Review: Australis Caravans Overland XT 19

Question: what do you do when you come from a country that caps the combined weight of the tow vehicle and the caravan at 6000kg, but you still want to live in the lap of luxury?

One option is to use a custom builder such as Australis Caravans. This company, which is based in Craigieburn, Vic, has a New Zealand dealership (Australis New Zealand) for its growing customer base across the Ditch. But did you know that New Zealand caps the combined loaded weight of both tow vehicle and trailer at 6000kg?

Australis has been building its flagship couple’s van, the Overland, for a few years, but only in 20ft and 21ft sizes. It is available with or without a slide-out. Slide-out variants are given the XT moniker.

Late last year, some NZ customers who liked the Overland had a special request. They needed a slightly lighter version in order to meet their country’s weight requirements while still having a credible payload capacity. Australis went to work. The result: this 19ft Overland XT, a couple hundred kilos lighter than the 20ft version and ready to explore the Land of the Long White Cloud.

EXtERIOR FEATURES

The Overland 19 XT is built on a 4in Proline chassis with a 4in raiser, effectively giving the van 8in of RHS steel underneath. It rides on MaxTrack Level 4 airbag suspension rated to 3.5 tonnes. Interestingly, this van had an underslung spare wheel. The spare sits in a cradle forward of the suspension, freeing up the rear bumper while adding some necessary ball weight.

Australis uses BOS stabiliser legs for this van. If you’re not familiar, these are a vast upgrade on the stabilisers you’re used to. Rated to 1800kg each, these legs can be used to jack up the van to change spare tyre, or to level your van on site, unlike the traditional variety which are non-load-bearing and designed to stabilise only.

Two protected 95L water tanks as well as two 95L grey tanks are underneath, as is the air-compressor for the suspension. The control module, which is mounted within a steel on the chassis, has an air outlet so you can connect a hose to inflate your tyres without needing to set-up a portable compressor. 

The Overland 19 XT is equipped with a decent 12V system too – two 225Ah lithium batteries come as standard along with four 200W solar panels on the sandwich panel roof, along with a Projecta battery management system, a 3000W inverter and a 30A DC-DC charger. The inverter, by the way, is fitted within a cavernous L-shaped tunnel boot

The toolbox on the A-frame is quite substantial and versatile. Fabricated from powder-coated aluminium, it contains duel slide-out trays as well as a top shelf. There’s no internal divider, so long items will be accommodated easily, and I could appreciate the included Anderson plug, should you store a portable fridge or some other device that requires power here. 

This storage comprises yet another section with three deep compartments – this is also where Australis has provided a couple of 9kg gas cylinders.   

While Australis can frame its vans in traditional meranti timber, with a view to creating fibreglass sandwich panel vans soon, this Overland 19 XT has an aluminium van frame clad with composite aluminium and X-plate. As per the current trend, laser-etched aluminium edging in lieu of J-mould hasn’t been forgotten.

Here’s a neat touch: along the nearside, Australis has fitted numerous press studs so that the owners of the van could later fit a draft skirt along with an annexe. The awning, by the way, is electric. Just push a button. 

SLIDE-OUT CENTREPIECE

The ‘XT’ in the van’s name represents the word ‘extend’, which itself refers to the fact the van has a slide-out. It is indeed a welcoming, warm interior and the extent to which the slide-out ‘opens up’ the space inside can’t be overstated.

The centrepiece is, of course, the slide-out. With a club lounge, overhead lockers, a telescopic table and reading lights with built-in USB points, it is an absolutely beautiful space to sit and watch the world go by. The only thing I’d want to add is a 240V point.

As expected, the van has an east-west bed, and it’s done very nicely. The bed gets reading lights, there are 240V and 12V points near the pillows, and I appreciated the draw access to the storage space beneath the bed. You could indeed lift the mattress, but let’s not forget that beneath is the externally-accessible tunnel boot, so it’s unlikely you’d need internal access to that. So instead, Australis has fitted some drawers for the things you will need to use inside. And don’t think I didn’t notice the onboard diesel heater, with the control module at the foot of the bed. I wonder if it could be moved so that you could turn the heater on without sitting up…

On the offside, between the dinette and rear bathroom, sits an impressive cabinet complete with multiple drawers and general wardrobe space. 

Let’s talk about the kitchen. The gold tapware mightn’t be for everyone, nor would the choice of splashback, but that’s the beauty of customisation. This van had been built specifically for a customer in New Zealand – you’re not limited to what you see here.

Appliances include a four-burner cooktop, griller and oven, a 23L flatbed microwave, and a 224L Thetford compressor fridge mounted up off the floor with a pot drawer beneath. But where’s the reverse-cycle air-conditioner? Well, air-conditioners are not as in demand in the New Zealand market as they are here in Australis, but never fear: Australis fits reverse-cycle AC units as standard for vans intended for our roads.

What about the bathroom? It stretches the width of the van at the rear. It doesn’t have a washing machine (at the choice of the customer) though they are standard in Australis vans. The result, though, is a large vanity unit with a niche for dirty laundry. Obviously, the van has a fibreglass shower and a cassette toilet too.

Have I mentioned every feature and appliance? No. There’s a 32in smart TV, an instant hot water system, a recessed rangehood and even a pull-out rubbish bin.

If you want a caravan with an interior that looks and feels like a five-star hotel room, the Australis Overland 19 XT will fit the bill nicely.

SUMMING UP

Weighing in at 2787kg, with an ATM of 3500kg and an unladen ball weight of 263kg, this van isn’t a lightweight. That said, it is a true long-haul tourer with semi-offroad capabilities. With a terrific layout that’s stylishly finished, readily accessible storage spaces, a good 12V system and everything else that this rig offers, I have no doubt its owners would be thrilled as they ventured around New Zealand.

Australis has built plenty of 20ft and 21ft Overlands for the Australian market, and I suspect this 19-footer, which began as a special order from keen customers in New Zealand, will soon be spotted on our roads too.

THE SCORE 

FIT AND FINISH –

LAYOUT –

INNOVATION –

HITS & MISSES

AUSTRALIS OVERLAND 19 XT SPECS