Royal Flair Aussiemate

WE LIKED
>> Comfy dinette
>> Energy efficient lighting and solar power
>> Plenty of internal storage
>> Single beds

NOT SO MUCH
>> High ball weight
>> No hinged footrests at dinette
>> Second exhaust fan in bathroom needed

Some assignments in this industry appear to be fairly standard events. You know, collect a Royal Flair Aussiemate caravan from Arrow Caravans in Virginia, near Brisbane, have a chat with proprietor Barry Barker, take the rig out for test run, get some great shots and note down a few measurements and comments. No problem.

Well, that is mostly how these things work. But in this case, our choice of photo location meant the van happened to attract a small herd of very curious horses, all of whom stood around the entry door for a considerable period of time. I have no idea why they chose us, except that perhaps the Aussiemate looked like a feed wagon.

ROUGH RIDING?

This is no horse float, however. In fact, the Royal Flair looks much like a conventional Vic-made product, with an aluminium-clad body sitting on a hot-dipped galvanised chassis with tandem axles.

Of course, there's bit more to the Aussiemate than that. It’s designed with rough roads in mind and comes with a two-inch galvanised-sheet protected floor, and Control Rider coil-spring independent suspension with shock absorbers.

Beneath the aluminium cladding is a timber frame, with insulation in the walls and roof. The entry door is the familiar Camec triple-locker, and the windows are the Jupiter-style tinted hoppers.

A lower skirt of black checkerplate, as well as a pair of spare wheels at the rear, give the van a slightly chunky, but stylish, look. At the business end, the extended drawbar features a Hyland 3500kg hitch, along with two four-kilo gas cylinders, two jerry can holders and a large checkerplate storage bin, as well as a tunnel.

Something to be aware of with this particular van is the ball weight. Caused in part by the axles being set towards the rear, the ball weight is 310kg (empty), with a tare of 2447kg. This is considerably more than the normal 10 per cent, and should be kept in mind with the choice of tow vehicle and when loading up.

PAIR OF SINGLES

Our particular Aussiemate featured the conventional design of full-width rear bathroom and front bedroom, but with fairly unique single beds.

They may not be everyone’s favourite, but single beds are often more practical in a caravan design, especially for people who have mobility problems. In addition, the wardrobe between the beds offers more storage. The overhead lockers are also easier to reach than those that would normally be above a double bed.

Measuring 1.88 x 0.79m (6ft 2in x 2ft 7in), the beds have inner spring mattresses, LED reading light and powerpoints at each. Under-bed storage is accessed by floor hatches.

Despite the darker colours of the dominant cherry timber stain, the van’s interior still manages to look quite bright, no doubt helped by the white marble laminate for the benchtops and splash backs in the kitchen and bathroom.

Located along the offside wall, the kitchen bench comes with all of the usual suspects – stainless steel sink, four-burner cooktop/grill, three-way Dometic 175-litre fridge and LG microwave.

Benchtop working space isn’t too bad, but washing up might be easier if the sink and drainer were the other way around. Cupboard space, including a wire-basket pantry, is quite generous and there are three drawers of various sizes.

Two overhead lockers make up the rest of the kitchen storage, the third locker dedicated for the electrics – 240V circuit breakers, hot water switch, solar panel regulator, water gauges and water pump switches.

Sitting opposite the kitchen, the dinette comes with contoured cushions, a tri-fold table and LED reading lights. Three overhead lockers and two drawers underneath the seats supply the usual storage options.

Since the TV is located at the forward end of the kitchen overhead lockers, it can easily be seen from either the beds or the dinette. However, the person sitting in the front seat of the dinette is going to have to sit sideways with their feet up, and a foot rest inside of the drawer (which could open inwards) might be a preferred alternative.

Two 100Ah deep-cycle batteries and the associated charger are located under the rear seat.

The rear bathroom does take up a fair bit of real estate, but that space means room for a larger shower cubicle, Thetford cassette toilet and fairly elaborate vanity, complete with raised wash basin, four cupboards, one drawer and two storage compartments.

There's a vent fan above the shower, as well as small window in the wall above the loo. But I suspect a second fan hatch above the latter might be appreciated.

Electrics are quite sophisticated, with LED and fluorescent lighting all-round, including external LED lights. Two solar panels keep the batteries up to charge when mains supply is not available, and the Anderson plug is standard.

VERDICT

One thing's for sure on this test; we shut the gate very carefully when leaving our newly-found equine friends – we didn’t want them following us back to Arrow Caravans.

More seriously, Royal Flair vans come with a certain look about them that's very indicative of the manufacturer’s experience in areas of rougher travel, and the Aussiemate is no exception. It’s no lightweight van, and it will definitely require a larger tow vehicle.

That said, the Aussiemate is fully-fitted with all the expected comforts for independent touring, and will be equally at home on the smooth bitumen and rough roads of Australia.

ROYAL FLAIR AUSSIEMATE

Overall length: 8.03m (26ft 4in)
External length: 5.64m (18ft 6in)
External width: (including awning) 2.44m (8ft)
Interior height: 1.96m (6ft 5in)
Travel height: 2.74m (9ft)
Tare: 2447kg
ATM: 2947kg
Ball weight: 310kg
Frame: Timber
Chassis: Hot-dipped galvanised
Suspension: Independent coil
Cooktop: Spinflo four-burner and grill
Fridge: Dometic RM7851 175 litre
Microwave: LG
Shower: Separate cubicle
Toilet: Thetford cassette
Lighting: 12V Fluro, LED
Gas: 2 x 4.5kg
Fresh water: 2 x 95 litre
Price: $69,750 (on-road, Qld)
Supplied by: Arrow  Caravans, 67 Radley Street, Virginia Qld