The 12V system is comprised of a 200Ah lithium battery, two 200W solar panels and a BMPRO BatteryPlus 35HA power management system complete with Odyssey Link( which allows you to monitor the van’ s crucial data via a smartphone app) as well as a digital display screen where you can control various 12V functions of the van. Should you wish to augment your solar input, an Anderson plug is fitted to the offside chassis rail – just plug in a portable panel.
The fresh water supply is handled by two 95L tanks. I was happy to see small things such as protection for the grey water tank outlet and the tap on the A-frame too. Towards the rear, on the offside, is a separate vented locker for two 4.5kg gas cylinders.
At Tare, our 16ft Piazza tipped the scales at 2463kg Tare and had an ATM of 3000kg for a payload capacity of 537kg. You might think that 2400-odd kilograms is quite heavy for a 16-footer and, sure, that might be true, but as you have hopefully seen, this is not an ordinary 16-footer. The deck system alone adds about 200kg to the van.
Looking at it in context, this is a lifestyle rig. There are features and attributes here that add to the weight, and that’ s something to consider in terms of your tow vehicle. If you wanted a lighter rig, there are plenty on the market to choose from. But none of them would have a deck or the lifestyle appeal that this van offers.
SUMMING UP
How to summarise this van? Again, I haven’ t touched on everything. There’ s an awing, an AC unit, a TV, speaker … the list goes on. At the end of the day, the 16t Piazza has a small on-road footprint, making it easy enough to tow and manoeuvre, which I know from experience towing it behind my MU-X, and it opens up to become something so much more than it appears to be.
Yep, I liked this van a great deal. Who couldn’ t see themselves in FNQ, sitting on that deck amongst the palms with a tropical drink in hand? The Piazza is one of the best lifestyle vans on the market.
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