Winnebago Mossman 2018 Review

With so many caravan brands and models available on the Australian market today, it’s easy for quality examples to fly under the radar.

Melbourne’s re-born Roadstar Caravans is one that comes to mind, as does Apollo’s local Winnebago offerings, which include caravans, campervans and motorhomes.

In the case of Roadstar, the quality often comes at a price. But when it comes to the Winnebago RVs, which are built in Brisbane by one of Australia’s most experienced RV operators, they tick most of the quality, comfort and luxury boxes without having to pay through the roof.

We discovered this last year after taking Winnebago’s large fibreglass family caravan, the 22ft 6in Mossman C, away for a week-end in Victoria's Otways region.

Despite the wintry weather we came away suitably impressed, so when the offer came to take the updated 2018 version on a three week, 3000km trip along the Queensland coastline, we didn’t have to think twice...

Easier on the eye

Since our last review, Apollo has made some subtle but worthy updates to the Mossman C family caravan, including an exterior makeover designed to make it more appealing to buyers.

The bold, gloss-white exterior look has been toned down, with new softer, off-white panels complemented by dark grey edge moulds and matching grey and red decals along the lower sides.

Also gone are the brash, Superman-style Winnebago decals on the front, sides and rear, replaced by smaller, more tasteful decals, along with a new front window, which also enhances the natural interior light.

A grey Raptor-like protective coating along the lower front replaces the old shiny checker plate, with the same grey coating used on the rear bar that supports the spare wheel.

The latest Mossman C also gets bigger, black and silver 16in alloy wheels, while the addition of a more streamlined AirCommand Ibis 3 roof-top air-conditioner, adds to the sleek new look.

In our opinion, it now presents as one of the best looking touring vans on the market (both inside and out), and it certainly attracted more than a few admirers behind our brand-new, black Mazda BT-50 tow vehicle.

Hassle-free set-up

One of the reasons for buying a fixed-roof caravan, over a pop-top or camper trailer, is ease and speed of set up (and pack-up), and they don’t come much easier than the Winnebago Mossman C.

During our road trip from Brisbane to Airlie Beach and back, we stayed at a number of different caravan parks, and it was always a stress-free experience rolling into camp (although we did have some fun trying to jack-knife reverse it on to some tighter sites!)

It never took more than five minutes to unhitch, wind-down the swing-away jockey wheel (permanently attached to the A-frame), wind down the corner stabilisers, plug in the 240V power cord, turn on the gas, and connect to mains pressure water.

To make it easier to hook up a BBQ, the gas bayonet is now mounted on the side of the body near the tunnel boot, and winding out the standard Dometic 18ft awning adds another couple minutes to proceedings.

There’s a handy catch on both sides to hold up the tunnel boot doors, to help when unloading camp chairs, picnic tables, hoses, cords and any other odds and ends stored in there. The Camec breakaway unit and BMS battery management unit and 100Ah battery are also located in the tunnel boot – about the only thing missing is an interior light.

We couldn't quite squeeze our Weber Baby Q into the tunnel boot (we ended up storing it under the bed), so perhaps the opening could be enlarged slightly to accommodate larger items like BBQs. And if it was our van, we’d tick the Dometic powered awning option (as fitted to the 2017 review van), which takes seconds to close up when the wind picks up.

We’d also add an adjustable TV bracket outside (also fitted to the 2017 review van) close to the picnic table and 12V/240V/TV aerial points, so we could enjoy the 22in TV/DVD under the stars.

The standard hot/cold external shower fitted at the rear of the van, was great for washing off sand after trips to the beach (there’s also an A-frame tap if you just need to clean the feet). And while it adds a bit of weight, we're also big fans of Dometic’s excellent CaraD-600F security entry door – another standard feature on the Mossman C.

Easy towing too

For such a large van (22ft 6in body length and 3.03m overall height), the Mossman C was remarkably easy to tow behind the Mazda BT-50, largely thanks to a Tare weight of just 2124kg.

