By Malcolm Street
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A few years ago, the term ‘offroad’ in regard to a caravan’s road-going abilities could be somewhat misleading. ‘Offroad’ was sometimes used when all that was really meant was ‘rough-road’. 
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These days, manufacturers are a bit more cautious with their terminology and at the same time are more helpful. This is the case with Qld-based Sunland Caravans, who at least for their new Longreach III model, use the term ‘dirt-road’. 
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One of Sunland’s staple designs, the Longreach III is a model that has been refined, rather than totally redesigned. At just under 21ft (6.4m) in length, our review Longreach (ATM 2500kg) was designed for long-distance touring with almost all the necessary comforts. 
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The Longreach III is built around a hot-dipped galvanised chassis with five rails, made from 3mm box steel, with an extended drawbar. 
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Vehicle Components Cruisemaster trailing-arm independent suspension cushions the ride and white sports wheels sweeten the looks. The suspension features polyurethane bushes with steel sleeves on all moving parts plus a cam-set toe-in adjustment. There’s also what Vehicle Components calls a ‘bump-stop’ facility, where in the event of a spring failure, the affected wheel remains supported.
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Quick-drop stabiliser jacks are fitted to all corners. The drawbar itself is fitted out with two 9kg gas cylinders and a mains-pressure tap. Like the entire Sunland lineup, the Longreach III features a timber frame, aluminium cladding, and in this case, a lower ‘skirt’ of checker-plate aluminium.
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Windows are tinted hoppers, except for the sliding window behind the door. Clearance is tight, but the awning arm doesn’t interfere with the bathroom window opening, unlike one or two designs we have seen. Hiding in the front boot are both the house battery and the 12V-system fuses. External lighting is generous, with two under-awning lamps and a grab-handle light by the door. At the rear of the van, the square bumper bar sports the spare wheel. 
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Reflecting a trend of recent times, the Longreach features a full-width rear bathroom, front bed, offside kitchen and nearside dinette. We say it’s reflecting a trend because it is our observation that bathrooms in caravans appear to be growing. 
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That either means some other aspect of a caravan layout, usually the kitchen or dinette, is shrinking, or the caravan itself is becoming longer (and heavier). Keep that in mind when deciding which particular comforts of home you like to take with you.
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Sunland’s proprietor and dealer principal of Qld Caravan Centre at Caboolture, Roy Wyss, spends considerable time refining and improving his vans’ interiors. While the timber look predominates with the Longreach III, there is also a considerable area of lighter ceiling and wall area to keep the ambient light level up. Speaking of the timber look, the floor is real tongue-and-groove with bitumen sealing underneath.
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All the windows, except for in the bathroom, have wooden pelmets, full and net curtains. Ceiling ventilation is assured by two Four Seasons hatches, one back and one front, with two smaller hatches in the bathroom. A roof-mounted Dometic air-conditioner helps out when the going gets warm. 
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Starting with the aforementioned bathroom: as we mentioned previously, it’s huge! It features a separate shower cubicle on the nearside that’s vented by both the window and the roof hatch. On the opposite side is the familiar Thetford cassette loo. Between the two are a small wash basin and vanity cabinet with cupboard and shelves, both high and low.
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Bathroom lighting is plentiful, with one fluorescent above the shower, another above the loo area and a third above the mirror. Offset behind the wash basin is a double powerpoint. In many ways, this bathroom is a statement of where the contemporary caravan bathroom is at.
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In an interesting touch, on the outside bathroom wall is a digital clock large enough to tell the time, day and date.
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Filling most of the mid-offside wall is the kitchen bench, complete with Spinflo Minigrill, alongside a stainless steel sink and drainer. In the corner beside the bathroom are the sizeable 186L fridge and the microwave oven. 
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Above the latter are an AM/FM radio/DVD player, several light switches, the hot-water service switch and a water-tank level gauge. As with a fair few van layouts we have seen, the microwave height may not suit everyone.
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At either end of the kitchen bench are double powerpoints and the lighting consists of an under-locker fluorescent and halogens in the rangehood. There seems to be reasonable storage space, with overhead lockers, cupboards and drawers of various sizes; it’s slightly smaller than the first impression because the end cupboard isn’t empty: it contains a top-loading Lemair washing machine. 
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Opposite the kitchen is the L-shaped dinette, which will seat two people comfortably. It has contoured-foam rear cushions, and has quite a long table, at 4ft 5in × 1ft 8in (1.35m × 0.5m). We did wonder if a second pole or a freestanding table might help with stability. 
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Above the dinette are four overhead lockers along with the usual under-seat storage. Lighting is courtesy of two halogen reading lights and there’s a double powerpoint above the cabinet in the bedroom, behind the divider.
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Front-bedroom designs don’t vary a great deal. This one is no exception, with a centre-fitted 6ft 2in × 5ft (1.9m × 1.5m) bed surrounded by a bedhead of overhead lockers, mirrored wardrobes and drawers.
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On each side is a small shelf and more usefully, a full-width shelf under the front window. Lifting the steel-and-timber-slatted bed frame reveals the usual compartmented storage area. In addition at the foot of the bed, in each corner are waist-high diagonal cupboards. 
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Provision has been made for a flatscreen TV to be mounted at the end of the overhead lockers, in the form of a powerpoint and antenna connection.
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THE BOTTOM LINE
There have been some considerable improvements in this latest generation of the Sunland Longreach, some from manufacturing experience and others no doubt from user feedback – that’s one of the benefits of refining an older model rather than building a totally new caravan. 
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It’s a well equipped and comfortable caravan that would suit anyone who has a decent-sized tow vehicle and is planning a bit of dirt road travel.
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Sunland Caravans, 31-37 Lear Jet Drive, Caboolture, Qld 4510; (07) 5499 2250; roy@sunlandcaravans.com.au; www.sunlandcaravans.com.au
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I liked
• The general appearance, fit and finish of this van – a look through the drawers and behind the cupboard doors revealed most things were well put together
• Entry door light switches at user-friendly height, and lighting in all the right places
• An under-floor/chassis area where most things were strapped up, out of the way
• The good mix of drawers and cupboards in the kitchen area.
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Now I’m being picky
• A second leg or free-standing arrangement for the table might help
• I wouldn’t want the onboard washing machine – it adds weight and extra water tanks (even more weight) will be needed, if it’s used regularly
• A translucent door, rather than an opaque one, in the shower cubicle
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Sunland Longreach

External length 20ft 10in (6.35m)

External width 7ft 11in (2.41m)

Interior height 6ft 6in (1.98m)

Nameplate ATM 2500kg

Nameplate Tare weight 2100kg

Frame Timber

Chassis Hot-dipped galvanised

Suspension Cruisemaster independent trailing arm

Cooktop Spinflo four-burner and grill

Fridge Dometic RM4601 186L

Microwave oven LG

Shower Separate cubicle

Toilet Thetford cassette

Lighting 12V fluorescent and halogen

Gas supply Two × 9.0kg

Fresh water tank 60L

Price $69,990 
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Sunland Longreach

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