Dryden Trailers Custom 46ft

WE LIKED

- Spacious fifth wheeler
- Recessed awning for max body width
- Gas/battery storage under overhang
- Uncluttered bedroom

NOT SO MUCH

- We didn't get more time to play in it!
- This is a big unit so parking can be tricky

Generally speaking, most Aussie fifth wheeler manufacturers design their rigs to suit ute-sized tow vehicles, which isn't a bad strategy given the number of those vehicles on our roads.

However, when a buyer wants something a bit larger, someone like Gary Dryden, proprietor of Dryden Trailers, has few problems accommodating their wishes.
The team at Queensland's Dryden Trailers builds a number of corporate trailers, including mobile blood banks, so it wasn't a big stretch when Terry and Kay McCann, lobbed into the Dryden factory with their unique tow vehicle, and wanted a fifth wheeler to match.

Terry runs a trucking company and rather than the more commonplace ute, his tow vehicle is a huge Western Star prime mover, complete with a 373kW/2237Nm Cummins turbodiesel engine and 18-speed gearbox.

Normally, keeping the weight of the fifth wheeler within the bounds of the tow vehicle’s Gross Combined Mass (GCM) represents a design problem, but in this case the Western Star has a GCM of around 90,000kg (90 tonnes!) so there was no issue.

BIG NUMBERS

What resulted was a tri-axle fifth wheeler with a length of 14.63m (48ft), a Tare of 12,200kg and an ATM of 18,000kg.

In other words, something with plenty of space and no load capacity problems. For example, the layout includes an offside slide-out and a rear garage for a small car. 

Reflecting the Dryden style, the McCann fifth wheeler is built on a DuraGal steel chassis, which rides on Trailquip tri-axles with airbag suspension.

Insulated fibreglass composite panels are used for the body construction above floor level while below, the checkplate covering is framed by RHS steel.

Tanks for a massive 2270 litres of fresh water, 520 litres grey and 550 litres drinking are fitted into the chassis. 

Most of the external storage bins are fitted on the nearside; two of these are empty, but a third houses a generator. In the Dryden tradition, the two 9kg gas cylinders are stored under the overhang, as are the six 6V, 225Ah deep cycle batteries.

The gas bin door features convenient hand-sized holes for quick access to the cylinder valves.

Another item of note is the 5.7m (18ft 8in) Sunwise electric awning: it’s fully recessed into the body, eliminating any over-width body problems.

The large garage at the rear is also worth a mention. Designed to take a small vehicle like a Suzuki Vitara, it comes with a power-operated ramp, interior storage, offside window and an offside door for access to the vehicle’s door.

ROOM TO MOVE

It shouldn’t be a surprise that there’s a great deal of interior space here, especially with the slide-out open.

Sticking to convention, the main bedroom is in the overhang, with a full ensuite right behind it.

The entry door is located at the front of the main living area, which consists of a kitchen bench along the nearside and a dinette and lounge fitted into the slide-out.

The end (garage) wall is fitted out like a small bar, but is really just an extension of the kitchen bench.

Ventilation comes from large Dometic windows and two strategically placed Four Seasons hatches.

A split system 5kW air-conditioner, with one head located above the garage wall and the other in the bedroom, also keeps things cool.

The New Guinea Rosewood used for all the cabinetry means it’s a pretty dark interior, but it’s nicely offset by the glossy ceiling and walls.

Interior height is a generous 2.4m (7ft 10in), and even in the overhang it’s still possible to stand upright at 2.0m (6ft 7in).

Up front, the bedroom features plenty of space and a bedhead full of cupboards.

The queen bed has cabinets either side and full wardrobes in each foot-of-bed corner. The offside cabinet also has a recessed 19in flat screen TV mounted on a swivel arm.

The walk-through bathroom can be closed off from either side and comes with a shower cubicle on the nearside, along with a roller shutter cupboard containing a washing machine, dryer and slide-out wire basket drawers.

A very classy vanity cabinet is fitted into the opposite corner, with large mirrors on both walls, while a foot-operated Sealand toilet sits in the rear offside corner.

This may all sound a bit crowded, but there's more than enough space in this over-sized rig. 

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT

It's clear that Kay and Terry like their cooking – the kitchen is a sight to behold.

While containing all the usual items, including a Westinghouse four-burner cooktop, wall oven, Samsung 324 litre two-door fridge, LG microwave, and stainless steel sink, there's also a huge amount of cupboard and drawer space – a month's supply of food could be stored quite easily.

We also liked the roller shutter doors on the end cupboards – great for storing items like kettles and toasters.

Both the leather dinette and lounge area offer plenty of relaxation room. Indeed, the lounge is directly opposite the entry door and offers an invitation to immediately sit down and relax upon entry.

A handy cabinet containing two drawers sits between the lounge and dinette, and the windows in the side walls of the slide-out are another nice touch.

Fitted into the corner beside the door, the all-important entertainment unit includes a  26in flat screen TV, built-in DVD player and sound system, as well as an electrical control centre with 240V circuit breakers, 12V switches, solar panel (3x130W) regulator, 3000W inverter, generator switch, satellite TV controls, water tank gauges and air-conditioner controls.

VERDICT

Without doubt, the McCann's Dryden fifth wheeler is a very large and impressive Australian-built rig.

Because my truck driver’s licence doesn't extend to heavy combination vehicles, I was sadly unable to get behind the wheel and drive this magnificent unit, but just sitting in the Western Star's cab was a lot of fun.

The photos show a big and eye catching rig from the outside, but the interior is equally impressive, with everything you might want in a well-appointed and spacious unit.

For someone who already owns a prime mover, it would make a great non-commercial addition to the trucking fleet.

DRYDEN TRAILERS CUSTOM 46FT 

External length: 14.63m (48ft)  
External width: 2.5m (8ft 2in) 
Interior height: 2.4m (7ft 10in)
Bedroom Interior height: 2.0m (6ft 6in) 
Tare: 12,200kg
ATM: 18,000kg
Frame: Fibreglass composite 
Chassis: DuraGal steel 
Suspension: Airbag    
Cooktop: Westinghouse four-burner
Fridge: Samsung 324 litre
Microwave: LG 25 litre 
Shower: Separate cubicle 
Toilet: Sealand 
Lighting: 12V fluorescent/LED 
Gas: 2 x 9kg 
Fresh water: 2270 litre
Filtered water: 550 litre 
Grey water: 520 litre 
Black water: 34 litre 
Price as shown: $450,000 
Supplied by: Dryden Trailers, Yatala, Qld