A brand new 4WD and a brand new shower van for less than $75K. Can it be done?

While Treasurer Wayne Swan and Kevin Rudd have been trying to "ease the squeeze" on working Australians, your trusty AC+RV editor has been doing the same for caravanners. He has combed the market for one of the best-value packages available in an attempt to show that it is still possible to purchase a quality new rig without having to sell off the kids. What he came up with might surprise you (it sure as heck surprised me), and it could make you question whether you can possibly pare down the size of your rig and save money in the process.

That's the great thing about caravanning these days - your modern second-hand 'van market has many people cashing in and trading up every few years, because their old 'van is worth much the same as what they bought it for.

The Horse

The Kia Sorento is a mid-sized 4WD sitting on a full ladder chassis (which incidentally looks as rugged as many full-sized 4WDs). Priced from $34,990, the Sorento sounds like a bargain. But is it? You bet. It's got an extremely efficient and modern turbo-diesel engine. Yet, more importantly, that oiler has got some serious grunt. With 125kW and 392Nm, you barely notice that anything is hitched to the back.

Since grabbing the keys of the Kia, we've towed caravans weighing from 910kg through to two tonnes and power has never once been an issue. In fact, the Kia has a 2800kg braked towing capacity, and I'd feel comfortable towing right up to that limit. The only thing I'd like to see improved is some firmer rear suspension. But that's a relatively easy fix. You can simply fit a set of Polyair springs inside the rear coil springs, and these help maintain the ride height and assist carrying the ball weight. We priced a DIY kit at $294 at our local Repco, and if you're half handy you can fit them yourself. But, of course, your local mechanic could sort out this job in two or three hours.

But back to the Sorento. Build quality appears first-class, and the Korean marque has made massive improvements over the past few years. In fact, it looks and feels decidedly European inside. Even the base model comes with CD player, airconditioning, ABS, alloy wheels and dual airbags.

I know exactly what you're thinking. Diesel prices aren't so crash hot these days, so how much juice does she use? Glad you asked. Without a 'van hitched-up, the Sorento chews through just 8.5L/100km, giving you up to 940km out of a single tank. With the Adria Altea attached, that rose to 12.5L/100km - quite awesome really. For those who don't like diesels, Kia also offers a 3.3-litre petrol V6 which generates 180kW and 309Nm. The V6 is also fuel efficient, with un-hitched figures of just 10.9L/100km. However, with less torque I'd go for the diesel every time.

There's no doubt that some of you out there will have doubts about purchasing a Korean vehicle of any type. Recognizing this, Kia has essentially given you your own insurance plan with their five-year warranty. In a nutshell, the Kia Sorento isn't a half-bad touring vehicle. And even if you got nothing for the vehicle after five years (which is never going to happen with a 4WD), the base model vehicle would essentially cost you $7,000 per year plus running costs. Pretty cheap rental. Oops, I mean pretty cheap 4WD, eh?

Oh, and I should also mention that the Kia isn't a 'pretend' 4WD like your Ford Territory or Toyota Kluger, etc. It features selectable low-range through a transfer case, so you can drive in two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive high-range or low-range for the rough stuff.

So if it's Eighty Mile Beach, WA, you want, it's Eighty Mile Beach you'll get.

The Cart

The Altea 432 PX is somewhat of a breakthrough for the Australian market. First of all, it breaks new ground as far as price is concerned. Here you have a full-sized European caravan which hits the market at just $31,990 plus on-road costs. It's a 15-foot shower van, complete with double bed, kitchen and dining area. And, incidentally, the shower and the toilet are much bigger than those you'll find in most local caravans.

Yet price is not the only place where the Altea breaks new ground - its weight as well. At just 910kg dry weight, you get the feeling that this Adria has been on The Biggest Loser, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers and the Lite 'n' Easy diets; but unusually, they've all worked.

Weight savings have been made throughout the entire caravan. The chassis, instead of being box-section is C-section. The door locks are plastic rather than steel, and many of the interior hinges are plastic too. They all seem to work great though, and the 'van appears sturdy and very well bolted together.

