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Unlike cars, black is an unusual exterior colour choice for caravans. It’s harder to keep clean, shows scuffs and scratches more than lighter colours, and unlike traditional white caravans has a tendency to absorb rather than reflect heat – not ideal when travelling in summer.
But that hasn’t stopped Melbourne funeral director and president of the recently-formed New Age Caravans Owners Club, Bryan Crow, from ordering a unique, all-black exterior for his latest caravan.
According to Crow, his New Age 22ft Oz Classic Slider model is the first, and possibly last, New Age caravan to feature gloss black Alucobond exterior panels, although New Age has been displaying a silver/grey Alucobond clad ‘prototype’ caravan at recent shows.
Although Alucobond panels are specifically designed for commercial applications such as exterior signage and building fascias, Crow was keen to try the jet-black aluminium composite panels in an RV application due to their “wow factor”.
“I’m a person who likes to do things with a wow factor,” he said. “If I do something I want to do it so it’s noticeable in one way or another.”
Available in a range of colours and patterns, Alucobond features a “factory applied coil coated PVDF paint finish” described as “weather-resistant, unbreakable, shock-resistant, vibration absorbent and easy to install". However, Crow admitted it was still a “gamble” as they are yet to be proven in the RV industry.
“The concern is will it discolour,” he said, though admitting similar panels used outside the Melbourne funeral home where he works as well as his sister’s florist shop, have held up well over a number of years.
One drawback is that the deep gloss finish does scratch easily (it’s supplied with a protective, peel-off foil) and Crow has already applied several costs of wax to help preserve the mirror-like finish.
“It scratches, especially if you polish and rub it with a rag, it will leave marks. It’s something I’ve learnt that I’ve got to be pretty careful with,” he explained.
Some stick-on silver and grey decals have also been added to the side panels of Crow’s caravan, despite the Alucobond manufacturer warning that “the panel surfaces must not be marked using ink (marker), adhesive tapes or stickers, as the lacquered surfaces could be damaged by solvents or plasticisers”.
Adding to the cost and time to build his unique van, the rest of the exterior has been ‘blacked out’, apart from a couple of items like the white reversing camera at the rear.
“They spent a lot of time sending stuff away to be powdercoated or treated to change everything outside that would normally be white, like the hot water service and gas vents for the fridge. Even the awning has been rolled on in reverse to make it black."
The interior colour scheme is a more conventional 'New Age' grey, silver and black, albeit brightened up with fluoro orange and yellow towels, throw-overs and a multi-coloured bedspread.
“(New Age) said to me our preference is probably not to build another one in that black, because I watched it being built and I saw the time they spent on it and it was just phenomenal,” he said.
Any future repairs could also pose problems.
“If anything happens dramatically I will probably be vinyl wrapping it,” he said. “We haven’t looked into that scenario yet, but that’s the risk I’m taking…”
The so-called ‘Midnight Jewel’ caravan made its public debut at the inaugural New Age Owners Club get-together in Victoria recently. It was also set to be the star of the New Age stand at this week’s Melbourne Leisurefest, but a lack of space caused a late withdrawal.
Like the Dibond panels made by the same European manufacturer and used on some Melbourne-built Roadstar caravans , the Alucobond panels add considerably to the caravan’s weight, pushing the ATM in this case to 3500kg.
However, Crow says his white, twin turbo V8 powered Volkswagen Touareg tow vehicle, handles the extra bulk with ease.
“Like the caravan the Touareg just turns everyone’s head because I just connect it up. I don’t use weight distribution hitches or anything because it’s got air suspension,” he said.
“The Touareg is such an under-rated tow vehicle. I towed it up to Port Stephens and got 19.1L/100km with cruise control. It’s a brilliant thing for towing, it has so much grunt and you don’t even know it’s on the back.”
