New caravan?

Yes, we have decided to downsize and change layouts.

When we ordered the Kingsman, we were complete newbies and didn’t really know what we wanted or needed. We believed we needed a big van to provide the space we needed to work while travelling, and while that has proved to be beneficial, we now believe a different layout will work better. We do love our van, but we just feel a different layout can work even better for us.

Additionally, a smaller, lighter van will mean our tug isn’t working as close to its limits. It’s just a little extra piece of mind in that regard.

Consequently, our…

2019 Crusader Excalibur Kingsman is for sale.

You can find it on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree. Please note, we have been having issues with the Marketplace ad. If it says the ad doesn’t exist, or it has been sold, that is wrong as of the date of this post, try Gumtree instead.

Update: The Kingsman has been sold!

What’s next?

Well, for starters we are staying with Crusader. We have been more than happy with the Kingsman from a build perspective and happy too with the service from Cameron Caravans through which we bought both the Kingsman and our new van.

So what is it already, I hear you ask…

We are buying a Crusader Musketeer Recliner.

With the addition of an extended draw bar and toolbox, it will still be around 1 metre shorter than the Kingsman. In this reduced space there is no separate bedroom, but that’s more in keeping with most caravans anyway. We have also upgraded to independent suspension from the standard leaf springs. The biggest change however is that there is no club lounge, no L-shaped lounge and no cafe-style seating. Instead we will have 2 individual recliner chairs. Reclining, swivel seats, free to move about the cabin, like comfy office chairs – but without casters.

The ATM is also at least 700 kgs lighter than the Kingsman, which gives added overhead to the Touareg’s towing capacity… not that we’ve had any issues while towing the Kingsman.

Edit: With the upgrade to the independent suspension, the ATM increases to 3200 kg, but this is still 300 kg lower than the Kingsman.

Another benefit, but not a reason we decided to change, is that all new Crusader caravans are now 100% composite construction. The Kingsman already has composite roof and floor, but the new builds add composite walls as well. No more timber.

A possible downside of the move will be reduced storage, but that is something I’m sure we can live with. The Kingsman had so much storage that filling it was sure to make it over weight.

So there it is. We’ll keep you updated as the sale of the Kingsman and order of the Recliner progresses.