin robes that flank the bed head and the many cupboards and drawers that line the kitchen and dining areas.

Interesting here is the (unloaded) van’s tow ball load of 143kg, which at less than 7 per cent of tare is unusually light for a caravan for its size and weight.

It says something for the engineering of the Innovation that the caravan towed reasonably well empty behind our Ford Everest at cruising speeds up to 100km/h, but no doubt it would feel even more anchored with some weight up front in its ‘boots’, not to mention water in its twin 95-litre fresh water tanks. Combined, loading them should bump the ball weight up closer to the 10 per cent of tare – in this case about 227kg – that’s regarded an ideal on most caravans.

Working rearwards, a TV hatch with 12v and 240v connections and a drop-down picnic table allow for outdoor living under the van’s large roll-out awning.

One excellent feature that Concept fit to all the Concept and Franklin-branded caravans they build are the 140kg-rated footrests that slide out from the café dinette. Add the supplied infill cushions to match the dinette and you have potential seating for up to six at the tri-fold dinette table.

Otherwise, this central area is much as most buyers want. There’s adequate bench space in the kitchen beside the large stainless-steel sink and its adjacent draining board; the Swift 500 Series gas cooktop, grill and oven are alongside, next to the roomy, 190-litre Dometic AES gas/electric refrigerator, located well away from the bedroom for silence, while the NCE microwave is mounted in the cupboards above the sink, but not too high for most users.

The large, Dometic double-glazed windows and the aqua-coloured perspex splashback fitted optionally added a classy, colourful touch to this working area.

Businesslike bathroom

At the rear, behind a solid sliding door, the Innovation’s bathroom is businesslike, rather than beautiful, with a large, one-piece fibreglass shower, a separate Thetford cassette toilet on the opposite wall and a top-loading washing machine below a hinged panel next to the recessed vanity basin and its large mirror.

So, what’s not to like? To be honest, not a lot. Detail cupboard and drawer fit-and-finish on the review van could have been better but this was the first 2018 Innovation built and it had not been prepared for delivery, so we can excuse that.

Otherwise, it was a shining example of simplicity.

Verdict

The 2018 Concept Innovation is hard to fault as an Australian touring caravan. It’s the right size, has all the wanted features and is simply, but well built, making it relatively light and hopefully, low-maintenance.

Concept Innovation 640A

Travel length: 8500mm
External body length: 6400mm
External body width: 2490mm
Interior head room: 1980mm
Travel height: 2850mm
Tare: 2273kg
ATM: 2773kg
Ball weight (Tare): 143kg
Body: Meranti timber frame with ribbed aluminium cladding and Styrofoam batt insulation
Chassis: Preston Supagal 150mm x 50mm main chassis rails and 150mm extended A-frame
Suspension: Tandem roller-rocker leaf spring
Brakes: 10in electric drums
Wheels: 15in alloy with 235R tyres
Fresh water: 2 x 95L fresh
Battery: 1 x 100Ah deep cycle
Solar: 135W roof-mounted Projecta panel
Air conditioner: AirCommand Ibis 3 reverse cycle, roof-mounted\
Hot water: Truma gas/electric
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Cooking: Swift 500 Series gas cooktop, grill and oven
Microwave: NCE
Fridge: 190L Dometic 3-way AES
Bathroom: Full separate shower and toilet ensuite with top-loader washing machine
Lighting: LED throughout
Price: From $68,490; as reviewed $72,310
Supplied by: Concept Caravans, Campbellfield, Victoria