New Age Road Owl Adventurer 2023 Review

The first New Age Road Owl model arrived in 2017 as a budget-priced, sub-$50K option aimed at first-time or cash-strapped caravan buyers.

Fast forward almost six years and the full-height Road Owl touring van has morphed into a more upmarket, premium offering, albeit still relatively affordable despite the latest COVID-induced price hikes.

The current starting price for the very latest, Walkinshaw-design Road Owl caravan is $84,390, with the two, recently updated 19ft and 21ft family variants a noticeable step or two up in the areas of style, design, comfort and off-grid capability compared to the original, more bare-boned Road Owl vans...

The latest MY24 Road Owl range goes on display at dealerships next month and enters production at New Age's Melbourne factory later this year, with buyers being offered just two, slightly different family bunk layouts to choose from, including a 19ft (body length) floorplan with an east-west parents' bed and cafe dinette seating area, central kitchen, rear ensuite and double or triple bunks.

There's also a more spacious and slightly bigger and heavier 21ft variant with walk-around north-south queen bed, central kitchen and L-shaped lounge/dinette, and kids' bunks and separate shower and toilet up back.

Road Owl couple's layouts are no longer available, so if you're travelling without kids you'll probably want to check out New Age's latest Manta Ray or Oz Classic ranges.

Our review van is the range-topping 21ft Road Owl Adventurer which starts at $95,990, or $7600 more than the standard 21ft Bunk Ensuite model. The extra-cost Adventurer pack makes the Road Owl a bit more suitable for camping off the beaten track by replacing the standard AL-KO six leaf suspension with Cruisemaster's XT trailing arm independent coil set-up including twin shocks per wheel, and the standard 50mm ball coupling with a Cruisemaster DO-35 off-road hitch. It also gets bigger 16in alloys with all-terrain rubber and 12in instead of 10in electric drum brakes.

The 21ft Adventurer Road Owl also gains a thicker 6in A-frame, twin jerry holders, a pull-out double entry step, ABS underfloor protective liner, an external hot/cold shower, reversing camera, a recessed coupling, and a Sway Control safety unit and Trailcheck remote battery monitor from BMPRO.

Helping boost the asking price of our review van by another $11,000 (to $106,990) is the addition of a number of options including a washing machine and oven, a 12V compressor instead of three-way fridge/freezer, two additional 200W rooftop solar panels, four internal Sirocco fans, an in-cupboard kitchen rubbish bin, and smooth aluminium composite cladding on all four instead of just two sides of the van.

With its smooth light grey and black exterior with fresh Road Owl orange signage and decals, stylish new 16in alloys and matching wheel spats, and carry-over Walkinshaw rear wall design including eye-catching spare wheel recess, the latest Road Owl exudes a clean, modern aesthetic whether on the road or campsite.

External highlights that you don't often see on its rivals include a Fusion all-in-one external speaker (to go with a matching one inside) that easily connects to a mobile phone for pumping out your favourite tracks at the campsite.

We also like the new drop-down picnic table set-up which adds a bit more usable bench- and storage space with its flip-over front section and two plastic bins that slot in on either side,. There are some TV sockets close by so you can watch the footy under the stars on the 28in Smart TV, which also has a mount and connection points inside.

Other neat new features include a chunky grab handle with LED and orange bug lights located next to the twin entry steps and meshed security door, to go with the 17ft roll-out awning, gas bayonet, drawbar tap and mains water connection, and a locker for the outside shower positioned on the offside wall.

The low-hanging 'battery' boxes on both sides of the van hold the water pump as well as the two 100Ah AGM batteries.

The extended drawbar on the Walkinshaw-design galvanised chassis is held up by a centrally mounted jockey wheel, that bolts on in front of a big checker plate toolbox with two lockable compartments (one for the twin 9kg gas bottles).

Apart from the toolbox, there's a good amount of external storage room in the front, LED-lit tunnel boot, and in another storage locker on the offside rear wall.

With no front mesh stone guard or 'dust buster' fitted as standard, the Road Owl Adventurer is not really geared up for extended unsealed Outback highway travel, although there's some underbody armour including gal-protection for the twin 110 litre fresh water and single grey water tanks.

The low-slung battery boxes and an exposed poly water outlet look the most vulnerable to hits if the road gets too lumpy and bumpy.

While the off-road coupling and coil suspension fitted to the latest Road Owl Adventurer are primarily designed for serious off-roading, they're also not a bad option for delivering a smoother ride when tackling the increasingly pot-holed and broken-up bitumen encountered on Australia's sealed highways and byways.

We stuck mostly to the bitumen at speeds of up to 100km/h during our overnighter with the close to three tonne Road Owl, and enjoyed a stress-free towing experience behind the wheel of a Walkinshaw-fettled Volkswagen Amarok W580X dual cab ute, that proved more than powerful enough at hauling the big van over hill and dale, albeit a little thirsty in the process...

New Age has always excelled in the interior look and feel of its caravan interiors, and was in fact a front-runner in introducing the latest appliances and home decor trends into caravans.

While its rivals have since caught up, the redesigned interior of the MY24 Road Owl still provides at least a couple of stand-out features that make it stand out from the pack.

Probably the most impressive is the new 'mood' lighting which isn't a novel feature in itself, except that New Age has decided to replace all of the traditional roof-mounted downlights with LED strip lighting, mostly hidden behind overhead cabinetry.

In practice it works really well, with more than enough lighting with all 'zoned' sections on, controlled by the BMPRO touchscreen near the entry door, or with multiple options to provide more subtle yellow mood lighting when the sun goes down, or when the kids are asleep.

