Spinifex Epix Premier 21ft 6in reviewed at Caravan of the Year 2025 presented by MSA 4X4 Accessories

After taking home the big gong in 2023, Spinifex Caravans returned this year with another showstopper — the all-electric Epix Premier 21ft 6in — claiming the Best Overall title in the most hotly contested competition we’ve seen in some years.

Overall Winner — Caravan of the Year 2025

Spinifex has done it again. After winning Caravan of the Year in 2023, owners Steve and Elise Thompson brought their new Epix Premier 21ft 6in all-electric van down from Queensland for this year’s Caravan of the Year (COTY) and impressed the judges with its quality build, functionality and stunning interior to win the title of Caravan of the Year yet again.

MALCOLM STREET — CARAVAN WORLD FIELD EDITOR

Build quality

Spinifex is a boutique caravan manufacturer with a well-established reputation for building fine products. That was certainly the case with the Epix Premier 21ft 6in van, Spinfex’s COTY 2025 contender. Like a few other entrants, it was built for company owner Steve Thompson and his wife Elise. Apart from anything else, it included a few features that would help Steve indulge in his passion for fishing during the couple’s travels.

Starting on the inside, the fit and finish is very much what we have come to expect from Spinifex. All the cabinetry is constructed using pine timber for the framework and lightweight ply timber for all the fascia work. Marine standard catches are used on all the drawers and hidden catches on the overhead lockers. All of which operate smoothly as required. The internal colour scheme was pleasing to the eye and looked like it had a bit of female influence — not something every caravan manufacturer can claim. A couple of features were a bit special (read expensive) on this van. One was the very soft Scottish leather (Elise’s choice) used for the upholstery, and the other two were related to the taps. They had a gunmetal finish and were sensor operated — convenient and no water wastage.

The Epix Premier was built for remote off-grid travel

Spinifex uses an interlocking aluminium C-section frame for the bodywork. The fibreglass composite walls and roof are all one-piece items and full insulation is used throughout, including the 20mm composite floor. Aluminium propeller plate finished in Aztec Silver is a very decorative and practical touch. Underneath the van body, the BlueScope steel chassis has triple longitudinal RHS beams with a 100mm x 50mm (4in x 2in) upper beam and two 75mm x 50mm (3in x 2in) lower beams. The height of the rails means a flat floor van inside. The chassis area is a good clue as to what the rest of the van looks like, and everything was neat, tidy and well protected.

Suitability for intended touring

Being built for the company owner means the van has been set up in a few purposeful ways, but overall, in its basic form, it’s a van built for offroad travel to remote parts of Australia, in particular, some great fishing spots. Inside the layout is the very familiar front bed/rear bathroom arrangement and having an external body length of 6.68m (21ft 9in) means plenty of room to move around. The kitchen has a very clean look with plenty of vegetable cutting space, as well as room for the induction hob. There’s no shortage of drawers, and the overhead lockers are quite deep in the air space above, offering a very generous storage.

Included in the van’s optioned-on fittings is an external kitchen with a Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven that can be used as a barbecue, smoker, griller or air fryer. It keeps all those cooking smells outside. In addition, there’s a chest fridge/freezer on a slide-out in an adjacent bin, thus minimising trips in and out of the van at cooking time.

A useful feature built into the offside wall is a shallow compartment designed to hold hoses, power leads, a cordless drill and wheel ramps. External storage includes everything from the storage box and jerry can holders on the drawbar to the rear bumper with a wood storage box. That really captures the outdoor lifestyle nature of this van — with a few home comforts, of course.

External storage cupboard on the offside

Towability

For towing this van, we used a Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD. Rated for a 4500kg towing capacity, it made for a very easy cruising style of driving. I really like the power and torque of the 6.6L turbo diesel, which handled the van effortlessly. The van is fitted with Cruisemaster 4500kg ATX suspension with Firestone Airide airbags and Cruisemaster’s new Body Control System (BCS).

