Talvor 565A

We are spoilt for choice in the highly competitive $50,000-$60,000 Australian caravan market. As well as a wide range of traditional Aussie ‘stick and tin’ and composite-walled caravans and pop-tops, we have vans with their designs or components sourced from the UK (Bailey, Swift and Elddis), Slovenia (Adria), Germany (Knaus), South Africa (Jurgens) and, with the Talvor range, from North America.

Talvor caravans are distinctly different to their main market rivals for many reasons and the new 5.83 metre (19ft 2in body length) Talvor 565A we’ve just reviewed is a good example of how.

For a start, it looks distinctive. The 565A is unashamedly a ‘brick’. There’s little ground given to aerodynamic efficiency either in its uncompromising body shape or protrusions, like the huge reverse cycle air conditioner that towers 350mm above its roof.

But the boxy shape means that it packs a lot more into its 18ft 5in internal space than many of its sleeker market rivals.

It’s also colourful. We were stopped several times during our ‘ownership’ of the 565A by other caravanners who were impressed by the bold red and black graphics on its single-piece fibreglass sandwich walls. My wife, Wendy liked it too and she’s fussy about how things look.

AMERICANA FITTINGS

Despite these suggestions of something radical inside, the 565A’s layout is pretty standard for a separate ensuite caravan these days: front north-south queen-size bed, flanked by hanging wardrobes and with large storage cupboards above; a central galley kitchen along the off-side wall above the tandem wheel arches with a café-dinette opposite and a separate shower toilet ensuite across the rear, to the right of the rear-entry door.

But it’s the way Talvor does it that makes the two-berth 565A different when it comes to the pointy end of the buying decision.

While all Talvor caravans are designed and specified in Australia at its Brisbane headquarters, the 565A is built at Talvor’s new production facility in California and imported fully-assembled, with final gas, electrical, fit-out compliance and certification all done in Queensland.

This US-Australian alliance results in a different user experience, as many hardware items such as windows, doors and cupboard latches look unfamiliar and work in different ways to the home-grown products from the likes of Camec, Dometic and others whose products are found in most Aussie vans.

The entry door is the first surprise. It’s two-part like a Camec, with the fibreglass door separating from its flywire screen shadow, but to access the latch for the screen door when shut you need to slide a Perspex panel. Odd and a bit clumsy.

The 565A’s sliding glass and flyscreens on three of the van’s four side windows are also unusual by Australian standards. They are a bit sticky and ‘clunky’ to use, but at least there’s nothing to run into outside when they are open. One of the bedroom windows has an alternative small lower hopper panel, while the front window, protected from stones by a fold-down external shade, doesn’t open at all.

Concertina drop-down blinds don’t really hide the light though, while there was no attempt at all to block out the moon and early daylight from the opening hatch directly above the bed.

The van’s taps and cupboard and drawer latches are also US-sourced and the latter on the review van needed some work, as several opened regularly on freeway trips, indicating that their magnetic latches are far from strong enough.

KITCHEN RULES

There’s not a lot of bench space in the galley, unless you treat the glass cover on the four-burner gas cooker as a preparation or plate-up surface, but the single-pedestal tri-fold dining table in the L-shaped café dinette opposite is large and can be called on to supplement this.

The dinette itself is quite large and with its cream leather on the test van was both stylish and comfortable for lounging and dining.

Less impressive ergonomically was the Camec microwave, which sits recessed above the commendably large 186-litre Dometic three-way fridge- freezer with its Automatic Energy Sensing technology.

I know it’s a common packing problem in caravans and motorhomes, but short users are sure to wear a casserole or a bowl of soup one day!

Some of the other high-mounted cupboards are also a bit tricky to use. Being deep and tall, they are difficult to fill and access.

The rear ensuite, on the other hand, works well, with the exception of the lightweight door, which opens outwards onto the fridge door and insisted on opening whenever we travelled, despite passing a tug-test before we set off. This suggests a little structural movement, but a simple supplementary latch would fix the problem.

The swiveling Thetford cassette toilet sits alongside the top-loading washing machine and a stainless steel basic vanity separates them both from the large, but curiously-shaped moulded ABS shower.

I say ‘curious’ because it could be larger if extended to the wall that separates the ensuite from the Talvor’s entry, or rectangular and slightly smaller, which would allow the ensuite door to slide behind it.

The other ergonomic issue here is the sharp edge on the benchtop that covers the washing machine. You invariably hit it when you reach into the (shelf-less) cupboards above it.

Similarly in the body of the van, the chrome-edged buttresses that extend below each side of the overhead cupboards attract heads like heat-sinking missiles.

I know the theory is that those familiar with the van won’t have this problem, but I must have bumped my head on them a dozen times in four days of ownership – as did my wife – so we must be slow learners!

But the short-stay and weekend travellers, at whom the 565A is largely aimed, may have similar encounters.

On the plus side, the Talvor 565A is packed with gear for its modest $52,990, with standard equipment including a massive 147-litre fresh water tank, air-conditioning, roll-out awning, LED lighting, 100Ah battery and charger, hot/cold internal and external shower, a queen-size innerspring mattress, 18.5in TV and audio-visual system and the 186-litre AES three-way fridge.

Desirable options fitted to the test van included electric operation of its 3.6 metre x 2.4 metre awning, the water filtration system and the top-loading washing.

VERDICT

The Talvor 565A is designed for the casual, rather than the long-term traveller and offers, in American parlance, a lot of ‘bang for the buck’ while standing out from the crowd.

Its level of finish in some areas is below what we’ve come to expect from many vans in its price bracket today, but if you are prepared to ‘feel the width’ it represents a caravan that everyone shopping in the $50,000-$55,000 price bracket should consider.

WE LIKED: 
>> Level of equipment for the price
>> Ease of towing and quick set-up
>> Large en-suite

NOT SO MUCH:
>> Various drawers and doors kept opening
>> Fiddly flywire entry door
>> Various protruding edges to bump into

TALVOR 565A

External body length: 5830mm
Internal body length: 5650mm
External body width: 2370mm (with awning)
Travel height: 3000mm (including air conditioner)
Tare: 2050kg?
ATM: 2400kg
Ball weight: 56kg (unladen)
Wall structure: Aluminium frame sandwich panel construction with gelcoat finish
Chassis: Hot dipped galvanized with 5.5in drawbar and 6in main rails
Suspension: Tandem beam axle with rubber-cushioned leaf springs
Brakes: 10in electric?
Stability Control: Optional? No
Wheels: 15in alloy wheels fitted with ST205/75-15 tyres
Fresh water: 1 x 147-litre fresh water with filtration system
Battery: 100Ah deep cycle battery plus single 60-Watt solar panel
Air-conditioner: 3.2kW reverse cycle roof-mounted
Gas: 2 x 4.5kg on A-frame?
Cooking: Four-burner gas cooktop, plus gas grill and oven
Fridge: 186-litre Dometic AES three-way
Microwave: 23-litre, 900W
Toilet: Thetford cassette?
Shower: Separate moulded ABS cubicle with additional external shower
Lighting: LED throughout
Price: $52,990 (Drive-away, Qld)
Supplied by: Talvor Australia, Northgate, Qld