First Bailey slide-out for Australia

The official launch in just over a month of the first caravans in Bailey Australia’s ‘true blue’ Rangefinder range is just the beginning, with new cutting-edge, slide-out models to join the line-up in early-2016.

The initial three-model Rangefinder ‘rough road’ range to be unveiled at Melbourne’s Leisurefest from October 8-11, should start at around $57,900 for the three-berth Astro, followed by a five-berth Gemini family van from $59,900 and the largest, four-berth Nebula from $62,900.

With a 6.5m (20ft 2in) internal length, the entry-level Astro features the popular ‘grey nomad’ layout of front, north-south queen bed, central café dinette and kitchen, and full width rear ensuite. It’s expected to have a ball weight of 130kg, 1700kg Tare, and 2200kg ATM.

With a proposed ball weight of 150kg, 1800kg Tare and 2300kg ATM, the 6.59m/21ft 7in (internal length) Gemini family van also has a queen bed up front, but with a kitchen and L-shaped lounge/dinette in the middle and two bunks and a separate shower and toilet up back.

The 6.87m/22ft6in (internal length) Nebula (pictured) offers an Aussie twist on the popular UK-built Pamplona model, with a spacious, panormaic club lounge up front, mid-mounted kitchen and separate shower/toilet, and north-south queen sized bed at the rear.

Built in Bailey Australia’s new factory in Campbellfield, Victoria, the Rangefinder vans feature Bailey UK’s ‘Alu-Tech’ interlocking aluminium extrusion framework and fibreglass bodies, re-engineered to accept rugged locally-designed Australian chassis, suspension and other proven local fittings and their under-body equipment.

While the tougher Austrail chassis and other heavier items add around 300kg to overall weight compared to similar Oz-spec UK models, Bailey Australia says the Rangefinder vans will still be as much as 700kg lighter (fully loaded) than similar-sized Australian caravans including the range-topping Jayco Silverline.

Standard features across the Rangefinder range include two 9kg gas bottles, roll-out awning, two 105 litre underslung water tanks, digital TV antenna, 185 fridge/freezer, 2.5kg washing machine, AM-FM CD/MP3 player, triple-lock exterior door, 23 litre hot water heater, Blum cupboard door lifts, 100Ah AGM battery and roof-top air-conditioner.

To make them more ‘rough road’ ready, an optional ‘outback’ pack including 16in wheels, Cruisemaster DO-35 hitch and CRS independent coil suspension, water tank guards, and front protection ‘bra’ will also be available.

Other options include Al-Ko or Dexter electronic stability control, electric fold-out step, TV, solar panels, RV Wi-fi, leather upholstery and a full oven and grille.

All Rangefinder vans will be tandem axle, to distinguish them from the existing, mostly single axle and smaller British-built Bailey vans available in Australia since 2011, which will continue to be sold here.

But the Aussie-built vans will come with the same 10 year body shell integrity and water ingress warranty, and three year general warranty, as their British cousins.

To reach a similar quality level required of all British Bailey vans, the new Rangefinder has already been subjected to a full week of accelerated life testing at the Australian Automotive Research Centre in Anglesea, Victoria, followed by an epic, on- and off-road across-Australia ‘real world’ test.

Already six months in development, the new Rangefinder slide-out units are expected to be supplied by the same US manufacturer that helped develop the

latest Adria slide-out models. 

The new slide-out should add around 10kg to overall weight and feature a similar flush mounting and quad drive mechanism.

However, the Bailey version should slide out a lot further than Adria's, up to 750mm, to open up more interior space. Double as well as single slide-outs are also on the cards.

At least one of the new Rangefinder slide-out vans is expected to be unveiled at the Melbourne Supershow in early-2016, after 'destruction testing' at the Anglesea Proving Grounds is completed in late-2015.