The Spinifex EpiX has an external length of 6.71m (22ft) and, like all of the Spinifex line-up, is built for offroad use. It, therefore, comes with a number of features that make it good for offroad travel and remote camping.
LAYOUT & DESIGN
Starting inside, the entry door is towards the rear, with a full-width rear bathroom to the right of the door and everything else towards the front. That includes the nearside kitchen bench, offside dinette and two single beds lining the wall up front. It has a contemporary interior with a white/light grey finish with a darker shade for the benchtops and overhead lockers doors. I should point out that Spinifex customers can choose their own colours. LED light fittings are in abundance with the switches in all the right places.
BEDROOM & STORAGE
Up front, each single bed gets side and front windows, a bedhead shelf, side and front overhead lockers, an airspace shelf, a Sirocco 12V fan and a posture slat bed base. Between the beds is a wardrobe with hanging space and a drawer, and the step up to the beds also comes fitted with a couple of drawers. Herein lies one of the advantages of single beds. Within reason, they can be built at any height and both the under-step and under-bed areas can be used for storage. So, the higher the bed, the more storage space available.
KITCHEN
Another advantage of single beds is that no walk-around space is required at the base of the bed. That might sound like I’m stating the obvious, but it actually saves almost 300mm (12in) of space which means you can have a shorter caravan or features such as a longer kitchen bench, larger dinette or, in this case, more cupboard space. 300mm might not sound like much but, in RV terms, it’s an incredible amount of space, which is why the EpiX’s kitchen bench looks much longer than most.
Yes, it does have the usual features like a stainless steel sink with drainer, four-burner cooktop, grill and oven, but it also includes an under-bench microwave, instead of the more common position above the fridge. Built into the kitchen area is a good array of overhead lockers, drawers and cupboards, all with easy-to-use but secure handles. A 240L Vitrifrigo 12V compressor fridge is built into a cabinet between the dinette and bathroom. In addition to the fridge, there’s also a vertical array of cupboards between that and the dinette. That’s what can be done with the extra 300mm.
Opposite the kitchen, there are no real surprises with the dinette. It’s cafe-style and comes with a tri-fold table, as well as an under-table cupboard. Above the table are both 240V and 12V outlets and a large window which gives a good view of the outside world.
BATHROOM
Across the rear, the bathroom has the full kit. It includes a top-loading washing machine and comes with a vanity cabinet that occupies most of the rear wall, with the angled door shower cubicle fitting into the nearside corner. That leaves enough space on the offside wall for the china bowl Thetford cassette toilet, which comes with an SOG ventilator.
THE BOTTOM LINE
There is no doubt that the EpiX is built for offroad travel – in style and comfort. The single bed layout changes the operating dynamic, which positively affects areas like the kitchen and storage capacity, both external and internal. It’s also going to have advantages for downsizing, without too much compromise.
MEASURING UP
I liked...
- Single bed layout
- External bin capacity
- Kitchen bench layout
- External and internal lighting
I would have liked…
- Nothing more of note
The full test appears in Caravan World #539 July 2015.