Lotus Caravans

Well, what a disappointment upon collecting our new 2025 Lotus Freelander 18"6 van from George Day in Perth. Scratches on de-cal in multiple areas. Incorrect color reading lights, poor workmanship throughout. Particular with the frames on the tunnel boots. Misguided screws. Metal filing throughout. Internal cabinet edge protection damaged. Water… Read more

leaking from shower tap fixtures. Water in front LED and entry lights. Cabinet draws not aligned. All these areas highlighted and scheduled for repairs at first 3 month service. The van was at George Day for 3 weeks and when calling to see if we can collect, we were advised the van was not ready. You would have thought all these items equipment would have been ordered, and staff organised for repairs. Unfortunately, only one side of de-cal replaced. Not enough ordered apparently. Only two reading lights replaced. The communication with George Day Service was absolutely terrible. Will not be using George Day again for any service, or warranty work.

Happy wife, happy life – Lotus Freelander 20’3” It’s a long story but we didn’t have much choice when we bought our Lotus Freelander 20’3” in May 2019, so our van has some features we don’t need and is missing some we would like. I can compare it to the year old Jayco Starcraft Outback TL we traded in, hoping for a bigger galley, insulation against hot and cold, and the… Read more

dinette on the off side. We cannot see the purpose in driving up and down poor quality roads and tracks just because they are there, so I’ll leave assessment of that to others.

The Lotus when we drove it out of the dealer’s yard had an alarming pull to the right. It was a fight to avoid being killed by oncoming traffic. Eventually this was tracked down to a wildly out of spec wheel alignment, which we had to pay for. So much for the warranty. The dealer, Dave Benson Caravans in Adelaide was determined to not pay the measly $220, so I recommend you give them a miss. They have warranty procedures designed to force you to take the van to them for repairs, even if you are thousands of kilometres away. Otherwise, be very careful how you deal with them, always.

Apart from that it has been pretty good and we have covered 6000 km in six weeks. I have had to seat quite a few screws which were not inserted properly. Only one cupboard door has needed re-adjusting but the cupboards and other fittings are all very sturdy and well built. The Projecta solar charge controller does not work properly because of the way Lotus wired it in and would you believe it, they don’t work to a wiring diagram so it is going to be interesting replacing the controller with an MPPT one. The floor has been regularly peppered with electricians waste, shaken from somewhere on rough roads, so Lotus’ quality control is very poor on cleaning too. I met another owner with the same problem. I had to move all the switches in two of the blocks where the light switches are, to get them into some sensible order, instead of the random mess they had. The breakers are not marked with their circuits. All except one of the USB ports was upside down. There is a television interference problem caused by some device in the van. I’ll track that down when I get access to the necessary instruments. The floor has big bubbles in the vinyl, but Lotus says they go away when the van gets to a cool place. Haven’t they heard of glue? But all these are pretty minor really.

In general, I assess Lotus’ quality control as being way behind that of Jayco, where what you pay for is close to what you get. Lotus have higher specifications but the factory obviously is not organised to achieve them.

The appliances definitely outshine the more basic ones we had in our much cheaper Jayco, apart from some cosmetic damage to the fridge. They make life in the bush very comfortable, but the internet is full of complaints about problems like oven doors falling off, although our appliance have had no failures.

If anything the lights are too bright, and the bling lights above the cupboards don’t add light to any useful surface. I had to install a couple of LED striplights in the bathroom so shaving and make-up could be done visually. I’ll be replacing some of the lights with lower intensity ones and use warm white rather than the blue tinted ones now there. Don’t turn on a light if you get out of bed at night, the bright blueish light makes your brain think it’s daytime and you won’t get back to sleep. I’ll also change many of them to warm white or yellow light, for the Lotus is an insect magnet and they pour in through and around the pretty, but ineffective, insect screens in the windows.

Our big complaint is the insulation, which is non-existent. In the tropics the van is an oven inside and opening a window invites the insects in. Lotus still uses conventional wood laths and ply construction. It’s good to see other manufacturers moving to composite panels which give good insulation as well as strength. In cold weather you’ll need to install a heater; the air-conditioner cannot cope. Fortunately there is room under a seat next to the hot water, which is wonderfully hot by the way, for a gas or diesel heater.

