La Vista Majorca

Ready for the Road

There are quite few things that indicate the health of the caravan industry in Australia and one of them has to be the steady flow of new manufacturers that are appearing. By coincidence, this will be the second one featured in this issue of CW.

Sometime late last year, Tony Roach, proprietor of Queensland RV, phoned to let us know about a new caravan that he was bringing to the RV market. Built by a Melbourne-based company called La Vista, the Majorca (now there's a striking name) is now available.

The name might be exotic but there is nothing fanciful about La Vista's construction and build techniques - it's very much done in the contemporary Australian manner, as Queensland RV's Dave Bellis was keen to demonstrate as we hitched up.

TICKING ALL THE BOXES
A relatively small company, La Vista has opted not to have a huge range of vans at present, choosing instead to properly develop a smaller selection. The Majorca is one of those vans. With an external length of 19ft (5.8m), it has a Tare of 1940kg and an ATM of 2340kg, giving a good load carrying capacity. Our Toyota Prado, which we were using for a tow vehicle, made an excellent match and handled the Majorca without any problem at all.

We said that the Majorca was built in an Australian style, and the tandem axle DuraGal chassis was a very familiar looking item - especially with the centre-mounted jockey wheel and twin 9kg gas cylinders. In addition to the gas cylinders, a wire mesh has been fitted inside the A-frame, thus giving somewhere to put hoses or the odd piece of firewood. At the rear, the looped end bumperbar sported the necessary spare wheel and quick drop stabilisers are fitted to all corners.

With everything in its place, there's little need for external bins except for the galvanised sheet-lined front boot. It's almost empty too, except for a 240/12V power pack and 12V fuses. The latter didn't have any markings, though, which would be confusing if trying to trace a fault. On the offside, the two external doors are for the Suburban 23L hot water heater and the Thetford toilet cassette.

Completing the external fittings list are the Camec triple locker door, tinted acrylic hopper windows and A&E awning with two wall lights.

Stepping into the Majorca reveals a fairly standard layout - front island bed, kitchen split across the rear and offside with bathroom in between (in the offside rear corner) and a mid-nearside dinette. All the windows, including in the kitchen, have both net and full curtains, as well as upholstered pelmets. For the cabinetry, the full timber look prevails. To our eyes, the interior was a tad on the dark side towards the front but we understand that future models will have a large hatch above the bed, as well as the existing one above the kitchen area.

SWEET AND NEAT
In vans of this length, splitting the kitchen bench between the bathroom is often a good way of obtaining a decent sized kitchen area, and that's exactly what La Vista has done. The rear bench includes both stainless steel sink avec drainer and microwave. The latter is mounted below bench level. That is an interesting change from the more conventional position in the overhead locker area. By our way of thinking, unless you have a particular problem bending over, the under-bench location is better from an OH&S point of view, and most people can see what's cooking! The rest of this rear area is taken up by overhead lockers, two large and one small drawer, cupboards and a small slide-out pantry. In addition to the ceiling-mounted fluorescent light, a slimline fluorescent illuminates the sink area.

On the other side of the bathroom, the rest of the kitchen bench area is fitted with a Stoves four-burner cooktop and grill. A cupboard separates that from the 121L fridge, which is mounted off the floor (again an OH&S plus) with a cupboard underneath. Above the cooktop are two overhead lockers and mounted in one of them is an AM/FM radio/DVD player. We are not convinced this is the best place for electronic equipment due to cooking steam, despite the presence of the Dometic rangehood, which supplies the halogen lighting for the cooktop.

In a somewhat safer position, above the fridge, is the swivel arm-mounted flatscreen TV. It's designed to be easily seen from either the dinette or the bed. Closer by, in the ceiling, is the Winegard antenna handle.

Opposite the kitchen bench is the L-shaped dinette with a 4ft x 1ft 10in (1.2m x 0.6m) table. It's chamfered on all corners and contoured cushions are used for both the seat back and squab. Part of the under-seat wall storage area is taken up by the wheel arch but the end of the L has a drawer fitted.

Bathrooms are generally relatively compact and this one is no different. There is room, though, to swing a cat (with a short tail) and it includes features such as a Thetford cassette toilet, corner wash basin and variable height shower rose, and a ventilation hatch.

A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP
Island beds at the front of caravans are becoming quite conventional these days and there are no surprises in the La Vista. The innerspring mattress, measuring 6ft 1in x 4ft 11in (1.9m x 1.5m) sits centre stage and is surrounded by a bedhead of overhead lockers, side wardrobes (with mirror doors), drawer and floor locker. The upholstered cushioning fitted around the head of the bed almost hides the narrow shelf under the bed behind the window - a useful feature that is becoming quite common.

Furniture at the foot of the bed consists of two half height diagonal cupboards plus an overhead locker extension on the nearside. Halogen reading lights and an overhead fluorescent supply the illumination.

The La Vista has 240V powerpoints by each kitchen bench and beside the flatscreen TV. One somewhere on the lounge side would improve the situation. If away-from-mains-power camping is being considered, then so should a 12V battery (which doesn't come standard), likewise solar panels for extended stays.

THE BOTTOM LINE
Given La Vista is a relatively new manufacturer, we have to say that the Majorca is not a bad looking unit at all. Especially as it is a ready-to-go-touring van, with just about all the essentials fitted including hoses, power lead and full gas cylinders.

What's more, it's at a price that isn't going to break the bank account, either for the van or the tow vehicle.

Queensland RV
248 Nicklin Way
Warana, Qld 4575
(07) 5493 4699
www.queenslandrv.com.au

For more information, visit www.lavistacaravans.com.au