Golf Savannah Maxxi

A decade ago, a combined shower and toilet ensuite was the bee’s knees in a compact pop-top caravan.

No more pre-dawn visits to the campground facilities, plus the luxury and privacy of your own hot shower made anything without an ensuite look decidedly dated overnight.

I know, because in 2008 I reviewed and then purchased the smallest Jayco Expanda with an ensuite that you could then get – the 14.44-3HL in Outback spec.

It was light, compact and had everything that we as a couple wanted, except the ‘bathroom’ was so squeezy that the toilet showered when you did and the next person to use it got wet feet.

Now it’s a dated concept thanks to Avan, whose
recently released Golf Maxxi 501
with a separate shower and toilet has sent its rivals scurrying back to the drawing board.

The novel design, with opposing separate shower and toilet cubicles leading into its rear drop-down transverse queen bed, is the work of hands-on Avan managing director Scot van Baardwyck.

Inspired by the Avan Francis, but featuring the full complement of Golf Savannah off-road gear, including independent trailing-arm suspension, elevated ground clearance and beefier underpinnings and stone protection, the ‘Maxxi’ is 16ft long, sleeps up to six and uses twin sliding doors to separate the rear drop-down 1940mm x 1300mm bed from the rest of the pop-top.

Close the mirror-backed rearmost door and the ‘master’ bedroom is completely private and the combined toilet/vanity on the left and separate shower on the right become part of the pop-top’s main living area; slide a second door and you can quarantine both areas to create a genuine private ensuite.

So in theory, you could get out of bed, shower and go about your business before emerging to greet guests for breakfast. Very civilized!

Meanwhile up front, there’s a separate, even-larger 1940mm x 1600mm drop-down bed.

A good-sized kitchen featuring a family-sized Thetford 185-litre fridge-freezer, a three gas and single electric Swift 500 series cooktop and grill, a microwave and a large stainless steel sink and draining board, lie in between.

While good-sized storage and pot drawers and a slide-out below bench pantry ensure it can deal with family meals.

These can be served in the roomy café dinette, while after dinner the dinette can be converted quickly into a third double bed for family or sleepovers, turning the Maxxi into a true six-berth van.

Cupboards abound. There’s a large hanging robe between the toilet and the fridge, while large cupboards line the upper wall over the galley and dinette.

Finally, there’s separate storage under the dinette and in an island cupboard with a handy serving top to the left of the entry door. Outside, there’s a full rear tunnel boot

Like all Golf Savannah models, the Maxxi 501 offers you a choice of inside or true outside cooking.

The stainless steel kitchen that slides out from the front-locker is huge and contains a Waeco 12v compressor refrigerated drawer, a two-burner gas cooker, and a large stainless steel sink fed by a hot and cold water flick-mixer tap.

It also includes a cutlery drawer and a large food-preparation and plate-up area. However, it extends so far out that I’d feel more comfortable with a couple of drop-legs to support its extremities.

Outside speakers (to complement the two inside), plus a gas bayonet and connection points for 12v and 240v appliances, dual 95 litre water tanks and rooftop solar panel complete a very comprehensive standard spec.

What makes the Maxxi 501 particularly versatile is that it’s a pop-top and, like all Golf models, is kitted out for rough-road use.

The pop-top and folding beds with their fibreglass covers allow the Maxxi 501 to shrink when you need it small, in order to take you down bush tracks or squeeze into that perfect fishing spot beside a river or beach.

Meanwhile, increased ground clearance, independent suspension and the beefier 150mm x 50mm A-frame that extends back under the body of the van, will take care of the terrain you might have to negotiate to get there.

However be warned. While the Maxxi, like its Jayco ‘Outback’ rivals, have tougher than normal specs, these are not true ‘off-road’ vans in the same breath as something like a Track Trailer Topaz, an Australian Off Road Eclipse or Quantum, or one of the
Complete Campsite hybrid pop-tops.

While it has more ground clearance than a regular pop-top, it’s still not huge in off-road terms and that step under the split ‘barn-style’ centre door will be the first thing that will get knocked off on a rocky track.

But you wouldn’t expect the Maxxi to be a true off-roader at its Victorian price of $53,990.

What the Maxxi is though is an ideal couples or small family caravan that can take you on some great holiday adventures to remote places and, once there, allow you to unhitch and go exploring.

With its tare weight of just 1630kg and a ball load of 168kg, the limitation will be your tow car, although taking into account its 300kg payload, it would slot in very handily behind a medium sized SUV to leave all your options open.

If I was looking for a compact, rough-road capable and very comfortable to live with pop-top caravan, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Golf Savannah Maxxi 501.

It’s a pop-top van you could live with for short or extended holidays, with or without children, in rough or smooth going – and without breaking the bank.

GOLF SAVANNAH MAXXI 501

Travel length: 6800mm                                                                                  
External body length: 4990mm                                                
External body width: 2390mm                                                      
Travel height:  2650mm                                                                
Interior height: 2045mm                        
Tare weight: 1665kg                                                     
ATM: 1965kg                                           
Ball weight: 165kg                                         
Body: Insulated sandwich panel walls with aluminium outer skin                                 
Chassis: Hot-dipped galvanized steel                                                                                
Suspension: Al-Ko independent trailing arm                                             
Brakes: 10-inch electric drum
Stability Control: Optional
Wheels: 15in with 235/75R125 tyres
Fresh water: 2 x 95L tanks
Battery: 100Ah deep cycle AGM
Solar: 80W roof-mounted panel
Air-conditioner: Air Command Sparrow
Gas: 2 x 4.0kg
Hot water: Gas/240v
Cooking: Three-burner stainless steel Swift internal cooktop and two-burner slide-out stainless steel kitchen
Fridge:  Thetford 185L 3-way with separate Waeco 12v compressor fridge drawer in outside kitchen
Microwave: Standard
Toilet: Cassette?
Shower: Separate inside cubicle and outside shower
Lighting: LED
TV: Optional
Price (delivered in Vic): $53,990
Supplied by:
A’Van RV Sales,  Pakenham, Vic                                
More info:
Avan.com.au