Chris Fincham•28 July 2017

REVIEW

New Age Gecko 12ft

Small expander van delivers big living space along with easy towing

It’s debatable who first came up with what is now popularly referred to in Australia as the ‘expander’ caravan.

Jayco has made a fortune off the back of its large range of ‘Expanda’ vans, but it was probably then Melbourne-based Windsor that first brought caravans with a slide-out bed at one or both ends to the masses.

That’s not forgetting the quirky Wartz Expanda from the early 1970s…

These days, the ‘expander’ market continues to, well, expand, with one of Australia’s biggest caravan manufacturers, New Age, now getting in on the act in a big way.

The Melbourne caravan builder launched its first ‘Glider’ expanding model in early-2015 and by the end of this year should have a Jayco-rivalling 13 expander variants in total. All will sit under the new Gecko nameplate, ranging from an 11ft rear door couple's van to a 19ft family ensuite model, and priced from around $40,000.

For this review we’re looking at a prototype of one of the newest arrivals: a two berth, single axle 12ft Gecko GE12E, which boasts a slide-out double bed up front, well equipped kitchen, L-shaped dinette/lounge and a full width rear ensuite with separate shower and bathroom.

EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS

This new 12ft full-height van is a good example of why you might choose an ‘expander’ over a similar-specced but bigger van with fixed walls.

Firstly, having the bed slide out means you get all the features of a much bigger van within the smaller, lighter footprint – easier to park and store (there’s also a pop-top version) and at under two tonnes full loaded, easier to tow.

Our Toyota Fortuner tow tug, with a towing capacity of 2800kg, certainly made light work of it, barely raising a sweat on the highway or around town.

Being a touring van designed primarily for smooth roads, it’s good to see New Age has resisted putting large, unnecessary slabs of checker plate on the sides, which adds to overall weight.

The Gecko runs a standard 50mm ball coupling, leaf springs and 10in brakes on 15in alloys and light truck tyres – more than adequate for a Big Lap, with the occasional graded dirt road thrown in.

The 12ft Gecko also has the basics covered with two 4kg gas bottles on the A-frame, along with a protected tap, pull-out entry step, roll-out awning and awning light, gal-lined tunnel boot and a spare wheel on the rear bar.

SIMPLE SET-UP

New Age may have arrived late to the ‘expander’ party but its ‘Easy Glide’ bed set-up system is one of the best on the market.

Simply unlatch the solid strut-assisted front cover, and pull out the bed base. Then head inside and arrange the two-piece solid foam mattress, which has straps to hold it in place while moving.

The only potential headaches are a bed that's east-west aligned, so some-one will be climbing over the other person at night to get to the toilet. You’ll also need to remake the bed to some extent each time you stop for the night.

Otherwise, the interior has a spacious, airy feel about it, thanks to a generous walkway through the middle, and enough windows with built-in blinds and screens to allow natural light to filter through and reflect off the white walls and light toned furniture.

The fabric-covered lounge/dinette has a decent-sized swivelling, removable tabletop that when not in use, can be reduced in size via a folding edge section to help create more space around the kitchen.

ROOM TO COOK

The pretty big kitchen includes a smallish 93 litre fridge/freezer, three gas burner cooktop, microwave, rangehood and a stainless sink with glass lid and fold-down flick mixer tap, plus a generous amount of benchspace for food prep.

With a nice, solid sliding door to close it off, the rear ensuite also helps deliver that ‘big van feel’ with decent room around the vanity with its big mirror, ceramic basin and fancy flick mixer tap, and good benchtop and storage space. The cabinet next to the swivel toilet holds the hot water unit.

To allow the smoky glass door to open wide enough to allow access to the roomy, 950mm wide fibreglass shower area without banging anything, New Age has cleverly mounted it on a central pivot – a neat solution that works a treat.

NEW AGE TOUCHES

Of course, no New Age van would be complete without some ‘bespoke’ touches, and we noticed a couple of new ones in this model like a New Age-branded 12V/USB adaptor, new Caravan Log Book including ‘handover’ DVD, and even a ‘New Age’ first aid kit!

The 12ft Gecko follows a familiar clean, modern look of all New Age vans, right down to quality appliances, fittings and finishes, along with excellent storage including deep kitchen drawers and cupboards, 12 overhead lockers and a ‘half wardrobe’ with shelving near the bed.

Lighting is well covered with reading lamps around the dinette (but not the bed for obvious reasons) and there are plenty of 240V inlets. New Age’s standard ‘electrics’ box is located in a kitchen locker, and a Clarion stereo feeds two internal Fusion speakers.

A large Ranger skylight near the bed, and two 12V fan hatches in the ensuite complete the standard package.

OPTIONS GALORE

Like most New Age vans, you’ll need to pay extra for a few things you might otherwise expect as standard, such as a gas bayonet, external speakers, 100Ah battery, air-con and a ‘Holland’ blind on the security door.

However, provision has been made for a roof-mounted air-conditioner as well as a TV and aerial, if you wanted to add these later, including a wired-in‘Explorer’ plug fitted as standard.

Some of these options are bundled into an ‘Enduro’ pack, which for an extra $6000 includes 18 items in total such as a D035 hitch, extended A-frame, Al-Ko Endurance coil suspension, A-frame toolbox, gas bayonet, external speakers, 100Ah battery, 150W solar panel, more checker plate and a picnic table. However, none of the Enduro pack features are available separately.

VERDICT

Many expander vans are pitched at families, so it’s good to see New Age providing a good option for couples after a lighter, compact model with ‘big van’ features.

If you’re happy to swallow the cost of a few options to join the growing New Age 'family' and are stuck with a medium duty tow vehicle, the 12ft Gecko is definitely worth a look.

WE LIKED:

>> Easy to tow

>> Easy to set up

>> Smart, functional interior

NOT SO MUCH:

>> East-west bed and foam mattress

>> Small fridge

>> Some options could be standard

NEW AGE CARAVANS GECKO GE12E

Travel length: 6096mm

Body length: 3600mm

External body width: 2500mm

Travel height: 2730mm
Interior height: 2030mm

Tare: 1590kg

ATM: 1890kg

Ball weight (Tare): 150kg

Body: Aluminium sheet cladding, Meranti timber frame

Chassis: Preston 100mm x 50mm RHS Duragal steel

Suspension: Leaf springs, single axle

Brakes: 10in electric

Stability control: Optional

Wheels: 15in alloy with 235/75 AT tyres

Fresh water: 1 x 80L

Battery: Genius 15amp charger standard, 100Ah battery optional

Solar: Optional

Air-conditioner: Optional

Gas: 2 x 4.5kg

Hot water: 22.6L Suburban gas/electric

Cooking: Dometic three-burner gas cooktop

Fridge: Thetford 93 litre three-way fridge/freezer

Microwave: Samsung

Toilet: Thetford ceramic, swivel bowl

Shower: Separate

Lighting 12V LED

TV: Optional

Audio: Clarion CD/radio with internal speakers

Price: From $42,990

Supplied by: New Age Caravans, Epping, Victoria

New Age Gecko 12ft

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