coramal caravans

I am a caravanner and if I could afford a Coromal I would have one. They rank up with the best of them.

I have several friends with them and they wouldn't have anything else.

They do have a reputation of being heavy for the size so you may need something like a Landcruiser or patrol to tow it I would think Their web site quotes 1700 kgs Tarefor the 6 metre and 2030 kgs for the 7 metre. By the time you add water and yourselves the overall weight would be in the order of 2.5 to 2.8 tonnes

Wanderer
I have a 17' single axle Coromal - bought new in 2000. Not an off-road version. We choose Coromal because its narrow (7'3'' I think) and low (ours is a pop top) - one of few vans off the shelf that would fit through our garage roller door easily enough. Done about 20000km (over Nullarbor) and spend about 20 nights a year in it.

I have never been that impressed by the build quality of structure - my comments based on our van only. From day 1 chassis had a twist in it. Strange thing but I was slow to recognise this.

If you compare floor structure with Jayco, our Coromal is crap. Floor creaks annoyingly - friends with Coromals experienced the same. Neat thing also with Jayco, pipes go straight through chassis whereas it dips up and down under Coro angle members - ie in waste pipe I guess muck can be caught. Welding very average also.

INside, we have family van. I thought Coro bunks were a better arrangement than most. Storage volume pretty good (specially for a pop top). Boot pretty good size too. Inside presents very well (still). Not comfortable to sit inside but that partly due to being a family van - not important to us anyway. Bed structure was a shocker but I have seen that that has been improved.

No major problems to report. Good luck
JD

If you are interested in using the van in true OFF ROAD conditions, then you should only look at brands like Trakmaster, Pheonix Bushtracker and Kedron that are made for that purpose. The off road packs for the Jayco, Coromal Roadstar etc don't appear to stand up anywhere near as well as the purpose built vans do.
Our BT is 5.5 yrs old and 135,000 km and is still looking in near new condition.

Brian

I had a Coramal Prinston 701 for nearly 12 months. I still believe that they have one of the best layout and utilisation of space of any van. Make sure you get one with the heavier chassis and it may be OK. The early (2004/5) models weighed around 1900kg where as the newer ones are around 2200kg. That is a lot of chassis.
Look for missing pop rivets, moving cupboards (rub marks at corners), resealed windows and freely opening doors and windows when winding the legs down.
I have met over 20 people that have quit Prinstons within 12 months.
The pre Prinston Coramals were very good.

Re off road version - Depending on where you want to get to, bear in mind if you really want to go on rough or rugged roads, Coromal's brochures say:

The Coromal Pioneer range is designed to travel on and off sealed roads. They are not however designed to travel over all terrain. Travelling over rough, rocky jagged, pinnacled and potholed surfaces may amount to misuse and driver neglect. Any damage incurred as a result is excluded from the manufacturer’s warranty. Commonsense should prevail in these conditions.

We looked at a variety of so called off roaders, but my husband wouldn't let me consider anything other than the Bushtracker after he saw the chassis of one. More money, but it is 'insurance' that it won't fall apart on us in the middle of nowhere. Big difference in price, so it all depends on what you want to do. It is a great lifestyle, whatever make you choose.


!MPG:27!

Hi Wanderer, have looked at Coromal many times and they seemed pretty good. We also looked to get a pop top that would go through our garage and the on road version would just fit; not so the off road model. But one big no no for us was the low doorway. I'm only a bit over 6 foot but for some reason Coromal seem to have the lowest door height of any pop top ! Don't know about all the other -ve comments, we might have been in line to find out if th door was higher.
We have gone with a Goldstream instead, very well made and not shy about letting you see them during any stage of assembly.

Ken

Hi Wanderer - we have owned 2 Coromals. Both were off-road models, and both brilliant.
The first was the wind-up camper (Magnum) which we towed into deserts; over mountains and along beaches. Never had a problem in 3 years.
In June this year we spent 3 weeks dragging it across the Sturt Desert; Coongie Lankes at Innaminca; and the rough tracks on 3 sheep stations west of Eromanga.
Not even a screw loose.
In July this year, we noticed a 2nd hand Coromal poptop (Corvair)- off road.
Same build quality as Magnum: - drawbar; chassis; internal fittings etc
So - we traded. Since August we have done 6 trips, including 2 weeks offroad into the Gem fields and some remote (4wd) National parks. Needed to add a brace under the seats for extra support - but other than that, a perfect van.
It weighs 1700kgs and we tow with a 4.2 TD Patrol.
I cannot comment on other models in the Coromal range, but the Magnum and the Corvair - in the offroad versions - are brilliant..........................Keith

G'day Wanderer,
we have a Coromal tandem axle 5.49 poptop off road version. No problems with using it off road including Gibb River Rd and some rough tracks north of Broome towards James Price Point, also around and past Daly River in NT plus heaps in the Murchison (u mite have guessed most spots in WA), cost around $40K, for the price its great. Had a Jayco off road flamingo prior to this and it just basicly shook itself to bits.
regards Ric