Kokoda Major X-Treme

WE LIKED:                                                
>> Value for money                                         
>> Quality off-road equipment                                    ?
>> Overall packaging                                      
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NOT SO MUCH:??
>> Poor headroom for taller travellers                            
>> Vulnerable step and battery box                                         
>> Pantry access impossible with entry door closed

Let me lead with my chin. I can’t think of any full ensuite Australian-built caravan with genuine off-road ability that you can buy for less than the $49,990 sticker price of Kokoda’s new single axle, 16ft 6in Major X-Treme.
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Consider these standard off-road features:
– Full 150mm x 50mm Austrail main chassis and A-frame
– Rear cut-away for crossing rivers, etc
– Cruisemaster twin shocker independent suspension
– Hyland off-road hitch
– 16-inch off-alloy road wheels and General Grabber AT2 tyres
– Twin jerry can holders
– A-frame stone tray
– Rollout awning

But while these features will warm the heart of anyone contemplating venturing well off the bitumen, it’s what’s included inside that might seal the deal.

The Major X-Treme’s compact, but clever and roomy interior layout finds room for a separate shower and toilet with basin, a lift-up island queen-size bed, a generous L-shaped lounge, a large 164-litre Thetford three-way fridge-freezer, a roof-mounted reverse cycle air conditioner, LED lights and a two-speaker sound system…

CLEAN ENTRY
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You enter via a front door with the kitchen along the front of the van on your left, the two separate doors of the ensuite straight ahead, the lounge on your right and the bedroom down the back.
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It’s a layout I like because the dirt that inevitably makes its way into the van every time you enter stays in the front, where it can easily be swept away, rather than on your feet when you get into bed.

The kitchen and toilet are also likely to be the most visited parts of the caravan during the day.

However there are some compromises to achieve this in the Major X-Treme.

The first is an important one if you are tall. The wind-cheating, wedge-shaped profile of the roof means headroom is tight over the galley, which is already compromised for food preparation space by the sloping front wall. ??The overhead cupboards, while great for storage, actually accentuate this for taller travellers, but if you are closer to my (172cm) size, then there are no issues here.
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You gain more preparation space if you keep the hard lid down on top of the three gas burner plus electric hotplate cooktop and grill, but many people cook and prep at the same time.
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The same headroom comment applies to the front corner toilet and we wondered if Kokoda’s achievement in accommodating a separate toilet and separate shower cubicle into a 16ft 6in van was a better choice than extending the bench space.

This was soon clarified when the staff at Bayswater RV said they couldn’t remember the last time they sold a combined shower/toilet caravan. Everyone wants separate facilities, whatever the compromise, it seems . . .

There are two other issues with the Major X-Treme’s front entry, both easily addressed.
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Such is the off-road capability of the van that those who take full advantage of this are likely to do some ploughing with the drop down, galvanised front step. ??Get rid of it I say if you have this sort of terrain in mind and replace it with a portable plastic step. This is easily done, as the standard step is simply bolted to the chassis, not welded.
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My other concern about the Major’s ability to deal with off-road extremes was the underslung box for the van’s twin (standard) 100Ah deep cycle batteries just ahead of the axle on the other side. ??Although not as vulnerable as the step, they still represent a vulnerable, vital component in rocky ground, or where the van might need to cross deep ditches or potholes. Much better to put them inside and the perfect place is under the L-shaped lounge.
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While I’m on the red side of the ledger, the internal handle for the combined security/flywire door doesn’t allow the slide-out pantry to be accessed when the entry door is closed. However once its door is open, the pantry shelves can easily be slid in and out. This is a simple exercise in cupboard logistics that Kokoda designers need to address.

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
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Now, the good stuff.

