Caravan reivew: Retreat Bribie X 194B offroad family van

Malcolm Street reviews the family-friendly Bribie X 194B from Retreat Caravans and discovers it offers excellent value for a fully equipped, offroad-capable caravan without being too heavy.

In brief: 

• Family bunk van
• Designed for offroad use
• External body length of 5.98m (19ft 7in)
• ARV Titan-X 3.7T independent suspension
• Tare mass of 2658kg and 842kg payload

Retreat Caravans has been in the caravan building business for nearly 20 years. Its anniversary is next year, but the manufacturer has started celebrations by rolling out a refreshed and revamped lineup.

Like many manufacturers, when you’re on a good thing you stick with it, and that’s the case with the latest Retreat range of vans: no new vans, but plenty of upgrade work. To get the exotic travel thoughts going, all the Retreat vans are named after Queensland islands — Daydream, Whitsunday, Fraser and Bribie X. It’s the latter that starts off the range with a price tag under $100,000.

My review van, the Retreat Bribie X 194B, came from 7th Street Caravans in Heatherbrae in the NSW Hunter Valley. Anyone who has been to this area recently will know that it’s fast becoming the caravan capital of NSW, with a vast range of dealers.

A wet day for the tow test

The 7th Street Caravans dealership offers an extensive range of Retreat caravans. I opted for the Bribie X 194B because it was a relatively small family van with a slightly different bathroom layout. I had intended to find a scenic location in the Hunter Valley for my photos. Unfortunately, several days of rain had made everything very soggy beforehand. Although the Ford Ranger I was using is a very capable vehicle, I wasn’t willing to test its abilities in super boggy conditions. What the Ranger proved to be was a stable tow vehicle in adverse weather. Hitched up behind the tow vehicle, the Bribie X 194B looks quite high — the travel height is 3.26m (10ft 8in) — but even in slightly windy conditions, the van still proved to be a steady towing prospect.

The Bribie X might be the smallest in Retreat’s range of vans but it packs a punch for adventurous families

The Bribie X 194B has a tare mass of 2658kg and an ATM of 3500kg, resulting in an excellent payload of 842kg. Even with the two 110L freshwater tanks, that’s still more than acceptable.

For a refresher on caravan weights and what they mean, check out our guide here. 

Build quality and offroad features

The Bribie X 194B looks to be very solidly built. It rides on a SupaGal truss chassis with a 150mm (6in) drawbar. Being an offroad caravan, the Bribie X is fitted with independent suspension — ARV’s Titan-X rated at 3.7T with coil springs and dual shock absorbers. A little surprisingly, in this day and age of aluminium frames or a full composite structure, the Retreat caravan has a meranti timber frame — a tried and trusted technique. Single sheet marine plywood is used for the flooring. Above, the roof is a one-piece fibreglass skin, and the walls are aluminium composite panels. The metallic grey colour and the slimline, tinted windows give the van a quite stylish look. Fitted to the under-awning area are the expected features, including a pair of bug lights, a pair of external speakers, a picnic table and an external TV point.

The ARV Titan-X 3.7T independent suspension and protected water tanks

For storage, the Bribie X 194B features a standard front tunnel boot, as well as smaller compartments located on both sides behind the tunnel boot. There isn’t a storage box on the drawbar, but the spare wheel is mounted on a simple bumper bar at the rear. Chassis fittings include the single lithium battery box located on the chassis rail forward of the offside wheel, the grey water tank drain and mains pressure connection behind the wheel and the gas bayonet at the front corner.

The grey exterior, slimline look and tinted windows give it a rugged lookPlenty of storage in the tunnel boot and neighbouring compartments

Stylish interior with family-friendly design

Retreat’s Bribie X 194B has a very contemporary interior with a high-quality finish. It includes a pillowtop mattress, fully upholstered seating and tasteful ambient lighting. Other features include self-closing extension drawer runners, towel rails and an upholstered magazine holder. The pale green colour of the cabinetry is a nice change from the usual greys and whites and looks a treat.

The 194B has a forward door entry layout. There’s a double bed across the front of the van, bunks and a bathroom in the rear and a kitchen and dinette in between. The dinette isn’t the more usual L-shape; instead, it features a parallel seat against the wall. However, the most interesting feature is the rear bunks/bathroom area, which is set up differently than usual.

