The product of more than 12 months’ R&D

Cruisemaster independent suspension

Designed for genuine offroad touring

In brief...

A complete overhaul has brought Roadstar’s signature Safari Tamer

offroad van out of the past and into the spotlight.

Pics STUART GRANT

$80K-plus: Roadstar Safari Tamermud wrestling

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2013Winner

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At first glance, the offroad Roadstar Safari Tamer shares many attributes with its contemporaries. But, on closer inspection, it becomes obvious there are differences

in many areas. Roadstar director Ken Nizam has worked to not only improve the design elements, such as reducing the van’s weight while retaining the necessary build strength to tackle the toughest roads, but also to enhance the general fit and finish and incorporate the latest technology.

It’s not very often I’d start a review with something relatively inconsequential such as overhead lockers, but the Safari Tamer’s are important because they reflect the way this van is built – all very neat, well-aligned, and they open and close properly. That goes for the drawers, too. They’re all on runners and have a soft-close feature with handles that are easy to use. The lockers, like the rest of the furniture, are made from double laminate plywood.

Much of this was achieved following Roadstar’s heavy investment in computer-aided drafting (CAD) and computer numerical control (CNC) machinery. All that technology creates very tight tolerances on the finished product, as long as the machines are set-up correctly.

I liked... Internal fit and finish (precision furniture)

Efforts to improve how the van is sealed

External light fittings

Internal storage

Kitchen layout

I would have liked... An internal 12V/USB charger socket

Greater load capacity – the 400kg on offer is standard but I reckon a bit more

is called for, all things considered

Measuring up

Words MALCoLM sTrEET

entire mid-section of the offside wall. Butted up against the bathroom wall is a 240L Vitrifrigo compressor fridge – great for touring in the tropics – with overhead locker. Adjoining that is a four-burner cooktop/grill/oven with flush lid that keeps it out of sight when it’s not needed and also creates some extra bench space. There is also a stainless steel sink with drainer and a ‘dLuxx’ microwave with mirrored door in the overhead lockers.

Under the bench, Roadstar has maxxed out on the storage capacity with five drawers, two cupboards (one with a slide-out wire basket pantry) and an assortment of floor lockers. You definitely won’t struggle to fit anything in this van.

Built to seat two people in comfort, the Safari Tamer’s dinette is well fitted-out with leather upholstered seats, a tri-fold table, hinged foot rests and LED reading lights. A rack of overhead lockers sits above and a 240V powerpoint is fitted above the table. I’m being picky here but, given this is an offroad van and its occupants would likely be travelling away from mains power, a 12V socket and a USB outlet would be welcome additions. But hiding in one of the overhead lockers near the door is a Pioneer multimedia unit with DVD player, Bluetooth and

“When you look closely, into all its nooks and crannies, it becomes obvious why this van was declared the winner”

HIGH GLOSS INTERIORThere are several layouts available for the Safari Tamer, but the layout of the van we tested at Best Aussie Vans had a familiar look about it. Stepping through the front entry door reveals an island bed to the left (front) and a café-style dinette to the right. That leaves room for the kitchen along the offside and the bathroom across the rear. Glossy laminates are the order of the day for the Safari Tamer’s white bench and tabletops, as well as the overhead locker doors, a striking gunmetal grey. Throw in the polycarbonate splashbacks and LED downlights, concealed strip-lighting and it’s a very sleek interior.

Once upon a time, bathrooms in caravans, if they existed at all, were small and for ‘emergency use only’. My, how times changed! One of the most noticeable features in the Safari Tamer’s rear ensuite is the large linen cupboard, which takes up the rear offside corner of the van. But, despite its generous size, there’s still plenty of room for the Thetford cassette toilet, and a large central vanity with washing machine, recessed washbasin and numerous lockers and cupboards.

The Safari Tamer’s kitchen takes up the

$80K-plus: Roadstar Safari Tamer

Clockwise from above: Two 150W solar panels mounted to the roof; Cruisemaster suspension underneath – note how all wiring and plumbing is protected and/or out of harm’s way; jerry cans and genset storage on the drawbar; front spotlights for setting up camp in the bush.

