All-Aussie Armorlite hybrid shows off

Chunky, heavily checker-plated and ‘show special’ priced at $73,990, Urban’s brand-new 16ft off-road hybrid warrior, the Armorlite, looked suitably ‘bullet proof’ when it arrived on the Hinterland Caravans stand at the recent Gold Coast Caravan & Outdoor Expo, just hours before its official opening.

Australian-built in Melbourne on a 250mm trussed chassis with a flat floor, a 150mm A-frame, with Alucabond aluminium cladding over a fully TIG-welded alloy frame and fitted with a one-piece fibreglass roof and a honeycomb one-piece floor, the Armorlite is one tough-looking hybrid with a warranty to match.

Sold with an industry-leading five-year factory-backed structural and chassis warranty, it comes with over-kill 4.2 tonne-rated trailing arm independent coil spring and twin shock per wheel suspension.

Full under-body checkerplate armour, an A-frame stone guard and a Cruisemaster DO-35 off-road coupling, are standard.

Specific remote area survival equipment includes two 95-litre fresh water tanks, with another 60 litres tank dedicated to drinking water, plus a 95 litre grey water tank.

Off-grid power comes from twin 120AH AGM batteries, fed by two 170 watt rooftop solar panels, while Urban’s own dust suppression system, an Ibis 4 reverse cycle air conditioner and twin Sirocco 12v fans are standard.

Other kit includes an A-frame-mounted toolbox with gas bottle storage and a 60-litre 12v fridge and a BBQ on a slide; front, side, rear worklights; a rear view camera and a sturdy three-arm rear bumper.

The pop-top is power operated, but the external awning is manually deployed.

Home comforts include a north-south queen bed, a Dometic 190-litre compressor fridge/freezer and a 24-in TV, while outside there’s an external shower and a gas bayonet.

With a relatively light Tare weight of 1931kg, a payload of nearly 770kg and a ball weight of just 103kg, the Armorlite can be towed legally by medium-sized 4WDs, which will most likely determine the limits of where it can travel.

Look out for a full review of the new Urban Armorlite in coming weeks...