"I wish someone would produce a model that combines all the advantages of a caravan and a camper trailer is a desire expressed by many caravanners over the years, often followed by the complaint: "Camper trailers are much easier to tow but they’re a hassle to erect and inside they’re just not right for us".

Since the early days of caravanning, manufacturers have been trying to satisfy consumers’ needs for easy, economical low-profile towing combined with security, convenient access and comfortable living space.

Clever designs have appeared over the years, some incredibly simple and others extremely complex. There’s no doubt that each solution at the time satisfied some of the demand, but by no means all of it.

The market demand for condensed caravans comes from two directions. Some people are taking their first steps into the RV scene and others are trying to scale down.

Camper trailers are especially suitable for young families and are accepted as the entry level RV for many who will later become intrepid 4WD-owning caravanners, happily hauling big vans around the country.

At the other end of the spectrum are the ones ‘ye been on the road for many years and are looking for something that suits their new requirements: less space, less weight and less stress - combined with most of the comfort they’ve enjoyed in the past.

For this market segment, the new design from the team at EcoTourer Caravans, based at Caravan Court, Springvale in Melbourne offers the closest solution yet. Not only is the 16ft 9in (5.11m) EcoTourer Slipstream simply beautiful - inside and out - it works brilliantly, living up to the makers’ claim that it represents a new era in touring.

Behind the design

Of course, very few designs are completely new. We’ve seen previous versions of the pop-top caravan, in which the roof opened at an angle with a large part of the wall being canvas.

And we’re all familiar with both the wind-up camper trailer and the A’van’s self-erecting solid walls. Moulded and sandwich panel fibreglass is coming into use in Australia and is recognised as the caravan structural material of the future.

It does, however, take expert engineering skills as well as inventive flair and an ability to use the best of what’s gone before, to come up with a benchmark product like the EcoTourer Slipstream.

In addition, the EcoTourer team would probably mention long hours of painstaking research, years of development work and a few discouraging setbacks.

 It’s been around 18 months since their prototype model was first displayed, and in that time there’s been further ‘work done to meet the exacting standards set by the designers.

The EcoTourer has now been pronounced by its designers and builders to be completely ready for the market and some public appearances have demonstrated its spectacular erection and fold-down technique to admiring audiences.

There’s always a gasp of astonishment when the EcoTourer is first put through its paces. Most people are familiar with a wind-up camper’s action, but in this case the action is confined to the front end of the roof and is accompanied by the automatic rise of solid insulated walls that have been lying flat inside the body.

When the operator uses a battery-powered hand drill to speed up the process the effect is all the more dramatic: within seconds the unit is fully erected, all that remains is to adjust the door, secure the bolts and close the hinged front window and the EcoTourer is ready to be occupied.

How it's made

The Duragal steel chassis, built by G&S Chassis, has been custom designed with a tail angled slightly upwards to prevent scrapes when negotiating gutters or gullies. Not that the EcoTourer is necessarily intended for offroad use, but there’s no doubt that this feature adds versatility.

In creating the EcoTourer, the designers paid special attention to weight balance and ensuring a low centre of gravity...

For the same reason the layout has a centre kitchen with the heaviest fittings positioned over the axle. The body is constructed entirely of fibreglass, with a double-skinned-fibreglass roof, and sidewalls of two layers of fibreglass bonded with a centre of 15mm foam polystyrene, making the structure exceptionally strong and providing insulation in both hot and cold climates.

The boot and rear section are also of moulded fibreglass, pleasingly curved for visual appeal and incorporating the essential catches, tail lights and other fittings.

The advantages of fibreglass have been discussed in CW on many occasions, but to reassure those who may be in doubt: the material is not easily damaged.

Caravan Court’s Michael Hawkins has a section of sandwich panel that he pounds with a hammer to demonstrate its durability to customers. By exerting all his strength, so far Michael has only managed to place one small dimple in the material’s surface.