So are we happy with our Lotus? Yes, but not entirely. Would we buy another one? If it was better insulated, yes. The galley is the best we have seen from our point of view, and as they say “happy wife, happy life”.

Another 2014 freelander – Many disappointments with what is supposed to be a quality van; about 25 issues in total. Our dealer has done nothing for us right from pick up day when the first problems started. G & S did not read the plan correctly & fitted the wrong hitch , had to take it home that way & chase up the correct one later & fit it. Later found that the hubs had… Read more

damaged seals, will say that G & S were good to deal with & supplied all parts required to fix the problems. Other problems were bulbs falling out of the reading lights within the first 5kl, a design that was never going to work. A cupboard that was dragging on the floor& could not be opened,shower badly fitted,lock nuts on the ensuite sliding door left loose, loose bolts in the air con, hot water system kept comming loose, 90% of the screws did not align with the wall, just into thin air,high pressure gas hoses blew off at the crimps, solar regulator failed within 3 mths; Lotus was using a cheap chinese copy of the Prostar morning star regulator,Clearance light wiring jammed within the wall cavity causing a short circuit & cannot be got at to repair; same with DVD to TV.These & many more issues are not wear & tear, they are all factory issues due to some very crappy workmanship that they dont like being told about. I would have no reason to remain loyal to them if I was ever able to be in the market again.

Good old fashioned service backing a quality caravan – I am satisfied with the quality and finish of The Actual Lotus build of the caravan. Some of the appliances are a bit dissapointing but the only control Lotus has is to refuse to use the particular product. When a certain field is Monopolised by a Company it does make it a bit difficult for the end product manufacturer to get a high quality… Read more

finish.

And this where Lotus excel, Goce who is in charge of the manufacturing is meticulous with his requirements and the

and with what the customers expects,Yes problems arise from time to time but he is always willing to listen even though he is so busy that he doesn't get time to answer every inquiry posed.

The Caravan , in this a 23ft custom built Trooper is well constructed and after an extensive dirt road work out on the Birdsville track to Liegh Creek then the back track to Yunta via the back track was very rough and fine copious amount of dust came out on top.

There were a couple of sn\mall dust leaks around the fridge vents and some pipe entry points.

Corrugations were smoothed out by dropping tyre pressures on car and van to around 23psi and speed to 40-50 KPH, even slower in some sections.

The structor remained sound and even glassware in the cupboards stayed intact.

I removed the Weight Distribution bars from the tow tug and found it to be a much more comfortable ride .

The tug is a 200 Series LandCruiser 2008 vintage.

We are very pleased with the Lotus Trooper and will definately reccomend Lotus .

Our beautiful home on wheels! – We were looking for a caravan with a slide-out as we were full-time on the road. The Universal Crystal River was the perfect fit. Great customer service and a quality product.  Show details

Very happy with build and manufacturer – Our Lotus is coming up to eight years old and we have been amazed by how we have taken to enjoying the lifestyle based mainly on our experiences with this van. This is our first caravan and we were really lucky to have chosen this one. No caravan is perfect and all can have issues. Our purchasing dealer ended soon after we bought however the… Read more

manufacturer stepped up to help us out with even the smallest concerns. Just this week we passed through Melbourne and the manufacturer fixed some small items years past any warranty period. We would buy from them again based on our experience with them.

Lotus offgrid 15 foot – Love this caravan done about 2400 km in it now. Great van we upgraded some things but it’s mostly standard. Build quality is good not perfect but very good. Tow it with a Ford Everest no problem at all. Totally recommend Lotus and Luxury RVs in Rockingham

Don’t do it – We purchased a new van and have had nothing but trouble from day one, the craftsmanship is poor, really poor. The roof leaked, the spare wheel fell off on the delivery truck, the fridge has never worked (and 10 weeks later still no fridge) the aircon motor is not balanced and needs replacing. The door jam is bent like a banana and the door… Read more

wouldn’t shut (this is why it wasn’t locked when we received the van?). The front box had no silicone where the bike rack was fitted and saturated all our gear. We had to get this re siliconed as well as the solar panels before our roof got water damage for the second time!!! I could keep going on about this van. And I’m still waiting for reimbursement for the first 2 repair items from December. Be careful on your choice .

