Your Next Family Adventure Van: The Hilltop Strzelecki
Families will find room to move in this 19ft 6in Hilltop Strzelecki family caravan.
There’s nothing like a smart, compact and family-friendly layout to get you further off-road with less drama at the pump and at camp. Thankfully for Hilltop Caravans, our trip up the North NSW Coast was far from their first rodeo. David Wilson from Set Up Camp RV Centre in Brissie revealed how customer feedback influenced the design of this fully equipped 19ft 6in family bunk van: “The design is all about capturing the space. The feedback we constantly get around bunks is that people are wanting to downsize their caravan,” David explains.
Off-Grid Caravan Power and Capability
For off-grid adventures, this Hilltop Strzelecki is exceptionally well equipped, offering 600W of solar (up from the standard 200W), two 150Ah batteries, and an inverter powerful enough for that emergency blast from the Ibis 4 reverse cycle aircon. Other fuel sources or extra water ride comfortably out back, in addition to the twin 9kg gas cylinders on the drawbar up front for the energy-efficient 190L three-way fridge. And a grey water tank (standard on the Strzelecki) makes this caravan ready for national parks. This off-road caravan rolls comfortably on twin axles fitted with AL-KO Enduro Cross Country 2.0 suspension and a responsive DO35 off-road coupling up front.
Family-Friendly Kitchen and Bunk Design
This bright kitchen is great for families, with ample space on either side of the sink for meal preparation, an oven, a concealed four-burner cooktop and grille–plus controls for the audio system, which I wholeheartedly love. The cabinetry is equipped with large, comfortable latches and there’s an L-shape lounge adjacent that converts to a bed for when you’re welcoming an extra guest or travelling with five or six.
The caravan bunks (available for three or two, as shown) are more than just berths, with individual fans, lighting, USB ports and windows for a cosy space to kick back in. Mirrored robes brighten this modern interior and there are separate drawers for personal belongings.
Clever Living Spaces in a Compact Family Van
Although not for everybody, the east-west bed in this Hilltop layout will suit many families wanting a compact caravan. Not only do you save on space for a longer benchtop and extra bathroom amenities, but you also get a lovely space for communal lounging–right in front of a smart TV for rounds of microwave popcorn at day’s end.
Hilltop Caravans appoints this area with cubby hole storage, a breakfast-bar style ledge and overhead lockers all around. The smart TV is Bluetooth enabled, too, so you can watch pre-downloaded content from your favourite streaming apps. Or, stream it live, if the internet’s giving at camp. There’s also a separate shower and toilet that make this 19ft 6in family van feasible for longer, fully-equipped stints on tour.
