Zone RV Expedition 2023 Review

Queensland’s Bruder set the high mark when brothers Dan and Toby introduced their air-sprung extreme terrain caravans to a willing global expedition market, offering a unique product that disregarded the road surface to take adventurous travellers further off-the-beaten-track in more comfort than any towed product previously could.    

Now, they have a serious Queensland rival, with the Sunshine Coast’s Zone RV officially launching the first production versions of its new Expedition model, after months of teasers and prototype reveals. 

Like the four Bruder models, the Expedition is designed to be as much at home crossing rough Outback tracks as it is driving on them. However, the key difference to the Bruder and any other locally-manufactured caravan is the way it is built, with Australia’s largest 3D printer creating the Expedition's fibreglass body moulds and composite panels in-house at Zone RV’s Coolum Beach headquarters on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. 

Since its beginnings in 2016, when it initially offered DIY kit caravans to handyman enthusiasts, Zone RV has been an innovator in the industry.  

Its gigantic 22m x 5m x 1.6m Virtual Smart Factory VSF122 large-area gantry-based machine can print parts up to 30 metres in length, combining additive and 5-axis machining with its optimised CAD system. 

The new Expedition is the first vehicle project entrusted to the new machine, but Zone RV founder Dave Biggar sees its potential and cost-savings being utilised on other Zone models as well as the marine industry in the future.

Starting with the Expedition, Biggar believes he has set a benchmark for remote area caravans in Australia, rivalling Bruder in this small but exclusive market. 

With an overall body length of 7.2 metres (23ft 7in), a roof-down height of 2.55m and a Tare weight starting at 2280kg, the Expedition sits comfortably behind any large 4WD, like a LandCruiser 300 series, with its tandem axle Cruisemaster ATX trailing arm air suspension with disc brakes designed to deal with whatever terrain it's challenged by. 

It will initially be available only as a pop-top with built-in roof bars raised by electric actuators, and with an electric awning that extends to shelter the large, recessed external kitchen and its 85 litre upright fridge.

An optional BBQ slide is incorporated in the front storage box. 

Standard power comes from a Redarc 400Ah lithium battery that can be optioned up to 600Ah or 800Ah if required. This battery is fed by 720W of rooftop solar that can be expanded optionally to 1080W, while a 3000W inverter allows many household appliance to be connected, including the Expedition’s standard dual-hob induction cooktop. Zone expects many will option the full solar option. 

A Redarc Manager 30 is used in combination with a BCDC1250D to achieve up to 80AH charging while driving, from solar or mains power, while other technology includes an external socket for an optional Starlink system, a Hummingbird GPS Odometer and a WiTi anti-theft system.

Three fresh water poly tanks house 225 litres of fresh water and 75L of drinking water, while a separate 100 litre shielded tank is provided for grey water. 

With extended off-grid travel in mind, the Expedition has plenty of storage space in its all-composite body, both inside and out, including a large, carpeted sealed cavity along the offside wall for storing fold-up chairs, tables and other bulky outside gear.

Inside, the stylish rear ensuite incorporates an Ogo composting toilet, an optional 2kg front-loading washing machine and a spacious shower. 

Cool weather camping is dealt with by a diesel water heater that doubles as a space heater, while a rooftop air conditioner is another extra-cost option for tropical living. 

Composite timberless cabinetry is used throughout, and the north-south queen bed that's been squeezed into the front offside corner has dual Sirocco 12v fans. 

For kids or grand-kids, an optional 1.8m-long top bunk with a load rating of 60kg can be suspended from the roof above the dinette, while a lower bunk of a similar length and load rating can be inserted in the café-style lounge-dinette. It’s a little fiddly, but it works, meaning that family holidays in remote areas are realistically possible.

The only problem is kids tend to bed down earlier than adults, effectively calling an abrupt end to dining, or after-dinner relaxing.

