Al-Ko follows Jayco tracks

Al-Ko admits it was caught by surprise when Jayco launched its new J-Tech trailing arm independent suspension 18 months ago. However it is confident that it’s new Enduro Outback equivalent that will be launched at Melbourne Leisurefest is a lot more than just ‘catch-up’.

“We were caught by surprise,” admitted Al-Ko’s Managing Director Sven Mannfolk at an industry preview at the 4X4 Training & Proving Group at Werribee.

“We had been concentrating on improving our Al-Ko rubber and leaf spring and beam axle systems because there was no business case to develop a heavier and must costlier suspension for the majority of Australian caravan users.

“But as soon as Jayco announced J-Tech, our phones ran hot and we had to respond”.

Al-Ko’s answer, like J-Tech, is a largely all-Australian effort, designed and developed at Al-Ko’s Dandenong South manufacturing plant and rigorously tested at the Australian Automotive Research Centre at Anglesea, Victoria.

In its specs it rivals Vehicle Components’ Cruisemaster XT and Simplicity’s Control Rider heavy duty off-road trailing arm systems, but rather than offer a specific lower-rated on-road version like Cruisemaster’s CRS, Enduro sets for lighter trailers and vans are simply down-specced.

Enduro independent trailing arms are made from silver zinc plated Australian steel (optionally powder-coated red in batches of 30 or more) and pivot in maintenance-free polyurethane bushes.

Queensland’s King Springs developed its X5K high stress spring steel coils, drawing heavily on its motor racing experience.

The only non-Australian components are the Al-Ko designed and made heavy-duty shock absorbers that come from Al-Ko’s own factory in Spain.

Single shockers are fitted per trailing arm unit for 1.2 and 1.6 tonne capacity Enduro sets, with twin shockers standard on single axle 2.0 and 2.5 tonne units.

All tandem axle non load-sharing sets that are available in 2.2T, 2.9T, 3.7T and 4.1T ratings, have twin shocks standard.

Dual shock absorbers are also available optionally on the smallest trailing arm sets, although Al-Ko admits this is more to suit fashion and market expectations than performance.

Despite costing approximately double that of a similarly-rated single leaf spring or roller-rocker suspension system and with a net weight of perhaps 10-15 per cent more, Al-Ko expects that chassis manufacturers will want to employ its Enduro suspension largely to meet market demands.

“After Jayco launched J-Tech, everything else suddenly looked old fashioned, regardless of its real world performance,” said Mannfolk.

To emphasise the point, Al-Ko’s Technical & Manufacturing Manger Rob Funder estimates that as much as 60 per cent of all Jaycos are now being manufactured with J-Tech. This creates the opportunity for specialist industry suppliers like Al-Ko, Vehicle Components, G & S and others to supply a similar percentage of the non-Jayco market.

Based on industry ‘guesstimates’, this could represent a potential market for non-Jayco trailing arm independent suspension systems for camper trailers and caravans of up to 7000 single and tandem sets per year.

While heavier and costlier, Al-Ko’s new Enduro offers users some tangible benefits.

For a start, it offers greater ground clearance and substantially more suspension travel – 140mm compared with a maximum of 90-100mm with leaf springs – allowing it to ride softer over rough terrain.

This results in an easier time for the caravan and all its fittings and furniture, according to Funder.

“You’ll be less likely to have the coffee jar unscrew, or the screws unwind from hinges and cupboards,” is how he puts it.

A test drive on the 4X4 Centre’s extreme off-road course certainly gave the impression that the 2.5T loaded single axle trailer behind us had a relatively tranquil time, with its wheels never losing touch with heavily rutted course.

Al-Ko has broadcast invitations to many Australian caravan manufacturers to attend its three similar functions at Werribee in the anticipation of forming partnerships that will see some opt to make Enduro an option on their chassis, with Austrail notable amongst the chassis manufacturers in attendance on the opening day.