Eclipse Plus plugs hybrid niche

Queensland’s Australian Off Road has built its successful business by anticipating and then satisfying market trends, so the industry takes notice when it fills another gap.

This time with the Eclipse Plus released at the Queensland Caravan Supershow, AOR has targeted the growing group of remote area travellers who want all the pleasures of outdoor living with the fallback of a reasonably roomy and weatherproof base when the weather fails them.

Priced at $79,900 on its introduction (but later rising to $83,900), the Eclipse Plus slots in between the $77,900 Eclipse, which has an internal kitchen/fridge and AOR’s tricky new external shower pod and the $89,900 Quantum, which comes with a large external kitchen /fridge and an internal shower/toilet.

Combining the Quantum’s external kitchen and Eclipse’s larger internal living area, the Eclipse Plus will be welcomed by those who want camper trailer agility with caravan comfort.

However AOR has also taken the opportunity with the new model to broaden the new super camper’s appeal to families and travelling buddies.

Like the Eclipse and Quantum, the Eclipse Plus comes with a north-south full queen-size bed. But without an internal shower, toilet and fridge, the extra space is used to fit a four-seater lounge/dinette that once the pop-top has been raised, can be converted into twin vertically-stacked single bunks.

An internal sink with hot/cold water is built into the rear full-width bench that houses four large storage drawers, while AOR’s spacious new external shower pod, recently introduced on the Eclipse, takes care of bathroom duties.

A hot/cold ‘telephone’ shower and a portable toilet can be enclosed within seconds by a tent that drops from the top-hinged, lift-up fibreglass pod, which also incorporates a hard floor.

The Eclipse Plus comes standard with a 140-litre fresh water tank and can be fitted with any of the Quantum or Eclipse options including a second 140-litre tank.  ??A 300-watt solar system, gas hot water system, internal Webasto air space heater, and full roll out awning are all standard equipment, while the front wood rack can be fitted with a variety of optional bike racks.

The other standout feature of the new Eclipse Plus is its colour. It’s Australian Off Road’s first white super camper --- complete with Wiggles-style stick-on decals on the display model -- and this colour is now available as an option to the traditional grey or maroon across the AOR range.