Paramount Utility

WE LIKED:
>> Deep rear boot
>> Aussie-first Infiniti light
>> External kitchen

WE WOULD HAVE LIKED:
>> Solar set-up
>> Need a LandCruiser to tow it!
>> Al-Ko ESC should be standard at this price

With a name like the Paramount Utility, you would expect this offering from Canterbury Caravans to be utilitarian in nature, as well as name. And while it does have some particularly useful and unique features both inside and out, the van also has a level of elegance and luxury rarely seen on the road.

But it would be remiss of me to go any further into this review without mentioning the stand-out feature of the Utility – a 2.5ft-deep rear boot, capable of holding bikes, tools, tanks, fishing gear or whatever large items you need to travel with.

The spare wheel is located in the boot, which is completely kitted out in aluminium checkerplate; there are five hanging hooks on the rear wall for bikes, rods or pipes, a shelf running the width of the van; two powerpoints and two LED lights.

External storage is further complemented by the spacious front boot which, at 1.5ft deep, adds even more useful space.

The Utility has an internal length of 21ft but the combined length of the boots takes the external length up to 25ft and 29ft in total (including the drawbar), making it a fairly lengthy tow. It definitely looks like a long van but the upside is the raft of extra features packed into its body.

BUILT TO IMPRESS

The Utility is Paramount’s top of the range caravan and it really is something to behold. From the outside, it’s a long, good-looking van, but step inside the centre-entry door and the full effect hits you.

Classy, elegant, luxurious, sophisticated, stylish – any one of a raft of words could be used to describe the Utility’s interior.

The contrasting colours of the shining mahogany cabinetry, black leather upholstery, white walls, light grey timber-look floor and granite-look benchtops combine perfectly to create a timeless style.

Numerous LED lights sprinkled throughout the van add sparkle to the cabinets but it’s the ceiling-mounted Infinity dome light which really shines.

Located amidships between the bed and the kitchen, the Infinity light employs dozens of tiny LEDs and a mirror to create a tunnel effect, dotted with sparkling lights. Standing below and staring up into the ‘tunnel’ gives the impression you’re staring into space or a far-flung galaxy.

The dome is ringed with bright clusters of LED lights so, like everything in this van, it’s functional as well as fancy.

While it might look a bit like something from outer space, the spectacular Infinity light is actually from Germany, and that’s where Canterbury Caravans dealer principal Colin Tobin first encountered the light at the Caravan Salon Dusseldorf – one of the world’s biggest caravan trade shows.

“We saw it at the Dusseldorf show and we thought ‘Gee, that’s pretty good. We want that’,” he recalled.

In a stroke of good luck, Colin was describing the light to someone at the Dometic stand when they chimed in and said ‘that’s our light’.

“So we said, ‘right, we want a couple of those’ and they were putting them on a plane across to Melbourne while we were still in Dusseldorf.”

These were the first Infinity lights Dometic exported to Australia and Paramount is believed to be the only manufacturer using them here.

The lights can be fitted to any Paramount van at a cost of about $250 and Colin said customers were snapping them up.

“We’ve had fantastic customer feedback. They love them,” Colin said.

NOT ALL GLITZ AND GLAMOUR

But the Utility is not just surface beauty – this van is well-thought-out, well laid-out and, I believe, the discerning caravanner would have trouble finding anything lacking.

It has the tried-and-tested front bedroom-rear bathroom layout which caravanners love but it is the finishing touches which make this van stand out.

LED strip lighting above the footwell of the automatic Thule step provides illumination in the dark and a grab rail by the door is a handy aid.

The front bedroom features a north-south queen-sized bed with a padded black leather bedhead and a full-width shelf below the front window.

The bed is surrounded by storage options, including three mirrored cupboards above and half-height mirrored robes on each side, each with a shelf, drawer and smaller cupboard below.

There’s a reading light and two powerpoints on each side of the bed and two LED lights above.

It’s quite easy to move about the bedroom, with a decent amount of space between the bed and the walls, each with a large window, on each side.

The bed lifts up to reveal a compartmentalised storage space underneath, although the rear third is taken up by the slide-out external kitchen. There’s an access door to the underside at the front of the bed base, so you can retrieve small items without lifting up the whole bed.

There are two waist-height corner cabinets – each with a shelf above, an overhead cupboard and two powerpoints.

The TV mounting point and TV antenna jack are located on the nearside with the electrical switches on the offside and all are within easy reach.

THE CHILL ZONE

Situated opposite the entry door, the offside dinette is the heart of this van. With its squashy, black leather-upholstered cushions offset by some grey striped fabric panels, this is an easy place to sit and relax for a while.

The lounge will comfortably seat four people and the long tri-fold table will easily accommodate four dinner settings (plus a bottle or two of wine!).

But if the van is just for the two of you, you can take advantage of the hinged footrests on each seat to give yourself even more room to stretch out and watch TV or admire the views through the windows.

And there are two powerpoints under the table, so it can also be used as a temporary work station for your laptop or tablet.

Overhead is more stylish mahogany cabinetry including a deep shelf above the dinette with a two-door shelved cupboard with smoked glass doors above that.

