Thread: Off Road Caravan or Hybrid recommendations

He wants to get away from canvas and Ultimate are still canvas that has to be packed away wet if raining.

The only one that deals with the wet canvas problem well is Tvan , where you tuck the wet canvas into the back hatch and there are drains to let the water out.

However having said that I have never had a wet bed in my Camp'o'matic as the design puts the wet canvas uppermost, and if it is wet I put a polytarp on the bed, but I have never had a wet polytarp, even when the canvas is dripping.

I must say however that I like Ultimates , and you see lots being used in the North and outback. I have spoken to many owners and they love them.

I think they are a silly height, but AFAIK that is so you can sit underneath the bed, or have the optional bedroom there.
Regards Philip A

Depends on what you have to spend. To some extent there is a correlation between build quality and price. If you don't want canvas then the choice and type is reduced considerably. I think your 1000kg total weight is unrealistic for an offroader given they are generally built using a heavier gauge of steel plus bracing etc. Like most things there is always a compromise to your expectations.

Regards
Maggsie

I think your 1000kg total weight is unrealistic for an offroader given they are generally built using a heavier gauge of steel plus bracing etc.


DiscoKym, in off-road world, this is the primary consideration. As soon as you venture off the blacktop you start adding heaps of extra stresses on any sort of trailer. Frankly most are not up to the job and I reckon that if most vans on the road today (off-road or just your bog standard Jayco) more than a third of the would exceed the max axle weight. And water is bloody heavy, so when all those 'must have' water tanks are full, boy are you lugging some weight around.

My 'must have' list for an off-road trailer were pretty much identical to yours and we hunted for ages, hired T-vans, hired canvas folding things, went to the caravan shows for a couple of years and eventually bought a new hybrid cross-over van called an Exodus made by Complete Campsite. Very sturdy, no seams to expand/contract, zero dirt when travelling (unless you leave the windows open!), lots of hi-tech gadgets. It is the same width as the D4 (so same wheel track), same height as the D4 with our folding boat on the roof rack (i.e. if the car can fit, so can the Exodus). As soon as we can ditch the kids we will use it more, but so far we are very happy with it and the after sales service is top class (unlike most places which evaporates as soon as the cheque has cleared!)

PM me if you'd like more details but you can find them on the web and I would certainly recommend them.

Oh, and I meant to add, I have a bit of a dicky back as well, so also wanted something that SWMBO and I could handle without having to be Tarzan, particularly as we are all getting older..

Here are some of the weights I ended up with a loaded Tvan if it helps.
The Disco and Tvan came in at under 4000kg.

Originally Posted by bacicat

Thought the Tvan came in under 1000kg? Aliens does. Enough room for 2 and easy to set up. They do hold their value well though and even older ones will set you back a bit.

Last trip I put it over the weighbridge.
Tvan axle was 1000kg.
Ball weight was @ 200kg.
This puts the Disco 300kg lighter than when touring with the old set up(Oztent ect).
With tent , foods etc. the Disco with no trailer was 3100kg(GVM is 3000kg) so a little over the specs.
As with all things the more room the more tempting to pack the extras.
If an item can't be used for 2 purposes then it as a rule it doesn't get packed.

The biggest thing is the Disco Manual states off road towing is Max 1000Kg. I like the idea of taking my accommodation wherever I tend to go.

Currently my Cub Kamparoo Weekender with Transcontinental Pack Plus, weighs about 500kg and 700kg loaded. With the Pathfinder I dragged it through Central Australia and all tracks in the Victorian High Country easily.

I'm trying to NOT pull the guts out of the Disco and was looking for a suitable change to get away from the canvas.

As most have said I have set the bar too high, but it is making for an interesting thread.

no good reason not to shoot the moon with your wish list,,
if nothing else it drags us all along into the current century
I reckon a standard TD5 would tow 4 ton all day,, not at all sure a standard 4hp22 will though,, re- all the torque converter posts.

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

no good reason not to shoot the moon with your wish list,,
if nothing else it drags us all along into the current century
I reckon a standard TD5 would tow 4 ton all day,, not at all sure a standard 4hp22 will though,, re- all the torque converter posts.

4 ton sounds great until you are running from the Zombie Apocalypse.

Americans seem to be prepping for the worst. So having a setup to travel over any terrain to hide from the Zombies is a priority.

I have watched a few Gall Boys destroying Landcruisers and Prados towing off road caravans off road and we all know they are the most reliable vehicles know to man...

Disclaimer: Any Zombies living or dead are not implied that they are dangerous or want to kill us all..