Mountain Trail LXV 6.2 2021 Review

After developing a reputation for building some of Australia’s best off-road tent trailers, Mountain Trail RV is now firmly focused on the premium off-grid caravan market with a growing range of full composite hardcore, hard-walled hybrids and off-road caravans.

We recently spent a few hours with one of the Albury, NSW-based manufacturer’s biggest and most expensive models, the 21ft 6in LXV 6.2 couple’s caravan which has a starting price of $159,950 and is one of three tandem-axle models in Mountain Trail’s ‘full size’ caravan range.

One with the lot

While Mountain Trail offers a number of 'narrow body' hybrid off-roaders, the 21ft 6in LXV 6.2 'full width' tandem model with its generous 6260mm long by 2280mm wide by 2035mm high internal dimensions is aimed firmly at buyers who want all the comforts of a big caravan while still being able to head well off the beaten track for extended periods.

With around $10grand of options fitted to the review van, pushing the asking price to $169,990, it's at the premium end of the Australian off-road caravan market but you're getting a swag of top-end gear for the money including a big lithium battery system, premium appliances and cutting-edge composite construction including the use of European-sourced XPS fibreglass sandwich panels for the floor, walls and roof.

Borrowing rugged design elements from its EDX camper trailer, the Mountain Trail van also stands out from the pack with its pressed and riveted aluminium construction for both the A-frame toolbox and internal furniture 'skeleton' including the bed base, delivering weight and durability benefits above that of more traditional plywood cabinetry.

Also helping to justify the steep pricetag is the fitment of Mountain Trail’s in-house, fully adjustable independent trailing arm suspension on a laser cut, hot dipped galvanized chassis, complete with eight shock absorbers and manual and automatic controls for airbag-adjustable ride height and self-levelling functions.

Among other rock-solid off-road gear fitted is Cruisemaster's D0-35 coupling, ARK's XO 150 jockey wheel and Dometic's Carad security door.

Then there’s the top-shelf Revolution/Redarc 240V/12V battery system, including a 480Ah lithium battery bank, 540W rooftop solar panels and a 3000W pure sine inverter, to provide enough off-grid grunt to run the air-conditioner, fridge, washing machine and microwave, at least for short periods of time, when not plugged in at a caravan park.

If that’s not enough, Mountain Trail is one of a handful of caravan manufacturers trialling the new OzXCorp all-electric set-up, and is currently testing an FXV 6.5 'prototype' with chassis-mounted 1250KW battery bank, 1650W roof-top solar panels and a 5000W inverter. Tick that power-packed option box for the LXV 6.2 though, and expect little change from $200,000.

External highlights

With its durable, all white fibreglass finish, Mountain Trail has resisted the temptation to plaster the sides of the LXV 6.2 with chunky aluminium checker plate like that found on most other Australian off-road vans.

Instead, it's gone for protection where it counts, including a black rubberized coating on the front toolbox and around vulnerable body edges, and checker plate protection for the four underbody water tanks fitted to the review van.

The LXV also gets an upswept rear to help prevent scraping in undulating terrain, along with rear recovery hooks for off-road emergencies.

Similar to the Mountain Trail EDX camper's, the bespoke front-mounted aluminium toolbox is a smart and practical unit, securely holding the 9kg gas bottle, jerry cans and other storage items while shielding them from theft and damage.

Mountain Trail's fold-out 'picnic table' is another clever design; doubling as a drink and food bar as well as an entertainment hub with Bluetooth connectivity via the RedVision smart management display and upmarket Fusion stereo. There's also excellent sun/rain protection from the two-position electric awning that deploys in seconds.

The LXV 6.2 also comes standard with an electric bi-fold entry step, stylish 17in black alloys with chunky all-terrain rubber, outside shower outlet, and a rear bar with spare wheel and two jerry can holders, mounted below a rear camera.

Fitted with an additional 85 litre fresh water tank, the review van had 295 litres fresh water and 125 litres’ grey water capacity in total; enough for a few showers and washing machine cycles in the middle of nowhere.

There's also an electronic ‘E water’ three-way water tank switching system, with the hardware located in an ensuite cupboard alongside the Webasto diesel water and air heater.

Interior delights

There’s an enticingly uncluttered, airy and spacious feeling inside the Mountain Trail LXV 6.2, thanks to a good array of Dometic double glazed windows, twin skylights, above-average interior height and plenty of premium finishes including stone composite benchtops, grey soft leather upholstery, Italian ply cupboard fascias, and white fibreglass or aluminium composite walls with matching white painted aluminium cabinetry and kickboards.

Like the external design, it's all carefully packaged including the batteries, ‘plug and play’ wiring harness and other electronic equipment neatly housed within the dinette seat bases, with easy access via quick removal of the velcroed seat cushions.

A leatherlined 'pod' nestled at the far end of the dinette table houses a second RedVision touchscreen and Fusion stereo along with four USB sockets, for centralised control of the music, lights, batteries, etc. The control for the Webasto diesel water and air heater is on the kitchen wall opposite, not far from the extendable arm and plug-ins for the 24in TV.

