By Malcolm Street
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There’s a word used in the caravan industry that, because of its broad use, causes some confusion among caravan buyers. That word is ‘offroad’.
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To some it simply means getting off tarred roads and to others it means charging through the bush country on barely marked tracks. In between are the gravel roads that predominate in outback national parks. 
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Even some brief consideration of the above gives rise to the thought that an ‘offroad’ van built for each of the above conditions is going to be different and, of course, have a different price tag as well.
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‘Fitness for purpose’, is the way it is described in Quality Assurance circles – bolts for FA-18 fighter jets have a much tougher specification than bolts for a Hyundai motor vehicle, but naturally cost much more as well.
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That’s why Phoenix Caravans developed its ‘Phase System’. There are four levels: Phase I is an on-road model and Phase IV is a heavy duty offroad, go anywhere model – the idea making it easier to match the van with owner and tow vehicle requirements.
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That way someone who just wants to explore a few outback national parks isn’t paying for a van that has been designed for the Tanami Track. 
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Phoenix’s Nomad Federation van is designated as a Phase III unit. 
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“These robust caravans are designed to be able to traverse such difficult terrain as the Gibb River Road, Tanami Track, Plenty Highway, Warburton and Gunbarrel highways, etc,” said&nbsp; Phoenix’s Greg Rosenthal.
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“The Nomad series of caravans is designed as a luxurious, self-sufficient touring retirement home for the discerning tourist who does not want to spend all of the time in a caravan park.”
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CW readers familiar with Phoenix will know that for many years, its vans did not have a front window. However, following a number of requests, Phoenix developed the Federation front – hence the Nomad Federation name.
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Well Constructed
This van has a moulded fibreglass front design that incorporates a recessed, fully protected window and keeps dust and water out while still offering an aerodynamic van shape. In this same design is a moulded fibreglass nose pod cover that protects drawbar-mounted items. 
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There isn’t a boot as such; instead a front tunnel locker is accessible from either side, as is a pole/rod carrier.
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Built on a laminated two-rail DuraGal chassis, the Nomad rides on tandem axle, Al-Ko independent suspension with alloy wheels and offroad tyres.
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Drop-down stabiliser jacks are fitted to each corner of the chassis, as are cyclone tie-down points. The spare wheel sits on the galvanised bumper bar. 
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Up front on the drawbar but under the nose pod are two 9kg gas cylinders, three deep cycle batteries and two jerry cans. Treated pine is used for the timber frame, fibreglass (4-5mm thick) is used for the external cladding and polystyrene is used for insulation.
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All the insulation is glued into place, as are the cabling runs, to minimise movement and chafing of the wiring. The Nomad also has Phoenix’s unique dust proofing system.
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Windows are tinted hoppers and the door is the ubiquitous Camec triple locker. External lights are fitted to both sides of the van.
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Inside
Phoenix has been building quality vans over a period of years and there has been a good continuity of product but a change welcomed by many a few years ago was the interior colour scheme which went from various shades of a quite practical grey to a much more decorous, mostly timbered look.
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The Tasmanian oak appearance of CW’s review Nomad was quite pleasing to the eye and predominates not only in the cabinet work but along the walls. 
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There are a variety of Nomad layouts but this 26ft (7.9m) unit came with a front north-south bed, offside kitchen, nearside dinette and bathroom plus storage area across the rear.
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All the windows have curtains and pelmets and there are three ventilation hatches: one above the bed, one above the kitchen area and one in the bathroom. 
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One is a well-known Four Seasons item but it has something new in its double glazed translucent top, thus making it a little more comparable to the marine style hatches. There’s also a roof-mounted air-conditioner.
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It’s a layout that will give two people a very comfortable living space plus a very good amount of storage area.
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The queen sized bed dominates the front area of the van. It has a foam mattress but with ‘egg crate’ mouldings on both sides. Windows all around give good natural light and interestingly, Phoenix has opted to fit two small hopper windows, rather than a single large one along the nearside.
