The crew from Melbourne’s Goldstream RV are always up to a challenge. And what better way to prove your products yet again than at the Loveday 4X4 Adventure Park in South Australia’s Riverland. The park presents a wide range of obstacles in a harsh environment where a dusty, red desert meets the mighty Murray.

Goldstream’s Shaun Noble made the call to bring their 1800 EWB ST poptop to the event, setting their “Adventure Pack” options up against the full off-road contenders. Goldstream don’t rate the Adventure Pack models as their extreme off-road offerings, but after experiencing their capabilities on the rugged 4X4 course, we did!

Adventure Pack - "Drive It Like You Stole It!"

RV industry stalwart Goldstream RV present comprehensively fitted vans for long term touring at a great base price.

The 1800 EWB ST is a very compact and capable pop-top with a realistic tare weight of around 1,870 kg. Its lower towing height of 2340 means that it will fit into many storage facilities and carports, while also reducing the risk of overhead damage off-road and significantly increasing towing efficiency. It has a tub length of 5.4 metres (around 18’) and a width of 2280mm, making it a breeze to tow both on and off road.

The Adventure Pack includes the terrific 2.6 tonne AL-KO Enduro Outback overlay suspension on a rugged 150 x 50 mm galvanised chassis and 16” AT wheels and tyres that “drove like it was on rails” throughout the entire test. Shaun said, “I knew it was going to be a tough test, but I didn’t expect Bear to drive it like he stole it!”

The team at Pakenham based RV manufacturer Goldstream RV present a host of interesting layouts and designs.

Brute Strength and Enhanced Stability

Both the reduced overall height and low centre of gravity from optional drop axles really enhanced the stability, with the brute strength of the RAM truck up front barely knowing it was tagging on behind. It mounted the moguls with ease, slipped through the sand, moseyed the mounds, sliced through the speed, carved up the corrugations and raced up to the hilltop in a fine display of off-road confidence. Whilst Shaun had a few white knuckle moments along the way, his Goldstream pop top performed proudly right throughout the extreme adventure.

Personally, I have complete confidence in Goldstream products, having taken a similar model for an extended sojourn from Australia’s top to bottom, and almost everywhere in between. We completed nearly 15,000 km on a brand new caravan without any problems whatsoever – a great testament to the brand. I actually met another Goldstream owner in Coober Pedy who is an outback accountant regularly living out of his van for extended business trips visiting remote stations from Adelaide to Darwin – and both he and his family love it!

The Tribe Will Love It

Out off-road caravan review revealed strong construction when towed by the RAM.

Speaking of families, the 1800 EWB ST is a terrific option for the travelling tribe. The shower and toilet, twin bunks, convertible dinette and 4’9 X 6’ east/west bed up front (bigger than a double) will cater to a family with three kids quite easily, and even allow a bit of elbow room at the L-shaped dinette for a family meal or game of Scrabble. There’s also an option for a sliding tabletop for those of us with a broader girth.

Shaun is 6’4” and still has headroom to clear, plus the zippered windows in the pop top allow some convenient ventilation options. The only downside is that you miss out on overhead cupboards, but there’s still plenty of storage in the CNC-cut and edge-banded, custom-built furniture, which is all constructed from premium 15mm Poplar ply. This material is lightweight, moisture-resistant, and highly durable. The optional finishes, laminates and upholstery are superb.

East-West Bed

The 1800 has a simple bedroom with an east-west bed and the bunks plus convertable dinette and ensuite support the family.

Up in front, the east-west bed with its inner spring mattress features a small walkway at its foot and a cutaway edge, providing easy manoeuvrability. It also adds some extra space for a small wardrobe. Having an east-west design actually reduces the total overall length requirements of the van, enclosing all the accommodation within the hard-bodied, insulated body shell. This provides much greater security than soft-sided and slide-out style options.

As you enter the van through the three-way security door, the L-shaped dinette is immediately to your right, with the fully equipped kitchen opposite. It features a stainless steel sink with mixer and drain tray, a 4-burner cooktop with grill, a microwave, a range hood, a slide-out pantry with two baskets, and a two-door 190L fridge/freezer to cater for the clan.

