Complete Campsite Exodus 18 reviewed at Australia's Best Hybrids 2024 presented by Tough Dog 4WD Accessories

Equal Overall Winner — Australia's Best Hybrids 2024

Winner — Best Innovation and Best Family Hybrid

JOHN FORD — CARAVAN WORLD EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Build quality

One of the owners of Complete Campsite runs his own boat-building company, and much of the build process of the Exodus 18 has roots in composite yacht hull construction. Like a yacht hull, the innovative hybrid is a single-piece, hand-laid moulded body, an upside-down boat if you like, to which a single-piece roof is attached. All the mouldings are layers of glass mat and resin around a foam core for strength and efficient insulation. The roof hinges from the forward edge of the body and locks to the top of the frame so securely that it makes what is a virtual monocoque structure of immense strength. Around the front of the van are complicated shapes that add to the beautifully unique style while bringing more strength with their curves and angles. By using fibreglass in such an innovative way, the Exodus wins the triple crown of strength, weight saving and stunningly good looks.

The stainless-steel work in the kitchen is beautifully completed, and the setup is effortless. Elsewhere, the attention to detail shows with an electric step, electric roof actuator and Seitz windows. 

 Internal cabinetry is also composite, and the quality of all the mouldings is superb. As this is the first model built of the Exodus 18, you can forgive minor blemishes in the frontrunner lining inside, and if anything, they highlight the high quality of everything else in the build.

 All electronic components are top quality, and the installation is neat and professional. The suspension is Cruisemaster's top-of-the-line airbag setup with disc brakes, and it worked a treat on our test drive. 

Value for money

As reviewed, the Exodus 18 retails at $170,000, so it's the most expensive of our entrants this year. The cost includes extras like the Cruisemaster ATX level three airbag suspension, disc brakes, internal composting toilet, inverter upgrade and more in a $28,000 package. So, even as standard, the price is $142,000, meaning it competes against exotic brands in the higher-end expedition-style RV market. However, if we search for other makes with the same build process to compare, there are none.

The fit out and attention to detail are high quality, with only a few blemishes in what is essentially a prototype. All components and the choice of materials is the best available and the van is built in NSW using Australian steel and local composites. The company ethos is not to skimp on anything, and it shows in the high presentation of a van at our event that's fully equipped and ready to go. The Exodus is a unique and capable hybrid that is light and small enough to follow you to remote locations and treat you to a comfortable experience when you set up camp.

Customer care

When Complete Campsite entered our Australia's Best Hybrids competition this year, they told us they strive to build Australia's best-quality hybrid. While that might be easy to say, backing it up with comprehensive customer care is different. But they are backing it up with the best warranty we have seen.

With a transferable lifetime warranty on the chassis and body, a 24-hour helpline, dedicated service staff, an active Facebook Owners Group and a network of service and repair agents, Complete Campsite isn't your typical Australian caravan company. This is class-leading customer care, and all credit to them.

MALCOLM STREET — CARAVAN WORLD FIELD EDITOR

Innovation

Undoubtedly, the Exodus 18 stood out in the crowd at Australia’s Best Hybrids 2024 and for good reason. We judged it the winner in the Most Innovative category. It looked like nothing else there. Starting with the overall monocoque fibreglass structure which is quite unique with some hints of the boating background of the manufacturer. Indeed, from some angles, the Exodus 18 looked a bit like a houseboat. Items like the composite honeycomb structure used for bulkheads to add to the overall strength — while also saving weight — and the curved roof to aid drainage are all components of a well-engineered package. Part of the moulding process includes the front storage box, which looks like part of the structure rather than an afterthought.

The slide-out kitchen, which sits parallel to the van body, isn't a unique idea, but it's more unusual. What makes it a standout are the purpose-designed ball bearing runners, which make sliding out the kitchen a very smooth experience.

Inside the Exodus 18, the benchtop looks like the usual laminate, but it's an Italian product that's highly resistant to scratches and has self-healing properties if damaged.

Something built into the Exodus 18 falls within the ‘why hasn’t someone done this before’ category. This feature is the hinged cover for the inverter charger and MPPT solar charge controllers, thus giving the expensive devices mechanical protection while allowing effective use of the rest of the storage bin. The vacuum pump that feeds to the 72L grey water tank is an interesting addition to the external kitchen. Items like the composting toilet and disc brakes are familiar but add to the list of innovative features in the overall package.

