Jurgens TuffTrax

One of the real growth areas in the Australian caravan market is in off-road hybrids priced around $50,000, with those who prefer hard walls and a roof to canvas offered increasing choice.

The South African-built Jurgens TuffTrax stands apart in this group with its caravan pop-top styling combined with serious off-road cred and its many unique features that local makers have yet to discover, or embrace.

Founded 63 years ago by Dutch immigrants, Jurgens is by far South Africa’s oldest and largest caravan manufacturer and for the past eight years has operated a joint Australian venture in Pakenham, Victoria assembling and selling a range of single and tandem axle pop-top and full-height caravans.

Now, after seeing other

South African-sourced campers like Conqueror find a niche in our market, Jurgens Australia has begun importing one of the smallest and toughest caravans in the Jurgens South African Safari range, rebadging it here as the TuffTrax.

With rugged caravanning conditions similar to those adventurous Australians might encounter at home, South African products are well suited to our market, with most changes to larger Jurgens caravans during their assembly here concentrated on adding more comfort features and meeting local gas and electrical regulations.

But in the case of the TuffTrax, Jurgens has taken the more dramatic step of fitting full-blown Australian Cruisemaster coil spring and dual shock absorber independent trailing arm suspension beneath what is already a high-riding and very well protected off-roader.

Unlike its boxy direct local rivals such as the

Van Cruiser Outlaw PT and On the Move Crossfire, the TuffTrax with its curved lines looks like a scaled down version of a larger Jurgens caravan, but with dramatic, steeply angled rear bodywork.

A very solid galvanised steel chassis, bolted rather than welded as is the Jurgens way, with solid very solid front scrub bars to protect the front bodywork and a pair of skid bars under the tail, combined with the proven, high-riding Cruisemaster independent suspension and a 360-degree DO-35 off-road hitch, leave you in no doubt that this little off-roader will probably go further, easier, than most large 4WDs can tow it.

Like other Jurgens vans, it has composite, aluminum clad walls linking moulded fibreglass front and rear end panels, while the van’s ‘Uniskin’ pop-top roof is a heavily profiled one-piece fibreglass pressing.

Impressively, they combine with interior materials chosen for their combination of strength and light weight to keep the TuffTrax’s overall empty weight down to just 1460kg. That's up to 300kg less than some well-known Australian pop-top campers of similar overall dimensions and equipment.

Externally, there are a few features that might seem unusual to Australian eyes. For example, the front ‘boot’ that houses two 9kg gas bottles on one side and storage on the other is hinged at the bottom and needs a ‘T-handle’ tool to open and lock to tighten it hard against its rubber dust and water seals.

There are external bag awnings on both sides – the front forming shelter for outdoor dining and seating and the other containing the standard shower tent – both requiring the supplied poles and guy ropes to erect.

Then there is the spare wheel and its twin flanking jerry cans, both mounted high on the rear wall. They are certainly out of harm’s way and the design of the jerry holders allows them to slide out of their lockable holders, rather than having to be lifted.

However the two-burner stainless steel kitchen with its sink and flick-mixer tap slides out just where you want it, to the left of TuffTrax’s solid entry door.

Personally, I think the front bag awning needs to be replaced by a wind-out awning like the excellent products made by Fiamma or Prostor, as they will provide instant shade or rain shelter on an overnight stop, whereas the bag awning takes much longer to erect.

Once inside, the TuffTrax immediately impresses with its no-nonsense practical features that Australian hybrid camper manufacturers could do well to copy.

For example, the one-piece composite ‘Integra’ floor of the TuffTrax is 52mm thick, with a central 40mm high density insulating foam core covered with vinyl on top and aluminium beneath. Not only does this provide great insulation and moisture protection, but also it forms a structural part of the TuffTrax, meaning weight can be saved in the steel chassis.

Special reinforcing brackets strengthen the composite wall to floor connection to handle tough conditions.

The interior ‘timber’ furniture is also lightweight, but the neat feature with the TuffTrax is the tough vinyl with strong YKK zippers used instead of hinged doors on 19 separate cupboards and storage nooks. Not only does it make these cupboards impressively dust-proof, but also it saves weight and there are no hinges or screws to work loose.

Otherwise, the interior is an interesting mix of good and not-so-good features, depending on who you’re planning to accommodate.

There are no cooking facilities or sink – they’re incoporated in the slide-out kitchen – but there’s a reasonable-sized Waeco 110-litre compressor fridge/freezer with a shelf above that could accommodate a gas-cartridge two burner gas cooker if the weather makes inside cooking essential.

Up front under the opening front window there’s a 1760mm long x 1165mm wide two mattress ‘super single’ bed, with the U-shaped rear lounge area serving double purpose as twin single beds or, with the portable table slotted in the middle and the backrest cushions re-arranged, as a 1860mm x 1765mm wide king-size bed.

While this is great for a couple with children, or a ‘boys’ weekend, it’s not ideal for couples, as the front bed is too cosy for two, while you lose the lounge and anywhere to sit and eat inside when the king bed is erected. One answer could be to fit a double bed cross-ways at the rear and this would leave space ahead of it for a two-person dinette.

The other missed opportunity inside is to integrate the portable toilet for night time duties. As it is, the toilet lives under the right hand lounge seat and would need to be unstrapped and moved either to the outside ensuite tent, or under the bed (once assembled) for use.

But if there was a two-way hatch, like that used by Melbourne’s Track Trailer on its Topaz pop-top, it could be accessible from either inside or out.

One thing no-one will have an issue with is the TuffTrax’s off-road performance, which I would put on par with something as capable as a Tvan or a Vista RV, thanks to its combination of low weight, very cable suspension and its handy 2070mm width.

Apart from low branches that might catch out its 2325mm travel height – not much higher than a laden roof rack on a LandCruiser or Nissan Patrol – I can’t see anything stopping the TuffTrax on a rugged track or in a creek crossing. It’s as good as its name!

NOT SO MUCH:
>> Bag awnings
>> Bedding arrangement for couples
>> Access to portable toilet

VERDICT

We really liked the Jurgens TuffTrax despite some annoying features, specifically for couples, but so good is the core design that we found ourselves thinking of ways to live with them.

Add a wind-out awning, a transverse rear double bed and a faster-erecting shower tent and it would be hard to touch in its market place.

Travel length: 5880mm (19ft 3in)
External body length: 4360mm (14ft 3in)
External body width: 2070mm (6ft 9in)
Travel height: 2325mm (7ft 7in)
Interior height: 1915mm (6ft 3in)
Tare weight: 1460kg
ATM: 2000kg
Ball weight: 150kg
Body: Composite aluminium panels, moulded fibreglass end walls, composite floor
Chassis: Galvanised and bolted chassis with skid bars front and rear
Suspension: Cruisemaster independent trailing arm coil spring and twin shock absorber
Brakes: 12-inch electric
Wheels: 16 x 7in alloy with 245/70R16 tyres
Fresh water: 160L
Battery: 1 x 100Ah deep cycle AGM
Solar: Provision for, but optional
Air-conditioner: Optional
Gas: 2 x 9.0kg
Hot water: 22.7L Atwood gas/electric
Cooking: Two-burner gas/electric external kitchen with stainless steel sink and hot/cold mixer tap
Fridge:  110L Waeco compressor
Microwave: Not fitted
Toilet: Portable toilet in locker
Shower: External hot/cold shower with shower tent
Washing machine: Not available
Lighting: LED
Price (As reviewed, ex-Melbourne): $49,990
Options fitted: None
Supplied by:

Jurgens Caravans, Pakenham, Vic