Wonderland RV Hornet 2023 Review

One offshoot from the pandemic is that many more families are considering setting off on an extended caravan tour. And while the prospect of home-schooling can initially be daunting, the prospect is made thoroughly palatable by this Hornet 2311 rough-road caravan, by Wonderland RV.

Based in Campbellfield (Vic), Wonderland RV is a boutique manufacturer that has been producing largely off-road or dirt-road caravans since 2014. A smaller family concern with a long history in caravan manufacturing, Wonderland RV produces over 40 floorplans spanning five model lines, with flexibility for customisation if required.

Layouts range from 15ft 6in to 24ft, so the 23ft 11in Hornet reviewed here is at the upper end of the spectrum. Billed as a rugged off-road caravan with the comforts of home, the review van adopts a forward north-south queen-size bed, a mid kitchen with L-shaped four-seater lounge, twin-bunks for the kids and a rear ensuite.

However, the big attraction is the inclusion of a two-seater café dinette opposite the kids’ bunks, which provides a study nook for home schooling on an extended trip, effectively creating a second – albeit compact – living space.

It’s a feature sure to aid domestic harmony on the Big Lap, as will this van’s inclusion of just about all the major creature comforts. You will pay for the privilege, however, with a heavy 3990kg ATM, a 9.5m travel length and a long list of features helping push the price of this palatial rig to a heady $169,990 drive away.

Factor in the extra cost of a hefty tow tug capable of hauling it, and this caravan isn’t the epitome of budget touring. But for those unperturbed by the price, a premium touring experience awaits…

Related reading:
Wonderland creates five-star apartment on wheels
First look: Wonderland Adventus

The Wonderland RV Hornet is built tough from the ground up, beginning with its Aussie-made S&M chassis. Featuring a 6in drawbar with 4in main chassis rails with a 4in riser, the galvanised steel is zinc primed before receiving a heavy textured powdercoat for added durability.

Touted as a “premium off-road caravan”, Wonderland RV eschews the traditional ‘stick and tin’ process still used by many caravan brands, and it doesn’t use a composite sandwich panel design either. Instead, Wonderland RV adopts what it calls an ‘interlocking jigsaw frame’, where structural grade ply is shaped with computer-aided design software (CAD) before being precision cut using CNC routers.

The walls, roof and floor are then locked together with the cabinetry, with extensive use of bolts and screws, not staples, providing further strength. Meanwhile, Wonderland RV says the process delivers incredible continuity, with each van just about identical to its last, from a manufacturing and tolerance viewpoint.

Further taming the bush, this tandem-axle Hornet rides on 16in alloys shod with all-terrain rubber and 4.5-tonne-rated Cruisemaster ATX airbag suspension. An onboard compressor lifts the van up for extra ride height, while it can be lowered at a moment’s notice when setting up camp.

Then there’s the 300Ah lithium battery, 800W of rooftop solar, and a 2600W inverter, along with two 100L freshwater tanks, a 55L drinking water tank, and a 100L greywater tank. Only the flagship XTR surpasses the Hornet in the Wonderland range when it comes to off-grid living.

Payload is a decent 910kg in this van, although the 3990kg ATM can be pushed higher on request. Either way, with a 3080kg Tare, once packed and ready to roll you’re looking at bigger tow tugs like American full-size pickups.

Having said that, the RAM 1500 up front barely broke a sweat with our (admittedly unladen) Hornet behind it, and responded with healthy urge under acceleration.

Externally, there’s plenty of checkerplate and a decent stone guard on the drawbar for further protection from chips and knocks, while the smooth external aluminium composite walls feature modern graphics that aren’t too overbearing.

There’s a huge full-length Dometic awning and the usual outdoor inclusions, but we particularly like the external LED lighting with softer bug mode, to minimise the nasties, and the LED strip light around the top of the second step. This, plus the illuminated grab handle and swing-out bottom step, make it easy to climb in, but watch your head on the top of the metal door frame when exiting.

On either side of the drawbar you’ll find large metal storage boxes with slide-outs for a fridge and generator, with two 9kg gas bottles nestled in between. And hooking up is easy courtesy of the Cruisemaster DO-45 off-road coupling.

There’s a full-width tunnel boot with interior lighting too which can be optioned with a slide-out BBQ or outdoor kitchen if desired.

The Wonderland RV Hornet looks rugged on the outside, but step inside and you’ll be taken aback by the sublime and superbly comfortable interior. The attractive, practical layout is complemented by a smart array of creature comforts, with a high level of attention to detail plainly evident, even down to the upholstered ‘W’ for Wonderland at the rear of the main dinette.

Natural light floods in through the multiple overhead hatches and sizeable tinted windows, the latter with retractable blinds and insect screens. And when the sun sinks lower, there’s a phalanx of LED downlights, along with reading lights that switch to a blue ambient mode, while a double power point and USB-A/USB-C charge point are never far away.

The interior colour palette is sophisticated, with the black dinette upholstery and darker vinyl flooring a smart match for the grey cabinetry and white interior walls. But it’s the fit and finish that catches the eye: all the various joins, cabinetry and edges appear millimetre perfect. I tried to find examples of a rough approach, and drew a blank…

Each section of the floorplan flows into the next and the overall use of space is clever and efficient. I’m 6ft 2in tall (188cm) and could stand with ease, even when stepping through the slightly lower bulkheads.

