Eden Caravans X-Treme 24ft Slideout reviewed at Caravan of the Year 2025 presented by MSA 4X4 Accessories

First time entrants in Caravan of the Year, Eden Caravans wowed the judges with its impressive 24ft Eden X-Treme built for company owners, Paul and Mary Nedanis.

A 24ft (7.3m) couples caravan is already big — but add a slide-out club lounge and a really clever layout and you have an apartment on wheels. The Eden X-Treme 24ft really is the ultimate in luxury touring.

MALCOLM STREET — CARAVAN WORLD FIELD EDITOR

Build Quality

Like a few other caravans at COTY 2025, Eden Caravans’ X-Treme was built for the company owners, Paul and Mary Nedanis. You might be expecting an extra special van, which it is in some ways, but the X-Treme is built with the same care as the rest of the Eden fleet.

A little differently, the X-Treme van has a truss chassis with a 100mm (4in) top section, a 75mm (3in) bottom section and 130mm (5in) in between. It’s designed for the dual benefit of strength and weight saving (about 50kg–60kg) and gives a flat floor (no wheel arch intrusions) in the van. C-section aluminium (25mm) is used for the frame, all Henrob riveted. Aluminium composite cladding is used on the walls and roof, while aluminium extrusions on all the edges keeps everything together and watertight. For optimum insulation, the composite roof is 30mm thick and the floor is over 40mm thick. The overall impression is of a van that is well put together, particularly in the chassis area, which is the easiest to see and is all very neatly done.

At the rear, the roof extension and the Wolf Fabrications rear bar with its jerry can holders, drawer and firewood box look the part and give the van’s rear quite a standout appearance. Likewise, at the front, the drawbar storage box is designed and made well and has a stylish look.

Inside the X-Treme, all the cabinetry is lightweight ply timber, CNC machine cut and edge banded. Like the exterior, the interior is immaculately finished. Particularly eye-catching is the brass-coloured tapware and the tan-coloured leatherette used on the slide-out club lounge; it offers a subtle suggestion to sit down and relax. As might be expected on a van like this, everything opens and closes smoothly as it should.

Suitability for intended touring

Owner vans sometimes require a bit of thought, mainly because they are built to said owner’s desires and not always for someone who might buy the van. There is no such problem here because the 24ft van, although very highly appointed, is very much a practical layout. It is designed for offroad travel and with a comfortable lifestyle in mind. That’s helped by the offside slide-out, which greatly increases the interior space. It also allows for a slightly different layout, one with a rear kitchen, the club lounge and fridge in the slide-out and a split bathroom adjacent to the forward bedroom. The rear kitchen bench space might look small at first glance, but it is augmented by the nearside bench that offers cupboard space and houses the main television (more on this later).

The X-Treme 24ft Slideout model has a good payload of 700kg, which is needed, apart from anything else, for the 475L of freshwater capacity. There’s plenty of internal and external storage capacity. The latter includes the front and rear storage and the usual tunnel boot space which includes a slide-out barbecue. Also, for those who enjoy an al fresco lifestyle, there’s a drawer fridge built into the nearside wall. Like many vans with a high-powered 12V electrical system, the inverter/charger, MPPT solar charge controllers and related electrics are fitted into an external wall panel. In this case, it’s located behind the fridge in the slide-out. It’s relatively easy to access, but shorter people might require a small step.

Towability

The Eden X-Treme has an external length of 7.3m (24ft) and a tare mass of 3800kg, so it’s not a small van and well into the towing territory of something like the Chev Silverado LTZ we used for the towing. The Silverado has the necessary maximum tow rating of 4500kg but is a big vehicle with a length of 5.9m (19ft 4in), resulting in an overall towing length of nearly 16m (53ft). That can be daunting at first glance, but the Silverado certainly has the capacity to make sure the towing isn’t too stressful. The 6.2L petrol V8 engine delivers plenty of power (313kW) and torque (624Nm) through the 10-speed torque converter, but it’s not quite as torquey as the 6.6L turbo diesel engine.

Convenient on the Silverado are the side cameras that come on each time the indicator is used. Great on tight corners, given the Silverado’s large turning circle (14.1m/46ft). On the road and on the bush tracks during our tow test, the X-Treme glided along very well on its Cruisemaster ATX Level Four airbag suspension with barely a tail wag or too much fore and aft pitching.

JOHN FORD — CARAVAN WORLD EDITOR

Self-sufficiency

Extreme in name and character, this impressive Eden packs a hefty punch with its off-grid capabilities. This van allows couples to find their favourite camping spot and stay there comfortably and without compromise. The amenity of the van offers comfort, and the solar setup delivers ample electrical power to run appliances for as long as they wish.

Six 200W roof-mounted solar panels deliver a generous 1200W to charge two 460Ah Arizon/Victron lithium batteries. Two 50A MPPT chargers efficiently convert the solar energy into 12V power, while a 12V Victron inverter/charger provides 3000W to operate 240V accessories. Battery performance is monitored through a Garmin screen, allowing you to keep track of operations, and there’s a phone app for remote checking. As Malcolm mentioned, the Arizon/Victron installed electrics board is located on the driver-side, and it was one of the neatest I have seen anywhere.

The van isn’t wholly electric. Gas bottles are used for cooking and heating, which might be a good backup plan for extended periods of cloudy weather. However, modern electrical systems are very efficient and reliable, and I might consider foregoing the gas and using a diesel heater to save weight. There’s also a slide for a generator as a backup.

Five 95L freshwater tanks is a respectable amount, but the 700kg payload leaves only 225kg of carrying capacity if you fill the tanks and want to stay legal. There is also a 95L grey water tank for national park stays. The cassette toilet will probably need attention after a week, so I suggest installing a composting toilet if camping remotely.

