Tested: Roadstar Colt

Teardrop campers have experienced a mini-revival in Australia in recent years.

Dating back to the 1930s as a cheap, lightweight camping option for smaller tow cars, today’s teardrops are in some cases packed with almost as many goodies as their full-size counterparts.

At one end of the spectrum we’ve seen techno-laden, mega-priced teardrops like those from the short-lived Gidget Campers, while even Jayco has jumped on the teardrop bandwagon in recent times with its MK1 and slightly larger MK2 JPod campers.

Then there’s Melbourne’s Roadstar Caravans; best known for their high quality larger caravans, the Somerton, Victoria-based manufacturer snuck its very own mini-van onto the market in early-2017.

With a week-end to spare and a 12-year-old daughter keen to try out a ‘kid’s size’ caravan for a change, we took Roadstar’s Colt away to a bush camp just outside Melbourne to see what all the fuss is about…

Tows like a dream

Towing a big caravan can be nerve-racking for many people. That’s where solid-wall campers like the Colt come in.

Offering all the weather protection and insulation of its bigger Roadstar brothers, but with a Tare weight of just 590kg and ATM of 890kg, you barely need electric trailer brakes when towing it, especially with the three-tonne capable Ford Everest we used.

About the same width as the tow vehicle, we also didn’t need additional towing mirrors, and fuel economy hardly suffered – 10.8L/100km, versus around 9-10L/100km when not towing.

As such, there’s also no need to fit a hand brake, and it’s easy to push around on flat, smooth ground, not to mention store in a garage.

Setting up is dead simple too. Nothing to do if you stay hitched (as we did), or just bolt on the jockey wheel and wind down the two rear stabilisers if you unhitch.

Quality construction

As entry-level models, a lot of teardrop campers on the market are built to a price. But while the Colt is Roadstar’s entry-level model, there are few shortcuts in its construction, which is very similar to Roadstar’s full-size composite models.

Fussy buyers will be pleased to know that the Colt is built using the latest fibreglass sandwich panel construction including the use of Roadstar’s exclusive high-strength European-sourced MS22 sealant.

The clean exterior styling continues inside,including the light timber-look, handle-less ply cabinetry and ‘hidden’ internal wiring.

Feature packed

The Colt might be small in stature, but its standard equipment list is not paltry by any means.

Suspension is basic leaf springs, with a 50mm ball coupling, 15in alloy wheels and 10in brakes, which should be sufficient for where most buyers intend to take the Colt, including some dirt tracks as long as you take it easy.

The A-frame holds two 4kg gas bottles and the spare wheel, ahead of a fixed ‘toolbox’ that’s accessed internally. There’s also a 135W flexible solar panel on the curved front body section, with a solar charge controller and Projecta battery charger for the 120Ah battery, located inside the toolbox.

Entry to the strictly two berth cabin (although a young couple could sleep with an infant) is via a door on each side, with separate fly screens. However, the doors really need something to hook them onto the camper body when open, so they don’t bang around when it’s windy.

Cosy cabin

However, once inside it’s a pleasant if somewhat cosy place to sleep or lounge around, with enough headroom to sit up and enough width and length on the comfy foam mattress to sleep two adults without banging into each other all night.

Apart from the small toolbox section, internal storage includes some overhead lockers at the base of the bed, with five separate compartments to hold a few days' worth of clothes and smaller items. A Fusion stereo, internal speaker and two 12V sockets are also hidden away here.

The Colt also gets a proper caravan roof hatch for some extra ventilation, complete with LED lighting to go with the two internal reading lights.

Otherwise, it’s all neatly finished including some carpet over the interior roof section to hide the ‘slits’ in the curved composite panel.

Outside cooking

Unlike Jayco’s J-Pod, which has a full rear entry door into the camper, the Colt has a more traditional teardrop design that includes a rear kitchen accessed via a lift-up lid.

Whether stopped at the roadside for a cuppa or pulled up for the night to prepare dinner, it’s all there at your fingertips including some benchtop for food prep, a three-burner gas cooktop and a sink with a 12V pump drawing water from the 95L tank through the flick mixer tap.

Lifting a panel in the bench top also reveals a cavity for the standard 28 litre Waeco fridge (although it wasn’t fitted on our review model) with a 12V socket close by to plug it in.

There’s also some small cupboards above the bench top to store plates, cups and cooking gear, plus water and battery monitors, 240V sockets, external speaker and LED strip  lights to complement the external lights mounted above the side entry doors.

Other ‘big caravan' features fitted to the Colt include an Anderson plug and gas bayonet.

Potential downsides

If you’re new to camping, you’ll love the Colt. You can carry a portable toilet, and hook up a cold or hot external shower via the A-frame mounted tap, to enjoy free camping in all its glory.

But if you’re downsizing from a larger caravan or camper trailer, you might complain about the claustrophobic interior space, especially when it’s raining and you’ve got little else to go.

Our review Colt was fitted with optional roof racks, a batwing awning and roof-top tent, which adds to outdoor liveability and extends the number of berths to four.

However, the tent prevented the roof hatch from opening properly, and it also blocked light. Given the overall quality of the camper, I’d also opt for a better quality roof tent and awning than the King-branded ones fitted. Perhaps a James Baroud, which would be a better fit and match styling wise.

Verdict

Like classic open-top sports cars and old-school four-wheel drives, spending time with a teardrop camper like the Colt is sure to put a smile on your face.

Easy to tow, easy to squeeze into the garage and dead easy to set up and live with, it’s a great option for easy-going couples with smaller cars, or even young families with the optional roof-top tent fitted.

It’s not the cheapest teardrop camper on the market, but the Colt looks built to last and is stylish and feature-packed to boot.