Pioneer’s new Verve serves it up on the tracks and at camp with two stunning kitchens inside and out

Fancy yourself as a campsite chef? Pioneer has released a full-height hybrid van with a big outdoor pantry plus an internal kitchen for epic year round dining.

The large outdoor mid-van pantry promises optimal happy hour revelry with deep shelves accessible via a lift-up door just under the awning. It’s next to a comprehensive slide-out kitchen and a fridge slide further forward. There are two external kitchens to choose from. Both slide out to reveal two burners, stainless steel benchtop with wind guards, cutlery and accessory drawers and a mixer and sink– with the Premium Kitchen offering extra bench top space and luxe finishes.

Track Ready

Pioneer designed the Verve for tight tracks with a frameless body comprising powder-coated sheet-metal walls. These are fully insulated and inherently reinforced.

It’s a construction technique homed by TRACK who purchased Pioneer two years ago with the Verve being the first new Pioneer release. All the edges are finished with ‘return folds’ to prevent dust and water ingress. And the towing profile is narrow keeping everything neat when things get gnarly.

Pioneer has also tailored the hot-dip galvanised to give the Verve the ideal ball weight for safer towing. Underneath is the Trakmaster Trak-Two independent trailing-arm coil suspension, with twin shocks tweaked to the Verve’s dimensions.

Modular Interior

The Verve interior is modular for efficient, consistent customisation.

Within the internal kitchen, for example, you can choose to fit a second fridge, a microwave or a cooktop. The ergonomics are good, with bench heights similar to household specifications and kick-in panels providing room for your feet.

That flexibility flows onto the sleeping arrangements with the east-west bed the standard option. This provides room for bunks or a large dinette. Alternatively, you can opt for two king singles or a wall-to-wall north-south facing bed. Or switch out seating for storage. This approach allows for a good size ensuite for a compact hybrid, including a comfortably sized toilet with an easy-to-access external cartridge.

RedVision ‘Smarts’

Outdoor storage looks accessible on the Pioneer Verve. Everything opens up completely; nothing is hidden nor lost. I like the front drawer though you’ll have to strap in your gear in the nose cone. The rear bar is pretty clever. It can store up to 50 kilos and comes in various configurations to suit your touring needs.

Power-wise, you can manage plenty remotely via Bluetooth with the Redarc RedVision system. That’s camp chair access to your lights, water pump and fridge–even the 1000W inverter. Pioneer pairs it with the Redarc Manager30 for easy health checks on the two 100Ah lithium batteries (scalable to four) and two 160W solar panels up top.

Check out the camper here.