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MCD WHEEL ESTATE SOUTHERN STAR

Southern Star caravans

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MCD WHEEL ESTATE SOUTHERN STAR

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If the caravan lifestyle is all about embracing the natural environment, Southern Star’s 670 is the perfect ally. Offering million-dollar views from its large windows, you don’t so much enjoy the landscape as become part of it. Lawrence Schäffler reports. Words and photographs by Lawrence Schäffler

Southern Star Caravan Range

After only 18 months the High Spec Southern Star caravan range is already one of NZ’s best selling brands! Come and check them out today at RnRV Ltd to secure yours for this summer!

A range of 2 berths available, including our brand new7m TALVOR.

A range of 4 & 6 berths available... New or secondhand...

Southern StarThe - New High Spec Caravans built in NZ by the team at Leisure Line. Full range of sizes available with our 610 now on site.

sider RV & n o c l il w e “Our goal is ultimate customer satisfaction”W

Call us on our toll free number 0800 767 808

The Southern Start Caravan range embraces our Kiwi lifestyle by having a large ‘U’ shaped lounge surrounded by windows that open fully to almost 90o, giving you amazing ventilation (even when you have a full awning connected!) These great windows also include full y screens & blinds. The 610 model & up include queen sized island beds (you can stand up around), self containment spec is standard, they have sensational insulation & very high ‘dent’ resistance, shower/toilet, full kitchen etc etc! They come in a range of sizes with standard & custom layouts available. You can also choose your soft furnishing colours if that’s your preference. They are quality built to last 40+ years, ensuring excellent resale value, unlike many RVs on the market! To top this off, they are built with pride in Hamilton, by craftsman with over 250 years of combined experience of building caravans for Kiwis & come with a 5 year warranty.

A range of 2, 4 & 6 berths available; both New & Used...

Kea 05 - Come and check out our great stock at our yard, or online - today! 2 Berths available from $47,990 with this one priced at $55,990 so now

er RV & We will consider trades VX LandCruis

“Our goal is ultimate customer satisfaction” Call us, or drop in to see our great RVs for yourself today. We’re open 7 Days. website: www.rnrv.co.nz

caravans

ph: 0800 767 808

email: paul@rnrv.co.nz

66 Small Road, Silverdale, Auckland.

Paul Cook Director

Motorhomes Caravans & Destinations

MHZ-FP-5190270-TS-080-X

Trail-Lite Motorhome Landmark Coromandel 730 - A magnicent RV with many awesome features making it a genuine Bach on Wheels! Priced at $190,092

MCD WHEEL ESTATE SOUTHERN STAR

MCD WHEEL ESTATE SOUTHERN STAR SPECIFICATIONS SOUTHERN STAR 670 OVERALL LENGTH

7880mm

EXTERNAL LENGTH

6700mm

EXTERNAL WIDTH

2350mm

HEADROOM

1960mm

ATM

2200kg

TARE WEIGHT

1900kg

FRESH WATER TANK

83 litres

GREY WATER TANK

90 litres

PRICE

$71,990

pine framing). And the manufacturers haven’t skimped on insulation – there’s plenty in the ceiling, walls and under the floor – just take a peek around the chassis. Even so, if you are into freedom camping in the cooler months, you’d probably want to ﬁt a gas heater – and the good news is the 670 is prewired for controlling for it – plug and play. The 670 carries its style outside – check out the cool alloy mag wheels. I also liked the rear nudge bar, pre-ﬁtted with a flange for a tow ball and bike carrier. A simple feature, but it makes a huge difference.

TOWING Perhaps the only niggle with the 670 is its weight. With a TARE of 1900kg, it’s not the lightest caravan on the market. And as Cook points out, once it has been loaded with all your kit, you don’t want to compromise your caravanning experience by hooking it up to an underpowered vehicle. Ideally, you’d marry it to a three-tonne rated towing vehicle. Cook’s horse of choice is Toyota’s 4.2-litre Land Cruiser. It certainly performs well, and as an added bonus the four-wheel drive facility allows you to take on more off-the-beatentrack adventures. All up, the 670’s a top-quality piece of manufacturing designed for comfort, low maintenance and easy living. It comes with a ﬁve-year structural warranty (excluding appliances). The toughest challenge for a prospective owner? Selecting the perfect parking spot and learning to manoeuvre the caravan into position to take advantage of those windows’ breathtaking views. 

For more information contact Paul Cook at RnRV Ltd, ph 0800 767 808, email paul@rnrv.co.nz or visit www.rnrv.co.nz.

There is a handy locker at the front of the caravan, just above the draw bar

Motorhomes Caravans & Destinations

For motorhomes and caravans for sale go to www.motorhomesandcaravans.co.nz and browse the models for sale.