Lotus Freelander – We purchased our Lotus Freelander in 2014 to discover it had many faults, most of which I had to fix myself as the company continually came up with reasons why they could not cover most of my complaints under the warranty and within the warranty period. It started from the first time I went to use the van, to find out that there was absolutely… Read more

no silicon used in the shower recess, so it leaked through the floor and walls. When I tried to phone Lotus I discovered that they closed for the Xmas period and so had to fix this myself before we could use it. The windows did not seal properly, the draws fell out several times and the slide in pantry collapsed. The draws were not installed properly and so continually broke the latches with more than 13 latches being replace. Internal use only connections were used for the solar panel on the roof which rusted and damaged the roof. The hand break cable did not work correctly and the cladding on the outside deformed. The floor bubbles, the tap in the ensuite was not fastened properly, a clip was left inside the cabinet around the washing machine and many other faults like exposed staples showing through the roof.

These were mostly simple quality issues and even though I returned the van for repair they were not fixed properly or completely leading to the same thing happening again. There were other problems which I have not listed, however Lotus and their distributor did not accept responsibility for all of the problems.

I have repaired or replaced most of the problems with the cabinetry or fittings myself, realigned and built supports.

In saying all of this and despite the lack of support from lotus, my van in now working better and we enjoy it. It is just the time and cost it has taken me to get it to a reasonable condition that is disappointing.

Maybe I am expecting too much from a caravan manufactory, which is to provide a similar quality and service as the motor vehicle or building industry.

Nothing but problems – Problems from day 1. Poor internal finishes, water leaking around hatches, tyres wore out after around 15000 kilometres, rear bumper cracked, poor company warranty back up. If you buy one of these vans you will have nothing but trouble.

18' Freelander – I have nothing but praise for the Freelander. It tows like a dream, all weights are as stated, everything works as claimed and the dealer and company have been outstanding to deal with. We had it serviced recently and nothing was found to be out of order by the independent service technician who was full of praise for the quality. We have given it a pretty tough initiation over the last year and it has stood up to it well....  Show details

Love our Lotus – We found our 21,6ft Lotus Freelander very good towing on Highway or Off road. Has been on some extreme off roads and handle the conditions very well. Cape York, Central Desert Road and the Savannah Way.  Show details

2018 19 foot Off Grid – We have just purchased our fantastic "green" 19 foot off grid van lots of storage very easy to tow and plenty of off road clearance. love the Lead Crystal battery setup, not sure why i need a generator, we have just done our first trip in the Pilbara not a single problem after 5000 km a lot of which was off the sealed stuff. Many thanks to Luke and the team at L RV's in Mandurah for their sales advice and support.  Show details

My 2014 Lotus Freelander – After nearly 4 years, some 30,000k and around 400 nights spent aboard, I reckon I can make an educated comment. In a nutshell, the Freelander is brilliant. We have done the Birdsville Track and many other "off road" roads. In total our repairs have included one awning (torn of by a Tornado), one drawer catch (we loaded our heavy crockery in the… Read more

top drawer), one electric brake actuator (Ii drove off with the handbrake on and it got hot) and a handful of what are maintenance items. Maybe we have been lucky or maybe patient and conscious of the need for regular maintenance.

Best van ever – We bought a Freelander 2016 2 years ago Best thing we ever purchased Very happy with after sales service From Gold Coast caravans no major issues very happy with our van Only wish we could use it more

We love our Freelander – Purchased a 2017 Freelander brand new in November 2017 and have been on 4 separate trips over the Christmas Holidays. Upon pick up of the van from the dealer, we found no defects. Once we used it, we found quite a few small things that were not quite right, most cosmetic. Emailed the manufacturer and they got back to us with a date to have the van… Read more

looked at. The van went back in for warranty repairs in Feb 2018. Every defect listed was repaired by the manufacturer in a couple of hours. Nothing was disputed or rejected and our van is now perfect. Great service by Lotus warranty department.