We probably had it loaded up to around 2500kg, including water in the two 82 litre tanks, but it still towed well behind the Mazda ute at around 90-95km/h, along the often bumpy Bruce Highway between Brisbane and Airlie Beach.

There was some minor instability at times above 95km/h, possibly due to the van sitting slightly nose-down on the towball, as we've towed heavier vans at higher speeds with the BT-50 in the past with no concerns.

Also worth noting is this particular van had an ATM of 2950kg, delivering an impressive payload of 826kg – more than double that offered by most tandem axle touring vans.

While set up primarily for bitumen touring, with AL-KO’s independent rubber beam suspension, a long rear overhang and average road clearance, the Mossman C would be fine to take down some dirt access roads and we never ‘bottomed out’ during our travels.

For those who want to venture further off-road, an X-Country pack that includes AL-KO's Enduro Cross Country independent trailing arm suspension and off-road hitch, is available as an option.

Family-friendly layout

As anyone who’s done it will know, caravanning with teenagers has its own set of challenges, but if you had to choose a caravan to cram two teenage girls and their 40-something parents in for three weeks, the Mossman C would be on your short-list.

The thoughtful and airy layout featured a number of ‘lounging’ areas including a large L-shaped dinette, which can easily accommodate four ‘upright’ adults for dinner or a couple of spread-out mini-adults at other times!

The very comfortable and spacious, coil-spring queen mattress located to the left as you enter the van, also soaked up plenty of leisure hours, with as many as three family members using it as a relaxing day bed at times.

While no doubt best suited to primary school age children (they have a weight limit of 70kg), the twin bunk beds at the rear of the van were just big enough for our long-limbed daughters. While they couldn't quite sit up in bed, there’s decent headroom to avoid any bumps, especially when climbing up to the top bunk using the lightweight portable ladder.

The only complaints revolved around the firmness of the foam mattresses, and the lack of 12V or 240V charging sockets in the bunk area. However, each bunk gets a reading light, and there are plenty of alternative powerpoint options throughout the van for charging up an ever-hungry array of smart phones, tables and lap-tops.

There were no grumbles about storage space though, with each family member getting their own wardrobe with shelving, and more than enough overhead lockers and other spaces (including under the dinette and lower bunk) for storing excess personal items like shoes and towels.

Practical bathroom

Located next door to the bunks, the ensuite is on the squeezy side but well equipped with separate shower and toilet, washing machine, vanity with bowl sink and mixer tap, towel and toilet roll holders and an opening window. Like our bathroom at home, it was a popular spot with the kids and it wasn’t uncommon for the concertina door to be closed off as our eldest daughter sought sanctuary in front of the medicine cabinet mirror.

But unless one is showering, it's a struggle to fit more than one person in there at a time and at close to 190cm, I felt cramped with the door closed. The shower is also a tight fit, although I did manage to squeeze in there a few times before towelling off outside, after swiveling the toilet seat sideways to create some extra room.

Also good was the 12V fan hatch, which can be closed off at night to prevent light, the sliding shower door, and the flexible shower rose, although it was easy to knock out of its perch before banging onto the fibreglass shower floor.

There were no complaints about the number of storage options in the bathroom, and the top-loader washing machine did a good job of keeping our family of four in clean clothes for close to a month.

Catering well covered

While the ensuite's on the smaller side the kitchen certainly isn't, with more than enough storage, benchtop space and cooking appliances (three burner cooktop, grille/oven, 190L fridge/freezer, microwave, rangehood, stainless sink and drainer) to keep everybody happy, although the filtered tap couldn’t do much to improve the flavor of the bore water at the Airlie Beach caravan park we stayed at.

Along with the big Dometic three-way fridge freezer, which we struggled to fill with food, drink and frozen treats between supermarket visits, we were also impressed by the slick new touchscreen NCE rangehood and microwave  -- other new additions for the 2018 model.

