The Gloves are OFF – Echo Kavango vs Imagine Comfortvan

The Echo Kavango 4×4 Caravan

After a rather hectic few months, Tina and I finally got a chance to pop out to Blackheath just North of Cape Town to take a gander at the Echo Kavango. Following Google Map’s suggested route and after a few wrong turns we finally made our way into Saxenburg Park and headed for the new agents address at 60B Muscat Street. We were met at the door by the on-duty chap who ushered us into the spacious warehouse. The cavernous showroom was filled with all manner of off road and camping gear from fridges to sand tracks. Everything a bundu basher could ever need for a trip into the African bush. I headed straight for the Echo Kavango that was on display among the off road trailers and smaller vans, and set about inspecting the van in great detail. The first thing that looked a

bit dodgy was the shower cubicle. It consisted of a moulded floor that was suspended from the side of the van opposite the door and surrounded by a canvas screen wall. I just had to step in and see if it could support my weight which it did, much to my surprise. The cubicle was also surprisingly spacious. Then followed my standard test for any van (or couch for that matter), the prone test. I climbed into the forward sleeping cubicle and did a full stretch test. The bed passed the test, but was a bit cumbersome to climb into and out of. The same test on the dinner cubicle cum double bed passed with flying colours (might just need to upgrade the mattress) but the thought of “making up a bed” every night for a year was a bit off-putting. The acid test for me was how easy it would be to set up and take down camp, especially since we may only be stopping over at some places for a day,

So I got the on-duty chap to pack away and then deploy the shower and the forward pop-out bed. Getting the shower set up seemed to be a bit of a hassle so we probably would opt for the optional packing space which is seriously lacking in the Kavango. Quite a surprise was seeing a van on display that looked almost exactly like the Kavango. On closer inspection, the name on the side was Quatro, a dirt road (not 4×4) variation that had the same layout, except for the shower, and had a downgraded drive train suitable for gravel roads. In conclusion, the pro’s of the Kavango was… well constructed with monocoque design, all openings were well sealed against dust and the layout was adequate for two adults. The off road capabilities seemed (on paper and reading the 4×4 forums,) to be vary capable. The con’s are… lack of packing space, the forward pop-out bed was difficult to get into and out of, but not much else.

Imagine Comfortvan 4×4 Caravan

So, had we found our champion? The answer would be revealed after our next port of call, the Imagine Comfort Van. I gave Jean Theart, the local Cape Town agent, a call to get some driving directions to his small holding near Muldersvlei. We zipped along the R600 and onto the M1 north towards Paarl and off at the Tygerberg Zoo turnoff. Jean was there to meet us, as was his own personal Comfort Van. This was my first look at the Imagine vans, although I had heard first hand reports from my travelling friends, Anne and Andre, from Hout Bay. I must admit, my first impression was not great. It looked like Fort Knox from the outside, without what appeared to be windows. Tina and I stood back and watched as Jean brought the Comfort Van to life, opening the pop-out beds, dropping down the kitchen compartment and raising the roof. Now that looked more like it. The

Comfort Van was a bit smaller than the other vans we had looked at, with the main double bed in a forward pop-out compartment, but with no convertible dining area. The noticeable difference was the opening into the bed, being much bigger than all three previous models, making getting into and out of bed a breeze, even for Tina. There was also so much more packing space with a proper clothes storage area that could be either a vertical or horizontal configuration and the kitchen layout put a smile on Tina’s face with stowage for pots, pans, spices and all manner of cooking gadgets.

The shower cubicle was tucked away at the entrance and could double up as a storage space while on the move. So far, the little and quite surprising Comfort Van was proving to be a winner. I spent some time opening and closing all the pop-out and pop-up bits, to get an idea of how long it would take to set up, break down and also to secure the van when we went off on day excursions. All in all, the task was very manageable and could easily be performed by one person (read me), leaving the other to pack the car and get the dogs sorted. Talking of dogs, there was even space for their beds by utilising the shower cubicle again.

In conclusion, the Imagine Comfort Van seemed to be a better choice for a number of reasons; It was lighter, easier to deploy and pack up, simpler to secure and had loads of packing/storage space. The only down side was the interior space. I asked Tina to imagine (excuse the pun) spending three weeks stuck in awful weather and crammed  in a small space with two bloody great big bullmastiffs. And then make a choice. Watch this space…