Regent 'The Roystan'

WHAT WE LIKED

• Rich plush timber finish interior
• Private outlook of portal style aperture leading into main bedroom

NOT SO MUCH

• It’s weighty, so you’ll need a heavy-duty tow vehicle

Regent Caravans has been in the game since 1992 and currently produces five models for the Australian market from its Melbourne factory.

While that may be only a handful of actual models, the number of choices in the layout of any of these vans is an incredible 20.

Add to this, six different seating options and five in the bed department and you have an enormous amount of flexibility in a one stop shop.

We recently looked at Regent’s The Roystan, a 20-foot (6.15m) caravan with a width of eight feet (2.46m), and came away impressed.

RUNNING GEAR

The Roystan is built on a Supagal chassis; the standard drawbar is 50 x 100mm which may be optioned up to 150mm for greater strength.

The wheels may also be optioned up from 14-inch alloys to 15 or 16-inch and the diameter of the brake drums from 10 to 12-inches. All four wheels are fitted with electric brakes and light truck tyres come standard.

Typically the pair of 9kg gas bottles is mounted on the drawbar held in camber lock straps and lockable by padlock.

There is the option of having steel mesh over the drawbar which is handy to place gear when loading and unloading the back of the car or the front boot which on the Roystan is fully galvanised inside.

A tap here is handy too and connected via a 12-volt pump to a pair of 95 litre water tanks slung under the floor and filled via with lockable filler necks.

Bubble windows are a feature on this van and while a 17-foot (5.23m) long Dometic awning shades the door entry and window, a metal hatch over the front window helps prevent damage to windows from stones flicking up from the tow vehicle.

Stone damage around the skirt of the van body rapidly diminishes good looks and value so the aluminium checker plate cladding on the sides in this strike zone is invaluable.

A robust galvanised rear bumper also serves as a spare wheel carrier.

LAYOUT LOWDOWN

Step inside and the heavy use of rich timber grain finish gives the impression of opulence. With the kitchen cooker directly opposite the doorway, a sliding door allows entry to the bathroom and laundry area.

The fibreglass shower module is kept private with a full size opaque hinged door and the flyscreened vent features an exhaust fan to get rid of the steam.

Along the back wall the vanity basin has a flat bench next to it. This has a hinged lid that works in conjunction with an opening front to give access to the Lemair washing machine. By the way, all hinges used in the van are of the piano type.

The bathroom and laundry area has plenty of cupboard space and the toilet has a swivel bowl to swing it out of the way so the door may be opened more fully.

Full splashbacks are utilised around all sink and cooking areas and to service the hot taps, a Suburban gas/240-volt auto ignition hot water service is fitted as standard.

Depending on the weather, a reverse cycle air conditioner may also be brought into play; it has an override switch at the bed head.

The kitchen features a single sink serviced by a mixer tap and another tap connected to a water filter. Two large pan drawers are situated under the cooker and a range hood is fitted above, next to the microwave with the stereo system flush mounted nearby.

A wide window behind the sink allows plenty of natural light in and some ventilation for the kitchen area while preparing food.

Forward of the kitchen proper is a 175-litre Dometic fridge with simulated timber panelling front to match the rest of the woodwork. Built into a floor to ceiling cupboard it is ideally positioned for the setting of the dining table and preparation of food on the kitchen bench.

The entrance to the bedroom is heralded with a bulkhead type arch which if necessary, could be fitted with a curtain draw blind as an option.

The queen size bed has storage cupboards in the foot end of its base and its mattress lifts up offering more valuable storage in the box below.

The bed head protruding from the front wall is actually the housing for the front boot that is accessed from outside above the drawbar. It has a handy flat top for putting books, lamps and the like and a half height robe sits above the bedside table each side of the mattress and serves as the bedside table. They too have a draw and storage cupboard in their front.

At the foot end of the bedroom in each corner, a floor to ceiling cupboard with two doors is featured. Though not overly large in volume they would make good footwear lockers.

The 17inch 12-volt flat screen TV sits in front of one of them on the near side.

BOTTOM LINE

That rounds up the Roystan, a caravan that has so many options it is impossible to even touch on them briefly here.

Suffice to say this caravan exudes a quality look throughout and when seated inside I enjoyed the ambience.

All this opulence comes at a cost though; you will require the likes of a Toyota LandCruiser or Nissan Patrol to tow this caravan.

REGENT 'THE ROYSTAN'

Overall Length:  27ft (8.23m)
External length: 22ft (6.7m)
External width: 8ft 2in (2.49m)
Internal height: 78in (1.98m)
Nameplate tare: 2180kg
Nameplate ATM: 2600kg
Ball weight (advised): 200kg
Frame: Meranti Timber
Chassis: Supagal
Suspension: Leaf Spring
Cooktop: Dometic
Fridge: Dometic 175-litre
Microwave: Yes
Shower: Yes
Toilet: Yes
Lighting: 12V LED
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Freshwater: 2 x 95-litre tanks
Price: $63,990 from Brisbane RVs (Refer to your local dealer as prices across the country vary considerably).
Website: regentcaravans.com.au