Crusader lifts its game

Once the preserve of motorhomes, electric pull-down beds are becoming an

increasingly common sight in caravans, as manufacturers look at different ways of making the most of limited space.

The latest to join the up/down bed brigade is Melbourne company
Crusader Caravans, which showed off its new DreamRunner model at the 2012 Melbourne Leisurefest.

On display at the stand of Crusader dealer Caravan City was the smaller 17ft DreamRunner model, which comes with single axle, offroad suspension, kitchen, lounge/dinette and ensuite bathroom.

The east-west facing queen bed is positioned over the eight-person, U-shaped dinette at the rear, and operates via a switch-activated, 12 volt battery-powered lift system.

With the bed raised all the way to the ceiling, interior height remains a decent 2.03m (6ft 6in). While at its lowest setting the bed sits just above the dining table for easy access at night.

Alternatively, the bed can be raised to a mid-way point to still allow people to sit comfortably at the dining table, or the bench seats can be used to create two more berths.

A sturdy, carpeted, wooden step slides out from under the bench seat to make it easier to climb into the bed when it’s raised.

Priced at $55,000, the 17ft DreamRunner on display was fitted with a good list of standard features and had a Tare weight of 2120kg and ATM of 2520kg.

A longer, 20ft model is also available with north-south queen bed, for those who want to avoid having to climb over their sleeping partner in the middle of the night.

The ‘space-saving’ DreamRunner is part of Crusader’s new Concept range, which also includes a budget-priced, compact Starlite model. For full details, check out the
Crusader website.