Several components used in the Exodus 18 are not commonly seen. One of those is the diesel-fired Webasto EVO5 Hydronic water heater. Instead of directly heating the water, the EVO5 has a glycol tank that heats water via a heat exchange. Innovatively, the EVO5 can have a fan heater attached, which can be used as a space heater.

It shouldn’t be an innovative item, but the weight factor is. The Exodus 18 was at least 2m (6ft 6in) longer than anything else at ABH, yet its tare mass and ATM matched or were sometimes lighter than many other entrants. 

Self-Sufficiency

Living off the grid for an extended period requires sufficient water, LPG and electrical capacity. Water, in particular, is problematic because of the weight factor. If enough water capacity is built in, that must be included in the payload of the overall design. Complete Campsite has considered this problem very well because the Exodus 18 had a payload of 780kg. That gives plenty of weight capacity for the standard 220L of freshwater without causing any problems for whatever else needs to be loaded on board. Generally speaking, most towed RVs come with a battery capacity of 100Ah or 200Ah, but the Exodus 18 has four 120Ah lithium LiFeP04 batteries (480Ah total) standard. That’s not to be sneezed at in any way, particularly as lithium batteries have a better power-to-weight ratio than similarly rated AGMs.

Maintaining the battery charge is the solar panel capacity of 950W. In addition to that, the inverter/charger is rated at 3000W/100A. All very impressive numbers but what it adds up to is a system capable of running an air-conditioner for an extended period, or operating an induction cooker, coffee maker or microwave oven using the 3000W inverter. Devices like a fridge can be run all day off the solar panels. 

Adding to the off-grid capability of the Exodus 18 is the composting toilet. Compared to a cassette toilet, it reduces the need to empty the black tank frequently. That's often a weakness in the off-grid capability of many recreational vehicles.

Reliance on LPG is minimal because the two 4.5kg gas cylinders are only used for the cooktop. The other LPG consumer is usually the water heater, but that's a diesel-fired Webasto EVO5 Hydronic unit. For off-grid travel, the Exodus 18 ticks all the boxes very well, including the often-forgotten black tank capacity. 

ALLISON WATT — CARAVAN WORLD DEPUTY EDITOR

Liveability

The prototype Exodus 18 was built for Scott Gould and his family, and we judged it the Best Family Hybrid in this year’s competition. It comprises a queen size north-south bed and bunks, but there are other internal configuration options with sleeping for up to six people.

With marine carpet on the ceiling and walls, the inside of the Exodus 18 has quite a nautical feel but feels cosy and homely. The main bed has reading lamps, USB points and lockers/cupboards on one side at the head for books and other bits and pieces. There are windows on three sides of the bed to let in plenty of natural light and let you lie in bed and enjoy your surroundings.

There is a lounge seat on the passenger side and opposite are the bunks which fold down to become extra seating if required. At the rear is the internal corner kitchen with sink, drawers and an optioned-on 30L Isotherm drawer fridge which can be used as either a fridge or a freezer and, importantly, it is the perfect depth to store a can upright and can be easily reached from the main entry door without having to step inside the van. The innovative touches never end in the Exodus 18 — the laminate on the kitchen bench is self-healing, if it gets scratched it will, miraculously, revert to its former pristine condition.

Given the beauty and functionality of the external kitchen (mentioned below) it’s unlikely that you’d use the internal kitchen, except for maybe boiling the kettle for a cuppa in the morning.

A Nature’s Head composting toilet is located in the ensuite and sits on its own raised platform, away from the wetness of the shower base. An external ensuite with a wet and dry room is the standard bathroom setup, and the composting toilet can be moved there as well. 

Gas is only used for cooking and the barbecue with a Webasto diesel unit taking care of hot water and heater. The rooftop air-conditioner is also a 2.4kW Webasto.

Ease of use

The designers at Complete Campsite wanted the Exodus 18 to be easy to use and it certainly hits the brief.

Once you’ve stopped raving about its unique fibreglass construction and easy towability, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to set up once you’ve arrived at your chosen camp. Cruisemaster level three air bag suspension makes automatic levelling a breeze. Carting around levelling ramps and a spirit level will be a thing of the past.

