Where the Adventure Class vans are built for rough-and-tumble travels, the Luxe Class is intended for blacktop highways, holiday park stays and the occasional gravel road. So let’ s hitch it up and check it out. What sets our review van, the LC19C( Luxe Class 19ft, Couples) apart, and would it suit your style of travels?
BUILDING THE LUXE CLASS
Like the Adventure Class van reviewed last issue, the Gold Class LC19C is framed in laser-welded aluminium and clad with composite aluminium and powder-coated aluminium sheeting for protection, rather than old-fashioned black checkerplate. It rides on a 6in hotdipped-galvanised chassis with independent coil suspension and 16in wheels with 12in brakes.
However, before you fall in love with the van, it’ s important to realise that the ability to customise these rigs is very limited. The designer of the van, therefore, set out to make it as comprehensive from the outset.
The 12V system is decent. It starts with a single 300Ah Enerdrive lithium battery, which is mounted in a vented offside locker, backed with 700W worth of roof-mounted solar( with 40A MPPT regulator). Gold Class has given the LC19C a 2000W / 80A inverter, too, as well as a Simarine digital display screen inside, providing real-time updates on the battery’ s state of charge. There’ s even a 40A DC-DC charger. Further, there’ s no excuse for not being perfectly level each time you unhitch, thanks to the Simarine inclinometer that’ s fitted.
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