Goldy Coastal Cruiser 2024 Review

Goldy Caravans burst onto the scene a few years back, taking the retro camper concept to another level and drawing huge crowds with its prototypes at various caravan shows around the country. We have been itching to try one out ever since.

Visiting the Goldy Caravans facility at Burleigh Heads on Queensland's Gold Coast, the retro theme extends beyond the vans filling the car park. Founder Jamie Driver had his vintage Ford Bronco parked up outside the workshop, which added a layer of ‘old school cool’ to the experience.

“They actually made right-hand drive models here for five years, so it’s Australian-built with the Clevo V8,” Jamie said, when asked about his retro tow rig upon arrival.

Related: Goldy Caravans turns back the clock

Speaking with Jamie, the idea for retro-styled caravans was not an out-of-the-blue brainwave, instead coming after years of restoring old Franklin, Millard and Viscount models himself. It wasn’t until his father passed away that he decided to make a full-time living in the caravan world, though.

“This whole business was born from wanting a career change, but also having my dad pass away a couple of years ago,” he said.

“I was actually writing his eulogy and I was thinking about my fondest memories as a kid - they were all caravan and camping holidays. Once I changed careers from IT to this, it all started to make sense.”

Originally the career change led to Jamie restoring old caravans rather than building them from scratch, but over time the complexity of finding parts and repairing half-rotten vans to today’s standards led him to tackle a ground-up design.

“I did that for a few years, and I love the old caravans, but once you take them apart you just don’t know what you’re getting yourself into so it made sense to make something from scratch,” he said.

“It took about two years, from building that first prototype to then getting it right and it definitely took a few vans to nail the process down.

“After about 10 caravan builds, we really found our groove though!”

Of course, the current range best resembles a 1960s Franklin Regent, and is so similar in its shape and dimensions you’d be hard pressed to spot that this is a new caravan and not a refurbished one...

How much is the Goldy Caravans Coastal Cruiser?

The Goldy Caravans range starts at $44,950 for the base 12ft Getaway, with the top-end 19ft tandem axle Coastal Cruiser we're looking at here, jumping to $99,950. There's also a middle-of-the-line 16ft (body length), single axle Beach Cruiser option priced from $79,950.

For the circa-six figure price tag, the family-focused 19ft Coastal Cruiser is Goldy's most luxurious model and offers bedding for four, with the option of six beds. As standard, it features a queen bed, ensuite bathroom, dining area that converts into a  double bed, and a kitchenette.

Additions like air-conditioning, solar panels and an awning will cost extra, and the manufacturer offers plenty of additional options for those wishing to future-proof their modern-retro caravan.

In terms of visual flair, which the Coastal Cruiser offers in spades, just about any external colour is possible. If you’re not too picky though, there are five base retro colours to choose from: teal, blue, yellow, navy and orange.

How is the Goldy Coastal Cruiser built?

The build process is done in-house at Goldy Caravans’ Burleigh Heads facility, with items like the box section DuraGal steel chassis and suspension components manufactured locally too.

Composite fibreglass sections, which are made of a similar material to fridge bodies on trucks, are cut to size, and relief cuts allow for a one-piece fibreglass roof despite its steep curves at each end.

Goldy says this results in an extremely lightweight body, which is also weatherproof and designed to last. The vans are covered by a five-year body and chassis warranty.

Compared to an older caravan, the chassis is a modern design and a lot more of the weight sits down low, meaning they should tow better and are significantly more durable.

Lead time is currently around six to seven months, but it will depend on how many extras or how much custom work a customer wants.

What other external features are on the Goldy Coastal Cruiser?

Externally, the 19ft Goldy Coastal Cruiser is a simple affair which, in this case, is a good thing. They ooze retro appeal without any obvious hints of their modern underpinnings.

There's an external towel rail for beachside campers, a retractable entrance step, roof hatch, ball coupling and fold-up jockey wheel. The chrome trimmed wheels are a very cool addition, shod with genuine white wall tyres.

Leaf-sprung suspension sits underneath, with the option for a more off-road capable Cruisemaster CRS2 system that offers a coil spring independent trailing arm set-up. The Cruisemaster gear was fitted to a few of the finished builds on-site and is proving to be a popular choice.

All of the clear acrylic windows wind out and feature insect screens, and there's an external shower option as well as a tidy awning designed in-house to suit the curved roofline.

There's also a spare tyre, clean and grey water hose connection, electric brakes and space for a bike rack up front if a buyer wants to throw a beach cruiser on the caravan. The Goldy team will also fit barbeque arms and additional mounting points if required.

How far off-road can the Goldy Coastal Cruiser go?

Look, you wouldn’t take one across the centre of Australia unless you were brave - or wanted to look really cool. These are an on-road-first design, but are certainly built well and the odd dirt road should be fine.

With the recent option of Cruisemaster suspension becoming available, the Goldy Coastal Cruiser is capable of semi off-road use and Jamie even tested one on the beach recently. As expected, he did so towing it with his Ford Bronco which he said turned plenty of heads.

