Kokoda Counterstrike Vincere reviewed at Caravan of the Year 2025 presented by MSA 4X4 Accessories

Kokoda Caravans returned to COTY this year with a van that has set a new benchmark in tech and self-sufficiency. Built for owner Trevor Price and his family, the Counterstrike Vincere is designed for indefinite off-grid travel and took home two well-deserved awards.

Winner — Most Innovative and Most X-Factor

The Kokoka Counterstrike Vincere is like nothing we’ve ever seen. Unlimited power, unlimited water, a toilet that incinerates its waste. This is the moment in time when caravanning as we know it has changed. Owner Trevor Price has set the bar really high and others will scramble to follow. The impressive Counterstrike Vincere won this year’s awards for Most Innovative and Most X-Factor, and it has both by the bucket load.

MALCOLM STREET — CARAVAN WORLD FIELD EDITOR

Build quality

Kokoda’s Counterstrike Vincere certainly draws attention, both on the road and at the campsite. Everything from the striking colour scheme to the rear wing and the rigid awnings that extend on both sides of the van catches the eye. Their purpose is to provide the van with room for its 7.3kW solar panel capacity.

The Kokoda Counterstrike Vincere has a striking 7.3kW of solar power

Under the Counterstrike Vincere is a very solid chassis. It’s all galvanised steel and for the main rails there’s a 150mm (6in) RHS laminated to a smaller 100mm (4in) rail making a total of250mm (10in) of very robust underpinnings. Up front, there’s a 150mm drawbar. For extensive offroad travel, the Counterstrike Vincere rides on Cruisemaster ATX airbag suspension. Several electrical and water systems result in a very busy sub-chassis area, so it looks complicated, but things were strapped up and out of the way of any road damage.

Above the chassis, the bodywork is built using 33mm XPS sandwich panels encased in fibreglass. Because the body sits relatively high, a conventional caravan step wouldn’t suffice, so a folding step imported from the USA has been designed to fit into the van’s doorway. There’s a folding handrail, too — suitable for anyone not so steady on their feet.

Inside the Counterstrike, the cabinetry is a lightweight composite. Although some of the cabinetry looks conventional, the ceiling’s slatted design does not. It’s certainly different, just is the 12V frosted screen wall of the shower cubicle.

The Kokoda Counterstrike Vincere was designed for indefinite off-grid travel and took home not only the award for Most Innovation but also Most X-Factor

Suitability for intended touring

In many ways, this is a very special van. It’s not quite a one-off — there are five production models planned — but this one was built for Kokoda owner Trevor Price and his family. Consequently, there are numerous special tweaks. Undoubtedly, the van is well equipped for exploring roads less travelled and the chassis and suspension were built for just that purpose. In addition, the off-grid water system is very different from the usual. It includes a freshwater generator, which works based on extracting moisture from the air and a reverse osmosis recycling process where water from the grey tank is purified into fresh water. Matching the water system, the electrics are equally impressive with a 30kW (48V) lithium battery and 10kW inverter. There isn’t an external connection to a 240V mains supply, but more on this later.

In many caravans, the external lights are white or amber (bug-free), but in the Kokoda van, all the lights are dual-coloured. For those who like to cook on the road, there are two kitchens built into the Counterstrike Vincere, one inside and one outside. Both are well-appointed. There’s an inside/outside pantry, and the internal kitchen is fitted with a stone benchtop by Corian.

The Counterstrike Vincere is a very well-appointed caravan with many innovative features that may well start new industry trends because the Vincere was designed as a flagship innovation project to push boundaries and test new ideas and as such it’s not for everyone.

Towability

The Counterstrike Vincere has an ATM of 4490kg, which is just under the requirement for air brakes on a trailer. The tare mass of 3880kg results in a payload of 610kg. The tare mass puts it well above the tow rating of a LandCruiser or similar dual cab ute, so a US pickup truck like the Ford F-250 we were using is very much the order of the day. Although the van looks like a big towing proposition, having a body length of 7.17m (23ft 6in), with the right vehicle up front it’s not a difficult towing proposition. On the road, the modified F-250 handled the van without trouble. However, it’s a rig that requires a little bit of patience and skill when being manoeuvred around.

