New Age Desert Rose 2019 Review

Beyond the landscaped, manicured grounds of caravan parks there are all sorts of remote places to see and enjoy in Australia. For many caravan owners though, you need to be tied to the umbilical cord of 240volts or learn to rough it if you’re planning on remote bush camping for any length of time.

But there are a growing number of caravans that are not only capable of getting into out-of-the-way back country spots without too many problems, but also allow you to stay there comfortably for an extended period.

Take, for example, New Age’s premium rough-road van, the Desert Rose. It can hold 220 litres of fresh water, 110 litres of grey water and has 450 watts of solar feeding two 100amp lithium batteries. Throw two 9kg gas bottles into the mix and not only will it let you free-camp for up to weeks on end, but do so in luxury.

The Desert Rose we looked at is the 18-foot long (internal) model -- there’s also a 20-foot version -- that costs $98,490 tow-away. It’s not cheap, but there’s an extensive features list to soften the blow, as you'd expect in most top-shelf, dirt-capable caravans these days.

Old and the new

The recently updated Desert Rose has an interesting blend of old and new when it comes to its body and chassis construction. Its Meranti timber frame is wrapped front and rear in aluminium composite panels, along with the roof, with 'Hi Profile Silver' stucco aluminium sheeting on the sides.

The stucco finish adds not only a point of difference in styling but serves as a tougher finish more resistant to damage in the bush, according to New Age. The stucco cladding is also lighter than aluminium composite so helps keeps the Tare weight manageable.

The wheel spats and Walkinshaw designed rear lower section are also lightweight (but tough) ABS moulded plastic.

It's worth noting our review van was missing the powder-coated steel black gloss rear bumper that's usually a standard fitment on all Desert Rose vans.

External protection

Getting to camp on dirt roads, or crawling along rough tracks requires some tough body protection. The Desert Rose’s chassis is a Walkinshaw-engineered and robotic welded, six-inch galvanised frame (right to the hangars) with a recessed coupling housing the D035 off-road hitch.

The underside centre floor and water tanks get checker plate aluminium protection, and the wiring mostly appears tucked away from potential harm too.

Any off-road caravan worth looking at these days seems to have independent suspension and sure enough, the Desert Rose comes equipped with the coil-spring, dual-shock XT set-up from Cruisemaster.

While neat, spray suppressing truck bristles keep the beefy Cooper STT tyres from dispersing water spray and road debris around on tour.

Loaded up front

There’s a large, dual-locker aluminium checker plate toolbox on the A-frame, with the off-side portion housing two gas bottles on a slide-out, while the nearside box is free for storage. Both lockers are accessible from either a top door or side door.

On the front of the toolbox are two jerry can holders, one per side, with one spare wheel nestled in between them (the other wheel is at the rear of the van).

A mesh, metal-frame stone guard with mud flaps adds frontal protection to the van, although the checker plate toolbox and half-front also add a layer of protection against stone damage.

The jockey wheel is centre clamped with a wide-grip clamp, and the front boasts two LED spotlights, which will come in handy for hitching up or finding gear in the toolboxes after dark.

Outside dining

On the nearside front body there’s a hatch that reveals the Dometic slide-out kitchen, with its two-burner stove, chopping board, prep area and sink with mixer tap. There’s plenty of room on this outdoor kitchen but if you need more there’s a fold-down picnic table not far away.

Adjacent to the picnic table, a sealed locking hatch reveals the outdoor TV mount and 12v/240v and aerial plugs. Then there’s the outdoor entertainment unit, a Fusion All In One Sound Panel, flush-mounted on the nearside wall.

On the offside exterior of the Desert Rose you’ll find an external shower and a tunnel boot (of which half is taken up with the external slide-out kitchen). The water tanks have a single locking-cap water fill point on the offside as well, and the 240v inlet is grouped with the breaker switch.

Climb aboard

Getting inside is made easier with the 12v powered drop-down double steps and solid grab handle/light, adjacent to the two-piece mesh security door. There’s a solid grab handle each side in the doorway too, to help you up.

The fit-out is a fairly standard design for a two-berth van -- the north-south island bed is up front, the kitchen and dinette in the middle and the bathroom is in the rear.

Starting with the bedroom, you’ve got a light, airy space with large windows, a roof hatch and more than enough room to get around the bed.

