The Spinifex Nomadix Premier (Image Matt Williams)
Australians love offroad caravans for their ability to explore remote areas and rugged outback terrains. For the past 18 years Spinifex Caravans has been at the forefront of crafting caravans that combine engineering excellence, offroad capability and a true spirit of adventure.
In 2007, Steve Thompson founded Spinifex Caravans with a clear vision: to create true custom offroad caravans. Now almost two decades later, the Queensland-based manufacturer has established itself as a trusted household name in the Australian caravanning industry, renowned for its craftsmanship, innovation and commitment to building high-quality, custom caravans designed to withstand the toughest Aussie conditions.
The vision behind Spinifex Caravans
Having worked in the caravan manufacturing industry since he was 15, Steve’s inspiration for starting Spinifex Caravans stemmed from a gap he saw in the market. While many caravan manufacturers offered vans with options for finishes and colour schemes, there was a lack of manufacturers who could create true custom offroad caravans from the ground up.
With that goal in mind, Spinifex Caravans was born, and its philosophy of offering customisable, offroad-ready caravans has been the foundation of the brand ever since.
Building the Spinifex legacy: in-house craftsmanship
Spinifex Caravans takes pride in designing and building its caravans almost entirely in-house. Operating from two facilities in Queensland — an advanced fabrication shop in Caboolture and the headquarters in Deception Bay — the company ensures every caravan meets the highest standards of quality and durability.
The fabrication shop is where the team builds all its own Australian steel chassis and undertakes aluminium frame fabrication work; once complete the steel fabrication is sent out for its hot dip galvanising for lifelong rust protection. Then over at the headquarters is where the finishing touches take place, including the upholstery, cabinetry, electrical systems, plumbing and the construction process.
Cutting and welding on the factory floor in Caboolture, Qld (Images Matt Williams)
Offering customised layouts, the team of expert designers uses computer-aided design (CAD) programs to ensure the layout is designed for optimum liveability and weight distribution, taking into account factors such as payload, water capacity and suspension dynamics. Editor John Ford was fortunate enough to tour the Spinifex facilities when picking up a Spinifex EpiX Premier to review recently, so keep your eye out for that in the coming weeks (or check out issue 655 of the magazine) his take on the building process and how it resulted in one of the most balanced caravans he’s ever towed.
Spinifex’s in-house manufacturing process allows the brand to retain control over the quality of every caravan, ensuring it meets the rigorous requirements of Australian offroad travel.
Always keen to adopt the latest technology, Spinifex has been at the forefront of the move to self-sufficiency and was among the first manufacturers in Australia to provide fully-electric caravans.
With a skilled team of 20 employees, Spinifex produces four caravans a month, a pace that allows the company to maintain its commitment to quality and attention to detail.
Producing four units a month allows Spinifex to control the quality of its caravans (Image Matt Williams)
Rigorous testing and quality control
Before any new model is introduced into the Spinifex range, managing director and founder Steve Thompson builds the first one for himself and tests it on some of Australia’s most challenging roads and offroad tracks. This hands-on approach to testing allows Spinifex to refine each design and ensure that it meets the high standards that Spinifex customers expect.
“I personally take the first unit of any new model on a test run. I want to know exactly how it performs in real-world conditions, not just on a smooth highway,” Steve explained. “We push them to their limits because that’s what our customers are doing when they’re out exploring. If the van doesn’t perform, we know it’s not ready for market.”
This rigorous testing process is a key part of Spinifex’s ongoing commitment to producing durable and reliable caravans that can stand the test of time and handle Australia's harsh conditions.
A caravan for every type of traveller
Spinifex Caravans offers a variety of models designed to suit different types and styles of caravanning adventures. From the full custom-designed offroad capability that inspired the brand through to caravans that balance comfort and convenience ideal for caravan parks, there’s something for everyone.
The manufacturer has four base models that customers can choose from, with unlimited floorplan layouts and a whole range of capabilities and optional features to ensure the end result is completely customised to the owner’s style and travel requirements. The four base models are the Electrex, EpiX, Nomadix and Xscape.
The fully electric Electrex Premier
The Nomadix, Electrex and EpiX are available in ‘Premier’ variants that offer slightly different inclusions designed for premium comfort — think pillowtop leather upholstery and diesel heaters as standard inclusions.
All the models include the high quality and attention to detail that Spinifex is known for, with slight differences in their inclusions and intended use. And we’re not talking about customising off a list of optional inclusions either. Spinifex goes above and beyond to make sure owners get the van they’ve always dreamed of, including things such as custom-blown glass bowls, customised suspension or a specialised spot to store your fishing rods.
