Caravan Review: Snowy River SRP-Nineteen

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Snowy River Caravans has risen to become one of Australia’s top-selling caravan brands. Made overseas for the Australian market, the range of Snowy Rivers certainly seems to have captured the attention of local caravanners.

There’s the SRC line-up, which starts at 14ft and goes all the way up to 24ft. There’s the SRT multi-terrain range of caravans, from 18ft to 22ft. And then there’s the new SRP stable of pop-tops available in 18ft and 19ft formats, each offering a bunk/family layout as well as a couple’s layout.

The SRP-Nineteen seen here is the 19-footer couple’s pop-top, and it contained more than a couple surprises. In August, we had the opportunity to spend some time with this interesting van. It had been a while since i’d checked out a pop-top such as this and, to this day, I think pop-tops are an excellent option for Australian travellers. The SRP-Nineteen reminded me why…

AUTO ROOF!

For a lot of people, the fact they need to lift the pop-top roof is a key reason they choose a full caravan instead. Fair enough – those roofs can be heavy, especially when there’s a roof-mounted air-conditioner involved. But the SRP range of Snowy River pop-tops solves this via an automatic lifting and lowering system. Just push a button on the remote control and electric rams will raise and lower the roof – no back-work required.

The system works well. I raised and lowered the roof multiple times. At no stage did it falter, and nor did the pop-top gusset snag or become squashed when being lowered. The only manual ‘labour’ that’s involved is releasing the external roof catch in each corner before opening the roof, and re-locking the catches for travel. It’s quite brilliant. Should the system fail, or perhaps there’s no juice left in the battery, the roof can be lifted and lowered manually.

Another neat feature: the pop-top gusset is given a separate one-piece insulating panel with zippered windows that correspond precisely with the zippered windows in the gusset itself. The result is going to be a warmer van, as it has been double-insulated, but it also makes it feel more homey inside.

In fact, ‘homey’ is a good word for this pop-top. With a queen-size bed in the front, a fabric-upholstered lounge on the nearside facing an offside kitchen, and a rear bathroom, the SRP-Nineteen’s layout works well, while remaining cosy and welcoming.

Being a pop-top, the overhead lockers are ‘slimline’, but the van doesn’t feel lacking in storage options. Under the bed, despite the fact the tunnel boot occupies some of this space, you’ll find a decent storage area too. There’s a small service hatch within the tunnel boot ply housing, facilitating access to the back of the instant hot water service – a welcome detail. I also liked that the mattress base’s gas struts connected to separate, reinforcing timbers mounted to the ply bed frame.

While the wardrobes don’t have niches, there are decent bedside tables, each with a 240V point and a wireless phone charging pad. The reading lights, meanwhile, contain in-built USB points, so there is no lack of power access in the bedroom.

The kitchen contains a gas cooktop, griller and oven, an under-bench slide-out pantry, a 175L Thetford compressor fridge, and a stainless steel sink with flick-mixer tap. Our review unit contained quite a lot of silicone to seal up the plumbing under the sink – some plastic collars or similar would finish that off nicely.

Then there’s the bathroom. It is certainly presented nicely – the linen storage is a great touch. There’s a cassette toilet, a vanity and a shower with a vinyl gusset for the top section. This is a pop-top, after all. On that note, Snowy River has given the ensuite a fabric curtain on a traditional rail, meaning it doesn’t create any impediments when the roof is raised or lowered. It would be worth tying up the bottom of the curtain, though, when packing up, as it will otherwise drag on the ground when the roof is down.

Overall, the SRP-Nineteen has a lovely interior. It isn’t flashy or trying to be something it isn’t. It’s simply warm and inviting.

SNOWY RIVER CARAVANS CONSTRUCTION

Built on a 4in galvanised chassis, the SRP-Nineteen has what Snowy River refers to as Alopex sandwich panel construction. Essentially, the Alopex walls are sandwich panels using XPS foam, which provides not only the structural integrity of the pop-top but insulation as well. These panels come with a five-year structural warranty.

The van rolls on 15in wheels and independent torsion suspension. Underneath are two 95L water tanks; however, a grey water tank isn’t provided with this rig.

The 12V system, meanwhile, is comprised of one 100Ah chassis-mounted lithium battery, with a second steel box provided in case you wish to add a second battery later. As standard, the SRP-Nineteen is equipped with two 180W solar panels. The Projecta PM200 Intelli-RV power management system is fitted too.

Some of the other external features include a fold-down picnic table, a couple of speakers (there are two inside, too) linked to the internal single-DIN stereo system, a rear camera and a manual roll-out awning.

It adds up to a good-value exterior that’s as nicely presented as the interior. It isn’t an offroad pop-top – instead, this van is more of a blacktop tourer capable of a night or two off-grid here and there.

Weight-wise, it’s a manageable 1972kg Tare and has an ATM of 2500kg. That’s a payload capacity of 528kg which, for a single-axle on-road tourer such as this, seems quite reasonable.

Just briefly, our van was a prototype and as such, it was fitted with a few items that will change on production vans. These are the patterned light fixtures (future vans will have a fixtures without the pattern), the towel rail (will be replaced by three towel hooks), and the Cowfish Vantenna TV antenna will be replaced with an AntennaTek LPDA200 aerial.

SUMMING UP

In case you are wondering, yes, there is scope to customise the SRP-Nineteen, within reason, and there is a wide range of interior colours and finishes to choose from.

There’s some great value to be found in the Snowy River SRP-Nineteen. As someone with lower back issues, I found the electric roof mechanism a particularly welcome feature. Taking into account the price and all of the standard features, I can see why Snowy River has become so popular. If you’re looking for bang for buck, the SRP-Nineteen is worth your time.