Highclere Windsor X 2024 Review

Highclere is a Melbourne-based, family-owned RV manufacturer that started building caravans six years ago. It offers a broad range of models in single and tandem axle configurations and in a variety of layouts, to suit a range of budgets from around $60,000 all the way to mid six-figures for its larger, off-grid family caravans.

There are currently seven Highclere dealers scattered around Australia including big multi-brand retailer Parravans Caravan World in Sydney, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year and is where the review van is currently on display.

Sitting around the middle of the Highclere line-up, the review van is a 21ft 6in mid-door/cafe dinette corner shower model and best described as a premium, light off-road caravan. It's fair to say it also comes with more gear than you'd expect in today's inflationary market, for its sub-$100K price tag.

The 21ft 6in Highclere couple's caravan is quite a conventional caravan in many respects, but doesn't miss out on too many important features. Starting with the construction, the body features composite aluminium cladding, 600mm high checker plate sides and (an optional) aluminium frame.

It all rides on a six-inch chassis and A-frame, with a 2-inch chassis riser and three-arm rear bumper also part of the semi off-road package. Water tanks have galvanised steel protection and while not pitched as a hard-core off-roader, we feel there should be better placement of some of the plumbing behind the rear axle.

The traditional roller-rocker suspension is rated to 3200kg and built by well known RV supplier AL-KO. Brakes are the familiar 10-inch electric drum, and the alloy wheels are shod with LT tyres that should be sufficient for dirt-road touring.

We noticed a few nice touches on the review van, like the A-frame tap, chassis-mounted battery boxes and longer A-frame, which allows for plenty of room for a tool box, gas bottles and a centre mount jockey wheel.

Also up at the pointy end is a ratchet push-button park brake and Cruisemaster DO-35 off-road coupling. While also included in the price is electronic stability control and a dust reduction unit.

For when camping outside caravan parks, the 'off-grid' package includes 190 litres' fresh water and 95 litres grey water capacity, together with a 210Ah AGM battery system with 340W rooftop solar.

While it’s not as generous as some vans this size when it comes to external storage, it does come with a small lockable A-frame tool box plus a tunnel boot and storage locker along the offside rear wall.

On the nearside wall is a picnic table and power points and, of course, the roll-out awning and two LED lights, plus a coach light at the door to prevent you from stumbling around at night.

The 21ft 6in Highclere’s interior layout design is not unique in any way but it's well executed, if our brief walk-through is anything to go by. It all seems roomy enough with a north-south queen-size bed up front with storage around it and underneath, an offside cafe dinette, nearside kitchen and a full width rear bathroom.

That said, there are two key things worth mentioning about this layout -- its attention to detail when it comes to storage, and the above-average size of the bathroom. There appear to be lockers and storage nooks everywhere and, while the bathroom isn't enormous, it's nowhere as tight for space as some we’ve seen. Overall, this layout is a good compromise for the footprint available.

We may as well start off with the bathroom, which has as its centre-piece a large two-door cupboard with six drawers underneath. On the nearside is a corner shower recess and the cassette toilet, while the offside serves as the location for the vanity with its large mirror and basin sink with mixer tap.

There are also lockers above, a cupboard below and a top-loader washing machine hidden under a hinged, strut-assisted benchtop section.

The central dinette gets a tri-fold table, and some comfortable cafe lounges with reading lights above and lots more storage: above in three ceiling lockers, as well as two lockers below the seats and a small cupboard under the table.

There’s also a storage pocket at the rear of one of the lounge seats, plus a Sirocco fan and BMS LED readout to check on the water and battery status. The electrical system hardware is fitted inside one of the top lockers, along with the radio and switches for hot water, etc.

The kitchen has an asymmetrical benchtop with an offset, deep rectangular sink with mixer tap, and a bench section that lifts to reveal the four-hob cooktop. There's also an unfettered square section of benchtop adjacent to the door for food prep.

There's plenty more storage surrounding the kitchen, with more lockers above and cupboards below, while the large 188 litre Dometic fridge/freezer is fitted across the aisle behind the dinette.

The forward bedroom has plenty of natural light on call, with large side windows and a roof hatch above. There are also four LED down lights for night-time, as well as two reading lights at the bedhead.

Two more Sirocco fans, one mounted each side, will help keep you cool when you don’t want to use the rooftop air-conditioner.

Again, there’s heaps of storage here, with more lockers above and some hanging wardrobe space to the sides of the bed, as well as the usual storage space under the bed. At the rear of the bedroom area there are also some corner cupboards, plus a mounting point for the TV.

All up, this 21ft 6in Highclere couple's tourer presents as a nicely crafted and thoughtfully designed caravan with lots of amenity and enough storage and payload to keep most travellers happy... all at an attractive price for a luxury semi- off road van.

Price: $93,900 (drive-away, NSW)
Options fitted: Aluminium frame, three Sirocco fans, black sink/vanity, Dometic dust reduction system, door roller blind
Travel length: 9000mm
Body length: 6600mm
External body width: 2420mm
Travel height: 3300mm
Interior height: 1970mm
Tare weight: 2570kg
ATM: 3200kg
Ball weight (Tare): 226kg
Body: Composite aluminium panels, aluminium frame
Chassis: 6-inch chassis plus 2-inch riser
Suspension: AL-KO Roller rocker tandem-axle leaf springs
Brakes: 10-inch electric drums
Stability Control: Tuson sway control
Wheels: 15-inch with LT235/75R15 tyres
Fresh water: 2 x 95L (plus 95L grey)
Battery: 2x 105Ah AGM
Solar: 2 x 170watt
Air-conditioner: Belair 3400 reverse-cycle
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Hot water: Swift gas/electric
Cooking: Hawk 600 Series grill/oven, three gas/one electric hotplates
Fridge: Dometic three-way 188L
Microwave: Sphere 240v
Toilet: Dometic cassette
Shower: Separate cubicle
Lighting: 12V LED
TV: MYVI 24-inch HD LED Smart TV/DVD
Supplied by: Parravans Caravan World, Windsor, NSW
More info: Highclere Caravans, Epping, Victoria