CARAVAN TEST
Badger Adventure Caravans is the newest fibreglass caravan manufacturer in the country and also one of the most innovative. Here’s our take on Badger’s top model, the Extreme.
Fibreglass caravans for couples are popular in South Africa, and a whole host of manufacturers cater to this need: Sherpa Leisure, Tojem and Panther Custom Caravans to mention some. And they all know, if you want to stand out, you need to make your mark.
Now Badger has also entered the local market, and they’re introducing a number of new elements you don’t see anywhere else in the caravan world. The most striking of these is how the bed folds out from the body.
Almost the entire roof folds away from the body along with the right panel, almost as if you’re cupping your hand. This unit then becomes the bed, with a tent over it. The interior is therefore instantly doubled in size, so you can turn that into a double or king size bed.
Badger is currently building three models: the Lite, X-Over and Extreme. We hitched Badger’s very first caravan, the prototype of the Extreme, and took it camping.
Settling in
As with any caravan, the corner steadies must come down first. The Extreme has two heavy-duty steadies at the back, those that swing down.
Next up is the bed, but for that you first need to open the locking mechanisms. These are inside the caravan and you have to worm the upper half of your body in at the door to get to the handles close to the floor to your right. It’s the same type of locking mechanism you find on cooler trucks and therefore the roof is held very firmly in place when closed.
Now walk around to the right panel and grip the two handles above the wheel. Step with one foot on the wheel and then slowly swing the panel with the roof towards you. The section that unfolds does not work the way you’d expect with gas struts, but rather with a type of bungee cord. The unit therefore tilts slowly until it is parallel to the ground. No struggle. Two lightweight poles are now at right angles to the ground and form part of the newly formed right side. Loosen the adjusting nuts on the struts and lower the cylindrical legs to the ground to further support the bed.
To pitch the tent above the bed you have to get back inside.
At both the door and towards the back there’s a folded aluminium frame by the roof. These swing upwards to form the roof ridge of the tent. Now you use two adjusting poles to stretch the tent.
The mattress lies in sections that are ‘folded’ on top of one another and is fastened to the base with two straps. Remember, this base stands upright when folded – that way the sections of the mattress stay neatly and firmly attached to the side so they don’t fall around while you tow.
Two extensions on sliding frames extend from below the base of the bed, like two drawers, until they’re flush with the interior panels of the hull. Now fold out the top section of the
mattress towards you (towards the extensions) and place the remaining two loose pillows on the edge of the bed the farthest from you against the hull. You have a double bed (132 x 182 cm) across the length of the caravan. If you need more sleeping space, it can be enlarged to king size. Place the two loose pillows on the tip next to you. To do this, the two extensions extend even further across the floor to form a bed of 192 x 182 cm.
The head of the bed is the furthest point. On each side of the bed there’s an adjustable light with its own switch plus a 220 V three-point socket.
Through the door
For a caravan of this size, the Extreme is quite high off the ground – a good 70 cm. This is thanks in part to the 16” tires. (All its competitors have 15” wheels.) You use a loose double step to get in. With the prototype, you step into a hollow that is 24 cm deep. It’s similar to that on many road caravans, but with an outer rim. This design has been changed to an opening on the side. The door frame has also been increased from 1,21 m to 1,4 m, but the door width remains unchanged at a comfortable 63,5 cm.
On the inside, there is a useful narrow 106 x 24 cm shelf to the left of the door – very convenient if you need some storage space for items such as cellphones, car keys or glasses.
Above the shelf are a number of switches – for the geyser and the main switch for the lights and others, plus two USB sockets.
Below, above and next to the shelf, there are a total of seven cupboards – more than enough space for a couple’s
For a caravan of this size, the Extreme is quite high off the ground – a good 70 cm
clothes. As with many other off-road campers, they have canvas doors, but in the Extreme they close with velcro and not a zipper. If you look from here toward the back, there are five more cupboards with canvas doors to your right. The middle one gives you access to some of the shelves in the outdoor kitchen.
The fridge/freezer on its sliding frame is at the back, too – you therefore have access to it from inside and outside. There are more cupboards on either side of the fridge, and when the fridge/ freezer is slid out, a 58 x 62 cm table also falls flat here.
Because the bed folds out, the interior space is enormous for such a small caravan. Two people can stand in front of the bed simultaneously. Minus the fridge/freezer, it is 185 x 87 cm in size. That’s with the double bed, when the bed extensions aren’t completely extended.
Kitchen with a roof
The door above the left wheel swings open and up to form a roof over the kitchen that is high enough (192 cm) that you won’t bump your head.
Inside, six shelves of different sizes are built in with space for groceries. There are also loose canvas bags for example that fit in here if you want to keep your kitchenware separate.
The 220 V power point is at the top left in the larger cupboard and has room for one three-point and two two-point plugs. The microwave oven sits in the shelf on the bottom right. The sponge cutouts in which the cups, plates and bowls fit are on the right side of the cupboard.
Doors to form a worktop usually open towards you, and on some caravans there is even a mounted gas stove. In the Extreme, a narrow shelf pulls out from under the kitchen.
The two-plate gas stove is mounted on that, with a small worktop measuring 35,5 x
28 cm. This can flip up to form a wind shelter at the gas stove. The worktop also forms the lid of the cutlery’s storage space. The light is in the top of the cupboard and gives enough light in the kitchen.
The fridge/freezer pulls out from the back. Part of this is another cupboard where you can store a saucepan or two. You can also use the top as a workplace, and the door you open to access the fridge/freezer space is attached to the sliding frame. That door has a hinge at the bottom and flattens out to form another work surface – yet another clever plan.
Upfront
The gas cylinder sits in the open on the A-frame, with the nose cone door behind it that opens with two gas struts.
The geyser is on the left in the nose cone, but it is still spacious enough for your ground sheet, tool box and a few other items. To give you an idea of space: three 20 ℓ water containers will easily fit in here. The doorway itself is 47 x 53,5 cm.
The fridge/freezer pulls out from the back. Part of this is another cupboard where you can store a saucepan or two
Drive & Camp says You won’t find a bigger folding bed – the one in the Extreme is streaks ahead when it comes to that.
Door II
The whole back can open. First, swing the frame on which the two jerry cans and spare wheel fit out of the way. The upper door lifts up like the door of a canopy, and the lower one swings open to the right. Now you have full access to the inside.
The loose ladder for the door is stored in a shelf under the door.
A shower tent that unfolds fits into the top door, while the tap with the shower head sits to the left in the hull.