24 ON THE ROAD March 2011

HAVE you ever looked at a cara-van’s A-frame and thought: “Hmm, that’s some seriously under-utilised

space…” Well, that makes two of us, and now we can add a third great mind that thinks alike – Cell Caravans. Unlike you and I, though, Cell Caravans has found a solu-tion – the Viewfi nder, a caravan with a V-shaped front that houses the kitchen over the A-frame.

The Viewfi nder is literally on the cutting edge. The US-based manufacturer, Cruiser RV, has used wind tunnel tests to demon-strate that the V-shaped nose delivers a

signifi cant improvement in aerodynamics. Cell imports the vans, which are built in Indiana to Australian specifi cations and to meet our stringent ADRs. Cruiser RV pumps out vans at the rate of about 4000 per year, which is equivalent to nearly 25 per cent of Australia’s entire RV production. As an im-porter of RVs, Cell also has to go to extra lengths to prove ADR compliance.

But can an imported van hack our un-forgiving conditions? Looking at the 4-inch A-frame might initially give you cause for thought; however, it’s constructed from box-section steel that has twice the wall

thickness of the local industry standard. The rest of the chassis comprises of 6”-thick I-beams.

The unique (to Australia) EZ-fl ex suspen-sion makes for a good little “What the?” mo-ment, too, as it only uses three leaf springs per wheel, instead of the usual seven as in a standard rocker-roller set up. Those springs, however, are twice the thickness of those in a seven-leaf confi guration. Rubber damping is also provided at the pivot points.

The caravan body is set high, built entire-ly above the chassis. This means no internal wheel arches to build around, and excellent

WALKTHROUGH Cell Caravans Viewfi nder

On the cutting edge

www.ontheroad.com.au

clearance. The frame is all aluminium, with gel-coated fi breglass sandwich walls. The insulation (batts in the fl oor and polystyrene everywhere else) is designed for Canadian winters, so regulates internal temperatures extremely well. The roof insulation is up to 3.25-inches thick in places, and the roof it-self is strong enough for a number of people to take a stroll around.

The Viewfi nder comes with external features that would usually be expensive options. There is a slide-out barbecue (pre-fi tted with hose to the two 9kg gas bottles), external shower, aerial input socket, speak-ers, two 12-volt sockets, an arm to mount one of the two included TVs, and a large,

Cell Caravans Viewfi nder

ON THE ROAD March 2011 25

With the body built above the chassis, clearance should rarely be a problem.

Room to move and then some. With the slide-out in position, the lounge and the dinette are comfortablyspaced.

ergonomic grab-handle. Those are nice, but seriously special are the electric jacks, jock-ey wheel and awning. The most annoying aspects of setting up have been obliterated with push-button convenience. My eyes get misty just thinking about it…

Other great external features include the hollow rear bumper bar for extra stor-age, separate potable, grey and black water tanks (you can go for weeks without worry-ing about toilet waste, and can drain it with the fl ick of a lever), a large rear boot, rimless and tinted windows, aerodynamic covers for the hatches (these allow for all-weather operation as well as protection), drop-down entry step and fi xed antenna (no winding required).

Before examining inside, let’s create some context. The trailer length of the View-fi nder is about the same as for a 21’9” van, a popular size. However, that V-section over the A-frame, which houses the kitchen, creates an internal space comparable to a 26-footer. And I haven’t even mentioned the

slide-out yet! So peering inside gives you a bit of a shock, of the pleasantly tingly kind. It’s huge.

I actually felt more like I was in a fi fth-wheeler than a caravan. The slide-out is on the driver’s side and houses the fridge/freezer, couch, two cupboards and a win-dow with pull-down blinds. Opposite, across a vast expanse of fl oor, is the café-style dinette with under-seat storage, over-head cupboards, one of two 22” LED TVs and a fancy entertainment unit.

The cupboards are constructed from timber and have more of a household feel. The fi nish is superb and there are no unfi n-ished, un-sanded surfaces. The hinges are internally recessed and extremely sturdy. The cupboards and drawers are prevented from fl ailing by solid gripper catches.

The kitchen has much more bench space than its width would imply; the V-shape in-troduces twice the open bench area that a standard, fl at, front kitchen would have. Likewise, there’s more room to fi tOn the cutting edge

Windows are rimless and tinted, and hatches sport aerodynamic covers.

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26 ON THE ROAD March 2011

Although made in the US, most of the appliance names will be familiar.

Slide-out is standard and really adds to the usable living space.

Manufacturer: Cell CaravansModel: Cell ViewfinderDry weight: 2200kg (with everything fitted)Maximum weight: 2800kgTow ball weight: 265kgBrakes: 10” electricWater capacity: 136L water; 286L grey; 144L blackPriced from: $69,950Price as reviewed: $69,950Contact: Cell Caravans, Josh Ryland, 0432 855 393, www.cellcaravans.com.au

SPECIFICATIONS

cupboards. A double, stainless steel sink is provided, as well as a recessed four-burner stove top and grill (the stove-top will be set below bench level in future).

A Kogan convection microwave oven sits above the stove. On the door side of the kitchen is the “Bat Cupboard” (as in Bat Cave and Bat Car); it houses all the switch-es that do really cool things, like lower the jacks, slide the slide-out, release the hounds and fire the rockets. The fridge is a three-way, 184-litre Dometic RM4605 model.

The van is kept cool (or warm) with a ducted Dometic air con unit, as well as Fan-tastic-Vents with electric fans.

To get to the bedroom, you first pass through the full en suite. The shower has a built-in tub, something I’ve not seen before

but immediately thought, how handy! The sink area is compact, but that’s to make room for lots of large storage cupboards.

The toilet is very accessible, which might be a factor if your mobility isn’t what it used to be. Because the loo has its own black water tank, the Viewfinder will be more widely accepted into our national parks. The tank does away with the need for a cas-sette, something that the millions (give or take) of cassette-accident victims out there would appreciate; toilet chemicals might mask the smell, but they can never erase the memory…

The bedroom at the rear feels very cosy, especially with the carpeted floor. There are numerous air con vents and a Fantas-tic hatch to make sure your beer and/or

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champagne glass don’t get too hot while you listen to your music, piped through the roof speakers. If you prefer visual with your audio, the second 22” LED TV in the corner of the bedroom provides that. Or, you could provide your own visuals and dance in front of the mirrors on the wardrobe doors.

A van with a 26’5” body length, slide-out, electric everything and all the options (except solar and inverter, which can eas-ily be fitted) could well set you back nearly six figures. So I need to take pains to point out that the quoted price of just under $70K is not a misprint. Cell can afford to keep its prices low thanks to the strong Aussie dol-lar, the cheaper labour costs in the US and Cruiser RV’s economies of scale.

Sean Cummins