Goldstream Gold Crown GRV: Review
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Time to read 3 min
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Time to read 3 min
Magic happens in life, you’ve just gotta let it. However, it doesn’t happen when you’re sitting in front of the TV. You have to put the right foot forward and get out of the norm. Escaping the mundane helps you bring it on, especially when you have a rig capable of exploring idyllic locations far from the world of bitumen and concrete. You don’t want any problems getting there and, when you arrive, your camp must be simple and easy to assemble, just as it is with the Goldstream Gold Crown GRV.
The Gold Crown, with her relative light weight (1120kg Tare), sat straight and true on the open road and climbed the windy mountain roads with ease. Crosswind had little effect with the low trailering height, and I would personally fit optional roof racks for more capacity, especially for a tinnie! The 12in electric brakes performed beautifully on some of the steeper downhill sections, giving great comfort in the knowledge that the trailer wasn’t about to outrun us when the going got tougher. The minimal overall length of 6.17m makes for a compact package to tow and store but, importantly, we found the drawbar length excellent for manoeuvring tight turns out in the bush.
Out in front, we find a strong A-section galvanised drawbar with plenty of turning clearance. There’s a strong, detachable jockey wheel (thank God!) twin 9kg gas cylinder holders, 50mm ball coupling as standard (offroad options available) 12-pin trailer electrical connector, and the front face of the camper has checkerplate alloy for stone protection.
We found a beaut little campsite on the large river stones right at the water’s edge and were delighted in just how easy the Crown GRV was to assemble. The camper is a straight pop-up with no pull out ends, but its internal space and facility is rather impressive. The biggest single feature that separates this camper from the rest is its own internal toilet and shower recess enclosed within the pop-up structure in the back corner. This feature alone will win the hearts of many travellers who want the convenience and privacy offered by this innovation. No more jarmy-clad excursions in the dark with shovel in hand, and a private shower to boot!
The Crown is a perfect size for a couple on the road. It will give you convenience without complication. The dinette is convertible to another bunk if there are kids along, but it’s a really good hassle-free traveller for a couple. Up front we find a welcoming queen-size bed with a foam mattress as standard. I’d personally opt up to an innerspring, particularly if going into the tropics. There is cavernous storage underneath the bed that can be accessed by an external hatch, but no front boot. Over the bed is more cabinetry that lifts well above head space under the new composite made, fully insulated roof. When the sun finally made its appearance above the mountain tops it was noticeably cooler inside the camper.
You will be pleasantly surprised at the loading space and facility of the Gold Crown GRV. There is a long bench right down the driver’s side complete with a stainless sink with pressurised water, a 90L three-way fridge, Thetford four-burner cooktop with griller, and Daewoo microwave. There are also utensil drawers and plenty of cupboards, including a slide-out pantry for storing sauce bottles and day-to-day necessities like the coffee and Vegemite.
The whole internal space flows well with a surprising amount of room and excellent head height. I have always found the canvas work on Goldstream RVs to be superb and the Gold Crown GRV is no exception. There are big windows all round, except for the bathroom, which has its own roof vent. There’s another opposite near the kitchen. All the huge windows have ample flyscreens as well as internal clears and with easy sliding, insulated internal drapes for complete privacy. I have personally lived through a plague of locusts in a similar Goldstream RV with complete security while others suffered the failures of lesser canvas setups!
Goldstream Gold Crown GRV is a premium quality camper that is easily towed and just as easily stored. It will take you in comfort to many adventurous destinations and along low-grade offroad tracks.
The inclusion of the bathroom will only boost the appeal of this already successful RV and there is a large range of options and accessories — but I liked it just as it was displayed. Oh, we didn’t catch any trout and we didn’t strike gold, but we had a great time with the Goldstream RV Gold Crown GRV with Adventure Pack.
Check out the full feature in issue #89 June 2015 of Camper Trailer Australia magazine.