Grand City Royale 2024 Review

Based in the Melbourne suburb of Craigieburn, Grand City Caravans opened its factory doors around four years ago and while a relative newcomer, the owners have strong family connections to the local caravan manufacturing scene as a second-generation caravan builder with a combined 20-plus years' experience.

Grand City caters to many caravan buyers with a six-model range that spans single and tandem axle, touring and semi-off road models, from 15ft couple to 22ft 6in family variants. All come jam-packed with standard features plus a few construction highlights to make them stand out from the countless other full-height Australian-built caravans competing in the popular $70,000-$85,000 price bracket.

The 19ft 6in tandem-axle Royale is Grand City’s biggest couple’s van and is available in four layouts, with the rear-door with café dinette layout of our review van the most popular to date.

Pricing starts at $74,999 for the basic on-road spec version, although it does come well equipped for the price with trailer stability control, a reversing camera and grey water tank, an outside entertainment box and internal wireless chargers with USB sockets, among a long list of standard features.

The review van comes optioned up with a few extras to make it a bit more suitable for heading off the beaten track, including a large front toolbox and stone guard on an extended A-frame, Cruisemaster’s XT independent coil suspension and DO-35 coupling, larger 16 inch wheels with all terrain tyres, a Gusto dust reduction system, more off-grid capable Victron power system and a Starlink 12V set-up, boosting the price by $11,000 (up to $85,999).

That still compares well, spec-for-spec, with similar-style vans in the market, not to mention models from industry-leader Jayco which for example offers its mid-spec 19ft Journey Outback for similar money to the optioned-up review van (although the Jayco van is around half a tonne lighter when empty). The imported Snowy River SRT-20 off-roader also offers a similar package at almost identical pricing.

All Grand City caravans are backed by a two-year Australia-wide general warranty and three-year structural warranty, with two dealers located in Melbourne and on the Gold Coast.

In many ways the Grand City Royale, with its painted, galvanised six-inch chassis and A-frame, smooth aluminium composite sides with black checker plate over a timber frame, and one-piece fibreglass roof, is similar in construction to the thousands of vans built in Melbourne's northern suburbs each year by dozens of 'stick 'n tin' caravan manufacturers.

However, Grand City Caravans has taken it up a notch by adopting some of the build practices of more upmarket caravan manufacturers, like its use of CNC-cut 18mm structural ply for an interlocking 'jigsaw frame structure' that comes complete with polystyrene insulation for the walls and roof.

"By using the 3D modelling of the 18mm structural grade ply for our walls, we are able to build a stronger caravan by screwing through the 18mm directly into the entire length of the furniture partition," explained Grand City Caravans' Operation Manager Neth Kudagama.

"(Whereas) other frame types and caravans that do not have 3D designs completed, the vertical studs in the wall will not always match the furniture partition, so the screws will be from the 3mm internal lining only."

While the end result is a bit heavier than a traditional Meranti frame, he said the 3D CAD design also allows more flexibility for buyers in regards to customisation.

With caravan cladding quality in the news at the moment, Neth also told us that the Royale is fitted with locally sourced 3mm-thick AZQ PVDF-coated aluminium composite panels, with the option to upgrade to more expensive ProBond exterior panels upon request.

The 19ft 6in Grand City Royale comes standard with roller rocker leaf spring suspension, a 50mm ball coupling, and 15in wheels with 235/75R15 all-terrain tyres, so the review van's Cruisemaster XT Freestyle independent coil suspension, DO-35 coupling and 16in alloys with 265/65R15 AT rubber, are a good set of option boxes to tick if you plan to spend more than a short amount of time on dirt roads or travelling along bumpy Outback highways.

Also adding to the Royale's bushability is the optional stone mesh guard located on the A-frame in front of the twin 9kg gas bottles, and the wall-mounted, powered Gusto DRS unit that pressurises the van's interior when moving to help keep the dust out.

The Royale does come standard with gal-sheet protection for the water tanks but some exposed underbody plumbing and the low-hanging, chassis-mounted battery boxes do look vulnerable to damage if heading too far off the beaten track.

As far as sub-$90K caravans go, there's not too much missing externally on the Grand City Royale, with a 15ft Aussie Traveller roll-out awning, double glazed windows with internal blinds/screens, a fold-down picnic table with light, A-frame water tap, mains pressure inlet, gas bayonet connection, external 'bug' lights, and a reversing camera all standard kit.

Also standard is the onside 'entertainment box' with electrical connections and a bracket for the 24in TV, and a socket to the roof-mounted Milenco antenna. It wasn't fitted to the review van but an external wireless charger is also part of the package, as are external speakers for the Furrion stereo.

Getting inside is aided by an illuminated grab handle and twin pull-out entry steps, together with an Aussie Traveller triple-lock entry door with midge-proof screen, door blind and compression lock.

External storage options are above-average thanks to a big LED-lit tunnel boot, and two large vertical lockers located on opposite sides of the van at the rear; not to mention the optional large front toolbox with its twin generator-slides and jerry holders.

There's room to move around inside the 19ft 6in Grand City Royale, while the modern fit-out is aesthetically pleasing, and there are plenty of windows on both sides and some roof hatches to let in the natural light and breezes. It really only gets a bit squeezy with two in the ensuite, or with the bed frame fully extended for longer legs, making it a tighter fit moving around the base of the bed.

Otherwise, it's hard not to like the review van's grey and brown gloss finish CNC furniture (matte and other colours are also available), together with matte black push-button catches, square-edge, raw timber-look benchtops and matching black shower door frames and tapware.