We also liked the light, natural décor theme of this particular van, which included light timber cabinetry with gloss white door fascias, light marble-style benchtops and light beige cloth upholstery that did a good job of resisting stains from dirty feet.

Other highlights were the excellent Fusion Bluetooth radio, and Ibis 3 roof-top air-con, which was quiet enough to be left on overnight without disturbing inhabitants.

We also liked the new BMPro multi-function Trek touchscreen display, which tidies up the ‘electrical cabinet’ and makes it easier to keep tabs on battery charge and water levels. The built-in blinds and screens on the Dometic hopper windows also seemed to work better than we remember in the past.

The fully insulated composite fiberglass construction of the Mossman C, which includes floor, walls and roof, also seemed to work as well in the heat as it does in the cold. It provided good insulation against the harsh Queensland sun, allowing longer sleep-ins in the morning before having to crank up the air-con or open up some roof hatches or windows for cross-ventilation.

We just missed by a few days the north-Queensland storm that pelted down tennis ball-sized hail stones, but it would have been interesting to see how the tough sandwich panel exterior handled that!

Room for improvement?

We noticed some creaking in the floor area around the toilet (it didn’t appear to be a structural issue, as I checked underneath), while some rubber moulding around the door edges worked loose but was easily pressed back into place.

Otherwise, everything electrical worked a treat, except for the TV, which refused to power up again for some reason after I unplugged it from the wall socket.

The new freestanding dinette table, which drops down as a base for another bed (extra cushions are supplied), also needs something to hold it in place while travelling, as it would move around the van on rougher roads and bang up against the kitchen bench. Some sort of strap to tether it in place would do the trick.

It would also be good to have some softer interior ‘mood’ lighting available in the van, as an alternative to the very bright, white light of the LED reading and downlights. Perhaps a dimmer option could be fitted to the existing lights, or some strip mood lighting along the cabinetry?

Summing up

Well built, spacious, stylish, comfortable, fuss-free and relatively easy to tow, Winnebago’s Australian-built family caravan deserves to sell in much bigger numbers.

Sharply priced from $63,804 tow-away, the Mossman C is a value-for-money proposition that's hard to ignore.

Winnebago Mossman 680C 2018

Travel length: 8400mm (27ft 7in)
External body length: 6815mm (22ft 4in)
Overall body width: 2490mm (8ft 2in)
Travel height: 3035mm (10ft)
Interior height: 2025mm (6ft 8in)
Tare weight: 2124kg
ATM: 2950kg
Ball weight (Tare): 144kg
Body: Fibreglass composite walls, floor and roof
Chassis: Hot dipped galvanised 150mm (6in) drawbar and chassis rails
Suspension: Tandem axle Al-Ko independent rubber
Brakes: 10-inch electric drum
Stability Control: Al-Ko ESC optional
Wheels: Primal 16in alloy with Goodride 205/65-16 tyres
Fresh water: 2 x 82L
Battery: 1 x 100Ah deep cycle AGM and BMS BatteryPlus35SR charger
Solar: 150W panel and regulator
Air-conditioner: Aircommand Ibis 3 reverse-cycle, roof-mounted
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Hot water: Truma 14L gas/electric
Cooking: Thetford Triplex three-burner gas/electric cooktop, grill, oven & NCE rangehood
Fridge:  190-litre Dometic 3-way manual
Microwave: NCE
Toilet: Thetford swivel cassette with electric flush
Shower: 780 x 760mm enclosed fibreglass
Washing machine: NCE 2.5kg top-loader
Lighting: LED
TV: Axis 22in LED TV/DVD with Winegard Sensor antenna
Radio: Fusion MS-RA70 with two internal and two external speakers
Options fitted: None
Price: $63,804 (drive-away, Qld)
Supplied by: Apollo Caravan & RV Sales Brisbane, Northgate, Queensland
More info: Winnebago Australia