Article from RV Daily.
Why I bought a … is a new place for RV Daily readers to tell us what they bought, and what they think about their purchase. In this story, it’s Why I bought … an Eternity Monument.
Readers name and location
Anthony Pryse-Jones (PJ), Sydney NSW.
What did you buy?
Eternity Monument 18’ single-axle full-size van.
Where from?
We bought it from Parravans at Heatherbrae (just north of Newcastle), NSW.
New or used?
It was new.
How was the dealership/yard experience, in terms of the handover, etc. That’s one area buyers often complain about.
Our handover was with Ryan; apparently, this guy is legendary at Parravans. We had a complete and comprehensive handover including the offer to call Ryan anytime on his mobile if we run into a problem. I have rung him once and messaged him on Facebook and he has responded straight away. That’s excellent customer service.
Are you experienced caravanners?
We had eight years with a Goldstream Storm before going to this full-size van 12 months ago.
Why did you choose the brand and model you did?
We based our decision on features and price. We liked the size of the van because I have a difficult access driveway with a very tight turn, and this length of van was the maximum I could turn at the top end. While the layouts in all these 18-foot-size vans are pretty much identical, we liked everything about the layout and interior design of this model. There are lots of windows; it’s very light inside and it feels roomy. We like the USB ports next to the bed and the lounge is a winner for us. We like the convenience of 12v plugs inside and outside plus an external tv aerial port. The Monument has good storage, with fans and vents over the shower and toilet, plus there’s lots of lighting. A huge plus is that we can go off the grid for four to five days with the solar, battery, gas and water capacities – love that! It has a quality G&S chassis, too. In all, it just met a lot of our needs.
Is there something that this brand/model does that others don’t?
It comes with an extended drawbar with a mesh insert, which is an option on some other vans. So, if it doesn’t mess with your towball weights, you have room for a toolbox or bike rack between the boot and the gas bottles. Plus there is an outdoor shower.
What’s the standout or best feature(s)?
It tows well. We optioned up to a larger fridge and oven, which have been great. The van is easy to manoeuvre and park, while for towing we added ESC that gives some peace of mind. In addition, we feel it has a lot of storage on the inside.
And what’s not so good?
After using the van a few times now, I would have liked to position the two 95-litre water tanks on either side of the axle, to potentially give it less towball weight. The grey water tank, which I believe is not going to get used all that often, could be situated further back as it will be emptied at the earliest opportunity and would not impose its weight on the rear of the van. Also, once those water tanks are both empty in front of the axle, I don’t believe it tows as well. If you have been off the grid, you’d probably need to find somewhere to fill up the tanks so as to provide better towing stability. Now I’m not an engineer but it’s just my opinion of my experiences so far.
Did anything break requiring dealer/brand back-up, and how did that go?
We have only had very minor things that needed to be fixed under warranty. For example, the window screens had jumped out of their tracks, which is nothing really.
Anything else you’d like to mention?
We are extremely happy with our Eternity. It is a solid, well-built van. Customer service and the sales team have been excellent, and we would have no hesitation in recommending this brand of caravan to anyone.
Pic: Eternity
Would you buy the brand again?
Definitely.
For more information about Eternity Caravans, click here
For more information about Parravans, click here
If you’d like to tell us why you bought your caravan (or something else) for Why I bought a … please drop us a line at sayhello@rvdaily.com.au