Active Storm 22 Triple Bunk reviewed at Caravan of the Year 2024 presented by MSA 4x4 Accessories

The Storm 22 may not be a budget van, but it stood out at COTY 2024 with its fit, finish and price-to-spec balance. And it looks the part without being over the top, which the judges appreciated. 

TIM VAN DUYL — CARAVAN WORLD CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Value for money

It’s scary to some, but there are not many triple bunk offroad vans under $150,000 anymore. Times have changed and prices have gone up sharply in the past few years, so to hear the Storm 22 by Active Caravans was a gourmet pie at $128,990 stood out to me.

You could get a cheaper, less well-spec’d road van for less, but I’d suggest you’ll struggle to find a locally made product that can take you almost anywhere much cheaper, if at all.

Towability

With a 3500kg ATM, you are going to need a modern 4x4 ute, or big SUV, or do what we did and tow with a Silverado 1500 LTZ. The 1500 made light work of the Storm 22, as it should with its max braked capacity of 4500kg. 

The van itself towed really well again, as you’d expect with its Cruisemaster XT coil suspension and DO35 hitch. By modern standards, it’s not a massive van but you still feel it on the road. With a few trips under your belt. I’m sure you’ll feel confident hauling the Storm 22 around the country.

JOHN FORD — CARAVAN WORLD EDITOR

Suitability for intended touring

The Storm 22 is a roomy family van with enough offroad cred to get you around the country in style and comfort. The van is sturdily built on heavy-duty suspension and a robust chassis, so it’s made for some hard road travel, but the large size means it’s not going to get into more extreme tight tracks without risking some scratches and dings. 

The kids will like their bedroom down the back, the triple-bunk setup separated from the rest of the living area by a sliding door. The bench-shaped lounge should give them space at the large dining table by adding a couple of folding camp chairs. 

The van will suit longer adventures of outback travel just as much as a few days on the beach somewhere. Its decent 300Ah of lithium battery capacity means families can stay off-grid for extended stays with careful use of the 200L of fresh water. The grey tank adds many national and council parks to the list of camp spots. 

Storage options and a 716kg payload mean you can carry enough supplies and personal items for a family and the 274L compressor fridge should keep growing youngsters happy. I like that it’s under the 3500kg limit so most mid-range tow vehicles will suit and it certainly doesn’t need the raucous Silverado we had in the tow test. 

Customer care 

Active Caravans impresses with a keen dedication to customer care, and it extends its warranty through an external partner at Integrity Care. This sounds like a good option, but the retailer is responsible for all aspects of warranty and needs to take control if there is a problem. The cover lasts for three years for all items in the van and the company has an Australia-wide network of repair and service agents. The claim process looks painless and response times are said to be reasonable. 

Importantly, the warranty is transferable to a new buyer if actioned at the time of the resale. Owners are covered for accommodation up to $150 a day ($500 maximum per claim) in the event of a problem with the van when away from home.

The warranty document refers to Australian Consumer Law as required and is easy to understand. It’s much more comprehensive than we see in most caravan documents so all credit to Active. Owners are required to service the van every 12 months to keep the warranty active, which seems reasonable and if the service is missed the warranty cover can be halted but reactivated following an inspection. 

CATHERINE BEST — AUTHOR OF ULTIMATE CARAVAN TRIPS: AUSTRALIA

Liveability

The whole family would be very comfortable in this 22ft, triple-bunk caravan. The layout is a winner, with a north-south island bed up front, mid door and rear far-side bunks separated from the living area by a solid sliding door, which gives the parents a bit of extra privacy. What I really love is the concertina door between the bunks and the bathroom. When opened, this essentially expands the kids’ bedroom area and gives all members of the family plenty of room to move when showering. The Storm 22 is really spacious overall and bright, thanks to the oversized windows. The big compromise is the bench seat dining table, which would be lucky to accommodate four people at mealtimes without a stool or two.

The Storm 22 has some great features, including wi-fi, three slide-out pantry racks and phone connectivity to remotely operate or monitor things like the lights, Fusion stereo, fridge temperature, tyre pressure and gas bottle levels. The master has a pillowtop mattress, fans, bedhead toilet light switch, overhead and underbed storage, and bedside cupboards/drawers with niches containing lights and charge points. In the kitchen, you’ll find a four-burner gas cooktop/grill/oven, 24L NCE microwave, water filter, air-conditioner and a 274L Thetford compressor fridge. The ensuite has a separate cassette toilet and shower, while the kids’ bunks all have a storage pouch, fan, reading light and charge points. Above the front load washing machine, the kids have a shared drawer and large cupboard, which would be more functional if it had shelves. Outside, there’s a picnic table, TV mount, outdoor shower, full tunnel boot and toolbox with jerry can holders and far-side generator slide-out.