Between the EcoTourer’s lift-up lid and its lower section rubber flanges meet to seal the unit tightly, keeping out dust and moisture while on the road. Joints between fixed and folding sections are also firmly sealed.

Elsewhere, a flow number of seams makes the unit virtually weatherproof. When closed, the two sections are clipped securely together with catches like those fitted on pop-top caravans.

When erected the EcoTourer has a total of seven acrylic wind-out windows, two of which are in the separate upper-wall section attached to the roof. 

In travelling mode, only the two upper windows are visible, as are the two modern Dometic roof hatches, which ensure that both light and air inside the unit are never in short supply.

The absence of gas bottles on the A-frame may suggest that they’ve been tucked inside the front boot, but that proves to be incorrect.

The gas supply can be found in a special locker on the offside of the van, complete with checkerplate lining, drainage/ventilation hole and safety bar to keep the bottles in place.

A look inside

Step into the EcoTourer and you’ll be surprised by the amount of internal space. The low roofline at the back, above the double bed, is hardly noticeable and certainly not a problem.

There’s plenty of headroom in those areas where people move around, from the central kitchen to the comfortable front four-seater dining area with its cleverly designed fold-away table and magnificent picture window. The gas risers that provide the lifting action for the walls are clearly visible but in no way intrusive. 

Although the furniture is conventional in design - if slightly unusual in layout - and there’s plenty of the familiar woodgrain panelling, you’ll notice that the inside walls are actually fibreglass.

So are the overhead cupboards, which are all in one piece with the walls. This gives the interior an uncluttered, nautical look. The doors on the overhead cupboards in this model are the swing-out type, but in the future they’ll all be hinged at the top and fitted with gas struts to hold them open.

If preferred, the island double bed in this model can be replaced with two side single beds and a central wardrobe. Other alterations to the layout are not available but buyers can add all kinds of extras from a hot water service or air-conditioning to a 12-volt battery with charger, and even solar panels. High-clearance suspension and a TV set are also options, and the outside skin of the Ecolourer can be penetrated when additions are desired. For example, one model has already been ordered with an outside shower attachment.

A lightweight roll-out awning is also an option, or an annexe (simply attach the annexe to the van from ground level, then wind up the roof to lift it into place).

Even without extras, the interior of the EcoTourer Slipstream is well appointed for comfortable living. The design of the kitchen is unusual but quite convenient: an L-shaped work bench is within easy reach of the matching glass-topped sink and stove and the Dometic 90 litre three-way fridge.

The L-shaped unit houses microwave, pantry, cupboards and pot drawer, with more storage available in the form of cupboard and drawers under the sink. Another useful drawer is fitted underneath the seat nearest to the door and the opposite seat has a storage compartment behind it.

The seats themselves are luxurious, with Dacron foam-filled cushions and quilted support bases. Further touches of comfort and convenience include numerous 12-volt downlights, recessed into the ceiling; a Pioneer stereo sound system and a generous supply of power points throughout the van.

Eco-Tourer Slipstream is light and well balanced for easy towing.

Towing the Slipstream

The EcoTourer Slipstream has been created to make towing easier and more economical. According to Caravan Court’s Don Leigh it achieves both of those aims brilliantly.

"The fuel economy is amazing," Don said. "It feels as if there’s nothing on the back."

"The van’s low profile also means that you don’t get buffeted by side winds and there’s little disturbance from passing trucks," he added.

A long-time caravanner, Don towed big vans for many years and is still quite happy to do so, but he’s enthusiastic about the benefits offered by the EcoTourer for both newcomers to caravanning and people who, like himself, are ready to scale down...

"As well as being a pleasure to tow, it’s very manoeuvrable," Don said.  "You can easily fit it into your double garage right alongside the family car."

Apart from the practical towing aspects of stability and fuel economy, the graceful EcoTourer has been styled to be a perfect partner for the modern sedan. For more details contact EcoTourer Caravans on (03) 9546 9822 or take a look at the website at www.ecotourer.com.au