We all enjoy a touch of luxury and when it comes to big touring caravans it’s nice to have everything at your fingertips so that a long range holiday becomes more of a pleasure than a chore. The Roma Karisma is one of those big rigs that is really a home away from home, with everything you’d need for a comfortable and enjoyable long range trip.
The Karisma is sort of based on the Roma Elegance, and is an attractive and roomy touring caravan. With an ATM of 3000kg it will ideally require one of the higher rated tugs (though vehicle manufacturers tow ratings are somewhat arbitrary). The Karisma towed quite well behind a Mazda BT50, despite a rather rushed hook-up-and-go pick up. Mind you, this exercise involved towing mostly in traffic, rather than on the highway, but the Karisma still felt pretty good on the back.
The Karisma is built on a box section steel Duragal chassis with dual straight axles and rocker spring suspension. Electric brakes are fitted along with a breakaway system. Drop down corner steadies are fitted, and galvanised wheel arches and mud flaps are installed.
On the A frame a standard 3500kg ball coupling is fitted, with twin 9kg gas bottles mounted ahead of a mesh gusset between the A frame arms. A water tap is fitted on the driver’s side.
Underneath are two 95-litre water tanks, shielded by galvanised sheet protectors, and the undersides are quite tidy.
Up forward is a galvanised steel lined boot with a good weather seal around a fibreglass lid. The front and rear sections are fibreglass mouldings, with a fibreglass roof 2mm thick. Sidewalls are a standard design corrugated aluminium with smooth aluminium skirt around the lower sides and under the front boot. Walls and roof are insulated.
Storage lockers are positioned forward behind the boot and at the rear behind the entry door. A drop down picnic table, power inlets and outlets, and annex lights are positioned on the kerb side under an A&E awning. At the rear is a solid galvanised bar mounting a single spare wheel. A TV antenna and Ibis air conditioner are fitted on the roof, and a reversing camera is positioned high on the rear wall.
The Karisma layout is configured with an entry door to the rear of the axles, with the bathroom positioned across the rear, kitchen opposite the entry, lounge/dinette forward of the entry, and the bedroom up forward.
The bathroom is very roomy, almost home size, with a big shower recess on the kerb side screened by an opaque hinged door. Across the rear is a wide vanity section backed by a big mirror, with an oval vanity basin fitted with a flickmixer tap. Beneath the vanity benchtop is a pair of cupboards, with a set of four drawers adjacent to the shower recess. Under the benchtop on the driver’s side is a Lemair washing machine, and a ceramic bowl cassette toilet is fitted forward of the bench. Behind the loo is a curtained window, with a pair of storage lockers above.
The bathroom is well served with storage space, well lit and can be closed off from the main cabin via a sliding door.
The kitchen area sits opposite the entry and features a long and spacious benchtop with a rolled edge. Within the benchtop is a stainless steel sink with flickmixer tap and forward of this is a four burner (three gas and one electric) cooktop with grill and oven beneath. The cooktop is concealed by a hinged section of the benchtop, providing maximum available bench space.
Beneath the benchtop is a nest of drawers and cupboards providing a huge amount of storage space. Above the forward end of the benchtop is a set of three overhead lockers, with a rangehood and lights beneath. Above the rear end of the bench is a console housing a microwave oven, with a shelf and stereo controls fitted above.
Forward of the kitchen bench area is the fridge console, with a 184 litre two door fridge freezer, with narrow storage lockers above and below. A big window backs the kitchen bench, allowing in plenty of light and air.
The Karisma kitchen has loads of room and is very practical. you could cook anything at all here while on the road, save for a pig on a spit.
The dinette/lounge is positioned forward of the entry door, with a pair of leather lounge or bench seats either side of a trifold table. There is storage space beneath the lounges and a big window behind the table allows you to take in the views as you dine.
The lounges are very comfortable and will suit laying back watching the telly, or if entertaining, providing comfortable seating for four to dine in comfort. Above the window is a console of three storage lockers, and reading lights are fitted to the walls beneath the lockers.
The bedroom occupies the forward end of the Karisma and looks to be very comfortable and roomy. The queen sized bed lifts up on gas struts, with storage space beneath. Robes with mirrored doors flank the bed, above handy sized bedside benches with storage space beneath. Windows are positioned on both sides of the bedroom and behind the bedhead, with the forward window protected by a fibreglass shield.
Above the bedhead is a pair of storage lockers and personal lights are fitted. Additional narrow lockers are fitted in the corners at the foot of the bed.
The interior finish of the Karisma is very tidy. Leather pelmets above the windows cover pleated curtains and the timber finish offsets the white of the kitchen storage cupboards. In all, the interior is nicely finished and well laid out.
The Roma Karisma is a very spacious, very tidy, large black top touring caravan. It is suited to long range travel and can hold its own in an independent camping situation with its on-board gas and water supply, complemented by a pair of 100 a/h house batteries. For a couple who prefer to see Australia in style and comfort, the Karisma is a practical and roomy option.
Specifications
Manufacturer: Roma Caravans
Model: Karisma
Body Length: 7.5m
Width: 2.3m
Height: 2.85m
Tare weight: 2400kg
Price: from $70999
Thanks To:
Pas Dimuccio and the crew at The Caravan Shop
Find Out More
332 Brisbane Road
Arundel Qld 4214
Tel (07) 5500 5282
E: pas.thecaravanshop@bigpond.com