EM18 CONSTRUCTION
Built on a truss chassis with 6in main bearers , the Royal Flair EM18 doesn ’ t have a frame in the traditional sense . Instead , the walls are made from one-piece 18mm ply clad with composite aluminium and black checkerplate . All external steel components , from the chassis to the checkerplate , have been finished in a special protective compound that can be touched-up when necessary .
Sitting on Cruisemaster ATX airbag suspension with 16in wheels and 12in electric brakes , the EM18 looks all business . Checking underneath , I noticed that all vulnerable components had been shielded , including the grey water tank spout – it ’ s amazing how often a manufacturer will fail to protect this part , even on a so-called offroad caravan . That ’ s not the case here . Again , this van is all business .
At the pointy end , you ’ ll find a DO45 coupling . After all , the ATM is 4000kg . There ’ s also a Black Jack Electric Trailer Jack – a great piece of equipment that takes the hard work out of hitching and unhitching – as well as a substantial storage box complete with dual slide-out trays . A couple of other storage lockers are provided as well .
Unsurprisingly , this is a gas-less caravan . All energy comes from the two 300Ah Enerdrive B-Tec batteries found in a locker on the rear-offside . The rooftop solar panels are stacked on a special slide-out system . Push a button and two panels slide out electrically , one either side , exposing the panels below to the sun . It ’ s a neat idea that allows for greater amounts of solar input .
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