Phoenix Scorpion Super Gunbarrell 2006 Review

By Malcolm Street

The team at Qld-based offroad specialist Phoenix Caravans had a very interesting surprise.

Their first ever built Scorpion offroad caravan was back in the sales yard. The owners were reluctantly selling their pride and joy as they were not able to fully use it anymore.

This initial Scorpion was built by Phoenix as a special edition for the Qld Caravan Show in 1994. That particular show was the 25th anniversary of the Show and that is all recorded on a little plaque on the front of the caravan.

For this article, we thought we would have a look at a current Scorpion and see just how things have changed over the last 12 years.

CW’s 2006 Scorpion is the Super Gunbarrell model, 18ft (5.6m) long with tandem axles, Al-Ko independent suspension and built on a 4in x 2in (100mm x 50mm) chassis.

It’s a full caravan with a treated pine timber frame.

It rates a ‘phase four’ in the Phoenix system, one being the lightest on-road duty design and five being the heaviest offroad duty design. It has the Phoenix look about it – purposeful with a raked roof and chamfered lower rear, ideal for getting through some tough territory.

Aluminium is the choice of external cladding material, with the lower sides and front being checkerplate aluminium.

There isn’t a front boot storage area, instead a storage bin runs from side to side behind where the front boot might normally be. An Aussie Traveller awning keeps the sun and rain off the side of the van.

Inside the Scorpion the timber look dominates, something that has been a feature of Phoenix vans in the last few years.

The layout features a front bedroom, mid-offside dinette, nearside kitchen and rear offside bathroom. Along the rear wall beside the bathroom is a wardrobe and drawer cabinet.

Upfront the island queen sized bed dominates the bedroom with cupboards all around the bedhead. In the kitchen there is the usual Spinflo four-burner stove/grill, stainless steel sink, with 12V pumped hot and cold water and a 150L Vitrifrigo fridge plus cupboard and drawer space. There is no microwave but it is an option.

On the opposite side of the van, the dinette will seat four people although part of the floor is taken by the wheel arch. In the bathroom, which is quite large, there’s a flexible hose shower with a lower than floor level base plus a Thetford cassette toilet

The 12V lighting system is quite impressive with halogen reading lights and ceiling lights everywhere. Three 80ah deep cycle batteries power the 12V supply and they are charged by a 25A three stage charger.

Other ‘comfort’ items include the roof-mounted Carrier air-conditioner, Suburban gas/electric hot water heater and AM/FM radio/CD player.

What was going into Phoenix vans 12 years ago? Well the old Scorpion is a little shorter than the new item at 14ft 6in (4.4m) and considerably lighter. It’s a pop-top, not a full van and has the more traditional bullet-shaped front of earlier Phoenix van, as well as a more steeply angled rear.

It doesn’t have a front boot but a storage bin at the front offside. Like the newer Scorpion, the spare wheel is mounted on the rear bumper. On the front wall, beside the two 4kg gas cylinder is the aforementioned builder’s plaque.

Inside the old Scorpion is the interior scheme that was so characteristic of Phoenix Caravans – any shade of grey! To be fair though, the orange/pink curtains and laminated tops add a good splash of colour.

At the rear of the van are two single beds (note the Phoenix logo on the mattress covers) with a single cabinet between them. At the front of the van is a small dinette, while in the middle on both sides is the kitchen.

Not surprisingly it is quite small but does have a Tudor two-burner cooktop/grill plus a small stainless steel sink with a hand-pumped tap. On the opposite side is a Dometic 90L three-way fridge.

Lighting is 12V and a mixture of halogen reading lights and incandescent fittings. There isn’t a great deal of storage space available but what there is has been effectively used.

Generally speaking, as might be expected, the old Scorpion is a much simpler van with considerably fewer appointments – including no bathroom – than the 2006 model. It has to be said that the 1994 model is in remarkably good condition with little indication of age and use.

While the new model is very sophisticated and a state-of-the-art offroad van that has both ruggedness and comfort, the older model does have something to offer the offroader who doesn’t want a large offroad van but wants something a bit more solid walled than a contemporary upmarket RV and, in this case to pay considerably less.

For more information contact Phoenix Caravans, 1 Strathvale Court, Caboolture, Qld 4510, (07) 5495 8277, fax: (07) 5495 8286, email: sales@phoenixcaravans.com.au, web: www.phoenixcaravans.com.au