First look: Willow RV Conifer

Another day, another manufacturer… or so it seems. But while you might not have heard of Willow RV, the name is the only thing new about Victoria’s latest caravan brand.

Eddie Wills and Ian Jow, from whose surnames ‘Willow’ has been formed, together share some 45 years’ experience in the RV business accumulated in Britain, South Africa and, over the past decade or so, Australia.  And it shows.

Far from a typical first effort from a fledgling builder, the 21ft Willow RV Conifer 624 we reviewed proved to be a well-conceived and well-built touring caravan, blending quality products from a United Nations of suppliers, all put together with Australian know-how...

Fully insulated - really!

OK – we liked it and here’s why.

For a start, the Willow RV is a true, fully insulated caravan. By ‘insulated’, we don’t mean hand-cut pieces of styrene foam wedged between traditional Meranti timber framing, but full, high-density ‘Insultuf’ 29mm thick composite walls and roof and a 35mm thick composite floor from similar material.

According to Wills, you won’t find even a 3mm gap anywhere.

This means its interior temperature should remain more constant regardless of what’s happening outside, which in turn means that the 186-litre Thetford three-way fridge doesn’t have to work as hard to keep its cool.

The standard, fridge-white exterior colour of the outer aluminium panelling is white to reflect heat, while underneath, a bitumen coating on the lower ply layer of the floor adds to the insulation, doubling purpose to repelling water and stones.

Willow RV is certainly not the only manufacturer to build caravans this way. Proper insulation is a hallmark of most British and European makers, who cater for winter sports travellers, while progressive Australian builders like Zone RV  have also made it a product feature.

Solidly screwed together

But it’s the way that Willow RV has addressed the problem of fixing furniture into the foam-filled walls that sets it apart here.

Again, the solution has come from Europe, in the form of high-density but lightweight black polyurethane from Germany that is infused into the walls at the points where items need to be attached. It’s light and holds screws better than Meranti, according to Wills.

More international thinking is everywhere, from the German Hartal entry door with its built-in cassette blind, to the Poplar pine employed in different thicknesses to form the van’s furniture. This includes 27mm thick material used to encase the fridge for improved insulation and to frame the dinette, where it provides great rigidity without corresponding weight.

However, as many importers have discovered to their cost, imported materials are only as good as the local knowledge required to purpose them, and it's this understanding of what Australians want in a touring caravan that comes through with the Willow RV.

Built locally

The caravans are designed and built in Pakenham, Victoria (also home to Avan, Goldstream, Jurgens and Bluewater Campers) using the latest Solid Edge 3D computer technology that can fully assess the model for ergonomics, stress points and feasibility before proceeding to a prototype build.

Then comes the all-important understanding of what customers might want to do with their caravan...

Free-camping is bigger here than in Europe or South Africa, so the Conifer comes standard with twin 95 litre fresh water tanks, while the review van was optioned with a separate 95 litre grey water tank.

What’s special here is that the tanks can be positioned in four separate slots within the rails of the locally-built hot-dipped galvanised steel chassis, regardless of interior configuration, to ensure that the van tows properly.

A 100Ah AGM battery and 120W roof-mounted solar panel are standard, but models ordered with the Willow’s Adventure Pack, like our review van, can get double that quotient, along  with a beefier 150mm x 50mm chassis (versus 100mm x 50mm) and AL-KO’s heavier-duty Enduro Outback trailing arm independent tandem axle suspension (instead of lower spec Enduro Cross Country), while off-road spec brakes are standard.

Adventurous option list

In the European tradition, a long list of options lets you take your Willow RV’s spec much higher, with items like Cruisemaster’s DO-35 coupling, a mesh stone-guard, AL-KO ESC anti-sway control, diesel heating and an A-frame tray and tool or generator box, among other items that adventurous owners might choose.

A slide-out kitchen can be fitted in the front locker at the expense of exterior storage space, however travellers will still have the front boot, with twin 4.5kg gas bottles sharing space with other essentials, unless you select the optional twin 9kg bottles, in which case they will be relocated to the A-frame.

One nice feature here is that the German-made boot lid with its twin catches and extensive rubber sealing, is held open by a magnetic catch on the body –  just like the entry door.

Neat interior

Inside, the Conifer 624 has a bright, inviting look, with cream and light-coloured furniture and upholstery fabric.

One thing you don’t see is all the gauges, fuses, switches, etc. that many makers like to put on display. Instead, in the Conifer these items with their annoying warning lights, live inside cabinets, so they're hidden from view until you want to check them.

Even the standard 22-inch TV has a place to slide back into while travelling, without the necessity of being removed.

Other things we liked included the sensible height for the microwave oven, good headroom and excellent storage in the many cupboards and the space under the front queen-sized bed.

Sit or sleep?

The café-style dinette was also different to most in that all the cushions could be used to make another bed once the table was dropped down (in some dinettes with this function you have cushions left over), while the pull-out end drawers hold cushions that can be moved into place to hold occasional occupants.

In many other caravans with this sort of feature you have to find somewhere for these seat cushions to live when they’re not in use.

The large and usable ensuite shows further experience in its design, with plenty of space on either side of the (slightly small) central basin, while a Daewoo Mini washing machine sits on the back wall, adjacent to the toilet and a deep, hinge-out laundry cupboard.

A large, rear wall mirror behind the basin is augmented by a full-length mirror, to allow you to look your best before stepping out the rear door.

Verdict

The Willow RV is a refreshing new take on an Australian caravan, incorporating the best overseas features in a caravan designed and built locally for Australian travellers. Based on first impressions, it would go on my shopping list.

Willow RV Conifer 624 caravan

Travel length: 2880mm
External body length: 6380mm
External body width: 2470mm
Travel height: 2955mm
Tare: 2295kg
ATM: 2800kg
Payload: 505kg
Ball weight (Tare): 160kg
Body: Aluminium composite walls, composite roof and floor
Chassis: Hot dipped galvanised, 150mm x 50mm steel chassis and A-frame
Suspension: AL-KO Enduro Outback independent tandem trailing arm
Brakes: Off-road electric drums
Wheels: 15in alloy with 235/75-15 tyres
Water: 2 x 95l fresh water tanks
Battery: 2 x 100Ah AGM
Solar: 2 x 120W roof-mounted panels
Gas: 2 x 4.5kg
Cooking: 4 burner (3 gas + I electric) Swift 500-Series cooktop, plus grill and LG microwave oven
Fridge: 186l Thetford 3-way
Bathroom: Separate shower and toilet
Washing machine: Daewoo Mini 2kg front-loading
Lighting: LED throughout
Base price: $62,990. As reviewed with Adventure Pack: $73,000
Supplied by: Melbourne RV, 1/120 Canterbury Road, Bayswater North, Vic
More info: Willow RV