While also helping to create an upmarket ambience is some golden, in-cabinetry mood lighting, a curved LED bathroom mirror and the plush pocket coil queen mattress.

There's all the usual cabinetry and storage spots under, above and to the side of the north-south queen bed, but it's worth pointing out the large pigeon holes on both sides with wireless phone charger and 12V/240V sockets. The shelves in the side robes are also easily removed if you just want to hang your clothes on the rail.

There's a good amount of bench space for food prep in the onside kitchen, which gets a large sink with drainer, mixer- and filtered taps, a 3+1 cooktop, grille and oven, and rangehood, with the microwave and optional 175L compressor fridge (a 175L three-way absorption unit is standard) located opposite. While among all the kitchen drawers and cupboards is a slide-out pantry for your condiments and dry goods.

The cafe dinette with its stitched leatherette upholstery and tri-fold table is another inviting spot, with a large window, reading lights, electrical sockets and a few more decent-size storage compartments also included in this area. The only issue we had when opening and closing the cupboards throughout the van was some mis-alignment and 'stickiness' with some of the doors and catches, although we were told that the just-built van was yet to receive its pre-delivery once-over.

There's a lot to like about the full width rear ensuite too, with its solid sliding door, towel rails and toilet roll holder, mirror, lights and an opening window and roof hatch above the toilet, to go with another LED 12V roof hatch in the shower cubicle. There's also a spot for the towels and linen in the ensuite cupboards; positioned above, below and to the left of the vanity.

While the Gusto DRS motorised fan and the Victron electricals, guages and audio unit take up space in two of the overhead cabinets above the dinette, there should be more than enough room in all the other compartments spread throughout the van to store your stuff on a longer trip. There's also a spot on a panel overlooking the bed for mounting the TV inside.

Instead of the standard BMPro or Projecta set-up with 240Ah AGM batteries and 400W rooftop solar, the review van came optioned up with 220Ah lithium batteries with 600W solar, and an upgraded Victron Energy electrical package that included a 30A AC Charger, 50A Solar MPPT Controller, 30A DC-DC Charger and smart touchscreen display.

While that's still not enough to run the rooftop air-conditioner or washing machine for any length of time when free camping, it will keep other smaller appliances like the 24in LED Smart TV/DVD, Furrion stereo with inside and outside speakers, and the lights running for longer.

You'll also be better able to stay in touch with the outside world with the optional RV WiFi Starlink 12v Power and Router system, which Grand City says is more efficient than using an inverter and is suitable for both Gen 2 and Gen 3 dishes.

The Royale also comes standard with two 95L fresh water and one 95L grey water tanks, connected to a Seaflo pump.

In standard trim the Grand City Royale comes with a tow-friendly unloaded weight of around 2400kg and a 3200kg ATM, but the optioned up review van carried a bit more bulk with a Tare closer to 2800kg and an ATM of 3500kg.

While this made it more of a struggle for the Isuzu MU-X tow vehicle up hills, it never had a problem getting up to speed in traffic or cruising at up to 100km/h on the freeway, although you might want to consider something with more size and grunt if you're planning on loading it up to the full 3500kg maximum and towing safety is of utmost concern.

The Grand City van also felt balanced and stable out on the highway, with the spare tyre being mounted underneath, towards the front of the van rather than on the usual spot on the rear bar, probably helping with overall weight distribution.

We only spent a few hours with the Grand City Royale caravan for our 'walk-through' review, so can't attest to its overall reliability or durability. But on first impressions it shapes up well on a number of criteria, including fit and finish, user-friendliness and value for money.

It's certainly worth a closer look if you're shopping in the crowded $70,000-$90,000 segment, and particularly if you're after some off-road, off-grid features like those fitted to the review van but at a more affordable pricepoint.

Price: $74,999 (As reviewed $85,999)
Options fitted: Cruisemaster XT Freestyle coil suspension ($5000), Cruisemaster DO-35 ($600), extended A-frame with large toolbox ($1600), stone guard ($500), Gusto DRS ($1850), extra 200W solar panel ($400), Victron Energy power system ($1500), RV WiFi Starlink 12V Power & Router ($1200)
Travel length: 8100mm
Body length: 5945mm
External body width: 2400mm (includes awning)
Travel height: 3050mm
Interior height: 2010mm
Tare weight: 2775kg (as reviewed)
ATM: 3500kg
Ball weight (Tare): 195kg
Body: Composite aluminium panels, timber frame, fibreglass roof
Chassis: FP 6-inch chassis and A-frame
Suspension: AL-KO roller rocker tandem-axle leaf springs (standard)
Brakes: 10-inch electric drums
Stability Control: AL-KO ESC
Wheels: 15-inch with LT235/75R15 AT tyres (standard)
Water: 2 x 95L fresh, 95L grey
Battery: 2 x 120Ah AGM (standard)
Solar: 2 x 200watt (standard)
Air-conditioner: Belair 3400 reverse-cycle
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Hot water: Swift 28L gas/electric
Cooking: Swift Hawk 600 Series grill/oven, three gas/one electric hotplates
Fridge: Thetford 175L compressor (optional)
Microwave: NCE 25L 240v
Toilet: Thetford cassette
Shower: Separate cubicle
Washing machine: Sphere 3.3kg top-load
Lighting: 12V LED
TV: Sphere 24-inch HD LED Smart TV/DVD
Supplied by: Caravan Trading Centre, Hillside, Victoria
More info: Grand City Caravans, Craigieburn, Victoria