Panoramic Windows and Other Roamer Upgrades: What's Worth Adding to Your Build
Panoramic windows, extra power, bunk layouts, custom decals. Here's an honest Kiwi take on which Roamer upgrades genuinely earn their keep out on the road, and which ones you can happily leave off the list.
You've been to the shows. You've stood in six vans in one afternoon. And somewhere between van three and van four, a quiet worry set in: how do you know you're not paying a premium for a list of "features" you'll never use, while missing the one upgrade that would have made the van genuinely better to live in?
It's a fair worry. Caravan spec sheets are designed to look impressive, not to help you choose. So let's do the opposite. Here's a plain, honest walk through the Roamer upgrade list, what each one actually changes day to day in New Zealand conditions, and where you can comfortably save your money for fuel and fish and chips.
First, why Mad RV uses a base model plus upgrades
Every Roamer starts as a solid, complete, ready-to-tow base model, then you add the things that suit how you actually camp. We do it that way on purpose. A retired couple doing Coromandel summers and a family of five chasing rugby tournaments want very different vans, and neither should subsidise the other's gear.
It also means you get to see the price of each decision on its own. No bundling, no guessing. You choose, you see what it costs, you decide if it's worth it to you.
Panoramic windows: the upgrade people ask about most
Let's clear this up first, because it gets misread all the time. Panoramic windows are base inclusion on the Roamer range for dinette (booth) seating.
So are they worth it? For most people who park up somewhere with a view, yes, and it's not really about the glass. It's about what happens on day three of rain on the West Coast when you're all inside with a card game and a brew. A van with big glazing feels like a room. A van without feels like a box. That psychological difference is the real product.
Where they make the biggest difference:
Long stays in one spot, especially lakeside or coastal sites where the view is the whole point.
Smaller layouts like the Roamer 16 and Roamer 17, where the visual space matters more than it does in a 21.
Shoulder season touring, when you're inside more than you planned to be.
Where you might skip them: if you're mostly doing short weekend hops, parking in powered park sites, and using the van as a base to sleep in rather than live in, the money may do more good elsewhere. Be honest about which camper you are.
Layout: the decision you can't upgrade later
Everything on this page is reversible except this one. Every Roamer comes in couple and bunk layout options, across the Roamer 16, Roamer 17, Roamer 19 and Roamer 21. Get it right at the start.
A quick rule of thumb from a decade of watching real people live in real vans through Mad Campers: buy for the trips you'll take twenty times a year, not the one big trip with the grandkids. If bunks get used four weekends a summer and the rest of the time they're a storage shelf, a couples layout with proper bench and bed space will make you happier for longer. If bunks are your weekly reality, don't undersize the van to save a metre of towing length.
The Roamer 17 is worth a look if you've been torn between sizes. It's the same proven layout thinking as the 16 with an extra foot of usable length, which lands neatly for couples who want a bit more breathing room without stepping up to a 19.
Power and freedom camping capability
If your dream involves waking up somewhere without a power pole in sight, this is where your upgrade budget earns the most. Extra solar and battery capacity is the difference between three comfortable days off grid and a nervous evening watching the voltage drop.
Think about your worst case, not your best. Winter, low sun, short days, a couple of device charges and the fridge working harder than usual. Spec for that and you'll never think about it again. This is the upgrade nobody regrets.
Colour and decals: Arctic, Onyx or Slate
The Roamer 17 comes in three colours: Arctic, a clean white; Onyx, our black look; and Slate, a blue grey that sits beautifully against NZ bush and coastline. Arctic shows less road dust and stays a touch cooler in a Northland February. Onyx looks sharp in the driveway and hides gravel road grime between washes. Slate is the middle ground.
Built for NZ roads, designed with rental know-how
Roamers are designed in New Zealand and built with our factory partner, then shipped direct from factory to our depots in both islands. That direct path is a big part of why the value stacks up against other vans in the market.
Behind the design sits more than ten years of Mad Campers rental experience. Thousands of customers, thousands of nights, thousands of small lessons about where storage really needs to go, which systems get used hardest, and what people quietly wish their van had on night four. That operational know how shapes how a Roamer is laid out and specced. Jayco, Snowy River, Fortis, Total RV, Leisureline, CMG, Rugged Kiwi and Australis all build to their own strengths. Ours is NZ specific design thinking, genuine customisation, and value that comes from efficient construction rather than a thin spec.
A simple way to prioritise
Layout and length first. It's permanent.
Power second. It buys you freedom.
Panoramic windows third, if you're a stay put, view chasing, long weekend camper.
Colour last, because they're the fun part and there's no wrong answer.
Let's spec your Roamer properly
Tell us how you actually camp, where you go, who's coming and how long you stay, and we'll help you build a Roamer that suits it rather than one that just looks good on a spec sheet. Compare the Roamer 16, the new Roamer 17, the Roamer 19 and the Roamer 21, then head to madrv.co.nz to start your build with a team that has spent a decade learning what matters out there.
Ask us about weekly finance options too. A lot of buyers are surprised at how the numbers land once you stop looking at the sticker price.