Caravan review: Evernew RTX28 Edge offroad van

Evernew Caravans has been in the game a long time and it is always looking for an edge on the competition at the premium end of the market. The RTX range (Rugged Terrain Xtreme) is Evernew’s top seller, and it has just added a 3T ATM single axle model to the lineup.

When you are in the market for a new caravan it’s vital to look at the merits of the product, but it is equally important to make your own evaluation of the company that stands behind that product. During the frenzied spike in demand for caravans in the wake of COVID, a number of new companies sprang up to help fill the gap in production capacity. Now that the market has softened, the industry has an oversupply challenge placing financial pressure on manufacturers, and not all of them will be around for the long haul.

It makes sense to consider a company with strong indicators of a solid future. Evernew Caravans looks to its track record of more than 60 years in the industry to put its case forward for a strong future ahead. Owner of Evernew, Dani Bib, took a day out of his schedule to make the latest release available for review and to share some company insights.

“We didn’t over-extend ourselves when demand went crazy,” Dani Bib said. “We didn’t over-invest in new infrastructure or put on a bunch of unknown people to crank up production for a short-term gain.

“Instead, we took a steady approach and focused on building a manageable number of vans using our stable workforce to maintain the highest quality on which we have built our reputation over 60 years. This has given us the breathing space to keep quietly working on the continuous improvement of our designs. We listen to our customers and take on board feedback from respected journalists in the industry to help refine our product and stay at the forefront of innovation.”

The example of continuous improvement we are looking at in this article is the RTX28 Edge. Dani tells me the Rugged Terrain Extreme (RTX) series of vans is the most popular. It comes in a number of body lengths and ATM ratings up to 4T. In recent years I have reviewed the RTX28 (17ft 6in 2800kg ATM, single axle) (issue 624) and the RTX30 (19ft 3in 3500kg ATM twin axle) (issue 640). The new RTX28 Edge (17ft 10in 3000kg ATM single axle) sits between these two models.

Compared to the RTX28, the Edge body has an extra 4in (100mm) allowing for a 50mm gain in both the bathroom and living area. The Edge also provides an extra 140kg in payload. We will explore how these upgraded specs are put to use.

The build

The build is what we have come to expect from Evernew. It has run with G&S Chassis (now linked to AL-KO) for a number of years. Evernew is heavily involved in specifying the chassis design to its needs and Dani’s input is highly regarded due to his background as an automotive engineer. The A-frame main beams are classic offroad dimensions of 150mm x 50mm with smart-looking reinforcing gussets running underneath. The main chassis rails share the same dimensions and the whole chassis assembly is hot dip galvanised. The corrosion protection adds a bit of weight, but Dani believes it is a good trade-off for peace of mind.

The focal point of the running gear is the Cruisemaster independent ATX suspension. It’s the top-of-the-range offroad suspension system with 46mm monotube shock absorbers with piggyback reservoirs. The reservoirs allow for extra shock oil capacity to keep shock temperatures down during extended corrugated road travel. Steel cables to prevent the suspension from over-extending when travelling across extremely bumpy terrain and 63mm stub axles both reflect the heavy-duty engineering that has gone into the system. This van came with coil springs, but it can be optioned with airbags to vary the ride height and level out the van when parked on uneven ground. Premium LT265/75R16 Cooper AT3 tyres on 16in MPC ‘Grid’ alloy wheels reinforce Evernew’s position as a high-end offroad builder.

Evernew has stuck to its origins using traditional meranti timber frame construction. It puts more timber into its frames than most to make them stronger. The vertical studs in the timber frame are at 300mm centres and the roof beams are 70mm thick for increased strength. The roof beams are also contoured to create a slightly curved roof for improved water runoff protecting against leaks. After much investigation, Evernew has moved to PROBOND brand 3mm composite aluminium cladding, believing it brings the best balance of strength and lightweight currently available on the market.

A meaningful point of difference worth repeating from my previous Evernew reviews is the extra mile the company goes to with premium plumbing. The sinks and shower are fitted with traps (just like in your house) to prevent unpleasant odours from the greywater tank from escaping up through the pipes to stink out the van interior. The greywater tank is also fitted with a bypass valve, so you can direct grey water tank straight into the caravan park system or onto the ground (where allowed) without running it into your tank first. Evernew also takes a more sophisticated approach than most with its freshwater plumbing using a combination of copper pipe and cross-linked polyethylene pipe usually used in housing rather than the lower cost and potentially more leak-prone systems typically seen in caravans.

Liveability

Evernew has paid attention to important things that open and close. There is keyless entry as the main door is unlocked by entering a pin on a keypad. That’s a win in my eyes as fumbling through the multiple keys supplied with a modern caravan is a pain in the proverbial. Another nuisance Evernew has overcome is switching to very user-friendly Aussie Traveller windows. Dani reckons the blind and insect screen mechanisms on some other brands are much more difficult to consistently operate. The door separating the bathroom from the living quarters is a concertina style rather than the type where the door slides into a cavity. Dani advises this saves around 20kg and enables another 60mm of floor space for the bathroom. Evernew also builds in an opening — that hopefully never gets used — but is very clever. Behind a magazine pouch mounted on the living quarters wall is a port that allows access to the shower fitting plumbing connections. This means you can make simple ‘behind’ the shower wall repairs if you happen to experience a leak without tearing the shower apart.

