Phoenix Nomad Federation

Built to impress, the Phoenix Nomad, will be your "home among the gum-trees". From its Federation front section through to the variety of rear bumper accessories, every possible effort has been made to insure your All-Road Phoenix Caravan is a true investment. Featuring a fully-insulated fibreglass or Alloy exterior and optional Solid Tasmanian Oak interior finish, the Nomad is an All-Road luxury experience.

Flight of the Phoenix
Phoenix makes a tough and reliable off-road van
by John Rooth

Phoenix Caravans has always had a superb reputation among serious bush travellers for sheer strength and ability to take outback punishment. However, Greg and Fay Rosenthal, who took over the business five years ago, have infused a whole new world of unique innovations and beautiful finish to these awesome vans.
This Nomad Federation is the Rosenthals personal van as well as being the company display van. So, apart from the lack of solar power, it’s typical of the new-breed Phoenix. Strong, beautiful, superbly comfortable yet still one of the lighter vans in its class.

On The Outside
The Nomad Federation sits on a classical Phoenix chassis featuring the double-rail (laminated) construction. It has a fully integrated A-frame and rear bumper, and runs AL-KO fully independent off-road suspension along with 12in off-road brakes. This combination offers the ultimate in longevity for travelling Australia’s outback tracks, and has been proven many times over by Phoenix owners – one of the most dedicated owner groups in caravanning.
While every Phoenix is built on the same concept, each individual chassis is engineered to suit its length, loadcarrying capacity and anything else that might affect handling. Things like generator placement, spare wheels, provisions for boat trailers, motors and jerry cans are all taken into account before the chassis is constructed and hot-dip galvanised.
Final travelling weights are computed so that the AL-KO off-road axles (each with a 2000kg capacity) can be tailored to suit, and these weights also decide the placement of axles.
That’s why all Phoenix vans, including this one, handle impeccably in the real world of badly beaten tracks and potholed roads.
The body is framed with imported (NZ) long-grain plantation pine that is bonded to the internal wall cladding (4mm secreted premium ply).

Once glued and screwed to the chassis perimeter frame, the wiring – heavier than normal to optimise 12V transmission – is glued in place (minimising potential vibration damage years down the track). Polystyrene insulation sheeting is sized to suit all frame cavities before being glued to the internal wall. The furniture is manufactured with self-supporting frames before being glued and screwed in place, which results in a fully integrated construction for maximum strength.
This Nomad has the optional fibreglass cladding that makes cleaning easier, provides a hail-resistant surface and some would say looks better too. Although, I think that’s a matter of personal taste. Fibreglass carries a small weight penalty over aluminium sheeting and costs about $500 per lineal metre (of the overall van body length) more. It is a bit stronger, though, and adds even more strength to what’s already a premium strength product.
Up front is a fi breglass removable steam-lining ‘pod’ covering (in this case) two LPG bottles, racks for two jerry cans and the triple-battery carrier.
One of the pioneers of using fi breglass in Australia, Greg Rosenthal has done a superb job engineering the fi breglass front and rear panels while retaining the typically Phoenix-angled front end.
Having travelled with this van during our recent Southern Downs DVD, I can verify its – here we go again – typically Phoenix bush-touring abilities. It has excellent ground clearance and
superb handling. This is a van engineered to suit experienced caravanners who know what they’re looking at and expect nothing but the best.

