Roadstar Voyager

By Tom Olthoff

Sadly, CW hardly ever seems to be able to spend enough time with a caravan when it is offered for an evaluation. This can lead to misinformation, particularly with regard to specific features that may not be readily noticeable during a quick inspection. Fortunately the gods smiled on us favourably when it came to the Roadstar Voyager 4000 that was provided by Donehues Leisure in Mount Gambier, SA, at a time when I was in need of some serious R&R. Although one can always do with more time when it comes to caravanning, in this case 10 days gave us a good idea of what this Roadstar model had to offer.

The Voyager on test started life as a RP/RC 1676-1 tandem pop-top, to which Andrew Donehue had added 150mm for a little more inside space. This made for a very compact tandem that could accommodate two in comfort and was a delight to tow. Layout was very much a standard front kitchen and rear bedroom, with the dinette and lounge located amidships.

Screwed and glued
The chassis and A-frame are made from heavy duty 100mm x 50mm corrosion-resistant Supagal steel members. On rear door models the A-frame extends back to the suspension. A tandem Simplicity load-sharing independent suspension, rated at 2000kg, carried the load and smoothed out the bumps. Dunlop SPLT5 185R14C eight-ply rated tyres sat on 14 x 6 wheels with a capacity of 1050kg. Electric brakes are fitted to all wheels.

A white, powder-coated bumperbar supports the spare tyre at the rear. Four corner stabilisers are standard as are the mudflaps, jockey wheel, jacking points and a Trail-A-Mate hydraulic caravan jack. The water tank has a capacity of 80 litres and is protected by a galvanised sheet.

Water-resistant, 12mm thick ply makes up the floor. This is screwed and glued to the chassis and coated underneath with a waterproof membrane. Framing consists of durable meranti with the frames being bolted to the floor as well as on the corners. Walls and ceilings are insulated.

Storage aplenty
Entry to the interior of the Roadstar 4000 is through a Camec tri-lock security door while the windows are all wind-out. Front and rear windows are protected by a stone shield with a full-height padded pebbleguard at the front offering further protection.

Other useful features include a full-width front boot, two 4.5kg LPG cylinders on the A-frame, lockable water filler, mains pressure water supply, two annexe lights, fibreglass wheel spats, 240V power outlet, four-seasons hatch, front and rear grab handles and rollout awning.

Inside the Roadstar, gas struts support the lift-up base for the double bed with innerspring mattress, making it easy to access the large underbed storage area. Further floor-level storage was provided under the L-shaped dinette and the lounge. High-density 125mm thick foam is used for all seat cushions.

There was no shortage of cupboards, both overhead and in the kitchen. The latter included a pull-out pantry, pot drawer and slide-out basket. Up front were two wardrobes and a small dressing table. One wardrobe had a concealed drawer while the other offered full-height hanging space. Being a pop-top it was possible to use the top of the overhead cupboards as shelves for items such as books and magazines when onsite.

Other useful features were the Samsung 950W microwave, stainless steel sink with hand pump and mains pressure tap, water filter, Swift 500 series four-burner stove with griller, rangehood, Dometic RM4400 three-way refrigerator, Swift rangehood and two double powerpoints in the kitchen. Lights operated on 12V.

Presentation is everything
From the outset we were impressed with the way that Donehues had presented the van. You’d be forgiven for thinking any caravan that a high-profile RV magazine was asked to look at would have had the wood shaving and the metal swarf vacuumed out, but this service is not always provided. In the case of the Roadstar 4000, it was immaculate. Also included for the buyer was a drawer of goodies, containing a folder with instructions, manuals and other caravanning information, a pair of towels and a bottle of premium wine.

When packing the van we found a spot for everything and liked the partitioned cupboards that prevented their contents moving around. Hoses, leads, Blue Apple power pack, jack and fold-up chairs went in the front boot. As this was a front kitchen van we decided to maintain the balance by putting a couple of boxes of magazines in the Porta-Potti storage area, which was under the double bed in the rear.

We found the lounge to be most comfortable, even for extended periods of use, as was the dinette. While the bed was roomy enough, it was a little too firm for our liking.

One day we lost 240V power, so decided to operate the fridge from LPG. The fridge had electronic ignition which needed a 12V supply. As the van didn’t have a battery and the car wasn’t wired to provide 12V power to the van, we weren’t able to ignite the gas. Fortunately the power wasn’t off for long. Later I realised I could have supplied 12V power to the fridge by connecting my Blue Apple power pack to the seven-pin plug on the front of the van.

As the Roadstar is a two-person van, the Voyager’s five metres of interior space was quite sufficient. With the L-shaped dinette and the lounge opposite, it was possible to seat five quite comfortably.

Some might complain about the wheel arches protruding into the bedroom floor space, but personally, I’d settle for having to step over these knowing that the wheels are in the correct position to provide the right balance and towing stability.

With an overall length of 7.3m the van is easy to park, while the ATM of just under 1900kg made it a good match for our Ford Territory tow vehicle.

With Simplicity independent suspension and four wheels the Roadstar was a dream to tow, even when encountering strong winds.

Over 10 days of use the Voyager 4000 behaved in an excellent manner. Its interior decor was easy on the eye and the material used seemed top-quality.

If I was to buy one of these vans probably I’d opt for a radio that is easier to use (who needs one with a 100-page instruction manual?), make sure that I had a 12V supply in case of a power outage and get a slightly softer mattress.
 
Apart from these small criticisms, the Voyager comes highly recommended as it is a great package. But with Roadstar’s 16 years’ manufacturing experience and Donehues’ 40 years of caravanning know-how, that shouldn’t come as a surprise.

CW thanks Andrew Donehue for his assistance in making the Roadstar 4000 available for review.

We liked:
Sensible options for storage
Comfortable lounge
Filtered water 

We would have liked:
12V water pump to circulate tank water through filter when mains pressure not available
A radio/CD player that is more user-friendly
Lower wardrobe doors so they don’t hit the pelmets and limit the opening