The Coastal Cruiser is not off-grid capable out of the box and while you could specify it to be at the time of order, it somewhat defeats the purpose of the caravan’s analogue appeal. However, the team at Goldy Caravans told us around 75 percent of customers opt for off-grid setups.

What do you get inside the Goldy Coastal Cruiser?

While the 19ft Coastal Cruiser, and the rest of the range for that matter, are designed to offer the retro body shape of an old caravan, the interior is suitably modern. Not in a minimalist, tech-filled way, but more in a stunning beachside home style.

A big reason for the Goldy Caravans interior charm is the use of an interior designer that actually specialises in tiny homes - where maximising space and liveability is key.

“We have an interior designer that’s a friend of mine, and she actually owns Big Life Tiny Home - she’s just awesome,” Jamie said.

“She’s a Californian designer, which is where a lot of the design inspiration comes from. The interior is supposed to make people smile when they come in, and we want their entire holiday to be a really happy experience.”

The various layouts are designed around a buyer’s needs; each with a seating and dining area, plenty of cabinetry storage, timber bench and window surrounds, sheer curtains, stainless steel sink, and space-saving fold-out bed.

The cabinetry, appliances, chandelier light, gold trim, bedding and timber elements would not look out of place in a home, all adding to the caravan’s beach villa vibe and overall liveability. It's not all about style though, with plenty of practical touches like the ability to easily remove the chandelier base to stop it from swinging and getting knocked in transit.

A 12-volt power management system handles lighting, while the Coastal Cruiser also scores a 240V retro-styled 130L fridge, dual power outlets with USB ports, and a portable induction cooktop.

A small ensuite includes a portable toilet and compact shower, making good use of space within the nook-like bathroom. It’s perhaps a little small for a family, but a fair compromise.

The Coastal Cruiser also features bunk beds at one end and a queen-sized bed at the other, offering a true family-friendly layout. The top bunk, however, is somewhat affected by the sloping roof.

There are optional extras available like a Smart TV, washing machine and air-conditioner.

What is the Goldy Coastal Cruiser like for camping?

The 19ft Coastal Cruiser feels best-suited to a beachside location, that much is clear, but in any campsite the caravan offers light-filled, airy living, centred around relaxation and connection with the outdoors.

The van is designed to have the windows folded out, taking in the sights and sounds of nature. It’s best described as a beachside villa or shack, on wheels. This isn’t a van you’d buy if you want to sit in air-conditioning and watch TV, ultimately.

It’s also fairly light-on in terms of appliances and amenities, offering an experience that falls somewhere in between modern caravans and the old-school examples that really didn’t come with more than what was needed.

We expect owners are the kinds of campers who prefer to spend the morning surfing or hiking, using the caravan as a home-like retreat rather than the centre of their experience. Make no mistake though, it’s a comfortable and surprisingly spacious caravan, despite its cosiness, which is likely a result of Jamie’s work with his talented interior designer to get the feel right.

The experience, overall, offers a laid back and somewhat analogue retreat into nature rather than a tech-filled roadshow. This makes the Coastal Cruiser suited to couples, or families, that aren’t too screen dependent. We’re all for it!

Should I buy a Goldy Caravans Coastal Cruiser?

If you’re in the market for a retro-styled caravan, your options are slim and short of restoring a vintage caravan, which could end up costing more in the long run without offering the various benefits of a modern option, the Goldy Caravan is a winning choice.

Not to mention, Jamie and his team appear to be genuinely passionate people who are committed to quality, service and ongoing support for customers - many of whom are their best source of marketing out on the roads and in beachside campsites.

Goldy Caravans isn’t focused on huge volumes and, for that reason, its bespoke caravans may well become future classics given their unique and well thought-out design. In fact, Jamie has even ensured the VIN numbers assigned mimic those of old caravans, which he often had to refer to when restoring older models to find out things like the original colour.

There are cheaper caravans on the market and there are certainly more capable ones too, but none offer the unique blend of old school styling and modern functionality that Goldy Caravans has achieved with the Coastal Cruiser.

Price : From $99,950
Travel length:6736mm
Body length: 5880mm (19ft)
External body width: 2300mm
Travel height: 2700mm
Internal height: 2060mm
Tare weight (approx.): 1400kg
ATM: 2500kg
Ball weight (Tare): 140kg
Body: Frameless three-panel insulated fibreglass composite
Chassis: Box section DuraGal steel
Suspension: Leaf suspension with optional Cruisemaster CRS2 coils
Brakes: 10in electric
Wheels: Smoothie Rim with white-wall tyres
Water tanks: 2 x 65L (fresh and/or grey)
Battery: 135Ah AGM or 270Ah lithium (optional)
Solar: 370W rooftop (optional)
Air-conditioner: Truma Saphir ducted reverse cycle (optional)
Gas: 9kg for BBQ/Oven & Cooktop (optional)
Hot water: 10L electric 240v (12V optional)
Cooking: Portable induction
Fridge: 240V 130L Retro model
Microwave/Airfryer combo: Optional
Toilet: Portable cassette toilet (included with ensuite)
Shower: Combination
Lighting: 12V LED
Smart TV: Optional
Bluetooth audio: Optional
Supplied by: Goldy Caravans, Burleigh Heads, Queensland