Windsor Flinders 2020 Review

Windsor is a well-known caravan brand, one that was resurrected in recent times and now calls Brisbane home as part of ASX-listed Apollo Tourism and Leisure.

Not content with building just Windsor caravans, the multi-national company branched out in February with the announcement of its first Windsor motorhome,, the cut-price Renault-based Daintree, followed by more expensive Flinders,  Simpson and range-topping Platinum Series models.

Here we’re reviewing the four-berth, Fiat Ducato-based Windsor Flinders, which sits one model up from the entry-level $108,990 Daintree motorhome.

Priced to please

Anyone shopping for a new motorhome quickly realises that they don’t come cheap. Unlike a new caravan, you’re buying a new vehicle as well as a dedicated fit-out, and so it all adds up.

Accordingly just about any motorhome worth looking at is going to be priced north of $100,000 – and as you delve into larger, premium models $200,000-plus is not unheard of.

So the Windsor Flinders at $136,990 drive-away is not by any means nudging the price stratosphere, and once you delve into its features list it begins to look like pretty sharp value.

The Windsor Flinders reviewed here is the high-Luton four-berth (there's also a low-Luton version, which decreases overall height by 98mm, available at no extra cost).

We’ll cover off most of the details below and in the specs panel at the end of this article, but key features include a 2.4kW reverse cycle air-conditioner, stove, grille and oven, 188-litre fridge, 25-litre microwave, 170 watts solar, a 100A/h AGM battery and BMPRO battery management.

Other major pluses are the powered drop-down main bed, 145 litres of fresh water and 145 litres of grey water storage.

Enjoying the outdoor life

The Windsor Flinders is well equipped on the outside for those wanting to enjoy their campsite surrounds.

On the entry door side is a Dometic roll-out awning, along with external USB, 12v and 240v power sockets and an antenna jack should you wish to watch TV outside.

The Fusion audio system (conveniently fitted just inside the door) is hooked up to two external speakers, so you can also catch up with the news or listen to music outside (although there are speakers in the cabin too, if you want to keep the party inside).

There are also two coach lights fitted high up on the awning side, while getting in and out  is made easy with the powered Thule steps triggered by a rocker switch just inside the two-piece screen-meshed lockable door. There are also some useful exterior and interior grab handles at the doorway (the external one with an illuminated core), to keep you steady.

Tight squeeze

However, securing the door in an open position using the neat magnetic door stay on the external wall limits access to the external battery/electrics compartment, located just forward of the lower door lip. But that's a fairly small complaint in the scheme of things.

There's also a handy outdoor shower located on the offside wall, while external storage is well covered off by a large rear boot accessible via lockable hatches on both sides of the motorhome, with two LED lights fitted on the rear wall so you won't have to rummage around blindly for your gear after dark.

The only thing you might wish for here are slightly larger hatch openings to fit bulky items like a BBQ, but there should be sufficient access space for most camping gear.

Inside the box

Our Windsor Flinders test vehicle features one of the better layouts for this size and class of motorhome, with plenty of boxes ticked for convenience, space, storage and flexibility.

Starting at the front, the Luton peak bed (measuring 2050mm x 1400mm) is fairly easy to climb into using the supplied aluminium ladder, but even with the higher Luton peak it could be a squeeze for two people to sleep here with a tight ceiling space at the forward part of the bed.

It isn’t bad – unless you’re particularly claustrophobic – but something to be aware of. It's probably best suited to one adult, two children, or used as an extra place to store gear.

A relatively thick block-out pair of curtains slide in place to separate the cabin from the fit out for privacy.

The front dinette offers plenty of flexibility, with the swivel section of the table almost doubling table space, and seating for four on two fixed bench seats, not to mention the swivelling front cab seats.

There are two lap-sash seatbelts for the forward-facing dinette bench, giving a four-occupant capacity when driving.

Cooking lesson

The compact L-shaped kitchen in the Windsor Flinders is a familiar design for motorhomes, yet offers more bench space than might first appear.

If you’re cooking a big meal for four, you’ll probably have to move some of the food preparation to the dinette table, but overall this is a well-designed compromise. Storage is ample with the concertina door under the sink opening to reveal a large space for items like pots and pans.

Also pleasing are the large 188-litre fridge-freezer, well-positioned microwave and multitude of other kitchen storage options.

A common complaint in many RVs is a microwave fitted too high up in the kitchen, making it easy to scald yourself when reaching for a hot beverage or soup. Thankfully, Apollo has paid close attention to this, as the Flinder's microwave is conveniently situated at around eye level.

Cleaning up

The separate shower in the Windsor Flinders is spacious, while the bathroom opposite also offers a decent amount of elbow room. Maybe the vanity could be a touch larger to store items when at camp, but it's fine as is. Certainly with a ceiling locker, mirrored vanity unit and under sink space ,there’s no lack of storage areas in the ensuite.

The rear U-shaped lounge area is generously large for a non-slide out RV, and provides a feeling of separation if needed for occupants on a rainy day or extended trips. It's also a more roomy and comfortable area for a family or small group of friends to congregate than the front dinette.

Like the rest of the fit-out, there’s loads of storage lockers around the ceiling area plus a couple of small cupboards for odds and ends.

This rear area, of course, becomes the (1900mm x 1340mm) main bed once the Velcroed seat back cushions are removed and the bed lowered from the ceiling. We stored the cushions under the bed easily enough but if you wanted to use this space (for leaving shoes and so on) you might want to store the cushions in the rear boot.

The light, airy feel in the rear space is amplified with the bed down, with a great view out the large three windows fitted with mesh-screens and block-out blinds like the other windows in the motorhome body.

From the driver’s seat

The Fiat Ducato is a familiar motorhome base, and while it has undergone subtle revisions over the years the driving experience remains much the same.

Performance is relatively strong, and while the automated manual transmission offers smooth and reasonably quick shifts on the highway, at city speeds it can be sluggish to respond. But given few are going to use the Windsor as a city commuter, most won’t be too worried by this.

Summing up

The Windsor Flinders is well equipped for the price, and has a mostly clever layout that's suitable for both couples and smaller families.

While the Windsor brand is a new arrival to the motorhome market, the parent company has decades' experience building motorhomes for both the rental and retail markets. If this brief look-over is anything to go by, Windsor has entered the market with a strong offering.

Specs: 2020 Windsor Flinders (High Luton) motorhome

Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato
Licence: Car
Occupants: Four seatbelts, four berth
Engine: 2.3-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Power/torque: 130kW/400Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automated manual
Wheels: 16in steel
Brakes: Discs, ABS and ESP
Kerb weight: 3110kg
GVM: 4490kg
Payload: 1380kg
Travel length: 7883mm
External body width: 2433mm
Travel height: 2958mm
Cooktop: Two gas/one electric burner stove, rangehood, grill and oven
Fridge: Dometic 188L 12/240v/gas
Microwave: Camec 25L
Toilet: Dometic cassette
Shower: Separate cubicle
Lighting: 12V LED
TV: 60cm (24in) 12v HD LED DVD/TV
Battery: 100Ah AGM
Solar: 170watts roof-top
Air-conditioner:  Truma Aventa
Water: 145L fresh, 145L grey
Gas: 2 x 4kg
Price:  $136,900
Supplied by: Sydney RV, Penrith NSW 
More info: Windsor RV