Caravan review: Titanium Caravans Hardcore ATX 18'6

Malcolm Street recently got a chance to test out one of Titanium Caravans’ latest models, the Hardcore ATX 18’6. 

Coffs Harbour, on the mid-north coast of NSW, is a great place to visit. Famed for many years as the home of the Big Banana, there are plenty of other attractions, including some fine beaches and caravan parks. It’s also the home of Caravans Coffs Coast, which Andrew and Sarah Altschwager run. Among other things, the dealership stocks a fine range of Titanium Caravans models. 

One in particular is the Hardcore ATX 18’6 model. It’s one of the latest in the Titanium range and a van designed for some serious rough road travel. Although having an external length of 5.69m (18ft 8in), the van has a tare mass of 2841kg and an ATM of 4000kg, which raises the question of a tow vehicle. If the loaded weight of the van is under 3500kg, then something like a Toyota LandCruiser is a good candidate. Anything over 3500kg makes the RAM 1500 I used a much better prospect. Indeed, travelling along a combination of the Pacific Highway and some narrower country roads, the RAM and Titanium combination performed quite smoothly. Stopping power is provided by hydraulic ventilated disc brakes with DeeMaxx calipers. 

My destination for the photoshoot was Coffs Harbour Camping and 4WD (CHC4WD) in Lower Bucca. It’s not a coastal park nor particularly sophisticated, but if a campsite away from the hustle and bustle of the town is desirable, then it’s a winner. In fact, it is ideal for parking your Titanium van for however long you like. 

Off the grid

The Hardcore ATX’s electrical and water self-sufficiency is well-designed for heading off-grid for extended periods. It comes with a pair of 200Ah Enerdrive Lithium LiFePO4 batteries, four 200W solar panels and a 2600W inverter. Without delving into load calculations, that is sufficient for operating appliances like the induction cooktop, microwave oven and air-conditioner. Keeping the batteries up to speed are a 60A mains charger, a 40A MPPT solar charger and a 40A DC-DC charger. All are neatly fitted into an offside external panel that sits behind the fridge. 

Water supplies are assured with two water tanks — one 160L freshwater tank and a second for drinking water with a capacity of 85L. For the ecologically minded, the grey water tank will hold 85L. Its drain point is easy to get to and is designed for a simple hose clip fitting. Standard on the Hardcore ATX is a Thetford cassette toilet, but if you stay somewhere like CHC4WD, portaloos are close to hand.

Construction

Underneath the Hardcore ATX, an S&M hot-dipped galvanised chassis forms the van’s base. Two 100mm x 50mm RHS sections are laminated together to form the main rail, while 150mm x 50mm RHS is used for the drawbar. All the water tanks are poly rotomoulded, exclusively for Titanium, and fit neatly in the sub-chassis area. 

Being a full-blown offroad van, the Hardcore ATX has a Cruisemaster ATX trailing arm and airbag suspension of the level 3W variety. It includes an offroad monotube damper/shock absorber for each wheel. The airbag suspension means the van’s height can be varied for slow, rough going or levelling the van on uneven ground when camped. Wireless control allows for remote adjustment.

Because of the 4000kg ATM of the van, a Cruisemaster DO45 hitch is standard. The drawbar has the usual fittings, including the handbrake and centre-mounted jockey wheel. I like the simple fittings for attaching the safety chains out of the way. 

The storage box on the drawbar is much better than the usual alloy checkerplate style. The 9kg gas cylinders are installed in a vented box to the front. Behind that, the second storage area has a double-decker arrangement. The lower slide-out is designed for a Weber barbecue, and the upper one is a compartmented drawer — it’s a clever arrangement. 

Similarly, the bumper bar isn’t just a simple bar at the van’s rear. It’s a spare wheel mounting, firewood container and jerry can holder. A well-sized, lockable drawer has also been built in — it’s a very well-thought-out design. Wolf Fabrications, owned by Titanium Caravans, manufactures both the front box and the electrical cabinet fridge access doors. A distinctive feature, also found on the rear wall, is the optioned-on Wolf Fabrications-designed air spoiler.

In addition to the drawbar and rear storage, there’s the usual tunnel boot. Part of this space is taken up by the external slide-out kitchen, which is fitted with a hinged extension, sink and space for an induction cooktop. 

Aluminium framed

Henrob-rivetted 25mm C-section aluminium comprises the wall and roof structure. A benefit of the aluminium frame is the combined features of strength and lightness. According to Titanium, the rivets allow enough flex in the frame to avoid cracking. Titanium vans are designed for rough terrain.

Close-fitting foam insulation sits under the composite aluminium-clad walls and composite fibreglass roof. Titanium designs the roof and walls to be hail and damage resistant. The flooring is one-piece honeycomb.