Self-sufficiency

For the adventurous family, the Storm 22 has good off-grid capability that will serve the clan well for a few days beachside or in the bush. There’s 510W of solar on the roof, 300Ah of lithium battery storage, a 3000W inverter and a roaming solar Anderson plug for extra charge. The electrics are regulated by a BMPRO Odyssey Battery Management System, with enough real estate on the roof for extra solar panels. The storm carries 200L of freshwater, with space for an extra tank, as well as a 100L grey water tank. There’s no grey water bypass. Two 9kg gas bottles up front diversify the power complement and will run the 28L Swift gas/electric hot water service. There’s plenty of storage for food and extra fuel, as well as a fold-up table and chairs, other camping gear and outdoor toys. The dual rear cameras will help reversing into camp but for a family of five, off-grid stays will be limited by water storage and the 18L Thetford cassette toilet. A family would ideally travel with a second cassette. 

MALCOLM STREET — CARAVAN WORLD FIELD EDITOR

Build quality

Active’s Storm 22 follows a very traditional route for caravan construction. Underpinning the van is a Proline-built, hot dipped galvanised chassis with 100mm x 50mm (4in x 2in) RHS main rails and larger 150mm x 50mm (6in x 2in) RHS drawbar rails. Generally speaking, the chassis area looks quite neat, with a professional finish. Nothing is dangling down that shouldn’t be and the corrugated PVC protection on the grey water pipework is a bonus. All the water tanks have galvanised sheet protection and are all neatly finished off. 

Designed for offroad use, the Storm 22 has Cruisemaster XT tandem axle suspension with trailing arms, coil springs and two shock absorbers per wheel. The 16in alloy wheels are fitted with 12in electric brakes and are shod with LT265/75 R16 mud terrain tyres.

Above the chassis, the floor is made from 50mm ply hardwood with fibreglass protective sheeting underneath. Built in traditional style, the frame is meranti timber that is covered by ALUCOBOND composite panelling for the walls and fibreglass composite panelling for the roof. Like many an offroad caravan, the lower body waistline has a black alloy checkerplate all around. 

Inside the Storm 22 the fit and finish look quite well done, with a contemporary look to the internal structure. Although it is a triple bunk van, the table is somewhat on the small side for a family, and there isn’t much individual storage for family members in the bunk bed area. Shelving inside the cupboard would improve that. 

Innovation

The design of the bunk and bathroom area in Storm 22 gets the attention. It’s different from the usual and quite spacious, with a decent amount of cupboard space and enough room for a front load washing machine. 

It’s not exactly innovative but I liked that Active supplied a decent, kind-to-the-feet, aluminium ladder for the bunk beds. Much easier to use than the more usual ply timber cutouts that are fitted to many bunk beds and much safer too. 

The external storage is very much standard but the smaller storage box on the front drawbar is an effective way of adding to the front tunnel storage yet providing a restraint on the temptation to overload.

Inside the Storm 22, the front bedhead looks a standard design but the extra light inside the pillow cubbies is a practical touch. As is the mid-front wall light switch that turns on the bathroom light, thus saving disturbing others at night. Having a pillow cubbie doesn’t mean losing out on a bed shelf, either. 

X-Factor

This is an offroad caravan that’s designed for a family and has the capability for off-grid travel. A combination that’s good for a family planning to travel in outback Australia. Priced at $128,990, a tow vehicle is a consideration. Given the tare mass of 2784kg, it’s a heavy-duty tow vehicle territory, like a Toyota LandCruiser or RAM.

From the outside, the Storm 22 has a very striking colour scheme. The decals, in particular, were designed by someone with a clever imagination. Adding to the overall look are the flush-tinted windows and the overall van shape. Inside, too, the mostly glossy white colour scheme with touches of pseudo-timber-look laminate and black upholstery is quite easy on the eye.

Each of the triple bunks, an asset in itself, is well appointed with a Sirocco fan, window, magazine pouch, reading light and 240V power point with USB charger sockets. Any junior family member will be very happy with that. 

It’s great that a grey water tank is slowly becoming a standard item in many caravans — it’s very good for the environment. Active has easily adopted the new battery regulations by having the three battery boxes mounted on the front offside chassis rail. As with other manufacturers, this makes the batteries easy to access when required. However, given the value of lithium batteries and their easy portability, some sort of locking mechanism might be a good idea. 

ACTIVE CARAVANS STORM 22 TRIPLE BUNK SPECS

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

Active Caravans Storm 22 Triple Bunk price from $119,990

OPTIONS FITTED

• Hot dipped galvanised chassis
• 3000W inverter

Active Caravans Storm 22 Triple Bunk price as shown $128,990

MORE INFORMATION

• Active Caravans 
  
  
• RV Central — Nowra
  334 Princes Highway
  Bomaderry NSW 2541
  P: 02 4422 4200
  E: nowrasales@rvcentral.com.au

THE NEXT STEP

If you need help choosing your first caravan or are considering upgrading your existing one, check out all Active Caravans 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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