Paramount Tribute 2010 Review

By Joan Green

The stickers on the caravan in the Canterbury Caravans saleyard shouted that it was ‘New!’. Its moulded fibreglass front and back sections looked unlike those of any other model we’d seen before, which was unusual as most fibreglass ends tend to look alike.

But this van could only be the Paramount Tribute – the model we’d come especially to look at.

Since Paramount Caravans started quietly a few years ago, it has been making all the right moves.

Its skilled and experienced founders and managers have concentrated on establishing a reputation for reliability and a reasonable price.

That doesn’t mean that Paramount has been content to remain in the middle market segment, and the  arrival of the Tribute is a sign that it is making a bold new move.

A venture into fibreglass involves a big investment and it isn’t a step that any company makes today without careful planning.

“By using fibreglass we’re going with the trend,” explained Paramount’s co-owner and factory manager, Archie Anastasiou. “Many manufacturers are moving into new materials, and it’s what a lot of the customers want these days. But the Tribute’s design is exclusive to Paramount.”

Several years ago a number of caravan manufacturers rushed to adopt fibreglass technology before they fully understood the qualities of the material and the potential problems involved in combining fibreglass and aluminium sections.

Unfortunately a few ended up with expensive failures. This sort of mishap is rare now, but Paramount has ensured that its own fibreglass venture will achieve a standard of excellence right from the start.

“We’ve moved to this stage very carefully, and we can assure customers that our fibreglass ends definitely won’t warp or move in any way,” Archie said emphatically.

One important feature of the Tribute isn’t really a feature at all – the van is like a chameleon because its appearance can be tailored to suit each individual customer’s taste and financial situation.

The fibreglass ends are strictly optional, so if you prefer conventional aluminium-cladding all over you can have it. More significantly, fibreglass ends are just the beginning.

“The Tribute will soon be available with the option of a complete fibreglass shell, and also with fibreglass ends matched to sidewalls of sandwich panel material,” Archie explained.

“Customers will be able to choose the type they prefer – all fibreglass, all aluminium, or a combination of either fibreglass/aluminium or fibreglass/sandwich panel.”

This flexibility also extends to interior design. Paramount is happy to custom build, and this is greatly appreciated by dealers such as Colin Tobin of Canterbury Caravans.

“It means that I can have several Paramount models in the yard for people to look at, and they can pick the features they like in each one to make up their own van,” Colin said.

A close inspection of the Tribute’s curvaceous front and rear sections shows that both ends have the qualities of resilience and toughness that make this material so suitable for caravans.

Both ends incorporate an acrylic window and there are moulded recesses for the spare wheel, grab handles and LED indicator lights.

The front features a nose-like bulge at the base which is actually the boot, specially designed (and fully ventilated) to contain two 9kg gas bottles as well as a deep cycle battery and battery management system. There’s plenty of room for other items as well.

Just like other Paramounts, the Tribute is available in various optional configurations and the one CW viewed had a Supagal chassis with a standard axle/leaf-spring suspension.

For around-Australia capability it also features a 10cm chassis raiser and high profile tyres to give extra ground clearance on rough roads.

Two water tanks were fitted underneath, each with its own filler.

Drop-down corner jacks are optional, and an A&E rollout awning is fitted on the door side as well as an extra outdoor light.

The wind-out bubble acrylic windows are a new type that definitely contribute to the van’s upmarket appearance.

While the caravan’s external appearance is striking there are more surprises inside. Even before CW discovered all its modern accessories, the Tribute looked every inch a brilliant model.

The interior is lined in quality wood veneer panelling with matching timber moulding on the well finished cabinetwork and shelving. This is accompanied by post-form benchtops in dark green faux marble laminate.

The same shade of green appears in the striped corduroy fabric of the pillow-upholstered back rests, and the light brown of the alternate stripes is repeated in the suede-like seat cushions and pleated curtains.

The bubble windows, which let in plenty of light all around and incorporate roll-down shades and insect screens, are accompanied by two Al-Ko ceiling hatches (also with blinds and flyscreens) to ensure that there are no dark corners.

With an internal length of 18ft 6in (5.63m) and a rear side door, the Tribute has a great feeling of space. The angled overhead cupboards down both sides, some with glass fronts, also add to the roomy nature of the van.

The Tribute has an all-in-one shower and toilet compartment, and a two-piece kitchen with sink at the back and stove on the offside.

A double bed and twin wardrobes sit at the front and an L-shaped dinette near the entrance.

Two corner cupboards, one of them taller than the other to match the height of the raised fridge, face the foot of the bed to complete the floorplan.

The shower/toilet compartment is lined with Ceramalite, a material that has the look of real ceramic tiles without the weight and is easy to clean, plus a practical corner hand basin with a mixer tap.

The Thetford cassette toilet is the latest model (its slide-out cassette is fitted with small wheels and an extending handle, so it can be pulled along, just like a modern suitcase).

Other modern conveniences are found elsewhere in the Tribute, including a huge pull-out pantry and a pot drawer in the kitchen, a deep bowl sink with strainer plug, water filter fitted underneath and, CW’s favourite, a clever slide-out kitchen tidy.

Appliances include the new four-burner Smev stove and grill, Samsung microwave, flatscreen TV and a magnificent 12V TCL combined radio/CD/DVD and MP3 player with four ceiling-mounted speakers.

The Tribute also contains some of the more conventional luxury fittings, such as a Winegard direction-finding TV antenna, a large size Dometic three-way RM 2453 fridge, Dometic air-conditioner, well placed 12V lighting, a remote start water heater and a queen sized innerspring mattress.

The latter, on a hinged lift-up base, features an adjustable extension that takes it out to a generous 6ft 9in (2.05m) to accommodate taller occupants.

With a price of $52,990 the Paramount Tribute as shown compares favourably with other top of the range models that feature the latest materials and fittings.

It is well designed, well made, and the kind of caravan that many people will be proud to own.

While CW didn’t get to tow the Tribute, we followed it up the steep winding Mount Dandenong Tourist Road in Victoria, en route to the site of our shoot in the hills, and noticed that it tracked impeccably behind dealer Colin Tobin’s Nissan Patrol.

This was confirmed by Colin, towing the van for the first time, who was delighted with its performance when we arrived at our destination.

Examples of the attractive Tribute are already available for inspection at all Paramount dealerships.

By the time the show season begins there should be four or five different models to choose from, accompanied by the various cladding options.

Contact Canterbury Caravans (situated inside World of Caravans), 140 Canterbury Road, Bayswater, Vic 3153, (03) 9729 8188, fax: (03) 9761 4430, email: enquiries@canterburycaravans.com.au

We liked:
• Moulded fibreglass front and back especially the one-piece boot
• Well finished classic style cabinetry
• The fitted bin for kitchen waste

We would have liked:

• A little more bench space
• The same fabric for both seat cushions and backs