Dual spares on a Nomadix Premier
To ensure every Spinifex van is unique, owners can participate throughout the entire design process, working with the expert specialists to ensure the end result is their dream van.
And if complete customisation seems daunting, Spinifex has compiled some of the most popular floorplans its created to get you on the right track.
Electrex and EpiX: Leading the all-electric charge
Spinifex’s most popular models are the Electrex and EpiX caravans, both of which are all-electric. These models are designed for those who want to head off-grid with all the technology and power they need for an extended trip, and with sizes ranging from 19ft 6in to 26ft and fully customisable layouts for couples and families, they suit every style of traveller.
The Electrex and EpiX offer impressive battery systems and up to 2500 watts of solar panels. Both models come with a large 480L water capacity, allowing owners to enjoy plenty of time at their remote campsites before they have to venture out for supplies. But there are some visual, design and standard inclusions that make each model stand out from its sibling.
The plush interior of Steve’s Electrex Premier
Standard inclusions for the Electrex include a 14kW battery, 5000W inverter, 1600W solar power, Cruisemaster XT independent suspension, Cruisemaster DO45 coupling, and chemical Thetford toilet.
The EpiX is the more spec’d up of the electric offerings, with a 20kW lithium battery system, 8000W inverter, Victron for the battery management system with remote accessibility for troubleshooting if required, GPS tracking via the Victron system, 2000W of solar, Cruisemaster ATX suspension with body control system, a OZ Glide airbag system coupled with the Cruisemaster DO45 coupling, composting toilet, slide-out fridge, extra store behind the fridge.
The Spinifiex EpiX (Image John Ford)
But as mentioned, all Spinifex vans can be customised to meet every customer's requirements and allow them to put their own unique mark on Spinifex's modern design.
We’re no strangers to the Spinifex models here at Caravan World, having gotten the opportunity to test out a variant of each kind over the years (although being custom builds, every single Spinifex van on the road is going to be slightly different).
Most notably the Spinifex Electrex took home the overall win at Caravan of the Year 2023 presented by MSA 4X4 Accessories, recognised for its outstanding design, self-sufficiency and overall wow-factor; and to put the cherry on top, it won the ‘Best build quality’, ‘Value for money’ categories and tied equal first for ‘X-factor’ as well. “It’s an extreme offroad, all terrain caravan designed to go off-grid and stay there almost indefinitely,” the judges commented. Since then, Spinifex has enhanced its models even further, and as you will see in John Ford’s review of the EpiX Premier, Spinifex has taken its contemporary design to a whole new level since 2023.
Xscape and Nomadix: The best of both worlds
For those who prefer a caravan that can venture offroad but also won’t look too out of place in a caravan park, Spinifex’s Xscape and Nomadix models have you covered. These caravans are built for versatility, providing a balance of offroad capability and the comfort of modern living.
The Nomadix Premier is ready for offroad adventures (Image Matt Williams)
The Nomadix looks visually similar to the Electrex and EpiX models; it’s a full-size offroad van with sizes ranging from 18ft 6in to 26ft. But the key difference is this isn’t an electric-only van, so it comes with gas appliances and the body vents those require. Like the Electrex and EpiX, the Nomadix comes in a ‘Premier’ variant, which comes with some premium inclusions including upgraded suspension and brakes.
The Xscape is Spinifex’s lightweight offering. It’s still full-size, with sizes ranging from 19ft 6in to 20ft 6in. This van is suited to country road travel — as in some dirt and gravel roads, but not the full-offroad spec that the other models are built for — and it has five layouts that owners can choose from during the design process. This range was designed to be suitable for a wider range of tow vehicles which it achieves by having an ATM of up to 3500kg compared to the max 4500kg that the other models have. But being more lightweight doesn’t mean the Xscape compromises on strength and reliability; it’s still a Spinifex after all.
Spinifex’s lightweight Xscape (Image Matt Williams)
The business today and looking ahead
Spinifex Caravans remains a relatively small, hands-on boutique company with a dedicated team that focuses on quality over quantity. And the fact that Spinifex owners keep coming back when it’s time for an upgrade speaks volumes on their experience with these Aussie vans.
As the demand for offroad and all-electric caravans continues to grow, Spinifex has positioned itself to meet the needs of Australia’s changing caravan market and has an excellent customer service team. Steve and the entire Spinifex team are constantly looking for ways to improve their designs, enhance their offroad capabilities and incorporate new technology to better serve their customers.
To find out more about Spinifex Caravans’ models, check out our reviews or head to the Spinifex website.
21 Imboon Street
Deception Bay Qld 4508
P: 07 3888 2221
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