Masterpiece Performance 2020 Review

In five short years Campbellfield, Victoria-based Masterpiece Caravans has carved out a solid reputation as a manufacturer of sturdily built, upmarket caravans suitable for a variety of off-road conditions.

Masterpiece was founded by qualified civil engineer Remon Raffaello, who worked in various operational and manufacturing engineering roles at JB Caravans, Elite, Regent and Supreme before deciding to open his own factory in Australia’s caravan manufacturing heartland.

Business is good, with production currently hovering around four vans a week with plans to boost that to five, off the back of a retail expansion that includes the recent opening of a new premier dealership along Melbourne's busy Hume Highway.

Our review van, an optioned up 19ft 6in tandem axle couple’s model, is one of 15 different layouts available in the Performance range, which sits just below the range-topping Extreme in Masterpiece’s full height, off-road caravan range.

Built for the rough stuff

Priced from $83,490, our review van is fitted with optional, bronze metallic composite alumininium ‘smooth’ sides (in lieu of standard ribbed cladding) along with a black interior accessories pack, to provide a visual lift both inside and out. Even without the extra-cost bling however, the 19ft 6in Performance offers an enticing mix of comfort, luxury and off-road features for the price.

Like all Masterpiece caravans, the 19ft 6in Performance is built on a bespoke Road King Supagal chassis supplied by Supreme. Performance models also benefit from the Outback independent coil/dual shock suspension, off-road jockey wheel and ESC anti-sway system from the AL-KO catalogue. Also fitted is a Cruisemaster DO-35 coupling, 12in drum brakes, and 16in alloy wheels with chunky mud terrain tyres.

Body construction is traditional timber frame with (ribbed or optional smooth) aluminium side cladding and alumininium composite panels for the front and rear. To enhance durability, Masterpiece says it reinforces the roof structure with additional ply and steel bracing so that it can withstand the weight of 20 people.

All this is backed up by a two-year general warranty and five year structural warranty, along with a ‘quality assurance’ manufacturing process and six dealers in all states except the Northern Territory for after-sales back-up.

External extras

Extensive black checker plate protects the front and lower sides from dents and stone chips, as does the mesh stone guard on the extended A-frame. Alongside two 9kg gas bottles is a black checker plate A-frame toolbox with two compartments: one for general storage and the other containing a slide-out for a generator or small fridge.

There's another gen slide-out in a locker on the offside wall, and the 120Ah batteries are mounted low along the chassis in a couple of checker plate boxes.

As well as swallowing a bit of gear, the gal-lined tunnel locker is also designed to withstand a few knocks, with another gal-lined vertical locker on the rear onside that's big enough to store some camp chairs.

A single spare wheel and two jerry holders are mounted on a three-arm rear bar, not far from a locker housing an external hot/cold shower.

More exterior features

Otherwise, there’s just about everything externally you’d expect on an $80,000-plus off-road caravan, including mains pressure inlet, gas bayonet, drawbar tap, external lights (front, rear and onside), roll-out awning, 240V inlet/outlet, and an external connection for the roof-mounted TV aerial.

A rear camera, external speakers and an external ‘entertainment’ locker with everything required to watch TV outside, completes the standard kit.

Despite its 2625kg Tare and tall ride height (there’s a two inch raiser for extra ground clearance), the Masterpiece van behaved well behind our Land Rover Discovery 5 tow vehicle, although it was a calm day and we didn't spent any time on the freeway.

The exposed underbody presented as neat and tidy, with little that might get ‘snagged’ when off-roading and more exposed elements like water tanks – two 95L freshwater tanks towards the front, and another 62 litre fresh and 100L grey water tanks towards the rear – protected by galvanized steel.

What might slow you down off-road is the lack of an upswept rear end (like the latest Evernew), making the rear underbody more susceptible to knocks in more extreme undulating conditions.

Welcoming interior

Entry to the high-riding Masterpiece van is made easier with a single pull-out entry step, two-part security door. illuminated grab handle and some LED strip lighting on the recessed entry well to prevent stumbles at night.

While a familiar couple's layout with its front queen bed, cafe dinette, galley and rear ensuite, there's a nice feel inside thanks to decent headroom and walk-around space, nice fit and finish and the appealing ‘natural’ décor with upmarket touches including monogrammed leather upholstery for the bedhead and dinette seating.

