Campbellfield, Vic-based On The Move Caravans scored the gong as winner in the $80K-plus category in last year’s Best Aussie Vans with its Grenade Series II, so we were interested to see how its entrant in the $65K-$80K category, the Traxx, would go this year. And, like the Grenade before it, the Traxx did not disappoint, wowing the judges and taking top honours in its category.
LAYOUT & DESIGN
When you step up into the Traxx via the manual step and through the triple-lock security door, you are presented with a bright and airy living space. The white walls and ceiling contrast nicely with the pale brown timber veneer of the vacuum-formed cabinetry. The double-glazed hopper windows are large and, together with the ceiling hatches, allow in plenty of light. All the windows and ceiling hatches are mesh-screened and fitted with blinds.
This is a straightforward layout, in principle, with an entry door in the middle, front island bed, centre kitchen and cafe dinette, and a rear bathroom. But where the Traxx really differs is in the detail.
The onboard electronics are quite sophisticated in the Traxx. It has a 170Ah lithium battery, two 150W solar panels, a 35A charger and a FinScan Nucleus controller to monitor it all. The FinScan controls all the DC electronic needs and battery management, and also monitors water tank levels. You can even control and monitor the functions from your smartphone via Bluetooth while you’re away from the van. The use of lithium is not a first for a caravan but, nonetheless, it’s still very innovative and adds massively to the Traxx’s free-camping credentials.
BEDROOM & DESIGN
The island bed, on your left as you walk into the van, lifts up with gas-strut assist to reveal a modest storage space. The external tunnel boot takes up some of the real estate under the bed, meaning the internal storage space is only about half the bed length.
The bed area has two reading lights and ample storage, with a narrow wardrobe each side of the bed plus a lower drawer and cupboard. Above the bed head are three storage lockers. There are a few nice touches here, such as a bedside table on each side – often forgotten in island bed configurations – and the alcove at the bed head is padded so you don’t bump your head on the hard cabinetry. There are double-pole powerpoints on each side of the bed close to the floor and a triangular corner cupboard at the rear of the bed on the offside.
As you step inside and to the right, you immediately notice the width of the walkway – it’s very generous, which means you don’t feel like you’re clambering around on top of one another when inside. Such a spacious layout is not a given in a caravan and this really makes the Traxx stand apart from many others.
KITCHEN
The kitchen is at midships on the offside. The amount of food preparation space on the laminate benchtop is quite generous alongside the deep, stainless steel, single-tub sink and the Swift 500 Series four-burner cooktop at the forward end of the bench. Below the cooktop is a grill and oven. Above the cooktop, the rangehood houses two LED downlights. There are two overhead lockers, with the microwave also housed overhead.
Below the bench are four drawers, a cupboard and a small storage space with a drop-down door. All the drawers inside the van are soft close and all the lockers have strut-assistance. Further towards the rear is the 175L fridge-freezer, below which is another cupboard.
Opposite the kitchen is the cafe-style dinette with a tri-fold table. The seats each have a fold-out footstool at the end. Below the table is a small, two-door cupboard and above the dinette are three large lockers.
BATHROOM
The bathroom is at the rear of the van behind a sliding door. The nearside corner shower is a generous size and is accessed via a rear-hinged opaque glass door. It has a neat drain grate with ‘On The Move’ laser-cut into it! The shower recess has a moulded lip for soap, etc., and the shower rose pole also has a handy tray fitted. Above the shower is an LED downlight and a small, screened hatch with a 12V ventilation fan.
The ceramic Thetford cassette toilet is on the offside, with the top-loading washing machine sitting in the vanity unit on the rear wall of the caravan, accessed by a rear-hinged hatch. Alongside the washing machine is a raised ceramic sink and beneath this are three drawers and a two-shelf cupboard. Above the sink are a large mirror and two generous lockers.
THE BOTTOM LINE
All in all, On The Move’s Traxx is a very well-featured and impressively-built caravan with a high degree of electronics sophistication. It seems like the perfect accompaniment to an outback tour and this is a van for which extended free-camping periods would not present a problem. The combination of generous battery and solar capacity is a particular strength of the Traxx, not to forget its generous 190L water capacity. For a couple who want to get away from it all, the Traxx has the visual appeal, quality build and real remote bush camping ability, and is a very deserving winner of the $65K-$80K category.
HITS & MISSES
Pros…
- Free-camping ability
- Large payload
- Spacious living area
Cons…
- Limited internal and external storage.