Caravan Review: Pacific Pathfinder 17ft

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Big caravans have their place and I always appreciate the living space they offer. However, single-axle rigs, about 18ft in body length, are my preference. They’re lighter, a little easier to tow, and when built smartly, offer a decent compromise between living space and overall size.

So when Pacific Caravans offered me some time with its brand new 17-footer, the Pathfinder, I was hitching it up in a heartbeat to find out what it offered.

Pacific Caravans is the sister company of Atlantic Caravans, and has been in business since 2012, starting out with traditional ‘stick and tin’ construction methods before maturing into fibreglass sandwich panel construction.

I backed my MU-X up to the compact Pathfinder’s drawbar, lowered the DO35 coupling onto the tow pin, and set off down the highway.

UNDER TOW

The first thing to know about this 17ft Pathfinder is that it is relatively light. With a Tare of 2040 and an ATM of 2800kg, it’s a good match for a vehicle like the MU-X, with a generous payload capacity. Its unladen ball weight of 200kg is about what you’d expect, too.

I towed the van in reasonable weather conditions at speeds up to 100km/h and it didn’t sway or porpoise on the towbar.

The fibreglass sandwich panel construction was an immediate tick in this van’s favour, as far as I was concerned. The walls are about 40mm thick, with a thin skin of fibreglass either side of a high density structural foam core. The roof is also a one-piece construction, running from the front to the rear, with checkerplate added at either end.

The storage options are fairly standard. They include a full-width tunnel boot and a storage box fabricated from checkerplate mounted to the A-frame. This storage box has a point of difference, though. Whereas most similar boxes would have an offside and nearside door, perhaps with a slide-out tray each, this box has those doors plus a lid for access from above. The doors also get a jerry can holder each, and I liked that Pacific Caravans had thought to add some checkerplate protection to the gas regulator – not something we see as often as we should.

While the offside storage compartment has a slide-out tray to suit a 2kVA generator, I reckon Pacific could’ve fitted one to the nearside, too, since there’s a nearby gas bayonet.

Nonetheless, it’s pretty well fitted out on the outside. There’s a couple of external speakers under the roll-out awning, an LED light bar at the front and rear, as well as under the awning, a reversing camera (the in-cab display is provided at hand-over), and a spare wheel mounted to the three-stay bumper.

The Pacific Caravans Pathfinder has a reasonable amount of clearance, given that the 6in chassis rails sit atop the 6in A-frame, which runs back to the 3500kg-rated OzTrekker independent coil suspension. Because of the high-riding attitude of the van, Pacific Caravans has thankfully given the van a fold-out step with two treads.

On the underside, you’ll find two 95L water tanks and a grey water tank. If you were to take the van offroad or along extended gravel tracks, I’d consider first wrapping the PVC in a protective material. It otherwise appears neat and tidy.

The standard 12V system on this van is quite generous. It is comprised of two 100Ah deep-cycle lead-acid batteries hooked up to dual 190W roof-mounted solar panels.

It all adds up to a well-considered external package. The fundamentals are there for enjoyable extended touring. But let’s take a look inside…

INSIDE THE PACIFIC CARAVANS PATHFINDER

The internal layout is the time-honoured forward bed, rear bathroom variety. It works well for a van such as this. With an L-shaped lounge on the nearside and a kitchen opposite, there’s a genuine sense of space, without compromising on the essential comforts.

The 17ft Pacific Caravans Pathfinder doesn’t have a front window; therefore, the space between the overhead lockers and bed head is filled with a padded vinyl. That bed base is wrapped in the same material, even extending to the top edges which become visible when the bed base is lifted to access the storage space beneath. It’s a small detail but small details matter when you’re paying tens of thousands of dollars.

There’s a niche either side of the bed complete with a 240V and 12V power point. In a van such as this, most manufacturers would place the hot water service beneath the offside wardrobe. Instead, it has been fitted under the kitchen sink. Meanwhile, the BPRO BatteryPlus35 battery management system and Odyssey Link system are also mounted at floor level beneath the kitchen bench. This works because it frees up space in an overhead locker. The OdysseyLink sends crucial data about the van, such as the battery state of charge, to the Trek display in the entryway.

In a van such as this, kitchen bench space is always going to be tight. However, with the cooktop and griller recessed below, there’s a hinged section that can be utilised. I did feel that the kitchen bench needed a 240V powerpoint, though. It does offer a reasonable amount of storage, though, along with a microwave and a 184L absorption fridge/freezer.

The bathroom is a highpoint of the Pacific Caravans Pathfinder, in my view. Apart from being stylish, it offers a good amount of equipment, including a wall-mounted front-loading washing machine, an offside cassette toilet, central vanity, and a fully moulded fibreglass shower on the offside. Love the black tapware throughout, too.

Overall, the fit and finish appears to be done to quite a high standard. The CNC-cut cabinetry appears well done – each locker door is square and nicely aligned with opposing doors – and I didn’t notice any poor joins or unsightly gobs of silastic.

Other features include an Ibis 4 reverse-cycle air-conditioner, a 24in flatscreen TV, towel rails in the bathroom, a Fusion sound system… the list goes on.

GORV’S VERDICT

The 17ft Pacific Caravans Pathfinder appealed to me for a couple of reasons. First, it’s relatively light and sat nicely behind my 4WD. Second, the construction appears sound, while the interior doesn’t lack anything noticeable.

As I said, compact vans are my preference and were I in the market, the 17ft Pathfinder by Pacific Caravans would be on my list.