It’s hard to imagine a van of this size on a single-axle trailer that not only features a rear ensuite with a fully moulded shower enclosure, but also a pair of full-length bunks. And it still doesn’t feel confined!

Goldstream say, “The introduction of combination shower and toilet models with the rear ensuite has seen a complete change in the way our customers are viewing touring holidays. You can now stay away from Caravan Parks in that perfect free camping area and have the complete independence of your own amenities.” The inclusion of high-quality, insulated, and tinted windows, along with premium blackout curtains, provides both daytime comfort and nighttime security options.

Bear reckons an air conditioner would be a great option.

To keep everything charged, running, cool, entertained and refreshed the list of standard inclusions in the Adventure Pack include 2 × 9kg gas bottles, battery pack with 240-Volt charger,  1 x 80watt solar panel, 2 × 82 lt water tanks, gas HWS, water tank gauges, air conditioning (reverse cycle), radio/CD, Winegard TV antenna, LED internal lighting, push out, double glazed windows and a pressure hatch in the roof that certainly worked perfectly as there wasn’t any ingress inside the van even after two rounds of the 4X4 challenge track plus a heap of extended running in clouds of red dust. The electrical circuit is pre-wired solar options through the aluminium roof, which pops up utilising an easy lifting mechanism. 

Outside, this terrific Aussie Adventure package includes checker plate protection to the front and side panels, a rollout awning, silver checker plate protection with white corner mouldings, an illuminated entry handle, a rear bumper with spare wheel and tyre, and a large front tunnel boot for even more storage of all of those items you need on the road. The body shell itself features an insulated meranti frame with composite aluminium panels for strength and insulation.

With a reasonable load, you should still only be towing around 2.5 tonnes on the road, making the Goldstream RV 1800 EWB ST well-suited to towing with any number of medium RVs or perhaps even larger commuter vehicles.

The Wrap

Goldstream RV offer a terrific range of campers, caravans and pop tops, and it’s now 26 years since their first build and over 7000 units in the field, so you can be assured that every Goldstream is built with experience. The premium name offers excellent resale should you ever wish to trade up or down.

Goldstream say, “Our Pop Top caravans are built for the adventurous traveller. It all starts from the ground up: we are extremely mindful that people are looking for superior comfort, yet still want to get to those hard-to-reach places that frequently make the best holiday spots. We build all of our pop tops to truly embody this principle.”

Our Loveday 4x4 Park Challenge certainly proved its worth with the Goldstream RV 1800 EWB ST with Adventure Pack option coming through the gruelling challenge with flying colours.

Oh, and by the way, sorry for the extra grey hair, Shaun!

Specifications

Travel Length

7720mm

Body Length

5520mm

Width (add +150mm for Awning)

2280mm

Height (Approx Range From)

2350mm

Tare (Approx Range From)

1825kg

Ball (Approx Range From)

175kg

ATM (Approx Range From)

2500kg

Upgrade Package Options

  • Adventure Package

  • Panther Package

  • Platinum Package

  • CPX Package

The Adventure Pack Option (as tested)

The Adventure Pack features a range of standard inclusions to ensure every journey is enjoyable. Some of the great features are listed below:

  • Coil independent suspension upgrade to the ALKO range

  • 150mm x 50mm chassis

  • Wheel & tyre upgrades

  • 1 x 220-watt solar panel

  • Wind up TV antenna

  • Bluetooth/Radio

  • External 12volt point

  • Projecta PM335 battery management system, including display monitor and DC-DC charger

  • 1 x 120 amp-hour Lithium Battery

  • Water Tank Gauges

  • Roll out Awning

  • Reverse Cycle Air Conditioning (1760/1800/1860 models)

  • New Profile Roof

Supplied by: Goldstream RV, Packenham, Victoria.

Are You Still Shopping for the Perfect Camper or Van?

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