Golf Savannah GTS 2006 Review

Once upon a time, when aluminium clad caravans first became popular, those caravans usually came in one external colour scheme – au naturel aluminium. A few years down the track, manufacturers became more adventurous, bonded colour aluminium became available and white became a very popular colour.

Even today with composite and moulded fibreglass, as well as coloured aluminium available, white is still a popular choice, and there are some very practical reasons for it too.

So with all this white around, it’s interesting when a company produces a different colour or, in the case of the latest Golf Savannah GTS, several different colours. From a photographic point of view it’s certainly easier on the camera’s exposure system.

For all kinds of reasons, and not just for the external colour, the new Savannah is a very striking van.

Our Savannah came with mostly ‘mist’ grey walls that are topped and bottomed with bright green. More traditionally, the front and rear are white with grey edges. The whole effect is thoroughly stylish.

Underneath all that colour there’s a more traditional Golf caravan – a hot-dipped galvanised chassis riding on Golf’s Posi Track independent suspension and aluminium frame. Around the outside are fibreglass sheet walls, with a moulded fibreglass front and rear. At the front, the drawbar looks quite empty with just the Al-Ko AKS 2000 stabiliser coupling, jockey wheel and mains pressure tap.

The door and windows are familiar Seitz items with integrated blinds and screens, and are double glazed instead of the usual single. In a giant step forward for all caravanners, the door and all external lockers have just one key for everything. External lighting is supplied by a slimline fitting above the door.

In the front boot are two gas cylinders: a 4kg and a 9kg. That still leaves plenty of room for other items, because the spare wheel is located under the front offside bed. At the rear there is no shortage of tail lights, with two sets of indicator lights, a high mounted brake light, as well as the usual indicator and brake/running light fittings.

Stepping into the Savannah reveals a layout that has been given a retro style, yet still manages to look contemporary. It consists of front single beds with a kitchen bench along the offside, a dinette on the nearside and a full bathroom across the rear. Golf, interestingly, has returned to a squarer look with its internal cabinet work, especially with the overhead lockers.

Upholstery colours consist of muted greys and greens, and the timber work has a light stained appearance. Large windows, plus a big Heki hatch above the dinette, provide a very light interior. If things get too warm then the Dometic roof-mounted air-conditioner can be used.

All windows, except the bathroom and kitchen, have both net curtains and decorative curtains. In the ‘something new’ department, Golf has fitted new downlights – not the familiar halogens but energy efficient LED lamps instead. They might cost more but there’s going to be a saving in both battery capacity and weight.

At night time, the LED fittings provide a lower output than more conventional fluorescent or halogen fittings but as long as brighter lights are in the right places, like in the kitchen or for reading, then there’s no real problem.

Starting at the front, the two single beds measure 6ft 3in x 2ft 6in (1.9m x 0.76m), and also double as lounges during the day. The foam mattresses sit on hinged slatted wooden bases and there are the usual storage areas underneath. The nearside storage area can also be accessed from the outside.

There’s no shortage of overhead lockers above the beds and between the beds is a three-drawer cabinet that has an extra feature – a small table that slides out and hinges over. It’s not something that’s going to be used all the time but, certainly useful if an extra table is needed.

The kitchen is fully fitted out, with a good sized stainless steel sink and drainer, Smev four-burner cooktop and grill, Dometic 110L fridge and Sharp microwave. Set under the grill, the microwave may be a little low for some people.

Storage is quite generous with four overhead cupboards, two cupboards below the bench, and one cutlery drawer. The overhead lockers are quite deep and a shelf in each would make for a more effective use of space.

There is some bench space to the left of the sink and a raised area above the fridge. Kitchen lighting initially appears to be limited, with only an overhead downlight, but there’s a second in the recessed fume extractor and also a tricky little striplight hidden under the cupboard.

The kitchen also doubles as the entertainment centre with a flatscreen TV mounted at one end of the bench and an AM/FM radio/DVD/CD player fitted at the other.

Opposite the kitchen, the dinette is going to be very comfortable for two people. More might be a squeeze but there is always the fold-over table between the front beds that can be utilised quite easily.

There are four overhead cupboards, the usual under-seat storage, with a drawer at the L-shaped end of the dinette. In addition to the overhead LED light, there are also two halogen reading lights.

Across the rear of the Savannah, the bathroom has a separate shower, Thetford cassette toilet and vanity basin unit. A large window across the rear gives both light and ventilation. It’s not a feature of every bathroom but this one has a large wardrobe in the nearside corner.

It has mostly hanging space but there are a couple of drawers as well. Also rating a mention is the sliding door – good for privacy, requires no extra design space and limits the risk of hitting someone if the door is opened unexpectedly.

In the towing department the Savannah handles quite well, even with the relatively light ball weight. Although CW was using a Toyota Prado, the van’s ATM puts it within the large sedan/smaller 4WD category of tow vehicles, making it quite attractive to many existing tow vehicle owners.

There are four different Savannah GTS layouts available, in lengths from 17ft (5m) to 20ft (6m), in a variety of layouts, with both double and single beds, and a starting price of $55,000.

There’s not much doubt that the bright colours of the Savannah GTS range will turn a few heads.

And it’s not only the external colour scheme that is of interest. Inside, the Savannah has been built to Golf’s usual high standard, with plenty of features and an airy light interior. It’s not only big things – having one key for everything might seem to be a small detail but it’s better than a big key ring or a large key rack by the door.

Who will be interested in the Savannah? Quite a few people, but mostly those looking for some comfort and style in their travels.

For more information and your nearest Golf dealer call (07) 3285 6348, email golfcaravans@bigpond.com, web: www.golfcaravans.com.au

We liked:
• Striking colour scheme
• One key operation – very convenient and much easier to manage than large amounts of keys
• Good sized bathroom with room to move and a good storage area
• Energy efficient LED lighting – does save on battery capacity, expense and weight
• Fold-over table between front beds – takes up minimal space but can be used very easily

We would have liked:
• Shelves in some of the cupboards would make a better use of space
• Another drawer or two in the kitchen
• Microwave being at a more amenable height for those who have difficulty bending over