New Age Glider

New Age has made a name for itself in its relatively short time in the caravan industry for building quality, top-shelf caravans.

Since arriving on the scene in 2009, the Melbourne manufacturer has quickly grown to an output of more than 1000 caravans a year.

In 2013, the company built its new Epping, Victoria factory, which employs more than 130 workers. It also lays claim to Australia’s only female caravan company CEO.

Even though New Age is known for its premium vans, the 10-model range isn’t filled with expensive luxury vans exclusively; in this case, New Age has come up with the four-berth 15ft Glider, a compact pop-top van with fold-out beds at each end.

The Glider range, introduced earlier this year, also includes a four-berth 16ft bunk van and a four-berth 16ft bunk ensuite van, both with just one fold-out queen-size bed instead of the 15ft Glider’s two fold-outs.

All have the option of an additional berth with the U-shaped dinette converting to a bed.

The Glider we’re reviewing here, the 15ft version, has a conventional pop-top roof and a fold-down, canvas-walled queen-size bed at each end. This design is unique in the New Age range, although the New Age Wallaby is also a pop-top, but without the fold out beds.

POP-TOP POSITIVES

The Glider’s body construction is, in essence, conventional; a Meranti timber frame on which aluminium cladding is secured. The point of difference is, of course the pop-top roof and front and rear fold-out beds.

There’s a good amount of external storage available here, including a front tunnel boot with light, and lockers at the rear on both the nearside and offside.

The chassis is a conventional galvanised steel, parallel RHS beams with steel I-beams and weight-saving cut-outs joining them.

The roof is a fibreglass component around which a vinyl skirt with four zip-open, meshed windows is secured. Once the four securing latches are released outside (you may need a step ladder to do this; they’re quite high at about 2.2 metres from the ground), the roof can be pushed up via its two internal hinged roof bars.

The two fold-out beds are each secured in travel mode behind a lockable hatch, which lifts up on gas struts to reveal the bed assembly.

At the rear, the hatch can only be opened after the spare wheel is lowered down on its mounting point after removing a pin and circlip.

The bed assemblies are hinged at their base, and to get them set up you push them down, move the steel bow to give the canvas its shape and fit a tensioning pole between the bow and lip of the van body to keep the canvas taut.

The mattress is folded over and strapped up in travel mode so the straps have to be released and the mattress unfolded. This design is similar to that used by Jayco with its Expanda series.

With the roof and beds set up, you’re good to go with some recreation time. Yes, it does take about 10 minutes longer than a full-size van to set-up (because a full-size van takes just about no time at all) but the pay-off is having a much more compact rig to park at home and to tow on tour.

The fuel-economy benefits of the lower-profile pop-top roof when travelling are not always immediately obvious, but it will in many cases have a positive effect.

What’s more, the fold-up beds don’t impede on the main living area space, so if you want to stop by the road for a quick cup of tea, you can. Admittedly, the quick tea-break stop would be more comfortable if you were to pop up the roof, which then makes the stop not so quick.

INTERIOR ATTRIBUTES

The living area is a generous space in the main, with the entrance area and corridor reasonably wide.

The U-shaped lounge is a bit tight because of the size of the table, but it does turn on its base so you can angle it to get in (although if someone is already sitting opposite, this can make it awkward).

Under the rear cushion is the battery compartment, accessed via a hatch in the seat base.

The dinette has two reading lights on the nearside wall and storage lockers above. There’s also storage under the seats, accessed via a hatch in the corridor.

The kitchen, on the offside wall opposite the dinette, offers a competitive amount of bench space for this size van — in fact, because there’s no bed area to account for, the kitchen is a lot bigger than any van of this body length.

There’s a relatively large mount of free bench space for food preparation to the left of the bench, then the stainless-steel single bowl sink with drainer and mixer tap, and gas/electric stove top on the right.

Below the cooktop is a grille and below that, the microwave. While some might not like bending down to get to the microwave, it’s much better than having to reach up to it as is the case in so many caravan layouts.

Above the cooktop is a small rangehood, and above that are the switches for hot water.

The 24-inch LCD TV is located on the left wall adjacent to the bench. This might not be the ideal location if you’re preparing food on the bench just next to it, but the TV can be moved on its wall bracket or removed entirely.

Below the bench are three drawers and three cupboards, with a good variety of storage spaces available between them.

To the left of the kitchen (as you face it) there’s the fridge/freezer and a storage cupboard above.

DOUBLE QUEENS

The front and rear beds are both queen-size and have one reading light on the bedhead wall. Like any such bed layout, there’s only one way to get in or out of bed.

So inevitably whoever gets the short straw and is sleeping on the outer side of the bed has to climb over the other to get out.

Not ideal, but the compromise you have to expect with this compact layout.

There’s a small table at the front bedside, in which there’s also two storage drawers, and a privacy curtain to screen the bed area.

The Truma reverse-cycle air conditioning unit is fitted under a hatch below the front bed, and the air is ducted through vents above the bedside and at floor level, also at the front bedside.

The rear bed set-up is much the same as the front, except there’s a hanging wardrobe on the offside wall adjacent to the kitchen, and there’s no bedside table. On the bulkhead above the rear bed there are three open shelves.

VERDICT

The Glider is in many ways a conventional caravan, although the bed arrangement is a point of difference that will certainly appeal to those wanting to save on space when storing their van. The only perceived negatives might be the lack of a shower and toilet and pricing above some of the competition.

However, despite its rather catholic approach to construction, the New Age build quality is evident everywhere. And that has to be a good thing.

WE LIKED:
>> First-class fit and finish
>> Ample kitchen prep space
>> External storage space

NOT SO MUCH:
>> Set-up time
>> Dinette space a bit tight
>> A bit pricey

NEW AGE CARAVANS 15FT GLIDER

Travel length: 6920mm (22ft 8in)
Body length: 5070mm (16ft 7in)
External body width: 2400mm (7ft 10in)
Travel height: 2330mm (7ft 8in)
Interior height: 1970mm (6ft 6in)
Bed size: 1550mm x 1900mm
Tare: 1760kg
ATM: 2060kg
Ball weight: 140kg
Body: Aluminium sheet cladding, Meranti timber frame
Chassis: 100mm x 50mm RHS galvanised steel
Suspension: Leaf springs, beam axle
Brakes: 10in electric
Stability control: N/A
Wheels: 15in alloy with 235/75R15LT tyres
Fresh water: 80L
Battery: 12v deep-cycle
Solar: No
Air-conditioner: Truma Saphir
Gas: 2 x 4.5kg
Hot water: 22.6L Suburban gas/electric
Cooking: Thetford Minigrill MkIII three gas/one electric cooktop, grille
Fridge: Dometic 150L fridge/freezer
Microwave: Daewoo
Toilet: N/A
Shower: N/A
Lighting 12V LED
TV: Changhong 24in LCD
Price: $56,050 (drive-away, NSW)
Options fitted: None
Supplied by: Sydney RV Group, Penrith, NSW
Website: New Age Caravans