Caravan review: Wonderland Amaroo 1806 couples van

Wonderland RV has been favoured by discerning buyers for its classic style and functional builds. Now it aims to broaden its appeal with the introduction of three frame material options. John Hughes takes a look at an aluminium frame 18-footer that makes for a very sensible size for many.

In brief:

• 18ft 8in, twin axle, tough road ready
• Classic couples layout
• Optioned up off-grid capability

Wonderland RV has been building custom caravans since 2014. Over its journey, two key aspects have stood out for me.

The first is easy to see — it consistently creates stylish vans. Sure, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but in my view, Wonderland just gets it right. It starts on the outside. The truth is most vans on the market look pretty similar with smooth-sided walls, checkerplate on the bottom and generally the same kind of shape.

Yet Wonderland exteriors have a distinctive style, which I put down to its decals. I reckon it has found the balance of being a bit of a head turner without being over the top. At the end of the day, they are just stickers, but they do contribute significantly to the identity of the van. Anyway, you can be the judge, just type ‘Wonderland’ into the search bar on our website, and you can see plenty of their vans we have reviewed. The style flows through to the van interiors. The stylists know what they are doing — I have never seen anything clash or look out of place.

A stylish couples van built for life off the beaten track

The second aspect is the frame construction hidden away behind the walls. From the beginning, Wonderland embraced CNC-cut ply as its frame construction method. While not the first to do it, it has arguably been the leader in this space over the past decade or so. I believe if you want a timber frame, this technique has a lot going for it.

The process starts with a full sheet of 19mm structural ply, which is machine cut to the desired shape, including cut-outs for doors, windows and voids for insulation and electrical cabling. It eliminates the need to cut up multiple lengths of timber and make dozens of joins as used in traditional timber frames. Consistency of manufacture and increased strength are tangible benefits from eliminating the joins. A precisely cut frame should become the basis for everything that attaches to it to be correctly aligned. And that’s a great recipe for everything to go together and seal nicely.

Frame choices for the Wonderland Amaroo 1806

But here’s the thing. While timber frames have been a fan favourite with old-school buyers, newer generation customers are asking for alternate materials. In the spirit of giving customers what they want, Wonderland has launched two more frame material choices this year.

Composite frames are now on the Wonderland options list. In some ways, this was a very easy addition for Wonderland as the principle of manufacture is identical to its ply process. You start with a full sheet of composite polymer material and feed it through the CNC machine to create a frame. But nothing is ever that simple, is it? Just as Wonderland was an early adopter of CNC-cut ply frames back in 2014, it is an early adopter of CNC composite frames now. To build its understanding and confidence in the polymer material, Wonderland has invested years in testing it. This has involved building prototype caravans and sending them out on extended trips exposed to thousands of kilometres of corrugations and the passing of seasons for exposure to the extremes of heat and cold in our continent. After enduring these conditions, Wonderland brought the vans back to the factory, removed the walls and inspected the polymer for any signs of deterioration or fatigue.

Aluminium frames are on the options list too. This would make Wonderland one of the very few companies giving customers this level of choice. Based on the many brands of vans we review, it would be fair to say aluminium is now the ‘new normal’. Keen to raise awareness, Wonderland supplied this review van with the aluminium frame option.

The Amaroo 1806 on review featured an aluminium frame — a new option for Wonderland buyers

The ‘Goldilocks’ van

On to the van on review. It has an external body length of 18ft 8in (5.69m) and I reckon for many people this is the ‘Goldilocks’ size. It’s not too small, not too big and just right to fit all the important stuff into the interior. Plus, 18ft is the typical length that van manufacturers step up from a single axle to a twin axle configuration. Having two sets of axles gives you a greater combined axle load rating, and this usually affords a greater payload than a single axle van. Doubling the footprint on the ground also improves stability as it creates a better counterforce to pitching. The trade-off is an extra set of axles to add to the unloaded weight of the van.

Let’s dive into some more detail.

Wonderland vans have a distinctive style thanks to well-considered decals

How it’s built from the ground up

It is early days for them, but Wonderland tells me about a third of its customers are choosing aluminium frames. Wonderland has adopted the rivet method to secure the sections of aluminium together. Riveting is used by many reputable builders and appears to create very few issues.

All three of Wonderland’s frame options are clad with DIBOND composite aluminium skin. Again, it is a proven formula used by many leading caravan manufacturers. Up top, you have a 35mm composite sandwich panel roof. Wonderland uses a single piece that spans from the floor at the front to the top of the rear wall. On the bottom, there is an 18mm honeycomb floor to complete the body.

The body sits on an S&M chassis with 6in (150mm) A-frame and 4in (100mm) rails with 4in risers. The chassis is paired with TEKO/TuffRide trailing arm suspension with coil springs. Interestingly, Wonderland supplies the caravan airbag-conversion ready. This means the van comes with a little access hatch to fit the airbag system controls, plus the chassis rolls off the line with the mounting platform to accept the underfloor air compressor, making retro-fitting simple. The good thing is that the access hatch adds a little bit of extra storage space if you don’t run with the airbag system.

TEKO/TuffRide trailing arm suspension

We had (optional) Dexter sway control on board working in conjunction with the 12in electric drum brakes. It’s one of the better systems on the market because it works asymmetrically, meaning it activates the brakes on each side of the van independently for rapid sway correction. I would always recommend that some form of sway control is an option buyers should seriously consider.

Comfort and style in every detail

I have already mentioned Wonderland creates nice interiors. This Amaroo 1806 is no exception, with a colour palette and surfaces that just work. The faux parquetry floor, light coloured ‘timber grain look’ benchtops and soft-hue leatherette have a classical appeal and sit nicely with the otherwise white interior. The pressed tin tile pattern splashback helps add a little dimension to the white surfaces.

