Spectra Elite

Modern Rendition

Penrith, in the western suburbs of Sydney, is fast establishing itself as a hotspot for new and used RVs. One new local dealership, under the direction of Owen Rachford, is owned by Lifestyle RVs, which has a well established caravan outlet in Brisbane.

Lifestyle RVs stocks several brands of caravans and one of them just happens to be the subject of this review, a Spectra Elite. Spectra might be an unfamiliar brand but the manufacturer certainly isn't. Supreme Caravans is long established in the RV industry; however, the Spectra range is built in a separate factory in Campbellfield, Vic.

The state-of-the-art Spectra Elite has been designed with comfortable on-the-road living in mind, and its 22ft (6.7m) layout certainly reflects that. It features a full-width rear bathroom, nearside kitchen bench, offside lounge/dinette and a front bedroom. The accent is very much on space, both for living and storage.

"We are very pleased with the Spectra Elite design," Owen Rachford told CW.

SMART INTERIOR
Starting in the rear, the bathroom has a separate shower cubicle - a standalone semi-circular design with clear sides.

On the opposite side is a Thetford cassette toilet, which is not really in the rear corner because the bathroom is wide enough to fit a top-loading washing machine as well - a feature that's becoming common in contemporary vans. Sitting in the middle of the rear wall is a vanity cabinet complete with cupboards, wash basin and wall mirror. One of the criticisms directed at some caravan designs is a lack of kitchen bench space and general storage. No such problem here: the kitchen bench is long enough not only to have the usual inclusions like a Swift cooktop/grill/oven and stainless steel sink/drainer, but also a generous amount of benchtop working space and cupboards. The latter also has a few drawers fitted within them.

In addition to a normal flick-mixer tap, the sink has an outlet for drinking water. The sink is set at an angle at the end of the bench to save space, and is easy to get at for those doing the washing or drying up.

Those other essentials of any caravan kitchen, a fridge (150L Dometic) and microwave (Sharp), are set opposite the kitchen bench. The microwave, mounted above the fridge and set back somewhat, will be a tad awkward to get at if you are a short person. Between the fridge and rear dinette is a full-height cupboard, the top half containing a slide-out pantry, the lower half with shelves.

Between the fridge cabinet and the bathroom is an L-shaped lounge. It comes with an any-which-way Lagun swivelling table. Measuring 3ft 3in (.99m) x 1ft 5in (.43m), the table can be adjusted to suit a number of seating arrangements. Above the lounge are four overhead lockers with two reading lights underneath.

Up front the 5ft 10in (1.78m) x 4ft 11in (1.5m) innerspring mattress bed sits on a bed base that is metal framed with timber slats. The bed is surrounded by the usual bedhead of overhead lockers, side mirror-door wardrobes and bedside cabinets. There are windows all round plus a marine-style roof hatch to let in plenty of light and ventilation. In both corners at the foot of the bed are full-height diagonal cupboards, a small cupboard behind the kitchen bench and the usual under-bed storage area.

SOLID FOUNDATION
Lighting in the Elite is all 12V and a mixture of fluorescent and halogen fittings. Powering those, when not connected to mains power, is a 110Ah deep-cycle battery, which is charged by a three-stage 30A charger. We noted with interest that the 12V fuses were in the offside bedside wardrobe, i.e., conveniently inside the van rather than in the boot where they are often found. Air-conditioning is courtesy of a roof-mounted Aircommand Ibis unit.

Structurally speaking, the Elite is very conventional. It's built on a SupaGal box section chassis that rides on tandem axle load-sharing suspension. Timber framing is used and the aluminium-clad walls are insulated. On the drawbar are two 9kg gas cylinders. There is a front boot but it's not quite conventional. Smaller than those found on other vans (but there's still room for items like the battery and charger), it makes way for two large drawers underneath that can be accessed from either side. It's quite a neat idea and easier to use than a larger deep boot. Somewhat familiar is the Camec triple locker security door with the windows all being larger tinted hoppers.

Our tow vehicle for the Elite review was CW's long term test vehicle, the Kia Sorento. Its tow capacity of 2800kg was well suited to the Elite's ATM of 2670kg and the 2.5L turbodiesel engine didn't show any signs of struggle on most of the test roads we were travelling on.

In the front boot of the Elite we were interested to note advice to the effect that the van was only really designed for travelling on graded gravel roads and mild corrugations. Useful to see, especially given the public's often incorrect perception of what constitutes offroad and on-road travel, i.e., the term "offroad" is sometimes used when what is really meant is "dirt road".

THE BOTTOM LINE
In a market where many caravans are similar in appearance, the Elite has features that set it apart. It's certainly been designed for the grey nomads (or those getting close) who like to travel in style and comfort, yet still has a weight that makes it suitable for a good range of tow vehicles.

I WOULD HAVE LIKED

Lifestyle RVs
Castlereagh Road, Penrith, NSW 2750
(02) 4721 1127
www.lifestylervs.com.au

For more information, including your nearest dealer, phone (03) 9308 5311.