Starting at the front, the increased body length of the Edge has given the room to step up from a 6ft 2in mattress to a 6ft 4in mattress. The bed is surrounded by ample storage with overhead cupboards, robes and drawers to the sides and a carpet-lined compartment underneath. Good storage continues through the mid-section and works well with the kitchen and seating set-up. Evernew opts for genuine leather rather than synthetic products for a premium feel. Quality craftsmanship and aappliances include a Swift four-burner stove (with 240V element) and grill/oven, an NCE 25L microwave and a Thetford 224L compressor fridge/freezer*.

The house batteries are mounted in a dedicated compartment under the lounge seating. To comply with the latest standards the compartment is sealed to prevent gasses potentially emitting from the battery in the event of a malfunction entering the living quarters. The bottom of the compartment has a small opening to allow gases to escape outside. The opening has a fine mesh to prevent bugs entering and it would probably need a clean from time to time to allow gases to escape if required.

Moving to the rear bathroom we can see some familiar Evernew design elements including mirrors mounted on the overhead compartment doors and the concertina door. A new variation is moving to an NCE 2.5kg wall-mounted washing machine. It is well positioned to not obstruct access to the toilet and Dani tells me there is a significant structure behind the wall to keep the machine securely mounted. Overall, the bathroom has a roomy feel for a van of this size. A nice feature we see on vans from time to time is the deep shower recess which would hold enough water to bath a small child. You would only be likely to take advantage of this when you have access to mains water otherwise you would be using up a big chunk of your freshwater tank capacity.

Roughing it

The RTX28 Edge is appointed with a premium Victron brand mid-spec 240V output power system. Here’s a simple explanation of 240V output spec levels. A basic spec system will have limited capacity to generate and store electricity and is useful for low-power jobs like recharging a laptop. At the high end of the scale, you have enough power generation and storage capacity to run all your appliances simultaneously (including energy-hungry air conditioners) for extended periods.

The 3000W inverter system sits in the middle because it is wired to all appliances and power points but would not be capable of running everything at once. It has enough capacity to run the aircon for short periods but would need to be topped up from time to time. A DC-to-DC charger integrated into the system means that you can use your car engine to recharge the two 200Ah lithium batteries which is a very useful resource at your disposal. A trick used by caravanners in the know is to turn the van AC on while you are still driving an hour or so before you get to campsite. This enables you to drop the van temperature without depleting the van batteries. The Victron system includes a comprehensive control panel so you can monitor power consumption and manage your usage. If you are looking for an Evernew with more electrical power check out the gasless model RTX35 (issue 627).

The electrical power in the Edge is complemented by two 4.5kg gas bottles. I think going with 4.5kg bottles instead of 9kg bottles is a smart weight saver as gas consumption is limited to the hot water service and cooker. Regulation water storage comes in the form of two 95L fresh tanks and a single 95L grey tank. The cassette toilet is also regulation with the option to step up to a composting toilet to extend your off-grid capacity.

Towability

Single axle versus twin axle pros and cons must be one of the oldest campfire debates. Single axle vans are lighter, have a lower cost and are more manoeuvrable in tight situations. Twin axle vans have the advantage of four contact points on the ground instead of two which makes them inherently more stable when subjected to dynamic forces. A 3T ATM rating for a single-axle caravan generated some discussion among my colleagues and we concluded that this is at the upper limit for a single-axle caravan.

The team at Caravan World has reviewed many Evernews over the years and we have observed they take towing safety seriously including putting a lot of thought into weight distribution. This is important because if a van is too light in the front it can become unstable. An example of the design intent is the location of the greywater tank. Evernew goes to the trouble of putting it forward of the front axle. This means as you use up fresh water the weight moves to the front as opposed to way out to the rear as is commonly done on many other vans. Evernew also provides all its storage locations at the A-frame toolbox, front hatch and under the bed which are all forward of the axle. The only weight-carrying provision at the rear is one jerry can holder.

The RTX28 Edge has a tare weight of 2360kg giving it a payload of 640kg. That’s a pretty decent capacity for a single-axle van. A point to remember is you don’t have to use it all. You may find you can get away with carrying 100kg or so less (keeping in mind weight distribution) making it a better proposition for a twin cab ute.

The bottom line

Evernew has proven over decades it builds high-quality vans. It works to a formula of traditional construction methods while striving for innovation through thoughtful design. The addition of the RTX28 Edge to the Evernew RTX range means consumers are spoilt for choice. There are now models with the following ATMs — 2.8T, 3.0T, 3.5T and 4T.

Measuring up

Pros

• Proven build quality
• Leading attention to detail
• Stylish interior

Cons

• If you want outside cooking, you will need to pack a portable barbecue

EVERNEW RTX28 EDGE RATINGS

VALUE FOR MONEY

Evernew operates at the top end of the market and the $125k price tag represents good value in this space

TOWABILITY

Three tonne is the upper limit for a single axle van and Evernew has designed accordingly

SUITABILITY FOR INTENDED TOURING

A well-thought-out van

BUILD QUALITY

Evernew demonstrates an attention to detail consistent with a premium builder

LIVEABILITY

Evernew has found a bit more space for a bigger bed and a roomier bathroom

SELF SUFFICIENCY

Premium off-grid system for people with medium power consumption expectations

CUSTOMER CARE

The owner of the company deals directly with the customer on service issues

INNOVATION

Evernew has an eye for detail in everything it does

X-FACTOR

More than 60 years and counting …

EVERNEW RTX28 EDGE SPECS

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

Evernew RTX28 Edge price from $125,330

OPTIONS FITTED

Nil

MORE INFORMATION

Evernew Caravans

20A Reserve Street
Preston Vic 3072
P: 03 9459 7516
E: info@evernewcaravans.com.au

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