Regent Parklane 2005 Review

"This is a spectacular caravan," Steven Hawkins from Caravan Court told Caravan World. He was calling to invite us to look at a Regent Parklane that was awaiting collection by its new owners, Pat and Adrian Hine from Ballarat, Vic.

Caravan Court, a retail outlet at Springvale South in Melbourne's south-east, sells Regent and Olympic caravans alongside its own exclusive Pedigree and revolutionary self-folding Ecotourer models. Regent, the most recent addition to 'The Court', has proved to be popular with the customers, but only a handful of orders are taken for the top of the range custom-built Parklane models. The majority of first-time buyers, it seems, are entirely satisfied with the bestselling Regent Cruiser.

Overview
There are four models in the range, starting with the attractively priced Cruiser SE that offers a selection of standard layouts packaged with all the essential accessories for comfortable caravanning. Next is the Cruiser Series 3, custom-built for those who like the SE but want a few modifications and extras. The small X-treme is an offroad version of the Cruiser 3 with a heavy-duty chassis, elevated rear floor and many other practical features for travel in the bush. Finally, there's the distinctly superior custom-built Parklane, for which many standard designs are available, but which is invariably tailored to provide everything the customer's heart desires.

Not all manufacturers are equipped to receive orders from customers who supply their own floorplans, but Lifestyle Caravans, builder of the Regent range, is an ideal company to deal with when you have something special in mind. "We enjoy building vans that are different," Lifestyle's national marketing manager Aidan Saggers said. "We have plenty of room, our guys are very skilled and they really look forward to these special orders."

Careful planning
Parklane owners Pat and Adrian clearly were no novices. As Steve explained, it was their third van from Caravan Court. The previous two were Pedigrees, the second of which had actually featured in a CW article in May 2001.

For the Hines this new van was the result of careful planning and almost 10 years of experience. The well-travelled couple had very definite ideas about what constituted their ideal van, they were prepared to pay a little more ($30,000 more than their last van, as it happened), and they were ready for something different. They liked the Regent style, so a Parklane it had to be. Following many discussions between the Hines, the Caravan Court team and Peter the master cabinetmaker at Regent, plans were drawn up and their dream van was on its way.

Now finished and almost ready for its first trip, the Parklane was full of surprises - but first we should mention the model's standard features.

Every Regent Parklane contains standard items that are only available as extras in the Cruiser range.

These include a galvanised chassis; galvanised sheeting under the floor; full insulation; 12V battery pack and charger; Trail-a-Mate jack; Winegard TV antenna; CD radio; luxury Parklane seating; Sovereign sink and mixer tap; Dometic RM4401 refrigerator; runners on all drawers, smoked glass inserts in overhead cupboard doors - and much more.

And, of course, since Parklanes are in the upper price bracket, most buyers take advantage of the opportunity to add at least a few of their own ideas.

The Hines' Parklane has a floorplan that is similar in some respects to that of their previous Pedigree model.

With internal measurements of 22ft 6in (6.85m) by 7ft 9in (2.32m) it is a big van, but not a great deal larger than its predecessor. The rear side entrance, the double-sided centre kitchen with an island bench section and the front bedroom are design features that have already proved satisfactory, but there is one major difference: the new Parklane's most outstanding feature is a full-width ensuite incorporating separate shower, toilet, vanity, linen closet - and a washing machine!

Adrian explained that in the Pedigree they felt no need for such luxuries.

"We found the facilities in today's tourist parks to be excellent, and by not having the shower and toilet, we gained an amazing amount of space inside the van."

Although the Hines had enjoyed the generous living space in their old van for three-and-a-half years, they realised that once you get into serious caravanning there are many advantages to having your own private facilities. Some of their favourite parks, even in places that were once considered remote, had recently been 'discovered' by fellow vanners and were becoming uncomfortably full at times. "With more caravans being sold, the parks are getting much busier - so we like to stay out a bit more," Adrian said.

Another special addition is the 16-inch wheels and tyres, sourced by Adrian himself. Experience has taught him that smaller wheels can make it awkward for a big caravan to negotiate the gutters and steep inclines into service station forecourts.

To complement the larger wheels Regent supplied an upgraded two inch axle, and Adrian requested an extra leaf be fitted to the spring on the nearside to accommodate the combined weight of the fridge and stove.

