AL-KO offers light Aussie caravan chassis option

After purchasing G&S Chassis/Oz Trail and more recently, Preston Chassis in 2018, AL-KO has cemented its position as the major supplier of under-caravan and camper trailer components in Australia with the release of its new LightR lightweight chassis at the recent Victorian Caravan, Camping and Touring Supershow.

Developed by AL-KO in Melbourne over two years and manufactured to order at AL-KO’s German headquarters, the pressed steel chassis is visually similar to, but stronger than the European and British chassis than are fitted to some full-imported caravans and is designed to work with one-piece full composite floor panels to maximise strength and minimise weight.

Thanks to its optimal design, it has the ability to save weight compared with a traditional Australian caravan chassis while retaining the durability required for tough Australian travelling conditions.

AL-KO Australia & New Zealand Managing Director Peter Mannfolk said the development of the LightR chassis was in response to local caravan manufacturers’ requests.

“Currently, there is an issue with Australian caravans – they’re becoming too heavy,” he said .

“Not only are caravans getting bigger, they’re also being filled with more extras such as generators, solar panels and toolboxes, pushing legal limits and tow vehicle capacities”.

The engineered LightR design removes unrequired material, considering the overall design and floor plan of the specific caravan. AL-KO has achieved this through elongated holes in the pressed steel chassis members to reduce weight to a minimum. Fewer cross members can be used  by adding a composite floor (pictured), further reducing weight.

The chassis is hot dipped galvanised for durability and corrosion resistance in Germany, while its bolted construction reduces build time through the elimination of welding or drilling. As it’s shipped in a knocked-down form for local assembly, freight costs are kept low.

As distinct from AL-KO chassis supplied for British and European-built caravans, the LightR chassis has been endurance-tested on and off-road at the Australian Automotive Research Centre in Anglesea and has been designed to accommodate the locally-developed AL-KO Enduro independent trailing arm suspension, ensuring its suitability for Australian terrain.

Apart from the opportunity to transition to a lighter weight, engineered chassis, the LightR concept also supports the current move away from traditional methods of caravan construction, such as timber frames and aluminium cladding, making the leap towards more modern construction methods that save weight – such as bonding and monocoque construction with composite panels.

Once caravan manufacturers come on board with the concept, AL-KO’s engineering team hopes to partner with them to design a custom lightweight chassis to suit their caravans and then to test the product to ensure the highest level of performance.

Several Melbourne manufacturers were seen in deep discussions with AL-KO representatives at the Supershow.

With the launch of the new chassis, in addition to the more traditional G&S, Oz Trail and Preston chassis, AL-KO and its  international parent company Dexko Global is now in a position to supply the bulk of under-body caravan and trailer components to local caravan manufacturers, from their choice of o-, or off-road chassis, to its AL-KO Touring, or Enduro Cross Country or Off-Road trailing arm coil spring suspension, drum or disc brakes, corner drop jacks, anti-sway (ESC) technology, jockey wheels and ball or pin couplings.