Victorian-based Supreme Caravans is not the largest manufacturer in Australia but the company does have a surprising number of models and layouts. My review Executive, is one of Supreme’s mid-range vans and has an external length of 6.4m (21ft).
LAYOUT & DESIGN
It comes with the familiar front bedroom, full-width rear bathroom (FBRB) layout and, while that might sound like a standard arrangement, a quick look at the Supreme website reveals just how many variants there are – depending, of course, on the length of the van.
This van has a rear entry door with the bathroom to the rear and everything else towards the front. In the case of our review van, the first thing that hits the eye is the stark monochrome colour scheme – black upholstery and upper cupboard doors, and white almost everywhere else, except for a few shades of grey in the benchtops, lower cupboard doors and curtains.
BEDROOM & STORAGE
Up front, there are no surprises with all the expected items such as bedside cabinets, overhead lockers and a small, rear bed shelf. The bed itself is surrounded by windows on all sides and a small roof hatch provides ventilation. Lifting the metal-framed, timber-slatted bed base gives easy access to the storage space underneath.
KITCHEN
In keeping with most FBRB layouts, the kitchen and dinette are mid-van, with the kitchen along the nearside wall and the dinette opposite. The kitchen bench is long enough to hold a four-burner cooktop complete with grill and oven, along with a stainless steel sink and drainer. That still leaves room for a reasonable amount of benchtop working space, which is further improved by the addition of a flush lid for the cooktop.
A little surprise was the kitchen window fitted with curtains – most manufacturers leave them off and just use the window integrated blind to minimise water splash. Below bench level is a generous amount of drawers and floor lockers, as well as a lone wire basket slide-out pantry. Above the kitchen bench are three overhead lockers, but the one nearest the entry door is fully-occupied with the control switch panel, which includes the radio/CD player and solar panel regulator.
A 186L Dometic fridge is sits between the dinette and bathroom. The microwave sits above and is set back slightly, so it’s not flush with the fridge. Another little kitchen feature is the narrow, four-door pantry that butts up against the bathroom wall nearest the entry door. Given the narrow depth, I think a few more shelves wouldn’t go astray.
I have to admit, the black upholstery of the cafe-style dinette does give it a classy look and it goes well with the overhead lockers. Between the seats, the tri-fold table comes with a couple of shelves underneath and can be pushed back to the wall if not needed. Hiding behind the under-table shelves are both 240V and 12V outlets, which, although slightly awkward to get at, are certainly welcome. Drawers at the end of the seats provide easy access to the under-seat area.
BATHROOM
Across the rear, the bathroom is slightly deeper than usual, mostly because it has to accommodate a top-loading washing machine that hides in a cupboard in the rear offside corner. That still leaves space for the cassette toilet in front of it and a vanity cabinet alongside.
In addition, there’s a good selection of drawers and overhead lockers, not to mention a wall mirror and pedestal-style wash basin. Naturally, there is also room in the nearside corner for a shower cubicle, complete with a flexible hose shower rose. Good ventilation is assured with two fan hatches and a small window above the loo.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Supreme Executive isn’t built as an offroad caravan but it’s certainly well-equipped for remote, self-contained travel. It’s built in the conventional Australian style and has features like a 150mm/6in railed chassis, which should be good on some of the rougher roads around the country. In addition, it has all of those features we have come to see as essential for our modern caravanning lifestyle.
MEASURING UP
I liked...
- Good-sized kitchen
- Tinted acrylic locker doors
- Neat electricals
- Excellent internal storage space
- Nice looking van
I would have liked...
- Better position for under-table power outlets
- A little bit of weight reduction
The full test appears in Caravan World #537 May 2015.