Caravan review: Spinifex Nomadix Premier 20.6

With many of the same features as its award-winning Spinifex sibling — the Electrex Premier — the Nomadix Premier stands out with an equal quality of engineering, fit and finish and no-compromise attitude required to make one of Australia’s best offroad caravans.

Spinifex Caravans was established in 2007 and manufactures its vans from the ground up in its factory in South East Queensland. Customers often fly in from all over the country to visit the factory where they will spend the day going through all the design features of their particular van. There are numerous starting layouts which can be modified to suit each customer’s needs and desires. The Spinifex website has these layouts easily accessible to allow the public to see and make a head start on deciding what will work best for their requirements, but prospective customers can also speak with the Spinifex team, who know their vans extremely well and can design the optimal van for each buyer. 

A quality build

Spinifex ensures the highest quality of its vans through a process of quality assurance. The vans are built onsite from the chassis up using jigs to guarantee that each chassis is manufactured to exacting precision. Chassis are built from 350 grade Australian BlueScope full offroad 75mm dual-beam steel then hot dipped galvanised. Supporting the strong chassis on the Nomadix Premier is level four air control Cruisemaster XT Independent Airbag Suspension with twin heavy-duty shock absorbers. Once you have used airbag suspension you will never go back. No more blocks and chocks to contend with to get it level. Arriving at camp and levelling the van has never been easier with level four airbags. 

The front of the chassis sports the DO45 offroad coupling from Cruisemaster. This is a quality bit of kit and works simply, easily and safely which is what you need when hitching the van to the vehicle. The wheel offsets and stud pattern can often be matched to the tow vehicle with the ROH wheels being fitted with 285/70R17 BFG KO2 tyres. It’s the small details that matter, so the Nomadix Premier features great tyres from the beginning ensuring tens of thousands of trouble-free kilometres. Stopping power is provided by DeeMaxx hydraulic 12in disc brakes.

A one-piece composite insulated floor panel is mounted to the top of the chassis providing a solid base for the rest of the build. Walls are created using full interlocking aluminium C-channel with 3mm ply attached forming the internal walls. This method creates solid attachment points for all the internal cabinetry. Small but important details are incorporated into the build such as running the electrical wiring through nylon bushes as it passes through the metal frame to avoid chafing or wear on the cables over rough ground. The wall cavity is then insulated with custom shaped solid insulation for optimum thermal and sound control.

The outside cladding is heavy duty one-piece core matt reinforced fibreglass wall and roof panels. As the van is being built, photos are taken of all the detail including wall wiring and structure, which are then provided to the customer. This is invaluable if the owner ever wants to add additional features after the van is completed. 

The door is triple locking with Crimsafe and midge mesh to keep out both the bugs and unwanted guests. Sleep easy at night with safe cross flow ventilation. Windows are double glazed, tinted and have midge proof screens so you can let in the light and breeze without the bugs. They also have privacy screens to keep out the strong summer sun or prying eyes. 

Poly freshwater tanks located under the van are protected with critical plumbing components protected by stoneguards. There is an 85L tank for capturing grey water. Emptying the grey water tank is made easier with a hose that is accessible from the side of the van and then it extends out past the van with the supplied 6m sullage hose. Not having to crawl under the van is a big win in my book. There is a tap included on the drawer bar perfect for washing hands.

Self-sufficiency

The Nomadix Premier can be taken to your favourite off-grid location and then stay for an extended period with plenty of power to use everything including air conditioning. The standard three solar panels included on a Nomadix Premier have a huge input capacity of 1245W, but our test van had an additional optional panel included, bringing the total to a whopping 1660W capacity to feed the 650Ah of lithium batteries. 

This Nomadix runs an OzX Corp DCX 5kW inverter charger and a 7kWh battery running at 51.1 volts DC. The battery is capable of powering the AC for around seven hours but as we saw with the additional optional fourth solar panel on a good day, you’ll see more power into the battery than the AC and other appliances will use.

In addition to a generous power bank, there’s also plenty of water storage on board. Users can enjoy 440L of freshwater and a separate 85L grey water tank, which will allow stays in national parks. 

The externals

This Nomadix Premier has SatKing Pro Max mounted on the roof which provides digital TV reception over most of Australia. This is a great system and has a square receiver to allow extra solar panels. Customers are starting to move to Starlink satellite systems and Spinifex can help you in this regard by providing antenna input points on the exterior of the van. A Cel-Fi-Go unit to boost low mobile reception is standard in Nomadix Premier models. There is one ventilation hatch on the roof at the rear to vent the ensuite.

The large rollout awning provides a good amount of shade and rain protection along the length of the van. There are soft covers around the awning legs that protect both your head and the awning legs which wrap around the awning legs while travelling or set up.

On the A-frame there is a large storage box with a slide-out suitable for a second fridge on one side and room for a generator for cloudy days on the other. The generator slide has a couple of tiedown points built into the slide-out tray to best protect the generator when travelling. This sort of attention to detail is excellent. Moving forward from the storage box, there are two 9kg gas bottles which are plumbed into the van.

