Review: Tango Caravans The Clan

Caravanning doesn’t always have to be about the rough and tumble of offroad travel. When you have a large family, it’s important to have a van that caters for each person, that strikes the right balance in terms of Tare weight and payload capacity, and has appropriate amounts of storage and living space.

Tango Caravans recently launched The Clan, a series of caravans with a focus on the family. It is available in a range of different sizes and, yes, you could have it built as an offroader if you wanted to. However, the van we hitched up was a blacktop tourer with a very attractive, practical layout for families. It’s a 22ft 6in model with a club lounge, split bathroom and much more.

A FAMILY TRIBUTE

Tango Caravans is owned and operated by Sarah Horter, who has grown up in the caravan manufacturing industry. This van is intended as a kind of tribute to her family and Scottish heritage. The tartan decals are, in fact, her family’s tartan.

Stepping inside, it’s easy to see how comfortable a family would be in this van. Sarah said it took a few builds to get the layout right, but the effort appears to have been worth it.

There are three bunks stretched across the rear wall of the van, each with a reading light with an integrated USB point for charging devices. Often, when a van is fitted with three bunks, head room feels a bit limited; however, in this van, there is loads of space for each kid to be comfortable.

A large club lounge sits along the offside wall, facing the kitchen. The table is mounted to a telescopic leg – just push a button with your foot and push the table down to create the base for yet another bed. A couple of dual 240V powerpoints have been fitted to the wall either side of the dinette, and the reading lights here also have integrated USB points; however, I’d prefer to have these points in the leg well of the dinette so as to keep cables out of the way.

While the black sink and tapware are classy, it’s the bench space and general layout of the kitchen that appealed to me. There’s a full stove, including a griller and oven, that’s recessed below the bench. A hinged section above provides yet more bench space. Tango Caravans has neatly built a microwave into the overhead cabinetry, while a large fridge-freezer sits between the dinette and bunks.

One of the highlights in The Clan is the split bathroom, which sits between the main living quarters and the parents’ bedroom. A fully-moulded fibreglass shower is built nicely into the nearside, while the toilet and vanity is on the offside. There’s even room for a small top-loader washing machine in the vanity. Aesthetically, it is great.

A small point, however. The bathroom’s ‘accordion style’ door folds vertically towards the nearside when closed, which is fine, but I noticed that these folds impede the under-bench kitchen pantry from fully opening. Having said that, it’s still a very attractive setup.

The front bedroom, meanwhile, offers a decent amount of space either side of the bed, a full compliment of overhead lockers and wardrobes either side. Each wardrobe has a niche with 12V and 240V powerpoints, and Tango has included 12V fans either side, facing the bed – perfect for those hot, sticky nights.

Storage space throughout the van is another highpoint. I loved the large, spacious cupboard, which includes drawers, in the entryway. Those important creature comforts haven’t been forgotten either. There’s a reverse-cycle air-conditioner mounted to the roof, a TV and more.

In terms of living space and and comfort, Tango has done particularly well with 22ft 6in The Clan.

HOW TANGO CARAVANS BUILDS THE CLAN

The Clan is built from meranti timber clad with composite aluminium atop a 6in chassis with 2in riser. As mentioned, it’s not an offroader but, towed with care, some undulations, etc., should be fine. The suspension is a standard tandem beam-axle leaf-spring setup, while the wheels are 15in alloys.

The water supply is comprised of two 95L tanks mounted either side of the axle set and protected by galvanised sheeting. A grey water tank is not fitted; however, Tango can fit one on request.

The 12V system, meanwhile, is made up of two 100Ah deep-cycle batteries mounted to the offside chassis rail and, yes, a battery management system is included to ensure optimal charging and maintenance of the batteries. Two 170W solar panels are fixed to the roof, too.

Up front, Tango has fitted two 9kg gas cylinder to the A-frame, along with a fresh water tap. There’s a tunnel boot complete with a light – the breakaway brakes system is fitted to the offside end of the boot.

Tango Caravans hasn’t forgotten the all-important picnic table, either. What’s more, it requires no keys to open! There’s a couple of speakers, a roll-out awning, three LED external lights, quick-drop corner stabilisers, and even a reversing camera.

An ‘entertainment locker’ with a TV arm and relevant connections isn’t included. Being a family van, it would be a welcome addition, but nonetheless, this van is clearly built for family comfort and convenience, with most of the external features you could want or need.

GORV’S VERDICT

The Clan by Tango Caravans is large and lovely. Furthermore, it towed quite well. With a Tare of 2510kg and an ATM of 3200kg, our van offered a payload capacity of 690kg – more than reasonable for a van of this nature.

Family vans come in all shapes and sizes but not all are as thoughtfully appointed and designed as the The Clan. If you’re looking to hit the road with a family of two adults and three kids, it’s worth a good look.

THE SCORE

FIT AND FINISH –

LAYOUT –

INNOVATION –

HITS & MISSES

COMPLETE SPECS