Roadstar Daintree Modena

WE LIKED

• Quality of finish
• Solid and stable chassis
• Independent suspension

NOT SO MUCH

• No stoneguard for the A-frame tap
• Only one 12V point

The Roadstar Daintree Modena stands for more than blacktop touring. It’s for luxury and long-range vanning.

It’s for heading off the highway and into the Flinders’ Parachilna Gorge or along the Brachina Geological Trail, with their undulations and rubble roads that would shake lesser vans apart.

When you think of luxury caravans, rarely do we consider their potential beyond the bitumen. But with this semi-offroad Daintree Modena (Modena means it’s an up-specced Daintree), that kind of travel is half the point.

The other half, of course, is luxury – you won’t be without that when you’re in that million-star park we call outback Australia.

WORTHWHILE TRADE-OFF

Let’s be honest: the front of this van is a squeeze. Space around the bed is limited, with about 350mm either side and even less at the foot of the bed.

But van design is all about comprise, and in this case what you lose in the bedroom you gain in the kitchen and bathroom. Considering what has been fitted – all the luxury that we’ll get to – into an external body length of 6.83m, it becomes apparent why the bedroom is a little short on space.

The north-south bed measures 1.85 x 1.55m, and the bedroom itself is separated from the living quarters by a concertina door. There are cupboards at the foot of the bed, tucked into the corners, with numerous storage options. The nearside cupboard is a full-height number with three shelves inside.

The doors of the two lower cupboards are hinged at the bottom, so while they won’t open all the way due to the limited space around the bed, you can still snake your hand inside.

The wardrobes either side of the bed are good for about 1.2m of hanging space. The Camec hatch above (there’s a pressure hatch, too) does a fine job in terms of ventilation.

As for entertainment, the Daintree Modena has a flatscreen telly mounted to a swing-arm bracket at the offside foot of the bed. There’s also a Pioneer stereo/DVD player connected to two internal and two external speakers, as well a telly for outside the van – the external swing-arm bracket tucks away behind an external hatch.

COOK’S DELIGHT

The kitchen is the highlight of this van’s interior. Acres of benchtop space, a more-than-adequate 186 litre three-way Dometic fridge/freezer, Swift 500 Series cooktop with griller and oven, a microwave… Yep, happy hour catering is sorted in this Daintree Modena.

Between the fridge and sink, you’re looking at 620mm of bench space, with a ‘depth’ of 550mm. And that’s just the start: aft of the sink, there is a further 900mm of bench space above the angled stove when its flush-fitting benchtop lid is closed (the stove is recessed 90mm, so it sits quite low).

As for storage, there are three overhead lockers, appropriately partitioned for maximum use of the space. The cabinetry is good and solid, with no indication that things will rattle apart when you’re traversing the aforementioned Brachina Geological Trail.

Including the spread of cupboards and drawers beneath the bench, it’s hard to imagine kitchen storage being an issue, despite the fact the offside wheel arch occupies much of the floor-level space.

Opposite the kitchen, the dinette has that look of luxury. Leather has a way of conveying a sense of opulence, even decadence.

The armrests on both lounges look terrific, but when the tri-fold table is ‘open’, they impede access. However, these armrests can be omitted at the build stage if you too find them impractical.

The dinette has the usual under-seat storage; however, access could prove awkward – you’ll need to lift the seat cushion(s) clear as a hatch or drawer aren’t fitted to either seat base.

Traipsing dirt through your van is almost unavoidable. I have always made the effort to take my shoes off but, not wanting to leave them outside, they have invariably ended up in the step well.

Roadstar, however, has fitted a rather nifty shoe locker just inside the entrance. A small thing, true, but thoughtful.

The bathroom features a moulded fibreglass shower on the offside with an LED light and 12V fan hatch. A Dometic cassette toilet is on the nearside, with a Lemair top-loader washing machine tucked into the nearside corner.

The vanity’s plumbing runs through a sealed cavity behind the shower. The bathroom is, overall, fairly spacious and well put together.

Roadstar gets our tick of approval for its use of energy-efficient lights throughout. A good spread of LEDs has to be appreciated – they’ll keep you in the light for much longer when you’re away from mains than will halogens.

