Neither caravan nor camper-trailer the Hybrid is a unique mix of the two. Windsor Coromal continues its program of new model releases with two interesting units revealed at the recent Rosehill Show. The compact campers, the 390 Tourer and the…
Neither caravan nor camper-trailer the Hybrid is a unique mix of the two.
Windsor Coromal continues its program of new model releases with two interesting units revealed at the recent Rosehill Show. The compact campers, the 390 Tourer and the 390 XC Off-Road made an entrance for their own entry points – the campers have rear-mounted, full panel lift-up doors.
Straight after the show RV Daily grabbed the on-road 390 Tourer version for a quick spin. The campers share fibreglass composite panel bodies, with an angled pop-top design and the same external hatch and internal layouts, but the off-road variant has a comprehensive array of steel storage boxes on the drawbar and an independent wishbone suspension system. The storage boxes have created a problem on the Off-Road version in that they conflict with the jockey wheel winder – Windsor is addressing this issue and it’s why we took the Touring model. The on-road version weighs 1161kg Tare (1404kg GTM) and rides on 15-in alloys on a single beam axle and leaf-springs. Brakes are 12-inch electric.
Windsor’s Tony Sherry told us that the campers are designed for those quick getaways: “hitch up and go.” With easy deployment i.e. open the door, unlatch and push up the roof; there is very little to do. There are wind-down stabiliser legs of course and the 390 Tourer is so light you can easily manoeuvre it by hand. The jockey wheel is clamped in place on the drawbar crossmember behind the 50mm ball coupling with only a handbrake, water tap and 9kg gas bottle for company. There is room to add a storage box if desired – max ball weight is 235kg – that you may want to consider for a fridge as the 390 doesn’t have provision to hold one so you’d otherwise need a fridge in the back of the tow vehicle.
The front of the van is protected to half way up by black chequer plate pattern rubber, and the black theme runs along both sides of the camper to cover some or all of the hatches.
On the nearside the front hatch (with opens on both sides) contains the slide-out stainless kitchen that while it has decent prep area with a fold-out section by the sink the cooking option is barbecue only with a covered-style steel unit.
There is certainly room underneath to mount a second water tank and there are dual gauges fitted but the model we looked at had a single 60-litre fresh water tank served by a 12V Flojet pump. Both pump and tank have full checker plate protection surrounds.
Moving along from the kitchen slide-out two further drop-down doors reveal the smaller pantry and a larger aperture with cut-outs for cups/glassware and racks for plates, etc. The tables the doors double as are generous preparation areas. There is also a swing-out arm for a TV here along with a stereo head unit.
Both sides of the Hybrid models have two sliding windows employing toughened automotive glass that are darkly tinted and blend into the vans’ exterior graphics. The windows are fitted with Camec privacy and insect screens and augment the three insect-screened openings in the vinyl section in the pop-top.
On the opposite exterior wall there is reasonable storage available in the forward hatch with the kitchen stowed, while there is further storage in the much larger rear unit that can be reached from the inside under the vented panel that forms the base for the couch.
Following the exterior function the interior is all form. A lift-up memory foam bed takes up the front of the camper’s interior and twin lounges run either side of a carpeted central access channel. At the outward end of the seat bases are two sliding extensions on which you can place cushions to lengthen the comfort zone. The house battery lives under the bed in the storage area along with a drawer that you can access from below the front of the bed. There are numerous 240-, 12-volt and
USB charging points throughout the interior.
With such a focus on outside living there is a foxwing awning fitted to the Off-Road version as standard but not on the Tourer. Windsor does have an optional annexe to enclose the entry door for privacy and some weather protection but there is an insect screen door coming too which will make better use of the door and its potential as a fantastic viewing frame. Other changes mooted will be the re-positioning of the four LED interior lamps, and we’d suggest an exterior shower for the Tourer version too.
Prices at the show were $34,500 for the Tourer and $44,500 for the Off-Road Hybrid XC.
Words by Tim Scott and images by Sam Rees Jones