The Counterstrike Vincere towed well behind the Ford F-250

ALLISON WATT — CARAVAN WORLD DEPUTY EDITOR

Self-sufficiency

Trevor loves to go caravanning to the furthest corners of the country with his family, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the off-grid, self-sufficiency space. And he has certainly done this with the Counterstrike Vincere.

This van has been designed to be completely off-grid, so there are no external power points, no sullage hoses, no ramps and no ropes. You couldn’t plug it into the 240V power supply at a caravan park even if you wanted to, that’s how confident Trevor is in his design.

Trevor has claimed a number of world firsts with this van, starting with unlimited power generated by the massive 7.3kW of solar power on the roof and on the dual hard awnings. There is nothing else on the roof but solar panels — no air-conditioner, vents or antennas. If the sun is not shining or you need a bit of a boost, there’s an 8kW generator tucked away in its own fully-vented storage locker at the front of the van where its noise is barely discernible.

Power is fed into the 30kW Victron battery power bank and the 10kW inverter ensures that appliances such as the air-conditioner and heater (ducted), induction hotplates, built in air fryer, washing machine and dishwasher can run indefinitely.

Neat electrics panel inside

Another world first is the unlimited water supply. The system can draw up to 150L per day from the air alone, which is stored in the dedicated 50L drinking water tank. This system is a closely guarded secret — not even the judges were allowed to see it. And all water in the 110L grey tank goes through the reverse osmosis process to be purified and returned to the 150L freshwater tank for showering and the like.

All that power generated by the Counterstrike Vincere is also used to operate the toilet which burns all waste (including female sanitary products) leaving a sterile pile of ash which can be disposed of when needed, which would be every couple of weeks for a family.

The incinerating toilet certainly gave this van the wow factor

Liveability

Trevor has learned from years of experience and countless outback trips with his family that he just wants things to be as easy as possible when he pulls up to camp so that he can enjoy the great outdoors. Spending hours setting up is just not in his nature.

The van legs auto level and self-stabilise. There are lights everywhere, and they become the amber, anti-bug variety at the touch of a button.

Getting set up for cooking outdoors is a breeze. A picnic table opens to reveal the built-in pantry that is also accessible from inside. Next to it, another picnic table drops down to reveal a built-in dishwasher and air fryer and space for a coffee machine. Also located here is the 80L slide-out fridge.

Getting inside the Vincere is easy with the pull-out entry step and full-length handrail. Once you’re in, it’s like a five-star hotel room.

A luxury interior that gives five-star hotel room vibes

Kids bunks up front next to the ensuite with a door that frosts over with the push of a button

The kids triple bunks are up front, opposite the stunning bathroom with the fancy loo, vanity with brushed brass fittings and a shower with multi-head rain system (remember, you don’t have to worry about water!). Oh, and the shower door frosts up at the touch of a button as well.

The timber panelling on the ceiling not only looks stunning, but it also serves as sound proofing.

Down the back is the king-sized recliner bed, perfect for whiling away the evenings watching a movie on the drop-down cinema projector screen with surround sound.

The spacious king-size bed up front

The interior kitchen is minimalist. There’s nothing on the Corian benchtop except the sink. A portable induction cooktop is kept out of the way in its own drawer. There’s a 274L Thetford fridge to keep the hoards fed, designer cabinetry and the heating and cooling is ducted to all spaces.

If there was one downside to the interior liveability it would be that there’s only dining seating to fit two adults or possibly three small kids, so the whole family is never going to be able to dine at the table together.

A minimalist kitchen

Value for money

Trevor unashamedly says that this is the most expensive caravan ever built in Australia. He set out to redefine what luxury, off-grid caravanning could look like and that comes at a cost.

The starting price is $380,000 with 20kW of battery or you can upgrade to 30kW of battery for $395,000.

A breakdown of the types of costs include:

• $7500 for the reclining king size bed, without installation
• $15,000 for the generator box with venting and sound baffling
• $9000 for the incinerator toilet
• $9000 for the reverse osmosis system to create fresh water from the grey water tank
• $3000 for the auto-levelling and self-stabilising legs
• $25,000 for the Garmin smart van system which runs everything

Trevor built this van for he and his family and reckons he’ll probably build another five, depending on demand. He’s already had some enquiries since its official launch a few months ago.

