Goldstream RV 1760 RE CD Rhino Caravan Review

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When you’ve spent a career advising countless customers on caravans, watching as they build their dream, what do you do when it’s finally your turn? For Mitch Damyon, long-time employee of Goldstream RV, the answer was obvious: buy one of the very vans he has spent years selling.

This Goldstream 1760 RE CD Rhino is about to see Australia, from Port Augusta to Broome and so much more, as part of a big trip that Mitch and his wife have planned before Mitch finally retires. But this purchase will be their getaway machine for years to come. In some ways, it’s the culmination of a life’s work. But it also speaks to a salesman’s faith in the product he has sold for so many years.

With retirement on the horizon and a big trip around Australia mere weeks away, we convinced Mitch to hitch his new pride and joy to his brand new Patrol – which he also bought specially for this trip – to give us a peek inside and underneath. In fact, this would be the first time Mitch had even towed his new caravan!

PROPER PROTECTION

As its name suggests, the Goldstream is a 17ft 6in model with a rear ensuite and a centre door. The ‘Rhino’ in the name refers to the top-end options pack that this well-respected manufacturer offers. However, Mitch has included a few features above and beyond what you get in the Rhino pack, creating a pretty serious offroad caravan with genuine off-grid ability in the process.

The van is built atop 6in RHS SupaGal chassis rails that incorporates a 6in A-frame. While Cruisemaster air-bag suspension was an option for Mitch’s van, he ultimately opted for the new 3000kg-rated Cruisemaster ATX independent coil setup.

Goldstream has always framed its vans up in meranti timber and Mitch’s rig is no different. It’s clad with composite aluminium and checkerplate, and there’s no question that it’s a a solid, dependable piece of equipment. Checking underneath, everything is properly protected. To me, that’s the hallmark of a credible caravan manufacturer. If they haven’t bothered to shield vulnerable components beneath floor-level, what else have they neglected? That’s not the case here. Even the electric brake wiring runs inside of conduit directly to the wheel hubs.

You’ll also find one 95L water tank mounted slightly forward of the axle line where its impact on ball weight will be negligible, while the other tank is mounted slightly aft. The grey water tank is mounted to the rear. No complaints here – in fact, the entire underside looks neat and tidy. I appreciated that Goldstream had extended the grey tank’s checkerplate shielding to protect the dump outlet. Little things like that add confidence.

There are numerous aspects to the interior that work well. For example, the leading awning arm sits between the front window and tunnel boot lid, so it doesn’t block either from opening, as you’ll see on some vans. It’s hard to imagine Mitch having trouble with storage space, either, with an A-frame-mounted storage box and of course the tunnel storage that’s on offer.

As for 12V power, the van is equipped with a 300Ah lithium battery (with an IP67 rating, meaning it is submersible) fitted to the offside chassis rail inside a checkerplate box. On the roof you’ll find two 220W solar panels but Mitch’s energy input will be augmented by the onboard MiniBoost DC-DC charger, which should ensure the batteries are full when he arrives at camp. This 12V system is managed by the BMPRO BatteryPlus 35 HA BMS, which incorporates a Trek display inside the van.

But there’s no point having all that lithium power unless you’re going to use it. Thanks to the van’s 3000W inverter, however, Mitch and his wife will be able to run the reverse-cycle air-conditioner, watch telly, run their toaster and much more, all without hooking up to a 15A power outlet.

PURE GOLDSTREAM

The interior fitout is pure Goldstream, by which I mean, it’s second to none. Goldstream uses 15mm ply imported from Europe for its furniture, which is CNC-routed to precise tolerances. It’s unequivocally a quality finish.

The layout, however, is pretty conventional. It incorporates a north-south bed in the front, a cafe dinette on the nearside, kitchen on the offside, and a decent bathroom in the rear. There are, however, a few new touches found in this van for 2024. One of these is the bathroom overhead cabinetry, which returns above the toilet. By the way, Mitch opted for a Nature’s Head composting toilet rather than the standard cassette variety. While his experience with these units is limited, Mitch had heard very good things about them, as have I.

By fitting a wall-mounted washing machine, Goldstream has freed up space for storage in the bathroom vanity while still having space for linen, etc., below the washer.

Now, this van has the juice to run a compressor fridge too, but out of personal preference Mitch opted for a 188L absorption unit. Having gas as a back-up just makes sense, in his opinion. And on that subject, he opted for a Truma gas heater rather than a diesel unit, which is fitted under the lift-up bed base.

This is where you’ll also find the BMPRO gear, which also includes the excellent OdysseyLink system, along with the Projecta inverter. I loved that Goldstream had section off the heater, which will help to prevent damage given that this space would be used to store all kinds of stuff. Fitting the controller next to the bed, as Goldstream has done, makes sense as it means they can warm up the van in the morning without getting out of bed.

I am only scratching the surface of what this van contains, particularly thanks to the Rhino pack. There’s a the 12V ARL dust reduction system, instant gas hot water, reversing camera, anti-insect lights, shelves added to the wardrobes (a great idea), an upgraded mattress… the list goes on.

GORV’S VERDICT

Okay, the Tare weight of 2489kg is getting up there for a single-axle caravan. But in some ways, that speaks to the extensive list of equipment on board. In any case, Mitch’s Patrol won’t struggle even when the Goldie is fully laden to its 2965kg ATM.

Sure, Mitch could’ve added even more gear, but after a long career spent noting what works, what doesn’t, and what people really need as opposed to what they think they need, he has built a truly fit-for-purpose caravan that will last him and his wife the course of their retirement and will serve them well on their impending west coast adventure.