Internal look

Titanium’s external package looks excellent; at first glance, the interior matches that. I particularly liked the interior colour scheme of the front bed/rear bathroom layout. It’s a little different with the Eastwood tan upholstery and the Nikpol Blackwood Oak (dark grey) of the benchtop. But the feature I like in any caravan is a bright interior, and this van certainly has that, both by day because of the generous window area and by night because of the combination of the down and strip lights. Out of sight, the internal joinery is CNC machine-cut lightweight poplar ply. A two-way interlocking system is used for rigidity.

All the facilities 

There are kitchen benches that are standard in practicality and there are those that stand out in the crowd. The Hardcore ATX kitchen setup is one of the latter. Starting with practical function, it has two slide-out garbage bins, one for general refuse and the other for recycling. It’s worth a mention because most caravan kitchens don’t even have one. There’s plenty of drawer and cupboard space. I particularly liked the number of drawers, including one for cutlery, because it effectively uses storage space. All have a soft close-runner system. Adding to the kitchen storage is a full-height, shelved pantry that sits adjacent to the 224L Dometic compressor fridge on the opposite side of the van. A square washing-up sink without a drainer and a twin-burner portable induction cooktop are fitted into the benchtop. Even with both in use, there’s still a generous amount of benchtop space too. 

Opposite the kitchen bench, the well-upholstered dinette has a ‘please sit down’ inviting look about it. Complete with wall cushions, hinged footrests and a tri-fold table, it exudes practicality and comfort. At table level, there’s a charger hub and a 240V power point. Above the dinette are two overhead lockers, and the third contains some of the electrics, including a Fusion radio, water tank gauges and 12V fuses. All lockers have easy access. Most of the under-seat storage area is taken by either the house batteries or the hydraulics for the disc brakes. 

Up front

A pillowtop mattress bed takes pride of place at the front of the van and the bedhead is fully upholstered to match the dinette seats. As with the rest of the van, the bedside cabinetry is well put together. Both the bedside wardrobes can either be hanging spaces or shelves. Instead of being at the base of the wardrobe, the pillow cubbies are behind the wardrobes. It’s a little more awkward to get at but still useful, as are the decent-sized bedside drawers. Two roof-mounted Sirocco fans and large windows on either side provide good ventilation even in the rain, as I discovered on the day of our photoshoot. 

Bathroom essentials 

Across the rear, the state-of-the-art bathroom has all the necessary facilities — Thetford ceramic cassette toilet, well-sized shower cubicle and a decent vanity cabinet. It’s all at waist height to accommodate the mirror-door shaving cabinet and the wall-mounted washing machine. I’m not so keen on the black cabinetry but it does look quite stylish in the bathroom setting. Ventilation is supplied by a relatively large window above the loo and a fan hatch.

The bottom line

It’s challenging not to be impressed by the Hardcore ATX 18’6 design on several levels. The interior of the couple’s van is designed for those who enjoy creature comforts. Yet, simultaneously, the exterior design is focused on serious offroad travel with plenty of storage inside and out and good off-grid capability. A winner all round. 

HITS AND MISSES

Hits

• Well-designed van
• High power electricals
• Wolf Fabrications built front and rear storage boxes/bars
• Good-looking and practical interior

Misses

• It is likely to require a heavy-duty tow vehicle
• Cassette toilet limitations
• It was a rainy day for a photoshoot

TITANIUM CARAVANS HARDCORE ATX 18'6 RATINGS

VALUE FOR MONEY
It’s not a budget van, nor is it intended to be. The Hardcore ATX 18’6 is built to a standard with high-quality components

TOWABILITY
Tows quite smoothly but, depending on load, may require a heavy-duty tow vehicle

SUITABILITY FOR INTENDED TOURING
Built for offroad, off-grid travel

BUILD QUALITY
Designed and built to a high standard

LIVEABILITY
Spacious interior for a couple with the bonus of an exterior kitchen

SELF-SUFFICIENCY
400Ah of lithium battery capacity and 245L of fresh and drinking water says it all. The limiter is the toilet cassette

CUSTOMER CARE
Five-year structural warranty and two-year manufacturer’s warranty

INNOVATION
The front storage boxes and the well-designed rear bar arrangement scores very highly

X-FACTOR
There are too many choices on this van, but the drawbar box/gas cylinder storage gets the attention

TITANIUM CARAVANS HARDCORE ATX 18'6 SPECS

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

Titanium Caravans Hardcore ATX 18'6 price from $171,900 (plus delivery and ORC)

• Options fitted 
• Upgraded toolbox
• Powder-coated aluminium edge trim
• Powder-coated rear spoiler

Titanium Caravans Hardcore ATX 18'6 price as shown $182,950 (plus delivery and ORC)

MORE INFORMATION

Caravans Coffs Coast
186 Pacific Highway
Coffs Harbour NSW 2450
P: 0266 525 523
E: sales@caravanscoffscoast.com.au

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