Two hundred and forty-volt powerpoints are fitted in all the right places, but only one 12V point was fitted, and that one’s set aside for the TV. A 12V point beneath the dinette table so you can charge your mobile, etc., would be appreciated.

The temperature is controlled by a reverse-cycle Aircommand Ibis air-conditioner, a popular unit.

RIDING HIGH

The first thing that strikes you about the Daintree Modena is its purposeful stance on the road. It’s clear that it has rough-road potential.

With its impressive ground clearance, Simplicity independent suspension, solid chassis and more, I’d be confident about taking it along the likes of the Oodnadatta and Tanami tracks.

The clearance height is an impressive 450mm. The additional height is achieved via the use of a 6in drawbar that runs back to the front suspension mounts, a 4in chassis raiser that runs beyond the rear suspension mounts, the 6in main chassis members, and the Simplicity suspension.

Because of the additional height, Roadstar had to lower the coupling to keep it within towball height tolerances. A thick steel plate has been welded to the bottom of the drawbar at the pointy end, with the ball coupling securely bolted to the plate.

The extra ground clearance has led to a fold-out step at the entrance being fitted; however, it’s still about 400m from this step to the ground, so a plastic portable step or similar might be necessary.

The gal-lined front boot is home to two 97Ah batteries and CTEK charger, with room left over for the necessary camp chairs, a small generator, etc. Along with the two spare wheels, a couple of jerry can holders are mounted on the rear.

Underneath, everything is nice and neat, with well secured cabling to the electric brakes. There’s a minimum of PVC, and it’s positioned sensibly, in a way that you’d be pretty unlucky for it to be damaged by road debris.

The water tanks are fitted forward of the axle and are protected by galvanised sheet metal. The taps do jut out from the stoneguard, though, but like with the PVC, you’d be unlucky for them to be damaged by a flying stone, since they’re forward of the wheels.

On the subject of stone protection, I’d like to see a guard for the A-frame tap.

In terms of external luxuries, the main feature is the flatscreen TV, the swing-arm bracket hidden behind a nearside hatch (obviously, the TV itself is stored inside when under way). The external picnic table is a lengthy 915mm.

It’s sometimes the case that after we’ve tested a van, we find out more about it. A follow-up call to Roadstar revealed that the company now uses a special sealant – exclusive to Roadstar – that has a “600 per cent stretch flexibility, cures under humidity, and can be applied to dry and wet surfaces”.

In short, the sealant – used wherever water might find its way in – is said to be superior to anything currently in use. Roadstar certainly has confidence in the sealant as they provide a 10-year warranty against degradation, etc.

VERDICT

Our test Daintree Modena rides high, in more ways than just its travel height. The fit and finish is first class, the standard we’ve come to expect from this manufacturer.

It should be noted, too, that Roadstar’s vans can be customised. So if you wanted more bedroom space, fine – but short of increasing the length of the van, you’d have to compromise on the space in the kitchen and bathroom.

Under tow, the Daintree was very well behaved, both behind a 200 Series LandCruiser and Isuzu D-Max ute, though a weight distribution hitch was required when it was coupled to the latter.

It could use (another) 12V socket or two, but the Daintree Modena remains a well considered and built caravan that shouldn’t be overlooked if you want to tour, in luxury, beyond the blacktop.

ROADSTAR DAINTREE MODENA

Overall length: 8.53m
External body length: 6.83m
External width: 2.26m
Travel height: 2.97m
Internal height: 1.94m
Tare: 2580kg
ATM: 2980kg
Ball weight: 180kg
Frame: Meranti
Chassis: SupaGal
Suspension: Simplicity independent
Cooktop: Swift 500 Series with griller and oven
Fridge: 186 litre three-way Dometic
Microwave: Elfa
Toilet: Dometic cassette
Shower: Separate cubicle
Lighting: LED
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Batteries: 2 x 97Ah deep-cycle
Fresh water: 2 x 95 litre
Hot water: 23 litre Suburban
Price as shown: $84,990 (tow-away, Qld)
Supplied by: Ipswich Lifestyle Centre, Bundamba, Qld
More info: Roadstar Caravans