Millard Toura 2021 Review

There are certain caravans brands that will be familiar if you’ve been around for a while, and one of them is Millard. It's one of Australia’s oldest caravan companies that has been operating in one form or another from a Sydney base for more than 50 years.

Millard has undergone something of a product renewal in the last five years, or so, with fresh designs, new products and cabinet and colour refinements.

One of the latest to be updated is the Millard Toura; first announced about four years ago but here shown in a new 22ft 2in rear ensuite layout, which we'll get to later.

Millard’s long-standing aluminium frame concept is still employed in the current generation. The body is clad in the now familiar composite one-piece fibreglass front panel and roof and aluminium composite side and rear panels.

Extra-large ensuite layout

This particular Toura is the 22ft 2in CD (that's Centre Door - a 22ft 2in Rear Door version is also offered), and it features a relatively new layout.

While the overall floorplan is quite familiar - a front north-south bed, centre kitchen/dining area and rear ensuite - the way the space has been apportioned is quite unique. The difference is that the ensuite is an untypically large space.

Standard inclusions on the Toura include a 160W solar panel and 100AH AGM battery, 16-inch alloy wheels, a front aluminium tool box with generator slide, AL-KO ESC anti-sway system, external gas bayonet, external A-frame tap, and a full oven and leatherette upholstery inside.

The big tandem axle van features a sturdy 150 x 50mm RHS longitudinal beam galvanised chassis with 100 x 50mm lateral supports. The A-frame – also 150 x 50mm RHS – has the checker plate aluminium tool box and two 9kg gas bottles mounted to it, plus a centre-mount jockey wheel.

In case you were wondering, the chassis is an in-house build by Millard at its Ingleburn, NSW factory.

Dirt road ready

The Millard Toura's brakes are 12in electric drums and it rides on 16-inch alloys fitted with all-terrain tyres. Cruisemaster CRS independent trailing arm suspension is fitted underneath, to help soak up the bumps.

This van is probably best described as semi off-road; it has good underbody protection and no exposed plumbing to snag on anything. Tyres are an all-terrain type, again promising good grip and reasonable puncture resistance for use on outback dirt roads.

The rear bumper bar supports the alloy spare wheel, which looks a bit heavy to lift off the mount when required; however, this is not unusual on many caravans.

A tunnel boot is provided with lockable hatches on both sides to access the large 'wet' storage area, and there’s also storage in the toolbox on the A-frame.

The front toolbox offers a generator (or fridge) slide-out on the off-side locker, and there's also a relatively large nearside locker and a shallow but wide top locker.

The Toura has a Tare of 2660kg and an ATM of 3500kg, so there’s a decent 840kg of payload. If there is any concern with having a vehicle with lower towing capacity, customers can request that the ATM be reduced.

However, a reminder that just because your tow vehicle has a towing capacity less than the ATM, it doesn’t mean it’s illegal to tow this caravan. You just have to first calculate how heavy it will be when provisioned with your gear (and then physically check it at a weighbridge) to ensure the final weight doesn't exceed the vehicle’s towing maximums.

The Toura also comes with a standard awning, a signature Millard picnic table (with map of Australia) and a 240volt outlet and a 12v socket aux connection. Two LED strip lights (as well as a small coach light built into the handle adjacent to the door) cover off night time illumination.

Spacious layout

To assist entry to the Millard Tourer, there are aluminium fold-down steps and a user-friendly two-piece security door.

Once inside, you'll find an front island bed, centre kitchen/club lounge and rear ensuite. Actually, this is best described as a bathroom, given its above-average size.

There's plenty of space for the long L-shaped vanity that supports a raided sink, and a large corner shower in the offside rear corner.

The 5kg front-loader washing machine is mounted low, with ample storage cupboards and drawers dotting the area. A large nearside window, roof hatch and a small window over the toilet (all with mesh screens and blinds) also ensure there's ample natural light in this area, while a sliding door between bathroom and kitchen assures privacy. 

This is one of the best RV bathrooms we’ve seen, for both space and amenity.

Nice place to sleep

Back to the front living area, the 'bedroom' area also offers plenty of natural light through large side windows and there's enough space to get around the bed sides. The queen-size bed lifts on gas struts so you can access the storage space beneath

At each bedside there’s a small cupboard and drawer plus some cupboard hanging space above. There’s also a clever large opening around the hanging space, which would be ideal for storing reading material while lying in bed. There are also two lockers above the bed for additional storage.

There's also a small LED reading light on each side of the bed, plus a 240v outlet and a dual USB port.

The kitchen provides plenty enough food preparation space for simple meals (plus there’s more bench space in the bathroom and lounge table, if you’re really cooking up a storm).

There are also storage lockers above bench, and cupboards below it, as well as a pantry in the vicinity.

The 188L Dometic fridge is on par for a van this size, and the microwave is mounted in a well thought-out spot -- low on the nearside kitchen cupboard area.

The centre club lounge features a collapsible and slide-adjustable table, and while the table centre leg is quite large, impeding foot room, the table itself can slide out to make getting around it easy. It also collapses to make a bed, with the extra cushion base stored under the main bed.

There are another two 240volt outlets plus USB ports on the offside wall adjacent to the dinette area, plus a LED reading light on each side of the dinette window.

In one of the kitchen cupboards is an RV Electronics read-out for the fresh water tank levels and battery SOC, plus separate on/off and breaker switches for all the key electrical equipment in the van. The main power switch is conveniently located on the wall to the right of the entry door.

The 100Ah AGM battery is housed externally in a checker plate enclosed cradle on the offside of the van, with enough space to fit an (optional) second battery. Water is heated up with a 28-litre Swift gas/electric system, which vents from the rear of the van, behind the bumper bar.

Summing up

The Sydney-built Millard Toura has come into its own with nice improvements to colour choices and standard features, while the relatively low Tare weights, generous payloads and versatile layouts such as this one, come at a fair price.

This particular layout really makes long-term living on the road very pleasant, with its generous bathroom space and balanced living quarters making it a very enticing option for those who want to get away for extended periods.

How much does the Millard Toura 22ft 2in Centre Door cost?

Travel length: 9155mm
Body length: 6910mm
External body width: 2500mm
Travel height: 2995mm
Interior height: 2030mm
Tare weight: 2660kg
ATM: 3500kg
Ball weight: 300kg (as measured with water tanks and gas bottles full)
Body: Composite roof and walls, aluminium frame
Chassis: 50 x 150mm hot dip galvanised steel
Suspension: Cruisemaster CRS 2 trailing arm independent coil/shocks
Brakes: 12in electric drum
Stability control: AL-KO ESC
Wheels: 16in alloy with all-terrain tyres
Fresh water: 2 x 95L
Battery: 1 x 100Ah AGM
Solar: 1 x 160watt rooftop panel
Air-conditioner: Dometic Ibis 4 rooftop reverse-cycle
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Hot water: Swift gas/electric 28L
Cooking: 3 gas /1 electric burners, grill, oven
Fridge: Dometic 188L compressor 12v/240v
Microwave: NCE 240v
Toilet: Dometic cassette
Shower: Separate cubicle
Lighting: 12v LED
TV: 24in LED
Price: $80,936
Options fitted: None
Supplied by: RV Connection, St Marys NSW
More info: Millard RV