Snowy River SRH-16 reviewed at Caravan of the Year 2025 presented by MSA 4X4 Accessories

The SRH-16 hybrid from Snowy River Caravans blends practicality with offroad readiness, offering couples a versatile and well-equipped van that’s perfect for exploring off-the-beaten-path destinations.

Relatively new to the Snowy River Caravans range, the SRH-16 is a couples hybrid van that offers a practical step up from a camper trailer. It combines the freedom of offroad travel with the added comfort and modern conveniences of a small caravan. Designed for those who want to explore with more ease, it provides a compact, user-friendly option without sacrificing essential features, with a few clever touches that show Snowy River’s willingness to innovate.

ALLISON WATT — CARAVAN WORLD DEPUTY EDITOR

Build quality

Designed here in Australia for our conditions and travel styles, the body of the Snowy River Caravans SRH-16 is manufactured in China before being shipped here where components such as the cooking appliances, fridges, awning, suspension, air-conditioner, hot water services, battery management systems, hatches and all electrical and plumbing work are completed in accordance with Australian regulations.

The SRH-16 has the same build methodology as Snowy’s full height caravans — an aluminium frame embedded into composite XPS foam walls which are 32mm thick and then clad with fibreglass panel walls.

Snowy’s new SR-Xplore suspension and protected water tanks

This hybrid model is relatively new to the Snowy range and is pitched as an offroad hybrid, so it comes with 16in wheels with mud tyres and the SR-Xplore suspension which is unique to Snowy River Caravans. It features lateral curved arms manufactured from high grade structural steel, Pedders heavy duty coil springs and shock absorbers, so it will comfortably go down most dirt tracks.

It has a 6in RAPTOR coated gooseneck chassis. The roof and floor are both one piece and exterior checkerplate will protect against stone chips and scratching branches.

The Snowy River SRH-16 is a compact hybrid ideal for couples who want to head off the beaten track

Innovative rear storage box, perfect for fishing rods and the like

Suitability for intended touring

The SRH-16 is designed for a couple who are making the step up from a camper trailer and want a few more comforts and some off-grid capacity to do some free camping and go into national parks or music festivals.

It’s a single axle, 16ft (4.87m) pop-top, not too high or heavy, meaning it’s not going to be overwhelming to tow for newcomers to caravanning.

Hybrids are all about outdoor living and the external kitchen manufactured locally in Wangaratta, Vic, is one of the standouts of the Snowy SRH-16 package, featuring a 96L fridge on a slide; stainless-steel bench with sink, drawers and a little pop up condiment shelf, and a second slide-out cooktop which swivels to sit parallel to the van — something we have seen before but in more expensive hybrids.

If you need to cook inside you can on the gas cooktop. There’s a large fridge, cupboards, drawer, slide-out pantry, plus seating for two at the small dining table. A queen-size bed and full ensuite complete the package.

The slide-out pantry

The SRH-16 is pitched as a full offroad hybrid with the aforementioned unique suspension system. I don’t know that I’d be taking on Australia’s toughest 4WD tracks, but the SRH-16 will suit gravel roads into national parks and the like without any problems.

The SRH-16 has all the necessities for enjoying an outdoor lifestyle

Towability

The Snowy River SRH-16 hybrid has a tare weight of 2518kg and an ATM of 3000kg so it’s not a massive rig and it will appeal to new or inexperienced towers.

Being a pop-top, it’s not overly high at 2.7m (8ft 9in) and it has a total length of 7.1m (23ft 3in), meaning most 4x4 dual cab utes will do the job easily. We towed the SRH-16 around our Warrnambool, Vic, towing course behind a Ford Ranger and didn’t encounter any issues on highway, sealed country roads and some dirt tracks. As an easy towing proposition that doesn’t need a massive truck to haul it, the SRH-16 ticks all the boxes.

MALCOLM STREET — CARAVAN WORLD FIELD EDITOR

Self-sufficiency

Compared to some of the full size vans in the caravan section, the SRH16 is something of a pocket rocket. It has a pair of 200Ah lithium LiFePO4 batteries, four 150W solar panels and a 2000W Renogy inverter. The electrics are controlled by a Renogy touchscreen connected to the battery management system.

There's plenty of solar for off-grid stays

The two 9kg gas cylinders offer plenty of capacity for the internal Dometic two-burner and external three-burner gas hobs and the Fogatti instantaneous water heater. For water supplies, the two 100L freshwater tanks are the standard size, and the 100L grey tank is good for places where it’s necessary. The Dometic cassette toilet has the usual capacity.

In terms of food storage, even though the hybrid is relatively small, there’s still quite a bit of pantry space in the form of wire baskets. The Thetford 150L fridge has plenty of capacity to keep things cool. And if you need extra space, there’s the slide-out in the front storage bin that’s large enough for a 96L external fridge.

Liveability

A couples van with an external length of 4.87m (16ft), the Snowy River SRH-16 hybrid is, by nature, a very compact van. Setting up doesn’t take long; the pop-top roof and the awning are both electrically operated. Equipped with an internal and external kitchen, it’s designed for outside living but with all the essentials inside the hybrid. The external kitchen has been designed with a unique two-tier setup, which makes preparation and cooking quite easy to do at the same time without too much fiddling around. It all slides in or out as needed. The external lights are all the white/orange bug lights.

