Is an off-road van worth it?

Checker-plate is the badge of honour worn proudly and loudly by the increasing number of caravans and pop-tops proclaiming themselves ‘off-road’ models. Yet ironically, some of the most capable, purpose-built vans designed to survive prolonged Outback travel, have none.

As one specialist builder of off-road vans told me told us recently, in nearly 20 years he has never seen significant stone damage to the bottom skirt or rear of a caravan.

This poses the difficult question for buyers: what makes an RV ‘off-road’ capable? And it’s one that’s hard for most buyers to answer without some serious research when asking prices for vehicles claiming these credentials can be spread over a $100,000 range, staring in the high $30,000 bracket.

It’s a question caravancampingsales.com.au put to Russell Seebach, co-founder of Melbourne-based Trakmaster, which has been custom-building true off-road caravans and pop-tops since 1995. Interestingly, Trakmaster’s latest off-roader, the fibreglass sandwich-walled Pilbara, which is due to launch at the end of January, has no checker-plate ‘bling’.

However at the production rate of less than 50 vans a year and with prices well above most of their contemporaries Trakmasters and those of other specialist caravan and pop-top builders such as Queensland’s Kedron, Spinifex, Australian Off-road and Bushtracker, are not for everyone.

Many buyers lack the right tow vehicles, confidence (and partner!) to travel that far, that often, off the bitumen. So for many, a ‘faux off-roader’ may be fine if you are only planning the occasional trip down unmade major roads and aren’t thinking of hundreds of kilometres of travel on rough tracks and corrugations.

However, if you want the real deal, but are blinded by choice, here are 10 valuable tips:

1. Ask the salesperson whether the caravan has specifically been designed for off-road use. Then ask him to show you the features that are different from on-road vans or pop-tops. If there is hesitation, or if he or she starts to tone the term ‘off-road’ down to ‘unmade’, or ‘gazetted’ road, you can rightly suspect that it’s not designed for real off-road use.

Reading the brochure or warranty can also give you clues. Look for specific clauses that restrict use of the van.

2. Typically, look for large diameter 150mm wide x 50mm thick (6 x 2inch) steel main chassis and A-frame members running the full length of the van -- not just a large-diameter A-frame that ends at the axle (or axles).

A small group of chassis manufacturers (Al-Ko, Austrail RV, G&S and Preston) supply the majority of the non-Jayco brands (Jayco make their own) and all offer regular and off-road spec chassis, often tailored to the caravan manufacturer’s specifications. But one size doesn’t fit all. A true off-road chassis should be visibly larger and stronger and engineered for that particular size and weight of van.

3. Then make sure the vehicle has true off-road suspension. Typically, this will be a Cruisemaster or Simplicity trailing arm independent coil spring and shock absorber single or tandem axle system, although a few might have (generally more expensive) airbag suspension.

The common feature of independent systems is that they have longer wheel travel than the most common roller-rocker leaf spring systems that work very well on the blacktop. Some manufacturers, such as Trakmaster with their ‘Sugarglider’ independent system, have their own system made specifically to suit each van in their range, with differing diameter spring coils and shock absorber valving to suit each model’s weight and expected loading.

4. Check the van’s Tare weight and ATM. By law, this is stamped onto a plate pop-riveted to the A-frame or located inside the front boot (if fitted). The Tare weight is what the van weighs empty. The ATM is the maximum weight of the van, when loaded. So simply subtract the Tare from the ATM and you’ll know how much weight you can carry.

For a start, your tow vehicle should have a braked towing capability of pulling the van’s ATM. So if that’s 2800kg and you have a Toyota Prado -- even the latest model -- your laden caravan will weigh 300kg more than your tow-car’s legal capability.

If the caravan maker has only allowed a carrying capacity of 300-400kg over the Tare weight, it’s unlikely the van will be a true off-road unit. Twin 80-100 litre water tanks and twin large gas bottles will take up 200-240kg of that for a start.

Fill your fridge and your wardrobe or drawers, carry a few tools, an awning mat, hoses, etc. and you’re topped the weight out.

A manufacturer with true off-road aspirations for their vans can offer you extra carrying capacity through up-rated axles, chassis, wheels and tyres.

4. Check the A-frame hitch. If it has a simple 50mm ball hitch then the manufacturer is obviously not expecting the van to do the hard yards. Look for a specific off-road hitch hat will allow a wide range of movement, such as Vehicle Components’ DO-35, a Hyland, McHitch, or Treg, for example.

5. If there’s a water tap on the A-frame, it should ideally be positioned on the inside, out of stone’s harm, or if on the outside of the frame, it should at least be shielded.

6. Look underneath -- ask for a plastic tarpaulin or piece of cardboard if need be! If there are any wires, pipes or other fittings hanging down, or look vulnerable to stone damage, they probably are. Waste water pipes are a prime target.

The water tank (or tanks) should also have solid shielding -- not just a light aluminium or sheet steel ‘wrap’ and if they are like Trakmasters, there will be a thick sheet of marine waterproof plywood in-between the stone shield to absorb any impact before it ruptures the water tank.

Look for low-hanging steps. If it looks like it could collect roadside obstacles on a narrow track, it probably will!

7. Ask about the body structure and how it varies from the same manufacturer’s on-road vans. Whether it has Meranti timber framing, aluminium framing or sandwich wall construction is less important than the fact that it is stronger.

Each of these wall systems has their good points, but timber-framed walls are generally easier to repair in the case of a localised accident, whereas an impact with a rigid aluminium-framed wall can transmit the shock more extensively throughout the structure and hence be more costly to repair.

Ditto re the exterior cladding. Corrugated aluminium sheeting is light and easy to replace. Giving it the ‘stucco’ treatment and backing it with a full ply sheeting over the wall frame like Trakmaster do, adds extra strength for prolonged off-road use.

Wall and roof uprights and cross-members should generally be either thicker or more closely spaced in an off-road van for greater strength. If not, why?

8. Inside, check the cupboards. Piano hinges look great, but are they there to cover up the shocks being transmitted to the body by the chassis or suspension system?

Look for steel slides on drawers, positive locks that will stop cupboards and drawers from jarring open on corrugations and spilling their load, and extra latches on shower screens, fold-out tables and even fridge doors that will keep them closed when the rest of the van is shaking like a jelly.

Cupboards should be screwed into the body frame, ideally from both sides on a timber-framed van before the cladding is applied, hence adding additional strength to the structure.

9. Ask to visit the factory. Any manufacturer proud of their product will encourage this and show you how their vans are built to withstand off-road punishment, while many encourage customers to ‘visit’ their van as it’s being built. If they won’t show you around, wonder why?

10. Ask the manufacturer for details of owners of similar vans who can give you an independent reference. Because of privacy laws, they will need to ask the owners first -- and you can be sure that the people they select will be ‘happy’ owners -- but at least you’ll be able to talk to people about how they use their vans and whether this relates to what you want to do.

Another great resource for a true off-road brand is an owners’ group, or club, as the members will have found every chink in their van’s armour and be delighted to talk about where they take their vans online, or directly.

Most of the main off-road brands have such clubs and in Trakmaster’s case, more than 28 per cent of all the vans they have produced since 1995 are in club members’ hands. Trakmaster also run national Outback tours for club members each year, led by one of their directors, so owner feedback goes straight to the source.