Goldstar Maverick 2018 Review

Hitting the ground running in 2014 with a range of aggressively priced, sub-$40,000 Chinese-built caravans, Goldstar RV has steamed ahead to become one of Australia’s biggest-selling caravan importers.

This year the Adelaide-based business, which also builds truck trailers, is on track to sell up to 200 caravans, mostly full-height touring models in popular 18-22ft body sizes.

Goldstar also does the odd custom-built slide-out and toy hauler, not to mention a few, unique static vans. It’s also recently boosted its range with the addition of 16 to 19ft hybrid off-road pop-tops as well as an Australian-built LDV-based motorhome.

Goldstar’s parent company operates its production facilities in China and was one of the first to offer dirt-cheap camper trailers to Australia about a decade ago, before abandoning that market for caravans.

However, perhaps the biggest growth potential for Goldstar in the future lies in dirt-road models like the 20ft Maverick. Priced from $60,000, it poses a big threat to many Australian caravan manufacturers offering similar-specced off-road models, but often at much higher prices.

Solid underpinnings

Described by Goldstar as a “multi-terrain semi off-road” model, the 20ft Maverick has a beefier chassis than Goldstar's Liberty Tourer on-road vans, with 150 x 50mm gal steel used for both the A-frame and chassis (on-road models make do with 100 x 50mm steel for the chassis).

While the main caravan body including interior furniture, is shipped in a container from China, the chassis is welded together and spraypainted in Goldstar’s South Australian facility. Fitting of locally-sourced appliances, together with electrical/plumbing certification and other final assembly requirements, also takes place in Adelaide, before the van is weighed and picked up by the customer.

Not unlike many big Aussie off-road vans, the Maverick’s black A-frame comes with an AL-Ko off-road hitch and removable jockey wheel, mesh stone guard, two 9kg gas bottles and a shiny checkerplate toolbox big enough to carry a generator or BBQ.

Also fitted are AL-KO drop-down corner stabilisers, 16in MPC alloy wheels and all-terrain tyres, and Goldstar’s own red-painted independent trailing arm coil suspension with two shocks per wheel. A heavy-duty four arm rear bar supports two spare tyres.

A breakaway control and Anderson plug are also fitted as standard, with electronic stability control an option. Getting down on our knees, it’s not the neatest underbody we’ve seen on an off-road caravan, although much of the exposed wiring and hosing is neatly tucked up within the chassis, out of harm’s way.

Square edged design

Unlike Goldstar’s Liberty Tourer models, which have a more European look with their glossy rear moulds, the Maverick sports a boxier, sharper edged design that more closely resembles its Australian rivals.

Unlike many Aussie vans though, the Goldstar Maverick features insulated sandwich panel construction for the walls and roof (a grey composite panel is also available as an alternative if you don’t like the glossy white).

Like the Chinese-built Snowy River vans, the fibreglass composite panels are reinforced by a welded aluminium box section that allows furniture and other fittings to be securely screwed into place.

However unlike Snowy River, Goldstar uses a more traditional one-piece ply instead of a composite panel for the Maverick's floor. There’s no lack of black aluminium checker plate on all four exterior sides though, for scratch protection as well as that tough look that Aussie buyers are after.

Externally, the Goldstar Maverick also comes standard with an ATRV roll-out awning and security door, aluminium fold-down entry steps, a drop-down picnic table, two external speakers, outside light, entry handle, external shower, and a King Jack TV antenna and two 100W solar panels on the roof.

Where the Maverick differs from many of its Aussie rivals is the fitment of an instantaneous gas hot water system, with the compact unit accessed by either via a removable panel on the off-side wall or from under a dinette seat inside.

There’s also some eye-catching ‘bling’ on the Goldstar that you're unlikely to see on an Aussie-built van, like the shiny gold external shower head, or mirror-backed kickplate complete with illuminated Goldstar insignia, as you enter the van.

Room to move

Stepping up into the Maverick’s interior doesn’t reveal too many other surprises, with plenty of headroom and lots of natural light filtering through the generous-sized Dometic double glazed windows with built-in blinds and screens.

The Maverick we looked at had a fairly conservative brown/cream colour scheme, complemented by gloss cabinet fascias, shiny walls and black leatherette upholstery, that wouldn’t look out of place in any 'Campbellfield' caravan.

The ‘grey nomads’ layout including front walk-around queen bed, central kitchen galley and café dinette, and a full width rear ensuite with separate shower and toilet, is also something you see in many of the Aussie vans displayed at caravan shows.

