Cut Loose RV Roebuck RL

WE LIKED:
>> Curved cabinetry work
>> Energy-efficient LED lighting
>> Towable by a ute
>> Accurate water tank gauge

NOT SO MUCH:
>> Security screen door not standard

Fifth wheeler manufacturer Cut Loose RV is seeing steady growth in the sale of its fifth wheelers, or gooseneck trailers as they’re officially known.

One of the reasons is that Cut Loose’s fifth wheelers enjoy the best of both worlds – they’re a unique Australian design, with the shells constructed in the USA and shipped to the factory at Burleigh Heads, Qld, where the fit out takes place.

The sizes and designs are geared very much for locally-available, ute-sized vehicles, rather than the larger American pick-up trucks.

As I looked over one of the latest from the Cut Loose stable – an Alpha Series Roebuck RL – with its streamlined nose cone, some the changes were obvious like the US-style windows to the more familiar Seitz hoppers which are quite prevalent in Australia.

TOUGH ROOF!

Construction wise, the Alpha Series Roebuck has a vacuum laminated wall structure floor, and is built on a 150x 50mm (6in x 2in) steel chassis that has a powder-coated finish.

Being a fifth wheeler, it comes with a kingpin that’s fully ADR compliant.

Fully welded aluminium is used for the wall and roof framework, the latter being made strong enough to walk on – which is useful when you need to clean solar panels or roof hatches. The offside wall also has to be engineered to accommodate the slide-out.

The Roebuck’s entry door is a standard US-style door with a separate insect screen although there’s the option to have a full security door fitted.

External storage is predominately a bin under the overhang. The rest of the external lockers have dedicated cargo – including the batteries, two gas cylinders (9kg and 4.5kg) external shower and an optional slide-out barbecue.

CONVENTIONAL LAYOUT

The Roebuck’s layout is fairly standard for a fifth wheeler, with the main bedroom in the overhang and the bathroom opposite the entry door. This allows for a kitchen bench along the nearside and an asymmetrical lounge in the rear which is also used for dining and can be a second bedroom if required.

The day/night lounge in the offside slide-out and a shorter lounge on the nearside form a nice lounging area with a good view in the rear of the RV.
Mounted in the nearside rear corner, the flatscreen TV can be easily seen from the lounge opposite.

Just above the TV, in one of the overhead lockers, is the electrical control panel with hot water and slide-out switches, radio/CD play with 3.5mm socket and a sophisticated-looking probeless water tank monitor.

Cut Loose RV’s Nick Oliver assured us the monitor, which is made by US manufacturer iSeries, is accurate and programmable.

Instead of being fixed, the dining table is freestanding with two stable legs and can be used in various ways. It’s only downside is that it’s relatively small – suitable for two but not if you have visitors.

CURVY KITCHEN

Cooking up a meal in the Roebuck shouldn’t be difficult given the kitchen bench comes with most of the necessary items – four-burner cooktop and grill, stainless steel sink with drainer, and a good selection of drawers and cupboards.

The square cabinet look, so often seen in RVs, has been negated somewhat in the Roebuck, which has curved edges in various places, including on the cupboard and drawer corners.

Above the kitchen bench are three overhead lockers and the microwave. On the opposite side, the two-door 175L litre 12V compressor fridge is mounted off the floor (the hot water heater is underneath), meaning you don’t have to bend over as much to use it.

The bathroom is a happy compromise – it doesn’t take up too much space on the outside and it’s still very functional on the inside. It has a separate shower cubicle, Dometic full-flush china toilet and a nicely appointed vanity cabinet with wash basin.

MINIMALIST BEDROOM

Because of the external limitations, the overhang bedroom does look a bit minimalist in its approach but it has the essential queen-sized bed with innerspring mattress and small bedside cabinets on either side.

Reading lights are included and natural light and ventilation is assured by large windows on both sides and a good-sized roof hatch.
The Roebuck’s electrics are all wired to Australian Standards with powerpoints in all the right locations.

A roof-mounted 3.2kW air-conditioner delivers cool or heated air when required and, away from mains power, a 200Ah AGM battery will keep all the essentials going.

But for extended stays and the 12V fridge, the optional solar panels would be a good idea. A change from earlier models has been the standard inclusion of LED lighting.

On the road, the Roebuck handled very nicely behind my Isuzu DMax dual-cab ute, with the 3.0-litre, 130kW turbodiesel pulling the rig along very nicely.

Having a Gross Combined Mass of 5950kg and a Gross Vehicle Mass of 2950kg means that the Roebuck, with a tare mass of 2720 kg, and tow vehicle do have plenty of load capacity.

The tare weight is listed as 2600kg in its base form but extras like the barbecue, battery upgrade, solar panels and two TVs push the tare weight up

VERDICT

Often manufacturers will declare that their latest and greatest has a ‘new look’ which is sometimes a bit hard to find.

In the case of Cut Loose RV’s Alpha Roebuck, some of the changes like the Seitz windows and 16in wheels are quite obvious but other changes like the internal cabinetry work and interior design are more subtle.

Obvious or not, they all add up to a fifth wheeler that is certainly moving in the right direction.

CUT LOOSE RV ROEBUCK RL

External length (incl spare): 7.50m (24ft 6in)
External width: 2.3m (7ft 7in)
External height (incl AC): 3.24m (10ft 8in)  
Interior height: 2.03m (6ft 8in)
Nameplate ATM: 3450kg
Nameplate Tare weight: 2720kg
Pin weight: 450kg
Frame: Aluminium
Chassis: Powder coated, steel,
Suspension: Torflex independent   
Cooktop: Stoves four burner/grill
Fridge : Waeco 175 litre
Microwave oven: Panasonic 
Shower: Separate cubicle
Toilet: Dometic full flush
Lighting: 12V LED
Hot water: Suburban 23 litre 
Gas supply: 9kg, 4.5kg
Fresh water: 200 litre
Grey water: 125 litre  
Black water: 125 litre 
Price: $99,990 (on road, Qld) 
Supplied by:
Cut Loose RV, Burleigh Heads, Qld