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Roadstar Safari Tamer

Weights and measuresOverall length 8.41m (27ft 7in)

External body length 6.16m (20ft 3in)External body width 2.42m (7ft 11in)

Internal height 1.97m (6ft 6in)Travel height 2.74m (9ft)

Tare 2840kgATM 3240kg

Ball weight 240kg

ExternalFrame Meranti

Cladding AluminumChassis Hot-dipped galvanised

Suspension Cruisemaster Independent Brakes 12in electric

Wheels 16inFresh water 2x95LBattery 2x105Ah

Solar 2x150WAir-conditioner AirCommand Ibis

Gas 2x9kgESC Yes

InternalCooking Swift four-burner with

grill and ovenFridge Vitrifrigo 12V compressor 240L

Microwave dLuxxToilet Thetford cassette

Shower Separate cubicleLighting 12V LED

Hot water Suburban 23L gas/240V

Options fittedNone

Price as shown$89,000 (tow-away, Vic)

Supplied byRoadstar Caravans, 4-6 Lisa Place, Coolaroo, Vic 3048, 1300 762 378

www.roadstar.com.au

The site for all RV specs, tests and video features.

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I’d heard on the grapevine that Roadstar was revising its range but I had no idea of the extent of the changes.

The last time I’d toured with a Roadstar Safari Tamer (late 2012) I was pleased with its performance, true, but at the end of the day that van was just another ‘stick-and-tin’ offroad caravan, struggling to stand

out from the crowd.The latest generation Safari Tamer,

though, is something completely different – it bears no resemblance to the 2012 model. The Roadstar team has dragged the model – and its wider range – kicking and screaming into the 21st century. The results are obvious and commendable, making it a very worthy winner.

New generation

MAx TAyLor

tanks are mounted between the rails and fore and aft of the suspension mounts.

The Safari Tamer has a Cruisemaster independent setup, with coil springs, trailing arms and two shock absorbers per 16in alloy wheel – a suspension system worthy of this van. The chassis has 4t-rated shackle anchor points, too – a handy offroad component, I know from experience. There are also side, back and front nudge bars to protect the bodywork.

The most visible chassis components are always the drawbar and rear bumper, and the Safari Tamer’s are both suitably tough for offroad conditions. The rear bumper has two

spare wheel mounts and two jerry can holders. Up front, there are two more jerry can holders, as well as a large storage box and two 9kg gas cylinders, all hiding behind a mesh stoneguard. It would pay to remember that 80L of liquid in the jerry cans, in addition to full water tanks, would take up about 270kg of the 400kg load capacity.

Under the aluminium-skinned body is a meranti timber frame. The van is fully insulated, including Sisalation in the roof. Not every manufacturer does this, but it’s fairly obvious that roof insulation is just as important as wall insulation (if not more so).

all the trimmings. It even has a connection for an iPod/MP3 player and a shelf to park it on. Hooray!

Up front, the bedroom has a simple elegance about it. There are a number of essentials around the bed, including side wardrobes and bedside cabinets, which have a nominal amount of shelf space and 240V powerpoints on either side.

CuSTOm CHASSISWe crawled beneath the Safari Tamer to find

a familiar-looking chassis: a railed and box section structure. But the chassis is actually built to Roadstar’s own design. It’s all hot-dipped galvanised, and the main rails are 100x50mm with the same size laminated underneath, while the drawbar rails are 150x50mm with a third ‘leg’ in small dimensions. Instead of using RHS steel for the cross pieces, tapered section, punched-hole steel is used. The theory behind this is that the punched holes reduce the weight while either retaining or increasing the essential strength of the structure. The twin 95L water

The Safari Tamer is a very well-equipped and solid van and it has the heavy-duty/luxury offroad angle covered very well. The build quality is very, very good and there are very few flaws – the workmanship is of a high standard indeed.