Motorhomes Caravans & Destinations

MCD WHEEL ESTATE SOUTHERN STAR

aunched early last year by the Hamilton-based manufacturer, Southern Star’s 670 has become one of the country’s top-selling caravans despite its relatively short production history. And it’s not difficult to see why. Airy, spacious and packed with clever design features, it obviously ticks the boxes for even the most fastidious adventurers. Inside you’ll find a sophisticated, attractive range of fittings and equipment – among them a 175-litre three-way fridge/freezer, an oven/grill with a four-burner gas hob, a generously proportioned shower/toilet cubicle and a large island bed. But what really gets my juices flowing are the windows, which create a remarkable “lightness of being”. There are nine (plus two hatches in the roof) – all double-glazed acrylic and able to open 90o – and they are very, very large. They’re also installed at the ideal height, in effect creating an uninterrupted wrap-around view of the surrounding landscape. Those in the bedroom are particularly well positioned, providing an infinity view as you sip your

dawn latte. Quite magical. I know what you’re thinking – open windows equates to squadrons of mosquitoes and sandflies, right? Each of the windows is also ﬁtted with insect screens – as well as blinds if you’d prefer your lattesipping to be a little more discreet. And even though they’re large windows, the double glazing provides excellent insulation, so you’ll stay toasty during winter touring.

CHOICES The 670 is available in three basic layouts, with plenty of choices around things like the furnishing fabric, the kinds of brakes ﬁtted (electric or hydraulic), and the timber used for the cabinets (swap the plywood for solid American Oak). Our review model, provided by Rest n Recreational Vehicles (RnRV) Ltd in Silverdale, was the standard, most popular version, says the company’s director Paul Cook. It has the main queen-sized bed in a north-south conﬁguration, the bathroom in the centre, and a large U-shaped lounge with

table upfront (the bench seats conceal a pull-out double bed). Variations see a separate toilet and shower (moved aft as a kind of en suite) and the main bed in an east-west configuration. Such options may be more suited to a couple rather than a family, though I like the standard layout. Other options are more pragmatically flavoured. The standard power supply for the LED/flourescent lights is a 100AH deep-cycle battery. If you really watch a lot of TV or favour remote spots where there is no 240-volt AC supply, you can upgrade to a larger size. Battery charging options also require a decision from buyers. Many select the 140-watt solar panel mounted on the roof. Alternatively, the 670 is pre-wired to allow its battery to be charged by the tow vehicle’s alternator (via the electric coupling). It’s not automatically configured, so if you want to use this feature you’ll need a dual-sensing voltage regulator fitted to the car. But it’s a real bonus if you want to keep the fridge running while you drive.

There are nine large windows and two hatches in the roof to provide plenty of light

One of the largest storage spaces is under the main bed

The generously proportioned bathroom • Large windows • Double glazing for excellent insulation • Plenty of headroom • Great working space around the kitchenette • It’s not the lightest caravan in the market

These are just a sample of the options you’ll have to consider before signing on the dotted line. “Every buyer has different priorities,” says Cook, “and we strive to mould each caravan around individual preferences.”

INTERIOR

The main queen-sized bed is in a north-south configuration, with the U-shaped lounge with table towards the front of the van

Motorhomes Caravans & Destinations

Inside you’re presented with crisp, smooth surfaces free of awkward nooks and crevices, designed for easy cleaning and low maintenance. There’s plenty of headroom (1.96m) throughout, and excellent working space around the kitchenette, perfect for the chef’s haute cuisine creations. Immediately behind the hob and stainless steel sink is a 175-litre Dometic fridge/freezer (separate doors) and a microwave oven. Easy-clean surfaces continue in the bathroom. It’s generously proportioned and

contains a 20-litre cassette toilet, shower and hand basin. The 670 carries 90 litres of fresh water, and an 83-litre grey water tank (both are equipped with gauges). A neutral (dark blue) hardwearing carpet complements the timber cabinets and should keep vacuuming duties to a minimum. You’ll ﬁnd a 19” flat-screen TV mounted on a bulkhead at the foot of the main bed. It’s connected to a DVD player and to the satellite dish on the roof. Don’t forget to retract the dish before moving on – it’s a quick task, tackled from within the caravan. You’ll accommodate a couple of guests comfortably in the lounge up front, and again, the windows are at the perfect height for enjoying the views. Mounted just above the seating area is an AM/FM radio and CD player. Like all Southern Star caravans, the 670

offers masses of storage incorporating overhead lockers, wardrobes, drawers and bedside cabinets. One of the largest spaces is under the main bed. The bed tilts up on gas struts, leaving your hands-free for stowing. Another great facility is the locker in the front of the caravan, just above the draw bar. Unzip the flap in the stone guard and you’ll ﬁnd a vast space the full width of the caravan, perfect for all your camping accessories. The locker also houses two 4.5kg gas bottles – to my mind much easier to handle than their 9kg cousins.

INSULATION Southern Star caravans are renowned for their superior dent resistance (courtesy of a three-layer skin – two layers of aluminium sandwiching a thermal plastic liner and solid

Motorhomes Caravans & Destinations