Evernew RTX60 reviewed at Caravan of the Year 2024 presented by MSA 4x4 Accessories

Winner — Best Build Quality and Best Couples Caravan 

Evernew Caravans celebrated its 60th anniversary as a reputable caravan builder with the release of the RTX60 — a high-end van for touring couples that took home the Best Build Quality and Best Couples Caravan awards at COTY 2024.

JOHN FORD — CARAVAN WORLD EDITOR

Value for money

The company’s 60-year history makes it one of our longest running brands and there are many Evernew vans in the hands of third generation owners. The durability of the traditional build reinforces the value of a properly built timber frame which continues today. You might say the Evernew stands as peak quality of the traditional method.

Everything about the van at our Caravan of the Year 2024 event demanded attention — from the conservative glossy exterior to the impressive finish inside. All fittings are quality items, and every component has been meticulously installed.

Even 18 months ago, a price tag of $160,000 for a mid-size van would have seemed extreme, but such is the market’s ever-increasing costs for parts and components that we now accept as the new norm for a high-end van. And Evernew certainly competes in the high end of the sector.

So, while the cost might be high, the value is the determining factor and the van’s equipment and features make it a great drive-away prospect for couples setting out on extended adventures. It has all the right stuff for outback and rough road travel and enough self-sufficiency to stay off-grid for extended stays. I rate value very highly and congratulate the Evernew team on taking home the Best Build Quality and Best Couples Caravan awards.

Towability

The Evernew RTX60 at 19ft 7in sits (6m) in the most popular size range for touring couples and has the room and equipment levels many buyers expect in this premium category. So, while not overly light for its size at a tare weight a tad under 2700kg (2698kg to be exact), it still leaves a healthy 802kg payload. Full water tanks will take up 190L of that, but there’s still plenty remaining.

The ATM maxes out at 3500kg so there is a good choice of tow vehicles on offer, including the mix of 4WD twin cabs such as the Nissan Navara seen here in our images. The Nissan we drove is a Warrior version with upgrades to suspension and trim but with standard power and it easily towed the RTX60 around our course. That said, a fully loaded 3500kg van will see most twin cabs at their limit so my preference would be a heavy-duty tow rig like a Nissan Patrol, LandCruiser or similar for long term travel.

Over the towing course, the RTX60 was well balanced and towed faultlessly, with no pitching, swaying or banging. Stopping power was smooth, powerful and well controlled from the REDARC Tow-Pro. I rated the van highly and it gave every confidence it would be as good as they get over long distances.

Liveability

Once you step aboard, the level of attention to detail in the internal fit-out is amazing. I was blown away by the welcoming and upmarket impact. It just feels right, and that impression will stay as you travel. Extra attention such as the curtains on the windows soften the feeling and add to the homeliness.

The leather lounge looks fantastic and is comfortable for long sessions in front of the ENGLAON 28in TV or over the pages of a good book. Storage is generous with extra cupboards wherever possible. The space under the bed is free of electronics for maximum space for your travelling needs and there’s a through tunnel boot and a front toolbox for camping and recovery gear.

I know not everyone loves the door close to the bed, but it’s the best use of limited space. If you can get used to it, then the advantages of the extra bench space in the kitchen are worthwhile.

I welcome the move to a composting toilet because it minimises one of the most unpleasant aspects of caravanning to a four-week cycle. Plenty of electrical power from the quality Enerdrive system lets you run appliances including the Dometic air conditioner for as long as you need. But maybe the winning touch is the keyless entry lock. What a great idea and the first one I have seen.

CATHERINE BEST — AUTHOR OF ULTIMATE CARAVAN TRIPS: AUSTRALIA

Innovation

Key-code entry on a caravan door is a stroke of genius and should be included in more builds. With the prison-warder stash of keys accompanying today’s contemporary caravans, the Camec INVICTUS three-point touch-pad door lock on the Evernew RTX60 makes absolute sense. Not only is it convenient (no more hiding keys when you’re at the beach) but you will never have to worry about losing the keys again.

The other innovation I love about this caravan is the quad camera system with dual rear cameras and two side-view cameras. Compatible with a Safety Dave reversing kit, the system is a gamechanger when manoeuvring into tight campgrounds and reversing between trees. Also upping the tech specs on the RTX60 are the WiTi Anti-Theft System with GPS tracking, the under-bed storage automatic light, and the move to gasless power, a feature we are seeing more and more in caravan innovation. I’m a personal fan of the grey water bypass which, again, makes sense. Ditto the built-in Puretec water filtration system.     

Suitability for intended touring

The Evernew RTX60 is a take-anywhere van designed for couples who want to go offroad in luxury and with minimal effort. There’s an electric Techno Step and manual winders on the roof hatches to cut down the elbow grease required for set up. The Cruisemaster ATX Independent Stage 4 airbag suspension is up to tackling the tough stuff, and also means you can do away with cumbersome levelling ramps, while the Savvy Level system takes the guess work out of levelling. The grey water bypass will reduce the need to clean out smelly tanks, and the gasless system means lugging and refilling gas bottles is a thing of the past.