The 5.2m (17ft) manual awning — the biggest we’d seen — provides good coverage for the outdoor kitchen and living areas, and the Exodus comes with a full annexe to protect these areas from the elements.

Like a giant clam shell, the electric pop-top roof rises at just the rear end where the kitchen and bathroom are located and where you need space to move around. It stays low over the main bed where height is not required.

With the awning out and the roof up, all that remains to set up is the external kitchen which comprises a slide-out EvaKool 95L fridge/freezer, built-in pantry shelves, slide-out full-width drawers with a stainless-steel benchtop and a slide-out stainless steel kitchen which pivots to sit parallel to the van. This kitchen design not only provides better protection from the elements, but it is also arguably easier to use. It has a sink, a Thetford three-burner hotplate (two gas, one induction) and additional bench space which folds up from both sides of the slide-out. Complete Campsite even devised an engineering solution to resolve the issue of where to store your Bunnings-type fold up table when travelling, creating a dedicated slide in the top of the tunnel that houses the kitchen. 

TIM VAN DUYL — CARAVAN WORLD CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Towability

I would be flattened to the floor if you could find a better tow of an 18ft hybrid like this here Exodus. It's low, light and long, plus it’s got disc brakes and excellent Cruisemaster suspension. Even with what's now seen as an older Isuzu MU-X, it was a cakewalk, and I doubt you’d have trouble with anything rated to pull 3000kg as although the ATM is 2800kg, you are likely going to be towing the Exodus 18 at a featherweight 2500kg.

You’d be right in thinking a dual axle will tow better on the flat and with four tyres you will have more surface area for braking, but I’d contest you won't turn as tightly or as easily as a single axle and a single axle has half as many bearings and bushings to maintain. You might also think low is not that great offroad and you are mostly right. You want clearance around embankments and through water crossings, so just pump up the level three airbags and you gain around 140mm of clearance.

For those of us not yet familiar with disc brakes, you will be soon. More and more manufacturers are moving to discs on account of lower maintenance costs and the big one, better and more instantaneous braking feel. If you are wondering about price, yes, they are currently more expensive than drum setups, but their costs have about halved in the past five years so an upgrade like you see here is about $3300. Try disc and you won’t want to go back to drums which is why we are in the process of fitting some to our staff camper. 

X-Factor

Having a trailer with the space of the Exodus 18 and the specs it carries will drop jaws for the uninitiated while the branding alone is enough to bring in the diehards at any campsite. 

With the Nature's Head composting toilet, solar and battery specs and water-carrying capacity, you can hang around a river almost indefinitely. Cleaning with river water, I suspect a family of four will get about two weeks before the head needs attention. 

Complete Campsite has a reputation for getting it right and standing by their legion of followers. You do not see them come up for sale within a few years of manufacture which suggests their owners have what they want and won’t part with their precious. Complete Campsite vans are envied — they are coveted for their build quality, simplicity, practicality and the thoughtfulness of their design. It is rare to find trailers built by diehard users in our busy industry. If you are like me and you want one, you need to get in line. Their legion of followers grows bigger every day. 

COMPLETE CAMPSITE EXODUS 18 SPECS

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

Complete Campsite Exodus 18 price from $142,000

OPTIONS FITTED

$28,000 package including: 

• Cruisemaster ATX level three airbag suspension
• Cruisemaster hydraulic disc brakes
• 3000W Enerdrive inverter upgrade
• Thetford Topline Hybrid hob with induction plate
• Isotherm 30L drawer fridge
• Internal ensuite screened cubicle
• Nature’s Head composting toilet
• Two bunk beds and bunk bed enclosure
• Awning light
• Barbecue stand
• Additional gas bayonet fitting
• Wind guard for stove — stainless steel
• Webasto 2.4kW rooftop air-conditioner

Complete Campsite Exodus 18 price as shown $170,000

MORE INFORMATION

Complete Campsite
39B Munibung Road
Cardiff NSW 2285
P: 0412 656 271
E: david@bwcy.com.au

THE NEXT STEP

If you need help choosing your first caravan or are considering upgrading your existing one, check out all Complete Campsite models available on TradeRVs today. 

The sellers will be happy to help and answer any inquiries you may have about the products advertised for sale.

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