WORDS AND IMAGES ANTHONY KILNER
A scraping noise as the Razor went from the bitumen into a steep climb on a very overgrown track sent shivers up my spine. I realised the rear stabilising legs had been folded back behind the van and not up under the body and I cringed as it screamed in metallic pain.
Considering how steep the climb was this van walked up beautifully, handling the ruts and angles really well – just the thing for an off-road van I reckon. There’s a lot more to this Razor XT than meets the eye and its ability to be a nimble and comfortable off-grid tourer is a reflection of why Royal Flair has gone all serious with this all-new off-road tourer.
What makes this van so interesting is that the body is just 16-foot 1-inch in length and what Royal Flair has packed inside is nothing short of awesome work. This does come at a cost though and for around $68,400 plus on-roads it’s a small, jam-packed van with a big price tag.
Outside
Starting with the mechanicals, the body of the XT is built around a Supagal chassis system that features the latest AL-KO Enduro Outback independent suspension system rated at 2700kg. Twelve-inch electric brakes handle the stopping while 245 x 16-inch off-road tyres shod with sexy black alloy rims keep the van rolling smoothly. A DO35 off-road coupling allows the van to articulate smoothly in all conditions, from the bitumen to ballsy off-road tracks.
Bolted to the A-frame is a protected tap, tool-come-storage box with a slide-out for a generator and twin jerry-can holders. Twin 9kg gas bottles feed the external slide-out kitchen as well as the internal stove. An eight-inch jockey wheel and cable handbrake are also part of the A-frame kit.
Under the chassis there are four drop-down legs and two 95-litre water tanks including a water tank gauge to manage the water properly. The XT is very neat underneath with reasonably good protection for the plumbing and wiring for off-road use.
The body features composite walls and roof with a honeycomb composite floor. Accents around the body include plenty of chequer plate, and contrasting decalling adds to the butch look of this van. In fact, most of the doors, hatches and double-glazed windows are black trimmed and this look extends to the Dometic 8300 awning. (If you are a Pies fan like me then it looks awesome!)
I’ve mentioned the stainless-steel slide-out kitchen briefly, and it’s a good unit. It features a three-burner gas cooker combo with a sink plus a good prep area and a slide-out drawer with cutlery divider and space for tongs, barby mate and other cooking implements. I like the idea of a simple kitchen outside for outdoor entertaining. Adding to the outdoor feel is a picnic table and external speaker included as standard.
A triple lock door is accessed by a drop step and on the driver’s side of the van there is an external shower. Of course, black is the fashion! There are plenty of storage lockers around the body and again it’s a clever use of space for such a small unit.
Up on the roof are two 150W solar panels with a 30-amp controller feeding the twin 105-amp hour batteries inside the van. This is ideal for stops without 240V. This system works in conjunction with a Genius battery management system. Other gear on the roof includes a Dometic CAL224R reverse-cycle AC unit, a couple of hatches and a wind-up LPDA swivel aerial for TV reception.
All in all this XT body and mechanical package is a ripper with great storage and plenty of features. It’s also a pretty cool looking van to boot.
Inside
Stepping up into the XT via the rear-mounted step just behind the axle, the kitchen runs across the back wall to the ensuite wall. This kitchen features a neat combo three-burner cook top and sink with flick mixer as standard. A stainless-steel rangehood will draw away the smells while lights mounted into the bottom of the overhead cupboards make cooking easy. In the overhead cupboards an NOe microwave slots neatly into a cabinet near the door.
Underneath the Razor kitchen benchtop are plenty of cupboards, making this space very functional. The cabinetry includes slide-out drawers, including a nifty cutlery draw. The only downside to this kitchen is that the slide-out pantry hits the main door to the van. Just a slight oops there! I spoke with Royal Flair about this and discovered modifications to the layout are already being implemented and that our review model is being modified to fix the problem.
On the driver’s side of the back wall is the ensuite, which features a swivel toilet, a small vanity unit with minimal storage and behind a glass screen door a good-sized shower, which is a neat addition to this van.
Flowing on from the ensuite on the driver’s side wall is a large 184-litre Thetford two-door fridge and next to that are some more storage drawers and a shelf where a TV wall mount is fitted.
Opposite the fridge is a small dinette that will suit two people easily and three at a push. There is storage above and below the seating and the cool thing about the overall size of the interior is it’s easy to pass things around the place.
Across the front is the main bed area with a queen-size mattress and overhead cupboards and wardrobes on each side. There is no walking around this bed because the design of the space includes a massive storage boot under the bed, which is a clever idea. This does mean you access the bed from the front, however, that’s
not a chore if you know what you are getting at. (What? – Ed.) Royal Flair also manufactures a twin-single-bed version of the Razor XT if that is preferable for some tourers.
Other features include LED lighting, contrasting trim that looks sharp, Truma gas/electric hot water and a CD multi-player unit with 24” LCD/DVD TV to name the bulk of the extras. Aside from the pantry I reckon this interior is very practical for a simple life on the road with plenty of comfort.
