AL-KO previews future of caravanning

The caravan and the inbound tourism it enables, are not dead; in fact they could become important to Australia’s regional recovery.

That’s the positive vision AL-KO gave visitors to Victoria’s recent Caravan, Camping & Touring Supershow, making most of the caravans and camper leviathans on display at our largest national show look decidedly ‘old school’.

In the future, as AL-KO envisions it, much lighter caravans, built more quickly and economically on a new generation of lightweight chassis, will be regeneratively-powered, meaning they will not impact on the travelling range of tomorrow’s electric tow vehicles.

After purchasing a number of chassis rivals over the past two years, such as former market leaders G&S and Preston Chassis, to become ustralia’s principal non-Jayco RV component supplier, the innovations are designed to cement AL-KO’s market dominance by opening the window to a brave new world of future technology.

The future tech, previewed in Melbourne, included a new Hybrid Power Chassis for motorhomes featuring electrified rear hub motors; a concept study by AL-KO Vehicle Technology and its partner Huber Automotive AG showing future possibilities with electrified drive technology and sensors; two new lightweight chassis, including the local-designed Light R, developed specifically for Australian conditions and the novel Level C levelling system, due to become available for fitting to local chassis by mid-year.

Electrified caravan chassis

On the suspension front, AL-KO has also released the next generation of its Enduro X independent trailing arm suspension, while it is rolling out sensors in caravan chassis including remote-controlled, self-levelling feature.

AK-KO’s Hybrid Power Chassis, developed jointly with Huber Automotive AG, is based on AL-KO’s existing lightweight chassis and enables modular, integrated use of the lithium flat battery packs and electric drive components, including hub motors.

Also read:

Electric hub motor driven caravans coming

The electrified rear axle with a peak power of 90kW can be switched on as required to result in an all-electric range of between 50 and 100km, depending on customer requirements.

A major advantage of the hybrid concept is that it can match, or even exceed, the long range of a today’s diesel-powered motorhome by activating its booster function.

For long distance journeys, the vehicle's internal combustion engine can be used without restriction, while simultaneous use of the E-Drive and internal combustion engine, like an electric car, will result in better overtaking acceleration.

Offering claimed fuel savings and CO2 reduction of up to 30 percent, the HPC® also has a plug-in charging function, enabling flexible or fast charging, while the engageable rear axle also offers an all-wheel-drive and traction function, making it particularly attractive for motorhome owners on wet grassland and slippery or loose surfaces.

Battery driven chassis increases range

AL-KO has also given Australians a glimpse of the trailer of the future, displaying a concept study of a new generation platform designed for towed vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tonnes.

With the range of electric vehicles towing a traditional caravan or trailer currently reduced by up to 70 per cent without assistance, AL- KO’s technical solution is an electric 48-volt drive integrated in the chassis of the caravan, or trailer, increasing the towing range regardless of whether it's a classic combustion or electric towing vehicle, with energy recuperation achieved when braking or in the overrun mode.

This allows continuous braking downhill, making towing a caravan over mountain passes safer and more wear-resistant, with less reliance on the tow car’s or caravan’s brakes.

This electronic control system also stabilises the trailer automatically, while doubling up as a low-speed caravan mover when disconnected from the tow vehicle.

Various appliances, from fridges to air conditioning and entertainment systems, can also be run off the grid through the system, as they're literally ‘electrified’ by the energy storage unit, either while driving or via plug-in charging at home.

The system can also offer anti-theft protection for an RV by activating the electric immobiliser and GPS tracking, while camera systems can facilitate coupling, manoeuvering and parking. These optional functions can be configured and controlled via a smartphone using AL-KO’s 2LINK App.

Super lightweight caravan platform

Back from the future, AL-KO has also announced the development of the its 'LightR Chassis' – a lightweight chassis that AL-KO says has the potential to revolutionise Australian caravan design.

Developed by AL-KO in Melbourne over the past two years to meet what AL-KO’s Australia & New Zealand Managing Director Peter Mannfolk says has been ”an overwhelming call from caravan manufacturers for a lightweight chassis that is still strong and durable and specifically designed for the tough for Australian conditions”,  the LightR offers significant weight savings versus a traditional, heavy Australian caravan chassis.

“Currently, this is an issue with Australian caravans – they’re becoming too heavy,” said Mannfolk. “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, while also reducing the caravan’s payload."

The LightR achieves its weight-savings through elongated holes in its pressed steel chassis members while its integrated composite floor means the chassis requires less cross members. With the elimination of welding or drilling, it  also means it requires less build time than a conventional Australian caravan.

AL-KO says the LightR chassis has been put through extensive off-road testing at the Australian Automotive Research Centre in Anglesea in Victoria and has been designed to accommodate AL-KO’s existing Enduro independent trailing arm suspension, ensuring its suitability for rough Australian terrain.

Significantly, the LightR concept also allows Australian manufacturers to move away from traditional methods of caravan construction, such as labour-intensive timber frames and heavy aluminium cladding, and make the leap towards more modern, weight-saving construction methods, such as bonding and monocoque construction with composite panels.

Automatic levelling

With more Australians heading off the bitumen for lifestyle tourism or free-camping, AL-KO is also offering its new Level C caravan levelling system that allows automatic levelling through an A-frame-mounted pillar jack and two rear chassis-mounted jacks at the touch of a key-fob button.

With a maximum stroke of 460-480mm and a ground-clearance after lifting of 80mm, the system can allow wheel changes without a conventional jack and can also give an instant tow ball loading reading from the front jack, if required.

It’s going to be a brave new caravanning world!