All-electric Bushtracker breaks cover
Queensland off-road specialist goes gas-free for latest 19ft show-stopperQueensland’s Bushtracker showcased a caravan with no gas appliances at the recent Gold Coast Caravan & Outdoor Expo.
The 19ft ‘Compact’ van built by the Kunda Park custom off-road specialist (which claims to have never built two identical caravans), featured eight, 185W Sunman eArc flexible solar panels covering its entire roof, supporting a 600Ah Enerdrive battery, with a 120Ah charger and running a 3000W inverter.
Dispensing entirely with gas for cooking, hot water and heating has allowed Bushtracker to improve dust sealing by fitting a ventless Camaco entry door and removing gas regulation-mandatory upper wall vents.
BT’s usual water sealing lower panel still folds over the door and seals it to ensure the van can still wade rivers without water ingress.
The twin 9kg gas bottles are gone from between Bushtracker’s trademark twin front-mounted spare wheels on the A-frame, with BT still uncertain of what to put in their place.
Diesel heating for cabin and hot water was easy, but the outdoor kitchen lacks the gas burner beloved by BBQers, with a conduction 2000W cooktop there duplicating a similar one on the inside kitchen.
There’s no ‘electric’ Weber, like on some other 'gas free' caravans, but some travellers may wish to pack a small gas bottle if they insist on outdoor kettle cooking.
Bushtracker says there has been intertest in the gas-free option from some eco-travellers, but there are few other tangible benefits in terms of weight-saving (other than the twin steel gas bottles and their plumbing), or price.
As displayed with many options, the 19ft Compact Bushtracker had a retail price of $195,000 and tipped the scales at a Tare of 2900kg, although a similar-size 19ft Compact on display with gas, but few options, had a Tare of 2500kg.
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