The kitchen bench has all the expected features

Innovative rear bunk and bathroom layout

At the rear on the driver’s side, instead of fixed walls, the bathroom features an open-plan arrangement with concertina curtains for privacy when required. It’s a neat way of improving the space factor without too much compromise. Included in the bathroom fitting is a separate fibreglass shower cubicle, a Thetford cassette toilet and a stylish-looking vanity cabinet. The bathroom is well ventilated, featuring a window and a roof hatch above the toilet.

On the opposite wall, there’s plenty of natural lighting in the bunk bed area. In addition to a big roof hatch, both bunks have decent-sized windows. Each bunk has a reading light, a USB hub and a magazine pouch and there’s a drawer under the lower bunk. The top bunk is accessible by the simple timber sheet-style ladder, which requires some dexterity. Between the bunks and the bathroom, there’s a cupboard and drawers above the washing machine below. It’s all very well laid out.

A standard timber ladder with cut-outs on the bunk beds

Kitchen, dining and sleeping comfort

The kitchen is well equipped with an NCE microwave, a Hawk four-burner hob with grill and a 12V range hood. The fridge on the opposite side is a 170L Sanjo compressor fridge with a good capacity — ideal for a family. There’s a generous array of drawers, cupboards and overhead lockers, the former having flush latches and the latter having the concealed variety.

Facing the kitchen, the dining table has a height-adjustable Nuova Mapa mounting. Above the table, the overhead lockers include shelves but are partly occupied by the Projecta charger system. Given the length of the seat, at least one extra chair will be needed for family dining.

A benefit of the east–west bed is that it’s larger than most island beds. Stretching across the van, it measures 2.2m x 1.5m (7ft 2in x 4ft 9in). There’s a pair of reading lights on the offside wall, overhead lockers all round and two drawers under the main bed. For ventilation, there’s a front window and a big overhead hatch above.

The interior is tastefully finished and the east-west bed is slightly longer than usualThe table can be swivelled around as needed

Self-sufficiency for remote travel

For those keen to get off the grid, the Bribie X 194B has good water capacity, with two 110L fresh water tanks and a 95L grey water tank (great for camping in national parks), along with the usual 19L Thetford cassette tank. For the 12V electrics, there’s a 150Ah lithium LiFePO4 battery, charged up by a pair of 220W solar panels and a Projecta charging system. The Projecta Intelli-RV PM235C features a battery charger and a built-in solar charge controller, both rated at 30A. Low-voltage battery protection is built in. The 7in LCD control panel is mounted conveniently near the entry door.

For more info on power management for off-grid travel, check out John Hughes’ guide.

Shelving and the Projecta charger unit fitted to some overhead lockers

Warranty and customer care

If something goes wrong, Retreat Caravans has multiple recommended repairers throughout the country, all of which can be found on the manufacturer’s website. The Bribie X comes with a three-year structural warranty, and, for the appliances, a warranty period specified by the OEM, which is typically 12 months.

Final thoughts on the Retreat Bribie X 194B

The Bribie X might be the smallest member in the Retreat range. However, with a price tag just under $100,000, the Bribie X 194B offers excellent value for a fully equipped, offroad-capable caravan. It’s very family-friendly, but not an oversized towing package that requires a heavy-duty tow vehicle. It’s an excellent choice for families seeking both comfort and convenience.

The Retreat Bribie X 194B towed smoothly behind the Ford Ranger

Measuring up

Pros

• Well-appointed caravan
• Not excessively large
• Flexible rear bunk/bathroom layout
• Large double bed
• Plenty of practical internal storage

Cons

• Dinette requires extra seats for a family
• The east-west bed may be a problem for some
• Limited window space around the bed

RETREAT BRIBIE X 194B RATINGS

VALUE FOR MONEY

For under $100k, the Bribie X 194B offers good value for an offroad family van

TOWABILITY

Great towing prospect, and will suit a variety of vehicles

SUITABILITY FOR INTENDED TOURING

Built for a family that loves to explore remote places

BUILD QUALITY

It is quite well put together, with high-quality finish materials

LIVEABILITY

A family layout, but there’s room to move without a problem 

SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Apart from the limitations of the cassette, the Bribie X 194B is well equipped for off-grid travel

CUSTOMER CARE

Three-year structural and individual OEMs on components

INNOVATION

Different but workable layout in the rear

X-FACTOR

An attractive-looking van, inside and out

RETREAT BRIBIE X 194B SPECS

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

Retreat Bribie X 194B base price from $96,500

OPTIONS FITTED

N/A

Retreat Bribie X 194B price as shown $96,500

MORE INFORMATION

7th Street Caravans

11 Clayton Road

Heatherbrae NSW 2324

P: 02 4082 8414

THE NEXT STEP

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