The kitchen sink has a filter that bypasses the main tap and supplies pure drinking water. People accustomed to treated city water have been known to develop tummy complaints after drinking the 'local brew' in outback towns, not necessarily through contamination but because of unaccustomed mineral content, and as Adrian explained, "You get different types of water up north - sometimes it can vary in every place you stop at."

The Parklane also contains not one but two flat screen TVs wired for both 12 and 240V power and connected to the CD/DVD player, as well as the rooftop Winegard antenna. The original TV location on the kitchen bench was too far away for satisfactory viewing from the bedroom (the bed in the new van is in a north-south position instead of east-west as it was in the Pedigree), so the Hines ordered a second unit mounted high up in the corner facing the foot of their bed.

The couple are pleased with their choice of a 2kg Lumea washing machine which they said is beautifully smooth and quiet to operate. Another of the Hines' specified features is the removable dinette table, mounted on a special track on the wall so that it can be lifted off and taken outside when required.

The fridge is a big, domestic Kelvinator converted to run on 12V power. Its 240V compressor has been replaced by a 12V Danfoss unit, and the fridge has been fitted snugly into the cabinetry, securely surrounded by a special framework. A travelling catch, to keep the door from opening in transit, was 'borrowed' from a Dometic unit.

Adrian has an important tip for everyone who enjoys cold beer in the tropics. Melted ice was a constant problem in the first van, so Adrian suggests, "The back of the fridge needs to be in the shade - this can prove to be a difficult request, but it should be positioned on the nearside of the van so that it is sheltered by the awning".

Pat and Adrian are thrilled with their new Regent Parklane and the service they've received from both Regent and Caravan Court. Among their favourite features are the lighting - Pat says, "All those spotlights are like a Christmas tree, and the reading lights in the bedroom are excellent,", and Dometic skylights - a large one in the centre of the van and a smaller one for the bedroom - which are all new since they bought their last van.

Adrian likes the modern battery setup (fitted under a dinette seat) with two batteries and a Smartcharger: all he has to do is plug into the mains in a caravan park and this unit replenishes the batteries. Back home on the farm, in the shed where the van lives, he leaves it plugged in and the batteries are trickle-charged to keep them alive and healthy until the next trip.

Pat and Adrian love the comfort of the well designed and upholstered Regent seats (not only for dining, but ideal for lounging) and they really appreciate the exclusive Regent backrest bed when watching TV at night. Instead of a conventional vertical front boot topped by a shelf behind the bed, Regent built a sloping boot that supported a laid-back bed head with comfortable padded upholstery that matches the seats.

Parklane's Pioneer sound system is a winner - radio, CD, DVD unit connected to four ceiling-mounted speakers. Adrian is especially delighted with the Trail-A-Mate hydraulic caravan jack/jockey wheel supplied by Regent with the Parklane. As well as saving his bad back when unhitching, levelling and hitching up the van, it's a very reassuring item to have on board in case it becomes necessary to change a wheel by the roadside.

One disappointment, however, was the curtains. As can be seen in the photos, originally the tops of the pleated curtains hung below the pelmets and completely spoiled the effect of the well dressed windows (which also have Holland blinds behind the diaphanous privacy netting). We're glad to say that Regent immediately remeasured the windows and replaced the offending drapery with curtains that fit perfectly and look marvellous.

On the Australia Day weekend Pat and Adrian are planning a trip to the beach to check out the new Parklane's performance on site. Then in March they'll be heading across the Nullarbor, bound for Esperance, Perth, Broome and across to Longreach before returning home down the east coast. When they get home their property will be up for sale, so the van will serve as a home until they find a new land base.

Readers who require further information about the Regent Parklane should contact their local Regent dealer, or check out the helpful website, www.regentcaravans.com.au

For specific information regarding the Hines' Regent Parklane and more on the Caravan Court range, contact Steven Hawkins on (03) 9546 9822 or visit www.caravancourt.com.au

Regent ParklanE (custom-built)
Manufacturer: Regent Caravans
Internal length: 22ft 6in
Internal width: 7ft 6in
Frame: meranti (full)
Chassis: galvanised, with galvanised sheeting underfloor
Axle: tandem
Suspension: solid axles with leaf springs (modified on nearside)
Tare weight: 2250kg
Ball weight: 210kg
No of berths: two
Price: on application

We liked:
- The ensuite area - lots of cupboards, big oval hand basin and luxurious washing machine
- Enormous bench space and large pot drawers in double-sided kitchen

We would have liked:
- Perhaps a few rugs beside the bed for bare feet on cool mornings