Top Van – Have taken my 19'6" Trooper on plenty of rought roads ( Cape York, Tanami, Gibb River, Kalumbaru) and not a single problem. Handles the rough & dust well with all the comforts of home. 60,000ks in 3 years & still looks good after a wash. Tows great behind a 200 Series Cruiser. Would buy another one when it's time for an up date.  Show details

Excellent quality build – We've had our Freelander 12 months now and it has been down some beaten tracks so assume if something was going to go wrong it would have by now. the quality of the finish is perfect and can't fault the dealer or manufacturer. We wouldn't hesitate to buy another.  Show details

Excellent Van – Quality is great finish is faultless, our 186Freelander with its fabulous suspension has been towed behind a Nissan Patrol and now a Ford Ranger and it tows like a dream, the factory suport for any issues we have had has been excellent every body we have delt with at Lotus has been MORE than helpfull!  Show details

We love our Lotus sprint and in a few years will be buying a lotus Freelander – We bought our Sprint 6 years ago and only had a couple of little things go wrong, which the dealer fixed without fuss. I do keep the maintenance up as you should with anything.  Show details

Bought a used 2014 Trooper. Very happy with the van – Very happy with the set out, Did the Gibb River Road and Savannah Way Burketown to Borroloola this year and no major issues. Van has solid construction and control rider independent suspension. Tows well with 200 series.

Dream Off Road Van – Absolutely thrilled with our new 19ft Off Grid Lotus Caravan. Thanks to Mick at Chapman’s Caravans, Nowra, our purchase and 1 1/2 hour handover could not have run smoother. Nothing was too much trouble for these guys. Our van has performed beautifully and it is everything we hoped it would be. Perfectly designed and the layout works beautifully with our family of 6. We couldn’t be happier. Thanks Lotus and Chapman’s Caravans.  Show details

Great van – We have been owners of our 19'6" Freelander since April 2016 and have found the Lotus excellent, as with all vans there were a few issues that have been addressed by the dealer without question. On our experience, having been caravaners for over 30 years we would have no hesitation buying another Lotus in the future.  Show details

Rubies van – We purchase our Lotus van in 2012 after having it for 2 weeks we took it back to the factory wanting our money back it was so poorly built and finished, they said they would fix . I dropped it of 12 weeks later they said it was ready we went to pick it up after looking at it I drove off and left it there, in the end I picked it up and have been… Read more

fixing it up for the past 5 years , it had 32 things wrong ,crazy things like the vents in the water tanks where 1" holes drilled in the top of the tanks, red earth wires, no water tank fillers, reversing camera behind the bike rack, 13 unsealed holes letting dust in, gas certificate for compressor fridge, no manual for the van no water tank drains , supposed to have surflow pumps cheaper pumps fitted, gas heater fitted in the middle of the under bed storage rendering it unusable, the outlet for the gas heater is behind the awning leg so you have to disconnect the leg to work the heater. Door opening was to big for the door and wouldn't lock properly and on and on it goes

Lotus Offgrid - Everything that I hoped for – After many years of serious off-roading with a camper trailer, we felt like getting some luxury. We had been spoilt with the camper (TVan Canning), and wanted a caravan that provided reliability to match the TVan. We found it in the Lotus Offgrid. Very strong, all the luxury you could want and in a small and strong package. 14 foot long, it… Read more

contains a king size bed, shower and toilet, internal and external kitchens, hot water, air con, TV, and an amazing amount of storage.

We've thrashed it behind our Landrover Defender 110 and it's been terrific. We break the Defender but not the van.

Sure, there were minor issues at the start, but nothing that I couldn't handle. Hey, nothing's perfect.

Great value. It also comes with a great Lotus family on Facebook, who are positive, supportive and encouraging.

I fully recommend the Lotus Offgrid for an all round satisfying experience.

