Universal van creates screen envy

Can you ever get enough television? Not if you choose the latest 24ft Hollywood Slide-out 240 model from Campbellfield, Victoria-based slide-out specialists, Universal Caravans it seems.

The over-the-top $129,000 range-topper with its five metre long electric slide out living area and master bedroom comes with no fewer than four separate large-screen Samsung LED TVs as standard, topped by a monster 60-inch cinema display opposite the Hollywood’s plush, eight-seater leather-clad U-shaped club lounge.

To ensure you miss nothing, there’s another large-screen Samsung in the adjacent bedroom, a third in the attached full ensuite facing the toilet, while a fourth LED is built into the outside wall of the Hollywood, with a high-end Bose 5+1 surround sound system incorporated below.

As you’d expect from a caravan of this length, the Hollywood has a large L-shaped kitchen spreading across the entire front of the van with a cooktop, grill and oven on the return to the front entry door.

Apart from its TV, the large rear ensuite is comfortable and large enough for occupants to enjoy quality time.

Given its length and slide-out width, the Hollywood is intended as a caravan alternative to a fifth-wheeler, but blockbuster-loving owners are unlikely to be long-distance travellers.

With a tare weight of 3100kg, they will have to be economical packers, or travel with the rig’s twin 130-litre water tanks nearly empty to spend serious time on the road given the 400kg payload allowed by the Hollywood 240’s nominal 3500kg ATM.

Even with a heavy-duty tow car like a Ford F250, the Hollywood’s twin 1800kg axles will still limit its payload to 500kg, which is considered marginal these days by ‘take-it-all’ travellers, some of whom travel with full China dinner settings and pizza ovens.