There’s ample larger storage space with lockers above the bed head and space below the bed, accessed via the typical strut-assist lifting bed base.

Smaller stuff can be stored in the narrow hanging wardrobe on each side of the bed, as well as the small side drawers and cupboards, and the side walls are both lined with locker/open storage space.

A nice finishing touch are the small, triangular spaces above the bedhead, which are a great idea but would be even better if they were a bit bigger. You don’t want your thick paperback thriller or iPad falling on top of you in the middle of the night!

However, there are ample 12v, USB and 240v charging points on each bedside, as well as a small bedside table.

Modern kitchen

The contemporary kitchen features a deep black sink with mixer tap and drainage space, along with a rather compact three-burner (one induction hotplate and two gas burners) stove.

This gives some space between the stove and sink, and while not enough to cook up a storm, it’s adequate for two (and you’d be more likely to use the slide-out external kitchen anyway).

There’s no slide-out pantry but cupboard and locker storage appears ample for foodstuffs, while the large 216 litre compressor fridge-freezer should be more than big enough for two.

Microwave position seems like an afterthought in many caravan fit-outs, because most manufacturers fit the microwave at upper locker height -- where retrieving hot dishes or liquids can be tricky. That's less of a problem in the Desert Rose with the microwave fitted in an enclosure above the sink at about eye level.

Like the kitchen, the dinette is more than sufficient for two and has neat, fold-down foot rests on each pew. While awkward to get to (especially with the tri-fold table extended) there are 240v, 12v and USB outlets in a small cupboard below the table.

Another Fusion All In One Sound bar is set into the locker panel above the dinette, with two large and one small locker surrounding it.

Ample ensuite

The bathroom up the back has a 950mm wide separate shower recess, with ample room to move as well as plenty of open and enclosed storage space -- not to mention New Age’s signature bathroom detail, a liquid soap dispenser.

Electronics and water monitoring is taken care of by a BM PRO Odyssey Link touchscreen mounted adjacent to the entry door, while the battery management system is a BM PRO BP35HA with 30amp charging and solar regulator inbuilt.

There’s also an RV Wi-fi 3G/4G router fitted to the locker above the kitchen and New Age has fitted a GPS tracker.

Capping off the feature inclusions is a rear-view camera and the Desert Rose is one of the few caravans fitted with reversing lights.

With a full load of water and gas on board the 600kg payload comes down to around 360kg to store provisions and gear, which is acceptable if not great. This van, at 3390kg ATM, will of course need a strong 3500kg-rated vehicle to tow it with.

Summing up

The New Age Desert Rose has a pleasant, simple fit-out with good storage and amenities, and plenty of standard equipment for what is an expensive van.

Add to this its extensive water and power storage facility, and off-road body protection, and you have the makings of a very comfortable, off-the-grid RV.

2019 New Age Desert Rose DR18ES2

Travel length: 7940mm (26ft 6in)
Body length (open length): 6100mm (20ft)
External body width: 2320mm (7ft 7in)
Travel height: 3130mm (10ft 3in)
Interior height: 1955mm
Tare weight: 2790kg
ATM: 3390kg
Ball weight: 220kg
Body: Meranti timber frame, aluminium stucco and aluminium composite cladding
Chassis: 150 x 50mm galvanised steel box section
Suspension: Cruisemaster independent trailing arms, coils springs, dual shocks
Brakes: 12in electric
Stability Control: AL-KO ESC
Wheels: 16in alloy with 265/75R16 Cooper STT tyres
Fresh water: 2 x 110L (plus 110L grey)
Battery: 2 x 100amp Lithium
Solar: 3 x 150watt
Air-conditioner: Dometic Harrier
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Hot water: Gas/electric 22L
Cooking: Thetford Duplex Induction hotplate, two gas burners, oven (internal), Dometic slide-out (external)
Fridge: Dometic 216L compressor fridge/freezer
Microwave: Nce 23LFB
Toilet: Dometic cassette
Shower: Separate cubicle
Lighting: 12v LED
TV: Nce 28in Smart TV/DVD
Price: $98,490 drive away
Options fitted: None
Supplied by: New Age Sydney, Lansvale NSW
More info: New Age Caravans, Epping, Melbourne