Loving Living The Dream in Our Lotus – After purchasing our Lotus Freelander in 2014 we have not had any major issues.Have done approximately 35,000 klms having just completed a trip around and last years trip up through the centre.Free camps work well for us and the occasional dirt road.It tows beautifully behind our LC200.If we ever upgraded it would be another Lotus.  Show details

Freelander travelers – Just returned from our second trip around Australia in our. Lotus Freelander apart from the usual minor adjustments etc the van performed beautifully. Our lotus weight just under 3.5 tons and tows like a dream . Already planning our next trip to Tassie !

6 years as Lotus owners and if ever we upgrade it will be another Lotus – Our 6 year old Sprint is still a great van. Comfortable, reliable and tows like a dream. We use it every month for short trips but have done 3 trips2000kms -5000 kms each and it has never missed a beat. The only reason we would upgrade is to go for a more off-road version of what we have, when we retire and hit the road for the big lap/s. We are… Read more

open minded about brands but ongoing research has convinced us that we will probably buy another Lotus. When we first owned a Lotus we didn't see many others around but the massive increase in owners is testimony to their great quality.

Great caravan & excellent back up service – We love our Off Limits Lotus Caravan. When we wanted to upgrade from our first Lotus Sprint we researched many brands but kept coming back to Lotus Caravans and bought a new Off Limits Lotus, and we are so pleased we did. The quality and finish is of a very high standard. Our Lotus caravan has given us the opportunity to travel Australia and the… Read more

outback in 5 star comfort. Tows really well. We had a couple of things fail and I'm pleased to say these things were fixed promptly at the factory by Lotus. We took delivery of our van Feb 2014 and have covered thousands od kilometers.

Loving our Lotus and retirement – Bought a Lotus (LC3420) October 2016. Have since done many hard Kms including Cape Leveque and the Gibb River. The van has towed and performed beautifully off road and off grid. We have had problems with 2 appliances, the Waeco RPD 218 fridge degassed itself and the Thetford Caprice oven broke the inner safety glass shield. Both fixed under… Read more

warranty. We had a demanding brief for the builder of our van. Several well know brands could not accommodate our request for recliners, changes to cabinetry and suspension along with huge solar and lithium batteries. Lotus accepted the plan and built it beautifully. Its a good looking competent van that is a pleasure to own.

Great Caravan! – We love our van and are very happy with the functionality, build and customer service Lotus and our dealer have given us. Yes, We had a couple of very small issues which we have fixed ourselves. Have travelled approx. 20000km so far, tows very well with LC200 series. We updated our compliance plate to coincide with the chassis ability. … Read more

The proof is on the road where there are many Lotus vans!

To the person saying our reviews are false, mine certainly isn't. You wonder why there's so many all at the same time? We get slammed by a few, we bounce back up and tell it like it is! We don't need to wallow in misery and negativity over a couple of easy fixes.

Lotus Off Limits 23' - We love this van – Lotus Off Limits 23' with centre bathroom. Purchased this van new in September 2015. We have now completed 35,000kms including outback travel to Birdsville and beyond. This is our 3rd caravan and by far the best (and most expensive!). We had a number of changes made to the original design including an angled shower for the centre bathroom and… Read more

dual compressor fridge for hot weather extremes. We had a few teething issues in the first 6 months which were fixed without issue by Lotus and Coastal Caravan Repairs. To say we are delighted with this van is an understatement.

The van travels with ease on rough outback roads and provided the door and fridge vents are covered there is little to no dust ingress inside. This is a large van, 23' body with almost 32' overall length. Despite this size and loaded weight of 3500kg (checked on weigh bridge) it is well balanced and tows really well behind my Jeep Grand Cherokee. This van has Cruise Master Suspension that provides a smooth and stable ride to the van even on rough and undulating roads. The underneath of the van is well protected with stone guards - there has been no damage on the rough roads travelled.

We love the layout of the van, particularly the centre bathroom and large club lounge.

The van also looks really good on the outside and even after 35,000kms is like new. We often get people asking if we just picked up the van (new) and are surprised when we tell them where we have been.

Would we buy another Lotus caravan?

Most definitely.

Lotus trackvan 21:6 – Lotus trackvan it was the poorest quality workmanship and the worst aftermarket service it caused extreme stress on my family and financially crippled me I would recommend no one goes near this product  Show details