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New Age Wayfinder (My20) Review

For the model year 2020 (MY20) Wayfinder, the wizkids on the computers back at New Age HQ have redesigned the front end, rearranged and added space to internal cabinetry, as well as made some big changes to the packages buyers can choose from for this traditional style camper. It was this popular style that started the craze of low drag, compact camping campers.

Our test model is the 12-foot family. It’s a double ender with acres of room internally thanks to its big width and tall roof.

New Age offers the Wayfinder with two bundled option packs, the Comfort and the Adventurer, with Plus versions for each that add even more. The Comfort is aimed at holiday park travellers, with slipper spring suspension — yet it still comes with a 100Ah battery, fridge, water tank and 9kg gas bottle to give you some off-grid capability. Tick the Plus pack and the factory will add on a solar panel, more water and gas capacity, plus sway control, a microwave and more. Our pick, the Adventurer, starts with the Comfort before swapping out the running gear for Cruisemaster’s latest semi-offroad suspension, the CRS2, while keeping the fridge, water and power etc.

As the CRS2 is the main difference between the Comfort and Adventure packs, I’ll focus on that first. It’s a proper independent trailing arm suspension yet differs from Cruisemaster’s other offerings by not requiring a full crossmember for support between the arms, which is a clever idea that reduces weight. It utilises a round hinge to give a bit more flex where the arm meets the chassis. Interestingly, Cruisemaster actually rates the CRS2 to 2500kg in single axle configurations so you know it’s easily going to be tough enough for the 1880kg ATM New Age set for the Wayfinder.

The Adventure pack also includes coating of the lower surfaces of the camper for some light duty rock and tree protection.

One of the strengths of the New Age range is the topnotch engineering department, easily seen in the robotically welded chassis. It’s designed in-house using finite material analysis to get its strength-to-weight ratio perfect. It’s hot dipped for longevity and shows thoughtful design in cable and pipe management.

Internally, as mentioned, there has been a focus on more and better storage throughout. The two main beds both feature innerspring mattresses, and although not overly thick, they felt good in our review. Ventilation around both is excellent.

The living space is truly massive thanks to a high ceiling and the wide body. It has a full internal kitchen, unlike the bulk of campers on sale now. The cooktop is a three-burner so feeding a small army should be doable and the sink features a moulded drip tray for a drying rack and tucked away under it, a full-size microwave.

With beds extended, there's oodles of room

An internal kitchen is pretty luxe in the world of camper trailers

The BMPRO BP35M battery manager can charge the house battery at up to 25A (plenty for the 100Ah AGB battery) and is ready to receive solar through a dedicated input.

Like all New Age products, the frame is meranti and the cladding Alucobond which is durable and hard to penetrate.

When you are in the outback, small is good as it allows access to remote camps on tight tracks. But, it adds complexity with folding bodies, canvas extensions and integrated awnings. There are about seven key steps in setting up the Wayfinder 12F Family. We timed ourselves at about 30 minutes for the first set up and less than 20 for the second. If we were racing, I think we could have done it inside 15 minutes fully set up, which is a hell of a lot quicker than some of its competitors.

Starting under $38,000 the Wayfinder 12F is at the high end of family campers. It’s fundamentally simple yet well-equipped, with an easy setup, and can swallow all of the family’s gear and sleep them in their own beds. It’s capable off the bitumen and is well made, but a lot of manufacturers offer all of that. What stands out for me with any New Age is support.

Sister publication, Caravan World did a bit of an expose on warranties, looking at what most major brands offered and compared that to the ACCC regulations on warranty. One of the standouts was New Age and though a camper, the Wayfinder is no different. Starting with a hitch to bumper three-year warranty, New Age adds on a 12-month assistance program which helps with simple things like breakdowns, flat tyres, lost keys and more. It has some limitations in the cost of the callouts but for relatively new-to-campers buyers, this is a great show of support.

If you’re looking for your first camper and space is a priority, the Wayfinder should be on your list. It is simple and quick to set up, made with quality components and competitively priced with similar campers. The after sales support is the icing on the cake for what should be a reliable and capable camper for most.