The lighting in the Maverick is a bit different though, with strip 'mood' lighting and downlights integrated with the overhead lockers, while a roof hatch with LED lighting and two downlights above the bed added to the artificial lighting options in the main living zone.

There were no reading lights around the dinette, and we counted eight USB points clustered down low on the side of the dinette, facing the kitchen. We were told this unusual arrangement was on request from the purchaser of the van, so we assume they plan to use a lot of power-hungry portable devices!

The metal-framed base supporting the north-south queen-sized coil spring mattress extends out to accommodate larger folk, and there’s decent storage space under the bed, along with the usual storage nooks, half wardrobes and overhead lockers around the bed.

There’s also a full height corner cupboard, facing the bed on the dinette side, although about half the shelving was occupied by a Projecta 21A battery charger, water heater monitor and fuse box.

Solid furniture

The Maverick gets upgraded handles and latches for the lightweight timber furniture, and it all seemed reasonably sturdy and functional. Most of the wiring is tucked away neatly within the cabinetry, with a couple of loose bits on the review van still requiring some finishing before hand-over to the customer.

The café dinette with comfy leatherette seating gets a tri-fold adjustable height table (a fixed table that converts to another bed is an option), and more overhead lockers and some open shelving provide a few more storage options.

Where you might struggle to store items is under the dinette seats, with much of the space on one side occupied by the two 100Ah batteries, while the other side is taken up by the Girard hot water system and Seaflo water pump.

There's not much to complain about the kitchen, which offers plenty of benchspace and is well equipped with a four gas burner cooktop, grille and full-size oven, stainless steel sink with mixer tap and drainer, a microwave (at an easily accessible, underbench height), and rangehood with light.

The 21in TV/DVD was mounted on an adjustable arm in the corner, near the sink, while the two speaker audio system was built into the overhead cabinetry.

A couple of deep drawers and a large cupboard should swallow a bit of kitchen gear, although some will be disappointed with the lack of a pull-out pantry.

Shower time

Also ticking the boxes was the decent-sized ensuite, which has a sturdy concertina privacy door, and more brand-name appliances in the form of a Thetford swivel ceramic toilet and Lemair 3.2kg top-load washing machine.

There’s also a vanity with sunken, stainless basin and mixer tap, wall mirror, and more overhead lockers, while the 800mm x 800mm (floorspace) fibreglass shower cubicle lalso ooked the goods with its tempered glass door and Fiamma fan exhaust.

What did look a bit odd in the ensuite was the door located at the right side of the vanity benchtop, that when opened revealed a deep cavity space in the corner behind the shower cubicle. While this could be used for longer items like brooms and fishing rods, or for a laundry basket, reaching items at the bottom could prove tricky with no access via a locker door from the outside.

The shower cubicle was also missing some shelving and soap holders.

Room for improvement?

Overall, we were impressed with the fit and finish of the Maverick, although the plastic exterior grab handles at the front and rear of the van looked a bit cheap, as did the exposed timber ‘step’ in the tunnel boot.

The review van was still to be fitted with an Anderson plug, along with an optional A-frame tap and gas bayonet, so final pricing was likely to stretch to the low-$60,000 mark.

But that still represents strong value for a dirt-ready caravan, filled with good quality appliances and fittings, and ready-made for some comfy, off-the-grid camping.

Specs: Goldstar RV Maverick 20ft

Overall length: 7350mm
Body length: 6000mm
Body width: 2400mm
Overall height: 3100mm
Interior height: 1950mm
Tare: 2560kg
ATM: 2960kg
Ball weight (Tare): 250kg
Body: Fibreglass composite walls, roof; plywood floor
Chassis: Galvanised steel 150mm x 50mm
Suspension: Tandem axle independent trailing arm, coil springs, shocks
Wheels: 16x7in MPC alloy, Precision Trac II Capitol 265/70 AT tyres
Brakes: AL-KO 12in electric drums
Fresh water: 2 x 75L
Grey water: 1 x 75L (optional)
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Battery: 2 x 100Ah
Solar: 2 x 100W roof-top mounted, Epever solar controller
Hot water: Girard instant gas
Cooking: Thetford Caprice MKIII four gas burner cooktop, grille, oven
Microwave: 25L
Fridge: Dometic 190L compressor
Air-con: Dometic B3200 reverse-cycle, roof-mounted
TV: 21in Axis TV/DVD
Ensuite: Separate shower and toilet
Lighting: LED
Washing machine: 3.2kg top-loader
Price: From $59,990 (pick-up, South Australia)
Supplied by: Goldstar RV, Old Reynella, South Australia