Caravan Review: Majestic Navigator 18ft 6in

Once in a while, I come across a van that truly impresses me. It happened recently, in fact. I was scheduled to pick up a Majestic Navigator 18ft 6in single-axle caravan. The Navigator is the top-end offroader in the Majestic Caravans line-up and as I towed it along the highway in incredibly strong cross-winds, I was grinning from ear to ear.

The Navigator is available in a range of different sizes and layouts. The 18ft 6in rig is one of the babies of the bunch, but the 19ft 6in model, I’m told, is the most popular caravan in Majestic’s entire line-up. This 18ft 6in van is the second-most popular. Either way, I wanted to take it home with me. Let’s step inside…

INSIDE THE MAJESTIC NAVIGATOR

Majestic really has come a long way over the years. This, to me, was not a run-of-the-mill caravan. Instead, the fit and finish and attention to detail, along with a sensible, functional layout, sets it apart.

The cabinetry throughout is second-to-none. It was the little things that secured my attention. The fact that there was a powerpoint recessed into the nearside overhead locker space, behind the locker door, and the general rigidity and design of the bedside drawers are cases in point.

I loved the drawer at the L-shaped dinette, too. It’s a small drawer but the fact it opens into the leg space rather than the walkway makes total sense. The lounge is upholstered in faux leather. This upholstery extends to the face of the drawer and the snap-up foot rest, too.

Meanwhile, the nearside kitchen comes with a cooktop, griller and oven, along with a pull-out under-bench pantry, classy black sink and tapware – including a filtered drinking water tap. Bench space in this model is a little limited, given the compact nature of this caravan; however, the cooker is recessed into the bench, with a hinged section of benchtop above. Further, the floor entry/exit points of the grey water and gas lines aren’t gapped with giant gobs of silicone (a pet hate of mine). Instead, they’re very neatly finished off – this is the kind of finish you’d expect when paying tens of thousands of dollars for a caravan.

The bedroom is a real winner, too. With two ceiling-mounted Sirocco fans and bedside niches, a couple of overhead lockers and wardrobe space with niches, it comes together nicely. Majestic Caravans even included a switch in the middle of the upholstered bedhead to allow either partner in the bed to turn on the bathroom light – brilliant. The niches are fitted with 240V powerpoints; however, the USB charging points are limited to the integrated points in the multidirectional reading lights. Personally, I’d prefer them in the niches instead so that you could more easily leave your device to charge overnight.

The Majestic Navigator comes with a large, gal-lined tunnel boot, and the housing for this boot encroaches somewhat on the under-bed storage space; however, there is still some space left over for gear. I’ll also point out that the lip of the bed base ply has been properly edge-banded – the amount of times I’ve seen raw, exposed plywood here is ridiculous. So, a big tick to Majestic on that.

The full-width rear bathroom is a little on the squeezy side. That’s a consequence of the overall size of this 8ft 6in van, which is perhaps why the 19ft 6in model is more popular among customers. Having said that, this model is lighter and theoretically easier to store – caravan design always involves trade-offs.

Nonetheless, the bathroom is equally well finished and still contains the essentials, including a cassette toilet, central vanity and offside, fully-moulded fibreglass shower cubicle. Somehow, Majestic has even included a linen cupboard that includes a top-loading washing machine. It really is a good piece of design, notwithstanding the compact nature of the space.

Among the other internal features, you’ll find a roof-mounted reverse-cycle air-conditioned, an RV Wi-Fi system, a Thetford 274L compressor fridge/freezer, a microwave and more. Oh, there’s even a BMPRO BatteryPlus 35 battery management system with OdysseyLink and a Fusion sound system.

If it sounds like I loved the interior of this van, it’s because I did. Well done.

ON THE OUTSIDE

The Majestic Navigator is built on a 4in SupaGal chassis with a 4in raiser. It has a 6in extended A-frame allowing room for a large checkerplate storage box complete with jerry can holders and a slide-out tray on the offside. In front, you’ll find two 9kg gas cylinders protected by a mesh stoneguard.

The 12V system on this van is impressive. As standard, it is equipped with three 100Ah lithium batteries mounted to the offside chassis rail, behind protective checkerplate. The batteries are kept up to charge thanks to three 170W roof-mounted solar panels.

Meanwhile, Majestic has fitted two 95L fresh water tanks forward of the axle line, along with a 95L grey water tank to the rear. All PVC plumbing has been wrapped in a protective conduit material similar to aggie piping – fantastic. The tip of the grey water spout, however, isn’t protected. Could this be protected too? 

I noticed that the town water inlet is mounted behind a chassis rail, out of harm’s way. The rest of the van’s underside looks neat and tidy as well – the cabling to the electric brakes is wrapped up nice and tight.

Features of the exterior include that large tunnel boot, a large Fusion speaker, a roll-out awning, an LED light bar at the front and rear, and even a dual reversing camera. When it’s time to watch the cricket under the awning, it’s just a matter of fitting a flatscreen TV to the arm mounted inside the nearside ‘entertainment locker’ – power and antenna connections are included here too, naturally.

It is worth pointing out that this particular van has a payload capacity of 368kg. With both water tanks and gas cylinder full, that would leave 160kg to account for gear and food, etc., which is manageable. Were you to travel with the grey water tank full as well, that number would come down. Just something to be mindful of and manage your payload/water storage accordingly.

I didn’t experience any problems when towing this van. I drove to the conditions – very windy on the day – and the Navigator tracked steady and true.

GORV’S VERDICT

This is one classy caravan. From the fit and finish to the features list, it has a great deal to offer. While I didn’t tow it in extreme offroad conditions, I think that if treated with care, it would absolutely handle a bit of rough and tumble without any issues.

I’d honestly like to have this van in my driveway. Or, better still, hitched to my 4WD as I explored the best country in the world: Australia.

THE SCORE

FIT AND FINISH –

LAYOUT –

INNOVATION –

HITS & MISSES

COMPLETE SPECS