Review: Spinifex Nomadix 20ft 6in

The plan was to meet up with Mark Evans (or as his the team at Spinifex Caravans calls him, Hollywood) in the beautiful hinterland town of Kenilworth, Qld. From there, we were going to head down an offroad track to a beautiful campground where Mark would show me through the all-new Spinifex Nomadix. However it wasn’t that simple.

Mark pulled up and we had a quick chat before I took hold of the steering wheel and headed up the narrow winding roads through the hinterland. The van handled beautifully, sitting on its independent Cruisemaster suspension, this one fitted with airbags set to the ideal ride height which also considers the weight on board. This model had a Tare of 2760kg and an internal measurement of 20ft 6in – Spinifex measures its vans internally. 

However, I felt as though this van towed like a much smaller, lighter van. The Spinifex Nomadix felt comfortable and stable the whole way.

CREEK CROSSINGS IN THE SPINIFEX NOMADIX

Eventually, we pulled off the bitumen onto a corrugated gravel road. Once again, the van felt totally solid and handled the bumps and potholes well. We then came across a couple creek crossings. The bottom of the creeks were hard but rough, so it was slow going; however, due to the ride height and ground clearance, this was not an issue for the Spinifex Nomadix. We were able to cruise straight over each crossing. Some of the tracks into the campground were windy and tight with low-hanging tress but at no point did the van feel cumbersome or unstable.

When we arrived at our campsite with the Spinifex Nomadix, we jumped out and Mark began to level the van – not with ramps but with the airbag suspension. There is an onboard compressor, which allows you to use a control panel in a compartment on the outside to level the van. He then set-up the awning. This was a quick and easy one-person job which meant I could stand back and admire the exterior styling of the van.

It is a modern-looking model, with greys and blacks, and understated branding. It looks sleek. Around the outside of the van, underneath the awning, there are opportunities for cooking and entertainment, powerpoints and a TV mount. This model I was looking at had been upgraded with a bigger electrical system from Victron, removing the need for gas. You can even use the exterior powerpoint to power an induction cooker. Yes, that’s right: this particular van had a 3000W inverter coupled to three 200Ah Victron lithium batteries – cooking needs are sorted. The van also comes with 700W of solar. 

There were also large amounts of external storage as well as service access to things like your fridge, toilet and even Starlink access.

When I stepped inside, I felt the luxury immediately. Despite being a ruggedly capable, fully offroad van, the inside is far from ‘rugged’. This van had the kitchen to your left as you walk in and a nice bathroom with enough room to house a stand-up washing machine in there too, which is my personal preference over a wall-mounted unit. There was plenty of dining space, with a queen bed and a large amount of storage. This particular van, being gas-less, removed the need for a traditional cooktop, which also allowed for more bench space. With 20ft 6in being the internal measurement, it felt spacious for its size.

Spinifex is a top-tier brand within the industry and always has been. They’re known for top-end quality vans in the higher price range; however this van was built to be lighter to tow and lighter on your wallet. But that doesn’t mean Spinifex has skimped on quality. From bottom to top, that same top-end Spinifex quality is seen right through this more affordable van, from the way the company has mounted the stabilisers to ensure they don’t shake loose, to the quality of the sealing on the roof. These sound like small things; however, if the small details have clearly been thought about, it seems the company would be thoughtful with the more obvious things that are noticed every day. 

A lot of people these days seem to be under the impression that bigger is better. While 20ft 6in is not a small van by any means, it is also not as big as the titanics you sometimes see on the road. 

Everyone’s needs and wants are different when it comes to caravans; however, this van is really designed for couples or solo travellers, and if you step inside the Spinifex Nomadix and feel as though you need more space, then you need to invite less people to your caravan parties! 

GORV’S VERDICT

If you start going much bigger and heavier than this, you may need to either buy a bigger and more expensive tow vehicle or do an expensive GVM upgrade. Not only does your vehicle become more expensive, so does the cost of towing as well as the cost of the van. 

Spinifex has really managed to reduce the weight and cost while maintaining quality and value. Some companies will say they can do the same; however, it’s the quality of the Spinifex build that sets them apart.

THE SCORE

FIT AND FINISH –

LAYOUT –

INNOVATION –

HITS & MISSES

COMPLETE SPECS