Caravan review: Regal Caravans RSV couples slide-out

Regal Caravans is full custom builder creating vans to customers’ specific needs. The RSV slide-out has been built by and for the owners of the company and aims to provide spacious living with copious storage for extended travel.

In brief:

• A fully customised van built by and for the company owners
• Slide out couples van, 7.1m (23ft 3in) body length, twin axle with 4140kg ATM
• Spacious layout thanks to a removable table

Dean and Julie Grapel’s 20-year ownership of Regal Caravans is just the latest chapter in a company history that goes back to the 1970s. Dean worked for Regal for 10 years before the opportunity to acquire it came up. He grabbed it with both hands as he knew the construction quality and was keen to build on a brand with such a long heritage.

Given its legacy, Regal goes quietly under the radar, choosing not to attend shows or place much emphasis on advertising. Instead, it focuses on building 40–50 high-end, custom vans per year. And when Regal says custom, it really means custom. Each van starts with a blank piece of paper where the customer has the opportunity to create a van precisely to their requirements.

Julie told me more about the process. “Many custom builders work off set platforms of chassis/body size and the customer has some choice to define the layout and the appliances/accessories,” she said.

“We are different. The customer can have any length, any layout, any suspension configuration and any appliance suite. Obviously, we are constrained by the laws of physics, but we work very closely with our customers to turn their dream into reality. We generally find our customers are quite realistic with what can be achieved as they have usually owned multiple vans already — and often they are repeat Regal customers.”

Like all Regal vans, this RSV was custom-built from the ground up

It’s worth keeping in mind when reading this review that virtually any shortcoming/compromise I identify, Regal can and will change if that’s what you want. This is a key point of difference between mass manufacturers and ‘semi’ custom builders.

Accessibility without compromise

Regal’s complete customisation approach has made it a go-to company for wheelchair users with about a third of its production geared to accessibility. Julie explained they are in a unique position to make vans work for specific needs.

“We build in lifts so wheelchair users can easily go up and down,” she said. “We widen our entry doors so there is plenty of room to get in and out. We can build bench heights to whatever works best for the customer. We fit mobility aids such as grab handles and can even build bathrooms that are complete wet areas. On top of that, we regularly work with a National Disability Insurance Scheme representative to optimise outcomes for our customers.”

Regal can customise vans to be wheel-chair friendly if required

A van fit for the owners

Now, let’s look at the van on review. It is the personal van of Dean and Julie Grapel. Julie told me building their own van gives them a great opportunity to try new things and use them in the real world.

“It’s a 23ft slide-out couples van equipped for extended touring. The objectives for the interior were very spacious living and storage that is not just large but can be highly organised. The outside focuses on robust running gear that can withstand the rigours of outback travel.”

Overall, they also wanted to demonstrate what could be achieved without an enormous price tag.

It’s a slide-out, which adds to the spacious interior layout

Timber bones, modern finish

Regal takes an old-school approach to frame construction using meranti timber. It is not alone with a few custom builders advocating the virtues of meranti. Timber is an easy material to work with which makes changing dimensions for custom construction a simpler proposition. It is also a relatively cost-effective material compared to some of the more modern alternatives which helps keep the price down. Composite aluminium skin is used as per virtually every framed van on the market. More contemporary materials are used to complete the body with a one-piece fibreglass roof and a one-piece 32mm composite floor.

Underneath the Regal RSV: Strength and style

Contemporary also describes the chassis featuring an ARV truss design which provides enhanced strength without increased weight while elevating the floor. Chassis are about function but there is no reason not to throw in some style. Striking red Regal RSV insignia — with backlighting no less — provides a good dose of evening campsite bling, and the red alloy wheels tie in nicely with the theme. Speaking of wheels, the single spare wheel is underslung helping keep weight low and central.

Striking Regal RSV insignia on the truss chassis

ARV is also the maker of the Titan-X trailing arm suspension classified as its premium, full offroad offering. A van of this size is never going to go ‘full offroad’, but it does have heavy-duty credentials. The brakes are drum rather than the fancier disc variety and the electronic sway control (ESC) is the more basic AL-KO system rather than the more upmarket AL-KO Tow Assist that includes additional safety features such as an anti-lock braking system (ABS) and advanced sway mitigation.

ARV trailing arm suspension

Outdoor living sorted

The RSV doesn’t have a dedicated pull-out external kitchen, but it does have quite a few elements supporting outside living. Perhaps the most interesting is the drawer fridge which can accommodate a few beverages plus your bacon and eggs. And your bacon and eggs can be fried up on the Weber Family Q barbecue residing in the front toolbox. Two picnic tables provide modest food prep space, and this can be augmented with the onboard portable table — more on that later. The electric awning and steps are welcome additions, as is the TV tucked into a handy compartment.