The Safari Tamer impresses, especially with its high-class interior. The brushed stainless ply and soft-closing doors are just a few highlights of a beautifully finished caravan, and the use of a new sealant is a subtle but important improvement.

Very few flaws

PhiLiP Lord

Clockwise from left: A slide-out pantry is a handy kitchen addition; the kitchen is spacious with plenty of bench space; the bed lifts up for access to a large storage space underneath.

Left: Thanks to a heavy investment in CNC machinery, the fit and finish is extremely precise. Below: The combo four-burner cooktop comes with a flush lid to improve bench space.

QUEEN BEDOHC

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ROBE

ROBE TOILET

FRIDGE

SHOWER

WASHMACH

TABLESEAT SEAT

VANITY

LINEN

STOR

AGE

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$80K-plus: Roadstar Safari Tamer

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Like any good caravan, there are plenty of external features to make both travel and al-fresco living so much better. In addition to the Camec security door, large tinted/double-glazed windows and awning, there are three side wall lights, as well as an extra light on the front and back walls, a front tunnel boot and a storage bin at the offside rear.

Being an offroad van built for rough-and-tumble travel, the Safari Tamer is not a light van, but it still tracked along very nicely behind our Toyota LandCruiser, even in strong cross winds. In fact, it travelled so well, I nearly forgot it was there, which I would not recommend in any towing situation, on or offroad!

Except for a grey water tank, which is an unfortunate rarity in new caravans, this Safari Tamer is fully self-contained and ready for remote travel. Two 150W solar panels will help keep the dual 105Ah batteries up to charge which in turn will keep the drinks cool in the Vitrifrigo fridge.

SEALANTOne of the most discreet items playing a small but extremely important role in the life of a caravan is the sealant. Sometimes seen

Roadstar Safari Tamer$80K-plus: Roadstar

Safari Tamer

and sometimes not, often applied well but occasionally not, it’s vital that it’s done properly in the first place. As too many people have found to their cost, if a sealant is not applied correctly, it can be very expensive to fix.

Ken Nizam has been working with European sealant company Novatio to develop Seal and Bond MS 22, a polymer sealant that is purpose-designed for caravans, which are exposed to all kinds of weather and road conditions. Body panels will move around under motion and where white aluminium cladding buts up against black alloy checkerplate, for example,

Clockwise from below: The nearside dinette has footrests for added comfort; the rear bathroom has heaps of storage, including a linen cupboard; the front bedroom is sleek and stylish – love the gunmetal-grey locker doors.

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the two materials expand and contract at different rates. This sealant is designed to cope with this and more. It has a short curing time and can be applied to wet surfaces as well as dry. That said, it should be noted that Novatio recommends the use of a primer before application of the sealant. Roadstar has a 10-year warranty and exclusive use of the MS 22 sealant. Check out the Roadstar website for more information on this interesting point of difference.

THE BOTTOm LINEIt’s not very often I give five out of five for a caravan’s quality of finish or build quality, but very careful attention to detail has been applied, both inside and outside of the Safari Tamer – that much is immediately obvious. I particularly liked the finish of the overhead lockers and cupboard doors. Although the chassis was fairly standard, some effort has gone into reducing its weight.

At first glance, the Safari Tamer might seem like just another offroad van, but when you look more closely – into all the nooks and crannies – it becomes plainly obvious why it was declared a deserving winner at Best Aussie Vans.

$80K-plus: Roadstar Safari Tamer

Go just about anywhere with the Safari Tamer.

We exhibit at all major caravan and camping shows

For more information on these products please go to our website www.rvtowingsolutions.com.au or phone us on (02) 4471 5101

ROCK TAMERSRemovable and AdjustableMudflap System

RORM

SECURE-A-HITCHAnti-Rattle Tow Hitch

EAZLIFT

Weight Distribution

Hitch

D.I.Y. SMART LINEAwning Mounted Clothes Line

TOWING LOADINDICATOR

Safe Loading at a Glance

CLEARVIEW TOWING

MIRRORSComplete

Replacement Towing Mirror

CV

W-H

H-5

1852

13-C

S-5

06-X

CC