There’s another cupboard with a glass door on each side of that an additional small cupboard to the rear with the Kenwood stereo below.

A long window runs the length of the dinette, providing plenty of natural light to eat or read by; but three LED lights built into a mahogany roof piece make the cupboards shine and create suitable illumination for the evenings.

The spacious kitchen takes up the mid-nearside of the van, with only the Thetford 184 litre three-way fridge/freezer and half-height slide-out pantry on the offside. The fridge is located slightly off the floor, leaving room for a narrow drawer below and a top-hinged cupboard above.

PROOF IN THE PUDDING

We prepared and cooked a number of meals in the Utility’s kitchen and found it easy-to-use and well thought-out.

Bench space is plentiful and is improved even further when the smoked glass lid and benchtop-matching cover over the cooktop is closed.

The pale grey granite-look benchtops offset the dark cabinetry beautifully. And, more importantly, there’s more than enough room for two people to work side-by-side without tripping over each other.

Appliances include a Thetford Minigrill Mk III combo four-burner cooktop with grill; a Daewoo microwave; and a stainless steel sink with mixer tap, drainer and filtered water tap with a long window above.

Storage space is bountiful both above and below the bench – there are two drawers with smoked glass doors below the grill; a shelved cupboard under the sink; three drawers, including one which is compartmentalized for utensils below the drainer; and another cupboard below those.

Above the cooktop are a rangehood and shallow cupboard and a deeper overhead cupboard above the sink. The water pump, hot water system, water heater switches and the water level indicator are all located in the cabinetry above the stove.

And if all that still isn’t quite enough storage space for you, there’s another two cupboards beside the entry door.

At the rear of the van and safely ensconced behind a sturdy sliding door is the full-width ensuite. There’s a Thetford cassette toilet on the offside, with ventilation hatch above, and a deep triangular storage cupboard on the rear wall.

A front-loading washing machine is mounted at waist-height with a two-door cupboard (housing two powerpoints) above.

The vanity on the rear wall has the same pale grey benchtops as the kitchen and a modern, modular ceramic sink. Above is a shelved, two-door cupboard and below are a narrow shelved cupboard and four drawers. You definitely don’t want for storage space in this van!

The shower, located in a separate cubicle, is on the nearside and has a variable-height, flexible-hose shower head and ventilation hatch.

ON THE OUTER

Externally, the Utility is everything it claims to be. There’s a multitude of storage options with easy access and a few optional features which really add value and convenience.

If outdoor cooking is your thing, or you just want to enjoy the sunshine while you cook up some steaks, the optional external kitchen would be well worth considering.

The Black Widow kitchen slides out from a front nearside storage locker (which can otherwise be used to store other items) and comprises a two-burner gas cooktop and sink with mixer tap. The sink and stove, which each have a smoked glass lid that also acts as a wind guard, can be quickly and easily plumbed directly into the caravan’s gas and water supplies.

There’s also a small storage bin at each end of the slide-out and a fold-down picnic table and full-length Dometic for you to enjoy your meals al fresco.

Forward of the slide-out kitchen is the full-length front tunnel boot, accessible from both ends, with an optional generator slide.

The 1.5ft front boot I mentioned earlier creates more storage space, even with the two 100Ah mariner-grade batteries, Camec break-away battery management system and other assorted electrics housed here.

There are twin 9kg gas bottles on the drawbar, a tap on the offside rail and a grate between the A-frame for additional storage while you’re parked.

The front of the van has waist-high black checkerplate protection with a burgundy vinyl stoneguard to shoulder height, while the sides just have checkerplate and the rear only has vinyl.

On the offside is access to the front tunnel boot; the toilet’s cassette hatch; a rear storage locker; and a rear tunnel boot with large Black Widow slide-out storage drawer.

All Paramount vans come with optional Al-Ko Electronic Stability Control. The system is gaining momentum among the caravanning fraternity and is considered to be a wise investment on a new or pre-loved van.

VERDICT

If you’re in the market for a caravan with function as well as finesse, the Paramount Utility could easily be the van for you. It's a special van with some terrific features.

However, its higher-end price tag may put it out of the reach of some and with an ATM close to 3.5 tonnes, you’ll need a suitably heavy-duty tow vehicle.

It won’t take you through the Simpson Desert but it will take you around Australia in comfort and style.

PARAMOUNT UTILITY

Overall length: 9.3m (30ft 6in)
External body length: 7.62m (25ft)
Interior body length: 6.4m (21ft)
Travel height: 2.87m (9ft 5in)
Tare: 2710kg
ATM: 3310kg
Ball weight: 190kg
Chassis: 6in with 2in riser
Suspension: Rocker Roller
Wheels: 15in
Brakes: 12in electric with Al-Ko ESC
Battery: 2x100Ah
Water tank: 2 x 95 litre
Gas: 2 x 9kg bottles
Cooking: Thetford Minigrill Mk III combo four-burner with grill
Fridge: Thetford 184 litre three-way
Microwave: Daewoo
Air con: Ibis Aircommand
Price: $89,990 (Vic)
Supplied by: Canterbury Caravans
, Bayswater, Vic
More info: Paramount Caravans