Towed with a Silverado Chev 2500HDCruisemaster 4500kg ATX suspension

JOHN FORD — CARAVAN WORLD EDITOR

Self-sufficiency

The van prioritises getting into remote locations and comes well-equipped for extended time off the grid. The generous 1120kg payload allows for filling the five 80L water tanks — an extra 400kg — without overloading, and that can be an issue in some vans when packed with all the gear we take on extended journeys. All tanks are individually plumbed, so you won’t lose all your water if there’s a leak. There’s also an 80L grey water tank that opens up more camping options.

An Innovation RV composting toilet has individual collection bags so that it will run almost indefinitely.

Spinifex has been a leader in applying solar technology to caravanning, and this latest system lets owners camp off the grid and use all their appliances for as long as they want. Up top are five 78V/415W solar panels charging the four 51V 100Ah lithium ZRPG 100 per cent discharge batteries with the equivalent of 1600Ah at 12V. An 8000W Victron inverter means you can run the air-conditioner and your 240V electrical appliances at the same time.

Five 415W solar panelsVictron electrics

The 32L external fridge/freezer and the 274L unit in the kitchen area take care of refrigeration. A diesel heater is on hand for cold nights, and there’s an onboard petrol generator for backup power and charging when off-grid.

Liveability

We have mentioned that Spinifex owners Elise and Steve built this van for themselves. With their extensive caravanning experience, they know what works for long trips away from home and how to make life on the road as pleasant as possible. Elise, in particular, brought the finishing touches of colour and surface choices to the build, resulting in an utterly gobsmacking and inviting interior that impressed the judges. Although most buyers will forego options like the Scottish leather lounge, padded leather features and brushed copper sinks, these choices added to the top shelf impression.

Gobsmacking interior

The size, layout and seamless indoor–outdoor living areas created an almost perfect luxury retreat for couples. Outside, there are ample and versatile storage options for all the gear you might need, and we appreciated the external kitchen’s ergonomic design and quick setup, along with the electric combination smoker and grill.

External slide-out kitchen with Ninja grill/air fryer

The interior has the classic couples layout of a rear door with electric steps leading to the ensuite on the right. The living space is well-lit and airy, boasting a luxury club lounge and a movable table, while the bed at the front offers the privacy that most owners like to see.

The neat design of the kitchen bench offers impressive preparation space, and two convenient rubbish bins add a nice touch. The touch-sensor kitchen tap was a fantastic feature for washing dirty hands without leaving marks on the tap.

The ensuite is roomy and airy, with a full-length mirror, elegant vanity and a large shower. The wall-mount washing machine is necessary when fishing is a priority, and the laundry chute will keep things tidy.

Innovation RV composting toilet in the beautifully designed ensuite

Cruisemaster’s self-levelling airbag system and electric jockey wheel make setting up the van for camping quick and trouble-free — no more setting ramps and backing up to ensure a good night’s sleep.

Power and 12V points are plentiful, including at the large comfortable bed with phone pouches for changing.

Value for money

When we talk about value, it can be difficult to be objective with such a high-end van. We have to consider price and compare it to what else is in the market with these levels of offroad competence, self-sufficiency, and amenity.

The stock price without the leather, taps and custom chopping board is $235k, so it’s not for your average first van buyer. Is it a good value? Well, it’s probably one of the best-looking and best-finished vans anywhere, so what price is that sort of exclusivity? Against its peers, it is excellent value, especially considering the high-end power system.

The Scottish leather club lounge adds the lux factor

ALLISON WATT — CARAVAN WORLD DEPUTY EDITOR

Ease of use

Steve and Elise did a couple of big trips in their last van — the Electrex Premier which won COTY in 2023 — and made some changes when designing and building the Epix Premier. Among the most noticeable is its size at 21ft 6in compared to the previous 19ft 6in.

The Epix has enough solar and battery power to allow them to camp off-grid indefinitely and when they pull up to camp all levelling is done at the push of a button thanks to the airbag suspension setup.

Most of their cooking will be done outside on the slide-out kitchen using the Ninja oven and the portable induction hotplates. The external kitchen has a drawer, a massive wooden chopping board and a place for a knife block. Inside there’s the option of a convection microwave should they need it.

