By Malcolm Street
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Offroad is sometimes a term that is misused in the RV industry: in many cases ‘rough road’ would be a better term. But when the team from Qld-based Bushtracker caravans uses the term offroad, they mean it!
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In sunny Qld, it was a very rainy day when CW was able to look over a custom built 20-footer – not bad for checking out the van in slippery offroad conditions but not&nbsp; good for keeping cameras dry. 
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Our review van might be just 20ft (6.1m) long but it has a Tare weight of 2610kg and an ATM of 3500kg, which gives a good degree of load capacity but also puts it into Toyota LandCruiser/Nissan Patrol, or in our case, Dodge Ram towing territory.
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Those planning long-term travel are going to need good kilowatt output for towing and some hefty low down torque (ie, a diesel motor) for serious offroad work. 
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Custom builds
All Bushtracker vans are built on a hot dipped galvanised chassis. Despite some industry views that the galvanising process has some effect on the tensile strength of steel, the Bushtracker team reckons it doesn’t and merely point to some of its older vans that are still happily circulating throughout Australia. 
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Included in the integral chassis design is the drawbar, the arms of which are laminated to the chassis and run right up to the front suspension mount.
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Independent load-sharing suspension is used for the tandem axles – Bushtracker believe that it’s the setup that works best in the bush – no axles to drag across uneven tracks and load sharing to spread the bumps and undulations across two wheels, rather than one.
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Bushtracker doesn’t stint in the brake and bearing department either, with 12in two-piece hub drums used, which also allow larger bearings. 
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On the drawbar are AT 35 offroad hitch, snap-up geared tractor jockey wheel that can be used to move the van around (a good idea given its weight), two 9kg gas cylinders, two spare wheels and a mesh stoneguard. We don’t often mention handbrakes, but this one with its ratchet operation has to be one of the better ones.
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Above the chassis, the van has an aluminium frame. Of course, being a Bushtracker, it is not just any frame but is built using 2mm, 2.4mm and 3mm aluminium with 25mm x 25mm and 25mm x 50mm angle. 
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The aluminium is diagonally double rivetted, welded and designed to flex like an aircraft wing. 
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Bushtracker vans have quite a unique shape – the front of the van is immediately identifiable because the top half overhangs the lower half, that’s where the spare wheels and gas cylinders are mounted, and the lower rear is chamfered back such that it does not scrape on rough terrain.
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Aluminium cladding used for the top half of the van and for the lower half aluminium checkerplate body armour is employed. Bushtracker uses a unique idea for keeping water and dust out of the lower door area – a checkerplate ‘stable door’ that can be closed for water crossings and dusty roads. 
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Given its design, there isn’t a front boot on the van: instead there is a large front storage area with access doors on either side. Other features include an Aussie Traveller awning and an external shower plus usual items such as the Thetford toilet cassette door and Suburban water heater. 
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Being designed for self-contained living, our Bushtracker came with quite a sophisticated electrical system. It’s wired for both 240V and 12V, the latter supplied by four AGM (absorbed glass mat) 200Ah batteries. In addition to the 50A battery charger, they are also kept up to voltage by four 125W roof-mounted solar panels that are wired up to a 40A digital regulator.
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A mixture of fluorescent and halogen lamps is used throughout thus keeping the 12V lighting power demand to a minimum. 
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For light 240V use, an 1800W sine wave inverter delivers the goods but when running the roof-mounted air-conditioner either a generator or mains supply is required. That’s one thing the diesel-fired Webasto heater does not need – it can function quite well on its own. 
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Bright design
Our Bushtracker came with a layout that featured a front bedroom, nearside kitchen, offside dinette and rear offside corner bathroom. Polyester is used for the panelling finish and real Tasmanian oak is used for the cabinetry work, to good effect.
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A look inside the drawers reveals dovetail joinery for the front panel/side joints and the smooth running of the drawers is because rollers and guides are used rather than plastic runners. 
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Bushtracker kitchens are always well fitted out and this one is no different. It comes complete with Spinflo cooktop with grill and oven, stainless steel sink, Coolmatic 12V compressor fridge and Sharp microwave. The latter sits above the fridge and may be a tad high for some folk.
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A Dometic rangehood vents cooking fumes to the outside. Kitchen storage is quite generous, with three overhead lockers, two drawers and two cupboards. Beside the fridge a flatscreen TV is mounted so that it can be swivelled for viewing from either the bed or the dinette seats. 
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In the kitchen proper, there isn’t a great deal of benchtop area but across the rear of the van there are waist-height cupboards which have been designed with a dual purpose in mind.
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Not only is there benchtop area (which actually goes behind the bathroom) and cupboard space, but it has been designed as extra bed space, with a mattress of course, should there be an extra junior visitor staying overnight. Overhead lockers provide more storage area. 
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Four people can sit reasonably comfortably at the dinette table, although part of the foot space is taken up by the wheel arch. The large window beside the table gives a good view of the surrounding countryside and night-time illumination is provided by both an overhead fluorescent and a halogen reading light.
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There is also a double powerpoint behind the table and a second one behind the front seat, so there is no shortage of power outlets.
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In the overhead lockers at the forward end are essential items such as electrical circuit breakers, solar panel regulator and AM/FM radio/CD player. 
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Up front, the north-south double bed occupies most of the bedroom area. Windows on all sides plus a Heki hatch in the roof ensure good ventilation.
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On both sides of the bed are a wardrobe, drawer and small cupboard. There are also small steps in front of the bedside cupboards – the space made usable by a hinged flap on top of the step. 
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Lifting the bed up reveals not only a well made bed base, but a compartmented storage area as well. 
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At the end of the bed are three drawers plus two cupboards, making this a very practical storage area. 
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Between the bedroom and dinette is yet more storage space, with both a full height plus half height cupboard. The lower half of the full height cupboard has a small safe installed – large enough to contain small but precious items. 
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In the ablutions department, the bathroom is a moulded fibreglass item, with flexible hose shower, Thetford cassette toilet and a hand basin. Part of the moulding also includes a waterproof locker under the hand basin. Ventilation is provided by both a fan hatch and a small window. 
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The Bottom Line
All Bushtracker vans are custom built, which means customers (within reason) can have generally what they want. 
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For an offroad van, the Bushtracker very much has a ‘fitness-for-purpose’ look about it which on closer investigation is very true.
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It’s quite obvious that a Bushtracker van is built with plenty of experience behind it and is ready for doing it tough – in style and comfort of course.
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Contact Bushtracker, 85 Enterprise Street, Kunda Park, Qld 4556, (07) 5476 5833, email: sales@bushtracker.com, web: www.bushtracker.com
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I liked
• General workmanship – this is a very well finished van
• Practical layout which gives a comfortable touring/offroad van for two with room for a couple of visitors as well
• The Tasmanian oak timber finish – it looks good
• Well designed electrical system which has everything for extended bush stays
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Now I’m being picky
• Maybe a lighter van, although weight is one of the prices of having a heavy duty 
offroad van
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Bushtracker Offroad Caravan 

External length: 20ft (6.1m)

External width: 8ft (2.4m)

External height: 9ft 8in (3m)

Nameplate ATM: 3500kg

Nameplate Tare weight: 2610kg

Frame: Aluminium

Chassis: Hot dipped galvanised

Suspension: Tandem load-sharing independent

Cooktop: Swift four-burner, grill and oven

Fridge: Coolmatic 12V compressor

Microwave: Sharp

Shower: Yes

Toilet: Thetford

Lighting: 12V

Gas: 2 x 9kg

Fresh water tank: 492L (6 tanks)

Price: $101,240 
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Bushtracker Offroad Caravan

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