Is it value for money? That’s a rhetorical question. It’s most certainly financially out of reach for the average Australian caravanner. But Trevor Price is not average, and neither is the Counterstrike Vincere.

JOHN FORD — CARAVAN WORLD EDITOR

Ease of use

The Counterstrike Vincere redefines caravanning. Its mission is to make life on the road worry-free and straightforward, but it’s far from simple, and that’s my worry.

At the moment, the dual hard awnings containing all those solar panels must be slid out manually, but a motorised version is in the pipeline. The van is designed so that virtually everything operates with the touch of a control pad. While the van is complex, Kokoda supports customers with detailed handover training and strong ongoing service. The intuitive Garmin system should be straightforward for anyone with basic computer skills.

When every high-tech system works at its peak, you have enough electrical power to run two households, enough water for a field of marathon runners and enough capacity for the incinerator loo to accommodate a footy team after a night at the Vindaloo Palace.

The auto-levelling makes air system makes setting up camp quick and easy

Pull into camp and the auto-levelling air system gets you squared away. Then, deploy the aircraft-style steps to get aboard, where air-conditioning and sound-deadening transport you to a happy place. The kids have their place up front, big enough to keep them happy. Down the back, a king bed has electrically powered bed positions of absolute comfort while the media screen can be used for some privacy or to create a movie room or musical experience.

On the whole, cooking is designed to be as easy and fun as possible. Think big benchtops, induction cooking, plenty of fridge space, built-in air fryer, dishwasher, coffee machine and dual-access pantry. And the combo awning and solar panel has you covered when you’re cooking up a storm outside.

If I were being really picky, and that’s what we are here for, then I think the van lacks interior seating. That may be because most of your time would be spent outside, but I’d prefer a bit more space to sit and work in air-conditioned comfort.

The cosy dinette opposite the kitchen

Innovation

It’s hard to imagine anything missing from the Counterstrike Vincere, and I give it maximum points for innovation because everything is designed to impress. There are so many firsts for features built into a caravan. Up top are the roof-sized, slide-out solar panels for three banks of endless solar power that double as awnings for weather protection on each side of the van. The massive battery and 240V power is the most powerful anywhere in a van and allows many of the van’s innovative features, like the incinerator toilet, proprietary water maker and the reverse osmosis water purifier.

The entry’s aircraft-style steps are brilliant, and I’ll be very surprised if the idea isn’t spread across the industry within six months. But remember, you saw them first on the Vincere.

The design features inside are inspired. Let’s applaud the gas-activated ensuite glass frosting that is straight out of the most modern and chic bathroom design. But one of my favourite features is the timber slats and acoustic roof lining, which transform the look and homey feel into something special.

The bathroom has a beautiful, chic aesthetic

The shower's multi-head rain system

Perhaps my second favourite feature is the parent’s retreat/media room with a big screen and surround sound.

Customer care

Like the Counterstrike Vincere, the Kokoda warranty is top shelf. As long as owners maintain service intervals, the van is covered for three years on the design, materials and workmanship, with a refund or replacement if the problem can’t be rectified.

The warranty excludes towing behind any commercial truck without a suitable air hitch, on extreme 4WD tracks, in deep water or at inappropriate speeds all of which are sensible provisions.

The Kokoda Counterstrike Vincere is a one of a kind design that is redefining caravanning

X-Factor

If I could, I’d turn the X-Factor dial up to 11. There’s nothing like the Counterstrike Vincere in the world, and only five are planned for production. The Vincere is a significant statement of intent from Kokoda, a shot across the industry’s bow and a credit to Trevor and his team who have taken the brand from the brink to a leading force in RV achievement. That’s a big WOW from all of us.

KOKODA COUNTERSTRIKE VINCERE SPECS

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

Kokoda Counterstrike Vincere price from $380,000

OPTIONS FITTED

• Upgrade to 30kW battery

Kokoda Counterstrike Vincere price as shown $395,000

MORE INFORMATION

Kokoda Caravans
1600 Sydney Road
Campbellfield Vic 3061
P: 1800 577 430
E: enquiries@kokodacaravans.com.au

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