This is our review of the Maui Cascade and man does it pack a punch!
We had taken a Maui Ultima on our QLD road trip and knew we wanted to hire another Maui for our WA road trip but here began the conundrum…do we go with what we know or try a different model?
Well, after a lot of consideration, we went with the Maui Cascade and I am SO glad that we did!
Our reasons for LOVING it are simple, it is just like a caravan but you don’t have to tow it. It is a 4 berth but for the 2 of us it felt spacious without being crazy big. It was still easy to park in shopping centre carparks, the kitchen area was better AND there is no more choosing between the lounge or the bed, you can have both!
I made a video review of the campervan to, you can check it out here if you’d like to see the features.
Fav feature No. 1 – The height. Mike is 6’3″ and he was able to stand up without slouching over. This is a big plus for him!
Fav feature No. 2 – THE BED IS IN THE CEILING! I am not kidding when I say this is the absolute best thing ever. One of the things that bothered me about our first road trip was that we always left the bed out and never had the lounge and table available to use, it was just too annoying to pack it up everyday…or I am just too lazy. Either way it never happened. With the Cascade you press a button and the bed comes down from the ceiling and stops just above the table. There is a heap of room above so you don’t feel claustrophobic. There is a ladder to use if you need it but we generally didn’t bother, it was so easy to just get in to your already made up bed!
Fav feature No. 3 – To follow on from number 2, there is a HUGE window in the back. I mean the size of a large TV. When you put the bed down you could close the blinds or you can leave them up and see the stars, the sunset and the sunrise from your bed. It was epic, especially when in a remote location and you feel like the only people on earth.
Fav feature No. 4 – The pop up air vent in the bathroom. Yep. There is always one in the kitchen area but the Cascade has another one in the bathroom and it is great. When you shower it obviously gets steamy in there so having this to open helped to air it out quickly. We only used the toilet for number 1s but if you are the type to use it for more then this is probably handy also!
Fav feature no. 5 – The griller. Ok so the Maui Ultima had a pull out BBQ on the outside of the van. We loved this and missed it. But the Cascade has a griller! This may seem insignificant but you can do so much in a griller especially when you’re free camping or staying in national parks as much as we did with no plug in to power (toasters and microwaves only work when plugged in at caravan parks). Think toast in the morning, reheating basic food, grilled cheese all made possible by the griller. The toast was the best part!
Fav feature No. 6 – The storage above the seats at front. This is a basic thing but so useful. I kept all Mikes fishing stuff on his side, his 2 piece rod in the centre (BEST thing ever to get it out of the way!) and my side had beach towels, frisbee, toiletries etc. This is such useful space.
Fav Feature No 7 – The screen door. On the Ultima there was a sliding door, which was great, it was a big space to have open. The Cascade has a door like a caravan and it has a screen door! This is so much better than the sliding door! Think a fly screen, a mosquito screen and still getting a good breeze through. It also had a little sliding partition so that you could hand a plate or drink out without having to open the door. This was brilliant as there were so many flies during our trip!
Fav feature no. 8 – front cabin, it has everything you need for a smooth drive. Navigation unit, swivelling chairs, push button start, blue tooth sound system, a dash board that seems like a game where you collect bonus km for smooth driving…whatever it was Mike was loving keeping track of how many km he saved per day.
Fav feature No. 9 – The external storage. There seemed like so much more functional storage on the outside as well. We had a table and chairs, the hoses, cartons of beer, buckets and all manner of useful stuff in there and out of our way!
Fav feature No. 10 – The awning! This should come higher on the list, unfortunately we travelled in the windiest month of the year so didn’t get to use it much but to get an awning that is attached to the van, easy to pull out and set up and you don’t have to pay extra for is brilliant!
To be fair, there are a couple of things that we missed about the Ultima. The pull out BBQ, the smaller size which means easier parking and it had a more streamlined shape which was better for fuel efficiency…but honestly the Cascade had so much more going for it that we would choose it every time!
We are hoping to plan future road trips along the NSW coast line, one through Victoria and SA and in Tasmania…the Cascade would be our choice from here on in. We have fallen for it and can’t go back now!
If you would like to check them out this is the link to their website. They release some great deals from time to time as well.
