New bunk vans for fussy campers

Sunseeker, Zone RV and Bruder have prioritized families as well as food and wine connoisseurs in their latest 2023 upgraded family bunk caravans; some of which will make their public debut at the Brisbane Caravan and Camping Supershow in June.

Featuring an island queen-size, or optional king master bed, three or four bunk beds and a large dining and living space that can be transformed into an additional bed by dropping the telescopic central pole-mounted dining table and fitting a supplied upholstered infill cushion, the 21ft 6in 2023-build Sunseeker Desert Storm is designed for extended and very comfortable ‘big lap’ school holiday travel, even with grandparents on board.

An Enerdrive 200AH lithium battery system fed by 600W of rooftop solar panels, 255 litres of  fresh and 85 litre of grey water capacity in tough Australian-made roto-moulded tanks, give family travellers the ability to ‘free-camp’ for extended periods in idyllic Outback locations, while saving accommodation costs on extended holiday trips.

If extra solar is required for longer off-grid stays, an Anderson plug is now mounted on the on the A-frame to connect additional portable solar panels.

Other family holiday-friendly features include three rear vertically-stacked 6ft 2in bunk beds (a four-bunk is also available), a separate shower and toilet, a larger A-frame mounted storage box capable of housing a family full of chairs, and a table mounted on an extended A-frame behind a standard truck mesh stone shield, with a large cabinet-style fridge-freezer for the chilled beverages, and a portable generator or portable BBQ on opposing slides.

Out back there is a rear-mounted bayonet connection and outdoor hot/cold shower, while inside there's now a 224-litre compressor fridge/freezer, wall-mounted front-loading washing machine and a standard 24-inch TV.

The galley-style kitchen with its long CNC-cut preparation bench incorporates a three-burner gas cooktop and black tapwear, with a matching ceramic bowl sink and a mixer tap in the bathroom.

Lots of internal cupboard space, plus storage for bikes and beach toys in the large external lockers on both sides cater for the kids, while the long A-frame has room to mount adult holiday toys.

Despite its size, the latest Desert Storm van is built for life off the bitumen, with heavy duty 6 x 2in Supagal chassis and rivetted aluminium wall frames with composite panels, while underneath it rides on Cruisemaster XT independent coil spring and dual telescopic shock absorber tandem suspension.

Standard 12-inch ventilated disc brakes and chunky 285/75 mud terrain tyres on 16 inch alloy wheels are also standard fittings for all-weather travel, as are LED work lights, front and rear.

Weighing in at a Tare of 2860kg with an ATM of 3500kg resulting in a payload of 640kg, the 21ft 6in Sunseeker family van is priced at $147,919, although another price rise is coming.

A few kilometres away on the Sunshine Coast, composite caravan specialist Zone RV is now offering its latest 21ft Sojourn triple bunk off-road full composite caravan as a premium 'gas-free' model in the interest of greater sustainability and dust-free travel.

A new diesel hot water system is now standard, as is a 3000W inverter that ensures you can run a double-induction cooktop inside and a single induction cooktop and air fryer outside.

Three large pot drawers, a 274 litre Thetford compressor fridge-freezer, 12v fans, and a large under main bed storage and floor lockers at either side of the bed floor, cater for all the stuff a family might want to take on a long inland trip.

A large potential payload of up to 844kg is also excellent for a 21ft off-road caravan while, underneath, Cruisemaster tandem airbag suspension with dual shock absorbers per wheel irons out the corrugations.

One year’s complimentary roadside assistance is now included with each Zone RV purchase.

Meanwhile, innovative Brisbane-based expedition trailer builder Bruder has also enhanced the spec on its flagship EXP-8 hybrid caravan for 2023 with upgraded rooftop panels offering up to 1680w of solar power as standard, a new battery system adding over 20kW of storage, and a new dual air-con system with more cooling power, along with better efficiency.

And, thinking of wine lovers, the four-berth EXP-8 can now be equipped with either secure upright bottle storage or extra shelving. 

A new improved kitchen layout including a 240v microwave and an upgraded ensuite are other EXP-8 changes, with current 2023 pricing from $299,000 held until May 28.

2023 Let's Go Queensland Caravan and Camping Supershow

Where: Brisbane Showgrounds, 600 Gregory Terrace, Bowen Hills
When: June 6-11, 2023. 9am to 5pm (6pm Fri–Sat)
Tickets: Adults $20, Concession $17, Children free
More info: Queensland Supershow