Motorhome Review: Navi by Travelstar

The Navi is the smallest unit in the Travelstar range. The first time I had an up-close look at the unit was at the Beeld Holiday Show earlier in the year, but one only really gets a feel for a motorhome or caravan when you actually take it out in the field.

The Navi I used is built on a Nissan NP300 chassis (single cab), but it is also available on a Toyota. This is not some softie SUV, it’s a bakkie, so expect a bakkie ride. The front interior is the standard NP300, and the magic is all in the back in the motorhome.

Even though it’s the smallest in the range, it still has a huge bed (around King Size). When set up – done by pulling the base forward and unfolding the mattress – the bed is about chest high. The Navi comes with an aluminium step to help get you up onto the bed.

There is a seating area with a swivel table inside, but this space can’t be used when the bed is set up. Inside there is also a bathroom with flush toilet and basin, an inside kitchen with 2-burner stove, and a fridge/freezer. The pop-up roof provides additional space as well as extra ventilation.

Packing space is limited, with only a single cupboard for personal items. There’s additional packing space beneath the seats, though. The kitchen area has enough cupboards for the cutlery and food that doesn’t need to go in the fridge.

I actually set up the bed on our first night, and kept it that way for the entire trip – I prefer to live outside, and with the good weather we never needed to huddle inside. The outside kitchen with sink and 2-burner stove is a delight.

All in all, the Navi has all the comforts you need for a good trip, cleverly designed to fit into the small unit. And being fully 4×4 (with Low Range), you could go almost anywhere. Even during some rough roads the unit felt very stable.