Caravan review: Lotus Trooper 235 offroad family van

As kids grow up, they like space away from their parents and start to avoid family holidays. Lotus Caravans might just have the answer to keep everyone happy with a two-bedroom apartment on wheels.

Lotus Caravans was formed in 2004 and, coincidentally, I entered the caravan industry not long after. Lotus Caravans stuck in my mind as one of the pioneers in developing offroad-oriented vans. I suspect many newer players to the game found inspiration in the style of van in which Lotus Caravans specialises. I’m talking large ground clearance, high-performance suspension, big payloads and luxurious interior appointments.

Bob Tanoski is the National Sales Manager at Lotus Caravans, and he talked me through the company philosophy and provided us with the opportunity to have a close look at the Trooper 235. Bob simply told me they aim to use the best of everything for all components used in the van and take pride in their build quality. Bob also shared the back story on this particular Trooper — it’s the personal van of company owner George Josevski. As is often the case with vans built for owners, it’s a prototype where the organisation gets to try new things and learn what works and what doesn’t. George set out to design a van that would give his teenage kids some space from mum and dad by creating two separate bedrooms/living areas. To achieve this George has come up with a big van — a body length of 7.24m and an ATM (aggregate trailer mass) of 4000kg to be precise. So, here’s my observations.

The Lotus Caravans Trooper 235 is a big family van with separate areas for parents and kids

The build

I can vouch for Bob’s claim, there is a lot of premium stuff going on in this van. The chassis looks purposeful and bespoke thanks to the Lotus Caravans Trooper brand laser cut into its side. It’s a truss-style chassis design which maximises height without adding a lot of weight. This gets the van body higher off the ground for improved departure angles. If you do find the limit of the departure angle, beefy skid plates are welded onto the extremity of the chassis rails which is the point most likely to come into contact with the ground. And if you were to get stuck, there are recovery points to help you get pulled out of trouble.

At the front of the chassis, we have the undisputed market leader in offroad couplings, the Cruisemaster DO series. And we have the big gun of the range, the DO45 with a 4.5T tow rating. I call it the big gun because Cruisemaster also has a DO35 (3.5T tow rating) which I reckon we see on a very big chunk of the vans we review — no matter the brand of van manufacturer.

Cruisemaster ATX independent suspension with airbags

The Cruisemaster theme continues with the ATX suspension paired to the chassis. It’s the top-shelf offering designed to take the punishment of long-haul corrugated road travel. The 46mm diameter shocks, complete with remote reservoirs for increased oil capacity, allow the system to run cooler for longer to prevent shock fade. Airbags take care of the spring work. Pressure to the airbags is delivered via an onboard compressor and pressure tank. Increasing the air pressure increases the ride height and decreasing the pressure lowers it. Keeping the ride height as low as possible for normal travel maximises van stability. It can be very helpful to increase the ride height temporarily when negotiating uneven ground. This reduces the chance of the van body or attachments such as steps hitting the ground. You just need to take it easy as the van is less stable when raised. Each side of the van can be lowered and raised independently which is a great advantage when parking on slopes. It makes it really easy to level the van without the need to roll the van onto levelling ramps.

Generic tyres are one of the ways that caravan manufacturers will often look to save costs. but the Lotus Caravans Trooper is shod with premium Cooper Tires Discoverer Rugged light truck tyres. They are quite a large tyre at 285/70R17 contributing to the significant ground clearance on the van.

There is a wash-up sink integrated into one of the compartments on the A-frame

A number of high-end van manufacturers are migrating towards aluminium frames. After considerable product development, the Trooper range now features full aluminium frames. Bob tells me the primary motivation is the weight saving that can be achieved over traditional meranti timber. Some manufacturers weld their frames, some rivet them and some even use plastic inserts to make joins. Lotus Caravans has opted for aviation-style rivets due to their performance in challenging conditions. The walls and roof are constructed from Dibond composite aluminium sheet, and the floor is a one-piece exterior grade ply.

This Trooper features an optional ‘drag wing’ attached to the rear of the roof. I was curious if it served a functional purpose, but Bob tells me it was just for aesthetics. Personally, I am a practical guy, and it is not one of the option boxes I would be ticking. I would be putting the $1500 towards fuel but each to their own!

Another option was a lot more to my liking — that’s the custom toolbox on the A-frame. It has a couple of clever features. There’s a wash-up sink integrated into one of the compartments and the gas cylinders are neatly concealed in a folding door.

Plenty of storage and a compartment for gas bottles up front

Liveability

Our header says two-bedroom apartment, but it could even be described as a twin living room apartment. This is the first van I have come across with two separate seating areas, two air-conditioners and two TVs. It says a lot about what Lotus Caravans has set out to achieve with this van — allowing parents and bigger kids wanting some space to co-exist.

In many ways, the Trooper 235 follows the classic pattern of a family van with a parent bed at the front, bunks in the rear and a bathroom in the middle. Where it breaks convention is the bathroom has a door on both the parent’s side and the kids’ side which creates a buffer between the two bedrooms. If the doors are open, you have a passageway between the rooms. If the bathroom doors are closed, you can’t access the kid’s room. That’s why there is a front and rear access door, so kids don’t have to traipse the full length of the van to get in and out.

The parents’ corner north–south bed is up the front

Drilling into a bit more detail, the main bedroom looks quite conventional in layout with the exception of the corner bed. Some will find this perfectly OK while others may find this a deal breaker because the occupant in the corner will have to disturb their partner to get out of bed. The corner bed dictates that the twin wardrobes and bedside drawers are both located on the door side rather than one on each side of the bed. This will make placing stuff like phones, books and jewellery a little more fiddly at nighttime. Bob tells me you can choose a layout with a central bed if you go up half a foot in body length.