Having used it at night-time, I wish all caravans would adopt a similar set-up, together with the new three-mode reading lights, rather than the often all-or-nothing, dazzling hospital-strength white LED downlights used in many other vans.

As well as all the usual storage cupboards around the main bed, we also like the little storage nooks located on each side, with electrical sockets as well as a wireless phone charger in each, and enough space to rest a coffee mug or wine glass (if you're careful!).

There's a massive storage cavity under the main bed too, to go with the new, extra-deep kitchen drawers and full-height kitchen pantry (with proper shelves rather than less user-friendly wire baskets).

There's some under-seating storage too, along with more large overhead cupboards in the kitchen and lounge areas, and some large pull-out, under-bunk drawers to go with the rear cupboards and more storage options in the ensuite.

So few complaints when it comes to internal storage options then...

Adding to the clean, classy interior look in the latest Road Owl is the combination of black external handles and matching matte-black tapware, along with some hidden chrome cupboard handles and a white, subway tile-look splashback in the kitchen.

The kitchen in the review van also came well equipped with a four burner cooktop, grille and oven, rangehood, microwave, large sink with mixer tap, and the optional 175 litre compressor fridge/freezer that runs solely off the batteries when camping, instead of the standard three-way unit.

Family friendly bunks and bathroom

The rear bunk and bathroom layout in the 21ft Road Owl bodes well for peaceful family camping, with a more comfortable two rather than three bunk set-up in the review van, and thick foam mattresses used for the single beds rather than a coil spring variety used on the main bed.

Each bunk gets an opening window, reading light, storage pocket and optional fan but no points to plug in and recharge a tablet or phone, although there are plenty of sockets elsewhere in the van.

The cosy corner bathroom is well set up with a large separate shower cubicle, as well as a cassette toilet and a vanity with sink and large mirror, with the wall-mounted washing machine taking up some of the rear wall cupboard space.

The family-friendly L-shape lounge-dinette comes with reasonably comfy cloth upholstered cushions and a wide, split-section table that folds down to allow more space in the middle of the van when not in use, although the mouse-trap-like spring mechanism is a bit tricky to use.

We also liked the special New Age touches like the branded first aid kit; the solid sliding ensuite door and bunk privacy curtain; and the wall-mounted colour touchscreen and other digital displays to keep an eye on water and power use, with the review van optioned up with a 1000W inverter and 600 watts of rooftop solar to go with the standard twin 100Ah AGM batteries.

The BMPRO 12V system is lithium battery compatible in case you want to upgrade at a later date.

What's not to like?

Being a pre-production prototype, some of the hidden chrome handles on the overhead cupboards and pull-out bunk drawers felt a bit 'sticky' and were fiddly to operate. And while we can see the benefits of the bespoke two-section dining table, we can't help feeling a more traditional and probably sturdier multi-adjustable table-top with an off-the-shelf telescopic leg might be a better option here, particularly when wanting to use the table for food preparation.

A downside of the upgraded equipment and added gear in the latest Road Owl Adventurer is some extra bulk and weight, with the 21ft Adventurer weighing in unloaded at 2840kg, although this still allows for a decent 600kg payload when you hit the road.

The Adventurer also sits 10cm higher than the standard variant, so you'll need to be a little more vigilant when it comes to navigating overhanging branches and the like.

New Age aptly describes its latest Road Owl family models as "bigger and better", and although there's now a greater price to pay, the 21ft Road Owl Adventurer does come into its own as a stylish, well-equipped bunk touring van that can cope with some dusty driving as well as handle a few nights 'unplugged' without sacrificing too much in the way of family comforts.

You'll need a suitably solid tow vehicle, and while we can't guarantee you'll find 'caravan perfection', it's reassuring to know it comes with the backing of a well established automotive industry player, not to mention one of the largest and best known caravan manufacturing businesses in the country.

Price: From $95,990 RRP ($106,990 as reviewed)
Options fitted: Additional Probond flat side body panels, 2.5kg Mini front load washing machine, Thetford fan forced oven, 175 litre Thetford 12V compressor fridge/freezer, two additional 200W solar panels, Projecta 1000W inverter, four Sirocco 12V fans, kitchen rubbish bin
Travel length: 8474mm
Body length: 6300mm (21ft)
External body width: 2500mm
Travel height: 3050mm
Internal height: 2030mm
Tare weight: 2840kg
ATM: 3440kg
Ball weight (Tare): 250kg
Body: Meranti timber frame, polystyrene insulation, marine ply floor, smooth aluminium composite side panels, fibreglass roof
Chassis: Galvanised six-inch with extended A-frame
Suspension: Cruisemaster XT trailing arm independent coil with DO-35 coupling
Brakes: 12inch electric drums
Stability Control: BMPRO Sway Control
Wheels: 16in alloy with LT245/75R16 all-terrain tyres
Water: 2 x 110L (fresh), 110L (grey)
Battery: 2 x 100A/h AGM
Solar: 1 x 200watt rooftop panel (standard)
Air-conditioner: Gree 240v rooftop
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Hot water: Gas/electric
Cooking: Thetford 3+1 cooktop, grille (standard)
Fridge: Thetford 175L compressor fridge/freezer (optional)
Microwave: NCE 240v
Toilet: Thetford cassette
Shower: Separate cubicle
Lighting: 12V LED
TV: 28in Smart TV
Audio: Internal/external Fusion All-in-one Sound Panel
Supplied by: New Age Caravans, Epping, Victoria