Liveability

Designed specifically for Paul and Mary, the van showcases trendy design concepts and colour selections that create a welcoming and functional interior. The impression upon stepping aboard is breathtaking. A 24ft van is already larger and more upscale than average for a couple, and the addition of a slide-out for the club lounge enhances the luxury further.

The faux leather in Eastwood Fawn by Warwick Fabrics paired with the matte black cabinets create a winning combination, lending a classy, almost regal impression. Positioning the fridge in the slide-out has opened up extra kitchen space for a full-width layout across the back of the van, as well as increased prep space on the passenger side. Storage is abundant: in large toolboxes and hatches outside, as well as in multiple cupboards, drawers and beneath the bed inside.

The club lounge has room for a couple to spread out or entertain guests who might marvel at the 40in television rising from the bench opposite. This magically appearing feature is sometimes seen in luxury yachts, so it’s another superb addition to the Eden X-Treme 24ft.

An advantage of a larger van is the ability to include a proper-sized ensuite. The X-Treme uses one of my favourite layouts, locating it in the centre of the van. This design gives easy ensuite access while ensuring maximum privacy and separation of the bedroom.

The bed has its own enclosed space and has the same fitout and feel as the living area and includes a padded and pleated bedhead that adds to the high-end impression

Value for money

This is not an entry-level van. The X-Treme 24ft Slideout is crafted with care by a boutique builder, where ensuring everything is done correctly and looks perfect is the driver, so the vans take time to build. All components are top quality, and the $254,990 price reflects that. Against luxury offroad vans in today’s market, the X-Treme is good value.

Couples who have the means to search for their dream van will appreciate this high-end van’s exclusivity, superb appearance and practicality.

ALLISON WATT — CARAVAN WORLD DEPUTY EDITOR

Ease of use

Paul and Mary put a lot of thought into how they will use their van and it shows in many of the little details that are not immediately obvious.

There is no doubt that it’s big, so it’s not going to fit onto an average site at a caravan park, but that’s not how Paul and Mary intend to use it.

Once they pull up to camp, the Cruisemaster ATX airbag suspension is used for auto-levelling, which is a handy feature.

Externally, Paul has everything where he needs it. The toolbox up front has a slide for the Weber which then swivels to be parallel with the van or any angle you need to avoid smoke and smells blowing indoors. There are two picnic tables, an entertainment hatch and a drawer fridge which slides out. On the other side is the generator slide plus a secure storage bin for gas bottles and other bits and pieces. And there’s more external storage built into the custom rear bumper.

An electric step provides entry via the rear door, straight into the kitchen across the rear of the van. This is a surprisingly workable space with a round sink and a good amount of bench space, microwave overheard, cooktop and full oven and plenty of cupboards and drawers.

Containing the kitchen to the rear like this provides the space for the van’s piece de resistance — the slide-out club lounge in tan leather is big enough for six adults (they’ve tested it) to eat around the table or watch television on the massive 40in screen. The bench where the television lives also houses the 3.3kg washing machine so there’s easy access to outside for hanging out the clothes.

Paul and Mary also designed the club lounge to convert to a double bed for when their grandkids have sleepovers.

The X-Treme’s central bathroom/front bedroom layout is popular for couples who like to have some personal space. Both areas are beautifully appointed with quality components and plenty of storage. There’s another television in the bedroom if you want to watch separate shows.

Innovation

The innovative layout of the Eden X-Treme was like nothing else we saw at the COTY competition this year and really made it stand out from the pack.

The rear kitchen is much bigger and workable than it initially appears thanks to its clever layout and placement of appliances. The large club lounge and fridge slide out on the offside, leaving plenty of space for entertaining inside.

We didn’t see another 40in television emerging from its own bench at the touch of a button, either, so that was a first for me.

There are no physical light switches in the X-Treme — all the lights and electrics are controlled by an app on a smart phone.

Even the rounded brackets under the rear corners of the chassis to prevent it from bottoming out when driving on rough roads was something new for us.

Customer care

Eden Caravans offers a three-year structural warranty and three years against leakage and water damage.

Warranty documents are provided to customers at handover, but they are not publicly available on the company’s website.

The document contains a page of exclusions including water damage caused by creek crossings, flooding and so on, and damage caused by excessive speed in offroad conditions, all of which are reasonable, but I’d advise that customers read the warranty documents carefully before heading off.

If there is an issue with any appliances in the van, customers will be directed to those manufacturers in the first instance.

Paul personally deals with all enquiries regarding the van’s electrical system.

X-Factor

There were a few ‘wows’ coming from the mouths of judges when we stepped into the Eden X-Treme. While on the outside it looks big and tough and ready to go anywhere, inside is akin to a small home on wheels — beautifully decorated and presented by Mary.

Its innovative layout ensures there is plenty of room for couples who like to get off the beaten track without sacrificing any of the creature comforts of home. Plenty of room for meal preparation in the rear kitchen, enough space for six adults to comfortably enjoy a meal around the slide-out club lounge or watch the footy on the giant TV, a well-appointed split central bathroom and a private and cosy bedroom retreat up front.

If you want to go caravanning in style — this is the van for you.

EDEN X-TREME 24FT SLIDEOUT SPECS

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

Eden Caravans X-Treme 24ft Slideout price from $249,990

OPTIONS FITTED

• Dual Safety Dave camera
• Garmin RV 895 GPS Navigator
• Chevrolet reversing camera

Eden Caravans X-Treme 24ft Slideout price as shown $254,990

MORE INFORMATION

Eden Caravans

68 Lara Way

Campbellfield Vic 3061

P: 03 9357 7709

E: sales@edencaravans.com.au

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