The Amaroo 1806 features a tried-and-true layout with a beautifully designed interior aestheticA comfy L-shaped lounge with overhead cupboards for extra storage

The layout could be described as common or popular, but I will run with Goldilocks. It’s the proven formula of front bed, mid kitchen/seating and rear bathroom. Everything is sensibly configured with good storage above, beside and under the north–south bed. The L-shaped lounge is comfy and includes a fold-out leg rest. The kitchen is well-appointed with a Swift mini grill and gas stove, a 23L NCE microwave, a Swift rangehood and a Dometic 224L compressor fridge. The bathroom runs along the rear wall and features a full-height closet, which provides plenty of storage but limits bench space. Lifting up the bench reveals a 2.6kg top-loading NCE washing machine, which is good for regular small loads.

The well-appointed kitchenAmple storage in the rear bathroom

Built for life outdoors

The outside has some nice touches too. The rear bumper bar is one of those new, fancier multifunction types. The top has a substantial horizontal surface that accommodates two jerry can holders, a small wood box and one spare wheel holder. At either end of the hollow bumper bar are small doors creating storage for outdoorsy stuff. The rear of the bumper has a drop-down door for easy access to the mid-section storage.

Clever rear bar storageThe picnic table with spice rack — a handy storage compartment that adds to the external liveability

The onside wall features an external storage compartment that Wonderland refers to as a spice rack. I think they are selling it a bit short, as it is capable of holding a lot more than spices, and the drop-down table is very handy. When closed up, it does protrude a little, which detracts from the otherwise clean lines of the van.

Up the front, the simple A-frame mounted storage box is more conventional. The two built-in slides have enough room for a chest-style fridge and a generator. Forward of the storage box is a neat compartment housing the gas bottles.

Slide-outs for a chest fridge and barbecue

Optioned-up for off-grid adventures

The Amaroo 1806 we reviewed has been optioned up to have a decent off-grid system bolstered with two 9kg gas bottles. Power is controlled through a REDARC Alpha50 battery management system (BMS), which enables charging from multiple sources simultaneously. In this case, vehicle input through a 50A DC-DC charger, solar input through 800W of roof panels and mains power through 240V input. The system is smart enough to prioritise solar input to minimise demand on the car’s alternator and save on 20V input power. Your input feeds into an Arizon 300Ah lithium battery, which in turn powers a 2600W Enerdrive inverter.

A freshwater tank capacity of 170L is reasonable, but 20L less than many other vans I review, and the grey water capacity of 100L is good, meaning you can catch around 60 per cent of your water, which is more than most.

The optioned-on Enerdrive inverter and power system 

Tow testing and getting the balance right

We towed with a very tidy 2015 Volkswagen V8 Touareg. It has a tow capacity of 3500kg to match the van’s 3495kg ATM. However, I would be looking for a tow vehicle with a heavier GVM than the Touareg’s 2890kg so the fully laden van can’t push the car around too much.

A 2680kg tare provides a decent 815kg payload. The 180kg ball weight represents 6.7 per cent of the total tare weight. While lighter than many, it’s fine — provided the van has a balanced load. Therefore, care should be taken not to overload the rear bar storage compartments to maintain the Amaroo’s good handling.

Wonderland vans are built for adventure, and they look the part as well

Final thoughts on the Wonderland Amaroo 1806

Wonderland builds great vans — they look the part, and they function as they should. I believe the 18ft 8in body length will serve many people well with enough room to fit in everything you need while keeping to a manageable size to navigate most obstacles. The off-grid power system arguably hits the sweet spot on the value/performance relationship with a blend of a high-spec 12V system and gas. And the aluminium frame construction will satisfy many contemporary buyers’ requirements.

Measuring up

Pros

• Wonderland vans always have plenty of style
• The aluminium frame will be a welcome option for many
• The hollow rear bar is a clever way to increase storage

Cons

• Be careful not to overload the rear bar storage

WONDERLAND AMAROO 1806 RATINGS

VALUE FOR MONEY

The $134,999 price tag (as shown) aligns with what you would expect to pay for a van of this spec and calibre

TOWABILITY

It towed great empty … be careful not to overload the rear to maintain optimum stability

SUITABILITY FOR INTENDED TOURING

A van I would be happy to tour in

BUILD QUALITY

Another well-built Wonderland

LIVEABILITY

It’s a classic layout that works well, with the right appliances to support comfortable living

SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Hits the sweet spot on the value/performance relationship with a blend of a high-spec 12V system and gas

CUSTOMER CARE

A three-year manufacturer’s warranty combined with a five-year chassis and suspension warranty is a strong offer

INNOVATION

While not the only player doing it, offering three frame construction methods gives people what they want

X-FACTOR

Wonderland has delivered another stylish van that is also highly functional

WONDERLAND AMAROO 1806 SPECS

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

Wonderland Amaroo 1806 price from $107,176

OPTIONS FITTED

• Aluminium wall framing — Henrob SPR C-Channel
• Aluminium access doors, aluminium roof capping and smooth plate
• Dexter DSC electronic stability sway control (ESC)
• REDARC Alpha 50 BMS, 300Ah Arizon lithium battery, 800W Solar, 2600W Enerdrive inverter (under lounge install)
• External hatch for entertainment pack
• 2 x Sirocco fans
• Slide-out tray (800mm)
• Diesel heater
• Fogatti instant hot water
• Brass gold accessories pack
• TB78 toolbox
• Monster rear bumper bar
• Starlink connection provision
• External spice rack/drop-down table with GPO, 12V USB and light

Wonderland Amaroo 1806 price as shown $134,999

MORE INFORMATION

Wonderland RV

46 Lara Way

Campbellfield Vic 3061

P: 03 8692 0032

E: sales@wonderlandrv.com.au

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