Paramount Intrepid/Delta Limited Edition 2006 Review

By Greg Williams

Is there a suitable caravan for a new generation of caravanners? The Baby Boomers have put a lot of vans on our roads but the caravan market doesn’t end there.

The next caravanning age group, which the demographers call Generation-X, is coming through and, as we’ve been told, they don’t necessarily want to follow in the tracks of their parents.

That’s where a big offroad van like the Paramount Intrepid/Delta comes in. As many people already have a big 4WD in their garage, they will be looking for something to match both their car and lifestyle.

Terry Ward, sales manager at Canterbury Caravans at the World of Caravans complex in Bayswater, Melbourne, has noticed this trend, also noticing that young families seemed to like Paramount’s Intrepid/Delta setup.

Paramount, based in Campbellfield, Vic, has taken its Delta Limited edition, put it on their own Intrepid offroad suspension and has produced a big van with decent offroad capabilities and a perfect match for a Nissan Patrol or Toyota LandCruiser.

 “We sold a few at the caravan show – it’s the sort of thing that’s taking off,” Terry says.

“We’re getting a lot of the Generation-Xers, 40 and under.”

He continues by indicating they don’t all necessarily want to go offroad, but want to have the freedom to go where they want, “They want all the comfort features – they don’t want to rough it.”

At well over two tonnes, this is a big off bitumen van and you will need something big to tow it. Terry Ward recommends a tow vehicle with a 3500kg rating – something like one of the 4WDs mentioned above.

Paramount’s Delta series is available with a hard or pop-top, but the pop-top is a good choice if you don’t want the extra height that the increased ground clearance of the Intrepid suspension gives you.

The only real difference between the two roof options is that the pop-top version doesn’t come with a TV as standard. In the hardtop the TV is fitted above the microwave, but there are enough powerpoints inside to fit one wherever you want (an ideal spot would be on the corner cabinet behind the dinette).

On the outside

The Intrepid/Delta has an external length of 17ft 6in (5.3m), excluding the A-frame, and has a Tare weight of 1920kg, with the ball weight being 190kg.

Underneath, the chassis is made of hefty 6in x 2in, hot-dipped galvanised steel with a Simplicity load-sharing tandem axle. The 15in wheels are fitted with Sumitomo light truck tyres, with a spare wheel mounted on the rear bumper bar.

Across the front is a very handy 45cm deep boot and a stoneguard that goes to the top of the front window. Sitting outside the boot are two jerry can holders which, while very practical for the kind of use the van will have, look like an afterthought to complete the offroad package.

The Intrepid/Delta comes with two 60 litre water tanks (there is a tap on the A-frame), two 9kg gas bottles and twin batteries with a 30A charger. Solar panels are an optional extra: fitting a couple will cost about $800 each.

Clean exterior lines are essential if you don’t want to be snagged by branches when you go offroad, which the Intrepid/Delta has, as well as the ground clearance and a reasonable rear departure angle.

The Aussie Traveller awning tucks away neatly but in our van it got in the way of the pop-top latch above the door. We were assured that it was because that specific van had a unique awning setup and not all Intrepid/Deltas are the same.

The trick is having the top down and latched before you put the awning away. There is an easy lifter on each corner and a large annexe light.

Made for cooking

Generation-Xers, we are told, appreciate good food, so this van is great for people who like to cook. What is most striking when you step into the van is the size of the kitchen area.

The sink is on the right-hand side of the door, with hot water provided by a remote-start unit, a decent draining area and heaps of bench space with two powerpoints.

The rest of the kitchen is on the offside of the van, opposite the dinette, which can convert into a bed for extra passengers.

The fridge is a 120 litre Dometic three-way, and above that is a Heron split-system, reverse cycle air-conditioner.

The stove is a four-burner with mini grill and plenty of storage underneath, with more benchspace next to the stovetop and under the stainless steel NEC microwave. The rangehood is also stainless steel.

The stained glass on the overhead cupboards matches the light timber decor of the van, but customers can choose from a range of interior colours.

From a practical point of view, putting the toilet/shower right in the middle of the kitchen may have been a good idea, but it does seem a little strange at first. Maybe it should have been moved along to the middle of the van to create one big kitchen, rather than having the sink on one side of the offside corner toilet and the fridge and stove on the other.

The shower is actually quite large and has a fan and hatch, and a cassette toilet with a vanity unit above. There is a water level indicator above the bench in the kitchen.

The Intrepid/Delta combination has a multitude of powerpoints, with one above each bedside table, one on the corner cabinet behind the dinette and two on each side of the kitchen. The vans lighting is 12V halogen, apart from a fluorescent above the sink, and above the fridge there’s a Pioneer radio/CD player combination that provides surround sound through ceiling-mounted speakers.

For a pop-top, it has plenty of storage – the 6ft 2in x 5ft (187cm x 152cm) box bed with innerspring mattress lifts up on struts to reveal a large amount of storage space, and there are cupboards and drawers on either side of the bed, as well as separate adjustable lights.

The bottom line

This Paramount Intrepid/Delta package is a very practical unit, ideal for people who want to go a bit further than sealed roads allow, and with its Intrepid suspension it will take rough tracks in its stride.

A trip in this caravan will have the feel of roughing it, without actually having to rough it.

For more information on the Intrepid/Delta package contact Canterbury Caravans, 140 Canterbury Road, Bayswater, Vic, (03) 9729 8188.