Review: On The Move Caravans Grenade

This is going to be a longer review than normal. Forgive me – I have a lot to write about. It has to do with a brand I have always held in high esteem, and a model that I was the first to print a review on in this country. I’m referring to the On the Move Grenade, which appeared on the Australian caravan scene roughly 10 years ago. I was the editor of a well-known caravan mag at the time and On the Move was, to me, an exciting new entrant in the market.

The man who started the brand, Lenny Mifsud, had an infectious can-do attitude and a headful of ideas that others might have deemed crazy. But Lenny was never one to let others tell him what a caravan could be.

The Grenade was the second or perhaps third caravan in his burgeoning line-up. It was a ‘stick and tin’ construction at a time when composite materials were not in wide use. This model went some way towards establishing On the Move as a desirable offroad brand.

But times, and construction techniques, have changed. On the Move Caravans now has a new owner, and some models are being constructed in China before being imported here. The Grenade, which has been wholly re-imagined by the company’s owner, Robin Harris, is among the company’s imported vans.

I was invited to the launch of the new-look Grenade – a small gathering on a property in Eungella, NSW – in early July, where I was given the opportunity to get up close and personal with what is a very different rig to what I remember.

While there is still some stigma about Chinese-made caravans for the Australian market, as I poked around the Grenade, I wouldn’t have known it wasn’t locally made if I hadn’t been told. Sitting around the campfire, Robin told me about the effort that had gone into ensuring the overseas factory adhered to his build standards, and I do think the product is reflective of this. Without wanting to come off as naive, I could see that Robin is mindful of On the Move’s brand equity; that is, he understands its enviable reputation is only as good as the vans he builds.

TRULY TIMBER-FREE

The Grenade is now a timber-free caravan. Fibreglass sandwich panels and a honeycomb flooring system are the order of the day. It was explained to me that each wall panel interlocks with the other, a bit like a jigsaw puzzle, while aluminium blocking is used behind the panels to take the screws.

The Grenade is built upon a chassis made of 550-grade steel, which has the structural integrity to accommodate lightening holes – an engineering principle that, effectively, reduces weight without reducing strength. The 6in RHS chassis previously used for the Grenade has been traded for something almost automative in design and appearance.

Externally, the Grenade employs some interesting ideas, a couple of which are not widely used in the industry. Up front, you’ll find a powder-coated, folded aluminium storage box with slide-out trays either side – two 4.5kg gas cylinders fit within the offside tray. Two spare wheels sit upon the A-frame, directly behind the storage box. These spares are enclosed by a multi-sectional ramp system which, when folded out, provide the means to roll the spare to the ground, or back up to the A-frame. When folded closed, the individual sections act to secure the spare (or punctured tyre) in place. It’s an elegant solution and a genuine back-saver.

In the body of the van, towards the front, On the Move has given the Grenade a tunnel boot – with a difference. There are two hinged shelves that can be retained vertically out of the way if preferred, or lowered to provided a more functional storage space. Personally, I liked the idea – it’s simple but effective.

Here’s another idea I liked: two slide-out boxes constructed of powder-coated aluminium are mounted at the back of the van. But when you look further, you discover that they slide out from underneath the van to reveal two additional lockers. These storage systems stretch out about 1m from the rear of the van when open and are self-supporting; however, they have been tested to withstand a load of 40kg each.

What about the suspension? On the Move’s engineering team has worked in the Australian caravan industry for years, and has developed and refined a wishbone suspension system found exclusively on On the Move’s vans. The Grenade gets an airbag wishbone system with dual shock absorbers per wheel found.

As standard, the Grenade comes with 200Ah with of lithium and 400W of solar;  however, that can be upgraded to 400Ah and 800W. The van also comes with a Projecta PM300 power management system that includes a 2000W inverter, which can be upgraded to 3000W. Ultimately, it depends on your needs but if it were me, I’d go for the upgrades. Buy one, cry once, as they say.

While 200L of fresh water storage is provided as standard, this can be upgraded to 300L. A 100L grey water tank is standard too. The interesting thing about the water tanks, though, is that they are custom-made to fit in an around the suspension system, where they will have the least impact on ball weight when full. Given the spare wheels are fitted to the A-frame, this seems like a particularly good move.

Now, our review Grenade was missing an awning; however, as this van was something of a prototype, that will be rectified on production models. All the usual features are included, though, including a fold-down picnic table, speakers, and even a rear tunnel boot – external storage space is not in short supply.

ON THE MOVE SPACE RACE

Inside, the Grenade makes very good use of space… but it’s also a little different. You see, the bed lowers electrically to sit above the rear club lounge. This is not unique to On the Move but there aren’t too many manufacturers offering this design in Australia (or vans built overseas, for that matter). The idea is to provide all the features, requirements and comforts expected of a caravan without adding to the overall length.

At the push of a button, the bed lowers on 12V power. Robin pointed out that he’d designed it in such a way that the straps don’t impede access to the side overhead lockers in the rear of the van. However, on thing my partner noticed immediately was the fact that without a headboard, you’re likely to lose your pillow during the night. Robin agreed and within moments had formulated a solution for future vans. That aside, you’ve got to appreciate some of the other touches here, including the two corner units that act as bedside table when the bed is lowered. Complete with niches for things like reading glasses and books, they even come with wireless phone charging pads.

Amidships, on the offside, there’s a bench and storage unit, a TV mounting point and even an optional security display divided into quadrants. There’s cameras mounted on both sides and to the rear of the van, and underneath, with each feed showing simultaneously on the screen. From a security perspective, it’s a welcome feature.

The kitchen sits on the nearside, between the forward entry door and the bed/lounge. It gets a black sink and tapware, along with a four-burner cooktop, griller and convection microwave. In terms of bench space, you’ll be using the offside unit for things like meal prep, as the sink and oven take up the nearside space.

Considering the van has heavy things like spare wheels on the drawbar, from a balance perspective it’s unsurprising that the bathroom has been placed in the nose of the van while the heavier bed and lounge are at the rear. But the bathroom certainly looks the goods. It even comes with a front-loader washing machine. The nearside shower is fibreglass but made in sections and sealed with silicone, but it all seemed neatly applied. As a fun little touch, On the Move has even given it a shampoo/conditioner/body wash dispenser of the kind you might find in a hotel bathroom.

There’s quite a bit more to the interior, of course, but you get the idea. This is a space-saving layout with one eye on liveability and the other on functionality.

GORV’S VERDICT

There’s been a lot of water under the bridge since the Grenade was first launched all those years ago. New materials, appliances and construction methods have come to the fore, and the industry has evolved significantly. The new Grenade, therefore, is a very different van to what it was back then, so it isn’t relevant to compare the two. Instead, we should look at it for what it is now.

I can’t help but reflect on the fact that the spirit of lateral thinking which I associated with the One the Move caravans of old continues under Robin Harris’ leadership. Yes, this is a very different Grenade than the one I laid eyes on all those years ago, but is that a bad thing? Not at all. A business stands still at its own peril.

In the new-look Grenade, I see a solid van with a great deal of promise at a very good price. I reckon plenty of customers will view the unique ideas on show in this van favourably.

THE SCORE

FIT AND FINISH –

LAYOUT –

INNOVATION –

HITS & MISSES

COMPLETE SPECS