Inside Story

One thing that everyone who saw the Altea liked was the interior design. The taps and sinks are classy and modern - more akin to a trendy apartment than a caravan. And there were thoughtful touches like the fold-down bench off the kitchen. My wife Karen said "It's got a real Ikea feel about it. Clean, nice and inexpensive, but in a good way". And I'd have to agree.

The weight saving can't be underestimated either. When you're towing roughly 500kg less than your average van, the savings are there to be made at the petrol bowser. But those savings aren't simply made because you're pulling less. The savings really come in what you can tow with. Can you believe you can tow this caravan with a new Toyota Corolla? It's got a towing capacity of 1300kg, which suits the Altea just fine. In fact, coincidentally, our guest caravan reviewers Brian and May have a nephew who just purchased an Adria Altea. The nephew was initially going to buy a new caravan and a new 4WD to tow it with. However, when they found the Altea, they soon worked out that they could save a packet by using their Commodore to tow the van, rather than investing in a new 4WD.

With an unladen ball weight of just 65kg, the single axle van is extremely easy to move around. While we were snapping photos, the caravan was moved around plenty of times and it was just so easy.

The windows in the Altea are really designed to grab the best of the cool afternoon breeze. They're double-glazed, and they fold right up to horizontal, allowing maximum air flow; that, combined with the café-style door and twin roof vents should keep the air-con at bay for quite awhile. Plus, blinds and flyscreens are fitted to all windows, so you'll have no creepy crawlies climbing into your Weeties in the morning.

The shower is powered by a Truma 14-litre hot water system, and the toilet is a regular Thetford cassette style. Incidentally, the bathroom has a generous cupboard up one end, which is perfect for storing toiletries.

The kitchen area is compact but practical. There's a three-burner stove with stainless steel hob. The sink is also stainless steel, complete with a folding mixer tap. The fridge is typical of this sized caravan, being a smallish 60-litre Dometic three-way fridge/freezer (meaning it runs on 12-volt, 240-volt or gas). The battery in the Altea is a N70 model, which is a popular big capacity unit often used by 4WDs.

Incidentally, I couldn't spot an off-side plug on the Adria for 240-volts. It appears that the 'in and out' power is on the one side, unlike local vans. This could prove to be a minor inconvenience as many park sites are set up with the power and the pad on one side only, so you may have to run a power lead under the 'van.

Talking Technically

The lower nose of the Adria is made up of a big plastic lid which opens to reveal the storage box. To save costs (and possibly weight), there are no gas struts, just a simple stay bar which you slot into place. I wasn't keen on the locks used on this door though, as both locks required the key to unlatch every time. The phrase "where are the keys?" was heard more than once on this photo shoot.

The outer skin of the Altea is made up of rippled aluminium sheeting which is novel and looks good; although, as our guest tester Brian pointed out, it might be a little tougher to clean than a flat side.

The 15-footer rides on AL-KO independent suspension. AL-KO has a great name, and the Adria seemed to track well behind the Kia.

It was a little floaty over broken terrain and potholes though, but I think it would settle down when loaded-up.

There is no electronic brake controller required with the integrated braking system and, again, it pulled-up in a flash. Even the manual drawbar brake seemed to work so much better than the normal Aussie ratchet-style.

But what of longevity? Does weight equal strength? In some ways, there's no doubt it does. Yet smart engineering and new materials can surely make up for a lot of weight. And, of course, weight can be its own worst enemy.

Heavier 'vans place more stress on bearings, tyres and axles etc. Of course, only the test of time will give us the real answer here. However, the Adria has a few things going for it.

First, this Slovenia-built brand is produced in a high-tech factory on a serious production line. At last count, they were producing more than 18,000 caravans and motorhomes in a year - that's almost as many caravans sold in Australia in any one year. And with those sort of production numbers quality is obviously going to be a big consideration. Plus, this is an on-road 'van, and so with big tracts of road like the Savannah Way now laid with bitumen, your Adria will still take you to some seriously remote places.

In the End

Despite high fuel prices and high interest rates, there are thankfully plenty of options left for the budget-conscious tourer. Both the Sorento and the Altea represent excellent value-for-money, and offer sound quality and efficiency.

Whether you choose one, or choose both, you'll be onto a winner.

Caravan+RV magazine, issue 6, winter 2008