For off-grid travel, the RTX60 delivers with 190L of fresh water, 880W of solar, 400Ah of lithium LiFePO4 battery storage, a 3000W inverter and an OGO composting toilet. A generator hatch and jerry can holder on the bumper provide redundancy for extra fuel. The RTX60 will comfortably accommodate couples off-grid for a week or more. Some might like to see a slide-out kitchen incorporated in the external design, but there’s room for this addition in the full-length tunnel boot without impinging too much on storage space.

MALCOLM STREET — CARAVAN WORLD FIELD EDITOR

Self-Sufficiency

A couples van, Evernew’s RTX60, gets a good score in the self-sufficiency department without being over the top. There’s a composting unit in the bathroom instead of a cassette toilet. I suspect that’s a growing trend, so watch this space. The water supply/drainage is conventional, with two 95L freshwater tanks and one 95L grey tank. The water tanks can be bypassed by a mains water connection and a little differently, the water pump is located under the floor to reduce the pump’s noise level.

The lithium LiFePO4 battery capacity is quite impressive, with a 400Ah capacity that's charged up by four 220W solar panels and an Enerdrive 100A mains charger/3000W inverter. The electrical system includes an Enerdrive 40A MPPT regulator for the solar panels. This is enough capacity to drive all the higher-powered electrical appliances. Most of the electrical gear is stored under cafe dinette seats. The batteries and charger/inverter are under the front seat, and everything else is under the rear seat.

There’s no LPG in the Evernew van. The hob is a two-burner Dometic induction unit, and the water heater is diesel-fired, a Diselheat DH15 hydronic unit with an Eberspacher D5E HS3 furnace.

The diesel tank, located next to the drawbar storage box, has a helpful level gauge which takes away the tank level guesswork.

X-Factor

Evernew caravans seems to have been around forever. Well 60 years, given this is the RTX60 model. For that the gold colour scheme for the PROBOND composite panel is an eye-catcher. That might sound a bit trivial but in the crowded Australian caravan market, something that looks a bit different is a plus for any salesman and anyone who desires a van that stands out on the road or in the caravan park.

Inside the Evernew RTX60, the cabinetry looks very slick and the general fit and finish is very good. All the drawers and cupboard doors open and close very smoothly. The latches are easy to use and operate with a satisfying click.

A dual rear camera is fitted to the van, but in addition to that, there are cameras fitted on either side of the van at the front — a great safety feature when manoeuvring the caravan around.

Pipework for caravan plumbing is only sometimes discussed. Still, Evernew uses more expensive SharkBite fittings and PEX tubing to ensure reliability of connections and a leak-free system.

Only a few caravans have them, but the RTX60 has a WiTi security alarm system which is a great inclusion. The system includes intrusion detection with a magnetic door switch and a PIR sensor. In addition, a gyroscopic motion detector will activate the brakes if someone tries to shift the van. Very much part of the package in a luxury van.

TIM VAN DUYL — CARAVAN WORLD CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Build quality 

The RTX60 celebrates Evernew Caravans’ 60th anniversary and with it comes a subtle change to the build process to enhance reliability.

The body of the RTX60 is framed with meranti, the lightest build methodology in the industry while the roof is domed with 70mm of rise to promote water run-off. The roof is three pieces of composite panelling with 100mm overlaps which when sealed should limit chances of water ingress. You might be wondering why three pieces — it has to be in order to get the dome shape. I think it’s smart and a great way to reduce the risk of water ingress.

The walls are clad with PROBOND, an expensive choice but arguably the best composite panel available with a 1.5mm thick alloy skin and foam core. It looks outstanding in a high-gloss sandy taupe. It is easily one of the best-looking vans I’ve seen.

Along with the updated roof is a move to an internally gasless build complete with the excellent Thetford 220L compressor fridge that needs very little ventilation. The end result is a van with fewer vents for dust to get in and better protection from water.

The chassis is an excellent hot-dip AL-KO-supplied truss design with gussets requested and added at the A-frame to further enhance strength and under it Cruisemaster fully automatic Level 4 ATX. Once on the move, it will settle onto a set ride height taking all the guess out of balancing the van.

There is an endless list of quality components and parts as well. The Laminex benchtops are capable of taking a hot pan up to 90°C, the new Dometic FreshJet 7 Series Pro air conditioner is super-efficient and quiet, there is a three-camera Safety Dave set up, and a rain-sensing hatch over the bed — the list just keeps going.

Customer care 

The fact Evernew is in its 61st year says a lot about its reputation and quality. Every trip I do, I see Evernews from almost every decade either on the road or in camp. They just keep on going but that doesn’t cover you if you had an issue, it just suggests not a lot goes wrong or it's covered and fixed by the builder.

The bones of the Evernew, the bits they make, carry a five-year warranty as does the AL-KO supplied chassis and Crusiemaster suspension while the electrical components carry up to three years, which is about as good as warranty length goes.

Equally impressive, Dani Bib, the owner of Evernew, is the warranty officer. He wants the role so he can take on defects and resolve them for future builds as well as keep his suppliers on their toes, pushing them harder for the most reliable and best-supported components.

Evernew Caravans RTX60 SPECS

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

Evernew Caravans RTX60 price from $160,000

MORE INFORMATION

Evernew Caravans
20A Reserve Street
Preston Vic 3072
P: 03 9459 7516
E: info@evernewcaravans.com.au

THE NEXT STEP

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