The external kitchen makes food prep and cooking easyA light and airy interior with extra seating at the base of the bed

The innerspring queen-sized bed mainly takes up the front area of the hybrid. It’s very close to the kitchen bench and sideways-facing lounge, but great design touch is a fold-up seat built into the base of the bed. It makes a surprising difference to the usable interior space and adds flexibility to the layout.

Everything else in the hybrid is compact in nature, so it’s no surprise that the full-width bathroom is too, but it has all the expected features — having a pop-top is an asset. Although there’s less overhead storage than a full van, it significantly adds to the space perception.

Value for money

Snowy River’s SRH-16 is packed with features. Everything in the hybrid is frequently found in much larger vans, so it’s very well-appointed. It’s just been downsized a bit. The hybrid is priced at $63,990, which includes the high-capacity electrical system, offroad suspension setup and electrically operated pop-top roof and awning. Both the kitchens, particularly the external one, are very well equipped and features like the bed seat are a bonus. Having a full-width bathroom in a setup like this is also a winner. The extensive comfort features list includes air-conditioner, diesel heater, ceiling fans and leather upholstery. What’s not to like from a value-for-money point of view? It’s excellent for a couple on a budget.

The full-width ensuite might be compact but it has all the expected features

JOHN FORD — CARAVAN WORLD EDITOR

Ease of use

In the new SRH-16, Snowy River brought together a lot of features to make the camping lifestyle more enjoyable. Its first dip into the hybrid market delivered a model more like a van than many of its hybrid competitors.

By incorporating an electric lift pop-top, Snowy River has removed one of the obstacles to purchasing a lifting roof van. The process is quick and straightforward, and there’s a mechanical override available in case of any issues. Once inside, the 2.1m (6ft 9in) ceiling height accommodates most campers, fostering a spacious atmosphere and allowing room to move.

The bed is a full-width north–south arrangement, and while access is from the end, I had no trouble climbing aboard. Some fitted sheets and a doona should simplify making the bed.

Folding out part of the bed to create a lounge adds to internal seating; however, care is needed on the side lounge as the overhead cupboard is somewhat low.

The external kitchen has excellent ergonomics, allowing two chefs to strut their stuff simultaneously.

Snowy River has fit a lot into this compact hybridFolding out part of the bed creates extra internal seating

Innovation

Snowy River designed the SRH-16 from the ground up by merging popular camper trailer concepts with its experience in caravans. The result is a hybrid that dares to be different. For example, the full-width ensuite is unusual in this sector, and many buyers will like it.

Snowy River developed and tested the new SR-Xplore suspension here in Australia. It looks to have received inspiration from those camper trailers that use coil springs and a lateral link with two control arms at each wheel. Twin Pedders shock absorbers dampen the ride. Although we didn’t challenge it much on our tow test, the ride was smooth and there seems to be ample wheel travel.

One criticism of pop-tops is the lack of insulation in the vinyl that makes up the high sections of the walls. The design team solved this by using a double skin of vinyl. The outdoor kitchen is a very workable design, and Snowy River has backed it up with a compact one inside for an early morning cuppa or wet weather.

For a 16ft van, there is a liberal amount of storage and a worthwhile mix of features like the big 150L internal fridge, dust reduction and Renogy electronics with Bluetooth technology that owners should appreciate.

There are great features onboard, including Renogy electronics

Customer care

Snowy River has arguably the most comprehensive warranty credentials of any builder in the Australian market. It is one of only a few caravan sellers that properly acknowledge the statutory wording of Australian Consumer Law (ACL). The warranty covers use on unsealed roads and does not cover water crossings above floor levels or tracks designated for 4WDs only.

The structural components of the chassis, walls, roof and floor are covered for five years. However, the appliances have a warranty according to those suppliers. Owners must service the hybrid at three months, then annually. Importantly, the warranty can transfer to a new owner.

It's compact, durable and built for offroad adventures

X-Factor

Snowy River throws down the gauntlet with its SR-Xplore suspension. It’s different and looks military-spec capable under the van. In travel mode, the SRH-16 sits at a low 2.7m, so with the high checkerplate, big front storage box, chunky mud terrain tyres and twin spares on the innovative rear toolbox, it looks the goods. The compact size is practical for getting down overgrown tracks and into difficult camping spots, but there’s all the comfort you want with the big north–south bed and a roomy interior. All up, it’s a great contender for newcomers who want a capable offroad hybrid fit for Aussie adventures.

SNOWY RIVER SRH-16 SPECS

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

Snowy River SRH-16 price from $63,990

OPTIONS FITTED

• Lippert sway control
• 96L myCOOLMAN ‘The Ultimate’ dual zone fridge/freezer

Snowy River SRH-16 price as shown $64,740

MORE INFORMATION

Snowy River Caravans

20–50 Fillo Drive
Somerton Vic 3062
P: 03 9303 6100

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