Adding to the modern look is the on-trend ‘black pack’ option including black cupboard handles, black sinks and taps for the kitchen and ensuite, black rail shower and a black Sirocco roof-mounted fan above the bed.

Masterpiece has also paid attention to interior durability, attaching cupboards so securely to the upper walls they can withstand loadings of up to 200kg without movement (they're reputedly strong enough to swing on although we didn’t test this out!)

Attention to detail

Attention-to-detail in other aspects of the build was evident, including the absence of messy electrical wiring and visible plumbing found in some rival vans. While the fitment of two large roof hatches and some extra large Dometic double glazed windows add to the airy, spacious feel.

Left of the door as you enter is the north-south queen bed with coil spring mattress, which has good all-round access as well as excellent under-bed space and other storage options including a half-wardrobe, drawers and storage nook on each side of the bed and some overhead cupboards.

Comfortably seating two, the café dinette features a user-friendly tri-fold extendable table, slide-out underseat drawers and two flip-out extensions for stretching out the legs.

The well-equipped kitchen offers a decent array of drawers and cupboards as well as sufficient benchspace for food preparation. There's also a full gamut of up-spec appliances including a 216 litre three-way fridge/freezer, microwave, four burner cooktop, grille, oven and rangehood.

The rear ensuite also impresses, from its solid-sliding privacy door to the number of storage options including a couple of large storage cupboards (including one in the space between the rear wall and shower). Despite the inclusion of a top-load washing machine, separate toilet and shower cubicle, there’s sufficient space for toweling off with the door closed.

Also included in the ensuite area is a towel rail and toilet roll holder, and a couple of 12V roof fan hatches to keep the smells and steam to a minimum. About the only thing missing is a shelf for your soap and shampoo in the shower.

Free camping friendly

The 19ft 6in Masterpiece Performance is also set up for a few days off-grid camping with its 252 litre fresh water capacity and two 170W roof-mounted solar panels charging the two 100Ah batteries.

Touchscreen displays for the audio unit (with two additional internal speakers) and Projecta battery and water monitors are located in the kitchen, not far from the RV Wi-Fi unit and a fixed adjustable arm for the 24in TV/DVD.

The van is also well equipped with 240V and USB sockets for powering a few appliances and gadgets, and interior lighting including reading lights around the bed and dinette with switchable blue and yellow light options.

Gas central heating is is an option, but the standard roof-top air-conditioner should keep the interior at a pleasant temperature when plugged into mains power or running off a generator. Also fitted is a ‘positive pressure’ scupper vent above the bed to reduce dust intrusion when travelling off the beaten track.

Summing up

We didn’t bang over too many dirt tracks or spend any nights in the 19ft 6in Masterpiece Performance, but it’s hard not to be impressed with the fit and finish, equipment levels and overall presentation of this luxury off-road caravan.

Jam-packed with features, it’s worth a close look if you’re in the market for a sub-$100,000 full height off-road van and have something up to the task to tow it with like a Toyota LandCruiser or Ford Ranger.

2020 Masterpiece Performance 19ft 6in

Overall length: 7880mm
Body length: 5850mm
Body width: 2250mm
Travel height: 3100mm
Tare (plated): 2825kg
ATM: 3500kg
Ball weight (Tare): 237kg
Body:  Aluminium cladding, timber frame, marine ply floor
Chassis: 150mm Supagal extended A-frame/100mm chassis
Wheels/tyres: 16in alloy, MPC-MT 265/75R16 LT tyres
Suspension: AL-KO Outback coil independent
Brakes: 12in electric drum
Stability control: AL-KO ESC
Cooking: Swift 500 3+1 cooktop, grill, oven
Microwave: NCE
Fridge/freezer: Dometic 216L three-way
Shower: Separate cubicle
Toilet: Dometic cassette
Air-conditioner: Belaire 3400 roof-mounted
Hot water: Swift gas/electric
Water: 2 x 95L & 1 x 62 (fresh), 1 x 100L (grey)
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Washing machine: NCE 3kg top load
Lighting: 12V LED
Batteries: 2 x 120Ah AGM
Solar: 2 x 170W roof panels plus regulator
TV: 24in LED/DVD and aerial
Audio: Mulit-media touchscreen, speakers inside and out
Price: $83,490 plus options
Supplied by: Escape RVs, Campvellfield, Victoria
More info: Masterpiece Caravans