Caravan Review: Royal Flair EcoMate 18

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The EcoMate has been an important part of the Royal Flair Caravans line-up for many years. In fact, it’s one of the company’s most popular vans. It’s focus is on off-grid living – and it’s built like a tank. Available in a range of sizes and layouts, we were invited to spend some time with the EcoMate 18, or EM18, an 18-footer on tandem axles that weighed just over 3000kg Tare. Yes, this was a substantial beast that spared no expense.

The EcoMate is one of Royal Flair’s top-end vans. Though it is fully customisable, the general concept behind the EM range is one of self-sufficiency – the specs of our review EM18 hint at a purpose-built off-grid warrior. I’m talking 600Ah of lithium batteries, 1000W of solar – which can be upgraded to 2400W – a 3000W inverter, a generous amount of fresh and grey water storage, and a great deal more.

ROYAL FLAIR EM18 CONSTRUCTION

Built on a truss chassis with 6in main bearers, the Royal Flair EM18 doesn’t have a frame in the traditional sense. Instead, the walls are made from one-piece 18mm ply clad with composite aluminium and black checkerplate. All external steel components, from the chassis to the checkerplate, has been finished in a special protective compound that can be touched-up when necessary.

Sitting on Cruisemaster ATX airbag suspension with 16in wheels and 12in electric brakes, the EM18 looks all business. Checking underneath, I noticed that all vulnerable components had been shielded, including the grey water tank spout – it’s amazing how often a manufacturer will fail to protect this part, even on a so-called offroad caravan. That’s not the case here. Again, this van is all business.

At the pointy end, you’ll find a DO45 coupling. After all, the ATM is 4000kg. There’s also a Black Jack Electric Trailer Jack – a great piece of equipment that takes the hard work out of hitching and unhitching – as well as a substantial storage box complete with dual slide-out trays. A couple of other storage lockers are provided as well.

Unsurprisingly, this is a gas-less caravan. All energy comes from the two 300Ah Enerdrive B-Tec batteries found in a locker on the rear-offside. The rooftop solar panels are stacked on a special slide-out system. Push a button and two panels slide out electrically, one either side, exposing the panels below to the sun. It’s a neat idea that allows for greater amounts of solar input.

The slide-out external kitchen, therefore, gets an induction cooktop rather than gas burners. I liked the fact that the water lines are permanently plumbed – no need to fiddle with taps.

Across the back, there’s a spare wheel mounted to the bumper, along with a firewood carrier.. Sensibly, Royal Flair has placed the tank for the onboard combined diesel water/air heater behind one of the two jerry can holders, affording the tank a bit of mechanical protection.

Among the other external features, this van gets the excellent omnidirectional Cowfish Vantenna TV antenna, a reversing camera, LED lights all around, and an ‘entertainment locker’ which is combined with the control panel for the airbag suspension. Effectively, all this equipment is behind the one locker door on the nearside.

The 12V nerve centre is found in a locker on the offside, behind a door with filtered vent and compression seals. It contains two MPPT solar regulators as well as a DC-DC charger – all Enerdrive equipment.

So yes, while the EM18 is a heavy van, especially for an 18-footer, it’s worth looking beneath the skin. This is a substantial build with seemingly no end to the features and equipment.

ELEVATED BED

An 18ft van with a rear club lounge and full bathroom is going to need a clever bed setup. In this case, Royal Flair has employed an elevated bed system that lowers over the dinette to whatever height you prefer. The bed stretches the full width of the van. As a result, there are no overhead lockers in the rear, but there is a generous array of storage nooks across the back wall.

Each corner has reading lights with in-built USB points, while a single 12V Sirocco II fan sits on the offside, above a wireless phone charger built into the offside bench, while another is fitted near the door.

I was immediately intrigued by the material used for all countertops. It’s called Thinscape, a stone-like material that’s scratch-resistant and capable of enduring hard impacts. It would be immeasurably more hardwearing than the laminated ply found in most vans. However, it is heavier, as I discovered in the ensuite when lifting a ‘lid’ section to access the top-loader washing machine beneath. The LED strip lighting just below the bench looks great.

The kitchen also gets an induction cooktop (2000-23000W) and a 274L compressor fridge, an array of cupboards and overhead lockers, a decent amount of bench space – especially on the offside – and filtered drinking water too.

The bathroom fills out the front end of the EM18. With a fully moulded fibreglass shower cubicle on the nearside and a cassette toilet on the offside, along with a stylish vanity that includes a Thinscape counter, its a very attractive space – much like the rest of the van.

A 24in smart TV is provided, along with speakers inside and out. There’s a microwave, an inverter compressor AC system, a wi-fi router, a Fusion sound system, an external Anderson plug to accommodate additional solar input, rated recovery points on the chassis, and a great deal more.

Internally and externally, the EM18 is solid. But it’s also cohesive. Nothing appears to have been bolted on as an afterthought.

Though it’s a weighty caravan, the EM18 is undeniably strong and well thought-out. I suspect the elevated bed system won’t suit everyone, but I have always thought they represented a versatile use of space.

GORV’S VERDICT

No corner of this van is wasted – everything serves a purpose. I am, however, interested to see how the use of Thinscape is welcomed by customers. On the face of it, it seems like a winner, given its durability. Personally, though, I’d prefer some other means of accessing the washing machine – as I mentioned, the Thinscape insert is a little heavy. That said, there’s no denying that it looks great and will outlast dust.

What are this van’s highlights? The 12V system, for one, including the stacked solar array. I also appreciate the bed setup, the arrangement of storage nooks, and the level of protection afforded all vulnerable components underneath. The Royal Flair EM18 is a sincere offroad, off-grid lifestyle caravan that brooks very few compromises.