Pantry inside the rear entry door

There’s nothing Steve and Elise haven’t thought of to suit their camping lifestyle including an external shower, external 32L Engel fridge/freezer, Starlink Mini connected permanently to the roof, dimmable white and yellow lights, Webasto hydronic hot water, diesel heating and air-conditioning.

Innovation

Innovation doesn’t have to mean complicated and some of the innovations built into the Epix are quite simple.

For example, padded vinyl covers around the awning arms not only protects the arms from stone chips and the like while travelling, but — when extended — will protect your head every time you bump into it. Haven’t we all done that hundreds of times?

There is an external hatch from which to empty the composting toilet, which is a nice touch and means no more walking the separate waste containers through the van to empty them.

In the kitchen, the rangehood is hidden and the main tap has an infrared sensor so that you never have to touch it with sticky hands. Marine catches are featured on all the internal overhead cupboards and, as with their previous van, Steve and Elise eliminated overhead cupboards over the bed to add to the feeling of spaciousness.

A hidden rangehood above the motion sensor tap

Outside there is an Oz Glide airbag hitch designed for US trucks coupled with a Cruisemaster DO45 hitch, and the separate fittings for each water tank was a nice touch.

And the rear bar is part of the chassis, not bolted on. One of Steve’s inclusions here was a special compartment for his fishing rod collection.

Airbag hitchClever storage on the rear of the van

Customer care

Spinifex offers a three-year manufacturers warranty and there’s five years on the Victron electronics.

Spinifex general manager Scott Knipe is the first point of contact in the event that something goes wrong will point customers in the direction of a repairer Australia wide. Spinifex offers a 24/7 support subscription service for the electrical system which is provided by IRV and costs $365 a year.

Many Spinifex customers are repeat buyers and for newcomers there is a comprehensive full-day handover and the opportunity to do an overnight shakedown at a farm stay just down the road from the Queensland factory, should they have any questions or issues while becoming familiar with their new vans.

Spinifex returned to COTY with another fantastic van that wowed the judges and took home the Best Overall award

X-Factor

Elise really knows how to decorate the interior of a caravan and the Epix is just stunning inside. It’s classy, tasteful and really beautiful — I could sit in it all day.

From the previously mentioned Scottish highland calf pale grey leather club lounge, a combination of pale grey and oak cabinetry, white walls and ceiling, concrete-look floor coverings and the acrylic subway tile splashbacks and black sinks and tapware in the kitchen and bathroom, the Epix Premier 21ft 6in oozes style — more akin to a designer home than a caravan.

Combined with its quality build, self-sufficiency and the little innovations which will make life on the road easier for Steve and Elise, this Epix Premier 21ft 6in is a worthy winner of Caravan of the Year 2025. Congratulations to them both.

SPINIFEX EPIX PREMIER 21FT 6IN SPECS

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

Spinifex Epix Premier 21ft 6in price from $235,000

OPTIONS FITTED

• Suspension upgraded to include Cruisemaster ATX Unleashed M60 shock absorber kit
• Double rear bar
• Starlink Mini roof mounted
• Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven
• Portable 32L Engel fridge/freezer on slide-out tray
• Fusion XS 6.5in 200W Sports Marine Speakers, internal and external
• Mirror shower door
• Oval matte black basins, matte black mixer tapware and sensor tap with gunmetal finish in kitchen
• Subway tile acrylic splashback
• Scottish leather upholstery upgrade

Spinifex Epix Premier 21ft 6in price as shown $247,950

MORE INFORMATION

Spinifex Caravans

21 Imboon Street

Deception Bay Qld 4508

P: 07 3888 2221

E: sales@spinifexcaravans.com.au

THE NEXT STEP

If you want to learn the latest caravan news, find the most innovative new caravans and camping gear or get inspired to plan your next road trip adventure to some of Australia’s best getaway destinations, subscribe to our weekly newsletter. We promise to send you only the best content.

Related articles:

Caravan of the Year 2025: The grit and the glamour

Spinifex Caravans: Custom caravans built for every kind of adventure

Spinifex Electrex Premier reviewed at Caravan of the Year 2023: Overall Winner of COTY 2023

Caravan review: Spinifex EpiX Premier offroad couples van