Boroma Caravans has created a big name for itself in the past few years – a name that suggests upmarket and luxurious yet rugged go-almost-anywhere caravans. Under the direction of Peter Russell and Judie Groves, extravagance and fitness-for-purpose is very much the theme at Boroma and it’s not hard to see that in the streamlined, comfortable and functional vans that come out of the Boroma factory. Speaking of creating names, there’s no doubt that some manufacturers choose some, well … interesting monikers for their caravans. Some are obvious, some are a little unusual. Take for instance one of the latest Boroma caravans to hit the road. CW’s review Tourista Grand model is called the Grandinata. It’s an Italian word that means ‘hailstorm’ (and you can add that to your trivial pursuit knowledge). Why it’s called a hailstorm is all to do with the body construction. Many readers may be familiar with the damage that a hailstorm can do to an aluminium clad caravan, which is why the Grandinata with its full fibreglass sides, as well as front, rear and roof, is much more resistant to hail damage. What is interesting is that the fibreglass finish has the stippled appearance of aluminium cladding and from a short distance away it’s not so obvious that the van does not have the cladding with a lower waist of checker plate. Hail resistance isn’t the only feature of the Grandinata van structure– it also looks quite streamlined. Moulded fibreglass on the back and front adds greatly to the general appearance and gives a smooth look to the entire van. The windows are acrylic Seitz hoppers and the door is a Camec triple locker. At 25 feet (7.6 m) long, CW’s Grandinata is not a small van, both in length and weight, but it allows for a spacious design inside. Like all Boroma caravans, it was built on a hot dipped galvanised box section double rail chassis. The tandem axles are a load-sharing airbag suspension arrangement, which Boroma calls its ‘Air Cruise master Suspension’. Just in case you are wondering, the airbags are rated at 4.5 tonnes each. Electric brakes are fitted to all four wheels and it’s nice to see quick release corner stabilisers being used all round. Between the chassis rails are the two 65 L polyurethane water tanks. A benefit of these is that they come with mounting feet already moulded in (ie, no need for extra strapping) and because polyurethane is so tough there is no need for any extra protection either. Despite the fact that this van is very generously optioned, the drawbar looks remarkably clean. In fact there is nothing there except the essentials: hitch, handbrake, jockey wheel and Hayman Reese weight distribution hitch brackets. There are several external storage bins around the Grandinata. In the lined front boot are two gas cylinders, one 9 kg and one 4.5 kg, also with a neat rack for the corner stabiliser jack handle, hydraulic jack handle and wheel brace. Everything, including the hydraulic jack, is strapped into position. Also in the front boot are the controls for raising and lowering the airbags – very useful at setting up and levelling time. Along the nearside there’s a slide-out barbecue, an entertainment unit including a bracket for a flat screen TV and access door at the rear to get to the under-seat area. Offside, there’s a front storage bin, external shower and toilet cassette. Inside the Grandinata, the décor has had the attention of Di Fenton who is Sydney based and runs a company called Safari Chic, which among other things gives advice to various RV manufacturers on interior design (something CW is sure is a great relief to many female travellers). Clues of a professional designer’s touch in this van are the smart striped upholstery and the ‘bamboo’ panelling. Our Grandinata featured a rear club lounge, front north-south bed, nearside kitchen and offside bathroom/cupboard space. Starting in the comfort section of the van, the rear club lounge is probably better suited to relaxing rather than dining. These high density foam cushions and seat back are designed for lazing around. There is an oval-shaped Tasmanian oak table. Large windows on three sides, plus a big Seitz hatch give good natural light and overhead lockers, halogen and LED lights and power points abound. There’s even one of the latter under the table for the laptop users. The flat screen TV mounted offside on the cabinet is easily seen from the lounge and also can be swivelled around to be viewed from the kitchen. If you like cooking on a grand scale or simply making cheese on toast, then the Grandinata kitchen has it all. The new model Smev cooktop/grill/oven looks stylish and the stainless steel sink avec drainer has both fresh water and filtered drinking water on tap. There’s a decent amount of benchtop working space, a slide-out pantry and, in one of the cupboards, a slide-out garbage bin. Interestingly, there’s also access via a couple of cupboard doors to the side of the slide-out pantry. On the opposite side of the van is the fridge/freezer unit and, at an acceptable user height, a microwave. There’s also a bit of benchtop available when working with the microwave. Part of the kitchen area on this side of the Grandinata is also a laundry – a front-loading washing machine resides under the bench and one of the ‘drawers’ is actually a fold out ironing board. Talk about taking everything along, including the kitchen sink! In keeping with everything else in the Grandinata, the bathroom is a place of elegance and style. It features a separate shower cubicle, Dometic toilet and a corner vanity cabinet. A window and overhead hatch negate any claustrophobic feelings and there’s no shortage of both towel rails and general storage. Up front, two large side windows plus a Seitz hatch give the bedroom area a very spacious feel. That’s enhanced by the fact Boroma has opted not to fit bedside wardrobes, instead it has low cabinets plus the usual overhead lockers. More storage space is added by a large wardrobe complete with lower drawers and some smaller diagonal cupboards on the nearside. Opposite is just one small cupboard plus a second flat screen TV. As you might expect, in a van like this the technology is quite sophisticated. Three 120 ah deep cycle batteries supply the 12 V load. They are charged by both a conventional 240/12 V charger and three 64 W solar panels. A 1500 W inverter supplies the 240 V when required. In addition to the conventional Winegard TV antenna, an Oyster dish keeps you in touch via satellite. Lighting is mostly LED downlights – these are more expensive than conventional halogens but they do save on battery use. Air-conditioning is courtesy of a roof-mounted Dometic unit. The Bottom Line With an ATM of 3500 kg, the Grandinata is no lightweight and will require the largest of tow vehicles. That 3500 kg is at the top of the Toyota Land Cruiser and Ford F 250 towing capacities and if an ATM upgrade is required then that will require something such as a Ford F 350. Given this van has some off road capabilities that idea should be kept in mind. Going bush does mean having a little bit of reserve up your sleeve. The general fit and finish of the Grandinata looks to be up to the usual Boroma high standard. Everything in our van opened and shut as it should and the timber work is definitely something to savour. Careful attention has been paid to the general layout and internal décor. In an article this length it’s not possible to list every feature this van has, but it could be said that this heavily optioned Boroma Grandinata has just about everything you might want in a caravan. If not, CW is sure the Boroma team will fit it for you. That of course is reflected in the price tag – at $130,000 in 2005 you’d want a van with everything. If the Grandinata is your sort of van but not quite in your budget, then the standard item will cost about $90,000. Even if it is Boroma’s standard item there is no doubt that it will still be the epitome of style and comfort. We liked: • The general layout and decor - it is a very spacious van • A kitchen with room to move - good cupboard and benchtop space • All the latest technology being used • Good and varied storage space Dimensions Overall length 7.6 m Width 2.7 m Height maximum by law