There’s seating for up to six across both dinettes and sleeping accommodation for four – five if you want to convert the main dinette to a further bed with an optional cushion. And you’ll be keeping comfy with a Dometic Ibis 4 reverse-cycle air-conditioner and five Sirocco fans dotted about the van.

Storage is plentiful – under the main bed (also with offside hatch access), under the dinette seating (also home to the lithium battery, inverter, and battery management system), and, well, just about everywhere you look. And the catches on the various drawers and cabinets work beautifully – they’re not soft-closing, but they have a positive action and feel sturdy.

The forward 'master bedroom' features a north-south queen-size bed with innerspring mattress. It’s roomy and has good access on the nearside, although the offside sleeper will need to clamber up from the foot of the bed if their partner has beaten them under the doona. That’s because the offside wall is filled in with a (admittedly handy) storage area.

The nearside sleeper doesn’t miss out though, with a couple of drawers beneath the bedside table, while each side has a roomy enough hanging wardrobe with external mirror. There’s a false floor in here too – handy for storing some valuables.

The 28in Smart TV mounts just forward of the solid ATRV security door, where it can be positioned for viewing from the bed or dinette, while the control face for the Fusion audio system is centrally located on the overhead cabinet at the front of the dinette. Opening that cabinet reveals the Redarc battery management control unit, the controller for the gas instant hot water system, and the fuse box.

The mid-nearside kitchen doesn’t have an abundance of bench space, at least not when the four-burner (all gas) Thetford cooktop is in use, but then the dinette table is only a short stretch away.

Underlining the apartment-style living is a generously large square sink with swivelling gooseneck tap (all white for something different), and I appreciate the higher benchtops and the sensible height of the overhead NCE microwave. There’s no oven, but there's a compact mini grill beneath the stove.

There’s a sizeable 224L Dometic fridge/freezer just aft of the dinette; the latter seating up to four on its sumptuous and supportive cushions.

Storage here is generous too, with a series of stacked drawers in lieu of a pull-out pantry rack, as well as in the under-sink cupboards and in the overhead cabinets. Once stocked up, you shouldn’t be going hungry in a hurry…

Opposite the kitchen, the comfortable L-shaped lounge seats up to four and converts to a fifth bed if required.

This particular Hornet van sees a second twin bunk arrangement replaced by a two-seater café dinette on the offside, which is very handy for home-schooling or just as another area where kids can hang out and draw, read, use tablets, or generally leave their parents in momentary peace.

The USB charge points here initially seem a little high but make sense when you notice the padded pockets nearby, where tablets will be securely stowed while charging. Mind you, the plastic covers on these ONEX charge points are flimsy – I doubt they’ll withstand typical kid use for too long.

But the two bunks opposite are generous and well appointed, measuring 1.9m long and each with a window, a fan, a reading light, a double power point and USB charging outlet.

Each bunk gets three drawers too, the bottom one getting the larger ones, while the nicely crafted integrated ladder to the top bunk is complemented by a sturdy grab handle.

And that leaves the rear bathroom, found behind a folding concertina door. It’s yet another nicely thought-out space, with a full height shower on the nearside opposite a full-size Thetford cassette loo (with dedicated cupboard for loo paper!).

There’s reasonable storage here too, despite the presence of a wall-mounted washing machine, while a large vanity mirror sits behind the attractive basin and tap.

It’s also well lit and well ventilated but – because of the overhead cabinets – I had to stoop quite a bit to use the mirror. I’m tall, so it won’t be quite the issue for those shorter of leg.

You’ll be the envy of the caravan park with this Wonderland RV Hornet 2311 – not that you’ll have to spend much time in parks in a van this well equipped for extended off-grid living.

It’s a luxuriously appointed and beautifully constructed caravan that should stand up to the rigours of bush exploration well, with a level of opulence more readily associated with a modern apartment than a caravan.

Yes, it’s a big-ticket item and you’ll need a big-ticket tow tug to haul it, but if that poses no problems your family is in for one incredible caravanning adventure in the Wonderland RV Hornet.

Price: $169,990 (drive away, as reviewed)
Travel length: 9490mm
External body length: 7340mm
External body width: 2480mm
Travel height: 3100mm
Interior height: 1980mm
Tare: 3080kg
ATM: 3990kg (higher on request)
Payload: 910kg
Ball weight (Tare): 200kg
Body: Interlocking jigsaw with structural-grade ply frame, aluminium composite panels
Chassis: S&M galvanised and powdercoated, 4in chassis on 4in riser
Suspension: 4.5t Cruisemaster ATX L3 Airbag
Brakes: 12in electric drum
Wheels: 16in alloy, 265/75R16 MPC All Terrain tyres
Freshwater: 2 x 100L plus 1 x 55L drinking water
Greywater: 100L
Battery: 1 x 300Ah lithium with Redarc Manager 30 and 2600W inverter
Solar: 4 x 200W, roof-mounted
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Hot water: Instant – gas only
Cooking: Thetford MiniGrill with 4 x gas burners
Microwave: NCE, 23L
Fridge: Dometic 224L fridge/freezer
TV: 28in Smart TV/DVD, Winegard antenna
Air conditioner: Ibis 4 reverse-cycle, roof-mounted
Bathroom: Separate shower and toilet
Washing machine: 3kg NCE wall-mounted
Lighting: LED throughout
Supplied by: Wonderland RV, Campbellfield, Vic