Plenty of storage and prep space outside

In addition to the slide-out barbecue, the toolbox houses the two 9kg gas bottles, a generator slide and has an upper compartment for smaller items. Towards the rear, on the side wall next to the entry door are two vertical storage lockers. The lower one would be handy for regularly accessed items such as camp chairs and the upper one would be reserved for occasional use items as you need a ladder to access it. The rear wall has clean lines and minimal weight due to the absence of spare wheels and jerry can holders. A wood box does grace the rear which is great for stoking a few campfires, but I would resist loading it up with anything really heavy. It’s not to say the van can’t cope. It’s just good practice to minimise weight at the extremities of the van.

Plenty of storage space in the toolbox up front

Roomy, relaxed and cleverly designed

The ability to press a button and slide out the van interior obviously gives you more real space. The RSV feels even more spacious because Regal has ditched the conventional dining table and replaced it with a portable folding table. The small fold-out table stores neatly in a compartment just beside the seating. It creates a really nice feel, especially around the foot of the north–south queen bed, and will suit people who only want to use a table every now and then. Personally, I wouldn’t use it often as it is quite heavy to lift out of the storage compartment. A downside to not having a table always at hand is it limits your food prep area, but the upside is you can take the folding table outside for fresh air cooking. I would like to see a neat way to anchor the table to the floor so it could stay in position during transit if you like.

Tried-and-true layout with front bed, mid kitchen/living and rear bathroomThe portable table compartment

Storage is plentiful, as you would expect with a long van. It particularly stands out in the full ensuite where there are copious drawers, cabinets and compartments that dedicate a space to everything you would expect to carry. The only challenge will be remembering where you have put everything.

You have all the appliances you would expect plus some you would not. A clever floor-level mounted vacuum system by Sweepovac enables you to sweep directly into a suction port or you can attach a hose for more regular vacuuming. The ‘sweep-in’ method will be handy for people not keen on getting down on their hands and knees to connect the hose.

Spacious living area inside thanks to the slide-out and no fixed table

The vacuum system

Tons of storage in the bathroom 

Off-grid powerhouse

This big van gives you the luxury of 285L freshwater capacity compared to most vans we see sitting around 190L. The power system packs plenty of punch for a 12V setup and it comes together in a well-integrated Enerdrive package. A total of 600Ah battery capacity is heaps combined with a 2600W inverter, a 40A DC to DC charger and 1180W of solar panels.

Check out our guide for more information about off-grid power management.

Power system under the bed

Built for big hauls

It’s always fun to get into a RAM 1500 Laramie — the exhaust sounds great. And you need the power and towing specs of a vehicle like this to haul a van sitting over 4T. The RSV tare weight is 3340kg and has an ATM rating of 4140kg enabling a payload of 800kg. Some may find 800kg a little lacking given that 285kg of that can be taken up with your fresh water. The good news is that Regal can rate your van at 4500kg, giving you more payload if that works with your tow vehicle.

If you want more insights into popular tow vehicles, check out our guide to choosing a dual cab ute for towing.

The Regal RSV is a custom-built, high-quality van from a legacy manufacturer

Our verdict on the Regal RSV

Dean and Julie Grapel have succeeded in creating a van with a tremendous sense of space while delivering highly organised storage. The RSV is a big van in need of a big tow vehicle and has robust running gear to tackle extended travel. The price is good for a fully customised van. Best of all if there is anything you want to change; Regal will do it.

Measuring up

Pros

• One of the most spacious vans I have seen
• Storage is very well organised
• Well-appointed 12V off-grid power system

Cons

• You need to be pretty strong to lift the portable table out of the storage area
• An 800kg payload is at the lower end of the scale for such a big van

REGAL RSV RATINGS

VALUE FOR MONEY

The price represents great value given the one-off nature of a custom build

TOWABILITY

Felt composed on the road … it’s worth considering upping the ATM for more payload

SUITABILITY FOR INTENDED TOURING

The Regal RSV would suit many customers and if not to your liking, Regal will change it

BUILD QUALITY

Fit and finish were up to standard

LIVEABILITY

There’s a lot to like about the spacious setup and abundant storage

SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Plenty of water and 12V power

CUSTOMER CARE

A two-year warranty is on the low side by industry standards

INNOVATION

I liked the floor-level vacuum system for something different

X-FACTOR

The X-factor is that Regal can make your van whatever you want it to be

REGAL RSV SPECS

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Gusto dust management system
• Sweepovac vacuum
• Webasto diesel heater
• Kings 40L external drawer fridge
• Weber Family Q barbecue
• Outside TV entertainment
• Firewood box on bumper

Regal RSV price as shown $155,000

MORE INFORMATION

Regal Caravans

81 Yellowbox Drive

Craigieburn Vic 3064

P: 03 9308 6688

E: sales@regalcaravans.com.au

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