Franklin Indulgence

WHAT WE LIKED

• Not your usual front bedroom/rear bathroom layout
• Good size kitchen with benches on both sides
• Rear windows all-round

NOT SO MUCH

• Interior too dark
• Cupboards at foot of the bed take up bed space
• Small dining table

Kratzmann Caravans’ proprietor Gary Kratzmann is well known for the wide range of RVs available from his two Brisbane dealerships. While he has something available for every budget, there have been some recent developments at the top end of the Franklin range that make for some interesting viewing.

BIG UNIT

The aptly named Franklin Indulgence is quite a sight to behold. With a Tare of 2515kg, ATM of 2915kg, and external body length of 7.62m (25ft), this is a very big van, indeed.

Such size does demand a substantial tow vehicle, and our Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series turbodiesel handled the van without any problems. Towing a van as large as the Indulgence may appear to be difficult, but it proved to be quite a smooth combination with such a capable tow vehicle – something of a surprise.

A van of this size naturally comes with tandem axles, fitted in this case with leaf spring suspension fixed to the DuraGal 6in-railed chassis.

This Indulgence was fitted out with Franklin’s Crosstrail Pack, which includes all-terrain tyres, alloy wheels, jerry can holders, mesh rack between the drawbar rails, and checker plate along the sides and across the front.

All the usual items, such as ball coupling, centre-mounted jockey wheel, two 9kg gas cylinders and mains pressure tap are also fitted to the drawbar, while the looped-end rear bumper houses a spare wheel and the jerry can holders.

Above the chassis rails, the Indulgence is built with a timber frame and aluminium cladding. Tinted acrylic hopper windows are used all-round and the Camec triple-locker door (with drop step) is mounted behind the wheels.

In addition to the front boot, small external hatches sit on both sides at the rear to give access to the under-seat storage. There are also two wall lights, external speakers and a slide-out barbecue under the awning.

DIFFERENT APPROACH

Stepping inside the Indulgence reveals an interesting departure from what has become a fairly standard design for many larger caravans: front bedroom/rear bathroom. Instead, this van has a front bedroom with adjoining bathroom, rear lounge, and kitchen in between.

Most of the cabinetry is finished in a burnt orange stain, except for some of the locker/cupboard doors, which have tinted acrylic lead-lined windows. A healthy mix of LED downlights and reading lights gives a good spread of illumination.

The van’s spacious feel starts in the rear, with a very comfortable leather-upholstered club lounge. With windows on all three sides, diners get a great view of the outside world.

The oval-shaped table, although not huge, does mean it’s easy to get in and out of the dinette, while overhead lockers all-round offer plenty of storage.
With this class and size of van, you’d expect the Indulgence to have a very respectable catering setup, and that’s exactly what you get.

The kitchen bench runs along the nearside wall and contains a full Caprice stove, stainless steel sink with drainer and a microwave. A generous selection of cupboards, drawers and overhead lockers sit above and below.

There isn’t a great deal of benchtop space, but that’s effectively offset by the bench on the opposite side, as well as more drawers and overhead lockers.

In addition, there’s a Waeco wine cooler and two wire basket-style slide-out pantries, the cabinet side of which also doubles as a mounting point for a flatscreen TV.

A 186 litre two-door fridge fills the space between the offside kitchen bench and the bedroom. Interestingly, the one cupboard in this bench is not a cupboard at all, but rather a space for the front-loading washing machine.

BED AND BATH

Somewhat differently, the queen-size bed in the Indulgence is mounted in an east-west configuration, with the bedhead against the nearside wall. The advantage is slightly larger bedside wardrobes than are usually found in a front bedroom design.

On the opposite wall, the cabinetry, which includes full-height and floor cupboards on either side, has been built around a 32in flatscreen TV that can be viewed from the bed. Your TV viewing habits will likely determine whether you like this setup.

While the bedroom mostly looks good, a slight problem is that if the bed is extended to its full 1.88m (6ft 2in) length, the floor cupboards don’t allow much walk-around room. In fact, I suspect taller people would prefer to omit these cupboards.

Up front, the bathroom is fully loaded, and in keeping with the rest of the van, is quite spacious.

The nearside corner shower cubicle has a variable-height flexi-hose shower and vented fan hatch, and opposite is a Thetford cassette toilet with push-button water supply.

With a contemporary floating washbasin, classy chrome tap and wall mirror, the vanity is a very flash-looking feature. There are also six cupboards and two very useful shelves.

VERDICT

As its name suggests, the Indulgence comes with everything needed for the on-road lifestyle and offers plenty of living space when parked up, both inside and out. But then, with its close to six figure pricetag, you’d expect that.

The van’s overall towing length is something worth keeping in mind when considering the Indulgence, though. At 9.47m (31ft) it isn’t going to be a lightweight towing combination and does require a larger tow vehicle.

However, if you’re in the market for a very classy van that’s anything but run of the mill, this Franklin flagship has to be a contender.

FRANKLIN INDULGENCE

Overall length: 9.47m (31ft)
External body length: 7.62m (25ft)
External width: 2.41m (7ft 11in)
Internal height: 1.98m (6ft 6in)
Travel height: 2.9m (9ft 6in)
Tare: 2515kg
ATM: 2915kg
Ball weight: 290kg
Frame: Timber
Chassis: DuraGal
Suspension: Tandem axle leaf spring
Cooktop: Thetford Caprice four-burner cooktop/grill/oven
Fridge: Dometic RM4601 186 litre
Microwave: LG
Shower: separate cubicle
Toilet: Thetford porcelain cassette
Lighting: 12V/LED
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Fresh water: 1 x 80 litre, 1 x 60 litre
Price as shown: $97,990 (tow-away, Qld)
Supplied by: Kratzmann Caravans, Virginia, Qld
More info: Franklin Caravans