Lotus Vogue

WE LIKED
>> Large windows
>> Comfortable dinette
>> Bright colour scheme
>> Well-appointed LED lighting

NOT SO MUCH
>> Lack of kitchen bench space
>> No 240V and 12V sockets near the dinette

At the risk of sounding a little philosophical, it’s always seemed to me that when you’re younger you tend to view things from a very black and white perspective. But as you grow older, various shades of grey start to creep in – and not just in terms of hair colour, but many aspects of life.

With this in mind, it’s interesting to see that the new Lotus Vogue caravan, aimed squarely at the grey nomad demographic, is almost totally black and white in its colour scheme – inside and out.

It might sound a bit plain Jane, but it’s more eye-catching than you’d think. First of all, the external ‘white’ is actually a very light – and aesthetically pleasing – grey.

The van also drew some curious glances from the horses and alpacas at Queensland’s Kenilworth Homestead when I stopped for a photo opportunity.

SOLID BUILD

Although the Vogue body is built in what you’d call a traditional style, with an insulation-filled timber frame and aluminium cladding, the large bubble-style hopper windows, black checkerplate, vinyl stone guard and smart decals give the Vogue an attractive look.

A SupaGal box section chassis, with the drawbar rails running back to the suspension mounts, underpins the Vogue. The tandem axle load-sharing suspension is fitted with a 50mm riser and it all rolls on 16in alloy wheels.

Twin galvanised sheet-protected 95 litre water tanks share the air space above the axles.

Generally speaking, the Vogue’s underbody is largely neat and tidy, but there are a few bits and pieces hanging down.

In addition to the normal ball coupling, handbrake and centre-mounted jockey wheel, two 9kg gas cylinders are fitted to the drawbar.

Around the back, the single spare wheel is mounted on a 50x50mm (2in x 2in) bumper bar. There isn’t a front boot, but rather a tunnel boot, which come complete with its own light.

With all that's fitted into the Vogue, the van’s Tare comes in at 2280kg, with an ATM of 2680kg, which means a mid-sized tow vehicle is required.

My tow vehicle, a dual-cab Ford Ranger, coped with no problems and, despite its rather utilitarian background, proved to be a very effective and stable hauler.

LIGHT AND BRIGHT

As I mentioned earlier, the interior mostly features a very light colour scheme, with the tan upholstery, plus black fridge doors and oven providing a welcome contrast.

This design, combined with large windows and two roof hatches, makes for a very bright interior. Some might find it a bit too stark, and this isn’t helped by the lack of curtains, but a bright interior such as this improves space perceptions no end.

All windows have integrated blinds and screens, LED lighting is fitted throughout (mostly downlights) and the air-conditioning is supplied by a roof-mounted Air Command Ibis unit.

While I’m not a clairvoyant of any sort, I do wonder if the seemingly-standard front bedroom/ rear bathroom layout this Vogue has will eventually become known as the ‘Grey Nomad’. But I digress.

Between the bedroom and the bathroom, the Vogue has an offside kitchen, nearside dinette and forward entry. This might be the contemporary look but to my eyes, the cabinetry had a somewhat square-ish look about, offset to some degree by the curved light mounting plates in the ceiling.

In a 7.97m (26ft 2in) van like this one, there is a fair bit of space for the kitchen. A 186 litre two-door fridge, which is helpfully set off the floor for easier access, is fitted into the rear corner, while a stainless steel sink and Swift four-burner cooktop/grill/oven sit in the adjoining benchtop.

There isn’t a great deal of spare bench space, but the cooktop does have a flush lid.

Above the sink, the microwave oven is set slightly lower than the adjoining overhead lockers, one of which contains the 240V circuit breakers, hot water switch and water tank gauges.

Under-bench storage consists of one cupboard, three drawers and two floor lockers. The large kitchen window allows for plenty of kitchen ventilation.

Opposite the kitchen, the dinette comes with a tri-fold table, wall cushions and hinged foot rests. It’s a fairly open setup, with the usual overhead lockers and a small under table cupboard.

Both seats have under-seat storage accessed by ply hatch, but the rear section is partly taken by the 100Ah house battery.

BED AND BATH

Large windows around the front bed allow for plenty of cross flow ventilation, and the lack of any foot-of-bed storage cupboards makes for a clutter-free bedroom.

Of course, there are the usual bedside wardrobes, overhead lockers and (larger-than-usual) bedside cabinets. Sitting on a posture slat bed base, the inner spring mattress measures 1.85x1.55m (6ft 1in x 5ft 1in). Under-bed storage is smaller than usual because of the tunnel boot.

Given it’s such a generous space, there’s no shortage of storage in the bathroom. Even with the top-loading washing machine, there’s still room for three overhead lockers, two drawers and a cupboard.

A floating wash basin, complete with rather modern-looking tap, sits underneath the large wall mirror.

The nearside shower cubicle and offside Dometic cassette toilet complete this very nice picture. Bathroom ventilation is easily handled by two vent fans and a small window above the toilet.

VERDICT

Although this caravan has a fairly standard layout, it’s a top quality unit and the internal colour scheme marks it out from one of the crowd.

The Lotus Vogue comes with everything (including a washing machine) a pair of grey nomads could want on an extended trip, and the external color combination is a real winner.

Plus, the fact the van doesn’t need a huge tow vehicle makes it suitable to a much wider range of customers.

LOTUS VOGUE
Overall length: 7.97m (26ft 2in)
External length: 5.94m (19ft 6in)
External width (incl awning): 2.44m (8ft)
Interior height: 1.98m (6ft 6in)
Travel height: 2.9m (9ft 6in)
Tare: 2280kg
ATM: 2680kg
Ball weight (advised): 180kg
Frame: Timber
Chassis: SupaGal
Suspension: Load-sharing leaf spring
Cooktop: Swift four-burner/grill/oven
Fridge: Dometic RM4601 186 litre
Microwave: LG
Shower: Separate cubicle
Toilet: Dometic cassette
Lighting: 12V LED
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Fresh water: 2 x 95 litre
Price: $64,990 (on road, Qld)
Supplied by: Caravan World
, Woombye, Qld
More info:
Lotus Caravans