Caravan Review: 22ft 6in Wonder Roo Pearl XX4 Gold

In my line of work, there’s nothing more enjoyable than the opportunity to take a sticky-beak through someone else’s new caravan. Victorians Max Wohlers and partner Kerrie Purcell were happy to open the doors to their 22ft 6in Wonder Roo Pearl XX4 Gold and give me the grand tour.

This caravan is the product of many hours and days of research, particularly on the part of Kerrie. The couple knew what they wanted. The trouble was, they were having difficulty finding a manufacturer who could deliver on their needs and ideas. But, as Kerrie perused the internet, she came across Wonder Roo. A phone call in which she detailed their ideas followed, and before long, Wonder Roo was on the job.

Max and Kerrie are extremely proud of their new van, and I quickly saw why. Let’s climb aboard and take a good look – I think you’re going to be impressed too.

HEAVILY CUSTOMISED WONDER ROO

The first thing to know about this Pearl XX4 is that it’s fitted with Wonder Roo’s top-end Gold package. This gives the van a suite of features not available in standard format. But beyond that, Kerrie and Max wanted a range of customisations that other builders couldn’t deliver.

First, this van needed an excellent 12V system – the couple wants to be off-grid as much as possible. To that end, they had 600Ah worth of lithium batteries fitted, paired to 1200W worth of solar.

Creating the rooftop real estate for this many solar panels required them to fit a Truma Saphir air-conditioner under the rear club lounge, rather than have a conventional roof-mounted split-system. The batteries are also fitted under this lounge, partially for weigh-distribution purposes.

Now, when you have that much lithium power, matched with a 3000W Projecta inverter (which includes a full Projecta power management system behind a sheet of perspex in the tunnel boot), you have some flexibility to get creative with your cooking appliances. Kerrie and Max opted to have no conventional caravan cooktop, griller or oven. Instead, they wanted Wonder Roo to install an under-bench Panasonic four-in-one oven, which acts as a flatbed microwave, an oven, a steamer, and a griller.

By omitting a cooktop, they have more kitchen bench space. And when they want to use a hotplate, it’s just a matter of getting out their portable induction cooktop and powering it off the inverter. Brilliant!

The mod-cons continue. On the offside, under the bench, they asked Wonder Roo to fit a dishwasher. These appliances have been available for caravans for many years; however, they’re not in wide use. Kerrie and Max, though, absolutely love it.

The customisations continue in the bathroom, which is split across both sides of the van, with a toilet and washbasin cubicle on the offside and a shower on the nearside. Having used standard cassette toilets for many years, the couple wanted Wonder Roo to fit a composting toilet in their new van, and have no regrets. I suspect we’ll see more composting toilets being fitted as standard in the near future.

The bedroom has all the usual features – wardrobes with niches containing 12V charging points, a TV mounting point, and 12V fans – and lifting the mattress base on the gas struts reveals the addition of a diesel heater, which is sectioned off by laminated ply – another great touch.

The layout of this van is fantastic. Being a 22ft 6in van, Wonder Roo had leeway to create something that looks and feels spacious, and you can’t fault the workmanship. Every Wonder Roo van I’ve seen conveys a sense of strength and purpose, and this one is no different.

UNDERPINNINGS

Because this van was fitted with the Wonder Roo Gold package, it is framed up in 25mm welded aluminium and clad with composite aluminium and black checkerplate.

Another custom feature, which Wonder Roo could do but other manufacturers couldn’t, is the 6in aluminium chassis. Kerrie and Max specifically wanted an engineered aluminium chassis for the weight saving. They also wanted self-levelling airbag suspension, opting for the Cruisemaster system.

The couple tow the van with a VW Amarok and so far, Max couldn’t be happier with how it handles, especially the Cruisemaster setup. They specifically wanted adjustable M60 shock absorbers, which are available as an option for that suspension type. Max, you see, has an extensive mechanical background and sees the benefit in being able to adjust the shocks according to the travel conditions. 

Being a gas-less caravan, their A-frame setup is all about storage, with dual slide-out trays in the checkerplate storage box and top storage as well, all protected by a mesh stoneguard. And then there’s the tunnel boot, which not only contains the Projecta power management equipment behind perspex, but a shelf system too – not something you see often inside a tunnel boot.

The Pearl XX4 Gold also comes with Wonder Roo’s special rear bar. Fabricated out of checkerplate, it contains internal storage options, a firewood box, a couple of lockable jerry can holders, and a spare wheel carrier. Speaking of wheels, Max and Kerrie paid extra to match the tyre type, tread and stud patterns to the tyres on their Amarok – a great idea.

The van includes a fold-down external picnic table, complete with some shelving and a 240V powerpoint, allowing the couple to plug in their second portable induction cooktop when they decide to cook outside. Having said that, they also have an electric barbecue that lives on the nearside slide-out tray within their A-frame storage box. They simply plug it into the 240V powerpoint inside the tunnel boot. No need to connect to a gas bayonet coupling.

When I looked underneath the van, I was impressed by how ordered it all seemed. All vulnerable components were adequately protected, including the water tanks. Now, Max and Kerrie have given themselves 330L of fresh water across three separate tanks, one of which is for drinking water only. Two of these tanks are mounted rear of the axle line, while the third, along with the grey water tank, are positioned forward of the axles. 

Again, like the position of the batteries, that was done for weight distribution purposes. According to Max, when Wonder Roo plugged all the weight values into special computer software, the weight distribution of the van turned out perfectly, and he is very pleased with the 236kg ball weight.

As for how the van handles under tow, the couple had only done 1200km when we caught up with them, but they could not be happier. Having traveled over some gnarly sections of road, Max expected to step inside the van to find their belongs strewn about and was thrilled to find everything was where it was left. He absolutely loves that suspension setup!

GORV’S VERDICT

The Wonder Roo Pearl XX4 Gold shows what can be achieved when you work with a caravan manufacturer that’s willing to work with you. There are plenty of manufacturers building off-the-shelf rigs, but not all offer the same level of customisation as Wonder Roo.

But it’s not just about the customisation. It’s about the quality of the finished product. And on that front, Wonder Roo has also succeeded. That’s not just my opinion. It is also the opinion of Max and Kerrie, and that’s what really matters here. I spent some time with two genuinely happy customers, who knew what they wanted in precise detail, and the finished product was everything they had dreamed.

HITS & MISSES

COMPLETE SPECS