Two 'positive pressure' units mounted in the ceiling above the 'full size' extendable pillowtop innerspring queen mattress should help keep the Outback dust where it belongs (outside!), with two Sirocco fans facing the bed for relief on steamy nights.

As proof of how well insulated the Mountain Trail van is, we managed to keep all the windows and hatches closed up for a couple hours with the sun beating down overhead, without raising the temperature too much inside the van.

Otherwise, there’s just about everything you expect in a six figure priced caravan including a three gas burner cooktop, grille and oven, microwave, rangehood, filtered water tap and 208 litre upright compressor fridge, along with a few 240V/12V/USB sockets, ceiling, reading and mood LED lighting, and a comfy cafe dinette with Nuova table leg that can be adjusted to form another bed.

We also liked the spacious, welcoming feel inside the full width rear ensuite, which features a solid sliding entry door, vanity with black ceramic bowl, separate cassette toilet, and extra-large fibreglass shower cubicle.

While there are a few storage options in the ensuite, the optional wall-mounted washing machine and underbench heating and plumbing hardware hog some of the available space.

The LXV 6.2 also offers four-seasons climate control from either a reverse-cycle rooftop air-conditioner or, if the batteries are running low, a diesel-powered space heater (fed by an external 12 litre tank) with two floor-mounted vents to keep the toes warm.

Big van compromises

While the fibreglass/aluminum composite construction helps keep overall weight down, the LXV 6.2 is still a big, heavy van with an (unloaded) Tare of 2720kg and 780kg payload.

Our 3500kg-tow rated Isuzu NPR light truck had few problems pulling the airbag suspended van on bitumen and some smooth dirt roads at the standard airbag height, with two other (highway) and (off-road) ride-height travel modes available.

The airbag suspension control switches are located just inside the door, although you'll pay extra if you want to be able to level the van using the airbags when disconnected from the tow vehicle.

With the external fridge slide-out, diesel heater and big battery system taking up some of the available space, the Mountain Trail van doesn't offer quite as much exterior and interior storage options as some similar-sized rivals, although kitchen storage and bench space is excellent and we like the shelves instead of hanging hooks in the bedside robes – better for storing folded clothes during bumpy off-roading!

We also liked the thoughtful mix of durable and luxury finishes, from the hard-wearing aluminium furniture with grippy matting or marine carpet base to prevent items sliding around, to the soft leather magazine pouches and aesthetically-pleasing mood lighting well out of harm's way.

Fit and finish is hard to fault, with just a couple of blemishes like the TV aerial winder blocking one of the overhead cupboards from opening fully, and the cramped position of the TV slot in the external entertainment hub.

Given its premium van status, it would be nice to see some options like the $2200 wall-mounted washing machine fitted as standard. The review van missed out on a drawbar-mounted tap, although it did have two gas bayonets (in the front toolbox and near the onside picnic table), for hooking up a portable BBQ.

Summing up

At around $170,000 as reviewed, the LXV 6.2 is perfect for discerning off-road travellers not wanting to compromise too much when it comes to build quality, fit and finish, interior space, technology and camping conveniences.

Its size and weight will limit where you can take it, but we’d be confident taking it on rough Outback roads like the Gibb River, and spending a few fully self-sufficient days or more at camp in complete comfort.

How much does the Mountain Trail LXV 6.2 cost?

Price: From $159,950 (As reviewed: $169,990)
Travel length: 8255mm
Body length: 6500mm (20ft 6in)
Overall width: 2495mm
Overall height: 3045kg (standard airbag height)
Internal height: 2035mm
Tare weight: 2720kg
Ball weight (Tare): 180kg
ATM: 3500kg
Chassis: Hot dipped, laser cut galvanized steel
Body: Fibreglass XPS sandwich panels for floor, walls and roof
Suspension: Mountain Trail tandem trailing arm independent airbag suspension, with eight shock absorbers
Brakes: Dexter 12in electric
Stability control: Yes
Wheels/tyres: 17x8in CSA Mullins alloys, Toyo Open Country 285/65 AT tyres
Water: 1 x 125L and 2 x 85L fresh, 125L grey
Batteries: 480Ah lithium with 3000W inverter, two Redarc RedVision displays
Solar: 540W rooftop panels
Gas: 1 x 9kg
Hot water: Webasto diesel water/space heater
Air-conditioner: Dometic Ibis 4 roof-top
Washing machine: 2kg wall-mounted
Cooking: Thetford Triplex cooktop, oven/grille
Microwave: NCE 23L
Fridge/freezer: Evakool 208L 12V/240V compressor
Shower: Full height one-piece moulded fibreglass
Toilet: Thetford cassette
Lighting: LED
TV: 24in Smart LED
Audio: Fusion with two displays
Options fitted: Additional water tank, Daewood Mini 2kg washing machine, composite stone benchtops, slide-out fridge
Supplied by: Mountain Trail RV, Albury, NSW