In my line of work, once in a while I come across a van with wowfactor in spades. Something unique. Something that would be the talk of the van park. The Piazza by Royal Flair Caravans was absolutely one of those caravans.

True, the Piazza has been in production for about 10 years. Incidentally, I was the first to test it out when it was launched all those years ago, meandering along the Great Ocean Road for a week or so. But what sets the Piazza apart? Well, it’ s the only van in Australia to have an inbuilt deck.

That’ s right: a caravan with a deck, where you can sit as you take in the view, enjoying a tropical breeze while sipping on your beer or wine. If I sound effusive in my praise, it’ s because I really liked this van.

SETTING UP THE DECK

The van wasn’ t cheap, costing nearly $ 150,000. The subject of our review was the 16ft model, and I realise the price tag sounds high for a van with an otherwise compact on-road footprint. But this is a case of getting what you pay for. There is engineering here.

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