Vista RV Crossover XL

WE LIKED
>> Instant set-up
>> Off-road capability
>> Great built quality

NOT SO MUCH
>> No hot water system
>> Fiddly access to spare wheel
>> No fixed flyscreen door

Women have a major influence on recreational vehicle design, usually at the coalface – the showroom.

For this reason Melbourne camper trailer manufacturer Vista RV expects its newly introduced 300mm longer Crossover XL with its greater kitchen space and deeper cupboards to be the major seller of its three-model range in 2013.

“When women see the XL they immediately want it rather than the Crossover Classic model,” explained Louie Cretella, who built his first Crossover RV in Bayswater back in 2006.

“And because it has the same off-road capability and weighs just 70kg more, men will usually go along with that.”

The longer-bodied RV Crossover made its public debut at Melbourne’s Leisurefest in October and the orders have been flowing in since to the point where Cretella expects to build up to 60 Vistas in 2013.

SIMILAR INGREDIENTS

Where the new 5.2 metre model really works for Vista is that the XL sits on the same very solid 125mm X 75mm galvanised main chassis (with a 100mm x 50mm A-frame) as its two stablemates – the stubby 4.5 metre long Crossover Kompact and 4.9 metre Crossover Classic.

Its sophisticated five-link MS Series dual trailing arm independent suspension with its amazing 330mm wheel travel that allows the Vista to ‘walk’ over obstacles with greater ease than probably any vehicle likely to tow it, is also unchanged.

And by carefully redistributing weight, including fitting a deeper slide-out exterior kitchen, the ball load of the XL remains unchanged at 120kg.

Virtually everything on the Vista save for its bolt-on ancillary items such as its standard Cooper 265/75-16 light truck tyres on steel rims, and 100Ah deep cycle battery, is made in-house in the steel fabrication factory that occupies the front section of the Vista site.

This is where Cretella began 20 years ago building precision camper components for many players in the RV industry before deciding he could harness his experience and build his own camper.

FLIP AND RELAX

The Vista’s principal point of difference to other hard-shell competitors is its super-quick set up.

Simply flip two over-centre catches, step inside and push up the front-hinged fibreglass pop-top roof and the job is done.

To preserve structural integrity in a vehicle designed for extreme off-road use, the pop-top only opens over the rear half of the Vista, leaving ample headroom for those 1.8 metres and taller to use the extensive kitchen bench space and sink, with an 80 litre 12v/240v fridge freezer and large cupboards below.

With the XL, the bench space is greater and the extra 300mm of opening roof gives a feeling of much more space to move around within the vehicle.
The north-south queen-size mattress does double duty as a bed by night while, when folded in half, allows the mid-mounted dinette table to rise on its telescopic strut.

In warm weather and when travelling, most people would probably leave the bed intact and eat outside, making the transition to sleep even faster.

The other great interior feature of the Crossover XL is its airy interior feel, with the three large zip-down ‘windows’ of the pop top complemented at the front by a 90-degree opening window that, combined, allow plenty of through airflow on hot days.

BIGGER SLIDE-OUT KITCHEN

Working on Cretella’s belief that you should blend into the environment when camping and not be isolated from it, the Vista RV’s external slide-out kitchen that emerges from a side locker is the centrepiece of the vehicle’s social life.

On the XL it’s even deeper than on the original Crossover Classic, with two additional deep storage areas for pots and pans, plates, bowls and mugs to the rear of a two-burner wind-shielded cook top, two pull out cutlery and kitchen appliance drawers and a pull-out stainless steel sink complete with tap.

The standard Delta Awning attaches quickly through rope guides on the Vista’s side walls and once supported by its three poles and guy ropes gives substantial weather protection across the full body length of the vehicle.

On the other side of the XL a wide locker that backs onto the kitchen provides good dust and water-proof storage room, while the tapered nose of the XL harbours more space in two compartments for all manner of things once the stone bra is removed.

This includes two of the Vista’s four jerrycans and its twin 4.5kg gas bottles, all of which are accessed once twin protective stone shields with their unique saw-toothed catches are swung out of the way.

However to remove the vertically-mounted spare wheel behind the storage box, three of the four bolts securing it to the A-frame must first be removed and the fourth loosened to allow it to swivel out of the way – a lower-tech solution than it should be on what otherwise is a very clever camper.

BACKING A WINNER

Move around to the rear however and your faith in the Vista’s ingenuity is restored.

The optional 80W top-hinged solar panel that folds flat when travelling rises on its telescopic strut to not only catch the rays when camped, but also form the support for an ensuite tent.

Meanwhile a U-shaped pole also hinged to the Vista expands to support the outer section of the ensuite tent, making other poles and guy ropes unnecessary in most situations.

At present the Vista XL only comes with an auxiliary water heater that allows water to be sucked from a bucket rather than from its standard 87 litre food grade tank, but from early 2013 a compact hot water service for a rear mounted shower with a unique bayonet attachment will be offered.

A portable toilet stored in the rear compartment will then allow the XL to claim full ensuite credentials.

A drop-down tray at the rear can serve double duty as a wood rack when travelling, or as an ensuite shelf when camped.

However perhaps the most satisfying thing about the Vista is its industrial-standard quality.

The body is constructed from a combination of materials, with the camper’s walls formed (in house at Vista) by vacuum pressed composite panels of fibreglass and ply, while the drop-down lockers are made of aluminium and the roof panels and pop top are fibreglass.

Aircraft standard rivets and solid catches and hinges give you the feeling that this little baby will take a lot to break.

The result in the case of the Crossover XL is a camper that weighs a relatively light 1220kg and thanks to its cleverly-engineered suspension that’s designed to counteract bump-steer, tows easily and faithfully over any surface your tow vehicle can take it.

The Crossover XL costs $59,980 ex-factory – $3500 more than the Crossover Classic – which either puts it near the top of the crossover camper market, or at the bottom end of the hybrid caravan market, depending on your point of view.

Louie Cretella cheekily likes to compare his creation to the Kimberley Karavan, for which prices begin at $90,000.

VERDICT

In a growing and very competitive crossover camper and hybrid caravan market, the Vista RV Crossover XL stands out for its design, construction and innovative features. The extra space also makes it worth the few grand more than the standard Crossover model.

If you want two-person comfort, convenience and go-anywhere ability, it’s one of few hardshell campers that can deliver the goods.

VISTA RV CROSSOVER XL

Overall length: 5.2m (17ft)
External body length: 4.5m (14ft 8in)
External width: 1.9m (6ft 3in)
Travel height: 2.15m (7ft)
Interior height (with pop top raised): 2.1m (6ft 9in)
Nameplate ATM: 1620kg
Nameplate Tare: 1220kg
Ball weight: 120kg
Chassis: Galvanised steel 125mm x 75mm. A-frame 100mm x 50mm.
Body: Vacuum-pressed walls of composite of fibreglass and ply. Fibreglass roof and pop-top
Suspension: Hybrid five-link trailing arm independent
Berths: Queen-size bed
Cooktop: External kitchen with two burner cook top
Fridge: 80-litre 12V/240V
Lighting: 12V LED
Solar panel: 1 x 80W
Battery: 1 x 100ah    
Gas supply: 2 x 4.5kg
Fresh water: 1 x 87 litres
Price: $59,980 ex-factory Victoria
Supplied by: Vista RV, Bayswater, Victoria