For an early production model, the level of panel finish out of the 3D printed moulds is excellent – something that was a Zone prerequisite – and a match for the bought-in panels used on other Zone RV models. As Zone uses the printer to create the moulds for these and other components, it has complete control of the manufacturing process, with the 3D printer chugging through the night to complete the bucks ready for use the following morning.

The interior fit-out is equally impressive and matches the high standard of finish achieved in other caravan models in the Zone stable. 

The other impressive thing about the adoption of this new 3D printing technology is that it puts Zone completely in charge of the RV design process, with small changes able to be incorporated with minimum delay and disruption and no loss of finished quality. Rather than being limited to only working with flat materials, the 3D printer allows curves to be incorporated in panels for enhanced aero efficiency and strength.

Apart from the substantial financial outlay required to install the new technology which is housed in a new purpose-built adjacent factory, the 3D process bypasses the middleman in the production process and has allowed Zone to undercut its rivals, while designing and building a new model with complex curves somewhat cheaper and even stronger than by traditional methods.

Of course, the proof is in the pudding and here Biggar and his team at Zone RV have put a lot of work into the Expedition’s dynamics.

Getting it to tow effortlessly was a key criterion and the Expedition’s smooth body works with the tow car to achieve excellent aerodynamics from its tapered nosecone to its low travelling height and smoothly-styled roof profile.

Visually, the Expedition looks larger than a equivalent Bruder 7 or 8 model with its long travel suspension tucked out of sight underneath its more enveloping bodywork. However it copes well with unformed tracks, and with its long wheel travel and aggressive rear departure angle, can traverse creek crossings with much greater ease than a conventional off-road caravan without the A-frame ploughing or tail dragging. 

And keeping the Expedition narrow in the hips -- by specifying a north-south instead of an east-west bed -- has allowed a wheel track and tyre footprint similar to many large 4WDs, which means it should tow through virgin terrain with little resistance. Standard wheels are 17in diameter with all terrain rubber, with 18in wheels optional. 

Another example of this thought process is that rather than putting a tool box on the A-frame, it's incorporated in the more aerodynamic nosecone, which has adjustable shelves to maximise its useability.

Zone anticipates that its cross-terrain ability will be everything that local adventurers are prepared to risk unless they have a pumped-up tow car, and therefore unlike Bruder are more focussed on the domestic than global expedition market. 

How it performs in really rough terrain will have to wait for a full review, but Biggar is an experienced and devoted off-road enthusiast and the Expedition reflects his values. How his new 3D printed adventure RV performs in the real world will then be put to the test.

Kicking off at $139,000, the Zone's starting price is substantially lower than the equivalent Bruder, but if you’re in the market for a serious adventure van, you should have a close look at both before you lay your money down.

Price: From $139,000
Travel length: 23ft 7in (7.2m)
External body length: 19ft 9in (6.03m)
Internal body length: 17ft (2.04m)
External body width: 6ft 8in (2.05m)
Travel height: 8ft 4in (2.55m)
Camping height: 10ft 4in (3.16m)
Internal height (open): 6ft 7in (2.05m)
Internal height (closed): 4ft 7in (1.45m)
Tare: From 2280kg
ATM: 3500kg
Construction: Moulded fibreglass composite body
Chassis: Hot-dipped galvanized with black TuffCoat finish
Suspension: Cruisemaster ATX airbag with hydraulic disc brakes
Wheels: 17in CSA alloys with 265/70R17 AT tyres
Gas: 4kg storage provided
Battery: 400Ah lithium with 3000W inverter
Solar: 720W rooftop panels
Hot water/space heater: Webasto diesel
Fridge: 175L internal, 85L external
Air-conditioner: Roof-mounted optional
Water: 225L fresh, 75L drinking, 100L grey
Cooking: External dual induction cooktop, sink with mixer tap
Ensuite: Internal composting toilet and separate shower cubicle, external hot/cold shower
Washing machine: 2kg wall-mounted optional
TV: 24in Smart
More info: Zone RV, Coolum Beach, Queensland