15 Jan, 2015

Best Aussie Vans Winner 2014 Avida Topaz CV6634D Test Review

by Philip Lord

Avida is one of the newest names in the caravan industry yet, ironically, it is also one of the biggest and longest-serving RV manufacturers. With almost 50 years’ experience building motorhomes in its sprawling western Sydney factory, Avida added caravans to its manufacturing base just 18 months ago.

Layout & Design

The Topaz CV6634D layout is a fairly conventional one; it is (at first glance) a two-berth van, with the island bed up the front, a café-style dinette and opposing kitchen in the middle, and a separate bathroom at the back.

What is a breath of fresh air here is the immaculate presentation of this van. There is not a dab of silicone to be seen, not even a string of cloth or a stitch out of place.

There is plenty of natural light coming in through the large Dometic hopper windows and the roof hatch; add to this the white walls and ceilings and the Avida’s cabin feels very light and airy.

Kitchen & Storage

The kitchen doesn’t offer a great deal of space for food preparation; there is only a small area to the left of the cooker unfettered by any other purpose. But add to this the swing-down glass top of the cooker and the space more than doubles. To the right of the cooker is a stainless steel sink and drainer.

Storage in and around the kitchen is excellent. There are three lockers above, four drawers below and a cupboard. Another excellent feature is the three-tier slide-out pantry, which is over on the far/bathroom side of the 190L three-way fridge/freezer. Above the fridge is the LG microwave, and the cooker has a stainless steel rangehood with lighting mounted above it.

To the left/front of kitchen’s overhead lockers is the Axis TV/DVD player mount and 12V power. The TV aerial is a wind-up AntennaTek item.

Besdroom & Bathroom

The bedroom up front features an island bed with an extension, which, if dropped down, makes access around the bed tight. Storage is available underneath the bed, via a lift-up gas strut-assisted base. Side wardrobes offer hanging space, with lockers above the bed adding further storage.

The bathroom is a generous space, with a cassette toilet on the offside, the moulded shower recess on the nearside and the bathroom vanity unit in the centre. Adjacent to the toilet, under the bench, is a Camec 2.5kg washing machine.

THE BOTTOM LINE

This van is built with extreme attention to detail with an eye to long-term durability. While this particular layout may not be perfect, there is not much to criticise in this extremely well-provisioned and beautifully-built caravan.