On The Inside
The timber furniture is beautifully crafted along traditional lines while featuring top-quality German Hafl e locks, hinges and stays throughout. There are plenty of lights in the right places, some beautiful touches like the entrance-way railed shelves, and the feel of genuine
solid timber everywhere. The windows are well placed for everything, from a nice view for dad while he’s doing the dishes to allowing plenty of ventilation for mum when she’s having
her afternoon nap. Did I get that right dear?
While in the kitchen, note the huge fridge/freezer – a Vitrifrigo 12V 230L compressor fridge, enough to keep even this dad happy – and the microwave oven-mounted above. While I normally find fault with high microwaves because of the chance of dropping something hot, at least this one has a large shelf underneath. This would minimise the chance of scalding and provides another working space. Not that the 23L microwave would get more than defrosting duties when there’s a superb Smev stainless steel wall oven (with grill), and a Smev three-burner stove top, too. While there’s not a huge amount of ‘dedicated’ food preparation benchtop, the reality is that with the sink board in place and the dinette table right behind, you’d have to be cooking for a party of 12 to notice.
You won’t be sleeping more than two, though, and that brings me to my pet hate – the dinette table can’t be folded to make an extra bed. While I acknowledge that most grey nomads don’t even want to consider taking the kids or grandkids along – or want to house them in a pup tent if they do – I still feel that provision for some extra bodies helps re-sale value in the long run if nothing else.
However, this is the opinion of a bloke still raising young children – perhaps the shine will wear off this parenting caper after a decade of teenagers or so…
Then again, basically everything is optional in a Phoenix because each van is a custom design. Although, you won’t find ‘cheap and nasty’ anywhere on the option list! There is a superb sound system with well-placed speakers, and a flat-screen TV mounted where it can be seen from everywhere except the toilet. C’mon Greg, what if it’s crucial time at the Gabba?
Plenty of attention is paid to getting the ergonomics of the furniture perfect for extended luxury touring. You can see that just looking at the lounge cushioning, but the true test is a nice book…Plenty of room for those, of course.
Like every Phoenix I’ve ever tested this one has an incredible amount of cupboard space. There are no dicky little angles or weird-shaped internals either, just big square doors opening into big cubed storage.
The wardrobes next to the ensuite door would be enough for most people, but the cupboard space extends all the way through the kitchenette. Plus, there are overheads and finishes with those beautiful bedside drawers and ’drobes. The bed base has been recessed and angled so there’s little chance of stubbing your toes – even the fat, clumsy, sloth-like thong-flattening toes of your correspondent.
The ensuite is very well designed with enough space for even me to get around. The shower utilises all the room with just a curtain to keep water off the ‘toot’. It maximises foot room and affords plenty of ventilation, too, thanks to both a window and fan hatch.

Wrap Up
What can I say? I chose Phoenix chassis engineering and AL-KO off-road independent suspension for Project Vicki based on the belief that nobody does it better for the real Australia. While old Vicki’s bodywork will never match the beauty and integrity of the
latest Phoenix creations, I know it’s protected by the best combination of suspension and handling possible with its design parameters.

Nothing has changed at Phoenix other than an injection of new enthusiasm and ideas, and perhaps a touch of classy design thanks to Fay Rosenthal’s personal touch. Greg’s pursuit of the finest in engineering procedures and materials – nothing less than Sikaflex, by a long way the most expensive adhesive/sealants on the market are used to bond the outer sheeting to the frame for instance – is only expanded by the Rosenthal’s personal experiences touring Australia in their home-built motorhome several years ago.
This experience has iced the Phoenix cake with touches of practicality that often have to be explained to be understood. I asked Greg why there wasn’t a slide-out barbecue for instance. He replied by pointing to a remote gas connection under a small hatch cover and saying, “Why would anyone want a barby right next to the outside wall on a dirt-road capable van? The fat creates a hell of a mess on the walls and a sudden wind change means a
very real chance of setting fire to the whole van! By providing this connection our owners can use their choice of barbecue. Plus, we’ve positioned it so no matter which way the wind blows, they can find a spot out of it. If it’s easier to own in the long run there’s far
more chance it’ll be used and enjoyed a lot more along the way!”
Practical thinking indeed and a philosophy that suits this Phoenix from one end to the other. Over the years, Phoenix Caravans has nailed a solid reputation for being genuine off-road
and outback-capable vans. The recent ‘beautifi cation program’, nicely illustrated by this particular Nomad Federation, has done nothing to lessen that – and many things to potentially increase it!
My congratulations to all at Phoenix. Vans of this calibre up the ante for every manufacturer – even those select few who are making products of similar quality – and, hopefully, eventually this can only benefi t all Australian caravanners.
They’re not cheap, nothing good ever is, but a Phoenix price is as tailored as the rest of the van. It is pretty much dependent on what the customer wants in their personal home on the road. Or the Birdsville Track, for that matter.