The mid-section kitchen

The mid-section is completely conventional with a kitchen running down one side and dining seating on the other side. The kitchen features reputable appliances in the form of a 28L NCE microwave, NCE two-plate induction cooker, Dometic oven, Ranger rangehood and Dometic 224L compressor fridge. Overhead, we have the Dometic Harrier Lite air-conditioner and strip lights for a cosy aesthetic. The diner seating looks and feels like a luxurious space for two people.

(To find out more about RV cooking appliances, check out this guide where we discuss the different options and the power they require.)

The bathroom has a very open feel as it is not squeezed into a tiny space as happens in many bunk vans. The ergonomics feel right with the bathroom cabinet directly above the sink featuring a decent-sized mirror on the door. There are useful drawers below the sink and the Camec 2.5kg, wall-mounted washing machine will be handy for keeping on top of washing.

The central bathroom separates the two ‘apartments’

Down the back, we have the kid’s space. The twin bunks are fairly typical, but the rest is pretty unique. The club lounge running along the rear wall complete with footrests provides a fantastic space for the kids to put their feet up (literally) and do their own thing. The Trooper has a second big TV opposite the club lounge which means the kids can watch a different movie to mum and dad or battle it out on the PlayStation. And it’s the first time I’ve seen it — there’s another Dometic Harrier Lite air-conditioner here too. To cap it off the kids are free to come and go in and out without disturbing the parents thanks to the second main door at the rear.

The bunks and lounge in the kid’s areaThe kids TV inside the rear entry door

Every van layout has its pros and cons. Two separate seating areas is great, but there isn’t enough space in the kitchen for four people to sit at the table for a meal on a rainy day. Having the extra seating in the kid’s area does take up space that might otherwise be dedicated to storage. The bathroom does create a clever buffer between the rooms, but it lacks privacy if you want to use the space as a passageway.

Off-grid

The 12V system is about as good as you can get with a fully integrated REDARC system on board. It boasts the new REDARC Manager Alpha 100 which can take on charging from your car or 240V simultaneously with solar power. Three 200Ah REDARC lithium batteries store the power and a 3000W inverter delivers it. And it’s fed with five 200W solar panels.

REDARC controller

It would be fair to say it is not viable to be running two air conditioners off-grid. You would need to step up to the 24V or 48V systems that feed big battery banks and inverters with ratings in the order of 5kWh and upwards.

Gas is still required for the Trooper to power the Girard continuous hot water service and Thetford oven. The prototype reviewed features two 9kg gas bottles. Production models have moved to two 4.5kg gas bottles as this has proven to be more than adequate for powering the two appliances.

The Trooper has your typical two 90L freshwater tanks but steps it up with an additional dedicated 50L dedicated drinking water tank. The grey water tank, however, is a little smaller than average at 50L.

Water tanks underneath including 50L dedicated drinking water

Towability

The Trooper 235 felt quite composed on a variety of road conditions behind the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series tow vehicle. However, make no mistake the LC300 is the wrong tool for the job with a tow rating of 3500kg. The van was able to be towed empty legally because it weighed 3290kg, but it does not work in the real world as the Trooper has an ATM of 4000kg (it can also be ordered with a 4500kg ATM). Fortunately, Aussies seem to be falling in love with big American utes and light trucks are now more often in the conversation for towing duties like this.

The Trooper 235 is a big van with an ATM of 4000kg

The bottom line

While the two-door van is not a new idea, it is not something you see every day. Lotus Caravans has done a great job of executing the concept with a well-thought-out layout providing two distinct living areas for parents and kids. On top of that, the Trooper 235 is fitted out with premium componentry inside and out. If you’ve got the budget this is a pretty special family van to put on your shortlist.

Measuring up

Pros

• Parents and kids will appreciate their own space
• Premium interior appointments
• High-performance running gear
  

Cons

• A corner bed will not be to everyone’s liking
• A second seating area takes away from space that could otherwise be used for storage

LOTUS TROOPER 235 RATINGS

VALUE FOR MONEY

This is a very large, high-spec van with a price that matches what you get

TOWABILITY

Hook it up to a big tow machine and it’s all systems go

SUITABILITY FOR INTENDED TOURING

The undercarriage has all the good stuff on it. The interior is well thought out and luxurious

BUILD QUALITY

Everything is neat and tidy, and I didn’t see any signs of any shortcuts

LIVEABILITY

Two separate bedrooms will make indoor living a more pleasant experience for some families

SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Plenty of power. Plenty of water. Plenty of fun

CUSTOMER CARE

Five-year structural warranty and appliances are covered by the manufacturer’s warranty period

INNOVATION

While the idea is not new, the twin door set-up is a real point of difference

X-FACTOR

Lotus Caravans doesn’t do things by halves. It’s big, bold and beautiful

LOTUS TROOPER 235 SPECS

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

Lotus Caravans Trooper 235 price from $165,543

OPTIONS FITTED

• Lotus Caravans custom toolbox
• Lotus Caravans stealth solar panel bracket
• Drag wing

Lotus Caravans Trooper 235 price as shown $175,393

MORE INFORMATION

Lotus Caravans

9 Biodiversity Boulevard

Epping Vic 3076

P: 03 9305 3907

W: lotuscaravans.com.au

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