By Paul Todd,
August 1, 2023
New Age Caravans has launched the all-new MY24 Road Owl range. We take a look at what it has to offer.
If you haven’t owned or seen a New Age Caravan in your travels, you’ve definitely been living under a rock. They can lay serious claim to being Australia’s preeminent caravan manufacturer, thanks in no small part to their humble beginnings.
Rewind back to 2004, when we all had fewer grey hairs, to the start of the New Age journey. At this stage, they went by New Age Frames and Designs and specialised in providing the established caravan manufacturers with structural framing and CNC fabricated componentry.
Like any good business, they rapidly evolved from being a key supplier to Australia’s caravan manufacturing hub in Campbellfield, Victoria, to building their own caravans. Four years into their journey, New Age Frames and Designs became New Age Caravans.
In the early days, they were able to manufacture five vans a week. Now, fifteen years on, they’re building over 2,000 a year! This rapid growth, coupled with a quality product and willingness to pioneer new methods, saw some big names sit up and take notice.
Enter, Walkinshaw
For those that don’t know, the late Tom Walkinshaw, founder of the Walkinshaw Group, was a highly successful motorsport driver. However, he was an even more successful businessman and is responsible for another iconic Australian brand, HSV.
The Walkinshaw Group have an incredible reputation for quality and innovation and were looking to diversify its operations. Their marriage with New Age was a match made in heaven.
Already at the forefront of design, manufacturing and sales in Australia, Walkinshaw added their unique brand of innovation, engineering and testing capability to elevate New Age Caravans to where they are today.
The all-new New Age MY24 Road Owl
Fifteen years of experience building the new great Australian dream has taught New Age Caravans a thing or two. The MY24 Road Owl sure is a testament to that. With four different variants of the Road Owl available, New Age Caravans have fleshed out their mid-range offerings nicely.
Options for the New Age Road Owl
New Age builds the Road Owl in either 19ft or 21ft lengths; both are available in standard or Adventurer specifications. The latter adds off-grid features and semi-offroad capability. Both lengths are a tandem axle full-size caravan designed for families, with a full ensuite and 2-3 bunk options.
What’s new for the MY24 Road Owl?
The New Age Road Owl MY24 model gains a stylish redesign of the furniture, with the dining area offering more cushion depth and lumbar support than ever before. The kitchen upgrades see a new, more secure microwave surround and recessed cooktop offering additional bench space.
Lighting has been upgraded from roof-mounted downlights to strip lighting throughout, offering improved ambience within the van. The electrical upgrades don’t stop there, with the addition of reading lights and a wireless charger for the bedroom area.
Whilst the exterior design on the New Age Road Owl offers only subtle differences over the outgoing model, the upgrades continue underneath. The Adventurer models previously ran Cruisemaster CRS2 suspension. But these have now been enhanced with Cruisemaster all-terrain XT independent suspension as standard. Coupled with the Walkinshaw-designed galvanised chassis, the MY24 Road Owl is ready for any terrain.
How much are they going for?
The entry point for the MY24 Road Owl is the 19ft Bunk Ensuite model, which will set you back $84,990. This model comes equipped with Alko 6-leaf suspension, 10in brakes, and everything else we’ve come to expect from New Age. The overall length is 7,870mm, with weights yet to be confirmed at the time of writing.
Moving up to the 21ft Bunk Ensuite will cost you $88,990. That two feet of extra length allows the queen-sized bed to change from east-west orientation to north-south. Seating changes from a C-shape to an L-shape, and the fridge is now on the kitchen side of the van. The overall length comes in at 8,417mm.
Whether 19ft or 21ft suits you better, upgrading to the Adventurer model will cost you an additional $7,000. That investment sees you enjoying features like the Cruisemaster suspension mentioned above, 12in brakes, BMPro Sway Control, larger tyres, a DO35 hitch, and various other off-grid friendly inclusions. This comes with some additional length and, no doubt, some added weight (yet to be officially confirmed).
What New Age has to say about the new Road Owl
The top brass at New Age Caravans, Chris Polites, had this to say about the new Road Owl:
“We’ve put a real family focus on the Road Owl range, with the bunk and ensuite standard in all four models. We think it provides families a fantastic caravan for wherever they want to go in Australia, at any time of year.
“The exterior looks fantastic, and the updated interior ensures we are continuing to provide a market leading option at a competitive price. The inclusions on the caravan, combined with the options available, means we’ve stepped the Road Owl up a level.
“The MY24 Road Owl is the first step of our next evolution here at New Age, and we are extremely excited about what the future holds. We can’t wait to see them right around Australia in the near future.”
We can’t wait to get our hands on one of these to try it out
New Age really gave the industry a boost when they came along all those years ago, and with this new release, they’ve raised the bar again. We can’t wait to see the New Age MY24 Road Owl range in the flesh.