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On either side is a small cupboard, plus a bedside table and drawers, while situated above there are two storage lockers. Lifting the bed reveals the usual under bed storage area.
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A nice touch is the towel rails on either side – it makes a change from hanging towels off a hook in the bathroom. Bedroom halogen lighting consists of two reading lights plus two overhead lights.
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Two people can sit very comfortably around the contoured foam L-shaped dinette. With a bit of dexterity, both parties should be able to put their feet up because of the corner backrest at one end and a simple backrest at the other.
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There’s the usual under-seat storage area that includes a drawer, four overhead lockers plus a two-door pantry that sits at the back of the dinette in the doorway area.
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There’s no shortage of lighting with two halogen reading lights under the overhead lockers plus a ceiling-mounted triple halogen cluster.
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Also under the overhead lockers are 240V and 12V powerpoints, both of which can be used at the table or the bench area behind the dinette. 
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There’s just about everything you might want in the kitchen department – Smev three-burner cooktop with separate grill/oven underneath, Vitrifrigo two-door fridge/freezer, stainless steel sink avec drainer and microwave. The sink has both fresh and drinking water taps with water supply being either mains pressure or 12V pumped. 
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Given the way the kitchen is set up, there is only a modicum of benchtop working area and the microwave is going to be a tad high for some people to use easily. Storage space is generous with three overhead lockers, four drawers of various sizes and a two-door cupboard.
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Lighting is also quite generous (as it is throughout the entire van) with two halogen downlights above the sink, two more in the fume extractor and two in the ceiling above.
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At the front end of the kitchen bench, the flatscreen TV can be swivelled to be seen from either the dinette or the bed. 
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Some designers with rear bathroom vans opt to make the bathroom a full width item but Phoenix has opted for a smaller bathroom and more storage area. For the obligatory ablutions, there’s a Thetford cassette toilet, flexible hose shower and a small wash basin with its own hot/cold tap.
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Additional features are a small window, shaving cabinet and recessed toilet roll holder. The shower cubicle is fibreglass but does have a vinyl lining.
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Well there is no shortage of storage in the rear of the Nomad with a very large two-door wardrobe, two drawers, two floor lockers and a small cupboard. Overloading might be the only problem. 
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In addition to the flatscreen TV, further entertainment is provided by a DVD/CD/MP3/FM/AM radio unit, with four speakers placed strategically throughout.
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As stated earlier, the van lighting is very generous and most light switches are located by the doorway – quite high and not so easy to reach when entering from outside. 
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The bottom line
With a price tag of nearly $95,000, you’d expect this to be a well-built van – and it is. Apart from a few odd things like light switch and microwave location, there aren’t many things to niggle about. 
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The bathroom might be a bit small for some people but that’s been done to add more storage area. With an ATM of 2950kg it is also quite a heavy van which should be considered when choosing the tow vehicle and proposed areas of travel.
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The final fit and finish is of a quality that would be expected from Phoenix and there is no doubt that the Nomad Federation has a ‘fitness for purpose’ feel about it. And that purpose is exploring some of the tougher roads of Australia but in style and comfort. 
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For more information contact Phoenix Caravans, 1 Strathvale Court, Caboolture, Qld 4510, 
(07) 5495 8277, fax: (07) 5495 8286, sales@phoenixcaravans.com.au, www.phoenixcaravans.com.au
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We liked:
• General fit and finish 
• Nice open feel to the layout, with the bathroom and tall cupboards in the rear
• Good general and specific lighting
• Well equipped kitchen
• Excellent amount of storage space
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We would have liked:
• Better located light switches in the doorway
• Lower position for microwave
• More time with this van
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Phoenix Nomad Federation

External length: 26ft (7.9m)

External width: 8ft 1in (2.49m)

Interior height: 6ft 6in (1.95m)

Nameplate ATM: 2950kg

Nameplate GTM: 2650kg

Nameplate Tare weight: 2385kg

Ball weight: 225kg

Frame: Treated pine

Chassis: DuraGal laminated high tensile

Suspension: Al-Ko independent

Cooktop: Smev three-burner stove/grill/oven

Fridge: Vitrifrigo 230L 12V compressor

Microwave oven: Samsung 23L

Shower: Yes

Toilet: Thetford cassette

Lighting: 12V halogen

Gas supply: Two x 9kg

Fresh water tank: Two x 80L, one 80L drinking

Grey water tank: No

Price: $94,880 
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Phoenix Nomad Federation

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