The lounge with its single pedestal table is large and comfortable, with storage space beneath accessed by either a large slide-out drawer or from the top beneath the lounge cushions.
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Notwithstanding my earlier comments, the ensuite is roomy and easily accessed with thoughtful sliding catches to ensure the large opaque doors stay shut when the van is rocking on uneven ground.
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One strange thing in the toilet is the 240v power point mounted high above the small corner hand-basin with its mixer tap – presumably to plug in a hair dryer or shaver when you have mains power, but there’s no shelf or hook near it to rest the device… except in the basin itself!
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On the other side of the shower is the large three-way Dometic fridge-freezer, topped by a Daewoo microwave oven and water-level indicators for the Major’s twin, large 95 litre water tanks and the switch for its 22.6 litre gas/240v electric hot water service.
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Back further the bedroom is just where I like it in a caravan – down the back, out of the way and where it is invariably quiet. In a caravan park you usually reverse your van onto the site, so the draw bar is closest to the passing traffic and also the garbage bins and their periodic emptying and filling.
?So if your layout has a front bedroom, you’re closer to the noise and having the front window open compromises your privacy. So give me a rear bedroom every time!
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A little sadly, the Major doesn’t take full advantage of this, as there is no rear window – just a blank wall panel. ??However the large double-glazed windows on the front and both sides (all with built-in flyscreens and block-out blinds), aided by a large roof hatch, ensure that the interior is quite light and airy, despite the dark brown timber tonings on the test van.

WHAT’S IN STORE?
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Another tick goes to the storage space. There are cupboards everywhere, all kept shut when travelling by positive latches, while the twin bedside robes are both deep and wide. And despite the extreme rear body cut-away, the space under the queen-size bed is large and quite useable.
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Outside the Major X-Treme there is a lot to like. The standard Cruisemaster independent coil spring and twin shock-absorber suspension is a proven industry standard when it comes to severe corrugations and uneven ground, while most components underneath, from the twin water tanks to the various wires and pipes, are well out of the way of most deflected stones.
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The exception is the outside water tap, which is mounted on the outside of the A-frame where it will be shot-blasted by stones. The standard stone tray on the inside of the A-frame stops it being mounted there, but a simple stone-deflector should be standard on a true off-road van.
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On the door side a rollout awning is standard as is a drop down picnic table that (finally!) doesn’t require a search for a key to open. Since when do people steal picnic tables from the side of caravans???The front boot is the only place you can store the dirty stuff like the jockey wheel, hoses, axe, etc. that you’ll probably want to carry as there are no other external access hatches, but fortunately it’s quite roomy.
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VERDICT
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The Kokoda Major X-Treme is an excellent value caravan well equipped for off-road travelling in comfort provided you’re not too tall.
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It manages to pack most wanted features including a full separate shower and toilet ensuite into a compact 16ft 6in internal length caravan that with its Tare weight of less than two tonnes can be easily towed by a mid-sized 4WD, like a Toyota Prado.
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That doesn’t mean the Kokoda is an automatic choice if you’re shopping for an off-road caravan around $50,000.
Coronet’s new and similarly sized XT1 costs a little more at $54,000, but that’s drive-away with Al-Ko ESC standard.
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And of course if you’ll take a pop-top, the choice is wider. ??However if it’s a true off-road caravan you want, the Major X-Treme has certainly got to be on your list for consideration.
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KOKODA MAJOR X-TREME
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External body length: 4.8mm (16ft 6iin)?                          
External body width: 2.4m (7ft 9in)                                                                   
Travel height: 3.0m (9ft 10in)                                                            
Tare: 1940kg?                                                            
ATM: 2240kg?                                                   
Ball weight: 160kg?                                             
Frame: Timber frame ?                                            
Cladding: Ribbed aluminium ?                                  
Chassis: 150mm x 50mm Austrail boxed galvanised                              
Suspension: Cruisemaster independent with twin shock absorbers per wheel                                                                
Brakes: 12in Al-Ko                                                                             
Electric?Stability Control: Optional for $1200                    
Wheels/tyres: 16in alloy/LT265/75-16 General Grabber AT2 off-road ?       ?
Fresh water: 2 x 95L ?                                               
Battery: 2x100Ah deep cycle plus single 120 Watt solar panel?                                        
Air-conditioner: Ibis reverse cycle?                                    
Gas: 2 x 9kg?                                             
Cooking: Three-burner gas, plus electric hot plate and grill ?                          
Fridge: 164-litre three-way Thetford?                                                                       
Microwave: Daewoo ?                                                                                      
Toilet: Thetford cassette?                                                                       
Shower: Separate fibreglass cubicle                                                               
Lighting: LED downlights                                  
TV: 19-in digital ?                                                                                                    
Price (plus on-road costs, Vic): $49,990                          
Supplied by:
Bayswater RVs, Bayswater, Victoria
More info:
Kokoda Caravans