In between and above the gas bottles is an optional ISI bike rack. This bike rack can be removed from the van and attached to the tow vehicle via a hitch attachment giving you the ability to take your bikes to different tracks or rail trails without moving the van. If you have an e-bike, I suggest taking the battery out/off prior to loading the bike on the van to reduce its weight and make lifting easier.

Jerry can holders are on either side of the gas bottles. A 10L fuel tank is securely mounted to the solid stoneguard. Instead of a jockey wheel is a Cruisemaster Slide Stand. When hitching the van back onto the vehicle, it was just a matter of pushing the drawbar with your leg and the slide easily moves across the grass to locate the hitch. I’m not sure how easy this would be on uneven ground.

On the driver’s side there is a large storage hatch, a lockable filling point for the water tanks and a drop-down door revealing a hot/cold outdoor shower. There are two more hatches with one being at the back of the fridge for access when servicing is required. The toilet cassette access is also on this side of the van and there is a SOG to vent any bathroom odours.

At the front passenger side of the van is a hatch with slide-out. This can be used as a barbecue slide or optioned as a kitchen. Above the wheels are the airbag controls, 240V points, radio controls and television points. The main entry door is located rear of the wheels in this configuration. The large awning covers this whole area making it the main outdoor living area.

A couples hideaway

This Nomadix Premier is configured in a couples layout with bed at the front and ensuite at the rear. As you enter the van, there are light switches immediately on your left. The kitchen is well appointed with a range hood, 20L microwave and Swift combination stove and oven. The cooktop is recessed and covered by a laminated preparation bench when the cooktop is not in use. The deep stainless-steel sink has a three-way mixer tap above it providing hot/cold and drinking water which are on different systems so there can be no contamination. Complementing the kitchen is the 230L Bushman compressor fridge/freezer opposite the entry door.

In a cupboard above the laminated benches are the controls for the radio and electrical systems. Should you ever have any problems with this, remote access via wi-fi can resolve any issues in real time by the staff at Spinifex in Queensland. You do need to be in phone range for this to work but it’s a great feature. 

The main bed (pocket spring bamboo mattress) is at the front of this Nomadix Premier with lights and power at the head of the bed and storage above. The bed has access on each side and at the end, making it easy to get in and out of bed without disturbing your partner.

Opposite the kitchen is the table and seating for two, or maybe four at a pinch, with leather seats and a folding extension table. There is even a footrest if you want to stretch out. There are USB charging points as well as more 240V outlets above the table so no one will miss out on charging their device. 

The ensuite is at the rear of the van with a sliding door separating the ensuite from the rest of the living area. There is a Thetford toilet with ceramic bowl and the 3kg top loading washing machine is mounted in the cabinet next to the toilet with access through the lifting bench. The full one-piece moulded fiberglass shower had a skylight/vent above and is light and airy. The vanity basin is large with storage above and below.

The whole interior of the van had a light feeling and it would make a great home away from home on those long or short escapes. 

Towability

With an aggregate trailer mass (ATM) of 4500kg for this van, a larger towing vehicle will be required. The brakes are 12in electric/hydraulic discs which will stop the van when needed. The tow vehicle on the test day was an Isuzu NPS 75 which certainly had no problem towing the van with a tare of 3100kg. 

The bottom line

The Spinifex Nomadix Premier is a premium caravan and does not disappoint with its high attention to detail. The whole package was well thought out, designed well and put together to create a high-quality van that will retain its value long into the future. Couples will be able to go off-grid in comfort for an extended, enjoyable time. 

HITS AND MISSES

Hits

• Great couples van to go anywhere and stay for extended periods
• Attention to detail and great inclusions
• Huge amount of solar, battery and water capacity

Misses

• You’ll need a large tow vehicle with an ATM of 4500kg
• Price will not suit everyone

SPINIFEX NOMADIX PREMIER 20.6 RATINGS

VALUE FOR MONEY
Loads of luxury-inducing inclusions that potential customers may not have considered

TOWABILITY
At 4500kg it will tow well behind the right rig

SUITABILITY FOR INTENDED TOURING
Definitely get you off-grid and offroad with comfort

BUILD QUALITY
Solid build with attention to detail

LIVEABILITY
It has everything you need for an extended trip

SELF-SUFFICIENCY 
Great appointments for off-grid living

CUSTOMER CARE
From start to service, the customer care is excellent

INNOVATION
Spinifex is always at the forefront with innovation

X-FACTOR
Awarding-winning looks and performance

SPINIFEX NOMADIX PREMIER 20.6 SPECS

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

Spinifex Nomadix Premier 20.6 price from $205,500

OPTIONS FITTED

• Additional solar panel to bring total capacity to 1660W
• ISI bike rack

Spinifex Nomadix Premier 20.6 price as shown $210,000

MORE INFORMATION

Spinifex Caravans
21 Imboon Street
Deception Bay Qld 4508
P: 07 3888 2221

THE NEXT STEP

If you need help choosing your first caravan or are considering upgrading your existing one, check out the Millard 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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